Results 4,721-4,740 of 4,911 for speaker:Martin Heydon

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (30 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: For operational and security reasons, my Department has been advised by the National Cyber Security Centre not to disclose particular arrangements in place in relation to IT tools and services or details which could, in any way, identify potential vulnerabilities in Departmental Cybersecurity arrangements.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (30 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 743, 746 and 747 together. While taxation policy is primarily the responsibility of my colleague the Minister of Finance, I work closely with him on taxation issues relating to the agri-food sector. Following consultations with stakeholders and consistent with the Government’s priorities, I make an annual submission to the Minister for Finance on...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Teagasc Activities (30 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: The continued development of the pigmeat sector is a priority for my Department, given the pivotal role the industry plays in the national economic context. The sector generates substantial revenue and employment opportunities in rural areas, playing a crucial role in sustaining local economies. I am aware of the work carried out by the Teagasc Pig Department in examining potential...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (30 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: The new Programme for Government prioritises “supporting inter-generational farm succession”. Food Vision 2030, our shared strategy for the agri-food sector, states that generational renewal in farming is critically important to ensure the future viability and social sustainability of the Irish agri-food sector and of rural Ireland. There are a number of supports for...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (30 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage is responsible for the Good Agricultural Practice for the Protection of Waters Regulations 2022 (SI 113 of 2022, as amended). Under these Regulations the closed period for applying slurry to land now commences on the 1st of October annually. In 2022 the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, following consultation...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Public Procurement Contracts (30 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: Officials in my Department are currently updating the Contract Award Notices for all contracts valued over €25,000 ex-VAT to ensure full compliance with Circular 05/2023. This will be completed shortly. Separately, my Department publishes the details of all contracts awarded that are valued over €25,000 ex-VAT on a quarterly basis on my Department’s website. These...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Public Procurement Contracts (30 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: It is my Department's policy in relation to any competitive process undertaken in accordance with Regulation 55 of S.I. No. 284/2016 and without the assistance of any external agencies (e.g. The Office of Government Procurement or the Education Procurement Service) that unsuccessful tenderers are provided with:The name of the successful tenderer;A scoring breakdown including their own scores...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Public Procurement Contracts (30 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: It is my Department's policy in relation to any competitive process undertaken in accordance with Regulation 55 of S.I. No. 284/2016 and without the assistance of any external agencies (e.g. The Office of Government Procurement or the Education Procurement Service) that unsuccessful tenderers are provided with:The name of the successful tenderer;A scoring breakdown including their own scores...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Climate Action Plan (30 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: This Government recognises the importance of the tillage sector and wants to grow the area under tillage crops in the years ahead. However, the use of land for tillage or any other agricultural enterprise is untimely a matter for farmers themselves. Despite the various challenges that the sector has faced in recent years, the area of crops has remained relatively stable. Since 2020, the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (30 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: In general, land burnt during the closed season (March 1st to August 31st) is not eligible for the purpose of payment under the BISS or any other area based scheme. My Department actively identifies areas of burnt land declared for area based schemes, and in particular land that is burned during the closed season. Where land is identified as having been burned during the closed season no...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Safety (30 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: Food produced at establishments approved by my Department that is recalled by reason of confirmation of the presence of microorganisms linked to food borne disease must be declared unfit for human consumption. This recalled food must be disposed of under Animal By-Product Regulation 1069/2009 if it is of animal origin. This means that it must be sent to an animal by-product handling facility....

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (30 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage is responsible for the Good Agricultural Practice for the Protection of Waters Regulations 2022 (SI 113 of 2022, as amended). Under these Regulations the closed period for applying slurry to land now commences on the 1st of October annually. In 2022 the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, following consultation...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Diseases (30 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 758 and 759 together. My Department provides a range of financial supports that focus on compensating farmers for both direct and indirect losses incurred as a result of a TB breakdown on the farm. The On Farm Market Valuation scheme provides compensation to affected herdowners up to the market value that each individual animal would have attained on...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (30 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: There is detailed European Union and Irish legislation in place on the protection of broiler chickens which sets out specific requirements that must be met by anyone keeping commercial broiler flocks. Trained Veterinary Inspectors from my Department carry out risk-based inspections of a selection of flocks each year to check compliance with these requirements. The inspections are carried out...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Control of Dogs (2 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: From 1 June 2025, all policy and legislative responsibility for the Control of Dogs Acts transferred to my Department from the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (DRCDG). Prior to 2025, DRCDG did not provide funding to local authorities to employ dog wardens. In July 2024, funding of €2 million was announced for local authorities to support the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (2 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: The application window for the scheme to support Long Established Young Farmers has closed and there are no plans to extend the eligibility criteria. Since the time my Department was first approached in 2015 with regard to the group commonly referred to as forgotten farmers, the group was defined as young farmers who were under the age of 40 in 2015, had established their holdings prior...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Culls (2 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department, along with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage established the Irish Deer Management Strategy group to develop a strategy for the sustainable management of deer in Ireland. The Group comprised representatives from my Department, National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS) and Coillte. A report was published into “Developing a Sustainable Deer...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Supports (2 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: The collection of sheep wool is a commercial arrangement between the sheep farmer and the merchant. My Department does not have a role in collecting wool, or the usage of wool once collected. The Programme for Government commits to supporting the work of the Irish Grown Wool Council under the remit of the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport. In 2023, following a review of the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (2 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme, or ACRES, is the flagship environmental scheme provided under the 2023-2027 CAP Strategic Plan, with €1.5 billion in Exchequer and EU funding allocated over the course of the scheme. There are currently just under 54,000 participants in ACRES. A total of €97,809,072.66 has been paid to ACRES participants to date in the 2025...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Diseases (2 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: Bovine TB is an ongoing challenging for Irish farmers. In recent years we have seen a significant increase in bTB levels nationally. Over 6,000 farm families were affected by a bTB outbreak in 2024 and herd incidence was at 6.04%. As at 28th September 2025, over a 12-month period, herd incidence was 6.08%, with over 40,000 reactors. I published the Bovine TB Action Plan, "Addressing Bovine...