Results 6,161-6,180 of 24,092 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: Is the beef data and genomics programme dealt with here?
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: The beef data and genomics programme, BDGP, relates to animal welfare under programme A, which is why I asked if it would be dealt with there. Currently, 24,500 farmers are signed up under the programme. The Minister indicated that €52 million is available for the programme in 2017. We have had a debate, and will probably debate it again, on the need for additional supports for the...
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: I will not get stuck into the issue of the underspend in terms of the Government's commitment. I have been very clear about the Minister following through on the Government's commitment to fund the rural development programme to the extent committed to across the various schemes when the rural development programme and the schemes were announced by the Minister's predecessor. However, that...
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: What was the commitment, as far as the Minister understands?
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: Yes, but-----
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: My understanding is that when the beef data and genomics programme was announced and launched by the Government, a specific budget was allocated to it and, if I recall correctly, €250 million was to go towards the BDGP to facilitate 35,000 farmers being part of it. That was the Government's commitment. Perhaps I am wrong about that, and if I am wrong-----
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: How wide?
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: No-----
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: I am just putting it to the Minister what the Government committed to, that is, 35,000 farmers.
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: The Minister cannot clarify the actual figure committed to.
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: Can the Minister’s officials clarify the figure committed to under the BDGP? Specifically, within the €52 million for this year, can the Minister give us a breakdown-----
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: I will ask the question about the €52 million another way. There are 24,500 farmers in the beef data and genomics programme at the moment. We are agreed on that. What is the projected cost of paying those 24,500 farmers this year?
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: I find it incongruous that we cannot be clear on this matter today, towards the end of March. We know 24,500 farmers are currently in the beef data and genomics programme. I am simply asking how much it will cost this very year, which we are a third of the way through, to pay these 24,500, and the Minister is not able to tell me.
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: If it will cost €48 million, that means that within the current beef data and genomics programme this year, €52 million is budgeted, which means there is €4 million, potentially, in the current budget to work with. Therefore, if the Minister were to reopen significantly the beef data and genomics programme this year, particularly if he were to reopen it for the 10,000...
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: -----according to current projections of €4 million-----
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: It is not a myth to quote back to the Minister the Government's own promises as to how many participants will be in the scheme and how much will be spent on it. He chooses to regard-----
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: The Minister talks about myths. I am quoting back to him his predecessor’s commitments in respect of this programme and in respect of GLAS. They may have become myths at this stage but they certainly were not myths when the commitments were made. I will move on to the question of expenditure on the GLAS programme. GLAS III has reopened and 14,000 farmers have applied to it. This...
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: It is very disappointing to hear that. Our experience of GLAS payments for 2016 was that commitments were made that the farmers would be paid in December but this has not happened. That has rolled into this year. There are many farmers - up to 5,000 at the moment - in a very difficult position because of this. Regarding the Department's operation of the scheme and the learning of lessons...
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: Each of the 14,000 farmers who applied to participate GLAS III made the choice to apply and signed up to a plan, much of which they will carry out from 1 January this year until December in the expectation that they will be paid. If the Minister's choices mean that they will not receive the full payment this year, perhaps he might confirm what his choices were for the 14,000 who signed up in...
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: Does the Minister plan to communicate that information to them?