Results 14,461-14,480 of 23,995 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (1 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Both I and Minister of State Pippa Hackett, who has overall responsibility for the sector, take the forestry licensing issue extremely seriously and it is a top priority in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Significant time and resources continue to be devoted to dealing with the backlog and this is beginning to have the desired...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2016: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (24 Nov 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Chair and members for the opportunity to be here today to discuss this issue. An important pillar of Government policy is to ensure that the horse and greyhound racing industries achieve their maximum potential and, in so doing, contribute to economic and social development in a very wide geographic distribution around the country. The horse and greyhound racing industries...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2016: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (24 Nov 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Senator Daly. I recognise, as I did in my opening comments, the work of the committee in putting together the report which it submitted to me in the past week or two. It was important work to which the committee gave significant time and attention. It is an example of how this committee has been effective and can operate effectively by engaging with stakeholders and doing reports...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2016: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (24 Nov 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: As I mentioned, we received the committee's report in the past week to two weeks. Obviously, the committee put much work and effort into it. I am considering the recommendations and each of the points the committee made before responding. I will take the required time to give that a full assessment before reverting to the committee and giving clarity on how I intend to proceed. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2016: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (24 Nov 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Overall, it is 10% of its State funding, at a minimum. It is spending more than that as things stand. Looking at it across the board, the projected spend of RCÉ for this year on traceability, in particular, was €336,000. For care and welfare programmes, it was €750,000; for veterinary care at tracks, it was more than €300,000; for the national greyhound...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2016: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (24 Nov 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The funding is absolutely contingent on the highest of welfare standards and our prioritisation of welfare is part of that funding. There is ongoing engagement between our teams. Dr. Kevin Smyth is the assistant secretary responsible for that, and Ms Caroline Ball also works on an ongoing basis on the oversight of that. Will Dr. Smyth give us a flavour of how that engagement works over the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2016: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (24 Nov 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Senator Boyhan. He outlined the importance of the funding through the horse and greyhound fund to the horse racing sector. I agree with him on the importance of that. He also outlined the importance of ensuring that welfare is at the core of all racing. That is absolutely the case, and it is crucial that it be the case. The public expects it. It has to be uniform and consistent...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2016: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (24 Nov 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy. I know how important tracks are to each area. They are fondly regarded and a key part of the character of the areas in which they are located. Overall, it is a matter for Rásaíocht Con Éireann to consider and manage. The Department asked NewERA to produce a report on Rásaíocht Con Éireann's financial situation and the health and future of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2016: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (24 Nov 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputy Kehoe and the Chair. The first point Deputy Kehoe made was on the importance of integrity and the highest standards in oversight in the racing industry. We all agree that is critical. Maintenance of the highest standards is essential to the future of the industry and the sector. I know from the committee's report that it found that the testing regime and the systems in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2016: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (24 Nov 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I will ask the assistant secretary, Dr. Kevin Smith, to go through the process in respect of the assessments that have been made and the engagements that are in place to work out the requirement and the final funding allocation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2016: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (24 Nov 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: As Deputy Carthy has said, it is open to the Minister to change that at any time but the two industries can be subject to similar challenges. There are lots of similarities between them and the last year to 18 months speaks to that in relation to the impact of Covid. Both industries are very much subject to race attendances and have very similar models in that regard. By and large, in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2016: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (24 Nov 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: This is something that Deputy Carthy raised at the committee last year as well, when he made the same point. Indeed, he has also brought it up in debates in the Dáil. A key driver behind the health and pre-eminence of the sector nationally is that we are able to compete in terms of horse racing. The competitions that take place attract international horses and ensure that right...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2016: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (24 Nov 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: It is really important that we support all sectors. HRI is aware of that and has ongoing and continuous engagement with all stakeholders and all of those involved at all levels within horse racing. It is important that all levels are supported because the next level depends very much on the health of the level underneath it and on the foundation levels, going right back to the small...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horticulture Sector (2 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The Department operates a programme that provides funding for agri-food research, on a competitive basis, to research performing organisations. Applications are invited periodically through Research Calls that cover a broad range of agriculture, food and forest related research activities. Our current call, which closed earlier this year, contains a specific topic entitled: ‘Find...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (2 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The Department has issued a total of 3,603 forestry licences so far this year, which is 55% more than was issued for all of 2020 (2,592) albeit last year was a low output year.  The table below represents the output for the months requested broken down by tree felling, afforestation and forest road works licences. The Deputy will note the smaller number of licences issued...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (2 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department received an application for a tree felling licence for the person named in April this year.  The application has been referred to my Department’s Ecology Unit in order to assess possible effects on surrounding designated sites.  A Harvest Plan has been received and once the environmental report is completed, the application will be opened for a 30-day public...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Veterinary Services (2 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Last week, I set out a roadmap for the implementation of the new EU-wide Veterinary Medicinal Regulation 2019/6.  While the Regulation will come into effect on 28thJanuary 2022, in response to the concerns of stakeholders, I have decided to defer implementation of one aspect – that anti-parasitic medicines can only be supplied on foot of a veterinary prescription -...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Expenditure (2 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The amount expended by my Department in each of the past five years to date in 2021 on lighting and heating costs in tabular form is as follows: Year Expenditure* 2017 €2,790,840 2018 €2,861,412 2019 €2,655,066 2020 €2,744,297 ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Properties (2 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department has followed the advice of the Health and Safety Authority and the advice contained in the Government’s Work Safely Protocol in relation to ventilation in office buildings.  The Office of Public Works, who are responsible for the management of Government properties, has advised my Department that all our mechanical ventilation systems are operating efficiently...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (7 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: There are a wide variety of items available under the suite of seven measures under the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS). To date, total expenditure under the seven measures of the TAMS, including transitional expenditure, has reached in excess of €323m with commitments of an additional €145m made to scheme participants who have yet to draw down those grants. ...