Results 14,541-14,560 of 23,995 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Seanad: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2021: Motion (8 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Certainly.

Seanad: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2021: Motion (8 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Cathaoirleach and Members for the various contributions this evening, for the passion with which everyone spoke to the motion, and for the tremendous interest there has been in it. I apologise again for the disruption at the start when I was delayed in leaving the Cabinet subcommittee meeting. We have discussed this topic in great detail in the Dáil. I know many Senators...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pension Provisions (8 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: As the Deputy may be aware Coillte is a private limited company established under the Forestry Act 1988 and as such is operationally independent from my Department. Any pension increases granted are at the discretion of Coillte and are subject to the approval of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. I have...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (8 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: EU Regulations governing the administration of Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraint Schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks, including in some cases remote sensing (e.g. satellite inspections), are completed before any payments issue. The 2021 application of the person named was selected for a remote sensing eligibility inspection. This required verification of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Safety (8 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: As the Deputy may be aware, in order to highlight the importance of farm safety, the Government assigned my colleague Minister-of-State Martin Heydon TD specific responsibility for Farm Safety. The Department has a range of measures in place to incentivise and promote farm safety. The proposals for the dedicated farm safety budget of €2 million for 2022 are in the process of being...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (8 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The promotion of Ireland's high-quality, safe, nutritious and sustainably produced food, and the development of export opportunities for Irish food producers, are core objectives of my Department and its agencies, in particular Bord Bia. In support of the achievement of these objectives, the Government has provided Bord Bia with significant additional funding over a number of recent...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (8 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The Irish agri-food sector has a strong international reputation as a supplier of quality, safe, nutritious and sustainably produced food and drink, but it cannot afford to rest on its laurels in a very competitive and dynamic marketplace. Food Vision 2030, the stakeholder-led strategy for sustainable development of the sector in the decade ahead, aims to position Ireland as a world leader...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (8 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: While my Department issues further information requests as and when required on individual applications and keeps a record of each request on the individual file, information on the number issued is not readily available from the IFORIS system. Statistics are available for a specific triage exercise recently carried out on both forest roads and private tree felling licence applications...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy (8 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The Programme for Government ‘Our Shared Future’ contains a commitment to seek to resolve the issue of support for the category of farmers known as Forgotten Farmers. I have asked officials in my Department to examine options to address the issue of forgotten farmers both through the next CAP and also through other measures to support this group. I am committed to helping this...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Funding (8 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Access to finance is a crucial business need and, as well as liaising with the main banks on issues relating to the agri-food sector, my Department works closely across Government to provide important supports for businesses, including farmers, fishers and food businesses. Most recently, this has been to ensure that they have access to finance during the pandemic and also to help deal with...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (8 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Eco-Schemes are being proposed for the first time as part of the next CAP and they must be funded from within Pillar 1 of the CAP budget. The aim of Ireland’s Eco-Scheme will be to reward farmers for undertaking actions beneficial to the climate, environment, water quality and biodiversity. I have decided to allocate 25% of Ireland’s Direct Payments envelope to Eco-Schemes...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (8 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The current proposals for the various new interventions to be made available in the next CAP period are outlined in ‘Ireland’s draft CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027’. The draft Plan and associated Environmental Report and Natura Impact Statement have been published on my Department’s website and members of the public and stakeholders have been invited to make a...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Veterinary Services (8 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The Regulations on Veterinary Medicinal Products enter into force on 28th January 2022. Following engagement with all those involved, I have decided to defer the implementation of the element requiring anti-parasitic medicines to be supplied on foot of a veterinary prescription, until 1st June 2022. This will enable all stakeholders make the necessary business and/or infrastructural...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Harbours and Piers (8 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Minard Pier is owned by Kerry County Council and responsibility for its maintenance and development rests with that Local Authority in the first instance and its parent Department, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, is the primary provider of funding for local authorities. In view of the particular importance of such facilities to the marine economy, my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Live Exports (8 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: As the Deputy is aware, the European Parliament’s ANIT Committee has concluded its work and has voted on its report and recommendations. The recommendations of the ANIT Committee, if they were to be implemented in full, would be particularly challenging. This report will next be presented to a plenary session of the European Parliament in January, seeking endorsement by the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Food Industry (9 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I am committed to bringing much-needed transparency to the food sector. The Deputy will be aware the programme for Government includes a commitment for a new office of a national food ombudsman or equivalent to enforce the unfair trading practices, UTP, directive and to have a role in analysing and reporting on price and market data in Ireland. The establishment of such an office requires...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Food Industry (9 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: There is a tremendous thirst within the agrifood sector, particularly among farmers, to ensure transparency will be brought to the food supply chain. I have taken that very seriously since I was appointed and, as the Deputy pointed out, I completed a consultation process, which he contributed to, at the end of the summer. Over the course of the autumn and into winter, much work has been...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Food Industry (9 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The role of the enforcement authority within my Department, which has been place since May, is to enforce the unfair trading practices directive and other directives that are in place at European level. It has undertaken over recent weeks and months a significant engagement process with those in the food supply chain and those who will be affected by the unfair trading practices directive to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Industry (9 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy for a very pertinent and relevant question. As part of the commitments set out in the climate action plan 2021, we are exploring the development of a carbon farming model with the potential for trading and which rewards farmers for emissions reductions and removals, including through potential private sector investment. Such an approach will require the establishment...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Industry (9 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: There are two aspects to this, one of which is developing the tools to be able to measure additional sequestration. Teagasc is doing significant research work on how to assess that. I have provided it with the funding to do that. Flux towers across the country are assessing in detail what is happening at farm level, what is going into the soil, what is coming out of it, and developing a...