Results 14,641-14,660 of 23,995 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: EU Funding (9 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Ireland’s success in achieving EU LIFE funding for several important species and habitat conservation projects is a positive story for biodiversity and for inter Department engagement which is needed to tackle the biodiversity crisis. My Department is a co-contributor to several recent LIFE projects – involved both through financial support and also having expert staff...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (9 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department continues to support the ambition of the Irish agri-food sector to grow the value of exports to international markets. The promotion of Ireland's high-quality, safe, nutritious and sustainably produced food is a core objective of my Department and its agencies. The Government's strategy to deliver this export growth has seen Bord Bia receive significant extra funding from my...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Supports (9 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Brexit has inevitably presented significant challenges for the agri-food sector, although the Trade and Co-operation Agreement reached at the end of 2020 mitigated against some of the potentially worst impacts as it provided for tariff-free trade between the EU and UK to continue. However, as the UK is now outside the EU Single Market and Customs Union, there are additional requirements for...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (9 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The new CAP places a particular focus on promoting the participation of women in the social economic development of rural areas, with special attention to farming. Gender equality is also a key objective of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and a priority for me, as Minister. I am pleased therefore to be proposing the highest level of direct supports for women...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Supports (9 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The outcome of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, which has seen the UK leave the EU Single Market and Customs Union, inevitably has presented significant challenges for Irish agri-food businesses trading with the UK. However, the fact that tariff-free trading arrangements have been able to continue on foot of the Agreement has been a real positive, and it is evident that the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Supports (9 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: As a result of the UK no longer being in the EU Single Market and Customs Union, the trading environment for Irish businesses, including agri-food businesses, has changed significantly. The Government, and my Department in particular, has been working in close collaboration with the sector to prepare for these changes. There has been extensive investment in developing the systems and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (9 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department publish data annually on the numbers of cattle slaughtered at both Department approved Slaughter Plants and at Local Authority approved abattoirs. In 2020, 1.88 million cattle were slaughtered. According to CSO meat supply balance data, this equates to around 633,000 tonnes (carcass weight equivalent). My Department does not categorise cattle slaughtering by quality...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Programmes (9 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I am a strong supporter of the Social Farming model and will continue to offer support to the initiative as it does a tremendous job in driving inclusion. My Department provides funding under the Rural Innovation & Development Fund (RIDF) for the development of the national Social Farming Network known as "Social Farming Ireland". In addition, funding is also provided for the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Expenditure (9 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The amount expended by my Department in each of the past five years to date in 2021 on electricity in tabular form is as follows: Year Expenditure 2017 €2,274,455.00 2018 €2,010,614.33 2019 €1,808,273.55 2020 €2,027,254.58 2021...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (9 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The Deputy will be pleased to be advised that there is no fee imposed for the processing of sea-fishing boat licences administered by the Licensing Authority. The Fisheries (Amendment) Act 2003 transferred the functions of sea-fishing boat licensing to the Licensing Authority for Sea-fishing Boats, which operates on an independent basis subject to criteria set out in that Act and Ministerial...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Covid-19 Pandemic (9 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department continues to contribute to and support whole-of-Government communications related to COVID-19. My Department has provided information, as appropriate, via established channels of communication, including the Department’s website, official social media accounts and stakeholder communications. No advertising expenditure related to COVID-19 has been incurred by my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (9 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 348 to 352, inclusive, together. As I advised the Deputy in Parliamentary Question number 247 of 2ndDecember, my Department received an application for a tree felling licence for the person named in April this year. The Harvest Plan and map was received in May. As advised the application is with the Ecology Unit . There are now 27 ecologists deployed to my...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (9 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Tackling the backlog in forestry licenses remains a key priority for me, Minister of State Pippa Hackett, who has overall responsibility for the sector, and the rest of the Department. While the situation we find ourselves in is far from ideal, I am pleased to report significant progress has been made in the past year, particularly on felling and road licences. The investment in...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (9 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 354 and 355 together. Following on from Parliamentary Question 747 of 30thNovember, further analysis shows that 682 GLAS participants planted 3,702 hectares of forestry in the years 2016 to 2020 - this figure is based on the number who claimed a first grant and premium in those years. This represents 20% of all those who planted forestry in the period in...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Planning Issues (9 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I am acutely aware that the requirement for planning permission in certain situations when replacing Broadleaf High Forest with Conifer species has introduced difficulties for landowners wishing to clear their diseased ash plantations and replace them with other species. We are exploring potential alternatives to the current system, as advised at the Joint Oireachtas Committee, and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (9 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 357 and 361 to 363, inclusive, together. The Forestry programme 2014-2020 was subjected to a midterm review in 2018 which assessed the rates of grants and premiums for all forestry schemes. As a result of this review a number of changes were made to grants and premiums which reflected increased costs in some areas and the level of scheme uptake....

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (9 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: An application for a tree felling licence cannot be found for the details supplied. Contact was made with the Deputy's office to see if further details, including a TFL reference number, could be supplied in order to identify this applications but no reply received to date. If such details are supplied we will provide a complete response directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (9 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: As part of Project Woodland, Working Group 4 (WG4) were tasked with considering an environmental planning grant. This is to support the applicant in the preparation of habitat maps or similar documents when an application is submitted on their behalf. An environmental planning grant was recommended in the MacKinnon Report. My Department has responded to this by proposing to introduce a new...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (9 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The Habitats Directive and the transposing legislation SI 477 of 2011 require, inter alia, that an appropriate assessment is undertaken where screening identifies a likelihood of the project having a significant effect on a European site(s). This is true regardless of the separation distance between the project and the European site(s). A likely zone of impact is used to identify those...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Work Permits (9 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Arising from ongoing engagement with sector stakeholders, my Department is in regular contact with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) regarding the labour shortages that exist in certain sub-sectors of agri-food. The Deputy will be aware that DETE has lead responsibility for this issue and recently announced the outcome of the most recent review of the lists for...