Results 15,361-15,380 of 23,995 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Industry (24 Feb 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department considers all applications for aquaculture licences in accordance with the provisions of the 1997 Fisheries (Amendment) Act, the 1933 Foreshore Act and applicable national and EU legislation. The licensing process involves consultation with a wide range of scientific and technical advisors as well as various Statutory Consultees. The legislation also provides for a period of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Industry (24 Feb 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The State Agency which the Deputy appears to be referring to is not an Agency that comes under the aegis of my Department. Accordingly, it would be more appropriate if the Deputy raised the matter with the parent Department of that Agency.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (24 Feb 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine issued 2,877 felling licences last year which represented nearly 8.7 million cubic metres of timber. This was the highest ever output in volume terms in a single year. There was an almost even split of Coillte and private felling licences last year with Coillte receiving 53% and the other 47% going to the private sector. This year...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (24 Feb 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I am acutely aware that the overall level of tree planting has declined in recent years and this is a cause for concern. Achieving the planting targets set out in the Climate Action Plan is a priority for me and for Minister of State Pippa Hackett, who has overall responsibility for the sector, as well as the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. We do need to engage farmers...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (24 Feb 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The number of forestry licence applications received and issued in 2021 is indicated in the table below. - Received Issued Afforestation 526 502 Forest Roads 661 671 Tree Felling 1,254 1,346 Total Private 2,441 2,519 While we...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Veterinary Services (24 Feb 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) is the competent authority for the authorisation of veterinary medicinal products in Ireland. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine regulates the distribution of veterinary medicinal products in the State. Both bodies collaborate when potential veterinary medicinal shortages arise and are notified via the shortages protocol. ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (24 Feb 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine recently published forestry licensing targets for 2022. The plan may be found at gov.ie - Forestry Licensing Plan 2022 (www.gov.ie). A key target of that plan is to refocus on the delivery on approvals from the Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme (RUS) (Ash Dieback). Some 537 RUS applications have been received totalling 2,215ha...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (24 Feb 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The following table details the area of afforestation planted with conifers in the past three years and expresses it as a percentage of total planting. - 2019 2020 2021 Conifers Planted. Hectares 2,656.72 1,615.79 1,187.47 Percentage of total 74.84% 66.38% 58.89% I am...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (24 Feb 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The Results-Based Environment Agri Pilot Programme (REAP) is designed to trial the results-based approach on a national basis and to test the upscaling potential of the model for inclusion in the next national agri-environment scheme to follow GLAS. REAP incentivises farmers to maintain and improve the environmental condition of their land while delivering an important financial support to...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy, who raises a fair concern. It is something that I and my Department are monitoring very closely. We are having a special meeting of EU Agriculture Ministers this Wednesday and this issue will form part of those discussions in the context of the challenges relating to the unacceptable invasion of Ukraine and what it means for gas, energy, fertiliser and grain prices. I...

Seanad: Sea-Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (2 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Senator for amendments Nos. 1 and 11. The issue of the standard of proof to be used by the determination panel and the appeals officer being "on the balance of probabilities" has been raised by industry on a number of occasions, including on Committee Stage in the Dáil and on previous Stages in the Seanad. It was also raised during pre-legislative scrutiny. The legal...

Seanad: Sea-Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (2 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: While I have described it and have compared it to the penalty points system for motor traffic offences, which again is the civil sphere, it is penalty points we are talking about here, not criminal convictions. That is why the balance of probabilities is being used in regard to defining a civil penalty, a civil penalty being the application of a penalty point on a licence. If after accruing...

Seanad: Sea-Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (2 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The difference is that while penalty points for drivers are ultimately part of the criminal system, the penalty points system for fishermen is not. It is purely administrative. There is a requirement on us to have such a system within the European situation. There are appeals mechanisms but they are not in the courts. They are through determination panels, so a person can appeal, but he...

Seanad: Sea-Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (2 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Senator Boylan. The effect of these amendments, if they were taken together, would appear to be to expand the scope of the penalty points system for masters provided for under the Bill currently to encompass masters who are citizens of another member state as distinct from Irish citizens. The amendments would require in effect that the Minister would have to set up a register to...

Seanad: Sea-Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (2 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Concerns were raised about this section in the context of the equivalent provision in the licenceholder system and then in pre-legislative scrutiny of the general scheme of the Bill. The issue of points being removed where the master is found not guilty in criminal proceedings in respect of the infringement was raised. This proposal would involve both systems being interlinked. They would...

Seanad: Sea-Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (2 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The penalty points system is an administrative and not a criminal system. There are appeals systems in place within this new penalty points system. If somebody who has points assigned to them feels that the law has not been properly followed, he or she can appeal that on a point of law to the courts. If the point of law is found in his or her favour, the case falls in that instance if it...

Seanad: Sea-Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (2 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: This follows on from discussions we have had. This amendment relates to the appeals officer and confirms that the points shall be assigned when he or she considers that the alleged infringement is of a serious nature. The serious infringement referred is defined in the 2020 statutory instrument for licence holders, as well as in this Bill for masters. The legal position is that the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (1 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 817 and 818 together. My Department issued 4,050 forestry licences last year which is an increase of 56% on the number issued in 2020 and this was the starting point for developing a more ambitious plan for 2022.  In 2021, my Department issued forest road works licences for 264km and this is the highest ever volume of forest roads licenced in a single...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (1 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The Government has the stated policy goal of incentivising small-scale tree planting and of re-engaging farmers with afforestation. This includes greater integration between the measures in the National Forestry Programme and the Common Agriculture Policy. However, the inclusion of small-scale tree planting measures in schemes is constrained by the 0.1ha size limit imposed by the forest...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Staff (1 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department is aware of the commitment of its staff throughout recent challenging times. There are currently 1,045 staff in my Department in Annual Leave Cycle 3, with more than 5 days annual leave still to take. Ordinarily, staff in Cycle 3 must take all remaining leave before the end of the leave year or forfeit it. As you are aware, the agriculture sector was considered to...