Results 16,521-16,540 of 23,995 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (7 Jul 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The Climate Action Plan 2021 provides a detailed plan for taking decisive action to achieve a 51% reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and setting Ireland on a path to reach net-zero emissions by no later than 2050. An annual afforestation target of 8,000 hectares is outlined in the Plan. The current Forestry Programme which commenced in 2015 and has been extended to the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (7 Jul 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 345, 346 and 348 together. My Department issued 4,050 forestry licences last year, which was an increase of 56% on the number issued in 2020. It is my priority this year to increase the number of licences issued to 5,250. Up to 30th June, we have issued 2,449 licences, just behind the projected average of 2,625. It is, however, inevitable, in the context of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (7 Jul 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The expenditure under the Forestry Budget for the month of June this year and last is shown in the table below: Expenditure by the Forest Service, DAFM - the month of June 2022versus June 2021 Month June-21 June-22 Expenditure €3,488,226 €3,903,470 The spending in June this...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Diseases (7 Jul 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: In Ireland, the high-risk period for Avian Influenza generally runs from October until April, coinciding with the movement of wild migratory birds which are the natural reservoir of Avian Influenza viruses. The table below sets out the number of outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in each of the years 2018 to 2022 Year Number of outbreaks of HPAI ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (7 Jul 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Government policy is to promote sustainable forest management as a central principle of Ireland’s forest policy, whereby forests are managed to provide economic, social and environmental benefits on a sustainable basis for both current and future generations. Consequently, the permanent removal of forests for conversion to another land use, i.e. felling without replanting or...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (7 Jul 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The Mackinnon report, which reviewed the forestry licensing approval process, recommended that where an environment report is required it be supported by an associated planning grant. This aim of such a grant is to improve the quality of afforestation applications in particular as they address environmental aspects, to increase the throughput of applications by my Department and to ensure...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (7 Jul 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The Government has the stated policy goal of incentivising small-scale tree planting and of re-engaging farmers with afforestation. Key to the success of increasing afforestation rates is to build confidence among landowners of the benefits of forestry as a viable option to complement existing enterprises. The changes introduced as part of the Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry...

Confidence in Government: Motion (12 Jul 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The Government has done more for farm families, coastal communities and rural Ireland than any previous Government. Despite Sinn Féin having access to its magic money tree before the most recent general election, its manifesto for rural Ireland and agriculture was by far the weakest of those of any of the political parties. Since we have entered government, there has not been a single...

Confidence in Government: Motion (12 Jul 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Meanwhile, the Government has delivered in excess of €5 billion for farmers and fishers in direct and indirect supports.

Confidence in Government: Motion (12 Jul 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Building on that, we have created a new Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, that will deliver €10 billion for the farm families of Ireland. We have delivered a 50% increase in Pillar 2 funding for CAP supports. We are delivering an agri-environmental scheme that will give farmers €10,500. We have increased the supports to our suckler sector to €250 per cow, compared with...

Confidence in Government: Motion (12 Jul 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The average price of a house in Northern Ireland-----

Confidence in Government: Motion (12 Jul 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: So much for Sinn Féin policies.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (29 Jun 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Chairman and members. I appreciate the opportunity to be with the committee this evening as we begin the pre-legislative scrutiny on one of my key priorities, as well of as my Department and the Government. I thank the Chairman and all members for the time they are taking to do pre-legislative scrutiny, for the engagements members will have around this, for engaging with others...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (29 Jun 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: That would be okay.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (29 Jun 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: That is okay. Will I begin to work my way through the Bill? Is that the easiest way to do it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (29 Jun 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Head 1 includes the Short Title and citation. Head 2 comprises interpretation and definitions. Head 3 relates to regulations and provides for the laying of regulations and orders to be made under the Bill. Head 4 deals with expenses. It provides for a standard provision relating to expenditure in the Bill, such as funds to be sanctioned by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. ...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (29 Jun 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (29 Jun 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The unfair trading practices directive takes over some of the roles which would previously have been carried out by the CCPC. One of the key functions, alongside the enforcement of the unfair trading practices directive, will be the capacity of the office to assess what is happening in the supply chain, to carry out reports and, indeed, to trace where margins are going within the supply...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (29 Jun 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: One cannot set what happens in the market. All one can do is monitor and bring transparency to what is happening in the market. We have a situation where 90% of the food we produce is exported so the ultimate price we get for much of our produce is determined by what is happening in some 160 international markets around the globe. The key focus of our national agricultural sector and the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (29 Jun 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: It is not proposed to ban below-cost selling. We had a ban on below-cost selling up until the earlier part of this century. That ban was done away with in 2005. The reason it was discontinued was because it was found to be ineffective in achieving the stated objective. The key objective behind it was to ensure that the primary producer got a fair deal and a fair price but the practical...