Results 17,861-17,880 of 24,010 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (8 Dec 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Irish sheep farm families produce a world-class product that is in demand across many global markets, and I am very conscious of the important role that the sheep sector plays in the continued growth and development of our agri-food sector.  According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO) sheepmeat exports worth approximately €385 million, or 57,737 tonnes were...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Tillage Sector (8 Dec 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The tillage sector is an important and integral component of the Agri-food industry. While Ireland accounts for 1% of EU cereal production, the sector is a major contributor to livestock production providing high quality grain to the animal feeding industry and straw for feeding and bedding. Cereal growers also make a significant contribution to the food and drinks sector. The area under...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (8 Dec 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The Deputy may be aware that the issue of maintaining food production has been the subject of much discussion over recent months, particularly in the context of agreeing sectoral emissions ceiling that were established for the agriculture sector over recent months.  My position has been consistent on this matter, agriculture, like all sectors of the economy, will indeed...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (8 Dec 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Brexit has presented a range of challenges for the Irish agri-food and fisheries sectors, as it has for the broader Irish economy. While the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement maintained tariff-free trade between the EU and the UK, the fact that the UK is no longer in the EU Single Market or Customs Union creates a new trading environment for Irish food companies. There are...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Mental Health Services (8 Dec 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy for this question on such an important topic. This Government has prioritised farm safety, health and wellbeing. In 2022, dedicated funding of €2.25m was allocated for a range of initiatives including initiatives to support increased awareness of the importance of mental health among farmers.  My Department, along with the HSE and the Department of Health,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (8 Dec 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 399 and 400 together. I can assure the Deputy that this Government is committed to addressing the challenges facing our seafood sector following the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) with the UK. I am pursuing all opportunities at EU level to help address the unequal burden sharing whereby Ireland carries an excessive burden of the EU quota transfers to...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (13 Dec 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputy Christopher O’Sullivan for raising this issue, for which he has been a great advocate. It has also been a key priority for the Government, as well as for the three parties in government. The uptake in appetite among farm families for the scheme has proven very strong. We have had 46,000 applicants, when the expectation was that we would have approximately 30,000 in...

Confidence in Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Motion (13 Dec 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I rise to vote confidence in the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage because this is a Minister who is making a real impact in Government and has delivered an exceptionally radical plan in the Housing for All strategy. This is the most radical plan in the history of this State in terms of delivering housing. It has delivered 28,000 new homes this year, which is its first...

Confidence in Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Motion (13 Dec 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: We are making a real impact. Legislation has been introduced and we will have all homes in Donegal fixed. Again, if you look at Sinn Féin in that regard, the Minister asked it for advice in advance of that legislation but got none. Sinn Féin promised it would introduce its own legislation. It still has not published it six months after we introduced the legislation so, again, if...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Agriculture and Fisheries Council Meeting: Discussion (7 Dec 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The cost of fuel this year has been a real challenge across the economy but particularly challenging for fisheries, given the high percentage of overall costs that fuel makes up for fishing. We did not have the capacity to do anything from a revenue point of view in relation to marine gas oil because the only tax applied to it is VAT, which is fully reclaimable. As a result, our options in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Agriculture and Fisheries Council Meeting: Discussion (7 Dec 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: That is not what I said at all. The point I was going on to make relates to relative stability and our national share of the European quota. The relative shares we have had of various fish stocks, on which we are engaging with other non-EU states at the moment, were set in the early 1980s under relative stability. Despite the annual battles and the reviews of the CFP that have happened...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Agriculture and Fisheries Council Meeting: Discussion (7 Dec 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: No fisheries producer organisation I am aware of has recommended to its members that they should not take it. I have very deliberately brought all key stakeholders together to advise me on two fronts, first, on how to respond to the impact of Brexit quota challenges, and second, on how we fight our battle at European-level on both fronts. I stepped out the advice in relation to how we...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Policies (13 Dec 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Since becoming Minister in September 2020, my sole focus has been improving the livelihoods of our farmers, fishers and food producers. The agri-food sector is our largest and most important indigenous export sector. I want to see it grow and flourish in the years ahead and I am committed to putting it on an even more sustainable footing. Since publication of the Programme for Government...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Diseases (13 Dec 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Euthanasia of animals at the time of the removal of TB reactors is a matter for the local Regional Veterinary Office. Consent to the removal of TB reactors is confirmed by herdowners when signing form V8. As part of previous Freedom of Information requests all relevant documentation has been provided to the person named. Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) officials...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Industry (13 Dec 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Since becoming Minister in September 2020, my sole focus has been improving the livelihoods of our farmers, fishers and food producers. The agri-food sector is our largest and most important indigenous export sector. I want to see it grow and flourish in the years ahead and I am committed to putting it on an even more sustainable footing. Since publication of the Programme for Government...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (13 Dec 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The 2021 equine census was the first such census undertaken by my Department. It was was initiated to comply with the EU requirement for each Member States to record the habitual residence of each equine resident in the State, on its central equine database. The undertaking of an equine census on an annual basis confirms the Department's commitment to the Programme for Government...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (13 Dec 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 666 and 671 together. Since the first finding of ash dieback disease in Ireland, the Department has provided support totalling over €7 million to owners of ash plantations impacted by ash dieback disease through the ash dieback reconstitution scheme (introduced in 2013) and more recently via the Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme (Ash Dieback)...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (13 Dec 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: As the Deputy is aware, the Forestry Programme 2023-2027 requires State Aid to implement. Minister of State, Pippa Hackett met with Commissioners Virginijus Sinkevicius and Janusz Wojciechowski earlier this year to update them on Irish forestry, particularly the extensive public consultation undertaken on the Shared National Vision for Trees, Woods and Forests in Ireland until 2050 and the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (13 Dec 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The Agriculture Appeals Act, 2001, was amended by the Forestry Act 2014 to include a new Section 14A which provides for an appeals service against decisions on forestry licence applications. The legislation led to the establishment of the Forestry Appeals Committee (FAC) in 2018. The Forestry Appeals Committee (FAC) provides an appeals service where, if a person is dissatisfied with a...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (13 Dec 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Ecology reports are not mandatory at application stage but may be required based on the nature and location of an individual application. When the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) receives a forestry licence application, amongst other things, my officials carry out an Appropriate Assessment 'screening' to assess if there is a possibility of the proposed forestry...