Results 18,761-18,780 of 24,010 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The voices of all representatives in the sector are very important. It is important that we all work together. I do not see a particular issue in respect of the Teagasc board. As an organisation, it is performing very strongly and very much leading out on our targets, be that in organics or any other sector. I take on board the Senator’s view on the matter. On Coillte, the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The Deputy's first point was on a specific farm. I adjudicate on licences, etc., and, therefore, I am not in a position to deal with specific applications that may come before me. There has been a challenge in recent years in renewal and the issuing of licences for all types of aquaculture, shellfish and fin fish. There has been a significant backlog and there was a court decision a number...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: There is a challenge on inheritance relief for land. The relief is in place for agricultural purposes and where it goes over the 50% the relief does not apply. That has been pointed out as being a barrier to people deciding to bring some agricultural land into solar production. I will continue to engage across government on what is the appropriate balance. Solar is moving out of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I agree with the Senator on our capacity to do more in horticulture and to be more self-sufficient, at a minimum by meeting our national needs across vegetable and fruit lines. The horticulture strategy is under development. This issue is a key consideration in that. We can produce and we can do horticulture well in this country. We should do more of it. We have seen a contraction in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: We have seen significant growth in farmers' markets in recent years and I often go to them myself. It is wonderful to be able to buy food locally and to meet the people who are actually producing it. I am certainly open to looking at ideas on how we can encourage that further.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: We will do it by growing more domestically and trying to take steps that will improve that. We have great capacity to do tillage well and produce grain productively. Currently, we import approximately two thirds of our total feed requirement for human and animal feed purposes. Over the past ten or 15 years, we have seen a decline as well in our tillage sector in the area under tillage. We...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: That has been the established position. I am reviewing it and the policy rationale for it and the appropriate way to do it will be fully considered as part of that. Thresholds have been in place for many years regarding a number of actions. It is always your objective to make them proportionate and balanced regarding farmers' capacity to be able to farm in a way they normally do and would...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: There are different criteria in terms of whether it is in basic agricultural condition, or good agricultural condition. It is focused on whether it is farming land or not. For example, if it is not being farmed, and if there is no evidence of that or of it being suitable for that, there is no farm payment on it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Targets have not been set yet and they will be informed by the land use review.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Cathaoirleach and members for the invitation to discuss the agriculture contribution to Climate Action Plan 2023. I am joined in the room by Mr. Bill Callanan, chief inspector at the Department, Ms Edwina Love, head of climate, and Mr. Liam Brennan, inspector of climate. We are joined online by Mr. Fergus Moore, senior inspector in forestry, and Mr. Philip Blackwell,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Industry (7 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 682 and 685 together. Rásaíocht Con Éireann (RCÉ) is a commercial state body, established under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958 chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. RCÉ is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The question...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Racing Industry (7 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) is a commercial state body established under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001, and is responsible for the overall administration, promotion and development of the horse racing industry. The question raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for HRI, therefore, the question has been referred to the body for direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (7 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 684 and 689 together. I was pleased to recently announce the new and expanded range of investments under TAMS 3. This makes it our largest ever on-farm capital investment scheme. I have introduced some changes under the TAMS 3 scheme to continue with our overall agriculture and environmental priorities. On the dairy sector, the list of potential...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Wildlife Protection (7 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 686 to 688, inclusive, together. In Ireland's 5thNitrates Action Programme (NAP) approved on 11thMarch 2022, a measure was introduced for the shallow cultivation post-harvest of tillage land. Tillage is identified as a pressure source on water. The objective of the measure is to promote germination post-harvest within the soil-seed bank to establish a green...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (7 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The person named was approved for the Results-Based Environment-Agri Pilot Project (REAP) with a contract commencement date of 1st January 2021. To date payments have issued for REAP to this herd for 2021. As part of the conditions of the project, the scores allocated to a selection of herds must be re-assessed. This herd was selected for re-assessment. It has been confirmed that the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Slaughtering (7 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is the competent authority responsible for the enforcement of official controls to ensure compliance with EU rules on food and feed hygiene at meat processing establishments under its supervision. The enterprise mentioned by the Deputy is a private company and the number of food business operators providing approved slaughter activities...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (7 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Through TAMS 3, I believe we have delivered a hugely exciting scheme that will deliver for farmers, for the entire agri-food sector and the wider rural economy over the next number of years. I have assigned €370m for TAMS between 2023 and 2027 with a strong focus on supporting this as well as subsequent generation of farmers. There are, as the Deputy will be aware, exciting new...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Gorse Burning (7 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The burning of vegetation is controlled by the Wildlife Acts. Individuals who are found to burn vegetation within that prohibited period are liable to prosecution by An Garda Síochána or by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). My Department has no role in enforcement of this legislation. However, the Code of Best Practice for Prescribed Burning – Ireland was...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Gorse Burning (7 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Uncontrolled burning is a serious matter which puts lives and property at risk as well as having a massive environmental impact. Under Section 40 of the Wildlife Act, 1976, as amended by the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000, growing vegetation cannot be burned between 1st March and 31st August of any given year (the closed period), on any land not yet cultivated. Burning of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (7 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: TAMS 3 provides funding for capital investments on farms and will be in place for five years with a budget of €370 million. TAMS 3 will include 10 schemes:- Solar Capital Investment Scheme (SCIS), Animal Welfare and Nutrient Storage Scheme (AWNSSS), Pig and Poultry Investment Scheme (PPIS), Dairy Equipment Scheme (DES), Low Emissions Slurry Scheme (LESS), Organic Capital Investment...