Results 19,201-19,220 of 24,015 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (30 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: In 2022 we saw a significant increase in the issuing of afforestation licences, with my Department issuing 702 afforestation licences for an area of 4,972 hectares. Valid unused Afforestation licences are being extended until the end of 2023 to give landowners every opportunity to plant and they will attract increased premium rates and a longer term of 20 years for farmers. In relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (30 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Farmers are deemed active farmers, even if their entire holding is afforested under the National Forestry Programme, provided they continue to manage the forestry in compliance with the conditions of that scheme. In terms of eligibility for direct payment schemes, land afforested since 2009, which was eligible for the Basic Payment Scheme, will continue to be eligible for payments under...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (30 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine continues to issue and accept felling licence applications and has to date this year issued 725 felling licences. Furthermore last year we issued record levels of felling licences at 3,293 for 9.6 million cubic metres of wood or 46,027 Hectares. These licences have up to 10 year timelines and are being used by forest owners providing work...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (30 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The COFORD Council who provide advice to my Department prepare periodically a range of indicative roundwood forecasts for forests in Ireland. The most recent forecast was published in 2021 and provides indicative figures for the period 2021 to 2040. This forecast is available to download from the COFORD website at the address www.COFORD.ie. The COFORD forecast 2021-2040, table 5 provides the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (30 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Each private forestry felling licence application is recorded on the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's Forestry application portal and is also available to view on the Forestry Licence Viewer since 2021. The information recorded includes the proposed area and species type. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine publishes a weekly dashboard, available on the...

Seanad: Sheep Sector: Statements (19 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Members for this opportunity to discuss this important issue today. It is something that has been raised on the floor of this House by colleagues from all sides. I welcome the representatives of farming organisations who are present in the Visitors Gallery. We all recognise the challenges faced by our sheep farmers over the past winter. I have spoken previously about the...

Seanad: Sheep Sector: Statements (19 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Acting Chairperson, Senator Cassells, and the many Senators who contributed to the discussion today including Senators Paul Daly, Boyhan, Lombard, Pauline O'Reilly, Boylan, McGreehan, Doherty, Murphy, Kyne and Ahearn. Many contributions showed a strong commitment to the sheep sector and many good suggestions were made. One of the lessons I will be taking away is that the next...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Brexit Supports (20 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: First, I offer my best wishes and congratulations to Deputy Kerrane on her appointment as Sinn Féin spokesperson on agriculture and food. I wish her well and look forward to working with her. If she requires any information my Department can provide, she should feel free to ask. I wish her well. I know she will enjoy the role and is well-suited to it. It was also good to work with...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Brexit Supports (20 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: As the Deputy will be aware, the Brexit adjustment reserve is an important source but it is difficult to qualify for it. We have to show a direct correlation between what is being funded and the impacts of Brexit. I have not received any proposal which would stack up in that regard. As with all sectors of agriculture, I have asked my Department and officials to consider how we could...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Brexit Supports (20 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: In terms of the Brexit adjustment reserve, other funding and annual negotiations around budget, I want to draw down and pull in every bit of funding I possibly can across all segments, and not just the sheep sector, to support and enhance farm family income. Every opportunity has been assessed for the sheep and other sectors and we continue to do that. We fully assess any new ideas that may...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fishing Industry (20 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I strongly support the inshore sector. It is important and needs support, which is why I announced yesterday a new scheme that will deliver between €2,700 and €4,000 to all inshore boats this year to help to underpin income and to reflect how the Government values the sector and wants to support it in terms of income and some of the challenges it is experiencing. Regarding...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fishing Industry (20 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I am doing that and will do that. I will always redouble efforts in that regard because fish and the volume of fish are the most important resources for the sustainability of our fishing sector and the families who depend on it. At European level, I always fight and take every possible opportunity to try to increase and improve our position regarding quotas. Most recently for blue whiting,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fishing Industry (20 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: There has not been a change of approach from me. I have been consistent from the start in relation to working closely with all fishery representatives to try to get the best outcome as possible at European level. No doubt, the last effort was a strong one and everyone worked closely together but we also did that previously. For blue whiting, for example, before I became Minister, the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fishing Industry (20 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I continue to work on the commitment set out in the programme for Government to: Ensure that inshore waters continue to be protected for smaller fishing vessels and recreational fishers and that pair trawling will be prohibited inside the six-mile limit. That is a programme for Government commitment on which I am determined to follow through. As the Deputy said, in December 2018 the then...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fishing Industry (20 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: That is a very unfair presentation and not representative of the situation at all. It is just over a month since the final judgment was returned-----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fishing Industry (20 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: -----so it simply was not possible to do anything until we got the final judgment. Is it now four years since the whole process started? We have to make sure any step we take now meets any legal challenges and is fully robust. The team has fully assessed the previous judgment. We are now working on assessing this judgment. We have had it only a month. We will step it out. My commitment...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fishing Industry (20 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Well, that is just a statement of fact and an obvious response to the question the Deputy asked.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fishing Industry (20 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: There is no point in Deputy Cairns chiding me for her having received a holding response over the past two years. I cannot believe how she would expect to get anything other than a holding response for the past two years, given that the matter was being considered by the courts. It is only a month ago that we received the final judgment from the courts. Until then, any response the Deputy...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fishing Industry (20 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Yes, but there is no point in chiding me for having got a holding response for that period because the Deputy would have fully expected that and would have known the answer before asking the question. Now I plan to step this forward urgently. We are now fully assessing the legal situation around that, and I will promptly move forward with this Government's total commitment to backing the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Schemes (20 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: As Deputy Kerrane pointed out, the new Common Agricultural Policy regulations provide for the compulsory use of the area monitoring system, AMS, in member states from 1 January of this year to monitor farming activity in respect of the new basic income support scheme and the areas of natural constraint scheme. The use of satellite data to carry out checks is not new, as we know; it has been...