Results 201-220 of 5,025 for speaker:Martin Heydon

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Tillage Sector (14 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 130, 131 and 149 together. I fully recognise the pressures facing the tillage sector, not least the very challenging market outlook and downward price pressure this season, and I have recently engaged directly with the farming organisations to hear their concerns. This Government recognises the importance of the tillage sector and wants to grow the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Supports (14 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: Applications received under the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) and other area-based schemes are required to go through a series of verification checks before an application can be deemed eligible to draw down payment. These checks include, but are not limited to, late applications, active farmer, land eligibility, agricultural activity, land at disposal and, where applicable,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (14 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: Animal welfare is a key priority for me as Minister and for the Government. Each year my Department invites eligible animal welfare charities to submit a funding application through the Animal Welfare Grants Programme. To qualify, applicants must meet specified requirements, which are made available through the application process. Awards are made on the basis of objective criteria,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Diseases (14 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: Bovine TB is an ongoing challenge for Irish farmers. I am acutely aware of the emotional and financial impacts of bovine TB on farmers, their families and rural Ireland. In recent years we have seen a significant increase in bTB levels nationally, with over 6,000 farm families affected by a TB outbreak in 2024, when herd incidence stood at 6.04%. I secured an increased allocation of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Diseases (14 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: On 30th September the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) published a report on the Bovine TB Eradication Programme as part of the Report of the Accounts of the Public Services 2024. The examination was undertaken to review:the factors that contributed to the recent increase in the incidence of bovine TB in Ireland,whether the programme is operating as intended and is efficient in...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Control of Horses (14 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department is responsible for all policy and legislation in relation to the Control of Horses Act 1996. Operation of the Act comes under the remit of Local Authorities. Under the Control of Horses Act 1996, local authorities may take a range of actions in relation to equines, including prohibiting horses in certain areas, issuing licences and seizing horses in contravention of the Act....

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Tillage Sector (14 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: I regularly engage with farmer representative bodies relating to tillage matters. I have met with the organisation referred to on several occasions since my appointment, including through attendance at its AGM, through pre-budget engagement and in the context of a meeting organised by the Irish Farmers Association on 12th September. I fully recognise the pressures currently facing the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Trade Agreements (14 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: Along with the Tánaiste who has lead responsibility for trade policy, I have actively engaged with both the European Commission and other Member States across the EU to voice Ireland’s concerns in relation to the EU-Mercosur Agreement. Ireland has serious concerns on the preferential access being given to Mercosur if South American farmers are not subject to the same...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Livestock Issues (14 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: In recognition of the importance of the drystock sector, I have secured € 131 million in Budget 2026 for the various livestock schemes. Consistent with the Government’s commitment to protect and enhance farm incomes, my Department is providing a wide range of supports aimed at promoting a viable, resilient and sustainable drystock sector. These supports consist of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Usage (14 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Government is committed to seeking to retain Ireland's nitrates derogation along with the dual objective of improving Irish water quality. At the Nitrates Committee meeting in December 2024, my Department advised that in accordance with the Nitrates Directive, Ireland wished to apply for permission to continue applying in excess of 170 kg of livestock manure Nitrogen per hectare from...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Hedge Cutting (14 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department will continue to support farmers in respect of hedgerows, and the many co-benefits they provide, through our CAP Strategic Plan (CSP). Hedgerows act as vital habitats and corridors for pollinators, birds and other wildlife, and play a key role in contributing to Ireland’s biodiversity and environmental ambitions. My Department’s stakeholder led agri-food...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Trade Agreements (14 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: In general, trade agreements are positive in their outcome from an EU and Irish perspective and provide further opportunities to find premium markets around the globe for Ireland's quality food and drinks products, given the sector's strong export focus. However I am clear that trade agreements must defend our most vulnerable sectors and that our farmers’ livelihoods cannot be...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (14 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: The county breakdown of applications to Beef Welfare Scheme 2025 is as follows: County Total Applications CARLOW 313 CAVAN 1204 CLARE 1894 CORK 1669 DONEGAL 1532 DUBLIN 60 GALWAY 3019 ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Usage (14 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Government is committed to seeking to retain the nitrates derogation along with the dual objective of improving water quality. As the Deputy will be aware, at the Nitrates Committee meeting in December 2024, my Department advised that in accordance with the Nitrates Directive, Ireland wished to apply for permission to continue applying in excess of 170 kg of livestock manure Nitrogen...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Budget 2026 (14 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Programme for Government prioritises “supporting inter-generational farm succession”. Food Vision 2030, our shared strategy for the agri-food sector, states that generational renewal in farming is critically important to ensure the future viability and social sustainability of the Irish agri-food sector and of rural Ireland. There are a number of supports for...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Household Incomes (14 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: I am fully aware of the volatile nature of farm income. Irish agricultural output prices and input costs are sensitive to geopolitical and global economic factors, as well as more localised factors such as weather conditions. This can lead to significant variations in income from year to year. There are currently a number of measures, both through the €9.8 billion CAP Strategic Plan...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (14 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: The scheme to support Long Established Young Farmers, more commonly referred to as forgotten farmers, closed for submission of online applications on 13th August 2025. There were 1,254 applications submitted under the scheme by the closing date. These applications are currently being assessed and applicants will be notified of the outcome in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (14 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: Non-Productive Investments (NPIs) are a range of complementary actions available to participants in the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) Co-operation (CP) approach. The purpose of NPIs is to enable participants to enhance their holdings from an environmental perspective, which may result in their land achieving a higher score and, in turn, an increase in the level of their core...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Dairy Sector (14 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department carried out 20 official controls in raw milk testing laboratories in 2024. These controls related to total bacterial count and somatic cell count testing carried out to verify compliance with the legal criteria set out in Regulation EC (No) 853 of 2004. Minor recommendations were made in two cases. There is no legal requirement or basis for my Department to monitor the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (14 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: In 2006, the EU introduced a restructuring mechanism intended to reduce overall production of sugar, acknowledging the then global over supply and resultant low prices. Ireland received €353 million as part of the reform package with some €220 million being distributed to beet growers and a further €6 million to machinery contractors in the sector. In 2025, 9,600ha of...