Results 201-220 of 3,577 for speaker:Martin Heydon

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Control of Horses (25 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Control of Horses Act, 1996 was introduced to provide for the control of horses and to make provision for the licensing of horses in urban and other areas where horses cause a danger or nuisance to people or property. My Department provides funding to local authorities as a contribution towards the costs incurred by them in the operation of the Control of Horses Act, 1996. Enforcement...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Diseases (25 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: I am very conscious of the impact a TB outbreak can have on Irish farm families. Unfortunately there has been a deterioration in the incidence of TB in recent years. However, stakeholders are working together to ensure that all steps necessary to control this disease are taken, with the ultimate aim of eradicating TB from the herd. The implementation of the Bovine TB Eradication Strategy...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Wildlife Protection (25 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: The information available to my Department is set out in the table at the link below. The table represents Veterinary, Technical and Farm Relief Service (FRS) staff and the estimated Full Time Equivalent (FTE) of technical staff who worked on wildlife duties in Naas RVO during the period 2015-2025. My Department also provides considerable administrative support to Veterinary, Technical...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Legislative Reviews (25 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Fisheries Control Regulation provides for a Union fisheries control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy and establishing a level playing field across the EU on fisheries control. The current Control Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/2842) entered into force in January 2024 and updates and amends the previous Control Regulation (Regulation (EC)...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (25 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department takes the matter of animal welfare most seriously. The welfare of equines is protected by legislation, and neglect of or causing unnecessary suffering to animals, is not acceptable in our society. I am committed to the policy that animal welfare standards are vigorously applied in a fair and even-handed manner. My Department and authorised officers appointed under the Animal...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Renewable Energy Generation (25 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: As part of the Programme for Government, this Government has committed to introducing planning guidelines for solar farms and to provide certainty in the development of solar energy in agriculture. While issues regarding planning fall under the remit of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, my Department will input into the development of these guidelines due to the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Energy Infrastructure (25 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: National energy policy, which includes the development of renewable energy projects, is a matter for the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (DECC), with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH) being responsible for the granting of planning licenses and enforcing regulations in this area. However, my Department is particularly interested in...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Sector (25 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: According to the CSO, beef exports in 2024 amounted to approximately €3 billion in value and 492,000 tonnes in volume, of which the UK (including Northern Ireland) accounted for €1.42 billion in value and 208,000 tonnes in volume. In 2023, beef exports amounted to approximately €3 billion in value and 484,000 tonnes in volume, of which the UK (including Northern...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Supports (25 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: As a small, open exporting economy, Ireland is sensitive to any change in global trading conditions. Therefore, any imposition of tariffs by the U.S. authorities will if enacted have the potential to pose significant challenges for Irish exporters of agri-food products to the US. This is of particular concern as the US is the second largest market for Irish agri-food exports after the UK...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Supports (25 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: The new Programme for Government acknowledges the importance of this issue and 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....

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Supports (25 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: I am providing a range of supports to the Irish mushroom sector, an important sector that makes a significant contribution to the rural economy. The Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector provides grant aid towards capital investments in specialised plant and equipment including renewable energy, as well as technology adoption specific to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (25 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: In August 2023, the then Minister announced the outcome of the limited review of the 2012 Herring Management Policy in relation to the Herring 6a South quota for non-ringfenced vessels. Following this limited review, the then Minister established a North-West Herring Advisory Committee (NWHAC), comprising one representative from each of the six Producer Organisations, one representative...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (25 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Bluefin Tuna quota available to the EU is allocated each year to Member States based on relative stability, as established in the late 1990s. At that time, Ireland did not have a track record of commercial fishing for Bluefin Tuna, and accordingly, did not receive a quota allocation. A small Bluefin Tuna by-catch quota is available to Ireland, primarily for use in our important...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (25 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Brown Crab Working Group was established last year to review the management of brown crab fishing in Ireland and to develop management options to support the sustainability of brown crab stocks, which are so important to Irish fishers and coastal communities. The matter of identifying markets for Irish seafood was outside the scope of the Working Group’s terms of reference, but I...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (25 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Landing Obligation, or Discards Ban, was introduced on a phased basis beginning in 2015, and has been fully implemented since 2019. It is illegal to discard any species covered by the Landing Obligation, other than permitted exemptions. These exemptions are fish species covered by a high survivability exemption, a de minimis exemption, fish which has been damaged by predators,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Public Procurement Contracts (25 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: The table below provides my Department's total procurement expenditure in each of the years 2020 to 2024. Year Amount (ex-vat) 2020 €130,956,293 2021 €161,920,134 2022 €197,187,948 2023 €301,310,632 2024 ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Bodies (25 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: I wish to inform the Deputy that a list of regulatory, appeal or other bodies, either funded by or under the remit of my Department, which are quasi-judicial in nature, is set out below:The Agriculture Appeals OfficeThe Forestry Appeals CommitteeThe Aquaculture Licences Appeals BoardSea-Fishing Boat Licensing AppealsThe Irish Horseracing Regulatory BoardThe Greyhound Racing Control...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Legislative Programme (25 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 provides a comprehensive and modern legislative framework within which to address issues relating to Animal Welfare. The different aspects of the act are kept under constant review, having due regard to experience gained in administering the Act. The Programme for Government places a positive emphasis on animal welfare and specifically commits to the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Supports (25 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3) provides grant aid for livestock underpasses under public roads in the Animal Welfare Safety and Nutrient Storage Scheme (AWNSS), Organic Capital Investment Scheme (OCIS), Women Farmer Capital Investment Scheme (WFCIS) and the Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme (YFCIS). A TAMS application for an underpass must be accompanied by...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Breeding (25 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 616, 625 and 629 together. The contract for delivering Equine National Breeding Services (NBS) on behalf of my Department was awarded to Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) following a competitive public procurement competition. The programme of measures delivered by HSI under the NBS includes a 'Breeding Grant' scheme. I understand from HSI that it is engaging...