Results 201-220 of 1,025,350 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Máiría Cahill OR speaker:Seán Canney OR speaker:Emer Higgins) in 'Committee meetings'

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Bodies (13 Jun 2024)

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Senator Pippa Hackett): According to Deputy Connolly, it is woolly enough. I share the frustrations. It seems slow but at least there is a council now.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Bodies (13 Jun 2024)

Catherine Connolly: I would love it if the Minister of State shared the possibilities and the potential around wool.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Bodies (13 Jun 2024)

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Senator Pippa Hackett): I absolutely share those as well. In fact, there are small industries already trading in Irish wool, whether that is in the context of fertiliser or production. I accept that it is not large enough. There are companies making pillows and bedding out of wool. I was quite proud that the Irish...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Flood Relief Schemes (13 Jun 2024)

Flood Relief Schemes

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Flood Relief Schemes (13 Jun 2024)

Ruairi Ó Murchú: 59. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide an update on the action being taken in his Department following on from the recent report completed by Teagasc and submitted to his Department about the impact on farmers following damage to their farmland as a result of recent flooding on the Cooley Peninsula in November 2023; and if he will make a statement on...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Flood Relief Schemes (13 Jun 2024)

Ruairi Ó Murchú: Not for the first time, I will ask the Minister for an update on the action being taken in his Department following on from the recent report completed by Teagasc and submitted to the Department about the impact on farmers following damage to their farmland as a result of recent flooding on the Cooley Peninsula around Hallowe'en 2023. Obviously, there was a significant amount of damage and a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Flood Relief Schemes (13 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputy Ó Murchú for raising this issue. As he knows, I am very much aware of the impact on agriculture of adverse weather during the winter of last year. I have taken action in a number of ways to support farmers, including direct supports for unharvested crops and other measures introduced through the national fodder and food security committee. I particularly...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fisheries Protection (13 Jun 2024)

Catherine Connolly: I thank the Minister. It is very important to give a timeline. The policy was good. The courts did not strike down the policy; in fact, they made it clear that they had no input at all into the policy. As far as they could see, it was a good, sustainable policy and the Government was entitled to do that. What happened was that eventually the Court of Appeal, and earlier the High Court on...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fisheries Protection (13 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: A provisional figure of 3,403 tonnes for sprat landings in 2023 has previously been provided by the SFPA. That is what I have to have hand here. The figures over the years from 2018 to 2022 ranged from a minimum of approximately 3,500 tonnes of sprat landed in 2018, to a maximum of approximately 14,500 tonnes of sprat landed in 2021. Obviously, it is an important species and an important...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fisheries Protection (13 Jun 2024)

Questions Nos. 47 to 51, inclusive, taken with Written Answers.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Industry (13 Jun 2024)

Agriculture Industry

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Industry (13 Jun 2024)

Claire Kerrane: 52. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide clarity on whether farmers who are unaware of phosphorus content in their fertiliser will face penalties; what communications have been issued to farmers to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25717/24]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Industry (13 Jun 2024)

Claire Kerrane: I ask the Minister about the changes that have been made with regard to the spreading of fertiliser and phosphorous, the new fertiliser limits for soils and the obligation now on farmers for soil testing depending on their stocking rate when it comes to phosphorous. I am particularly thinking of fertilisers like 18-6-12, which is commonly used by farmers, and any suggestion of penalties for...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Industry (13 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Each bag of fertiliser is required by law to state the fertiliser’s type - whether it is nitrogen, phosphorus or potassium - and the product and minimum content of nutrients, along with their forms and solubility. Indeed, the nutrient content of chemical fertiliser is the main determinant of its price and value to the farmer, with phosphorus being the most expensive nutrient of the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Industry (13 Jun 2024)

Claire Kerrane: I probably should not have said new changes because obviously, this was in place and kicked off from January 2023 with regard to soil sampling before spreading phosphorous, and the limitations that are there. However, the INHFA is one organisation that has raised concerns regarding possible penalties on farmers where they have spread the likes of 18-6-12 without knowledge of the limitations...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Industry (13 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: It is important to say that there has not been a change with regard to the regulations, apart from for some farmers above the nitrates application's 130 kg N/ha requirement for soil sampling. That was communicated in 2022 and 2023. I know that the Agricultural Consultants Association has raised this and the understanding among farmers about this in the last short period of time, and I take...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Industry (13 Jun 2024)

Claire Kerrane: I thank the Minister for his response. I again make the point that perhaps additional communication regarding this could be looked at. I spoke to a couple of random farmers to see if they were aware of the fact that they could not spread a level of phosphorous, depending on their stocking rate, without soil testing. I do not think the awareness is there. When you have a farm organisation...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Industry (13 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: There is a 1% inspection check on this. That is why it is important that everybody is managing themselves well and doing the right thing in not applying any more fertiliser to the soil than is needed. Of course, that saves money. In the event of a farmer being in the 1% that gets inspected, there is the prospect of a potential penalty. The penalties are small for small infringements by...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (13 Jun 2024)

Richard Bruton: I agree with the Minister that we need new approaches and we need research, but we do have known measures that could be implemented. My interest is in how successful we have been. We have slurry spreading, clover planting, protected urea, multi-species sward, incorporation of straw and afforestation cover in winter. Many of these things are not new and do not need research; it is a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (13 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Teagasc has an important role to play and it is playing it. One of the key tools that will be very helpful to farmers is the launch of the AgNav online application which enables farmers to be clear on the numbers for their own farms, to see how that is evolving and to suggest steps to them which can reduce their emissions and measure that as they go. People have to know where they are at to...