Results 221-240 of 1,026,316 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Mick Barry OR speaker:Peter Fitzpatrick OR speaker:Martin Kenny)

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

Richard Bruton: I worry that there is no sense that, because we are now off target, we need to take some pretty sharp corrective action. It seems to me that farmers respond to financial incentives. They cut their nitrogen because the price went up. If there were more rewards for the plan that would reduce their emissions numbers, I think we would see farmers responding much more quickly. I go back to the...

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

Charlie McConalogue: I agree that farmers respond. I agree that farmers' ability to have clarity in terms of where they are at with their own farms is important in empowering them to take steps which will further reduce emissions at farm level. I also agree it is important we incentivise this. Some of the steps we have taken, for example, the soil sampling scheme, have had a very significant uptake among...

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

Fisheries Protection

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

Catherine Connolly: 46. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Question No. 89 of 25 April 2024, the status of plans for the introduction of measures to protect the sprat fishery, which is concentrated within the six nautical mile zone; to provide a status update on the review of trawling activity inside the six nautical mile zone; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25539/24]

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

Catherine Connolly: I am returning to the issue of sprat. I ask the Minister for an update on the status of plans for the introduction of measures to protect the sprat fishery, which is concentrated within the six nautical mile zone, and to provide a status update on the review of trawling activity inside the six nautical mile zone.

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

Charlie McConalogue: In December 2018, a transition period to a ban on vessels over 18 m trawling in inshore waters inside the six nautical mile zone was announced. A significant part of the objective of this measure was to manage the fishing effort on sprat stocks, which are primarily targeted in inshore waters. However, this measure was the subject of extended legal proceedings, the outcome of which, received...

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

Catherine Connolly: I certainly understand the background to this and I am on record as saying the policy was very good and the intent was great. Unfortunately, we have been through what we have been through, and the Minister mentioned 2018. Of course, it is important to say that sprat is not subject to a quota. As a forage fish, it is a vital source of food for other fish and mammals and it is vital for the...

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

Charlie McConalogue: I will not prejudice what I do by indicating what the outcome will be at this point. We have received 5,000 submissions and it is important they are fully considered as part of the process and that I fully consider those. It closed in mid-April, about six weeks ago. Five thousand submissions is a lot to work through and they all deserve to be fully considered and taken into account. My...

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

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputy Ó Cathasaigh for raising the matter. The reason our food industry is so successful and is such a large part of our economy is because we have stayed at the cutting edge of research and added value. That is why we have the research funding in place through my Department. We are open to all applications on how we can progress and delve further into the scientific...

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

Agriculture Schemes

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

Claire Kerrane: 44. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide an update on the proposal to bring forward a solution for the group known as the forgotten farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25713/24]

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

Claire Kerrane: I would like to get an update on the proposed solution that has long been promised but has yet to be brought forward for the forgotten farmers.

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

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputy Kerrane for raising this matter. I know it is something to which both she and I have a strong commitment and it is something I ensured was subject to a commitment in the programme for Government as I had raised it significantly on the Opposition benches. It is important we recognised that and reflected it through a forgotten farmers scheme which would set that to rights, as...

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

Claire Kerrane: I acknowledge the Minister's long-standing commitment to this matter but the frustration is that, every time it is raised, we are told it is coming in the next few months. We constantly hear about the scoping out of the IT systems and all of that. I understand the new CAP was obviously the priority and that it has taken a lot of time and work. I commend the Department on all of that....

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

Charlie McConalogue: There was significant engagement with farm representative organisations on the issue and the challenge. At my request, the Department also carried out new analysis based on records available in 2021 to establish the most up-to-date position regarding the cohort of farmers who were affected. The analysis shows that approximately 3,500 farmers would meet the basic definition of forgotten...

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

Claire Kerrane: The only question that remains is whether the Minister has an outline of a scheme, including who is going to get the payment, and if he has run it by the farm organisations and perhaps some forgotten farmers themselves to make sure he gets the scheme right. That is very important given the length of time the forgotten farmers have waited for the scheme. We must make sure the scheme the...

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

Charlie McConalogue: Yes, that is my objective. There has been significant engagement in the past two to three years with farm organisations on the definition of who would qualify and what they missed out on. The objective then is to work with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to secure a package that would reflect the fact that those farmers missed out during...

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

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

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

Richard Bruton: 45. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress since 2018 in the uptake in measures from the Teagasc list of cost-effective ways of reducing CO2-equivalent emissions from agriculture and if new measures are planned to accelerate take-up. [25753/24]

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

Richard Bruton: It is reported that agriculture is substantially off target for its carbon budget and that it would have to achieve cuts of 8% per annum to stay within budget in the remaining years. I would like to understand from the Minister how successful we have been in terms of the take-up of all the measures in the Teagasc list and if we can do more to enhance that.