Results 2,401-2,420 of 24,020 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (30 Jan 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Throughout February, I expect the majority of co-operation payments to be made.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (30 Jan 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. The work of the ICBF is massively important and is something I very strongly support through the suckler calf scheme and the suckler carbon efficiency programme, SCEP, and through, for example, the recent investment we made last year which will see our national herd become the first herd in the world to be fully genotyped. All of that data will be...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (30 Jan 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy. It is a really important scheme for farmers and one we significantly backed with a 50% increase in funding. That led to a very high application rate last year. Some 46,000 farmers applied even though we expected approximately 30,000. I made the decision to accept every one of those because I wanted everybody who wanted to participate in ACRES last year, to be able to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Contracts (30 Jan 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 433 and 434 together. The named organisation is the only body approved by my Department to carry out performance recording, assessment of genetic value and publication of breeding values for dairy and beef cattle in Ireland. No other organisation has applied for similar approval. My Department approves an annual programme of services and activities with the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Contracts (30 Jan 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I wish to advise the Deputy that the information requested is set out in the table below. Year Purpose of Services/Consultancy Engagement Services still in use Yes/No Cost € Cost Benefit Analysis TB Eradication programme No 68,782 On Farm Market Valuation Review No 92,250 ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (30 Jan 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3) provides grants to farmers to build and/or improve a specified range of farm buildings and equipment on their holdings, and all investments must be linked to climate, environmental or animal welfare improvements. There are currently no investments available under TAMS 3 specific to hemp processing for commercial purposes. The list of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (30 Jan 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Carbon Farming is a potential enabler in assisting the agricultural and land use sectors in meeting Ireland’s climate targets as set out in its most recent Climate Action Plan (2024) as well as providing a potential new income stream for farmers in the future. My Department held a public consultation in September 2023 on Carbon Farming and positive feedback was received from...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (30 Jan 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The person named submitted applications to the 2023 Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers scheme and the young farmer category of the 2023 National Reserve as the young farmer in a Registered Farm Partnership. The application to the 2023 National Reserve was successful, and approval and payment based on the successful application issued in mid-December 2023. Processing of the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (30 Jan 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Advance payments to organic farmers commenced on 7thDecember 2023. To date, approximately 90% of Organic Farming Scheme participants have received advance payments. DAFM is working to finalise payments for the remaining 10% of participants. The majority of these payments, including for this case, will issue within the next 8 weeks.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (30 Jan 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I note that, further to my previous response, the question now being asked is whether further funding will be made available to allow all applicants to Tranche 2 to be accepted into ACRES. As previously stated, €1.5 billion has been committed over the lifetime of the Scheme. A balance must be considered in allocating this funding, between accepting the appropriate number of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (30 Jan 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) aims to provide support to beef farmers to improve the environmental sustainability of the national beef herd. The programme aims to build on the gains delivered in recent years through the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) and the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme (BEEP) by improving the genetic merit of the Irish suckler herd. ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (30 Jan 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The person named was approved into Tranche 1 of the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES), with a contract commencement date of 1 January 2023. ACRES payments commenced on December 15th for ACRES General cases that had, at that point, cleared the scheme payment validations. Due to the unprecedented number of applications approved under Tranche 1, it was not possible to get all...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (30 Jan 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The Deputy will be aware that taxation policy is primarily the responsibility of my colleague the Minister for Finance and that the Office of the Revenue Commissioners has responsibility for the operation of the taxation system. However, my Department does engage on taxation issues relating to the agri-food sector with a view to supporting Government policy in this regard. In this...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Industry (30 Jan 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Rásaíocht Con Éireann (RCÉ) is a commercial state body, established under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958 chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. RCÉ is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The question raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Breeding (30 Jan 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Regarding the issue of puppy farming, the Department of Rural and Community Development has policy responsibility for matters pertaining to the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010, while the local authorities are responsible for operational activities such as the registration, inspection and regulation of Dog Breeding Establishments, including enforcement activities. My Department is...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (30 Jan 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Animal welfare is a key priority for me as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and for the Government. Neglect of or causing unnecessary suffering to animals is not acceptable in our society and considerable funding is provided to support animal welfare charity organisations. In December 2023, I announced the record allocation of €6 million in funding to 101 animal welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (30 Jan 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department does not make inspections reports of this nature available. My Department performs a range of regulatory functions in premises of this nature and takes appropriate action where this is necessary. It does not publish inspection reports.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ministerial Staff (30 Jan 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: To support my work and that of the two Ministers of State, my Department has two civilian drivers appointed in addition to Garda drivers. Civilian Driver appointments were made in line with the “Instructions to HR Managers on Ministerial Appointments for the 33rd Dáil” and the “Guidelines on the Staffing of Ministerial Offices for the 33rd Dáil’’....

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (30 Jan 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: As the details provided by the Deputy describe, this time five years ago, in December 2018, a transition to a ban on vessels over 18 metres trawling in inshore waters, inside the six nautical mile zone and the baselines, was announced by my predecessor. This measure, however, was the subject of extended legal proceedings following a Judicial Review taken by two fishermen challenging the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (30 Jan 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 450 and 451 together. My Department’s Plant Health Contingency Plan was activated following the finding of Monterey pine engraver in the Cratloe Co Clare area. This included the establishment of a 10km demarcated area around the traps where beetles were found. This has been done in accordance with the requirements of the EU national plant health...