Results 2,661-2,680 of 23,950 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (14 Dec 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The Irish seafood industry was valued at €1.3 billion in 2022, as reported in Bord Iasaigh Mhara’s Business of Seafood publication, demonstrating a 4% increase from the previous year. This was largely driven by an increase in the domestic consumption of seafood in Ireland in the foodservices sector as well higher prices, both domestically and on the main export markets. Seafood...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (14 Dec 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: My position has been consistent- each sector, including agriculture, will need to play its part to achieve Ireland's climate targets. Climate Action Plan 2023 sets out the pathway to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the sector and Climate Action Plan 2024, which is nearing finalisation, will build on this approach. These measures are grouped around three themes: inputs and additives,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Industry (14 Dec 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The poultry sector (meat and eggs), remains a critical part of the rural economy in many parts of the country, delivering around €700 million in output and supports over 5,000 jobs. Around 800 farms are involved in commercial poultry production in the Republic of Ireland. Turkey production makes up about 19% of this output. Poultry exports were valued at €350 million in 2022,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Diseases (14 Dec 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a challenging disease to control and eradicate. I am acutely aware of the financial and emotional trauma associated with a TB breakdown. It causes significant hardship for farmers and farming families, and I am fully committed to the objectives of the Bovine TB Eradication Strategy which aims to reduce and ultimately eradicate this disease in Ireland. This battle...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Diseases (14 Dec 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) is a highly infectious disease of cattle caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis). As part of the national TB Eradication Programme, there are numerous studies and research projects into the causes of TB in livestock. This work is undertaken to provide scientific information to inform policy decision-making. All TB scientific research...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (14 Dec 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: In response to the Report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and the Marine, on ‘Issues Impacting the Forestry Sector in Ireland’ (2021), my Department published a report ‘Origins of Ash Dieback Disease in Ireland, Lessons Learned and Research Update (2022)’. This document is available on my Department’s website. The report finds that the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (13 Dec 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 177 and 179 together. In line with the commitment in the Programme for Government, a flagship environmental scheme, namely, the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES), was launched last year. There was exceptional demand for entry into the Scheme, which demonstrates the interest of farmers to take on actions to address climate, biodiversity and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (13 Dec 2023)

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. There is an indicative budget of €370 million available for the period 2023-2027, and all investments must be linked to Climate, Environment or Animal Welfare. Overall, the scheme has proved very popular....

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Correspondence (13 Dec 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: An application for participation in the 2023 Basic Income Support for Sustainability Scheme (BISS), Complementary Redistributive Support for Sustainability (CRISS), Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) and ECO schemes was received from the above named applicant on the 19th of April, 2023. The applicant requested an increase in the eligible area of a land parcel at application time and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Industry (13 Dec 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Recommendation 10(d) of the report of the Working Group on the Control of Dogs is "Prohibit surgical artificial insemination in canines". The word canine encompasses all breeds of dogs, including greyhounds.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (13 Dec 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The Sheep Improvement Scheme is funded under Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan. It provides support to sheep farmers for carrying out actions that improve animal health and welfare in the sheep sector and builds on the progress made by the Sheep Welfare Scheme (SWS), which has now come to an end. The first year of this 5-year scheme will run from the 1st February 2023 to the 31st of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (13 Dec 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The Sheep Improvement Scheme is funded under Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan. It provides support to sheep farmers for carrying out actions that improve animal health and welfare in the sheep sector and builds on the progress made by the Sheep Welfare Scheme (SWS), which has now come to an end. The Sheep Improvement Scheme (SIS) complements some of the elements provided for in the Sheep...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Expenditure (13 Dec 2023)

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 (13 Dec 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Beef Environmental Efficiency– Suckler (BEEP-S) 2020, 2021 & 2022 Following on from the success of the BEEP pilot program in 2019, BEEP-S was devised to further increase the economic and environmental efficiency in the suckler herd through better quality data on herd performance supporting decision making on farm. The scheme provided support and payment for weight recording and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Policies (13 Dec 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF), the body approved in Ireland in accordance with relevant EU legislation to conduct testing, genetic evaluation and publication of breeding values for dairy and beef cattle have recently updated beef breeding indexes. This was the first major update since 2015, based predominately on changing economic drivers such as feed costs and beef prices....

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Staff (13 Dec 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department is committed to ensuring that a skilled and motivated workforce is in place to meet its priority business needs. Workforce planning processes are utilised to identify our requirements across all our grade streams and locations, aiming to ensure a long-term, proactive and strategic plan by which current and future staffing needs are addressed. Recruitment is currently under way...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Supports (13 Dec 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: To meet the challenge of climate change, public supports and incentives, in conjunction with private industry supports, will all play an important role. My Department has put significant resources in place through the CAP Strategic Plan for the period up to 2027. The Plan combines a wide range of targeted interventions addressing specific Irish needs and delivers tangible results relating to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (13 Dec 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: My colleague, Minister of State Hackett, tasked an independent group to review existing Department supports for Ash Dieback. The group had a remit to review the existing and previous supports available to landowners with ash plantations funded under the National Forestry Programme and to engage with relevant stakeholders to seek their views on the current supports for ash forest owners. ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Organic Farming (13 Dec 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: All applicants in the Organic Farming Scheme are subject to annual validation checks to ensure the correct payments are made. These checks have identified some validation errors on the BISS application submitted by the person named. Once these have been rectified, their Organic Farming Scheme payment can proceed.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Organic Farming (13 Dec 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department has no record of an Organic Farming Scheme application for the person named, nor of an organic licence or organic land claimed on their 2023 BISS application. However, the Organic Farming Scheme is currently open for new applications until the 15th of December 2023 and they may apply if they so wish.