Results 3,041-3,060 of 24,184 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: We are engaging across government on the issue. We delayed announcing sectoral ceilings for LULUCF because much of the data is emerging and it is not clear. There are still gaps. The land use review is ongoing. It is moving to phase 2. That will be important in informing the review too. We are continuing to engage at Government level to decide when we do that. We have to make sure we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The land use review will be important because it is gathering much of the data. That is still moving on.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: It is a decision still to be made by the Government. There is active engagement on it but it is a decision we still have to make.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The Deputy is referring to forestry on drained peatlands.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Our new forestry programme has made changes regarding where trees can be planted. Anything with a peat depth of more than 30 cm is excluded from our current forestry programme. Many areas which would have traditionally been forested many decades ago are no longer eligible because our understanding from the research and evidence about the contribution to emissions reductions has...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Yes, it does.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: That is right.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The objective is to do this quickly and to back people in their ambition. Some 46,000 farmers applied for ACRES this year. We secured places for everyone who applied and was successful. They were accepted into it. That is the first time that happened. As part of the-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: There are 46,000 currently in it. All 46,000 who applied were accepted. They applied at the end of last year and this is the first full year for that 46,000. It is currently open and due to close in just over a week for tranche 2. Within the CAP strategic plan, there is a funding allocation over five years to be able to facilitate a total of 50,000. That CAP strategic plan has many other...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The Deputy is right that it makes sense to have all this joined up. That is why we have been working and finalising the strategy for anaerobic digestion. It is pretty much finished. The final engagement is happening across the Departments. We hope to publish it in the very near future. That looks at the different aspects of it. The Deputy is right that the feedstock needs to be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: It is.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: It is pretty much all family farms in this country. There are very few big farms.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: We have negligible big farms. It is a family farm model. It is not like other countries. The average farm size in the country is 32 ha. The average number of dairy cows per farm is 85. Farm sizes in beef and sheep are much smaller. Our system is very different from those in other countries in Europe and across the Irish Sea, where there are much larger farms. It is not the case that the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: It would depend on what food is being produced and eaten. Are people, for example, having avocados for breakfast?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I do not know. There are so many variables. A balanced diet makes sense from the point of view of individual nutrition. There are many very unbalanced diets that are missing a lot of nutrients and good foods. Our objective from an agriculture point of view is to make sure we have a good, sustainable food system, which we have and are working to develop-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: We are promoting the credentials of our food in terms of how it is produced, its nutrition and the reasons Irish dairy produce is among the best in the world. If there are people who get up in the morning and only eat meat all day or only drink milk all day, their nutritionist would be suggesting they consider a more balanced diet. Likewise, if people take milk or meat out of their diet, a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I am not a nutritionist but I can tell the Deputy that the food Irish farmers produce is massively nutritious.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Whether in respect of farms or food companies, we must ensure production is done in a way that is sensitive to the environment around us and adheres to all the regulations that are in place. Our farming and agricultural system is world-leading in terms of its sustainability and standards.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: If people are not meeting the standards that are put in place, they will be called out on it. Every company and farm must work within the set standards and regulations. The Origin Green brand is something we value. It goes over and beyond what is standard regulatory compliance across the EU. It advertises and communicates how our food is produced and its individual merits. It gives us a...