Results 3,181-3,200 of 23,950 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Teagasc Activities (7 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Teagasc was established as a state agency under the Agriculture (Research, Training and Advice) Act, 1988, to provide advisory, research and training services in agriculture. It is important to note that Teagasc has no regulatory functions and any commercially related activities such as proposed by the Deputy are outside its remit, and would only serve to undermine their independence, which...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Teagasc Activities (7 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The provision of advisory services to horticulture is a commercial matter in the first instance between the grower and advisor. Insofar as Teagasc is concerned, its Horticultural Development Department provides integrated research and advisory services to growers on horticultural-related matters. The deployment of Teagasc advisory resources to horticulture and the dissemination of research...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Bord Bia (7 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Bord Bia's commitment to sustainability, and in particular to the sustainability of the Irish food, drink and horticulture sector is manifested through the development and continued evolution of the Origin Green programme, which in 2022 celebrated its 10th year. Irish vegetable growers, through their membership of the Bord Bia Horticulture Sustainable Quality Assurance Scheme, form part...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horticulture Sector (7 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department continues to support the horticulture industry in Ireland with a range of initiatives. The Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Horticulture Sector is intended to assist in the development of the horticulture sector by grant aiding capital investments in specialised plant and equipment, as well as technology adoption specific to commercial horticulture...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horticulture Sector (7 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I am acutely aware and fully appreciate the many challenges that horticulture growers have experienced in 2023 as a result of continued high costs of production and reduced output prices. These challenges were further compounded by the unfavourable weather conditions throughout the 2023 growing season. In recognition of these challenges I secured €2.382 million under the EU...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horticulture Sector (7 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department provides a range of significant supports to the sector which facilitate and support an increase in the production of vegetables. Recently, I secured €10 million in Budget 2024 for the Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Horticulture Sector. This scheme is expected to open shortly for applications and will support investments across the horticulture...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horticulture Sector (7 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department continues to support the horticulture industry in Ireland with a range of initiatives. The Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Horticulture Sector is intended to assist in the development of the horticulture sector by grant aiding capital investments in specialised plant and equipment including renewable energy, as well as technology adoption specific to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Teagasc Activities (7 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Earlier this year, together with my colleague, Minister Pippa Hackett, I launched the National Strategy for Horticulture 2023-2027. This stakeholder led Strategy sets down a clear vision to grow a more profitable, value-added sector, driven by innovation and sustainability and provides a roadmap for the sector to achieve this potential. The Strategy is underpinned by eight Key Strategic...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (7 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Publicly funded agricultural research in Ireland primarily occurs through the competitive, public-good research funding provided by my Department, and through the core grant in aid that Teagasc receives on an annual basis. To a lesser extent, other state agencies and government departments, such as Science Foundation Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, the Environmental Protection Agency, among...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (7 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 966 and 967 together. The Deputy may already be aware of the various supports and interventions currently being provided by my Department via the CAP and also, the "Highlighting pathways to Empower Rural women to have Sustainable & Equitable Livelihoods in Farming", (HER-SELF) research project. Food Vision, our stakeholder strategy for the agri-food...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Industry (26 Oct 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: That is something we are looking at. We are trying to encourage partnerships. It is something we want to make real progress on. If the Deputy has any advice, our ears and our minds are very much open with regard to what steps we can take. The Women in Agriculture conference dialogue, which was led out by the former Minister for Agriculture and Food, Mary Coughlan, earlier this year, had...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Industry (26 Oct 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputy Durkan for the question. As he knows well and would agree with me, the agrifood sector is our most important indigenous exporting sector, playing a vital role in our economy. It accounts for 6.7% of modified gross national income, employing some 165,000 people or 7% in total of the workforce. 12 o’clock The sector has ambitions to increase the value of agrifood...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Budget 2024 (26 Oct 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: It is a total misrepresentation to represent the withdrawal of BAR funding as a cut to the agriculture budget. That was always one-off funding over a period of two years. The deadline for the expenditure of that funding is the end of this year. I have worked to ensure every possible avenue to draw down that funding for both the fishing and agriculture sectors was found and to deliver it...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Budget 2024 (26 Oct 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: With regard to payments, this is the first year of a new CAP. All these schemes are new and have to be applied to for the first time. That includes what was the basic payments scheme, now the BISS. Back in March, I wrote to every single farmer to inform them of what the payment dates would be this year. All staff in the Department have been working hard to make sure those payment dates...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Industry (26 Oct 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Gender equality across all sectors, including agriculture, is a priority for the Government. I am very proud to have taken quantifiable steps to improve the visibility and representation of, and opportunities for, women in farming and agribusiness. I am very pleased that, for the first time, Ireland’s new CAP strategic plan includes a number of specific measures aimed at...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Industry (26 Oct 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Deputy Burke has put his finger on the outstanding challenge as regards the work we have to do in agriculture and farming to make sure the progress we have seen across many other areas of the agrifood sector is reflected at farm level and we start to see a higher proportion of women taking up the role of farm holder and farming within the farm gates. If you call a vet to your farm, it is now...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (26 Oct 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Regarding the terms and conditions of the scheme, it was laid out very clearly at the start that when plans were submitted, it would not be possible to change them. The logistical challenge of having to administer 46,000 this year, as opposed to 30,000 that had been planned for, puts additional pressure on the system. This is a real challenge. Where it is possible to do things, they have...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (26 Oct 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Yes, it is. The Department is working hard to ensure we pay as many as possible. Previously GLAS would have been at full tilt. During the latter stages of the GLAS programme where farmers would have been following through in terms of years three, four and five, the maximum payment rate that was achieved in any one year involved 85% of GLAS participants because there are always some...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Budget 2024 (26 Oct 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: My goal for budget 2024 is to support our farm and fishing families in every way possible.  The funding I negotiated and secured is in fact an increase in core funding year on year. It will support the sector’s environmental ambition and on-farm sustainability while at the same time supporting farmer incomes and providing vital infrastructure to support the development of our...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (26 Oct 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputy Moynihan for raising this. I am aware there has been significant industry interest in the Deputy's constituency in the agri-climate rural environment scheme, ACRES, and that the Deputy is keen to ensure that continues to be facilitated. As the Deputy will be aware, ACRES is the central agri-environmental measure in Ireland's Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, strategic...