Results 401-420 of 4,955 for speaker:Martin Heydon

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: Currently in Ireland, tail docking is permitted in certain breeds of working dogs under specific circumstances. The Prohibition on Tail Docking (Dogs) Regulations 2014, S.I. No. 125/2014, provides for the tail docking, or part of the tail, of a pointer, spaniel or terrier used in connection with lawful pest control, hunting or shooting of animals, subject to certain conditions, including that...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Usage (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: The named applicant received an on-farm Nitrates Derogation inspection in 2024. Arising from that inspection, and in line with the scheme Terms and Conditions for 2024, their application was subsequently rejected due to an exceedance of their chemical phosphorus allowance in 2024. My officials have received an application for a review in relation to this rejection. This is currently...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Usage (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department conducts on-farm inspections on Nitrates Derogation farms annually from the closing date of the scheme to year-end. This is in line with the European Commission Implementing Decision granting Ireland's Nitrates Derogation and the Nitrates Derogation Terms and Conditions for the year in question. After the on-farm element of the inspection, an Interim Notice is issued to the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Usage (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department deals with requests from scheme applicants for internal reviews of the Department's decisions.  The Agriculture Appeals Office (AAO) deals with appeals requests.  After an internal Department review,  the scheme applicant is notified of their option to appeal to the AAO if the original Department decision has been upheld. If a scheme applicant...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Usage (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: Ireland's outdoor grass-based livestock production systems, which rely on manure recycling within the holding, necessitate and justify a continuation of the provision allowing application of a higher level of livestock manure nitrogen to our grassland. As outlined previously, at the Nitrates Committee meeting last December, my officials advised that in accordance with the Nitrates...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Capital Expenditure Programme (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: On 16 July 2025, the EU Commission launched its proposals for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) and Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) for the period 2028 to 2034.  The CAP is central to the EU’s success in ensuring food security, supporting farm incomes and developing rural areas; and it  remains critical to the Irish agri-food...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Usage (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: The awards from the Shared Island Bioeconomy Demonstration Initiative, supporting two bioeconomy projects with €4.5m funding each, were announced on 3rd September 2025. These feature collaboration across the island of Ireland, and will support innovation for the Agri-Bioeconomy in Northern Ireland and for the Blue Bioeconomy in Ireland. A North/South collaborative approach will be...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: EU Directives (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: As outlined previously, at the Nitrates Committee meeting last December, my officials advised that in accordance with the Nitrates Directive, Ireland wished to apply for permission to continue applying in excess of 170 kg of livestock manure Nitrogen per hectare from 2026, subject to a set of conditions that will ensure that application is scientifically justified and will continue to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Capital Expenditure Programme (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: On 16 July 2025, the EU Commission launched its proposals for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) and Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) for the period 2028 to 2034.  The CAP is central to the EU’s success in ensuring food security, supporting farm incomes and developing rural areas; and it  remains critical to the Irish agri-food...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Weather Events (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: The unpredictable nature of extreme weather/flooding events, and the resulting impact on agriculture, does not lend itself to a ready-made scheme template, and of course local effects can vary significantly with each event. My Department in recent years has provided a number of schemes to support farmers who have been badly affected by extreme weather/flooding. These include the Shass...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Funding (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: As the Deputy will be aware, the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Act 2024, which was signed into law on 29th October 2024, provides for the establishment of an independent Agriculture Appeals Review Panel to conduct reviews of decisions of Appeals Officers based on errors of fact and/or law.  This function is currently carried out by the Director of Agriculture Appeals in accordance with...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: At this point in time over 99% of participants have had their 2023 payments finalised. Over 98% of participants have now received their 2024 advance payment which is worth 85% of the total payment for 2024. Finally almost 97% have also received the remainder of their 2024 payments which issue in the balancing payments. The issuing of payments has gathered considerable momentum this year...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Projects (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: Alternative products, containing the EU-approved active substances carfentrazone-ethyl or pyraflufen-ethyl, are currently authorised in Ireland by my Department for use as potato crop desiccants. Teagasc advises that these products can be used effectively in many cases as part of an integrated pest management approach. This approach may involve measures such as seed manipulation prior to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: The following table set out the data requested by the Deputy: Year Non-EU Imports EU Imports 2023 33.6% 66.4% 2024 52.2% 47.8% 2025 (to date) 40.1% 59.9% It should be noted that a significant proportion of fertiliser imported into Ireland from other Member...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Control of Dogs (29 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: Statistics in respect of a range of the dog control responsibilities of local authorities are published annually on Gov.ie. Information up to and including 2023, by county and in tabular form, is available on the dog control statistics page on www.gov.ie/en/department-of-rural-and-community-development- and-the-gaeltacht/collections/dog-control-statistics/. The 2024 dog control statistics,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Control of Dogs (29 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: In terms of the policy and implementation landscape with respect to the control of dogs, from 1 June 2025, all policy and legislative responsibility for the Control of Dogs Acts transferred to my Department from the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (DRCDG). It must be noted that local authorities retain responsibility for all operational matters under the Acts....

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Gender Balance (29 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Deputy is referring to two separate schemes operated by my Department. My Department supports a broad range of public-good Research and Innovation activities through competitive research Calls. The applications to these are subject to expert evaluation. The rate of female participation on call research review and evaluation panels can vary. When selecting evaluators, my Department is...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Legal Services (29 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 2152, 2153 and 2177 together. Litigation and external legal advice are dealt with on behalf of the Department by the Attorney General’s Office, the Chief State Solicitor’s Office or the State Claims Agency who engage lawyers to act for my Department where necessary. The costs of any external solicitors or counsel in such litigation are not...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: State Bodies (29 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: I wish to advise the Deputy that the information requested is set out in the attached table. Question To ask the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine the level of capital funding received by State bodies and semi-State bodies including Teagasc and non-Governmental organizations; if he will provide a detailed list and funding amount for same; and if he will make a statement on the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Grant Payments (29 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department publishes yearly figures for payments under the schemes it delivers to farmers in the statistical annex to the Annual Review and Outlook publications which are available at: gov - Annual Review and Outlook for Agriculture, Food and the Marine 2024 (www.gov.ie/). The primary source of funding for the seafood sector, which includes small-scale fishers, is the European Maritime,...