Results 4,181-4,200 of 23,948 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Animal Welfare (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Deputy Gould is right in that it is an important issue and there are many challenges throughout the country. We all need to work to try to address this issue and provide support. The local authorities play an important role in that and the support, work and engagement with my Department is very important in that regard. We welcome ongoing engagement and further proposals. We continue to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Animal Welfare (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: There is a role for everyone. Leadership is required from my Department in this regard, which we are determined to provide and have been providing. The animal welfare division in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has commenced communications with local authorities with a view to arranging a conference to encourage greater participation in urban horse projects nationwide....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Food Industry (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputy Moynihan for raising this matter. As he knows, I have recently returned from leading a successful trade mission to China in co-operation with Bord Bia. The trade mission showcased, as we would expect, the very best of Irish food and drink to key existing and potential trade customers in China. As a country, we have a hard-earned and well-deserved reputation as a supplier...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Aquaculture Industry (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputy Connolly. I checked with my Department to see if there has been any engagement on the issue of seaweed in that location. I will ask the Department to revert to the Deputy directly. I thank the Deputy for raising the issue today. Our aquaculture sector does not get enough recognition or discussion in the Chamber, or indeed recognition in wider society around its potential....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tillage Sector (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I have a massive commitment to the tillage sector. It is a very important one that has been shrinking in recent years, but that we need to see expand and for the trend to be reversed. Some of the measures I have introduced have been unprecedented in terms of the support level. I talked about the tillage incentive scheme last year.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tillage Sector (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I also referred to the straw incorporation measure, which is very important. I introduced it for the first time and it is now plugged into the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP. Some €10 million was paid last year for that. There was also a doubling of the protein aid in terms of the coupling under pillar 1. Those are supports that were never there before and are there again. It did...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tillage Sector (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I am hungry for ideas in this regard. I put a big effort into trying to grow the sector and support the sector. Under the straw incorporation measure, an individual tillage farmer can get up to €10,000. That was a significant injection into it. We are in a new TAMS this year, so even if farmers have maximised their investments last time around, they now have a new €90,000...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tillage Sector (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The Government has sought to support tillage in a way that has never happened before, through a range of measures. We had made progress. This year has different types of pressures, ones which there are not necessarily obvious answers to address. I want to pool all the ideas together to see how we can support this sector. I certainly welcome any ideas Deputy Cairns or any other Deputies...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Aquaculture Industry (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: In December 2022, I approved the National Strategic Plan for Sustainable Aquaculture Development following a public consultation process and subsequent refinement. The plan establishes a vision for Irish aquaculture up to 2030, which reflects the common direction set out in the EU's strategic guidelines for more sustainable and competitive EU aquaculture for the period. It visualises a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Aquaculture Industry (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I take Deputy Connolly's point. There is a sense of urgency in terms of finalising the publication of the report. As I say, it is going to be published by the end of this quarter. In the meantime, we have seen significant supports and work for the development of the aquaculture sector. In July of last year I announced a €20 million sustainable aquaculture growth scheme, which is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Supports (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. As she knows, I have long supported the cohort of farmers known as the forgotten farmers and I have committed to supporting those farmers who find themselves in this situation, through no fault of their own in many cases, and I have committed to addressing this issue. We are working on a tailored support package for these farmers and I want to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Supports (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I will be having a meeting with the team in my Department shortly for a full update on all of the work I have asked them to do and to progress. The same team has been working on rolling out all of the various new schemes which are opening week-on-week. I have sought to give as much certainty as possible to those farmers in the forgotten farmer category that this will happen but I have also...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Supports (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: We have received submissions from the various farming organisations on this issue and on how they feel it should be addressed. The various options and ways forward are being looked at by my officials so we do not have full clarity on that yet because a range of options are being looked at. As soon as I have that clarity I will bring it but there has been engagement and we have gathered...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tillage Sector (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputy Cairns for raising this. I start by again reaffirming my commitment to our domestic tillage sector. It is dynamic, sustainable and world-class and I am committed to securing the long-term future of the sector. I want to see it grow in the years ahead and we understand the tillage sector's importance and how it is an integral component of our industry. We also know it makes...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Safety (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy for raising this important topic. Farmers are the backbone of our food production system, and it is incumbent on all of us in the sector to prioritise their safety and wellbeing. We have made real progress in recent years on improving agriculture’s safety record. However, farming continues to be the most dangerous occupation in Ireland. Fatal incidents on farms...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pesticide Use (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Pesticide active substances, such as glyphosate, contained in plant protection products are approved centrally at EU level and plant protection products are subsequently authorised for specific uses nationally using robust scientific evaluation and decision-making criteria. The current approval for glyphosate will expire in December 2023. The EU process to consider whether or not to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Supports (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 63 and 68 together. Social farming is the practice of offering farming and horticultural participation in a farming environment as a choice to people who avail of a range of therapeutic day support services. From visiting social faming hosts and having engaged with those who run the service nationally and locally, I have seen first-hand the huge benefit the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Industry (25 May 2023)

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 Programme for Government places a positive emphasis on...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Coillte Teoranta (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I welcome the opportunity to discuss Coillte's mandate and how it relates to the implementation of Government policy both as a commercial semi-state organisation and of course on our land-use and environmental priorities. It is essential that its mandate continue to be flexible, multi-purpose and responsive to the issues of the day as part of a long-term land-use strategy. In my role as...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: It was encouraging to see the phenominal level of interest in the National Liming Programme with almost 41,000 applications received by the closing date of 20 April 2023. This is a clear indication of the importance farmers now place on optimising soil health and improving their environmental sustainability. It was a show of real environmental strength by farmers who are keen to take...