Results 4,381-4,400 of 23,950 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (11 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 244 and 246 together. The new and ambitious €1.3bn Forestry Programme 2023-2027 will replace the previous Forestry Programme of 2014-2020 (extended to 2022) which expired at the end of 2022. My Department has been engaging intensively with the Commission over the last few months. Once State Aid approval that has been received we will be in a position...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (11 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has delivered considerable reductions in the backlog of all forestry licences as well as reductions in the time taken to process newer files and last year we had another significant year-on-year increase in the number of licences issued. The overall backlog of licences on hand over four months reduced from 6,000 applications in...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Industry (11 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The Chinese market represents one of the priority growth markets for Irish agri-food exports. It is worth noting that despite the turbulence of recent years, Irish food and drink exports to China were valued at €722 million in 2022, making this market our sixth largest for agri-food exports. However, the reopening of the Chinese market in recent months following pandemic restrictions...

Agriculture and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (10 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Yes, I propose a couple of consequential amendments on that, but I will be following through on the commitment I gave. I said to Deputy Carthy that if the amendment were to be resubmitted, as I indicated, starting from the word "seek", I would be happy to accept it. The word that has been used is "authorised". The amendment currently states that "the regulator shall be authorised to seek"....

Agriculture and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (10 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I have reflected on it. I am not in a position to support it because I believe a risk of ambiguity could arise from it such that it could be interpreted to mean that the scope of the regulator's work covers consumers. A raft of existing legislation deals with business-to-consumer matters and that is not the particular purpose of the Bill, which is to address the relationship between...

Agriculture and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (10 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputies for the contributions here today as well. This is something we discussed on Committee Stage and I said I would look at it further. The point was made by Deputy Kerrane on Committee Stage that what is proposed - to call it "the regulator" as opposed to "the rialálaí" - may not comply with Government policy and with section 9D of the Official Languages Act,...

Agriculture and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (10 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: We cannot just tweak it on the floor.

Agriculture and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (10 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I am happy to reflect on the matter further in advance of the Bill going to the Seanad, but I do not think it makes sense to go with "the rialálaí". As I have said, it does comply with Government policy and legislation. I am happy to consider the matter further and to come back on it when the Bill is in the Seanad.

Agriculture and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (10 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I see that the Deputy is watering down what he was suggesting before and what everybody else was taking up as his meaning of this, that, hey presto, we were going to put minimum prices into the Bill. That is how everybody took him up.

Agriculture and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (10 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I did not see the Deputy correct anybody else. That was what he was trying to sell, that that was what he was proposing. Even Deputy Carthy, who participated in the pre-legislative scrutiny of this whole process, did not propose that. Deputy Carthy now says he will support Deputy McNamara's amendment, but Deputy Carthy did not propose, through the pre-legislative scrutiny, that such a...

Agriculture and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (10 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I have explained the position to Deputy McNamara, and Deputy Carthy said Ireland objected to below-cost selling at EU level. We had below-cost selling here in Ireland before. Below-cost selling is different from below-cost buying. The fact that somebody sells something below a certain cost does not mean he or she will give a fair price to the person from whom he or she has bought it. It...

Agriculture and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (10 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: No. Not one of the Deputies has given an example of how it would work in Ireland. They are saying we should introduce a set price for set products.

Agriculture and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (10 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Not one of the Deputies has given an example of how it would work. Deputy McNamara's amendment suggests that a certain product like Irish beef could only be sold in Irish supermarkets at a price set by the regulator in consultation with Teagasc. That is what the Deputy is asking to happen.

Agriculture and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (10 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Let us say that in a supermarket in Ireland Irish meat could not be sold below a certain price. If I read it right, the Deputy's amendment is also saying that it cannot be bought below a certain price to be sold in Ireland. I think that is what the Deputy is saying although it is not quite clear. It also seems to be saying that a supermarket in Ireland or anybody in the contract chain in a...

Agriculture and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (10 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I will begin with Deputy Carthy's point as it speaks to an issue I did not address when we discussed amendment No. 10 and Deputy McNamara's point on mandating the regulator to gather information about the cost of production and so on. The Bill provides for that. The Bill has been thought about for a long time and given lots of consideration. Section 80(2)(g), for example, provides the...

Agriculture and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (10 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: On the Deputy's final comment, we have a great responsibility in this Chamber to be fair to everyone.

Agriculture and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (10 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: However, the Deputy's comments are very unfair in relation to the bona fides of everyone who is working in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, from here in Kildare Street right throughout the country. Their job day in, day out is to work on behalf of the agriculture sector and farmers in particular. We have one of the best records in this country of serving farmers, of...

Agriculture and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (10 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: -----bring transparency to the food supply chain. I do not believe this amendment is necessary at all. I believe the legislation is exceptionally strong.

Agriculture and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (10 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Deputy Kerrane’s final point has been considered in great detail right throughout the process. We started with the consultation, then pre-legislative scrutiny and Committee Stage, which many Deputies participated in. I met with key stakeholders who made a submission to me which was fully considered. It made 20 recommendations, 18 of which were either wholly or substantially accepted...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Forestry Sector (10 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Senator for raising this issue as a Commencement matter. He is always a very strong advocate on agricultural issues and I see that today he has brought backup as well with Terry and Patrick from Ballymahon Secondary School so I know he has a good team with him this morning. We are both very much focused on delivering an excellent forestry sector that will benefit farmers, rural...