Results 4,561-4,580 of 23,948 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Industry (20 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: That is not accurate. All of us, including the farming organisations, representatives, the Department and Bord Bia, see the value. That is why this is being developed. It will be of real benefit to have a PGI grass-fed designation for beef. It will make it more marketable and more valuable in the markets we are selling into. It is due recognition of the quality of the product. I engaged...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fishing Industry (20 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I continue to work on the commitment set out in the programme for Government to: Ensure that inshore waters continue to be protected for smaller fishing vessels and recreational fishers and that pair trawling will be prohibited inside the six-mile limit. That is a programme for Government commitment on which I am determined to follow through. As the Deputy said, in December 2018 the then...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fishing Industry (20 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: That is a very unfair presentation and not representative of the situation at all. It is just over a month since the final judgment was returned-----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fishing Industry (20 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: -----so it simply was not possible to do anything until we got the final judgment. Is it now four years since the whole process started? We have to make sure any step we take now meets any legal challenges and is fully robust. The team has fully assessed the previous judgment. We are now working on assessing this judgment. We have had it only a month. We will step it out. My commitment...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fishing Industry (20 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Well, that is just a statement of fact and an obvious response to the question the Deputy asked.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fishing Industry (20 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: There is no point in Deputy Cairns chiding me for her having received a holding response over the past two years. I cannot believe how she would expect to get anything other than a holding response for the past two years, given that the matter was being considered by the courts. It is only a month ago that we received the final judgment from the courts. Until then, any response the Deputy...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fishing Industry (20 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Yes, but there is no point in chiding me for having got a holding response for that period because the Deputy would have fully expected that and would have known the answer before asking the question. Now I plan to step this forward urgently. We are now fully assessing the legal situation around that, and I will promptly move forward with this Government's total commitment to backing the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Schemes (20 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: As Deputy Kerrane pointed out, the new Common Agricultural Policy regulations provide for the compulsory use of the area monitoring system, AMS, in member states from 1 January of this year to monitor farming activity in respect of the new basic income support scheme and the areas of natural constraint scheme. The use of satellite data to carry out checks is not new, as we know; it has been...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Schemes (20 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I will fill the Deputy in further on that in my follow-up.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Brexit Supports (20 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: In terms of the Brexit adjustment reserve, other funding and annual negotiations around budget, I want to draw down and pull in every bit of funding I possibly can across all segments, and not just the sheep sector, to support and enhance farm family income. Every opportunity has been assessed for the sheep and other sectors and we continue to do that. We fully assess any new ideas that may...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fishing Industry (20 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I strongly support the inshore sector. It is important and needs support, which is why I announced yesterday a new scheme that will deliver between €2,700 and €4,000 to all inshore boats this year to help to underpin income and to reflect how the Government values the sector and wants to support it in terms of income and some of the challenges it is experiencing. Regarding...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fishing Industry (20 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I am doing that and will do that. I will always redouble efforts in that regard because fish and the volume of fish are the most important resources for the sustainability of our fishing sector and the families who depend on it. At European level, I always fight and take every possible opportunity to try to increase and improve our position regarding quotas. Most recently for blue whiting,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fishing Industry (20 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: There has not been a change of approach from me. I have been consistent from the start in relation to working closely with all fishery representatives to try to get the best outcome as possible at European level. No doubt, the last effort was a strong one and everyone worked closely together but we also did that previously. For blue whiting, for example, before I became Minister, the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Brexit Supports (20 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: First, I offer my best wishes and congratulations to Deputy Kerrane on her appointment as Sinn Féin spokesperson on agriculture and food. I wish her well and look forward to working with her. If she requires any information my Department can provide, she should feel free to ask. I wish her well. I know she will enjoy the role and is well-suited to it. It was also good to work with...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Brexit Supports (20 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: As the Deputy will be aware, the Brexit adjustment reserve is an important source but it is difficult to qualify for it. We have to show a direct correlation between what is being funded and the impacts of Brexit. I have not received any proposal which would stack up in that regard. As with all sectors of agriculture, I have asked my Department and officials to consider how we could...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Harbours and Piers (20 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The Fisheries Harbour Centre Act 1968 (including amendments post 1968) provides for the establishment and operation of these harbours to promote, develop and carry on sea fishing, fish processing, fish related activities and matters connected to the fish industry as well as any other purpose including the provision, improvement and development of leisure or amenity facilities or for...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Control of Dogs (20 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The Department of Rural and Community Development, which has policy responsibility in relation to the Control of Dogs Act, carried out a public consultation on the subject of dog control in 2021. The results have been published on that Department’s website. Farm organisations and other stakeholders have also outlined its policy concerns on the subject of dog control and sheep...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Costs (20 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The UK decision, taken as part of EU-UK negotiations, to be outside of EU single market and customs union has resulted in significant changes to EU-UK trading relationship including introduction of new import control requirements. Government invested significantly in supporting industry in preparing for these changes but the choices made by UK as part of the Brexit negotiations has...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Inshore Fisheries (20 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: As you are aware, in December 2018, following a public consultation process in which over 900 submissions were received, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine announced that vessels over 18m will be excluded from trawling in inshore waters inside the six nautical mile zone and the baselines from 1 January 2020. A transition period of three years for vessels over 18m targeting sprat...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Costs (20 Apr 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I am acutely aware of the impact rising input costs has on farmers, their families and businesses. This is a period of challenge and uncertainty for our farm families and I have been working proactively to support them through this period. The rise in fertiliser prices over the past 18 months has been significant. Whilst prices have moderated in recent weeks from their peak of last year,...