Results 441-460 of 24,015 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sheepmeat Sector (17 Oct 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The double tagging of sheep is an EU requirement set down in the EU Animal Health Law Regulation 2016/429 and its delegated regulation 2019/2035. The EU rules provide that lambs aged under 12 months that are moving directly to a slaughter premises from the holding of their birth may be tagged with a single yellow electronic tag. However, all other sheep regardless of when they were born...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Social Enterprise Sector (17 Oct 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I wish to inform the Deputy that the total amount allocated in funding, including for specific projects or initiatives, by my department in each year from 2021 to date in 2024 is set out in the tables attached. 2021 Name of Social Enterprise Organisation/Body Funding Amount € Food Cloud 59,400 Leitrim Integrated Development...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (17 Oct 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The use of the Area Monitoring System (AMS) to monitor area-based schemes in EU Member States became mandatory on 1 January 2023. My Department is monitoring all area-based schemes using AMS in 2024. The AMS is the regular and systematic observation and assessment of agricultural activities and practices on agricultural areas by Copernicus Sentinel Satellite. The system monitors all...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Agriculture and Fisheries Council: Discussion (16 Oct 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: This is the biggest challenge by far in the context of the scientific advice for this year, which is the 22% in terms of the amount of quota reduction that should be there in terms of the overall stock for all mackerel fish caught next year. As the Deputy says, it is our most important fishery. We have 50% of the EU quota for mackerel, but it is a shared stock and it does travel. It is one...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Agriculture and Fisheries Council: Discussion (16 Oct 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: That is something I will be taking to the EU Council table again, that at overall EU level there must be repercussions where an irresponsible approach is being taken to fisheries, including access to the Single Market and putting that consideration on the table too.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Agriculture and Fisheries Council: Discussion (16 Oct 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The arrangement in respect of Norway's access to European waters has been in place since the eighties, that is, for about 40 years, and it comes up for negotiation every year. Over the past four years, each time it has come up for negotiation, I have taken a very hard line on the fact it is primarily Irish waters that are accessed and those members states benefiting from the access should be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Agriculture and Fisheries Council: Discussion (16 Oct 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I have always sought to ensure we apply the Hague preferences and that will be my objective again going into this EU Council meeting. We are obviously the only state they now apply to but they are really important to us and I will be seeking to apply them again.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Agriculture and Fisheries Council: Discussion (16 Oct 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I will certainly be looking at following that up. What I want to achieve here is an outcome that delivers the maximum return in terms of fish for next year. That is something I will pursue at European level. The mackerel issue is a real hit as regards the scientific advice on it. On the plus side, we will have a quota for horse mackerel again this year. That has been an important pelagic...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Agriculture and Fisheries Council: Discussion (16 Oct 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputy Mac Lochlainn. On the questions previous to the interlude to facilitate the voting, had we covered those questions reasonably?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Agriculture and Fisheries Council: Discussion (16 Oct 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy. The two key questions here are on pollock and north-west herring. I will bring in Dr. Kelly from the Marine Institute in a moment on the pollock question because it is a good opportunity to get an insight into the scientific advice around it and its different aspects. I will also bring in Ms O’Sullivan on the north-west herring aspect. First, on the pollock...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Agriculture and Fisheries Council: Discussion (16 Oct 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I take the Deputy's points. They echo points made by others on overfishing. I accept the points he made and on taking a strong line on the behaviour of others that is having an impact, particularly relating to mackerel. He mentioned the potential impact of wind energy and conservation areas. We have a structure in place for wind energy. The key objective is coexistence and good...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Agriculture and Fisheries Council: Discussion (16 Oct 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I know scallops are an important fishery product for the south east. I introduced a Brexit scheme to support them because there have been particular challenges around landing them as a result of Brexit. They are not affected by quota because they are a non-quota species but the market for shellfish generally has been under pressure this year. That has been a challenge for them.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2024: Motion (16 Oct 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Cathaoirleach and members for accommodating this resolution and discussion today. The horse and greyhound sectors are embedded in the social and economic fabric of our country, particularly in rural Ireland. Successive Governments have acknowledged the significance of both industries by supporting them through legislation, policy initiatives and the provision of funding. This...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2024: Motion (16 Oct 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: There is an allocation for capital and an allocation for current as part of the budgetary allocation. We set up both HRI and RCÉ to steward the industries and to engage with key stakeholders. On the guidance within that, while there would be engagement with my Department, we try and empower both agencies to spend the funding in as effective and impactful a way as possible.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2024: Motion (16 Oct 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I think we have had a good engagement with HRI. A business case has been submitted on which we have provided positive feedback. The next step would be the business case following on from tender, that is the final business case. I am confident from the engagement we have had with HRI on the allocation that can be there from the capital allowance from the Horse and Greyhound Fund and also...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2024: Motion (16 Oct 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputy Kenny. It is a strong allocation but it is really important for both industries. I think both industries deliver significantly in return. They are really important parts of the economy when you look at both of them in totality. Certainly, when you look at our horse racing sector in particular, it is up there at the very top of the world table across different metrics. It...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2024: Motion (16 Oct 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: We expect it very shortly.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2024: Motion (16 Oct 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: We expect it before the end of this year.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2024: Motion (16 Oct 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Very quickly after that, yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2024: Motion (16 Oct 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: There is a panel in place we can procure from. The panel is already in place, so that structure is there. It will be a matter of procuring the report from the panel that is in place. It should be in a position to commence pretty quickly.