Results 5,261-5,280 of 23,948 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Yes. I will get the Senator a written response.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: On the Senator's point in respect of Teagasc, the organisation fulfils its legal mandate and has been leading out in respect of our sustainability pathway. Teagasc put together the first climate action pathway and climate plan for any sector, including the marginal abatement cost, MAC, curve for agriculture. It has been central to what we have been doing and that will continue. It has been...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The voices of all representatives in the sector are very important. It is important that we all work together. I do not see a particular issue in respect of the Teagasc board. As an organisation, it is performing very strongly and very much leading out on our targets, be that in organics or any other sector. I take on board the Senator’s view on the matter. On Coillte, the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The Deputy's first point was on a specific farm. I adjudicate on licences, etc., and, therefore, I am not in a position to deal with specific applications that may come before me. There has been a challenge in recent years in renewal and the issuing of licences for all types of aquaculture, shellfish and fin fish. There has been a significant backlog and there was a court decision a number...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: There is a challenge on inheritance relief for land. The relief is in place for agricultural purposes and where it goes over the 50% the relief does not apply. That has been pointed out as being a barrier to people deciding to bring some agricultural land into solar production. I will continue to engage across government on what is the appropriate balance. Solar is moving out of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I agree with the Senator on our capacity to do more in horticulture and to be more self-sufficient, at a minimum by meeting our national needs across vegetable and fruit lines. The horticulture strategy is under development. This issue is a key consideration in that. We can produce and we can do horticulture well in this country. We should do more of it. We have seen a contraction in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: We have seen significant growth in farmers' markets in recent years and I often go to them myself. It is wonderful to be able to buy food locally and to meet the people who are actually producing it. I am certainly open to looking at ideas on how we can encourage that further.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: We will do it by growing more domestically and trying to take steps that will improve that. We have great capacity to do tillage well and produce grain productively. Currently, we import approximately two thirds of our total feed requirement for human and animal feed purposes. Over the past ten or 15 years, we have seen a decline as well in our tillage sector in the area under tillage. We...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: That has been the established position. I am reviewing it and the policy rationale for it and the appropriate way to do it will be fully considered as part of that. Thresholds have been in place for many years regarding a number of actions. It is always your objective to make them proportionate and balanced regarding farmers' capacity to be able to farm in a way they normally do and would...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: There are different criteria in terms of whether it is in basic agricultural condition, or good agricultural condition. It is focused on whether it is farming land or not. For example, if it is not being farmed, and if there is no evidence of that or of it being suitable for that, there is no farm payment on it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Targets have not been set yet and they will be informed by the land use review.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Cathaoirleach and members for the invitation to discuss the agriculture contribution to Climate Action Plan 2023. I am joined in the room by Mr. Bill Callanan, chief inspector at the Department, Ms Edwina Love, head of climate, and Mr. Liam Brennan, inspector of climate. We are joined online by Mr. Fergus Moore, senior inspector in forestry, and Mr. Philip Blackwell,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Supports (1 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The Government is fully committed to a viable sheep sector as an integral element of a balanced regional economy.  I recognise that our sheep farmers are hugely committed to producing a world-class, safe and sustainable product. As the Deputy is aware, market prices are a commercial matter between suppliers and buyers and the Government has no role in determining commodity...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (1 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 199 to 201, inclusive, together. The links below show the amount of grants and premiums paid by county to farmers and non-farmers in each of  the years 2016-2022. The Deputy should note that during the Afforestation programme 2014-2022 there was no differential by rate or premium term between farmer and non-farmer recipients. The information published is...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: EU Funding (1 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I advise the Deputy that EU Funding is made available annually on a competitive basis to eligible bodies in the Member States for the generic promotion of the quality, safety, nutrition or production methods of EU Agricultural Products under EU Regulation 1144/2014. The types of bodies established in the Member States who are eligible to apply are set down in the Regulations. Applications...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (1 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I have introduced some changes to TAMS under TAMS 3 to align it with overall agriculture and environmental priorities. For applications under the Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme, applicants may apply for up to 10 milking units in a herringbone parlour, or one robotic milking machine, if they have fewer than 160 cows on average over the year preceding the making of an application. ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (1 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 204, 213 and 215 together. I was pleased to recently announce the new and expanded range of investments under TAMS 3. This makes it our largest every on-farm capital investment scheme. I have introduced some changes to TAMS under the TAMS 3 scheme to closer align it with overall agriculture and environmental priorities. Overall, we have approximately...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (1 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: As the Deputy is aware, the Forestry Programme 2023-2027 replaces the previous Forestry Programme of 2014-2020 (extended to 2022) which expired at the end of 2022.  The Forestry Programme 2023-2027 was created in alignment with Ireland’s new draft Forest Strategy and as such, is designed to provide lasting benefits for many key areas including as climate change, biodiversity, wood...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (1 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The table below  outlines projected spending by my Department in each of the years 2023-2030 by capital and current expenditure. It also shows the cost of discharging liabilities with respect to previous schemes. The Capital allocation from 2024 onwards will be determined as part of the annual budgetary process. The Deputy will note that these figures represent a large increase on...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: EU Regulations (1 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 207 and 208 together. As the Deputy is aware, historically afforestation premia were provided for under European Council regulation 2080/92 and were available to both farmers and non-farmers. Lower maximum rates applied in the case of non-farmers. Within this regulation, non-farmers were defined as any other private, natural or legal person.  I...