Results 541-560 of 23,906 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Food Safety (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: On the first question concerning an issue that arose many years ago, I am absolutely satisfied that the systems and checks in place are sufficiently robust to ensure the integrity of the food system is overseen and there are checks and balances. This country has an exceptional food traceability system for livestock from birth to slaughter, and the product can be traced right back to the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I know ACRES has had a very strong uptake in County Clare and there has been a good experience on the ground for the majority of farmers. I want to make sure that it is a good experience for everyone, that it works well for everyone and that the system and administration work smoothly. There have been challenges in the first year. It is the only...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Food Industry (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I understand the Deputy's frustration. I assure her I will keep ensuring every priority is given to this to get it to that point. There has been a lot of engagement with the applicant group and a lot of work on revised drafts of the application types over time. There have also been consultations on the types of ingredients for the different types of boxty included in the application for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Food Industry (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputies Harkin and Kenny. The geographical area for the production of boxty in the context of the PGI application is Cavan, Leitrim, Sligo and Mayo. It is a great product. You do not see it in enough counties. It also has great potential particularly in terms of its health and nutrition benefits in the current context where people are looking for products that are not as...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Food Industry (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: It is hard-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Food Industry (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Less than that.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Food Industry (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: If we look back from the point where we made the application for the grass-fed beef PGI, from memory it was probably 18 months to two years from the point of application to the third-country opposition procedure to it getting final approval. It was about that scale of time. It is hard to be precise on it but those are the steps which have to be gone through.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputy Murnane O'Connor. First, I congratulate the Deputy and all in the south east on the very successful outcome, which is wonderful news for the region. I know it is something for which she worked very hard with her colleagues and on which we had a lot of engagement. The news has been wonderfully well received in the north west as it has in the south east. It is exciting news...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh – Priority Questions: Departmental Bodies (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The Deputy has identified the two key aspects in terms of economic viability for farming. Those are price and the economic schemes and supports we have in place to support food production and farmers' work at farm level. On price, 90% of our food is exported so it is dependent on the prices available internationally. However, the significant step I took as Minister was introducing the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh – Priority Questions: Departmental Bodies (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I agree with Deputy Kenny. That is why I took the unprecedented step of establishing a statutory legal authority to deliver on that. I have also asked it to continue to engage and update me on its progress and I will be stepping to enhance its powers further as is necessary to make sure that transparency is there throughout the supply chain. We obviously have to be proportionate in law in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Food Industry (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputy Harkin for raising this. This is something I strongly support and PGI status would greatly enhance the capacity of boxty to grow in popularity and be understood and develop in new markets internationally. I am glad to report that my Department expects to shortly publish the PGI application for boxty as part of the national opposition procedure required under the relevant EU...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh – Priority Questions: Agriculture Industry (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputy Kenny for raising this matter. It is something that a number of people have raised with me over the past couple of weeks. Unfortunately, and for very good reason, it is not something I intend or am in a position to do. Our collective priority has to be in terms of making sure that we improve water quality and, in particular, that we retain our nitrates derogation. The...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh – Priority Questions: Agriculture Industry (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: It is always the case. There should be exceptional circumstances, and they would have to engage and explain those circumstances from an animal welfare point of view. There is a long slurry-spreading season from early spring until 1 October. The use of chemical fertilisers finishes in mid-September. As I say, grass does not grow in mid- or late October and November in the same the way...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh – Priority Questions: Agriculture Industry (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: It is animal welfare considerations that we are talking about at this stage. Every year, from the start of the year onwards, there is a time to spread slurry and, as much as possible, to use it between grazing intervals as well. Certainly, nobody should have full tanks. Especially in the context of the year that is in it, nobody should have full tanks at this point. If they do, they...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh – Priority Questions: Departmental Bodies (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy. This is something that has to be at the core of all of our attention in the time ahead. We are blessed to have a wonderful food-producing country, to have a landscape and a climate that facilitate this and, indeed, to have a farming community which has the skill set and the passion to be able to ensure that the sector is as strong as it can be. However, in order for the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh – Priority Questions: Agriculture Schemes (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputy Kenny very much. I wish him well and congratulate him on being appointed as Opposition spokesperson on agriculture, food and the marine. I look forward to working with him. We both worked on the same side of the House previously. He has extensive experience and an understanding of the sector. I acknowledge the significant contribution made by Deputy Kerrane as Opposition...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh – Priority Questions: Agriculture Schemes (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Everybody is working towards the objective of achieving 95% of balancing payments being paid by the end of this month.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh – Priority Questions: Agriculture Schemes (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I know what it is like to have delayed payments and to wait for payments to arrive because I grew up on a family farm where our income was based on the activity relating to the farm. That is why I have given such attention to making sure there are no issues with payments. Farmers had certainty last year as to what the dates would be. We gave the dates last March and we adhered to all of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh – Priority Questions: Agriculture Schemes (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: In terms of those who have applied for NPIs, we expect them to be approved by the end of this year, so that farmers can do the work next year. The scheme has reopened for new NPIs. We expect those to be processed in a timely fashion now that the scheme is up and running.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh – Priority Questions: Agriculture Schemes (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: That is one of the challenges of a results-based scheme. I want to give farmers as much certainty as I possibly can in terms of the schemes I put in place. For example, with the suckler and calf schemes, I gave farmers a very clear task to carry out in order to get paid, whether it be weighing, clipping or dipping. We give as much certainty as we can. The environmental scheme must be...