Results 5,661-5,680 of 23,948 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (26 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The table below shows the hectares applied for in each of the years of the forestry programme 2015-2020 as prolongated to 2022, the hectares approved in these years and the area planted in hectares. The deputy should be aware that there are many instances where the full area approved is not planted. There are now 1,007 approved afforestation contracts with over 7,000ha are ready for...

Inshore Fishing: Motion [Private Members] (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Do not tell me they are voting against their own motion.

Inshore Fishing: Motion [Private Members] (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I have heard it all now.

Inshore Fishing: Motion [Private Members] (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: They are Independents. They want to have it every way. They are even opposing their own motion now.

Inshore Fishing: Motion [Private Members] (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I am happy to do it.

Inshore Fishing: Motion [Private Members] (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Is the Deputy not going to give me the time now?

Inshore Fishing: Motion [Private Members] (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputy Healy-Rae for the opportunity to come in and clarify that. I want to be very clear to Deputy Michael Collins. I was not accusing Cork County Council of being asleep at the wheel. Rather, I was accusing Deputy Collins of being asleep at the wheel because he was up here railing and ranting about an application that did not get funding, but which was not submitted. There is no...

Inshore Fishing: Motion [Private Members] (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: -----every way I can to back the inshore sector. Please, do a bit more across the board to ensure the value of the inshore sector is recognised across the floor of the Dáil.

Inshore Fishing: Motion [Private Members] (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Rural Independent Group for tabling this motion on inshore fisheries. It is a sector which needs and deserves attention in this Dáil. It is close to my heart. I have fought tooth and nail for it as Minister to do all I can to support it. It is central to everything I do as Minister responsible for the marine. It is good to see it getting some floor time here in the...

Inshore Fishing: Motion [Private Members] (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The Deputy's colleague and brother who was co-opted to Cork County Council has been its chair. It is the local authority that was supposed to make any application. I ask the Deputy to get those ducks in a row before giving out to me for not granting funding.

Inshore Fishing: Motion [Private Members] (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I will move on and deal with the issues here. The Government has been committed to supporting the inshore fisheries sector in specific ways, including ensuring 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. I am very supportive of this objective. I met specifically with the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Policy and Strategy: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Chair and the committee members for the invitation to today’s meeting. I am glad to be here with the Minister of State and her team, the departmental team and the forestry leadership team to discuss our forest strategy and the overall direction of forestry policy with members of the committee. We are discussing the Government’s approach to expanding, protecting...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Policy and Strategy: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The statement was sent in previously but I can get a copy of the opening statement I gave.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Policy and Strategy: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I can provide my copy to have copies made.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Policy and Strategy: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I will answer first and then the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, will come in. It is important to trace how this has evolved. It has evolved, first, from Coillte's desire to become involved in afforestation once again which we fully support. It stopped afforesting back in 2004. It played a massive role in getting forestry up and running in this country and being a key driver in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Policy and Strategy: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I will outline that but I just want the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, to come in.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Policy and Strategy: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Does the Deputy mean this deal with Gresham House?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Policy and Strategy: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: At the start of January. I was aware from the end of 2021 of Coillte's plans to afforest and engage in securing private investment for-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Policy and Strategy: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: This became public at the start of January. The chair of Coillte wrote to me on 16 December outlining and confirming that it had signed off on a deal with Gresham House.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Policy and Strategy: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jan 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The deal was already done at that stage. The changeover in ministerial duties occurred on 17 December, which was the next day, and the following week was Christmas, so it was the start of January that I turned my attention to this.