Results 6,801-6,820 of 24,065 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Animal Diseases (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: TB rates have been going in the wrong direction in the past few years. That is not acceptable. The objective of a TB eradication programme has to be to eradicate the disease or see figures go down. It is important that we follow the science on how to make progress on this issue. The re-establishment of the TB working group, comprising representatives of all the farm organisations and key...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Land Issues (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. The proposed nature restoration law was formally adopted by the European Commission in June. The proposals set out legally binding targets in the form of a regulation that will have direct effect across a broad range of ecosystem types, both on land and marine. These proposed targets would require the restoration of parts of these...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Land Issues (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I agree. Engagement with farmer representatives will be important in this regard because there is concern. The Deputy is also correct that it is very much at an early stage and is just emerging from European level at this stage. A number of Departments are involved and will be affected. It will be important from a farming point of view and I will meet with farm representative...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Land Issues (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: My team is engaged in assessing the proposals with a view to me engaging further with farmer representative organisations to discuss them. There is also a land-use review under way, which will be important in informing our approach. My Department and myself are centrally involved in that. The issue is important. The regulation and the proposals are getting significant attention from my...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The compilation of the agricultural greenhouse gas inventory is a matter for the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA. As part of this process, the EPA determines the total amount of methane, N2O and CO2emissions generated by the aggregation of all farms. The EPA takes activity data, for example, total animal numbers by category or fertiliser sales data and applies an emissions factor to...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Will I answer?

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked about support for the fisheries sector to deal with the increase in price of fuel. It is something he has been raising with me and keeping on the agenda. I did step in and put in place an extra month of a tie-up option being available, which invested €12 million specifically to support the sector to deal with the fuel crisis at the request of the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Common Agricultural Policy (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Senator McGreehan for putting this issue on the agenda today. It is certainly not the first time she has raised it with me. She has been a very strong advocate for the sheep sector throughout the CAP process and since then as she has been for the agricultural sector and family farms across the board. The short-term and long-term viability of our beef and sheep farmers is a key...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Common Agricultural Policy (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Senator again for raising the issue. The sheep welfare scheme has been a popular one among sheep farmers. It is regarded as being straightforward, accessible, practical and very useful in terms of the measures contained in it. The funding has been welcomed. There has been a request for additional funding, for which Senator McGreehan has strongly advocated, over the last couple...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Forestry Sector (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Nice try.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Forestry Sector (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The Senator should have known with a Kerryman in the Chair.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Forestry Sector (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Acting Chairperson and Senators Lombard and Carrigy. I welcome the opportunity to address this issue in the Seanad. The Minister of State, Senator Hackett, is otherwise engaged and could not be here. I am happy to address the matter. We want to be in a position to ensure people have clarity about the new rates before the start of January in order that they can plan and...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Forestry Sector (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: We will be giving this certainty. The situation now is that the strategy has been published.A public consultation is ongoing and will be completed by the end of November. We have not yet published information on the grant aids and premiums that will be in place from January 2023. We are finalising those with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. What is clear is that they will...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Food Industry (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy. There is a fuel challenge at the moment. I put in place an extra one-month tie-up scheme at the request of the sector to support the fuel challenge that is there as a result of the illegal invasion of Ukraine. That scheme has been in place since June and will run until the end of November. I monitored fuel prices closely during the summer and there has been a lot of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Food Industry (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Excuse me.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Food Industry (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: A significant part of the Common Fisheries Policy focuses on quota species whereas much of the inshore sector is concerned with non-quota species. The Common Fisheries Policy itself deals in large part with quota management.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Fur Farming (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy. I will try to be brief to allow for another question. The Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022 will provide for the statutory prohibition of fur farming. A commencement order is being drafted, which will include the commencement date for the prohibition on fur farming. We are working in close collaboration with the farms affected...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Fur Farming (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I accept it is a programme for Government commitment. It has also been a strong commitment of the Deputy and the Green Party. We will bring the matter to a conclusion as soon as possible.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy. As part of the climate action plan process, I am in regular contact with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications with regard to establishing pathways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the agriculture and land use sector. Measures to reduce emissions from our organic soils form part of the sectoral commitment and a target of 80,000 ha for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The Deputy's point is well made. It is important that we have balance in the steps we are taking. We must bring down our emissions and reduce our carbon footprint because we have to deal with the climate challenges. Alongside that, we must ensure food security because there are challenges in respect of food production. Food is becoming more difficult to produce in many parts of the world,...