Results 7,161-7,180 of 23,950 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Action Plan (14 Jul 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The Deputy likes to use the term “big agri-business” but our farm families, on which our agriculture is based, do massive work.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Action Plan (14 Jul 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: It is Deputy Paul Murphy’s industrialised farming model. He is the only one who uses that language. We have a family farming model in this country which, frankly and thankfully, the Deputy does not really have a bull’s notion about or an understanding of. It is based on work that farm families do right across the country. People throughout the food supply chain try to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Animal Diseases (14 Jul 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputy Brendan Smith for raising this issue. As somebody who is a strong advocate on behalf of farmers in his constituency and as a former Minister for agriculture, this is an issue he has worked on consistently over the last number of years. I too am acutely aware of the emotional and financial burden that comes with a TB breakdown for a farm family, so making significant progress...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Animal Diseases (14 Jul 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I recently met with the TB forum. The next meeting of the financial working group is on 21 July. That will be attended by officials from my Department and representatives of the farming organisations. The group has held five meetings this year so I look forward to it completing its work. It was the TB forum that was set up 16 months ago and it has a number of working groups under it. It...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Farm Costs (14 Jul 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: As Deputy Griffin knows, these issues and challenges have been very much on the Government's mind in recent months, both at an Executive level and also among our parliamentary party members. It is something on which the Deputy has also engaged very closely with the Minister of State, Deputy Heydon, and me, and we will continue that engagement. The measures introduced in recent months...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Farm Costs (14 Jul 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Deputy Griffin is absolutely right. Farmers are normal citizens with the same normal everyday pressures on their families that every other family has outside of their daily working lives. Obviously, there are particular pressures in terms of their work life and cost pressures, on which the Government is supporting them with as best it can. Likewise, there is a real pressure arising from...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fishing Industry (14 Jul 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Since the publication of the report of the seafood task force in October 2021, Navigating Change, I have announced a number of support schemes for our fishing fleet and wider seafood sector and coastal communities. Between October and December 2021, a Brexit temporary fleet tie-up scheme made available supports of between €4,600 and €88,700 per month, depending on vessel size,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fishing Industry (14 Jul 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I would not say it is unprecedented for the fishing organisations to come together to speak on the same issue and deliver the same message. The challenge relating to fuel is one we have been dealing with for some months since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. I previously met all those organisations together to discuss this issue. Their request to me in March and April was for a second...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fishing Industry (14 Jul 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: As I said, it is not unprecedented because representatives of all those same organisations met me in March and April to discuss exactly the same challenges, and their proposal and ask of me then was for a second month of the tie-up scheme, which I delivered on. Such a scheme is not in place in other countries that have been impacted by Brexit, although without doubt they have been impacted...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Farm Costs (14 Jul 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy for his engagement and for his advocacy on behalf of farm families over these challenging months. The input price challenge facing our farm families is something we are both very much aware of, as is the Minister of State, Deputy Heydon. Over the past year, significant price rises have occurred, primarily in the energy sector, with natural gas and oil prices reaching...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Brexit Supports (14 Jul 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: As I said in my response, we are looking at that in great detail. The criteria for qualifying for the Brexit adjustment reserve are very specific. One has to show the direct impact. Thankfully, agri-food has done well since Brexit, in particular our trade with the UK. We are looking at any potential options. In terms of any content the Deputy might have or particular suggestions, it...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Brexit Supports (14 Jul 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: That is what my Department is looking at in great detail, because we want to support the agri-food sector in every way we can. As Deputy Carthy is aware, in terms of the immediate cost pressures, I have provided a €56 million fodder support scheme, which delivers €1,000 to each family farm in the country up to 10 ha, directly to support the sector and farm families to deal...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Brexit Supports (14 Jul 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department is currently in discussion with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform about the potential for further support measures for the agrifood and fisheries sectors to address negative impacts from Brexit. The Brexit Adjustment Reserve has strict criteria that must be met to qualify for funding. In particular any proposed measures must address the direct negative impacts...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Brexit Supports (14 Jul 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Brexit posed a massive challenge to our economy across the board. As the UK is the main destination for our agrifood exports, the risk factor there was massive. The fact that there was a trade and co-operation agreement mitigated some of the worst fears we had in regard to tariff barriers and other issues. Thankfully, since Brexit, trade with the UK has been very strong, as have prices and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tillage Sector (14 Jul 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I am a huge proponent of the tillage sector, which plays a critical role in Irish agriculture. It is a sector I have backed with new and innovative schemes and that I will continue to back into the future given its value. It provides feed for our livestock sector and materials for our food and beverage sectors. While no specific targets are set by my Department for land use associated...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tillage Sector (14 Jul 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I definitely want to see the area under production increase. The trend in recent years and decades where the area under tillage has shrunk is not good for Irish agriculture. We have tremendous potential to grow grain successfully and productively in this country and I want to put a big emphasis on improving that in the time ahead. Looking at the range of schemes that we have in place this...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tillage Sector (14 Jul 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I have met the farmers in the Deputy's constituency who have taken that initiative. It is encouraging and shows the potential that is there. Any measure that we can take to push and maximise the potential to reverse the trend of recent years and to grow tillage again is something I will consider and promote. The straw incorporation scheme, for example, which I launched as a pilot measure...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Organic Farming (14 Jul 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I am committed to achieving our target of 7.5% of utilisable land under oganic production by 2027 and the implementing of the National Organic Strategy 2025 which outlines the actions and supports necessary to remove the barriers to the growth of the organic sector. The primary objective of the strategy is to develop a viable Organic Food Sector in Ireland producing a wide range of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fodder Crisis (14 Jul 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Supporting our farm families through this turbulent period remains my number one commitment. The Deputy may be aware that shortly after the Russian Invasion of Ukraine, I met with the main farm organisations and Teagasc on 8thMarch 2022 to discuss the impact of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine on Irish agriculture and supply chains. At that meeting, I established the National...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (14 Jul 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The 2022 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report underpins the stark reality on the escalating number of people worldwide who face hunger every day. The latest figures show an increase of 150 million people in 2019 to a staggering level of 829 million people at the end of 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, conflict and the increasing cost of fuel, fertiliser and...