Results 7,741-7,760 of 23,950 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (26 May 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Ireland, as food-producing nation, is among the most food secure countries in the world. In that context it is important to recognise that Ireland is part of the EU single market and participates in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which is the key mechanism for ensuring food security throughout Europe. Specifically in the context of the Ukrainian crisis, significant...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (26 May 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The Programme for Government ‘Our Shared Future’ contains a commitment to seek to resolve the issue of support for the category of farmers known as Forgotten Farmers. I am examining options to address the issue of forgotten farmers both through the next CAP and also through other measures to support this group.  I am committed to helping this cohort of farmers and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (26 May 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: In December last year, Teagasc published the final report on the National Farm Survey (NFS) for 2020. This detailed the most recent estimates of Family Farm Incomes (FFI), showing that: - Dairy farms had the highest average FFI per hectare of €1,223 in 2020. - Tillage had the next highest margin per hectare at €525 - Drystock farms recorded an average FFI per...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Coillte Teoranta (26 May 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Coillte is a private limited company established under the Forestry Act 1988 and is operationally independent from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. I have referred the matter to Coillte for direct follow-up with the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Costs (26 May 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The nature of all markets, particularly in export dependent sectors such as dairy,  is that prices will fluctuate.   Weak global supply and sustained demand for dairy ingredients have now meant that markets prices are remaining positive. However, I am acutely aware of the pressures that farmers are under at present, arising from rapid increases in input costs. ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (26 May 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Ireland has an obligation to contribute to global efforts to mitigate climate change, and the Agri-Food sector has a critical role to play in these efforts.  This will not be easy, and will require significant change in the way we produce our food. We will continue to maintain a strong strategic focus on optimizing the contribution of the sector to our economy. The agri-food sector has...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Funding (26 May 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department is funding 57 European Innovation Partnership (EIPs) projects introduced under Ireland’s Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2014 – 2020. EIPs are a really important and successful model of farming communities working together for the betterment of farming and the environment. The BRIDE project on biodiversity is one of these EIPs and is an excellent...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Schemes (26 May 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I assure the Deputy that afforestation by farmers is compatible with the Agri-Environmental Schemes offered by my Department. Some 682 GLAS participants planted a total of 3,702ha of forestry between 2016 and 2021. The Results-Based Environment Agri Pilot Programme (REAP) will run to the end of 2022. While parcels brought into REAP may not be converted to forestry during the term of the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Inshore Fisheries (26 May 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), EU fishing fleets are given equal access to EU waters and fishing grounds subject to allocated fish quotas.  There are derogations to this access rule, including restrictions on access to Member States' coastal waters.    In Ireland’s case, other than Northern Irish vessels under the Voisinage Agreement, no EU Member...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (26 May 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I have ongoing engagement with representatives from the fishing and processing sector and meet with them on a regular basis.  Most recently, I met with representatives of fishing and processing organisations on the margins of the Skipper Expo in Limerick on the 25th March 2022 to discuss current issues of relevance to the seafood sector. I updated the representative groups on the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (26 May 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The Irish agri-food sector is committed to the challenge of meeting environmental targets over the coming years, as set out in the Climate Action Plan 2021, and work on assessing the options to identify the best way forward is ongoing. As the Deputy will be aware, Teagasc are assisting in designing and evaluating these options, and the Teagasc Marginal Abatement...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (26 May 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine issued 4,050 forestry licences last year, which was an increase of 56% on the number issued in 2020. It is my priority this year to increase the number of licences issued to 5,250 and in particular to focus on increasing the number of afforestation licences. In this regard we intend to double the number of afforestation licences to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Environmental Policy (26 May 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: It is my firm contention that farmers must be recognised for their environmental ambition and rewarded accordingly. The Climate Action Plan 2021 commits to the development of an enabling framework for the potential trading of carbon credits, and which rewards farmers for emissions reductions and carbon removals, including through potential private sector investment. I recognise the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Energy Prices (26 May 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: In the context of the Ukrainian crisis, significant implications are being seen across all sectors, including the agri-food sector. At farm level, the crisis is already impacting very significantly on the price of fertiliser, animal feed and fuel. While primary responsibility for the taxation of fuel is with the Minister for Finance, I continue to work closely with him to ensure that the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (26 May 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The continued development of the pigmeat sector is a priority for the Government, given the pivotal role the industry plays in the national economic context. The sector supports approximately 8,000 jobs spanning production, slaughter, processing, feed manufacture and services. I am acutely aware of the challenges pig farmers are facing at present. In March, I announced the Pig Exceptional...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Funding (26 May 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The Department engages annually with relevant representative organisations in supporting the annual farm shows calendar. This is in recognition of the potential for such events in the agricultural calendar to contribute positively to both Ireland’s reputation as a destination of choice for such events, as well as broader economic ad social benefits, including benefits to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Official Engagements (26 May 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: As the Deputy will be aware, taxation is primarily the responsibility of the Minister for Finance. However, both our Departments work closely to ensure it is consistent with Government priorities for the agri-food sector. Agricultural property, such as farmland, benefits from tax relief under Capital Acquisitions Tax (CAT). The purpose of this relief is to facilitate succession...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (26 May 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The management arrangements, within national policy, for the mackerel hook and line fishery have been on the agenda and discussed with industry representatives at recent meetings of the Quota Management Advisory Committee (QMAC). It is important to note that the remit of the QMAC is to examine and make recommendations within Ministerial policy. I asked the QMAC to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Legislative Programme (26 May 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The Deputy will be aware that the Programme for Government includes a commitment for a new office of National Food Ombudsman to enforce the Unfair Trading Practices (UTP) Directive and to have a role in analysing and reporting on price and market data in Ireland.  In April 2021, I signed the Statutory Instrument transposing the UTP Directive directly into Irish law before the 1st May...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (26 May 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The target in the current Programme for Government is to align the utilisable agricultural area under organic production in Ireland with the EU average of 7.5%,  The organic sector in Ireland is experiencing considerable growth at present with the area of land under organic production now at approximately 110,000 hectares. We are encouraging farmers from all sectors including the...