Results 61-80 of 4,887 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue in 'Dáil debates'

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (25 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: It is a legacy issue that goes back to 2015 and I am committed to addressing it. Obviously, a key focus in the past year has been getting the current CAP programme up and running, making sure the schemes are running smoothly and putting the systems and structures in place for that. That has been a big area of emphasis and priority within the Department. All these farmers, as well as all...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (25 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I have very clearly committed to delivering a solution and outcome for these farmers. A number of considerations are being fully explored, for example, state aid considerations, the capacity to deliver it, and how it could be delivered within state aid constraints. There is also the budgetary aspect of it as well as the building out of the IT system which would be needed to identify all the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Industry (25 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department monitors the information on farms and the wider agrifood sector. We do that in collaboration with Teagasc and the Central Statistics Office, and that is ongoing at all times. The number of farms in Ireland is recorded every ten years in the CSO census of agriculture, most recently in 2010 and 2020. In addition, the CSO undertakes farm structure surveys periodically between...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Staff (25 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Over the past five years, my Department's business needs have grown significantly. In 2018, its workforce totalled 3,336 staff. The Department has increased its staffing numbers considerably since then in order to ensure that we meet our commitment to deliver a quality service to all in the agricultural community and to all other citizens who depend on my Department for overseeing food...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Staff (25 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: No. At the end of last year, it was 4,007. The current number is up ten on that, although it is similar. Our payroll budget is just over €250 million per year. This finances our salary and allowance costs for the full year of 2024. While my Department has not issued an embargo on staffing, as is borne out by the numbers employed and the figures on which I have given the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Staff (25 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Local authorities play a role in providing services to some small abattoirs. Generally, there can be challenges with the availability of vets in various parts of the country, but my Department is committed to ensuring that this service is properly resourced and companies are facilitated as necessary and to working with local authorities, which have a role in respect of small abattoirs. ...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fodder Crisis (25 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: This Government has been very responsive and supported farmers in times of need and in the medium to long term, by means of significant investment. The CAP, which will run up to 2027, offers 50% higher funding. That is a record increase in Government funding. Over the past two or three years, where sectors have been under pressure, be it the pig sector, the horticulture sector or the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fodder Crisis (25 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: We are working to provide support. That is our track record. The Deputy is correct about pillar 1 payments at European level. The CAP budget at European level has been static from the previous CAP to this one. We are one of the 27 member states which is constantly pushing to maintain and increase it but of course 27 member states have to agree to the decision, so it has been static. That...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Supports (25 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy for the question. We had a three-hour session here yesterday discussing this very topic. Over the past several weeks, we have all been very conscious of how challenging spring has been for farmers in all sectors, including dry stock, dairy, and tillage farmers. The Government has been very conscious of this and has worked to respond to farmers as challenges have emerged....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Supports (25 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I have given the commitment to secure and deliver the funding. Although I have not yet received the funds, it was really important, given the pressure the sector was under, to provide clarity on what support would be forthcoming from the Government. I have been engaging on an ongoing basis this very long spring with all farm representative organisations, and also those in the tillage...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fodder Crisis (25 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: As stated in reply to the previous question, this has been a really challenging spring. We have worked to support the farming community through it with the fodder transport measure. Teagasc has been working at local level to provide support to farmers to ensure they can get supplies where they were running short. The fodder support measure was a really important one last year. It was...

Weather-Related Supports for Farmers: Statements (Resumed) (24 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank all of the Members for their extensive contributions and for agreeing, on a cross-party basis, to allocate three hours for a debate on a very important topic to ensure that all the issues involved got a good airing. Many different issues were raised over the course of the three hours. One that was raised by a number of speakers is that of transport subsidy scheme we have introduced...

Weather-Related Supports for Farmers: Statements (24 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Ceann Comhairle and the Dáil Business Committee for scheduling these statements today and for allowing me and the Minister of State, Deputy Heydon, to give an update on the real challenges facing farmers over the last few weeks and the work the Government is doing to try to support the sector and farm families through this period. We are very aware of the acute challenges...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I am aware that this is an issue in particular areas of the country. We have a land market and there are no such restrictions in place at the moment but it is open to any private individual or Member of the Parliament to come forward with any suggestions they might wish to propose in that regard. It is not something that the Department of agriculture has assessed. Obviously land ownership,...

Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024: Second Stage (10 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputies who contributed to this debate for their constructive engagement on what is important and far-seeing legislation. I am certain my colleague, the Minister, Deputy McGrath, looks forward to engaging with Deputies further on Committee and Report Stages on the issues which have been raised this evening. As the Minister stated during the significant amount of time he was...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (22 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The system to identify the different categories of farmers and deliver the payment will be important. That is being expedited and moved forward. The overall funding commitment will determine the level of payment we can make. I will engage further with the Department of public expenditure and Deputy Kerrane on that. There has been significant engagement over the last two or three years...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (22 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 57 and 78 together. I thank Deputy Ó Cuív for raising this issue. I know it is particularly important to farmers in Galway and Mayo, as it is in Donegal. Either Galway or Mayo has the highest number of ACRES participants, at more than 5,000, which is over one ninth of the national total. The scheme has been quite popular for people to engage...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (22 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: So far, only farmers participating in the general stream have received any payment. Out of 28,000 in the general stream, some 20,000 have received a payment, with over €88 million paid out to them so far. Around 18,000 other farmers are in the co-operation stream. They will now all receive €5,000 by the end of this month. Those in the general stream-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (22 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Some 18,000 in the co-operation stream. In total, we will see 26,000 farmers receive the interim payment of either €4,000 in the case of the 8,000 general stream farmers who have not been paid, or €5,000 for the 18,000 co-operation stream farmers, none of whom have received a payment yet. I accept what the Deputy is saying. Farmers will be very keen to see the level of their...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (22 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Yes.