Results 8,421-8,440 of 23,963 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (23 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 228 to 237, inclusive, together. The objective of the Beef Exceptional Aid Measure (BEAM) was to provide temporary exceptional adjustment aid to farmers in the beef sector in Ireland. The scheme was subject to the conditions set out in EU Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1132. BEAM was funded by a combination of €50 million EU...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Usage (23 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The table below sets out imports of chemical fertiliser per tonne by month for the years 2014 to 2021 (Source CSO Statistics). Ireland is a relatively small market in respect of fertiliser sales and their usage compared to many of our EU neighbours. No fertilisers are manufactured in Ireland, resulting in indigenous fertiliser companies being price-takers, dependent on global supply and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (22 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: There are a wide variety of investment items available under the suite of seven measures under TAMS II, including items considered as new technology such as GPS machinery control for tractors, combines, sprayers and spreaders under the Tillage Capital Investment Scheme (TCIS), the Young Farmers Capital Investment Scheme (YFCIS) and the Animal Welfare and Nutrient Storage Scheme (AWNSS) . ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (22 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1106, 1111 and 1121 together. The Department published a detailed Forestry Licensing Plan for 2022. The Plan contains a target of 5,250 licences issued this year, which is a year-on-year increase of 30%. The main sub-targets are - A higher priority will be given to afforestation licences for 2022 with a 107% increase in output up to 1,040. - There will be a...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Covid-19 Pandemic (22 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1107 and 1108 together. It is not possible to provide the information requested by the Deputy in the required time. The information is currently being compiled and I will forward it to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (22 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The Results Based Environment Agri Pilot Programme (REAP) is designed to trial the results-based approach on a national basis and to test the upscaling potential of the model for inclusion in the next national agri-environment scheme to follow GLAS. REAP incentivises farmers to maintain and improve the environmental condition of their land. While parcels brought into REAP may not be...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (22 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Since the first finding of ash dieback disease in Ireland, the Department has provided support totalling over €7 million to owners of ash plantations impacted by ash dieback disease through the ash dieback reconstitution scheme (introduced in 2013) and more recently the Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme (RUS – Ash dieback) introduced in July 2020. Applications for that...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (22 Mar 2022)

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

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (22 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: It is proposed to pay an Environment report grant if a report from an ecologist or archaeologist is submitted to my Department as part of an application for an afforestation licence. The aim is to increase the quality of afforestation applications as they address environmental aspects, to increase the throughput of applications by my Department and to ensure applicants and their agents...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Budgets (22 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The allocation for the forestry programme for 2021 was €103.424 million, of which €99.093 million was capital expenditure with €4.331 million was allocated to current expenditure. There was a total spend of €69,567 million, made up of €68,034 million in capital and €1.533 million in current. A primary reason for the Capital underspend was a...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (22 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1115 and 1116 together. The Climate Action Plan 2021 had identified an annual target of 8,000 hectares for afforestation. I do acknowledge that this is an ambitious target, given the level of planting last year. However along with Minister of State Pippa Hackett, who has overall responsibility for the sector, my priority this year is on increasing the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (22 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1117 and 1119 together. My Department has, through Project Woodland, established a definition of the backlog, which is anything on hand over 120 days. Therefore, the current licences on hand, broken down by category and those over 120 days is indicated in the table below. These cohorts of applications have reduced by 29% since the end of last August, which is...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (22 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: In 2021, approvals for 502 afforestation licences for some 4,606 hectares were given for planting, while only 2,016 hectares were planted, and we do need to significantly increase this figure. There are 5,200 ha in the system, which have a valid approval, but have not gone ahead to planting. We have written to applicants with unused licences to remind them that their licence is still valid...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (22 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department published the Forestry Licensing Plan 2022, recently, which may be found here gov.ie - Forestry Licensing Plan 2022 (www.gov.ie). The targets for each of the licence types are indicated in the table below, with the weekly average shown. While the weekly overall target of forestry licences to issue is 101, this may fluctuate from week-to-week, but overall we aim to minimise...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Expenditure (22 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The budget allocation for Forestry for 2022 is €100,081,000. This provides for new planting, the serving of existing afforestation contracts, and payments in relation to forestry support schemes and forestry related activities. Some €5,890,411 of the Forestry budget was spent in February, and this is slightly under the profiled amount of €5,922,000. The remainder of the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Expenditure (22 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The expenditure under the Forestry Budget for the month of February this year and last is shown in the table below: Expenditure by the Forest Service, DAFM - the month of February 2022 versus February 2021 Month Feb-21 Feb-22 Expenditure €5,652,063 €5,890,410 The spending in February this year is in excess of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Traveller Community (22 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Urban horse welfare programmes supported by my Department are relevant to recommendations under the chapters on both Education and Health in the Programme for Government. Since 2015, in cooperation with local authorities and other government agencies, my Department has supported urban horse projects, with expenditure amounting to a total of €1,622,000. In keeping with government...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (22 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I wish to inform the Deputy that the Agriculture Appeals Office operates independently of my Department. I have been advised that, following conversation with the legal representatives of the person-named, the Director of Agriculture Appeals has assigned the matter to an Appeals Officer for review. The Agriculture Appeals Office will be in contact with the person-named in due course to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (22 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The persons named were approved to GLAS 1 with a contract commencement date of 1stOctober 2015. Processing of the 2021 Advance Payment for the persons named are at an advanced stage and I expect the payment in this case to be finalised shortly. GLAS payments are continuing on a weekly basis as applications pass all validation checks and are approved for payment.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (22 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: A review has been initiated in this case and is currently being processed. The person named will be informed of the outcome as soon as it is available.