Results 8,501-8,520 of 23,963 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Staff (8 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department currently employs 3,888 people and this is equivalent to 3,770 full-time positions. The highest and second highest paid persons are paid within the civil service salary scales for Secretaries General and Assistant Secretaries General.  The attached spreadsheet lists all the grades employed in my Department and the attached Department of Public Expenditure and Reform...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (8 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Ireland’s forests and harvested wood products play a significant role in climate change mitigation by removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Carbon sequestration by forests is influenced by a range of factors including species, soil type, site conditions and management practices. The rate of sequestration changes over time as a forest develops and matures. When forests are...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Racing Industry (8 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) is a commercial state body established under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001, and is responsible for the overall administration, promotion and development of the horse racing industry. The question raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for HRI and I have requested my officials to refer the question to them for direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Racing Industry (8 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) is a commercial state body established under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001, and is responsible for the overall administration, promotion and development of the horse racing industry. The question raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for HRI and I have requested my officials to refer the question to them for direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Racing Industry (8 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) is the regulatory body for all horseracing in Ireland as provided for in Section 11 of the  Horse Racing Ireland (HRI)  Act 2016.  The IHRB was established on 1st January 2018 and is a company limited by guarantee. The information the Deputy has requested has been provided to my Department by the IHRB...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (8 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Farmers in all areas of the country will be able to participate in the proposed new agri-environment climate measure (AECM) under the next CAP Strategic Plan. The new AECM Scheme will have a General stream and a Co-Operation stream.  Farmers within certain defined high priority geographical areas will be eligible to apply to join the AECM Co-operation stream.  ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (8 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Cannabis, which includes Hemp is listed in Schedule 1 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2017 (S.I. No 173 of 2017), as amended, which means it is subject to the strictest level of control. It is an offence in Ireland to cultivate, import, export, produce, supply or possess cannabis except in accordance with a license issued by the Minister for Health under the auspices of the Health Products...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (8 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Following a public procurement competition, the UTP Enforcement Authority (EA) recently engaged a market research company to conduct a survey to establish baseline information from suppliers of agricultural and food products on their awareness of the UTP Regulations and of the EA itself.  The survey will also establish their understanding of the protections afforded to them under the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Organic Farming (8 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The current Programme for Government is committed to aligning Ireland’s organic land area with that of the EU average of 7.5%, which is also consistent with the target proposed by Agri-Food Strategy 2030. I am fully committed to attaining this ambitious goal and all our organic policies are designed with this in mind. For the year 2022, an additional €5m has been secured in our...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Organic Farming (8 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I am fully committed to the implementation of the National Organic Strategy 2019-2025 which sets out ambitious growth targets for the sector by aligning it closely with the market opportunities.  The current Programme for Government is committed to aligning Ireland’s organic land area with that of the EU average of 7.5%.  The Organic Processing Inverstment Grant...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Climate Change Policy (8 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: From the outset, it should be noted that energy policy including bioenergy is the remit of the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) who have overall responsibility for the development and support of renewable energy sources. To further examine how the Anaerobic Digestion (AD) industry can be developed to meet the 1.6TWh commitment as set out under the Climate...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (8 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The Department acknowledges the importance of measures like Multi-species sward in contributing to meeting our targets around climate emissions, water quality and biodiversity. The recently submitted draft CAP Strategic Plan to the European Commission included a range of eco-schemes now being considered by the EU Commission and subject to Commission approval One of the eight agricultural...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (8 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: As part of Budget 2022, I committed €1m to a pilot measure to support Multi-Species Swards. It is a pilot measure proposed by my Department to promote environmentally sustainable methods of farming and a reduced dependency on expensive Nitrogenous fertiliser. It will have a positive impact on climate emissions, biodiversity and water quality. This measure is...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (8 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department issued 451 letters to landowners with approval for circa 3,800 hectares on 18th February and I am pleased to report that we have started to receive some responses. As the Deputy may be aware, the conversion rate from licencing to planting is very low which means that a disproportionate amount of processing effort both by the Department and the sector does not result in planting....

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Climate Change Policy (8 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Under the Ag Climatise Strategy, the targets regarding Low Emission Slurry Spreading (LESS) include achieving a target of 60% of all slurry spread by LESS by 2022, 80% by 2025 and 90% by 2027. This action will make a significant contribution towards meeting our ammonia reduction targets. The current Nitrates Action Programme provides for compulsory usage of LESS equipment for all farmers...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (8 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The Department is fully committed to encouraging the use of Low Emission Spreading Equipment (LESS) equipment. It has been a real success in recent years. To date, interest in grant aid for the purchase of LESS equipment under the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) has been very strong with over 8,040 farmers approved to purchase machinery. In relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Climate Change Policy (8 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: There are three greenhouse gases produced in the agricultural sector in Ireland, namely methane nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide. Methane from livestock accounts for the greatest share of this at approximately 65% of total emissions from the sector. Nitrous oxide makes up the next biggest share at approximately 30% of the total, with the remainder being carbon dioxide. Approximately...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Industry (8 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 762, 763 and 764 together. 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.  The establishment of the new Office requires primary legislation,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (8 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: An application for the Afforestation Grant and Premium Scheme was submitted on behalf of the applicant in June 2017.  The application was approved, and the afforestation licence issued in October 2017, with the works required to be completed by December, 2018.  In April 2019, an extension was sought by the Registered Forester on behalf of the applicant, which was granted by my...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (8 Mar 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The named individual did not submit a Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) application in 2017 and his 2018 application did not claim any land. In order to activate a payment entitlement under BPS, an applicant must have and claim an eligible hectare to match each payment entitlement. All entitlements allocated under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) and the...