Results 881-900 of 4,109 for speaker:Martin Heydon

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Expenditure (5 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: Animal welfare is a key priority for me as Minister and for the Government. The Animal Welfare Grants Programme has provided considerable support for animal welfare charities, with €6 million awarded to 101 animal welfare charities nationwide, in 2024. Grants are paid under the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform (DPENDR) Circular 13 of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Expenditure (5 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 140 and 139 together. Each year my Department provides funding to registered animal welfare charities. In November 2024, funding was provided of almost €6 million to 101 animal welfare charities nationwide, through the Animal Welfare Grants Programme including the ISPCA. The purpose of the Animal Welfare Grant funding program is to provide...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Expenditure (5 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: Animal welfare is a key priority for me as Minister and for the Government. The Animal Welfare Grants Programme has provided considerable support for animal welfare charities, with €6 million awarded to 101 animal welfare charities nationwide, in 2024. Through the Animal Welfare grants programme, my Department provides funding to registered animal welfare charities in Ireland that...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (5 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: The term hogget in an Irish context refers to sheep that have attained the age of 12 months (technical from one to two years old – denoted by the appearance of the first two permanent incisor teeth). Bord Bia are the agency with responsibility for the promotion of sheep meat. While Bord Bia does not specifically name the product as ‘hogget’ it does promote lamb and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (5 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: Ammonia is an 'air quality' issue with agriculture responsible for over 99% of ammonia emissions in Ireland. Ireland has exceeded its national target in respect of ammonia emissions therefore measures need to be implemented in the agriculture sector to return us to compliance. It should also be recognised that significant progress has been achieved in recent years and many farmers have...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Harbours and Piers (5 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: Portmagee Pier is owned by Kerry County Council and, as such, responsibility for its development and maintenance rests with that local authority in the first instance, and with its parent department, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, thereafter. That said, my Department has provided funding of over €4.4 million to Kerry County Council since 2011 to assist in...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (5 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: The below table presents the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) payment details for counties Carlow and Kilkenny. County Number Paid Value of Payments Payments yet to issue Active Participants Carlow 337 €1,400,223.26 205 542 Kilkenny 543 ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Legislative Programme (5 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Department has three EU Directives requiring transposition. Two of the Directives relate to the COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DIRECTIVE (EU) 2024/3010 of 29 November 2024 amending Council Directives 2002/55/EC, 2002/57/EC and 93/61/EEC- the provisions as they relate to Directive 2002/55 (Vegetable Seed) were last updated by SI 202 of 2020, the provisions as they relate to Directive 2002/57...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Funding (4 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 542 and 580 together. One of the actions for my Department in the Programme for Government is to work collaboratively with the ESB to support and accelerate the timber and vegetation clearance programme, and I am fully committed to this process. I, along with my colleagues, Ministers Healy-Rae and O’Brien, have established a Working Group to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Projects (4 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: It is my understanding that Spike Bridge in Courtown Woods is owned and managed by Coillte. As Coillte was established as a private commercial company under the Forestry Act, 1988, day-to-day operational matters, such as the repair of this bridge, are the responsibility of the company. I have referred the matter to Coillte for direct follow-up with the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (4 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 544 to 548, inclusive together. The Animal Health and Welfare Act provides a modern framework for regulating and applying standards in the area of animal health and welfare and replaced a number of enactments dating back over a century. The Act was passed, after a lengthy and constructive debate in both Houses of the Oireachtas and came into operation on...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (4 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 549 and 550 together. The Control of Horses Act 1996 (the Act) provides powers to local authorities, enabling them to control stray and wandering horses in their geographical areas. The Act provides powers to local authorities to allow them take a range of actions in relation to equines including prohibiting horses in certain areas, issuing of licences and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Expenditure (4 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: ACRES is the first scheme of its kind to upscale results-based payments to a national level. This is a significant change in implementing such an innovative and ambitious scheme, and it has come with complexities and challenges. To date, more than €436 million has been paid out to farmers to date in respect of their participation in ACRES. In respect of advance payments scheduled...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Functions (4 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: It is my understanding that Killinthomas Woods is owned and managed by Coillte. As Coillte was established as a private commercial company under the Forestry Act, 1988, day-to-day operational matters, such as the maintenance of this forest, are the responsibility of the company. I have referred the matter to Coillte for direct follow-up with the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Functions (4 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department takes the matter of animal welfare most seriously and responds to any reports of alleged animal cruelty or legislative non-compliance. Neglect of or causing unnecessary suffering to animals is not acceptable in our society. I am committed to the policy that animal welfare standards are vigorously applied in a fair and even-handed manner. The welfare of equines is protected...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Policies (4 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 554 and 556 together. The requirements for the identification of horses are set down in EU Regulation 2016/429 on transmissible animal diseases and the area of animal health (‘Animal Health Law’) and its delegated acts. This legislation is transposed into Irish law by the European Union (Animal Identification and Tracing) Regulations, S.I. 254...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Regulations (4 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: S.I. 160 of 2015, Disposal of Carcases (Prohibition) Regulations 2015, makes it an offence under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 (S.I. 15 of 2013) for a person to cause or permit the carcase of an animal or part of the carcase of an animal, to be on any land or premises to which a dog may have access. In the first instance, if there is a suspicion that a carcase is left on open land,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (4 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Control of Horses Act 1996 (the Act) provides powers to local authorities, enabling them to control stray and wandering horses in their areas. The Act provides powers allowing local authorities to take a range of actions in relation to equines including prohibiting horses in certain areas, issuing of licences and the seizure of horses. These powers can be used in respect of straying...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Investigations (4 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department takes the matter of animal welfare most seriously and responds to any reports of alleged animal cruelty or legislative non-compliance. The welfare of equines is protected by legislation and appropriate enforcement action is taken where breaches or shortcomings are identified. My Department is aware of this case but does not comment on individual cases which may be the subject...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Programmes (4 Mar 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) was rolled out in phases due to the high participation levels and the wide array of opportunities offered by the scheme, all of which required the creation of new and extensive IT systems. Additionally, there was no delay between the end of GLAS and the start of ACRES, meaning IT development had to take place while the scheme was operational....