Results 941-960 of 23,948 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Investigations (11 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The deputy will be aware that in response to the July 4th Dail motion on this issue I outlined the very significant resources invested by the State to get to the bottom of the matter, with scientific studies carried out by the Inter-agency group, comprising experts from my Department’s Veterinary laboratories, Teagasc, the South-Eastern Health Board (as it then was), and Kilkenny...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Grant Payments (11 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Simplification is a key focus of my Department. The Department has taken full advantage of all the digitisation in recent years. All area-based interventions under the CAP or National Schemes are now applied for on the single platform, agfood.ie. This is a major change and simplification for farmers, who previously had to manually enter information in a number of different places,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Inspections (11 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department has examined the relevant records and has confirmed that the herd owner submitted a Basic Payment Scheme application on the 30th of March 2022. The applicant was subject to a 2022 cross reported inspection. A 5% penalty was applied following a non-compliance with Statutory Management Requirement 1 – EU Nitrates Directive. The applicant was notified of the inspection...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (11 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Farm payments are a critical component of farm income. I'm fully aware of the importance of the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) and the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) schemes as for many farmers these form a significant proportion of their annual payments. The planned 2024 payment dates for the ANC scheme and the BISS scheme, are set out in the BISS terms and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (11 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Scheme year 2024 advance payments are scheduled to commence in November 2024. Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) payments for scheme year 2023 commenced over the period December 2023 to January 2024, when €88.35 million was issued in advance payments to 19,719 ACRES General participants. In recognition of the complexity of the scheme and the time required to fully...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (11 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department published a Forestry Licensing Plan in December 2023 which outlines our strong commitment to issuing licences in 2024. The Plan estimates that we will issue 4,200 new forestry licences of all types in 2024, which includes 1,000 afforestation licences. This is however contingent on receiving enough applications to achieve this goal. We are working towards the priorities outlined...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (11 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department has introduced a comprehensive Action Plan on Ash Dieback which provides comprehensive supports to landowners who planted ash plantations under a grant-aided scheme overseen by my Department. While I am aware all landowners with ash trees are impacted by ash dieback, my Department does not have responsibility for the removal or reconstitution of Ash trees for private...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Slaughtering (11 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I am satisfied with the current system of controls at meat plants which is reinforced by a permanent presence of staff at slaughter plants. All plants are subject to inspections and audits by resident staff, and verification audits by regional supervisory staff who must confirm whether the establishment is in general compliance with the conditions of approval under SI 22/2020. All inspection...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (11 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department takes the matter of animal welfare most seriously. Ireland’s Programme for Government includes a commitment to improve animal welfare standards and promote responsible pet ownership. The welfare of animals is protected by legislation and appropriate enforcement action is taken where breaches or shortcomings are identified. All reports of welfare issues received by my...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pesticide Use (10 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is responsible for the implementation of the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive 2009/128/EC which specifies various measures to reduce risks to human health and the environment from pesticide use. These measures include requirements for training and certification of professional users of pesticides. A professional user is any person...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (10 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) aims to provide support to beef farmers to improve the environmental sustainability of the national beef herd. The programme aims to build on the gains delivered in recent years through the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) and the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme (BEEP) by improving the genetic merit of the Irish suckler herd. ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (10 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: An application was received in the name of this herd owner for the Co-Operation stream of the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES CP). An interim payment issued to the person named in February 2024. Balancing payments have commenced and will continue to issue regularly to facilitate all cases that pass through the validation process. The balancing payment claim associated with...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (10 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Under the Control of Horses Act 1996, Local Authorities may take a range of actions in relation to equines. My Department provides financial support to help Local Authorities to, among other activities, facilitate equine seizures. Please see the below table which sets out details of funding provided to Cork City Council as supports towards the Control of Horses in each of the first six...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (10 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The number of horses seized under the Control of Horses Act 1996 in each of the past five years, based on the data provided to my Department by local authorities, is set out in the table below. Horses Seized by Year Amount 2019 1050 2020 819 2021 477 2022 326 ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Covid-19 Pandemic (10 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The information requested by the Deputy is currently being collated. I will write to the Deputy directly once the information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Slaughtering (10 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: There was one approved Food Business Operator that was killing equines in each of the years 2020 to 2023 and to date in 2024. Details in the table below; Year Licensed or Certified slaughterhouses that were killing equines Name and Location 2020 1 Shannonside Foods Ltd, Turnings, Straffan, Co Kildare 2021 1 ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Slaughtering (10 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Some non-compliance issues in slaughter plants are dealt with and corrected on the spot. If an issue cannot be dealt with immediately or needs an escalated level of enforcement at a slaughter premises it is routinely recorded on a Non Compliance Report (NCR). The attached table details the number of NCRs issued by year to management at facility mentioned and the number of non compliant items...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Slaughtering (10 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: In the context of the Department's oversight of the adherence by Food Business Operators to legislative requirements, my inspectors identify non-compliances from time to time. A range of enforcement measures are available to address non-compliances detected at slaughter plants. These include : -Verbal DirectionsWritten Non Compliance ReportsWritten Compliance NoticeSuspension or...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Slaughtering (10 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The conditional approval granted to the food premises mentioned was issued on 22/07/2015 . The application submitted by the applicant for this approval included an Ordinance Survey map which set out the area of the slaughter house holding which related to the application submitted. This highlighted its separation from the neighbouring farm and shed, including outlining a separate entrance. ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Slaughtering (10 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Five welfare complaints were received by my Department in relation to the farm adjacent to the slaughter premises mentioned from 2018 onwards. Four related to individual lame horses, and one related to horses in a waterlogged field following a period of heavy rain. All reports were investigated and in no case was a prosecution deemed appropriate. Nothing of the shocking nature and severity of...