Results 9,801-9,820 of 23,950 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Inspections (2 Nov 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Based on clarification by the Deputy that this query relates to on-farm welfare inspections, the number of such inspections in each of the years in question is set out below: 2016: 764 inspections 2017: 1669 inspections 2018: 2263 inspections 2019: 1947 inspections 2020: 1761 inspections 2021 (to date) : 1073 inspections. The above welfare inspections are carried out by my Departments...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Diseases (2 Nov 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1192 and 1197 together. Following many successful years of reducing bovine TB levels to the benefit of Irish Farmers, there is a concerning incremental increase in the disease since 2016. Attachment 1 shows (1) the number of TB tests carried out on animals from 2016 to date in 2021 and (2) Herd incidence which is the positivity rate of herds tested for the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Safety (2 Nov 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: To highlight the importance of farm safety, the Government assigned my ministerial colleague, Martin Heydon, TD the specific responsibility for Farm Safety in his portfolio. The Department currently has in place a range of measures to promote farm safety. The proposals for the dedicated farm safety budget of €2 million are in the process of being finalised and will be announced in due...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (2 Nov 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The 2020 budget allocation available for awards of grants to animal welfare organisations was €2.435m. Savings elsewhere in the Department's vote contributed to the eventual awarding of €3.2 million to 101 organisations in December 2020. A doubling of funding by 2022 will be on the basis of doubling the 2020 budget allocation, taking into account my Department's policy...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Credit Availability (2 Nov 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department, in partnership with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Department of Finance, has worked with the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) to deliver a number of loan schemes which support SMEs in Ireland, including farmers, fishers and food & drink businesses, as follows: Future Growth Loan Scheme (FGLS)provides long-term unsecured...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Funding (2 Nov 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I am very conscious of the important role that the sheep sector plays in the continued growth and development of our agri-food sector, and its valuable contribution to the rural economy. The strong performance of the sector in 2020 has continued into 2021 and I am delighted that farmers are being rewarded from the market for their hard work. Reductions in production globally and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: European Court of Justice (2 Nov 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1200 and 1201 together. The Programme for Government (PfG) includes a commitment to ‘fully explore the potential for growing fibre crops such as hemp, considering whether these crops have a viable future’. The consultation is being conducted based on the economic viability of fibre crops such as hemp as outlined in the PfG, that is, the study...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (2 Nov 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: While there has been significant research carried out on the cultivation of hemp in Ireland, mainly by Teagasc at its Oakpark Research Centre, this research has focused on the use of hemp as a source of fibre and as an energy crop. The environmental benefits have not therefore been confirmed through Irish based research which is a key requirement needed to inform agricultural policy. ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fur Farming (2 Nov 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The Programme for Government 2020 includes a commitment to bring forward legislation that prohibits fur farming in the State. There are three active farms in the State that breed and rear mink for the purposes of pelting for the fur industry. These are operating in compliance with current law. The Animal Health and Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021 that is currently going...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (2 Nov 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1204 to 1208, inclusive, together. The Department has commenced the monitoring and evaluation stage of REAP. This process will involve an analysis of field data, feedback from both participants and advisors and site-visits by the Department. The information collected will be used to inform the design and implementation of future agri-environment projects and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Diseases (2 Nov 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1209, 1211 and 1219 together. I, as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, have ultimate responsibility for the development and implementation of the bovine TB eradication programme. In doing so I am supported, in my Department, by the ERAD, Ruminant Animal Health Divisions and by the 16 Regional Veterinary Offices throughout the country whose work is...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: EU Funding (2 Nov 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: An indicative allocation of €180 million has been made to the LEADER Programme for the 2023-2027 period under the CAP Strategic Plan. In conjunction with the funding of €70 million for the LEADER Transitional Programme announced earlier this year, this indicative allocation will result in total funding of €250 million being made available for LEADER over the seven-year...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Funding (2 Nov 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The Department of Rural and Community Development has delegated responsibility for the LEADER programme on behalf of my Department. The LEADER programme will continue to be a key component of the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) from 2023, and my colleague Minister Humphreys is committed to ensuring that the programme continues to play a central role in delivering on the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Coillte Teoranta (2 Nov 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: This is an operational matter for Coillte. As advised directly to the Deputy by Coillte, if this position changes, Coillte will be in contact with the third party who has expressed an interest in buying these lands. I am satisfied that Coillte are in compliance with the Code of Practice for Governance of State Bodies.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Data Protection (2 Nov 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1215 and 1216 together. The Department provides calf registration data and slaughter data to the organisation named on the basis of a ‘Permission Form’ signed by the farmer. Such data is used by the named organisation in its National Breeding Programme.Personal data is protected under GDPR legislation and, in this regard, the named organisation...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Funding (2 Nov 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The Department announced a competitive public procurement procedure under the 2021 Rural Innovation and Development Fund seeking service providers to develop a social farming model project in March of this year. Following an evaluation of proposals received, the organisation named, together with three other organisations, was successful in securing funding for 2021 for the development...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (2 Nov 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Ireland's Nitrates regulations are reviewed on a four-yearly basis as required by the Nitrates Directive. These reviews are led by the Department of Housing Local Government and Heritage as the competent authority for water legislation and involve negotiations with DG Environment. During negotiations about Ireland's new nitrates action programme DG Environment raised the question of the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Diseases (2 Nov 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Bovine TB is caused by a bacteria called Mycobacterium bovis (M bovis), with infection endemic in cattle and badgers in Ireland. I am acutely aware of the emotional financial burden put on farms as a result of a breakdown and I am committed to tackling the problem. While many mammalian species may become infected with M bovis (including humans), these are generally spillover infections...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy (2 Nov 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The Department is currently working with other Government Departments and agencies to finalise Ireland’s draft CAP Strategic Plan for the period 2023-2027, in respect of which an overall budget of €9.83 billion has recently been agreed. As such, it is too early to state the specific targeted reduction in CO2 equivalents that each proposed measure will achieve. However, the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy (2 Nov 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan is still under development. However, it is proposed that it will provide specific enhanced supports to diversification of land use/land management to activity with a lower carbon equivalent. It is intended to achieve this through a coherent approach across several areas, as set out below. The proposed definition of land eligibility for Direct Payments...