Results 9,881-9,900 of 23,950 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Schemes (21 Oct 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: In 2020, the number of farmers participating in BDGP I was 22,243 with a further 1,422 participating in BDGP II, giving a total of 23,665. Payments to farmers under BDGP for 2020 were approximately €41.5 million. A total of 27,025 farmers were participating in BEEP-S in 2020. Payments under the scheme amounted to approximately €41 million. Those farmers in BDGP I who had...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Schemes (21 Oct 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Prior to this year, farmers participating in the BDGP were in a five-year programme. They had to sign up for five years and they did not have the option to decide whether to stay in or come out of the scheme. It was a full five-year programme. I continued it in 2021 for one year and farmers had the option to decide whether to take it up that year. In terms of practicality, I made it as...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Schemes (21 Oct 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: A big part of the reason was that things can change for farmers over the course of five years. We had a five-year contract that finished and people then had the option of taking a one-year contract. The administration and red tape involved in extending for a year was minimised. People could continue as they were. The scheme was not open to new entrants. People had to be in the previous...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Animal Diseases (21 Oct 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy for the question. The number of dairy herd reactor animals is 8,837 for 2019, 12,440 for 2020 and 8,402 up to 29 September of this year. The number of suckler herd reactor animals is 5,894 for 2019, 7,275 for 2020 and 4,684 up to 29 September of this year. The number of other herd reactor animals is 347 for 2019, 515 for 2020 and 344 to the end of September of this year....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Inshore Fisheries (21 Oct 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: These matters are always complex and, as we know, very much subject to legal challenge. Therefore, because I do not have the decision from the Court of Appeal on the previous process, it would be premature to commence a new consultation in advance of that. I must be informed and have all the information to hand in respect of the legal judgment on the previous process. I must await that...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Inshore Fisheries (21 Oct 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I value the inshore sector; it is important to the communities right along the coast. It has been great to see how they have strengthened in terms of their organisational capacity in recent months and years. I am fully supportive of that. I am aware that there is an application under consideration for PO status. I was glad to be able to award PO status to the Irish Islands Marine Resource...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Inshore Fisheries (21 Oct 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: A statutory instrument on what?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Inshore Fisheries (21 Oct 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: It is my understanding that I will have to undertake a consultation in advance of any action I take. When I-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Inshore Fisheries (21 Oct 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: It is important that I have access to the full information on conclusion of the legal process before I make any decisions, because we do not want any unnecessary flaws to arise in future.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Schemes (21 Oct 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy for his question. I am pleased to have secured more than €1.8 billion of funding in budget 2020 for the overall sector. This is in addition to almost €1.2 billion in direct payments annually. Farmers can have confidence that this budget protects family farms and their income and supports action to improve safety and sustainability on farms. I have...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Schemes (21 Oct 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: To correct the Deputy, we cannot do new schemes under the transition regulation. We have the facility to continue with existing schemes and, of course, that takes a significant amount of money because at the end of a CAP programme there are full participation levels and maximum cost for all of those schemes. Thankfully, with the 11% increase last year from the Minister for Public...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Schemes (21 Oct 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: It will be much better off with this Government in place. I refer to the proposals in the alternative budgets put forward by Sinn Féin. Even though it proposes much more spending economy-wide in its fantasy budgets, agriculture always gets short-changed. The proposals in the Sinn Féin fantasy budget for last year-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Schemes (21 Oct 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: -----came nowhere near the 11% increase I delivered last year. Agriculture was short-changed even in the massive spending proposed in the Sinn Féin manifesto before the most recent general election. I am glad-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Schemes (21 Oct 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Sinn Féin profiled less than Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael profiled in their manifestos. Thankfully, Sinn Féin is not in government. This Government is delivering for Irish farm families.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Schemes (21 Oct 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Obviously, as regards budget pressures at European level, we fight that battle to try to keep that budget up. We got it narrowly increased after a big battle. As regards matters within our control, we are delivering a 50% increase in national funding.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Schemes (21 Oct 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I am very glad to be able to do so to support farm family incomes.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Inshore Fisheries (21 Oct 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy for her question. As she is aware, the programme for Government commits to ensuring "that inshore waters continue to be protected for smaller fishing vessels and recreational fishers and that pair trawling will be prohibited inside the six-mile limit". I am fully supportive of this objective, as is the Deputy. As she may be aware, in December 2018, the then Minister,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (21 Oct 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) is the State agency with responsibility for the sustainable development of the Irish seafood industry.   While the matter raised is proper to BIM, it has provided information to assist in providing a full understanding of the issue being raised.  BIM advise that it has engaged INDECON Economic Consultants to carry out a survey of the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Hare Coursing (21 Oct 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Coursing is regulated under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958, chiefly by the Irish Coursing Club, subject to the general control and direction of Rásaíocht Con Éireann; hare coursing is managed and regulated by the Irish Coursing Club.  The organisation consists of 89 affiliated clubs from Ireland and Northern Ireland, all of whom are governed by...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (21 Oct 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The Deputy will be aware that the Department has had a reconstitution scheme for Ash Dieback available since 2013.  The existing scheme, the Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme for  Ash Dieback was announced on the 10th June 2020 and applications could be submitted from the 22nd June 2020.  The objectives of the scheme are to encourage the active management of ash...