Results 1,021-1,040 of 23,948 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (3 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: ACRES payments for 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 process all payments, interim payments issued to all other participants in February and March 2024. Payments of €4,000 were made...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (2 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department has published a set of Frequently Asked Questions for guidance on the Climate Action Performance Payment Scheme. The scheme document will be published closer to when the scheme opens later in the Summer. Question four of the published FAQs, outlines who is entitled to the CAPP scheme: "This payment will be made available to all ash forest owners who own a forest that was...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Slaughtering (2 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 326, 327 and 331 together. I can confirm that my Department provided support to a three-year investigation undertaken and led by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI) which has resulted in the DPP directing that 5 individuals be prosecuted. The case relates to a variety of offences that occurred in the 2017 – 2019 period...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Slaughtering (2 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Slaughter plants are audited on an annual basis to monitor compliance with their conditions of approval under SI 22/2020. The licence is reviewed during this audit.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Slaughtering (2 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: It is understood that the question refers to Certificates of Competence in relation to Animal Welfare Officers. Article 17 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing requires slaughterhouses to designate an animal welfare officer to assist them in ensuring compliance with the rules laid down in the Regulation. These animal welfare officers...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Slaughtering (2 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: About 3 weeks prior to the broadcast of the 12 June RTÉ Investigates documentary my Department was provided with information that related to the supply of equines for slaughter to the plant in question and alleged breaches of animal welfare and traceability legislation. Upon receipt of that information an investigation into activities involving the supply of equines for slaughter was...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Safety (2 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department keeps all procedures in relation to its monitoring of all food businesses under constant review, on the basis of experience, audits, risk assessment, and the evolution of EU and National legislation. In 2018, the procedures in respect of equine slaughter plants were comprehensively reviewed and updated, with the issuing of a new consolidated Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Slaughtering (2 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department is engaging closely with the FSAI regarding this ongoing investigation and the matters highlighted recently as regards equine traceability. On 20th June the FSAI on behalf of Ireland issued a Food Fraud Notification on the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) network- this is the EU system established to ensure the exchange of information between member countries...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Staff (2 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Normally one Veterinary Inspector and two technical officers from the region would be assigned for duty at Shannonside Foods on a slaughter day. These officers have duties in other Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine approved facilities and are assigned to Shannonside only on the slaughter day and in the case of a technical officer, to supervise loading out of carcases. ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Slaughtering (2 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Arising from information provided to my Department in May 2024 an investigation into activities involving the supply of equines for slaughter is in progress. Assistance and support is being provided by An Garda Síochána. As the investigation is on-going I am not in a position to comment further. I can confirm however that the operation of a slaughter plant is now fully...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Safety (2 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Sampling for Phenylbutazone in equines presented for slaughter is carried out in accordance with Ireland’s National Residue Control Program which is notified annually to the European Commission. If Phenylbutazone is detected in one of these samples then official control procedures would immediately be initiated. These controls ensure that all the meat of the affected carcase would...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Slaughtering (2 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The facility that the newspaper article refers to is different to the one that you provide details on in your question. That plant no longer operates as a horse slaughter facility. From 2018 until it closed in 2020, 7,941 horses were slaughtered at the facility referred to in the article. Of those, 2,983 were thoroughbreds and the remainder of 4,958 were non-thoroughbreds. My Department does...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Slaughtering (2 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Based on data submitted to my Department's Animal Identification and Movement (AIM) system database by passport issuing organisations (PIOs) regarding the date of birth of horses, as part of the registration of births, and the date of slaughter of horses, the calculations are as follows: The youngest animal slaughtered at the facility referenced, since operations began in 2015 is 0.33...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Slaughtering (2 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department has ongoing close engagement with An Garda Síochána, and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland on this matter. My officials will continue to liaise and work with these organisations as part of this ongoing investigation. The full rigours of the law will be applied in instances where breaches are found to have occurred.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fodder Crisis (2 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM) is a new scheme introduced under Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan (CSP) 2023 - 2027. This scheme follows on from a successful two-year pilot in operation during 2021 and 2022. Application for the Measure is via the annual Basic Income for Sustainability (BISS) and other area-based schemes application process. The measure is available to all those who...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Industry (2 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Rásaíocht Con Éireann (RCÉ) is a commercial state body, established under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958 chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. RCÉ is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The question raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (2 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. 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 this...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Livestock Issues (2 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The Sheep Improvement Scheme is funded under Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan. It provides support to sheep farmers for carrying out actions that improve animal health and welfare in the sheep sector. It builds on the progress made by the Sheep Welfare Scheme (SWS), which has now come to an end. As part of the eligibility requirements as outlined in the Terms and Conditions of the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (2 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: An application for participation in the Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) scheme was received from the above named applicant on May 26th, 2023. Following completion of all the relevant administration checks by my Department, an ANC payment issued to this applicant on June 26th , 2024. It should be noted that payment can take up to 7 business days to issue to an applicants nominated bank...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Policies (2 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Since publication of the Programme for Government (PFG) in June 2020, my Department has identified and examined 161 actions in the Agriculture, Food, and the Marine Chapter. My Department is the lead organisation in 148 of these actions, and is reporting 76% of those as either target achieved or substantial action undertaken & ongoing, with another 20% reported as commenced &...