Results 1,061-1,080 of 4,255 for speaker:Martin Heydon

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

Martin Heydon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 577 and 588 together. The Native Tree Area Scheme was introduced to facilitate small-scale tree planting and does not require an afforestation licence, therefore does not go through the licensing procedure. Strict conditions for eligibility to the Scheme do however exist to ensure sufficient safeguards are in place and to prevent any negative impact on...

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

Martin Heydon: Plant protection products (PPPs) containing neonicotinoid active substances which have not been approved by the EU are excluded from the Irish register of authorised pesticides and cannot be placed on the market or used in Ireland. There were no exemptions on the sale or use of these products issued in Ireland in 2024. My Department implements an annual risk based control plan on the...

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

Martin Heydon: Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) is a commercial state body established under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001, and is responsible for the overall administration, promotion and development of the horse racing industry. Rásaíocht Con Éireann (RCÉ) is a commercial state body, established under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958 chiefly to control greyhound racing and to...

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

Martin Heydon: In response to the damage that resulted from Storm Éowyn to the Irish horticulture sector I, together with my colleague Michael Healy-Rae T.D., Minister of State with responsibility for Horticulture, recently announced a targeted reopening of the Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector. The targeted reopening of the 2025 Scheme of...

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

Martin Heydon: I am very aware of the significant impact Storm Éowyn has had on growers in the Irish horticulture sector. My officials have engaged with Teagasc and other stakeholders to assess the extent and significance of the damage caused. In response, I, together with my colleague Michael Healy-Rae T.D., Minister of State with responsibility for Horticulture, recently announced a targeted...

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

Martin Heydon: The person named submitted an application under the ACRES Co-operation stream and was approved into Tranche 1 of the scheme with a commencement date of 1 January 2023. I have made further enquiries and it is my understanding that my Department has been in contact with the herdowners explaining the current position in relation to the processing of their transfer request. This is to...

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

Martin Heydon: A total of €436 million has been paid out to farmers to date in respect of their participation in the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES). My Department has made significant progress in 2024. Almost all ACRES participants have received a payment (either interim or final) in respect of their participation in the Scheme in 2023, and remaining balancing payments continue to...

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

Martin Heydon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 585 and 586 together. My Department recognises that the recent storms Darragh and Éowyn, have caused varying degrees of damage around the country, including significant damage to trees. Alongside Minister of State Michael Healy-Rae, I invited key stakeholders to participate in a taskforce to ensure that storm-damaged forests are managed safely and...

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

Martin Heydon: The Green Cert is an accredited education programme delivered by approved providers including Teagasc. Successful completion of the Green Cert qualifies graduates for ‘trained farmer’ status. Teagasc acknowledge the importance of providing accessible pathways for individuals seeking to qualify as “trained farmers” and courses are available on full time, part...

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

Martin Heydon: The person named was accepted into ACRES Tranche 1, with a contract commencement date of January 1st 2023. An interim payment of €4,000 issued to the herd owner in March 2024 in respect of their participation in the Scheme in 2023. My Department is currently investigating the issue preventing this case from passing the required validations for the balancing payment for 2023. Further...

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

Martin Heydon: My Department is committed to ensuring that a skilled and motivated workforce is in place to meet its priority business needs. To achieve this, workforce planning is utilised in identifying the needs across all our locations. Recruitment is currently underway in my Department to address these prioritised needs. Technical posts continue to be filled through several mechanisms, including...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (27 Feb 2025)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. To reassure her, the Government cannot be any clearer on our position in relation to the Mercosur proposals. We clearly outlined it in our programme for Government. In two-and-a-half hours of debate here in the Dáil last Thursday, I discussed it at length and put clearly on the record of this House our concerns and our opposition to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (27 Feb 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 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 6th March 2014. The Act is kept under constant review. My...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Diseases (27 Feb 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department takes the threat of highly pathogenic avian influenza seriously. Strict biosecurity is the most effective tool to protect poultry against avian influenza. This is why I introduced the Avian Influenza (Biosecurity Measures) Regulations last December and introduced the Avian Influenza (Precautionary Confinement of Birds and Restriction on Assembly of Live Birds) Regulations 2025...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (27 Feb 2025)

Martin Heydon: Animal welfare is a key priority for my Department and considerable funding is provided to support eligible animal welfare charities nationwide, through the annual Animal Welfare Grant Programme, which is administered by my Department. Grants are to support operational activities of such registered animal welfare charities that meet certain criteria. In November 2024, my Department provided...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (27 Feb 2025)

Martin Heydon: This 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 6th March 2014. The Act is kept under constant review. My...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (27 Feb 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department is responsible for S.I. No 63/2015, the Microchipping of Dogs Regulation 2015 and S.I. 427/2015 - Microchipping of Dogs (Amendment) Regulations 2015. Under these Regulations, all dogs over 12 weeks of age (or younger if sold before 12 weeks) must be microchipped. These regulations were made under the Animal Health & Welfare Act, 2013 and therefore can be enforced by any...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (27 Feb 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department provides funding to animal welfare charities throughout the country, many of which provide reduced cost veterinary care to animals. In November 2024, this funding amounted to almost €6 million and was awarded to 101 animal welfare bodies. An important element, taken into account when allocating these funds, is the critical role of education and dissemination of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (27 Feb 2025)

Martin Heydon: Under the Animal Health and Welfare Act, 2013, my Department has primary policy responsibility for the welfare of all animals. Since the introduction of the Act, over 1,000 Department officials have been designated as authorised officers under the Act and their responsibilities include the enforcement of animal welfare legislation provided for under the Act. A large number of these...