Results 1,061-1,080 of 23,906 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Freedom of Information (25 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department's Freedom of Information Unit has a team dedicated to effectively meeting our statutory obligations under the Freedom of Information Act 2014. All the team works full time except for one person who works a 60% week. The information requested by the Deputy is contained in the tables below. As regards the 13 State Bodies under the aegis of my Department, the information...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Industry (20 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The footage broadcast on the ‘RTÉ Investigates’ show that aired on Wednesday and Thursday 12 and 13 June 2024 was extremely upsetting, and I share the reaction of viewers who were appalled by such a blatant disregard for the welfare of horses and suspected criminality. In terms of immediate actions, on the 14th of June I issued a notice to the slaughter plant concerned...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (20 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Coillte was established as a private commercial company under the Forestry Act, 1988, and day-to-day operational matters, such as in relation to the Coillte Farm Partnership Scheme, are the responsibility of the company. The company has provided my Department with a general update on farm partnerships. Coillte has a portfolio of 638 farm partnerships across the country, accounting for over...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (20 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Since the first finding of Ash Dieback in Ireland in 2012, my Department has introduced Reconstitution Schemes to restore forests planted under the afforestation scheme which had suffered from, or which were associated with, plants affected by disease. The overall financial package being made available to ash plantation owners in respect of ash dieback, which includes the new Climate Action...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (20 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The person named was approved into Tranche 1 of the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES), under the Co-operation approach, with a contract commencement date of 1 January 2023. I can confirm that an interim payment for the person named, amounting to €5,000, issued on 28th February 2024. Final payments to ACRES participants are commencing this week, and will continue over...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (20 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Forestry owners who harvest trees are already subject to a replanting obligation. The proposed Climate Resilient Reforestation Pilot Scheme aims to provide supports at reforestation that incentivise species and structural diversity. This can result in an increase in the resilience and adaptiveness of the forest land to climate related threats. My Department is currently developing a...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Breeding (20 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I am not aware of any allegations of non-compliance with regard to the issuing of duplicate passports by the named organisation. The identification and registration of equine animals is underpinned by EU legislation, namely, Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/963. It requires equines to be identified by a ‘single lifetime identification document’ commonly known as an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Implementation of Irish Inshore Fisheries Sector Strategy 2019-2023: Discussion (19 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank members for the invitation to discuss the implementation of the strategy for the inshore fisheries sector 2019 to 2023. In 2014, six regional inshore fisheries forums and the national inshore fisheries forum were established in order to provide a platform for dialogue between the sector, defined as those using vessels under 12 m in length, the State and other stakeholders operating...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Implementation of Irish Inshore Fisheries Sector Strategy 2019-2023: Discussion (19 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I have some details on meetings in a note. The Department and BIM have met inshore representatives on 29 occasions over the period of the strategy. I met NIFF, NIFA and IIMRO on 18 April. The Department has also met separately with NIFF on two occasions to date in 2024. There was also an online meeting with NIFF, NIFA and IIMRO on 7 May 2024. I do not have the detail on the most recent...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Implementation of Irish Inshore Fisheries Sector Strategy 2019-2023: Discussion (19 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I have had a number of meetings with that sector. It has been a very challenging time, particularly as regards markets this year. There were also wider challenges in the sector as a result of Brexit over the past couple of years. Last year and the year before, the Department ran Brexit business adjustment schemes with significant funding. Approximately €4,500 was available for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Implementation of Irish Inshore Fisheries Sector Strategy 2019-2023: Discussion (19 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: As the Deputy knows, if we were to add up what was in all the Private Members' motions that come before the Dáil over the course of the year, we would double our national budget. Thankfully, we have managed the State's finances well over the past period, but it is the choices made at budget time that decide what funding might be available. That is not until next October. I am looking...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Implementation of Irish Inshore Fisheries Sector Strategy 2019-2023: Discussion (19 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: That is something I am considering. The NIFA has been in touch with me. I expect to respond to it shortly on that. It is something I am considering.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Implementation of Irish Inshore Fisheries Sector Strategy 2019-2023: Discussion (19 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I will tell the NIFA first. I take on board the Deputy's representations on this as well.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Implementation of Irish Inshore Fisheries Sector Strategy 2019-2023: Discussion (19 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: We do not have it nationally. It is something I have been pressing at EU level. I would dearly like to secure it. I raise and press for it regularly at EU Council level. It is not something Ireland has a national quota for. In order to secure a quota for it, we need to have the support of two thirds of other member states to be able to get a slice of it. That is a tall order because we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Implementation of Irish Inshore Fisheries Sector Strategy 2019-2023: Discussion (19 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: As with the Common Agricultural Policy, we also work within a Common Fisheries Policy at European level. An annual scheme has never featured as part of the Common Fisheries Policy. I look to see where I can support the sector, however, and have done so over the past couple of years through the business adjustment scheme. An annual scheme is not a feature of the Common Fisheries Policy the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Implementation of Irish Inshore Fisheries Sector Strategy 2019-2023: Discussion (19 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The pollock ban has had a real impact and been a real loss to the inshore sector in particular. The pollock fishery was closed due to scientific advice to allow time for pollock numbers to recover and strengthen again so that they do not get undermined. All commercial pollock fisheries have been closed in all of areas 6 and 7, which are the areas west of Scotland, down the Irish Sea, waters...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Implementation of Irish Inshore Fisheries Sector Strategy 2019-2023: Discussion (19 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The old European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund, EMFAF, has finished. I plan to very shortly announce the schemes under the new European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, which will include the v-notching scheme. It has been a successful scheme in terms of conservation for the species and providing income. It will form part of the new EMFAF. I expect to announce that very shortly.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Implementation of Irish Inshore Fisheries Sector Strategy 2019-2023: Discussion (19 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: It will run on an ongoing multi-annual basis once it is launched. It is a fact that we are between two schemes at present. We are now looking to restart that scheme.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Implementation of Irish Inshore Fisheries Sector Strategy 2019-2023: Discussion (19 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I do not have the specific drill-down detail the Deputy is asking for there but I can get my team to send it to him. There are 1,642 inshore vessels which are on the national register, approximately 1,000 of which are actively fishing. A good benchmark for where we might be at with active fishing is the number who applied for the business adjustment scheme I ran last year and the year...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Implementation of Irish Inshore Fisheries Sector Strategy 2019-2023: Discussion (19 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I believe the implementation committee had three meetings in 2023. Obviously, things would have been impacted by Covid-19 and by Brexit. About this time four years ago we were in the throes of Covid and that disrupted normal strategies and required specific responses. Alongside that, both BIM and the inshore association would have been participating in the Brexit seafood task force as...