Results 11,181-11,200 of 23,975 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (25 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The Programme for Government contains an undertaking to provide additional funding to support animal welfare in the coming years to which I am fully committed. In this regard, in December 2020 I announced record funding of €3.2 million to 101 animal welfare organisations throughout the country. The Department takes its responsibilities in the matter of animal welfare most seriously...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (25 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: S.I. No. 40 of 2021 (AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND THE MARINE (DELEGATION OF MINISTERIAL FUNCTIONS) ORDER 2021) was given under the Official Seal of the Government on 2 February 2021 by An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, T.D.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (25 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: There are two forestry Senior Inspectors. Both are permanent staff members and have been in position since 2010 and 2017, respectively.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (25 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Under Section 18(1) of the Forestry Act 2014, it shall be the objective that a felling licence application is determined within four months. The Act further provides for notifications to applicants where it appears that a decision cannot be made within four months. Such notification to give reasons for the delay and in addition to set a new date, except in cases where an environmental impact...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (25 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The Department issues forestry related circulars to the forestry sector on a regular basis throughout the year. These circulars are issued to the trade and clarify or amend Department policy. Such policy clarification or change would then fall to be implemented by Department staff as per the contents of the circular.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (25 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I am not aware of any incidence where the Department has instructed an applicant that they will not approve a felling licence unless that applicant submits a forest road licence. I would be happy to have my officials examine if you have any written correspondence to that effect. If an applicant submits a harvest plan as part of the felling licence application, the Department may query...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (25 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I can confirm to the Deputy that the number of hectares of newly established afforestation are those confirmed as planted and paid for at Form 2 stage based on the certified species map.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (25 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine fully accepts the decision of the Forestry Appeals Committee (FAC) in the case of the person named in the case supplied. When screening for Appropriate Assessment, it is necessary to take into account other plans and projects and to properly record these on the file. As there was no record of this before the FAC, the application was set...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (25 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: There are nine full time ecologists working as permanent employees with the Forestry Inspectorate. The other ecologists working for the Department on forestry files work for Fehily Timoney, Environmental Facilitation Ltd while other ecologists working part time on files are predominantly sole traders.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (25 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The Department is continuing to make improvements to its licensing system in order to streamline the processing of licences. This does not obviate the need to consider the potential environmental impact of each individual application but there has been an increased output of 109 licences for the third week in May (of which 101 were new licences and eight were re-issued licences from...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (25 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The Department made very significant changes to its Appropriate Assessment procedures in 2019. These were in relation to increasing the zone of influence for consideration of appropriate assessment from 3km to 15km and to implement in the European Case law in relation to the consideration of mitigation at screening stage. There were a number of inputs to the decision including NPWS...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (25 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The Jo O'Hara report recommended the recruitment of project management expertise to assist in the implementation of the project. The Department responded immediately to this recommendation by recruiting an external project management specialist, Mr. Eamon O'Doherty to this role, starting on 4th May 2021. This is a full-time role dedicated entirely to the implementation of Project Woodland...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (25 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The following table shows the number of Coillte licence applications that have been recorded as withdrawn during the years 2016 - 2020. Year Withdrawn 2017 59 2018 65 2019 60 2020 23 In most cases, licences are withdrawn when specific issues are raised by the Department and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (25 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Bord na Móna formally ended all peat harvesting on its lands by the end of 2019. As a result of this cessation in peat harvesting, industrial cutover peatlands are becoming increasingly available for other land use options, including opportunities for the restoration of native woodland habitats. This availability of land occurs at a point in time where there is a greater demand than...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (25 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The Forestry Service is part of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, which is amenable to the Public Accounts Committee. The Irish forestry sector is a significant employer in rural Ireland of almost 12,000 jobs. Improving the licensing situation is a key priority for me, Minister of State Pippa Hackett who has responsibility for forestry and the Department and no effort is...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (25 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 542 and 543 together. In 2020, officers from the Carcase Classification Section of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) conducted 405 inspections across 32 factories classifying carcasses. There were 302 inspections in factories where mechanical classification is carried out and 103 inspections in the nine manual grading factories....

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Schemes (25 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 544 to 553, inclusive, together. Circular 5 of 2021 concerns the possible requirement for planning permission from the Local Authority where broadleaf high forest is replaced by conifer species and where one or more of a number of other conditions applies. All registered foresters have been directly notified of this circular. As the agent for the land...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (25 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Increasing international market access for Irish agri-food exports is a core element of the current Food Wise strategy, which recognises that market access and development is essential to add value to the meat sector in particular. The market development part of the strategy is being implemented by a seven-point action plan launched in April 2017. In relation to pigmeat specifically,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Offices (25 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The establishment of an Office of a National Food Ombudsman, or Regulator, is a key commitment in the Programme for Government. The new Office or equivalent will have a role in analysing and reporting on price and market data in Ireland and will also incorporate Enforcement Authority functions required by the UTP Directive (Directive (EU) 2019/633 on Unfair Trading Practices in...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (25 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: In line with the commitment in the Programme for Government and the initiative identified in the recently-launched Animal Welfare Strategy 2021-2025, the Department will take the lead in establishing an inter-departmental group to ensure a coherent national approach to policy and regulation related to exotic animals. The focus of the group will be on regulating the keeping, breeding and...