Results 11,281-11,300 of 24,065 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

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Charlie McConalogue: The following table shows the number of Coillte licence applications that have been recorded as withdrawn during the years 2016 - 2020. Year Withdrawn 2017 59 2018 65 2019 60 2020 23 In most cases, licences are withdrawn when specific issues are raised by the Department and...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

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

Charlie McConalogue: The Department publishes a range of forestry related statistics on its pages on the Government of Ireland website. Included in this are details of applications received and decided, which is updated monthly. The information sought is indicated in the table below. Forestry Licence Applications on hand for the dates shown. These figures include a batch application by Coillte of 1,864 new...

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

Charlie McConalogue: An application for the Reconstitution and Under Planting (Ash Dieback) Scheme was submitted on behalf of the person named in November, 2020. The application was referred to a Forestry inspector of the Department and a referral issued to the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). A response was received from NPWS in late February. This is currently being considered as part of the...

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

Charlie McConalogue: I fully recognise that contractors play a very important role in the Irish agriculture and forestry sector. The Department does not provide direct supports for contractors but, as small businesses, they are of course eligible for the same supports as every other small business. In relation to capital investments for on-farm developments, I would like to clarify that the EU...

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

Charlie McConalogue: The Department implements a security-by-design and defence-in-depth approach to IT security and for the agencies that it carries out services for. The Government’s services are still actively involved in managing and remediating the recent cyberattack on the HSE. Our technical staff continue to operate and monitor all relevant systems to the highest levels, and are closely engaged with...

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

Charlie McConalogue: One of the conditions of the BEAM scheme under which the €50 million was granted by the EU was that there had to be an element of reduction or re-structuring built into the scheme - Article 1 (3) of (EU) 2019/1132 refers. Accordingly, in applying for BEAM, participants agreed to reduce the production of bovine livestock manure nitrogen on their holding by 5% for the reduction period...

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

Charlie McConalogue: The rules for landings of Live Bivalve Molluscs (LBMs) into Great Britain are set down by the UK authorities. While exempt from Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated requirements, the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) permission to directly-land fishery products does not include LBMs, a group which includes wild-caught scallops. The UK Government announced on 11th March that it would...

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

Charlie McConalogue: Ireland has received a Commission Implementing Decision revoking the approval of the Irish control plan submitted for the weighing of fishery products in accordance with Article 61(1) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009. It should be noted that the 2012 Control Plan, prior to its revocation, provided that the Irish authorities may have permitted fisheries products to be weighed by...

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

Charlie McConalogue: The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine generally avails of the legal services of the Chief State Solicitor's Office and its own Legal Services Division. However, occasionally it engages private Solicitor Firms and Junior and Senior Counsel for external legal advice. The amount in external professional legal services incurred by the Department in 2014, 2019 and 2020 is set out in...

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

Charlie McConalogue: The Department is not providing financial assistance to farmers who are managing flood prevention infrastructure arising from land reclamation measures under Irish Land Commission initiatives of the past. However, the Department operates a number of schemes which can support farmers in mitigating flood risk, such as afforestation and agri-environment schemes.

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

Charlie McConalogue: 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. Under Section 12 of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act 2001, the Department provides funding to HRI on an annual basis. The Department has allocated €76.8 million to...