Results 11,381-11,400 of 23,950 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Wildlife Conservation (13 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: In relation to the importation of honeybees into Ireland, this is allowed under regulations governing intra-Community trade with other EU Member States. The specific health requirements for trading in bees are laid out in Regulation 2016/429. All imports of bees must be accompanied by a health certificate issued by the country of export after a physical inspection of the bees and their...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Reports (13 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The Deputy will be aware that under the terms of the Office of Government Procurement's Circular 20 of 2019, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is required to publish an annual progress report in relation to green public procurement. This reporting requirement commences with the Department's 2020 Annual Report which will be published later this year.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill, 2021: Discussion (Resumed) (13 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Chair. I gave a comprehensive opening statement on the last day, so I am keen to allow members the opportunity to engage, to have a discussion and to raise questions around the Bill. At the outset, I thank the Chair and members for the prompt consideration of this pre-legislative scrutiny. I thank those who have made contributions and have attended hearings so far. I hope...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill, 2021: Discussion (Resumed) (13 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy. There has been an ongoing process in relation to this for a significant period of time. It goes back initially to an audit, which was carried out by the European Commission in 2018, followed then by an administrative inquiry in 2019, which the Commission carried out. We got the results of that administrative inquiry just before Christmas. In that, the Commission...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill, 2021: Discussion (Resumed) (13 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I suppose it speaks to the importance of the control plan. Prior to 2012, from which that control plan dates, it was not possible to weigh in factories, in the way the control plan and the derogation that was in it allowed for. Without a doubt, that is so much more practical and easier to operate for fishers and processors, but the revocation of the control plan is a Commission decision....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill, 2021: Discussion (Resumed) (13 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy. In terms of the national statutory instrument, it is not within the competence of Ireland, as a member state, to provide ourselves with our own derogation from the control plan. The regulations around this are set by the European Commission and, under the Common Fisheries Policy, there is an obligation on each member state, through the relevant competent authorities, in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill, 2021: Discussion (Resumed) (13 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy. Ireland is a member state within the European Union and, as a country, we represent our industry and our sector. Domestically, the SFPA is the competent authority for enforcement and applying and overseeing the Common Fisheries Policy and the regulations within that. It is clear and is public knowledge that the Commission has publicly published its findings from the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill, 2021: Discussion (Resumed) (13 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I fully understand the challenges that the revocation of our control plan represents for the sector, particularly the white fish sector, which are very difficult indeed. The committee had a thorough discussion on this with the SFPA earlier in the week. Operational matters relating to weighing coming under its remit, not mine as Minister. Legally I am precluded from being involved in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill, 2021: Discussion (Resumed) (13 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: As the Deputy knows, I cannot get into the ins and outs of the weighing and operational matters because those are matters for the SFPA. The committee had an engagement with the SFPA this week and it is open to the committee to have a more detailed engagement with the authority on this matter. Our challenge is that the European Commission is the overall authority for setting regulations and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill, 2021: Discussion (Resumed) (13 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The matter Deputy Browne raised regarding prosecutions etc. needs to be addressed to the SFPA directly. To make a general point, we have across the country fishers and so many others working in our fishing sector, which employs 16,000 overall and is worth €1 billion to our economy. It is such an important sector, has a really strong and sustainable future and can add value but also...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill, 2021: Discussion (Resumed) (13 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: This would apply to all members within the Common Fisheries Policy. This is an EU penalty points system, so where there are infringements on the part of other EU member states' vessels in our waters and where we are the competent authority, we can issue penalty points and notify their competent authority and their member state and those points would be administered in that member state. It...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill, 2021: Discussion (Resumed) (13 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The penalty point system can only be applied to other EU member states’ vessels.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill, 2021: Discussion (Resumed) (13 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: If a non-EU vessel breaches the EU regulations the criminal sanctions can be applied and those infringing these can be taken to court and prosecuted for that. Because the penalty points are administrative and are within the EU competence, they do not apply to the UK. Ideally, the objective is to try to ensure that there is a system in place to prevent a very small minority who might breach...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill, 2021: Discussion (Resumed) (13 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: All fish have to be weighed. The competent authority has the systems and some arrangements in place whereby the sampling plan can apply.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill, 2021: Discussion (Resumed) (13 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Yes, it would have to be weighed if it was landing in to ourselves here.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill, 2021: Discussion (Resumed) (13 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: On the basis that it still comes under the arrangements for the management of waters, between British waters and Common Fisheries Policy waters. Up until Brexit, British waters were part of the Common Fisheries Policy waters. Now we have reciprocal access to waters so there will also be reciprocal arrangements on the management and the weighing of fish and of those species within quotas...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill, 2021: Discussion (Resumed) (13 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I can come back to the Deputy on the finer detail of this but there is an ongoing relationship and negotiations at the moment between the EU and the UK in respect of quota agreement for the remainder of the year and in respect of common rules and regulations on these quotas in how fish can be caught and safety measures to protect those species that are under pressure and threat.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill, 2021: Discussion (Resumed) (13 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I will come back to the Deputy with a written clarification on the type of arrangements.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill, 2021: Discussion (Resumed) (13 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Say that again, please, Deputy Murphy, on the obligation point.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill, 2021: Discussion (Resumed) (13 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: That would be an operational matter for the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, SFPA, which is the competent authority there.