Results 12,881-12,900 of 23,976 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fishing Industry (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I will be doing all I can to fight for our fishermen and push at European level, as part of the Common Fisheries Policy review, to secure some of that bluefin tuna catch for us. As the Deputy well knows, the challenge in that regard should not be underestimated. I will certainly step up and do all I can to fight in that regard. The Deputy knows the background, which I have well...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agricultural Colleges (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I know the absolute value of the body of trained young farmers who will revitalise our farming sector, as well as the absolute importance of our educational system in equipping them to farm in the most efficient, effective and sustainable way into the future and to underpin our agricultural sector. Crucial to that are our educational providers. Teagasc plays a strong and crucial role in...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Health and Safety Inspections (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputies for their questions. The health, welfare and safety of workers must be absolutely central to everything we do, particularly in environments where essential work is continuing. That is the clear message we are putting out to all sectors, particularly the meat processing sector. My Department has worked to assist the HSA in this regard, including in the carrying out of...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fishing Industry (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy for his question, which has been raised with me on many occasions by fishermen. Bluefin tuna is a highly migratory large pelagic species which spawns in the Mediterranean and then migrates over a wide area of the north-east Atlantic to feed.  This migration brings some of the fish into the Irish 200-mile zone for part of the year, as we discussed...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Health and Safety Inspections (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The HSA comes under the remit of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and any specific questions about its reports are a matter for that Department. Statutory responsibility for health and safety in the workplace rests with the HSA. In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, primary responsibility for public health policy and implementation rests with the Department of Health...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Health and Safety Inspections (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy. As I pointed out, I do not have the details here that the HSA would have because the authority comes under another Department's remit. I outlined the assessments and the checks that my Department has carried out on the authority's behalf to supplement that work. At all times we have been clear about the absolute importance of safety across all working environments,...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Common Fisheries Policy (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: As a Deputy from a coastal county, no more so than Deputy Mac Lochlainn, protecting and trying to ensure the welfare and incomes of our fishermen is very important to me. That has never been more the case than at the moment in the context of the Brexit negotiations and the very solid and forthright campaign we have mounted working with our European maritime nation partners to try to ensure a...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Common Fisheries Policy (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The sustainability of our fisheries is really important, so we must ensure that fishing is done at a sustainable level. While it provides good income for our fishermen today, we must ensure that the stocks will be there for the years ahead. The way that is done at European level is through a quota system, although it is highly contested at all times. There is a quota system that puts a...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Beef Industry (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputy Cairns for her question. I am disappointed at the outset to see the negative approach the Deputy is taking to the development of a PGI application for grass-fed Irish beef. I do not believe it reflects the positive dimensions of that initiative and what it can mean in terms of being able to try to promote our beef more abroad and, ultimately, try to add value to it. The...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Beef Industry (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: Coming out of the agreement signed at the beef task force of September last year were 37 separate actions. Of these, 20 have now been completed, six are in progress and one still is to be commenced, while ten are ongoing actions that are continuing. I will go back to the initial point I made that the task force is primarily composed of farmer representative organisations and they have...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Beef Industry (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I can assure Deputy Cairns I am absolutely committed to doing everything I can as Minister to support our farmers and support a fair income for them. That is why I worked strongly with the beef task force and the farming organisations to move the PGI forward. That is obviously something we must get approval for at European level and then ensure, in time, that we work to have it benefit...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Common Fisheries Policy (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputy Mac Lochlainn for his question. As he will be aware, under the Common Fisheries Policy, EU fishing fleets are given equal access to EU waters and fishing grounds subject to allocated fish quotas. Irrespective of size, fishing vessels must comply with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy, which includes rules regarding access and catch limits or quota. With regard to...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Trade Agreements (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy for his question on the assessment of the potential impact on the agrifood sector of the EU-Mercosur deal. As was stated at the time of last year's EU-Mercosur political agreement, Ireland was disappointed with the inclusion of a 99,000-tonne tariff-rate quota for beef from Mercosur countries. If ratified, this quota would be phased in under the agreement in six equal...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Trade Agreements (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The concern about the Mercosur agreement relates to its beef aspect and the 99,000 tonnes of tariff-rate quota. Wider trade agreements have a benefit for Ireland, including our agrifood industry. We export 90% of all of our agricultural produce. As such, being able to trade internationally is important. The part of the Mercosur agreement that I am concerned about is the tariff-rate...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Trade Agreements (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The Deputy will find that I am consistent in outlining my concerns about the 99,000-tonne beef aspect. I have also pointed out to him the wider value of trade to Irish agrifood. The approach from his party is anti-trade in general. It is opposed to many of our free trade agreements, for example, the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, CETA, which has been positive for the...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Trade Agreements (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: No, we were not.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Trade Agreements (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: Certainly not.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Trade Agreements (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: We have always been consistent on the positive aspects of trade while also being clear on any issue of concern. I have been clear about my concerns regarding the beef aspect of the Mercosur deal. It is appropriate we deal in logic and apply appropriate process to how we consider everything as a Government. That is why there is an impact assessment, which the Deputy is asking me about...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Brexit Supports (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: We have been working closely with all agri-food companies, and exporters in particular, to ensure they prepare for 1 January because, regardless of what happens in the next number of days, there will be significant changes from that date when Britain becomes a third country. For every company that exports to Britain, that will mean additional customs checks and, for the agri-food sector more...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Brexit Supports (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: On supporting companies to prepare for the additional requirements in terms of customs and SPS, significant financial support has been put in place by the Government. In particular, there is a €9,000 grant for all businesses to avail of to ensure they have a member of staff in their company who will have knowledge, understanding and responsibility to prepare for customs checking. ...