Results 12,921-12,940 of 23,976 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Safety (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department has and continues to undertake a wide range of programmes to highlight the importance of farm safety.  My Ministerial colleague, Minister of State, Martin Heydon, has been assigned specific responsibility for farm safety in his portfolio. In respect of North-South co-operation, my Department is actively involved in the North South Farm Safety Group. The Group...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Bioeconomy Sector (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The Bio-economy 'High-level Implementation Group', jointly chaired by my Department and the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment has facilitated a number of key activities in 2020 to increase awareness and take-up of opportunities in the bioeconomy sector including in relation to the EU Bioeconomy Strategy. These included; In October 2020, my Department, along...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Teagasc Activities (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department, and Teagasc, through a range of ##research activities and funding, work closely on the shared aims and objectives for the Irish agri-food, forest and bio-based sectors. At its centre,  the provision of core funding to Teagasc enables the innovative climate and agri-environmental research base of Teagasc deliver its main research programme in this...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Issues (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: Securing an overall future relationship agreement, including the best possible outcome on fisheries, is a priority for Ireland.  We are seeking to protect the interests of the Irish fleet in relation to access conditions, quota shares and the traditional activity of the EU fleet, while insisting that fisheries issues are dealt with as part of an overall trade deal.  I and my...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Promotion (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: Gaining third country market access and opening trading opportunities around the world for Irish exports have long been integral to my Department’s strategic approach to the development of the agri-food sector. This is particularly important as we deal with the challenges presented by Brexit.   Trade...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Climate Change Policy (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The issue of climate change is one of the foremost challenges facing us all globally. Given the nature of the Irish economy, the importance of agriculture, coupled with the lack of heavy industry in comparison with some other EU Member States, agriculture is responsible for approximately 34% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Clearly, primary agriculture will need to step up and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Climate Change Policy (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The funding of research and development activities by this Department is central to provide the evidence base and solutions that will help address the climate challenges faced in the agricultural sector. A core focus of this effort is to encourage uptake and use of innovations by farmers in order to promote an agricultural system that reduces and prevents negative impacts on the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Basic Payment Scheme (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: During 2019 my Department processed applications to transfer over 164,000 entitlements by way of lease. This represents 3.7% of the total number of allocated entitlements. The value of those entitlements totalled approx €31.5m and the number of farmers transferring out entitlements by way of lease was 11,607. With regard to 2020, my Department processed applications to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: As the Deputy will be aware, in December 2018, following a public consultation process in which over 900 submissions were received, the then Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine announced that vessels over 18m will be excluded from trawling in inshore waters inside the six nautical mile zone and the baselines from 1 January 2020.  A transition period of three years for vessels over...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Covid-19 Pandemic (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: Marts operated succesfully under Level 5 restrictions from Tuesday 22nd October to Monday 30th November. From a position where few marts had online systems in place in April, there has been a rapid take up of the new systems by marts over recent months. Currently the vast majority of marts have online systems in place and are operating through online platforms. Thousands of cattle and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Diseases (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 provides that compensation to owners of animals may be payable if a cull of those animals is directed by my Department in the event of an outbreak in that herd or flock of certain diseases, including Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. The compensation may relate to the animal that is culled, or to an animal product, animal feed or similar item that is...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: Ireland, as part of the implementation EU Regulation 2018/814, is required like all EU Member states to submit a National Forestry Accounting Plan which assesses the carbon emissions and removals resulting from older forests. This also sets a forest reference level for the period 2021-2025. These older forests for the purposes of greenhouse gas accounting under the regulation are...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Issues (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: Since my appointment as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, I have engaged and consulted extensively with farm organisations, industry stakeholders and representative bodies on Brexit. This has particularly been the case through our national Brexit Stakeholder Consultative Committee, which contains representatives from all of the main farmers' organisations, and is...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Safety (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department has and continues to undertake a range of initiatives in relation to the provision of farm safety training.  To this end, the Government assigned my ministerial colleague, Martin Heydon, TD. the specific responsibility for Farm Safety within my Department. As part of the package of new farm safety measures in Budget 2021, €1m in funding has...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Climate Change Policy (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department published an Agriculture, Forest and Seafood Sectoral Adaptation Plan in 2019.  As envisaged in the National Adaptation Framework sectoral adaptation plans will be revised at a minimum every five years.  As the deputy will be aware, work has commenced on the successor to the 2019 Climate Action Plan, which my Department is actively engaged with.  The revised...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Issues (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I can confirm that I met both the Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday 1st December and that I avail of every opportunity to update them on the impact that Brexit will have on the agri-food sector. The Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland ensures that many of the changes arising from Brexit will not arise on the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Covid-19 Pandemic (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department opened its Covid-19 helpline on 1st April 2020 in order to assist farmers and others with Covid related queries that apply to agriculture and related issues. Since then, the helpline has received a total of 975 calls. The number of staff assigned to this service is kept under review and varies based on demand at any given time. ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Trade Relations (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I am aware of the correspondence that the Deputy refers to, and I would say firstly that trade policy is a matter for the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment in the first instance. Nonetheless, I am aware that the current trade tensions between the US and the European Union are a matter of concern, given the importance of EU-US bilateral trade to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Legal Costs (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I understand that information is sought in respect of employees or former employees of my Department only. I can confirm that for 2008, legal costs totalling €424,579 were paid out in respect of three cases involving employees of my Department.  It is not appropriate for me, as Minister, to comment on individual cases involving employees or former...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Staff (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: As this relates to issues surrounding a former employee of this Department, it is not appropriate for me, as Minister, to comment on this situation.