Results 12,921-12,940 of 23,963 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 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.

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

Charlie McConalogue: My Department continues to prioritise equine traceability and equine welfare. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/262, which came into effect on 1 January 2016, lays down the rules governing the identification of equidae. This legislation was transposed into national legislation in Ireland via the European Union (Identification of Equidae) Regulations (S.I. No 62...

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

Charlie McConalogue: The Control of Horses Act 1996 addresses situations when horses are kept in unsuitable conditions resulting in horses wandering onto public roads or public lands, posing serious risks to the public, especially motorists and young children. The Act provides for the designation, by local authority byelaws, of control areas in which horses cannot be kept without a...

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

Charlie McConalogue: In order to provide farmers with high quality, disease-free seed my Department implements the national seed certification scheme. This scheme is based on EU legislation and covers the main crop species, including fodder crops, cereals, potatoes, beet, oilseeds, pulses and vegetables. While the EU seed regulations cover certain weed and disease species, there are no specific...

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

Charlie McConalogue: During the recent Level 5 restrictions, the marts performed very well, with sales throughput close to 90% of that in the same period in 2019. In recognition of the extra investment that marts are making in IT infrastructure to facilitate online sales, my Department plans to launch a grant scheme in early 2021 to support the use of technology.  

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

Charlie McConalogue: The details of the Farm Safety and Disabilities Adaptation Equipment Accelerated Capital Allowance Scheme (ACA) is yet to be finalized and a launch date will be announced in due course. Notwithstanding this, once the scheme is up and running, relief will be available for expenditure incurred from 1 January 2021. The scheme will provide for accelerated capital allowances at 50%...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The suite of seven TAMS II measures launched under the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 have been very popular with over 34,000 approvals issued to date.  Payments under TAMS have now reached €256m with a further €135m committed in approvals. Payments are currently issuing at an average rate of €1.4m per week. I was very pleased to secure funding for...

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

Charlie McConalogue: The question asked by the Deputy concerns operational matters that are the responsibility of the Marine Institute (MI).  I have forwarded the Deputy's question to MI for direct response.

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

Charlie McConalogue: Biocidal products may only be marketed and used in Ireland once they are registered with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and are entered on the “Product Register” in accordance with Regulation 20 of Statutory Instrument 427 of 2013. On 3 August 2020, applications for two biocidal products bearing the trade names referred to were received by my...

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: Common Fisheries Policy (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The recent report on the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) from BirdWatch Ireland puts forward its assessment of the implementation of the CFP and recommendations for future development. However, a number of the findings do not provide a true reflection of situation on the ground and the extensive work that has been carried out to improve our seas.  For example, for 2020, 62 out of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: In order to be eligible for the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) Scheme, farmers must apply for the scheme by completing the relevant section of the Basic Payment Scheme application form. With effect from the 2018 scheme year, all applications for both the Basic Payment Scheme and the Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme were required to be completed using the Department’s online...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Data and Genomics Programme (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The Beef Data and Genomics Programme provides for six year payments to farmers for completion of actions which deliver accelerated genetic improvement in the Irish national herd and improvement of its environmental sustainability. There are currently some 23,921 participants in BDGP I & II and it provides for annual payments to participating farmers for completion of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Data and Genomics Programme (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The Beef Data and Genomics Programme provides for six year payments to farmers for completion of actions which deliver accelerated genetic improvement in the Irish national herd and improvement of its environmental sustainability. There are currently some 23,921 participants in BDGP and it provides for annual payments to participating farmers for completion of defined actions as set...