Results 13,181-13,200 of 23,976 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Fund Regulations 2020: Motion (24 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I note the opposition of Deputy Cairns to the increase in funding for the greyhound sector. She did not express opposition to the funding increase for the horse racing sector and confined her opposition to the greyhound sector. She asked why we are providing extra funding and made the point that instead we should be reducing it and withdrawing it. The rationale for funding of the greyhound...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recall of Sanitiser Products: Discussion (24 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I welcome this opportunity to update the committee on the recall issued by the Department for Virapro sanitiser products. I will briefly recount the specific issue that arose with ViraPro. In the first instance, the European Anti-Fraud Office, OLAF, notified the Revenue Commissioners regarding the import of a hand sanitiser product from Turkey to Ireland, from the same supplier of a product...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recall of Sanitiser Products: Discussion (24 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the members for their questions and comments. First, on Deputy Carthy's questions around the dates, the preliminary results were received on 6 October rather than 8 October, but the other dates are the same. I would emphasise that the test results concerned confiscated consignments which had been confiscated at the outset and remained so throughout. The Department issued a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recall of Sanitiser Products: Discussion (24 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: First, in response to Deputy Browne on the testing, we are testing on a weekly basis a product that is on the market to verify the product will be there and also to ensure that there is confidence that it does what is stated on the label and what it is registered to do. As I say, there have been 75 of those done in the past couple of months. There has been no issue arising from a public...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recall of Sanitiser Products: Discussion (24 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: Several tests were carried out on many samples of the product. The methanol level was generally between 4% and 10% but some levels were much higher. I will come back to the Deputy with detail on that. That product was all confiscated. Following this, the Department and the HSE have engaged with the company on product that had previously been received. Deputy Fitzmaurice also mentioned...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recall of Sanitiser Products: Discussion (24 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The Deputy referred to temporary pesticide control service, PCS, numbers. The PCS numbers that were issued were not temporary. All Departments have been impacted by the need to work from home in recent times, but the process by which licences and PCS numbers are issued must still be followed. Regarding increasing throughput, as I outlined earlier the significant majority of the 457 PCS...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Properties (19 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department owns, operates and maintains six designated State-owned Fishery Harbour Centres (FHCs), located at Castletownbere, Dingle, Dunmore East, Howth, Killybegs and Ros An Mhíl under statute.  My Department became responsible for the Fishery Harbour Centres in October 2007.  Please note that Dingle was designated as a Fishery Harbour Centre in May 2007. The FHCs contain...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Fisheries Policy (19 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is a set of rules for managing European fishing fleets and for conserving fish stocks.   Under this policy, EU fishing fleets are given equal access to EU waters and fishing grounds subject to allocated fish quotas.  In relation to the access so-called "super trawlers" have to Irish waters, I would point out that all foreign fishing...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Environmental Policy (19 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The Programme for Government includes a commitment to publish a National Soils Strategy which is subject to ongoing discussion between Departments. My Department is showing its commitment to soils by introducing a soil sampling programme in 2021, having announced €10m in the budget towards the programme  The proposed National Soil Sampling and Analysis Programme will work...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Environmental Policy (19 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department considers it critical that we increase our understanding and scientific knowledge of carbon movement in soils i.e. both carbon loss and opportunity for carbon storage. In conjunction with Teagasc, we are increasing our capacity to monitor soil carbon with a view to supporting farmers implement best practices in removing...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Environmental Policy (19 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department participated on a Natural Water Retention Measures (NMRM) working group made up of all the relevant public bodies to look at natural water retention measures and their benefits for water quality, climate, biodiversity and flooding. It is looking at the types of measures that are suitable for Ireland and will make a series of recommendations for how they might be implemented....

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Environmental Policy (19 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department’s afforestation scheme provides support to farmers and other landowners to establish new native woodland which can deliver a range of environmental benefits including the protection and enhancement of water quality and aquatic ecosystems. Up to €6,220 is available under this scheme to cover the cost of establishment; in addition, the Department will pay premiums of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Environmental Policy (19 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department recognises that within the EU Green Deal, the Farm to Fork and EU Biodiversity strategies there is a very strong focus on soils, in particular healthy soils that display high levels of biological activity in order to ensure healthy and secure food production. In addition, my Department is showing its commitment to soils by introducing a soil sampling...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Environmental Policy (19 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: Teagasc and research partners UCD, University of Limerick and Sligo IT completed  a Research Stimulus  project “SQUARE” in 2018 funded by my Department. In the SQUARE project, a baseline survey of soil health status was taken for a range of grassland and arable soils across Ireland (total: 108 field sites). This research identified key soil indicators related to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Environmental Policy (19 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I am aware that there has been an increased interest in regenerative farming in recent years and the movement is growing internationally. In 2018, the National Organic Training Skillnet organized the first Biological Farming conference in Ireland.  Ireland’s second annual Biological Farming Conference ‘BioFarm’ was held in November 2019. In recent weeks,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Scheme Eligibility (19 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The hardship grant is one of a number of supplementary compensation schemes aimed at contributing towards the consequential losses suffered by farmers as a result of a TB breakdown. These supplementary schemes are unique to Ireland and are not available in other jurisdictions with a TB eradication programme where compensation for reactor animals is the only relief available to herdowners. The...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Basic Payment Scheme (19 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: In relation to the Basic Payment Scheme, my Department pays out some €1.2bn annually to farmers based on the entitlements that they hold in respect of eligible land they declare in their scheme applications.  In general, there are two key principles in relation to the eligibility of land.  Firstly, the land in question must be available to the applicant for a period...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: EU Directives (19 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: Directive (EU) No. 2019/633 on unfair trading practices in business-to-business relationships in the agricultural and food supply chain (UTP Directive) must be transposed into Irish law by 1 May 2021. This can be done by way of a Statutory Instrument, but any measures that extend beyond the minimum harmonisation requirements of the UTP Directive will require primary...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Felling Licences (19 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department received an incomplete Tree Felling Licence application from the person named in February this year.  Tree felling licences carry a mandatory replanting requirement irrespective of whether they were originally grant-aided or not.  The applicant has the option to replant the felled land, or to provide an alternative site, which must receive approval for planting before...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Contracts (19 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I wish to advise the Deputy that, in respect of the twelve State Bodies under the aegis of my Department, the information sought is an operational matter for the State Bodies themselves. I have referred the Deputy’s question to the Agencies and have requested that a response should issue within 10 days.