Results 13,321-13,340 of 23,964 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (10 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: As per the Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme (Ash Dieback) document, which is available on my Department’s website, a tree felling licence is not required for this Scheme (Section 3.4.1(d)). This exemption is under Section 19 (1)(c) of the Forestry Act, 2014 – exempted trees – and is given to “control or prevent the spread of fires or a pest or...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (10 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 applies to all “protected animals”, that is animals in the possession of man, including dogs. The Act in its totality applies to dogs in the same manner as it applies to other domestic animals. I would draw the Deputy’s particular attention to sections 11 (1)(a) (duty to protect animal welfare), section 12(1)(b) (prohibition on...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Livestock Issues (10 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 815 and 824 together. On 19thOctober, the Taoiseach announced that the whole country would move to Level 5 of the Framework for Living with COVID-19 for a period of 6 weeks, starting midnight on Wednesday, the 21st. This decision was made on foot of strong evidence presented to the Government of a potentially grave situation arising in the weeks ahead. For...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Climate Change Policy (10 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The Irish carbon reporting system (CARBWARE) was initially implemented in 2004 to meet reporting requirements to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on all national forest sources and sinks. Following the completion of the first National Forest inventory in 2006, methods needed to be developed to integrate forest statistics and all available research information...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Staff (10 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: There are two main lead roles on environment policy within my Department's Forestry Inspectorate. The first is Head of the ecology unit which is filled at Forestry Inspector Grade 1 level. The Head of this unit is a qualified ecologist. This is a new role to reflect the significant investment in ecologists by my Department this year to improve our output on forestry licensing. Separately,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (10 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The Public Service Management Act, 1997 requires that Secretaries General prepare and submit a Statement of Strategy for Government Departments to their Minister within 6 months of his or her appointment as a Minister. Arising from the recent appointment of a new Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Department is in the process of preparing a new Statement of Strategy to serve...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (10 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 819 and 820 together. The previous Minister met with representatives of the fisheries sector on a number of occasions earlier this year to discuss the impacts of the Covid 19 Pandemic on market access and prices for seafood. At their request, a Covid-19 Temporary Fleet Tie-up Scheme was introduced for fishing vessels in the Polyvalent, Beam Trawl and Specific...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Industry (10 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: Article 14 of Regulation 1379/2013 on the Common Organisation of the Market for Fishery and Aquaculture Products (CMO) specifies EU regulatory requirements for recognition of fisheries and aquaculture producer organisations. The Department as competent authority for the CMO in Ireland has a process in place which allows for groups of fisheries or aquauclture producers to apply for...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Commonage Land Use (10 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The person named was approved into GLAS 2 and has received payments for scheme years 2016 – 2019 and the 2020 Advance payment. Following the outcome of an internal review, the person named is due payments in respect of the commonage action. The Department is currently working on this issue and once all pre-payment checks are completed, the processing of these payments will be completed.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Basic Payment Scheme (10 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The person named submitted an application under the 2020 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) on 8 April 2020. As part of the standard checks undertaken on such applications, an overclaim has been identified on a commonage parcel declared by the person named. My Department has been in correspondence with the person's agent in relation to this matter, and is also undertaking a review of the eligibility...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Flood Relief Schemes (10 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: A study to determine the feasibility of any future once-off targeted scheme for Voluntary Farm Building Relocation is being undertaken. My Department has evaluated a range of at risk farmyards, impacted by flooding, to see if any alternative remedial works can be undertaken to protect farm buildings at risk of flooding and is currently considering this evaluation.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farms Data (10 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The annual Teagasc National Farm Survey (NFS) examines many aspects of farming, including viability. A farm is defined as viable if family labour is remunerated at greater than or equal to the minimum wage and there is sufficient income to provide an additional five per cent return on non-land based assets employed on the farm. Over the past decade or more the results indicate that...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Industry (10 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The Beef TaskForce, at its last meeting on 22 October 2020, supported a proposal from Bord Bia for a programme of Suckler Beef promotion and the development of a brand proposition for Irish Suckler Beef, with a budget of up to €6 million over the next three years, subject to annual review of progress. This annual review, which will be overseen by a monitoring group with majority...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Partnerships (10 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: Coillte CGA was established as a private commercial company under the Forestry Act, 1988 and day-to-day operational matters are the responsibility of the company. The Coillte Farm Partnership Scheme, and any contracts between Coilte and forest-owners under the scheme, are a matter entirely for Coillte. My Department has passed the questions raised for direct response to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Flood Prevention Measures (10 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: All applications for schemes such as the Basic Payment Scheme are subject to the standard range of verification checks as required under the relevant EU legislation. As part of this process, my Department issues letters to applicants where issues such as potential overclaims arise. In such cases, the information available to my Department is outlined to the applicant. Such letters are not...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Dairy Sector (10 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The Calf Investment Scheme was open for applications from 7 January 2020 to 28 January 2020. The scheme offered a range of on-farm investment items for calf rearing and welfare facilities. Over 2,500 farmers applied to the scheme and a budget of €4million was allocated to ensure all eligible applications would be fully funded. Grant aid of up to €3,000 per holding was made...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Industry (10 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: Rásaíocht Con Éireann (RCÉ) is a commercial state body, established under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958 chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. RCÉ is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The future of the industry is dependent on a strong governance...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Staff (10 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department uses workforce planning processes to identify and address critical resource needs required to deliver its business goals. Workforce planning is a key tool in enabling my Department to forecast its current and future staffing gaps (subject to the limits of the annual estimates process, the usual budgetary constraints and approvals by the Department of Public Expenditure and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Hare Coursing (5 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: Hare coursing is regulated under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958 chiefly by the Irish Coursing Club (ICC), subject to the general control and direction of Rásaíocht Con Éireann. Hare coursing is managed and regulated by the ICC. Hares can only be collected for coursing by clubs affiliated to the ICC, in accordance with the terms of two licences granted by the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Issues (5 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I welcome the agreement reached in July on the Multiannual Financial Framework, which included a €5 billion Brexit Adjustment Reserve for Member States and sectors most affected by Brexit. This is a new Reserve, and the particulars of how it will be distributed will be agreed after the Commission has presented its proposals for the Reserve later this month. It is important to...