Results 13,721-13,740 of 23,978 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy (30 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I can assure the Deputy that I am working with my officials and Ministerial colleagues to ensure that we have a sufficient national and EU budget for the transitional period.   The national funding is a matter for discussion as part of the annual budgetary process which is currently underway.  EU funding is somewhat more complex - the exact budgetary details will have...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (30 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: It is difficult to provide the Deputy with a definitive response at this stage on the specific Rural Development Programme schemes that will be continued in the transitional period. I can say that, in cases where contracts are already in place under relevant Schemes to continue beyond 2020, these will continue as outlined under the RDP.  The...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy (30 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: Decisions on the level of funding to be applied to the CAP post 2020, including the RDP co-financing rates, are part of the wider Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) discussions.  European Council agreement on the MFF was reached by Heads of State and Government in July and this agreement is now subject to further discussions with the European Parliament. The...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Grant Payments (30 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: Examination of supports for all relevant sectors in the context of the next CAP is currently underway in my Department.  In the current RDP, the core support for the beef sector is the €300 Million Beef Data and Genomics Programme.  It is envisaged that the gains in the genetic merit of the national herd made for the sector in through the programme will be built on in the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Scheme Applications (30 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: There are a wide variety of items available under the suite of seven measures under TAMS II. However, funding for cattle underpasses are not included. The financial allocation in respect of TAMS for the full Rural Development Programme period is €395m. To date, total expenditure, including transitional expenditure, has reached €243m with committments of an additional...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Preparations (30 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department's Brexit preparedness work has resulted in various supports being introduced over successive budgets to help the agri-food and fisheries sectors mitigate the impact of Brexit. These include supports in the form of direct aid, as well as the provision of low-cost loans such as the €300 million Future Growth Loan Scheme. In addition,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (30 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: Work on a new ambitious Forestry Programme is due to begin in the coming months. This will include a public consultation process and full stakeholder engagement across the sector. Restoration of the farmer premium and a grant for the harvesting plan can be considered within this consultation framework. The Ash Dieback scheme was subject to a review starting in April 2018. A...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Diseases (30 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: Questions relating to taxation are ultimately matters for my colleague the Minister for Finance. As part of the current ‘One Health’ national action plan to address antimicrobial resistance, disease prevention is a key tool to reducing the need for antimicrobials and in particular antibiotics. My understanding is that in order to seek a reduction in the VAT...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Industry (30 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The Programme for Government includes a commitment to: Ensure fairness, equity, and transparency in the food chain by establishing a new authority called the National Food Ombudsman (NFO) to enforce the Unfair Trading Practices Directive. This new authority will enforce EU-wide rules on prohibited unfair trading practices in the food supply chain and will have powers to enforce this...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Licences (30 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The Independent Review of Aquaculture Licensing was commissioned in 2016 and the Report of the Group and was submitted to my Department in May 2017. The Review Group carried out a detailed examination of the existing aquaculture licensing process, undertook comprehensive stakeholder consultation and looked at comparative national and international...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Safety (30 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: Farm safety remains a top priority for me, my Department and the Government and my colleague Minister of State Martin Heydon has been given direct responsibility for this area in my Department. The indicative allocation for the TAMS II scheme over the course of the Rural Development Programme is €395 million. To date, €243 million has been paid across all the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Diseases (30 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: African swine fever (ASF), a disease of pigs and wild boar continues to pose a threat to the Irish pig sector and my Department implements a range of risk mitigation measures to prevent an incursion of the disease in Ireland.  Ireland is free of the disease.  It should be noted that the disease does not pose a threat to humans and meat is safe to eat. Since 2018, in light of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Expenditure (30 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department purchases online and media publications in compliance with procurement guidelines and it avails of the Office of Government Procurement framework agreements.  Since the onset of the current crisis, the provision of publications is regularly reviewed, with the suspension of some print copies and the migration to increased digital access. All expenditure is monitored on an...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Contracts (30 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department availed of media monitoring services from Kantar Media and Truehawk Media during the period in question. The expenditure, excluding VAT, for this service was €9,253.51 in 2017,  €13,791.44 in 2018, €21,701.37 in 2019 and €11,200 to date in 2020.

European Union (Common Fisheries Policy) (Point System) Regulations 2020 (S.I. No. 318 of 2020): Motion [Private Members] (29 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I acknowledge Sinn Féin and its motion. I apologise to Deputy Mac Lochlainn and a few of his colleagues who spoke at the start of the debate for not being able to be present for their contributions. I heard it while I was in transit but I would like to have been here in person, although the Minister of State, Deputy Heydon, was. I thank everybody for the many contributions on the...

Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2020 [Seanad]: Second Stage (29 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I am pleased to be here today to support my colleague, the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, as she introduces this forestry Bill to the House. I echo her words of gratitude to the Opposition for working with us in recognition of the urgency of the legislation for the forestry sector and to work with us in ensuring the Bill could be accommodated in the Seanad last week and in the Dáil...

Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2020 [Seanad]: Second Stage (29 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Departmental Staff (29 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department uses workforce planning processes to identify the 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 needs (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 Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Staff (29 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department uses workforce planning processes to identify the 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 needs (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 Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (29 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department uses workforce planning processes to identify the 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 needs (subject to the limits of the annual estimates process, the usual budgetary constraints and approvals by the Department of Public Expenditure and...