Results 81-100 of 22,590 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Harbours and Piers (25 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I always tell the truth. Deputy Doherty is not telling the truth about the response I gave young Muireann Kavanagh. I wrote her a handwritten letter -----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Harbours and Piers (25 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: No, before that. Again, the Deputy is not telling the truth here. He might like to portray it otherwise, but he is not telling the truth. I wrote her a handwritten note explaining the situation. Unfortunately, on that issue, as on many other issues on fisheries, Deputy Doherty and his party are an empty vessel.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Harbours and Piers (25 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Deputy Doherty has come forward with nothing of substance. All he tries to do is exploit the situation and make it sound like he has something to offer when he has nothing to offer. I have seen no proposal from the Deputy on the hook and line fishery for pollock. He has done nothing other than try to exploit the situation. That is the reality we see from him on many issues. I explained...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Harbours and Piers (25 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The Deputy is an empty vessel. He is a bluffer.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Harbours and Piers (25 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The Deputy has nothing to offer but hot air. He is an empty vessel.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Harbours and Piers (25 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: As the Deputy knows, last year I designated three new ports in County Donegal - Bunagee, Glengad and Malin Head - as well as Dunmore East in County Waterford for landings from UK-registered Northern Ireland vessels. I also extended the opening hours in Greencastle. That brings the total number of ports designated for UK-registered Northern Ireland vessels to 11, seven of which are located...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Industry (25 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I do not agree at all with the Deputy's portrayal of the situation. The Government massively supports the family farm structure and family farmers. Over the past generation, we have seen a growing number of part-time farms. Farms may not be able to compete with the employment opportunities in the wider economy now, but the fact those family farmers stay farming is a reflection of the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Industry (25 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: As the Deputy knows, we are the first Government ever to set up an agrifood regulator to ensure fair play for farmers in the marketplace. This is the first Government do to have done that. It was a commitment I made to farmers and we have delivered. I do not think the Deputy understands the farming sector very well. The key piece of legislation of Aontú-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Industry (25 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: -----is intended to set a price and allow for intervention. We export 90% of our food but the Deputy feels it is simply a matter of passing legislation to set what that price should be and all will be well with the world. That is the sort of fairytale he peddles. I grew up on a family farm, the income from which was our sole income. We milked our own cow every morning and grew our own...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Industry (25 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: It is not.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Staff (25 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I certainly will take an interest in that. It is something I am very committed to because I want to see our small abattoirs being supported. I know we have seen a significant change in the landscape over the past decade or two in relation to the number of abattoirs in the country. There has been significant consolidation, but I want to ensure the services that small abattoirs need are...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (25 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputy Kerrane. As she knows, I have committed to supporting the group known as the forgotten farmers. I have made a clear commitment to them that I will deliver support to reflect the impact their missing out on certain payments had on their farming enterprises. This is a group of farmers whose members were under 40 in 2015 when the situation first came to light. At that point,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (25 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: It is a legacy issue that goes back to 2015 and I am committed to addressing it. Obviously, a key focus in the past year has been getting the current CAP programme up and running, making sure the schemes are running smoothly and putting the systems and structures in place for that. That has been a big area of emphasis and priority within the Department. All these farmers, as well as all...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (25 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I have very clearly committed to delivering a solution and outcome for these farmers. A number of considerations are being fully explored, for example, state aid considerations, the capacity to deliver it, and how it could be delivered within state aid constraints. There is also the budgetary aspect of it as well as the building out of the IT system which would be needed to identify all the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Industry (25 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department monitors the information on farms and the wider agrifood sector. We do that in collaboration with Teagasc and the Central Statistics Office, and that is ongoing at all times. The number of farms in Ireland is recorded every ten years in the CSO census of agriculture, most recently in 2010 and 2020. In addition, the CSO undertakes farm structure surveys periodically between...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Staff (25 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Over the past five years, my Department's business needs have grown significantly. In 2018, its workforce totalled 3,336 staff. The Department has increased its staffing numbers considerably since then in order to ensure that we meet our commitment to deliver a quality service to all in the agricultural community and to all other citizens who depend on my Department for overseeing food...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Staff (25 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: No. At the end of last year, it was 4,007. The current number is up ten on that, although it is similar. Our payroll budget is just over €250 million per year. This finances our salary and allowance costs for the full year of 2024. While my Department has not issued an embargo on staffing, as is borne out by the numbers employed and the figures on which I have given the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Staff (25 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Local authorities play a role in providing services to some small abattoirs. Generally, there can be challenges with the availability of vets in various parts of the country, but my Department is committed to ensuring that this service is properly resourced and companies are facilitated as necessary and to working with local authorities, which have a role in respect of small abattoirs. ...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fodder Crisis (25 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: This Government has been very responsive and supported farmers in times of need and in the medium to long term, by means of significant investment. The CAP, which will run up to 2027, offers 50% higher funding. That is a record increase in Government funding. Over the past two or three years, where sectors have been under pressure, be it the pig sector, the horticulture sector or the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fodder Crisis (25 Apr 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: We are working to provide support. That is our track record. The Deputy is correct about pillar 1 payments at European level. The CAP budget at European level has been static from the previous CAP to this one. We are one of the 27 member states which is constantly pushing to maintain and increase it but of course 27 member states have to agree to the decision, so it has been static. That...