Results 221-240 of 1,072,835 for in 'Dáil debates' OR speaker:Paschal Donohoe in 'Committee meetings'

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Jul 2025)

Conor McGuinness: Multiple choice, Minister. Is it €2,000 or €3,000?

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Jul 2025)

Matt Carthy: They are going to college in September. The budget is not until October.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (3 Jul 2025)

Jennifer Whitmore: When will the Government get its act together and level with parents and students? It has been five days since the higher education Minister took to the airways and dropped the bombshell that parents and students will have to find another €1,000 to fund college before September. He did not try to sugar-coat that news; it was quite the opposite. He said, "All of us in any walk of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Common Agricultural Policy (3 Jul 2025)

Mattie McGrath: The Minister makes a comparison with my neighbouring county and the Leas-Cheann Comhairle's county, Kilkenny. We will be working other matters out on the field of play at the weekend. I hope it will be a good game, and may the best team win. On a serious note, I accept those figures, but inside them, and to get to those averages, there are massive, phenomenal payments for big...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Common Agricultural Policy (3 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: I wish the Deputy and the Leas-Cheann Comhairle the best of luck in the hurling at the weekend. As a proud Kildare man, we look forward to competing for the Liam MacCarthy with both teams next year, after our win in the Joe McDonagh Cup. The Deputy can stand up here and talk sentiment, mention the word "conglomerates" a number of times and so on, but the sentiment he displays is not...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Common Agricultural Policy (3 Jul 2025)

Question No. 85 taken with Written Answers.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Farm Household Incomes (3 Jul 2025)

Farm Household Incomes

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Farm Household Incomes (3 Jul 2025)

Conor McGuinness: 86. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the additional supports he will put in place to support family farms in light of the recent finding that only 42% of medium-sized and large farms are economically viable. [36153/25]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Farm Household Incomes (3 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: I thank Deputy McGuinness for raising this point. The statistic referred to by him is from the recently published Teagasc national farm survey, NFS, 2024 preliminary results. By way of context, in 2024, the NFS results were based on a sample of 818 farms with a standard output of €8,000 or more per annum, representing almost 88,000 farms nationally. Some 65% of farms in Ireland are...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Farm Household Incomes (3 Jul 2025)

Conor McGuinness: The Teagasc survey might show increases in income, but let us not get carried away. We all know that these increases are coming from rock bottom. A rise on next to nothing is still not enough to live on. We have to be clear and truthful with ourselves. The stark reality is that only 42% of farms are economically viable, even after the so-called rebound. Take dairy out of the mix and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Farm Household Incomes (3 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: I have to disagree with the Deputy, respectfully. I understand the point he makes about the impact on small-to-medium-sized farms. As regards ACRES payments, however, 99% of 2023 farmers have been paid fully, with 97% advance payments in respect of 2024 and 94% of the remainder having received their balancing payments for 2024 as well. It was not good enough when I came in. I put a lot of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Farm Household Incomes (3 Jul 2025)

Conor McGuinness: The message is out there that TAMS is running low. Let us be clear: the Government has failed to address the crisis in farm incomes and, by extension, rural Ireland family farming. We can talk about surveys and percentages, but families are struggling to make ends meet. There is a cost-of-living crisis gripping communities, urban and rural, all across this State. When we look at farm...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Farm Household Incomes (3 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: TAMS has been hugely positive, so when the Deputy suggests that the Government is failing, I disagree with that. TAMS has seen a massive ramp-up and uptake and drawdown of money, and I continue to support that. It is important that the message go out there that if a farmer is considering buying equipment beforehand, he or she is not guaranteed that it will be covered if ranking and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Solar Energy Guidelines (3 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: I accept those valid points and the importance of the planning guidelines committed to in the programme for Government. It is why we have that commitment in there. That is a matter for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to introduce. As regards dairy farmers and concerns about the availability of land, there is huge pressure on availability as it is, be that for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Solar Energy Guidelines (3 Jul 2025)

Liam Quaide: The Minister is restrained in what he can say. He is the Minister for agriculture, not energy and communications. I take his point about solar that the Department is providing for rooftops. That scheme is very much welcome. However, we are seeing the landscape transforming in front of our eyes. I took my kids for a walk in Leamlara in east Cork a couple of months back and as far as the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Solar Energy Guidelines (3 Jul 2025)

Conor McGuinness: I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for the opportunity to add my voice to this important debate. The issue of solar farms on prime agricultural land is a critical one in parts of County Waterford. We all see the advantage of solar power, including solar farms and solar on rooftops. Farmers in rural communities are in favour of this and see the advantages and benefits of it. However, we...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Solar Energy Guidelines (3 Jul 2025)

Mattie McGrath: This is a massive issue. I have discussed it with the Minister. For decades, we were waiting on planning guidelines for wind turbines, and here we are on the new craze of solar panels. We cannot blame farmers when they are being enticed to set aside land for long-term leases. The best of land in the Golden Vale, in Rathgormack in County Waterford, and in east Cork is being taken up. This...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Solar Energy Guidelines (3 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: For fear anyone mistakes me for the Minister for climate or planning, I am the Minister for agriculture. I accept the points that have been raised in that context but I wish to put on the record I was very supportive of planning guidelines for solar in the programme for Government talks. It is the right thing to do; we need a bit of structure on that. I understand the concerns raised by...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Common Agricultural Policy (3 Jul 2025)

Common Agricultural Policy

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Common Agricultural Policy (3 Jul 2025)

Barry Heneghan: 84. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a breakdown of funding uptake and participation levels by scheme under Ireland's Common Agricultural Policy strategic plan to date; how these supports are being geographically distributed and monitored for environmental impact; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36636/25]