Parliamentary questions

Horse Sport Ireland

Denis Naughten

504. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he is taking to implement a review by a company (details supplied) of Horse Sport Ireland; his views on the recommendation in the report of the additional resource requirements of Horse Sport Ireland to support the expansion of the sector in view of a series of recent reports on the need for diversification in agriculture; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37500/19]

Meat Processing Plants

Denis Naughten

1429. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of instances in which mechanical grading was suspended in meat plants in cases in which a machine is found to be working outside of tolerance and manual grading is instigated to date in 2019; when the report on the replacement of the outdated grading machines will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36273/19]

Meat Processing Plant Inspections

Denis Naughten

2055. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of unannounced on-the-spot inspections carried out in the 23 plants with mechanical grading machines in each of the years 2016 to 2018 and to date in 2019, respectively; the number of instances to date in 2019 when meat plants were instructed to revert to manual classification when a machine was found to be working outside of tolerance by inspectors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32121/19]

Animal Slaughtering Standards

Denis Naughten

2056. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 848 of 15 January 2019, if he has applied a fine on a particular carcase for non-compliance with the carcase trim specification in January 2019; the plant involved; the payment made to the farmer supplier to reflect loss; the number of other instances of non-compliance with the carcase trim specification to date in 2019; if a fine has been applied in each case, the plant involved in each instance; the payment made to the farmer supplier to reflect the loss in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32122/19]

Beef Industry

Denis Naughten

2068. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 439 of 16 April 2019, if the corresponding figures for the year to date in 2019 will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32465/19]

Farm Inspections

Denis Naughten

701. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps taken to date to fulfil commitments under the programme for a partnership Government on farm inspections and penalties; the measures ongoing or planned; if evidence outlining the impact of such changes will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30841/19]

Departmental Data

Denis Naughten

702. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the different income streams directly paid by persons to his Department or agencies under his remit, such as motor tax; the number of persons making annual payments; the value of same; the number of payments made through staged or increment payments; the value of same; the additional income generated as a result of payments being made on an incremental basis; if incremental payments are not available, the reason for same; the corresponding figures for 1999 and 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30846/19]

Trade Agreements

Denis Naughten

566. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 46 of 3 July 2019, the steps he has taken to provide data to support the climate threats posed by the Mercosur deal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29974/19]

Climate Change Policy

Denis Naughten

567. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has ceased the purchase and use of single-use plastics; the public bodies and agencies under his remit to which he has issued an instruction to cease the purchase and use of single-use plastics; when the instruction issued; the bodies which have confirmed that they no longer purchase and use single-use plastics, respectively; the bodies which have not provided such confirmation to date; when they will confirm; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29977/19]

Beef Industry

Denis Naughten

383. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 747 of 11 June 2019, when the report on beef grading will be published; if a comparison between the beef grading machines and the new machines was completed as part of the process of evaluation; if both sides of the carcase were analysed as part of the trial; the tolerance and accuracy levels expected of the new technology; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29016/19]

Beef Industry

Denis Naughten

747. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the beef grading technology trial has included a new carcase grading equation; the reason this was included; the basis for this equation; the research to support this equation; when it was published; when the grading report will be published; if both sides of the carcase were analysed as part of the trial; the tolerance levels expected and accuracy levels of the new technology; if the new grading machines will be introduced in isolation to the new grading equation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24271/19]

Coillte Teoranta

Denis Naughten

135. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the disposal of Coillte telecommunications infrastructure in 2015 to a company (details supplied) was approved; the discussions held with the then Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in advance of the approval; if he or the former Minister raised concerns with him and Coillte on the potential implications of disposal of this asset on the future ownership model for the national broadband plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21256/19]

Coillte Teoranta

Denis Naughten

145. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the disposal of Coillte telecommunications infrastructure in 2015 to a company (details supplied) was approved; the discussions held with the then Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and the then Minister in advance of the approval; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21257/19]

Coillte Teoranta

Denis Naughten

146. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the disposal of Coillte telecommunications infrastructure in 2015 to a company (details supplied) was approved; the discussions held with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in advance of the approval; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21258/19]

Beef Industry

Denis Naughten

431. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason beef grading machines only grade one side of the carcase if it is technically possible for mechanical grading machines to grade both sides of a carcase; if the current machines on trial can grade both sides of a carcase; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the fat score on a carcase can vary dramatically on both sides of a carcase resulting in a dramatically different payment to the farmer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17356/19]

Departmental Schemes

Denis Naughten

438. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a voluntary farm building relocation scheme further to flooding incidents has been established by his Department; if so, the number of applications received from each county under plans for farmyard relocation on foot of the severe flooding of winter 2015 and 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17551/19]

Beef Industry

Denis Naughten

439. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to his correspondence of 9 April 2019 regarding the reply to Parliamentary Question No. 952 of 26 March 2019, the number of beef grading machines that would fail on inspection if the accuracy standard was set at the average accuracy of machines, which is over 90%, rather than the minimum set out in legislation, at 60% accuracy; if he will reduce the tolerance currently allowed on beef grading machines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17553/19]

Beef Industry

Denis Naughten

440. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 957, 959 and 962 of 26 March 2019, when his Department took the decision to no longer hold digitised images in view of previous commitments by his officials to the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine; the reason his Department no longer has access to these images; if he will review this decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17554/19]

Animal Slaughtering

Denis Naughten

449. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 951, 953, 958 and 961 of 26 March 2019, the number of occasions on which inspectors from his Department identified torn flanks on carcases; when a flank is torn, if the carcase is graded manually in view of the impact this would have on the mechanical grading of conformation of the carcase; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17838/19]

Animal Slaughtering Standards

Denis Naughten

450. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 957, 959 and 962 of 26 March 2019, when his Department took the decision to no longer review or facilitate the appeal of a grade in view of previous commitments by his officials to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine; the reason his Department no longer facilitates such reviews of grades; if he will review this decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17839/19]