Parliamentary questions

Public Sector Pensions

Brendan Smith

231. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will review the pension of a person (details supplied) to ensure they are receiving the correct grade/scale and rate of pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24466/24]

Animal Culls

Michael Ring

232. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when action will be taken in an area (details supplied) to address the overpopulation of a species; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24493/24]

Agriculture Schemes

Claire Kerrane

233. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when approvals will issue for those in ACRES co-operation who applied for non-productive investments in 2023; when payments under this will issue to participants; if he will give flexibility to pay farmers allocated CAP funding beyond the CAP programme; if payments for non-productive investments can be made for five years from when his Department first issued non-productive investments approvals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24521/24]

Agriculture Schemes

Claire Kerrane

234. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will ensure that repayments are arranged on a case-by-case basis and not taken out from the balancing payment given his Department was unable to pay ACRES participants as planned, and interim payments were issued which may in part need to be re-couped; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24522/24]

Agriculture Schemes

Claire Kerrane

235. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the date on which balancing payments will issue for ACRES participants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24523/24]

Agriculture Schemes

Joe McHugh

148. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of outstanding TAM applications are due for payment; and to provide an indicative date for when these payments will be made. [24151/24]

Public Sector Pensions

Seán Sherlock

149. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a person (details supplied) will receive an increase to their pension. [24247/24]

Agriculture Schemes

Michael Healy-Rae

150. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a person (details supplied) will receive a payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24328/24]

Public Sector Staff

Michael Fitzmaurice

151. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the current number of vacant TAO and SAO positions; the breakdown of same across the divisions per county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24369/24]

Public Sector Staff

Michael Fitzmaurice

152. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of TAO and SAO that have currently applied to retire in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24370/24]

Public Sector Staff

Michael Fitzmaurice

153. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of current TAO and SAO employed in each division per county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24371/24]

Agriculture Schemes

Michael Ring

154. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when an ECO payment will be made to a person in County Mayo (details supplied) and ask that the Minister; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24427/24]

Departmental Staff

Frankie Feighan

358. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the current number of public servants working at Government offices in Drumshanbo, County Leitrim (currently the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine); the full capacity of personnel at the offices; and the plans, if any, he has to place more public servants at this modern Government office ideally located in the heart of the north west region. [23764/24]

Common Agricultural Policy

Thomas Pringle

359. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the financial supports that are available under the Common Agricultural Policy for owners of commonage or other agricultural schemes that might be available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23669/24]

Fishing Industry

Michael Healy-Rae

360. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address a number of issues in respect of the fisheries sector (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23678/24]

Departmental Schemes

Carol Nolan

361. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will accept that the recently announced changes to the Ash dieback compensation and support package, having employed a one-size-fits-all approach, has now resulted in introducing a level of inequity and unfairness into the proposals particularly given the huge disparity in clearance costs and economic losses between very young plantations and old plantations (details supplied); if he will clarify the reason that this flawed methodology was adopted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23773/24]

Beef Sector

Claire Kerrane

362. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to advise who compiles the beef indices put in place to determine star ratings for cows; how this is determined; what engagement is involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23821/24]

Renewable Energy Generation

David Stanton

363. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 305 of 7 March 2024, if he will provide the information sought, namely the number of TAMS 2 solar PV installations that were processed by his Department on forms that were not his Department’s official S198 forms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23849/24]

Harbours and Piers

Brendan Griffin

364. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a winch will be repaired at the pier in Ballinskelligs, County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23905/24]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

365. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will, as a matter of urgency, ensure that the European Commission establishes, by means of an implementing decision, the occurrence of an "exceptional event" in relation to the global COVID-19 pandemic, and that the operational programme for the 2021-2027 EMFAF is designed to enable the prompt and efficient drawdown of these very urgent and crucial funds needed to stabilise struggling aquaculture businesses in Ireland. [23921/24]

Land Issues

Michael Healy-Rae

366. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine about a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23938/24]

Departmental Schemes

Denis Naughten

367. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) was not included in the Shannon Callows scheme even though they are within the Shannon SPA; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23944/24]

Agriculture Schemes

Cathal Crowe

368. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a 2023 organics payment will issue to a farmer (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24014/24]

Horse Racing Industry

Paul Murphy

369. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when Horse Racing Ireland is due back in the Houses of the Oireachtas to discuss the overspend at the Curragh Racecourse. [24095/24]

Animal Welfare

Paul Murphy

370. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department is aware of the conditions of the dogs being held in a location (details supplied); if there are inspections held to ensure the welfare of the dogs regularly or if his Department relies entirely on the organisation; if all the organisation’s pounds are compliant with public procurement procedure; and who has oversight of the local authority pounds. [24097/24]

Forestry Sector

Alan Dillon

371. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the engagement with Coillte with a view to increasing the pension payments for retired workers, considering that their pensions have not been increased for many years and some have had no increase since they retired; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24119/24]

Forestry Sector

Brendan Smith

241. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if assistance will be given to farmers who do not have a forest plantation or are not availing of any forestry schemes to have ash dieback trees removed where such trees pose a danger to public safety due to their locations along public roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23332/24]

Forestry Sector

Robert Troy

242. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department will urgently examine an expansion to the ash dieback scheme whereby all farmers and landowners would be eligible to receive support in removing dangerous roadside trees and replacing them with fresh plantings at alternative hedgerows away from the roadside. [23360/24]

Inshore Fisheries

David Stanton

243. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way his Department is supporting inshore fishermen in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23380/24]

Departmental Advertising

Carol Nolan

244. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total costs incurred by his Department from 2019 to date relating to the placing of advertisements in online/digital media platforms; the names of the online platforms involved, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23439/24]

Agriculture Schemes

Michael Ring

245. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding applications by a person (details supplied) considering that all evidence regarding proof of entitlement to claim a parcel of land has been submitted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23483/24]

Live Exports

Neasa Hourigan

132. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to ban the live export of livestock for slaughter to non-EU countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23032/24]

Animal Welfare

Cathal Crowe

133. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he can clarify whether all animal organisations are treated equally in terms of information being sought from them (details supplied). [23034/24]

Grant Payments

Michael Healy-Rae

134. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide an update with regard to a lime spreading grant (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23120/24]

Agriculture Schemes

Denis Naughten

135. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) was not included in the Shannon Callows scheme even though they are within the Shannon SPA; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23215/24]

Coillte Teoranta

Brendan Griffin

136. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if she has engaged with Coillte on the issue of gravel cycling events on their lands; the reason Coillte is not allowing gravel cycling events take place on their lands; if she is aware that this decision is affecting ten events across Ireland and approximately 10,000 cyclists who cannot take part in the sport because of it; if she recognises that gravel cycling and gravel events are actively promoted in Northern Ireland and all across the UK; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23230/24]

Agriculture Industry

Carol Nolan

472. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide a breakdown, per county of the number of people employed by the timber sector; if, in the face of persistent challenges, he is concerned about the long-term prospects of the critical local employment provided by the sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22741/24]

State Bodies

Catherine Murphy

473. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the CEO of Horse Sport Ireland is accountable to his Department. [22375/24]

Greyhound Industry

Neasa Hourigan

474. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a breakdown by year of birth for the 2,568 non-coursing greyhounds exported in 2021; the 5,312 non-coursing greyhounds exported in 2022; and the 4,864 non-coursing greyhounds exported in 2023. [22395/24]

Greyhound Industry

Neasa Hourigan

475. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the cause of death for the 1,951 non-coursing greyhounds born in 2021 and those reported deceased on Rásaíocht Con Éireann’s traceability system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22396/24]

Greyhound Industry

Neasa Hourigan

476. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will outline the reasons for the significant difference in the numbers of dogs recorded on Rásaíocht Con Éireann’s RMS and RCETS in respect of non-coursing greyhounds whose year of birth was 2021 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22397/24]

Forestry Sector

Michael Healy-Rae

477. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a scheme or grant can be offered to assist a person (details supplied) to replant forestry that was burnt in the past; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22526/24]

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Jackie Cahill

478. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine with nitrates banding and the reduction from 250kg to 220kg p/h, to ensure that farmers are provided monthly figures on their organic nitrogen position; and if he will make a decision on the matter. [22550/24]

Fisheries Protection

Michael Healy-Rae

479. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a compromise will be made for cray fishing (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22554/24]

Dairy Sector

Johnny Mythen

480. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the Department will resume and reinstate the quarterly publications of the milk testing results carried out by the processors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22623/24]

Domestic Pets

Mattie McGrath

481. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the level of engagement his Department has had with efforts to relocate pets; if his Department has assisted international protection applicants in a similar manner; to provide a full breakdown of the costs involved, broken down on a monthly basis; the contract provider or cost of Departmental staff resources engaged to deliver this service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22633/24]

Domestic Pets

Mattie McGrath

482. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount spent by his Department on measures to control potential risks associated with bringing pets or animals belonging to beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine to Ireland since the opening of the conflict in 2022 to date, broken down on a monthly basis, including a breakdown of the costs and the number and type of pets involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22634/24]

Research Funding

Marc Ó Cathasaigh

483. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 29 of 9 March 2023, whether research into precision fermentation specifically forms part of any of the successful applications funded under his Department's thematic research call 2023; if research into the area and its potential to disrupt and undermine traditional modes of food production is happening elsewhere within his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22640/24]

Greyhound Industry

Paul Murphy

484. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the breakdown of the 1 January to 31 December 2023 attendance figures for Clonmel, Dundalk, Enniscorthy, Kilkenny, Lifford and Thurles dog tracks into the categories of type of entry (details supplied). [22650/24]

Agriculture Schemes

Michael Collins

485. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if it is the case that when his Department makes an offer to a farmer for TB reactor cattle and the farmer accepts this offer, his Department can refuse to accept the farmers acceptance of the offer made as in the case of a person (details supplied). [22700/24]