Parliamentary questions

Food Industry

Bernard Durkan

100. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent, if any, to which he has noticed an increased level of dairy produce into this country notwithstanding the fact that we still continue to export more than is produced here; if any reason is given as to why there should be a diminution of dairy produce displayed in supermarkets here; if consideration is being given to where this might end; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18339/24]

Animal Slaughtering

Thomas Gould

101. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of horse deaths recorded in Cork in 2023. [18410/24]

Tillage Sector

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

102. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps his Department is taking to assist tillage farmers in Carlow who are facing unprecedented weather conditions. [18299/24]

Agriculture Supports

Cathal Crowe

103. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if, in light of extreme weather patterns in recent years and in particular the flooding of lands and high water table, he will consider providing a grant scheme to farmers to develop land drains on their boundaries. [18374/24]

Nitrates Usage

Paul Murphy

104. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has any ‘plan B’ if the nitrates derogation is abolished; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18336/24]

Further and Higher Education

Peadar Tóibín

105. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department collates statistics on the number of persons who obtain a green certificate qualification; and, if so, if he will provide a year-by-year breakdown of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17666/24]

Beef Sector

Rose Conway-Walsh

106. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will review the recent changes to the beef indexes that have impacted farmers in the suckler carbon efficiency programme; how these changes were implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18424/24]

Forestry Sector

Violet-Anne Wynne

107. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the implementation of national forestry policies and programmes is consistent with the growth of the commercial forest estate or if the commercial timber supply risks being eroded over time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18270/24]

Forestry Sector

Claire Kerrane

108. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will commit to commencing an immediate review of the forestry programme, given that more than six months have now passed since the programme’s inception and the persistently low levels of uptake by farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18244/24]

Environmental Policy

Brendan Smith

109. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the current position regarding the inclusion of hedgerows in the assessment of carbon sequestration for the national inventory; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18426/24]

Agriculture Industry

Peter Fitzpatrick

263. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in view of his ‘Backing Rural Ireland’ nationwide tour and meeting with farmers throughout the country, if he has taken on board farmers’ issues in relation to the over-regulation of the sector, specifically in relation to the three-crop rule, ash dieback, retaining the derogation, the duplications on farm inspections, late ACRES payments and the nature restoration law; the proposals he has put forward to the European Commission in relation to the need to reduce the regulatory burden on farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18666/24]

Animal Welfare

Réada Cronin

264. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the State will instigate/increase funding for animal refuges and rescues that are facing spiralling admissions due to a serious increase in the surrender of pets because of the housing crisis and emigration, the abandonment of companion animals due to the cost of living, the extreme and ongoing neglect of horses and the huge costs to those same refuges in facilities, vet services, pet food and hay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18613/24]

Departmental Correspondence

Michael Ring

265. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a reply has not issued to a query submitted to his Department (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18669/24]

Beef Sector

Bernard Durkan

266. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of the beef herd at present; the extent to which numbers have fluctuated in the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18717/24]

Tillage Sector

Bernard Durkan

267. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the degree to which cereal growing continues to be attractive in Ireland; if its viability is coming under pressure from other jurisdictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18718/24]

Agriculture Industry

Bernard Durkan

268. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he and his Department continue to monitor production costs in the poultry sector, with particular reference to the need to ensure a stable cost base; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18719/24]

Agriculture Industry

Bernard Durkan

269. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which his Department continues to monitor and safeguard the interest of the agrifood sector given the sharp increase in price of inputs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18720/24]

Agriculture Industry

Bernard Durkan

270. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which efforts continue to maximise the reduction of carbon emissions in the agrifood sector without reducing production; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18721/24]

Agriculture Industry

Bernard Durkan

271. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the efforts ongoing by his Department to address issues relating to farmer mental health and well-being; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18722/24]

Agriculture Supports

Bernard Durkan

272. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will outline the beneficial effect to the small- and medium-sized farming community of recent supportive measures; the impact on individual farmers under 50 acres and between 50 and 100 acres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18723/24]