There are a number of issues that have to be worked through in cases where people have not been paid yet. As we discussed with Deputy Crowe earlier there are probate issues, for example, which every year hold up a number of payments. The team is working through it with the objective of getting it up to 95% and, as I said previously, 82% had received their full payment at the end of last year. Everyone in this scheme has received either 85% of what they are due or either €4,000 or €5,000. As a result of the interim …

With regard to querying scores, the facility is in place for engaging with the local CP teams and having it assessed. On the wider point in respect of payments, we have worked hard to make sure farmers could get payments. Obviously, the objective was to ensure everybody got their 85% advance but in the absence of that we made the interim payment. I accept the point Deputy Wynne is making about cases where the interim payment would end up being higher. For example, if one is on the CP stream, the interim payment was…

As the Deputy pointed out, I held a public consultation on the review of trawling activity inside the six-nautical-mile zone and the baselines. The consultation took place over eight weeks and closed on 12 April. The purpose of this consultation was to invite stakeholders and interested parties to advise me of their views on any changes to policy within the scope of the review. A large volume of submissions - more than 5,000 of them - were received. These submissions will be used to inform my review of trawling act…

I am addressing this urgently. As we know, the outcome of the High Court proceedings only came in the second half of last year. I then commenced the process of formulating the new public consultation process as promptly as I could and it opened in April 2024. I want to see this progressed as quickly as possible. We have to be very conscious that we do things in a sure-footed way that prevents there being any chink which could potentially be legally challenged in terms of any decision that comes out of that. The dec…

I would not want the impression to be given that I have not stepped this out in a prompt fashion. I have done so and am very committed to it. It was not possible for me to take any action until I got the final ruling from the High Court, which was delivered in the second half of last year. It had been in the court system from 2018 until then. I now want to continue as promptly as I can to get to a conclusion but, given the history of the issue, the Deputy will understand that I want to make sure the outcome stands …

No, I certainly do not agree. If the Deputy had spent a bit more time analysing and assessing this and informing himself of this issue, he would not be making those assertions across the floor of the Dáil. No matter the issue he is addressing, it is always Deputy Murphy's approach to paint life as a competition between oligarchs and the wider population. He is trying to do the same here in respect of agriculture, tying it into his approach to the nitrates derogation. A trip beyond the M50, walking around a few farm…

Again, Deputy Murphy is bending over backwards to present this in his favoured manner of oligarchs against the rest of the world. As I said to him, we have approximately 17,000 dairy farmers. Among those 17,000, the average number of cows is about 90. Of those 17,000 dairy farmers, about 40% farm in derogation. The average income across those 17,000 was €49,000.

I expect it would be the same or very close to it. The average number of cows is 90. It is really important for those farmers, particularly those whose viability and capacity to continue into the future depend on that derogation, that we maintain it. As I have said, we are very confident that we can do that, looking to improve our water quality while supporting those farmers. Any removal of the derogation would not only impact the viability of many of our family farms, it would also significantly impact all of our …

The dairy sector in this country is based on the co-op structure. Given the socialist utopia Deputy Murphy is looking for, I would have thought he would be a bit more supportive of the sector given that it is farmers co-operating for the benefit of farmers. If he was to spend a bit more time meeting a few farmers or listening, looking and interrogating the statistics rather than trying to shoulder everything into his narrative of the wider world, he would realise that the nitrates derogation is really important in …

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I thank the Business Committee for putting this legislation on the schedule today. I am delighted to introduce the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024, which seeks to amend the Agriculture Appeals Act 2001. Its primary purpose is to establish an independent agricultural appeals review panel in law. As Deputies will be aware, the current programme for Government includes a commitment "to establish an independent agricultural appeals review panel in legislation…

I thank the Deputies for their contributions and, indeed, for the broad-based support for this legislation. I also thank the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine. In particular, I thank the Chairman, Deputy Cahill, who has put a lot of work, time and effort into this, as have all of the committee members. I appreciate the fact that the committee members took the time to meet with stakeholders, give this their serious thought and consideration, and come back to with a considered report. Tha…

I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine pursuant to Standing Orders 95 and 181.

I thank Deputy Cahill and the committee for their work on this and for commissioning the report on the environmental impact of local industrial emissions in Castlecomer, County Kilkenny, which was completed last year. I acknowledge the presence of Dan Brennan and his colleagues, farm representatives Francie Gorman and Denis Drennan, who are the presidents of the IFA and ICMSA, and other representatives and supporters. The report deals with the issues Mr. Brennan and his advisers have raised with regard to the envir…

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, the committee Chairman, Deputy Cahill, and all of the members of the committee for their report and the work they did on this. I acknowledge again the presence of Dan Brennan and his family members, as well as farm organisation representatives and supporters in the House today. As I said in my earlier contribution, there has been significant investigation and assessment of this case over the years by many State agencies. I referenced the interagency group which was set …

I welcome this debate. It is very important that the Oireachtas takes the time to discuss the migration issue generally but also the international protection system. It is also important that we give significant and appropriate time to discussion of the migration pact. I recognise the Minister, Deputy McEntee, for her work in this regard but also for making sure it has received significant debate at the Oireachtas committee level, which is important, in today’s debate and, if necessary, in further debate in the Dái…

I am fully committed to the promotion and retention of the family farm model in Ireland. It is something unique and valuable. It is the heartbeat of our rural economy and the promotion of the family farm has been at the centre of all my major initiatives as Minister, including almost €10 billion of investment on Irish farms under the CAP strategic plan. Implementation of this plan is now central to all of my Department's work and I believe that farmers need policy certainty now and the space to get on with their ac…

I welcome the fact that the Deputy put forward a Bill and that she is focusing on the family farm model. However, we have developed a collaborative system over the past 20 years, starting with former Minister for Agriculture, Deputy Brendan Smith, and Food Harvest 2020, followed by the ten-year strategy under Food Wise 2025. The most recent ten-year strategy Food Vision 2030 brings everyone in the sector together to agree the way forward and ensure that the family farm is central to that sustainable food system. Th…

I agree with the Deputy on the importance of protecting and supporting family farm income. There have been more part-time farmers over the past ten, 20 or 30 years. Whether farmers are part-time or full-time, my objective has been that through the schemes and income generation opportunities we deliver in government, we make it worth their while. Food Vision 2030 is a very strong programme, vision and strategy to develop the sector and ensure that the family farm model stays at the centre of our agricultural industr…

I thank Deputy Stanton for raising this issue. As Members know, I opened the very popular solar capital investment scheme, which is a measure under TAMS 3, for applications in February of last year. This scheme provides grant aid of 60% with a ring-fenced ceiling particular to this solar TAMS, of €90,000. Solar PV systems grant-aided under TAMS 3 include solar PV panels and solar PV rechargeable batteries as well. All installations most comply with specification S198 which outlines the minimum specification for the…

This is something Deputy Stanton and I discussed before. The position is that electricians completing the prescribed form must provide details confirming that they are registered Safe Electric Ireland electricians.