From speaking to fishermen, I know the challenges and the difficulties with not having a quota for bluefin tuna. The Deputy knows from talking to fishermen the challenge of changing quota allocations every year. He will also know how, whether it is mackerel, herring, haddock or whiting, we hold on protectively to our total allowable catches and how we would like to get more. If the total allowable catch increases in a year, we look to ensure that we hold the percentage we have of that species. We would not give awa…

I will be doing all I can to fight for our fishermen and push at European level, as part of the Common Fisheries Policy review, to secure some of that bluefin tuna catch for us. As the Deputy well knows, the challenge in that regard should not be underestimated. I will certainly step up and do all I can to fight in that regard. The Deputy knows the background, which I have well explained, of traditional catch records which went to inform how various quotas were allocated and how protectively every member state, inc…

I know the absolute value of the body of trained young farmers who will revitalise our farming sector, as well as the absolute importance of our educational system in equipping them to farm in the most efficient, effective and sustainable way into the future and to underpin our agricultural sector. Crucial to that are our educational providers. Teagasc plays a strong and crucial role in that regard. I am committed to ensuring agricultural college students are treated fairly and the same as all other students. My De…

I thank Deputy Carthy. I assure him that the funding did come from the Government and, ultimately, from the taxpayer. Teagasc plays a very valuable role, which I strongly support and certainly, as Minister, it is one I prioritise. I ensured that it received an additional €4 million in the budget this year in order to support it. As the Deputy knows, that €4 million came as part of an 11% increase I secured for the farming sector in the budget over and above last year in order to try to ensure we underpin farm incom…

I thank Deputy Carthy. I can reassure him, and he will be glad to hear, there was no hand washing on agricultural or Teagasc students. I certainly stepped up to the plate and worked with Teagasc to ensure that they would be supported. I also ensured that Teagasc would continue to be supported in the important work it carries out in the recent budget. The fact this funding was in place has been very welcome. I should point out it is alongside some funding for laptop provision for students at agricultural colleges, w…

I thank Deputy Ó Cuív for the question and I am pleased to update him and the House on the state of play with the transitional arrangements. Discussions on the legislative proposals are now nearing completion after an extended and intensive period of engagement at EU level. The legislation is expected to be approved shortly, by mid-December, and published shortly afterwards, subject to agreement on the EU budget. In this regard, the proposals incorporate EU recovery instrument funding, of which €190 million is earm…

I thank Deputy Ó Cuív. The basic payment scheme is 100% funded by the Commission and it will continue as a basic payment directly from it. The multi-annual financial framework will run for seven years alongside the seven-year CAP. There will be a two-year transition period, although I am not sure whether the second year has been formally signed off at European level. The full expectation is that it will be a two-year transition period. While the full CAP will not get going until January 2023, in every likelihood th…

To go back to the point I did not have time to finish earlier, the €79 million in additional funding for next year is in regard to additional environmental measures. It will be spent in a variety of ways. A fair proportion of that will be open to all farmers - those currently in GLAS and those not - and there is also going to be a pilot environmental scheme for those who are not currently in GLAS, for whom this is being rolled over. That is something I will be consulting on shortly with farming organisations, perha…

Let me acknowledge there are delays in the issuing of forestry licences and there are currently real challenges and difficulties in the sector as a result. I fully recognise the impact this is having on the sector. My immediate priority is to resolve the issues which have led to this backlog and issue licences in the volume needed for this important sector to continue to contribute to our rural economy. My Department is working with a great degree of urgency to accelerate the pace at which licences are being issued…

Some 4,700 files are in hand, 2,000 of which require an ecology input and assessment. Those require much more work and are where the delays have primarily occurred. The others, which do not require an ecological input, tend to be processed more quickly. As I said, so far this year, 2,300 licences have been issued. The fact the number of licences being issued has not been what is required by the sector has caused many problems and difficulties, and a real crunch now. We are doing all we can in the Department to addr…

I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2020, copies of which were laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on the 13th November, 2020. An important part of Government policy is to ensure that the horse and greyhound racing industries achieve their maximum potential and, in so doing, contribute to a balanced economic and social development across a wide geographic swathe of the country. The horse and greyhound racing industries make a signific…

I thank everyone who contributed to the debate from different perspectives. I want to touch on the points made by Deputy Cairns on the comments she had to put up with, which were simply unacceptable. The Rásaíocht Con Éireann member who made those comments has apologised and withdrawn those comments. They were sexist and offensive. Deputy Cairns should not have had to experience them. I certainly will be writing to the chair of the board to express my repugnance at those comments, to remind all board members of the…

I thank all the Deputies who contributed to the debate. There is a range of factors that justify continued Government support for the greyhound sector. The programme for Government contains a strong commitment to ensuring that there is a continued improvement in animal welfare within the industry. Future funding of the sector is contingent, on an annual basis, on welfare standards being upheld and compliance with those standards being strictly monitored. Like many other industries, the greyhound sector is particula…

I am glad to be here today to discuss this issue. An important pillar of Government policy is to ensure the horse and greyhound racing industries have achieved their maximum potential and, in doing so, contribute to economic and social development across a wide geographic swathe of the country. Those industries make a valuable contribution to our economy. It is estimated the thoroughbred industry has an annual economic impact of €1.9 billion, with direct and indirect employment of 9,000 people, and the greyhound se…

I thank everybody who contributed to the debate in the House this afternoon. It was important to have the debate and to provide oversight of the spending of the horse and greyhound fund. Between yesterday and next Tuesday I will have appeared on four occasions in one week in the Houses of the Oireachtas to discuss the horse and greyhound fund. Senator Ruane mentioned earlier that it would not be debated in the Dáil but it will be next Tuesday. It was discussed at length before the agriculture committee yesterday an…

My congratulations to the Leas-Chathaoirleach's county. Despite the tremendous disappointment we felt in Donegal, there was also great joy to see Cavan progress-----

We can certainly agree on that. I thank the Leas-Chathoirleach and wish Cavan the best of luck in the semi-final. I thank Senator Boyhan for raising this matter which he has also raised with me privately and at the recent meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture and the Marine. EU Regulation 2019/6 on veterinary medicinal products comes into effect in January 2022, and as part of the transposition project, my Department has committed to undertaking a regulatory impact assessment, RIA. This process e…

I thank Senator Boyhan. I am very much aware of the issues and of the concerns among wholesalers and merchants with regard to the potential impact this regulation may have on their businesses. I am also aware of concerns among the farming community as to whether any change could lead to an increase in costs or additional challenges for farmers. I see the role of the stakeholders' group as important. While we have to comply with our obligations under EU regulations, I want to ensure that we meet those obligations in…

I welcome the opportunity to provide an update on the calf investment scheme for farmers. I thank the Senator for raising this matter, which he has raised on many occasions before on the agriculture committee and which he has a strong commitment to developing. This on-farm investment scheme supporting investments in calf-related items opened to farmers last January. The scheme was one of a series of measures put in place in advance of the spring calving season last year with a view to ensuring the best possible cal…

I do not have the figure to hand but there is sufficient funding in place to cater for the number of applications that were approved. There is no funding in next year's budget for a new calf welfare scheme. In the budget, I secured an 11% increase in funding for the Department compared to the funding for the outgoing year. That is significant and is targeted at ensuring we can continue all the schemes in place at the high level they are at. There is no specific follow-on funding in place for this. I take the Deputy…