My Department does not have an estimate of the impact of Covid-19 on agricultural emissions in 2020. Responsibility for maintaining the national inventory for greenhouse gas emissions in Ireland rests with the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, operating under the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. The EPA reports on emissions from all sectors of our economy on an annual basis and the metrics used in calculating greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors are based in EU legislation. As t…

The Deputy's point is important and well made. It will be interesting to see the 2020 figures showing the impact of the pandemic across many aspects of the economy from an emissions point of view. I am not so sure that the impact on agriculture will be as significant when compared with other sectors of the economy because agricultural activity has not been affected as much as many other parts of the economy. It will, nonetheless, be interesting to see. The Deputy also made a point about working with farmers and the…

We will be closely assessing these matters. I take the Deputy's point that the agricultural sector deserves recognition in this House for the tremendous work it continues to carry out to ensure the security of supply chains. The sector continues to prove its resilience and farmers never fail to step up to the mark in that regard. Farmers have shown themselves willing to take a partnership approach and live up to their responsibilities as policy evolves and changes. It is important that we do the same, going forward…

I thank Deputy Naughten. At the most recent meeting of the beef task force which took place on 22 October, stakeholders agreed in principle to support an application by Bord Bia for protected geographical indication, PGI, status for Irish grass-fed beef. The beef task force also agreed in principle that a PGI monitoring group with a majority of farmer representation would be established to report on the progress of the task force on a regular basis. My Department has completed the remaining necessary steps in this …

Unfortunately, the application for European funding has not been successful. The Deputy knows well from previous debates in this House the absolute commitment I have to suckler beef and to ensuring it is promoted. Working with the beef task force on this agreement, I have committed to ensuring that €6 million of Government funding will go towards developing a suckler brand for the first time and supporting and backing it up. That is alongside the submission of the PGI for Irish grass-fed beef to the European Commis…

This is something we have discussed before and I am certainly willing to explore all avenues to add value to Irish beef and add income to the farmers who produce it. I am sure the Deputy will recognise this is the first time that we have seen funding specifically put towards the suckler brand and it is to the tune of €6 million. That is something I am committed to and I am glad the farming organisations also are committed to it. We have come together in partnership towards promoting it. I assure the Deputy that it …

I thank the Deputy. As she will be aware, in December 2018, following a public consultation process, the then Minister announced that vessels over 18 m would be excluded from trawling in inshore waters inside the 6 nautical miles zone and the baselines from 1 January 2020. A transition period of three years for vessels over 18 m targeting sprat was allowed to enable adjustment for these vessels as sprat fishing is concentrated inside the 6 nautical mile zone. As the Deputy pointed out, that was subject to an appeal…

I welcome the opportunity to update the House on a notice issued by my Department for the hand sanitiser product, ViraPro. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is the national competent authority for the approval and registration of biocide products, including sanitisers. Biocidal products, including hand sanitisers, may only be marketed and used in Ireland once they are registered with the Department and are entered on the biocidal product register in accordance with Regulation No. 20 of SI 427/2013.…

This is a difficult time, especially with there being so many unknowns and variables. It is not just about health and the economy or health versus the economy; it is also about society. We must be very sensitive to the needs of society, including people living on their own who are not able to see their grandchildren or meet other people, third level students who are going to college but staying at home, people who are working on the front line and as part of their downtime watch television programmes about life on …

I thank Members for their contributions and as the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, pointed out, this is something to which we gave significant consideration in the drafting of the Bill. As she noted, that is why the capacity is provided for in the Bill for the Minister, in due course, to place timelines on how long an appeal might take. That capacity is there. I can assure the House that the Minister of State and I did not engage with other parties or none two weeks ago to ask for co-operation to bring this urg…

What about 2020?

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

I am pleased to be here today to support my colleague, the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, as she introduces this forestry Bill to the House. I echo her words of gratitude to the Opposition for working with us in recognition of the urgency of the legislation for the forestry sector and to work with us in ensuring the Bill could be accommodated in the Seanad last week and in the Dáil this week. We do not take that co-operation lightly and are very appreciative of it. Before turning to the Bill itself, I would li…

I acknowledge Sinn Féin and its motion. I apologise to Deputy Mac Lochlainn and a few of his colleagues who spoke at the start of the debate for not being able to be present for their contributions. I heard it while I was in transit but I would like to have been here in person, although the Minister of State, Deputy Heydon, was. I thank everybody for the many contributions on the motion. Many Deputies took the time to take part in the debate and to give us the benefit of their views, and it has been a worthwhile de…

I congratulate Deputy Carthy on his appointment as the Sinn Féin spokesperson on agriculture, food and the marine and wish him well in that role. I look forward to working with the Deputy. It is good to be able to be here to take questions. In the context of the Deputy's question on the Department's role in meat plants during the Covid-19 period, the Government categorised farming and food production as essential services under the Covid-19 regulations. As the Deputy will be aware, Irish meat plants and other food …

I do not have that figure to hand. This matter was not alluded to in the Deputy's question. However, I take this opportunity to recognise the tremendous work that those departmental staff and everyone else working in meat factories have done during difficult period. As we have seen in terms of the numbers infected, they have continued to work at great risk to themselves. The Government, working with all agencies, takes its responsibility seriously. As Minister, I certainly take seriously the responsibility of ensur…

As Minister, I take my responsibility very seriously, as the Department does, with regard to working with the HSE and with other agencies in terms of ensuring that the best practices are in place at meat factories and that serial testing takes place as quickly as possible. One of the first actions I took following my appointment as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine was to seek an immediate meeting with Meat Industry Ireland to ensure that co-ordination between the HSE, the Department and the meat indust…

I am fully committed to supporting and developing Ireland’s beef sector, which plays an important role in sustaining the rural economy and rural communities across Ireland. I am well aware of the particular importance of suckler farming in this regard. The beef sector has many strengths and one way of capitalising on these is through the means available under the EU geographical indications schemes, which highlight to consumers the value adding characteristics of a given product carrying a geographical indication l…

The Deputy's point on the potential for an all-island scheme is one that I am very open to exploring. We had a very constructive engagement with the Northern Ireland agriculture minister, Mr. Edwin Poots, during the week. There is strong potential for looking at how we collaborate and an all-island brand. Our tremendous grass-fed product is well established as is the tremendous contribution made by suckler beef. Everyone's objective is to try to maximise the price we get for that quality product on international ma…

The voice of farmers is one that I take very seriously and is central to my considerations. The engagement with the beef task force is coming up and I will ensure that there are bilateral talks in advance of it between departmental officials and farm organisations. It is essential that there is a proper examination of the potential for this proposed PGI scheme. The research conducted on consumer markets and what appeals to consumers will be central to how we go about this in order that we leverage the best price po…