I thank the Senator for his detailed supplementary reply. I will look at that parliamentary response he received from the Minister, Deputy McConalogue. If there is a discrepancy between the numbers, it is important to note that the figures I have today do not include staff members on different types of leave. However, there is a sizeable gap between those two numbers, so I will check that and revert to the Senator on it. Earlier this year the Minister launched a new bovine TB eradication strategy for 2021 to 2030. …

I thank the Senator for raising the important issue of the viability of the sheep sector and its importance to our overall agricultural and rural economies, and our food production and exports. I am pleased to see that the strong performance of the sheep sector in 2020 has continued into 2021 in terms of overall prices. It is good to see the market providing returns which goes some way to rewarding farmers for their hard work, commitment and dedication to producing a world-class product, as the Senator has outlined…

The Senator is right. The role of the Government is to support sheep farmers in the very important work they do. With every reference year there are hard cases and challenges. It is definitely to the benefit of farmers that we move the reference year from 2014-15 to 2017 because it will bring in more ewes. The terms of reference for the wool feasibility study involve the identification of market opportunities domestically and internationally for wool-based products, carrying out economic feasibility and cost-benefi…

That is effectively it. The legislation is close, funding provision has been made and that process will conclude in the near future.

Let me start by welcoming budget 2022 in an overall sense. I believe it is a fair and balanced approach for all of our citizens. From an agricultural perspective, and in this time of transition, farmers can have confidence that this budget protects farm family incomes and supports actions to improve safety and sustainability on farms. Farm safety is an issue of great importance for me, my Department and the Government. Following my appointment as the first ever Minister of State with responsibility for farm safety,…

I thank Deputy Bacik for raising this important issue. It is important to state from the outset that mussel seed is an essential raw material for the bottom growing mussel aquaculture industry. Mussel farmers fish for wild mussel seed for transplantation onto their licensed aquaculture sites for ongoing and later harvesting over a two-year growth cycle. The fished seed is grown to maturity on the sea floor, as distinct from what happens with rope grown mussels. The dredge-and-relay aspect is a unique feature of the…

I agree. We should always look at our processes and make sure they are robust and are protecting our environment and the sustainability of our future stocks, as is the case. In some ways, I would argue that perhaps the survey the Deputy points to in the North that advised that there not be harvesting in those areas actually show that the system of surveying is working. This is done on an all-island basis and, therefore, certain areas under that survey were found, as the Deputy outlined, not to have been selected, i…

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. I wish to put on the record of the House the ambition Irish farmers have. First, I would like to say how proud we are of the fact we produce some of the most sustainably produced food in the world. We feed multiple millions more around the world than we do in our own population. We know we too have a role to play in making our food production even more sustainable into the future. I am very proud of the fact the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is …

I would like to start by thanking the Senator for raising this most important matter. I wish to pass on the apologies of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, who is out of the country at present and unfortunately unable to attend this debate. As the Senator has outlined, the legacy of the Troubles continues to impact upon many families and communities across the island and beyond as they continue to seek truth and justice for their loved ones. It has been the consistent position of the Government that each of those fa…

I note the Senator's comments, which I very much welcome. The irony is that the British proposals have managed to create more unity on this island than Britain might have expected. This has been very positive. All of us, across all sides, have a shared hurt irrespective of our political viewpoints and different backgrounds. Through the Stormont House Agreement, we also have a shared approach as to how to deal with that hurt in an inclusive way. There is an onus on all of us to see real progress for victims and surv…

I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Defence who, unfortunately, cannot be present. The Minister, who is currently out of the country, has asked me to pass on his apologies to the House. On his behalf, I welcome the opportunity to respond to Senators Chambers and O'Loughlin on what is an important matter. The Minister and I have listened with concern to the women who recounted their experiences on the "Women of Honour" programme broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1 on 11 September 2021. Like many others, I was deeply …

I assure the Senators the Minister, the Government and the Defence Forces are committed to providing a safe place of work for all employees. It is important the Minister meets the programme's participants to listen to their views. I very much welcome that and take on board the points raised by the Senators in that regard. I reiterate that, irrespective of when such matters of a criminal nature may have occurred, the Minister has been clear in his advice that such serious allegations should be reported to An Garda S…

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to introduce the Sea-Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021 to the House. By way of background I should advise that EU Council Regulation No. 1224/2009, known as the control regulation, establishes a community control system for ensuring compliance with rules of the Common Fisheries Policy, CFP, and establishing a level playing field across the EU on fisheries control. The control regulation requires, inter alia , that member states implement a…

I thank Deputies Carthy and Cahill for raising this issue. As has been rightly outlined, 2019 was a very difficult year for beef farmers. There was a need for support to help them cope with market difficulties, which were largely driven by Brexit. That is why we fought hard to get money from Europe to establish the beef exceptional aid measure, BEAM, which ended up with €77 million being paid to 33,000 farmers in 2019, €50 million of which came from the EU with the balance having come from the national Exchequer. I…

I thank the Deputies for their supplementary points. The fact of the matter is that almost €72 million of the €77 million has gone to beef farmers. Some 19,000 farmers met the scheme's requirements and have exited the scheme because of that. Deputy Cahill is right in saying the scheme was not over-subscribed. It was under-subscribed. A number of beef farmers who were in financial difficulties, as were all beef farmers at that time, checked the scheme's conditions and decided not to participate in it because of the …

I thank the Deputy for raising what is a very important issue for many people involved in the sheep trade. Wool production is an important component of the agri-industry. There are approximately 46,332 sheep flock-keepers registered on the database of my Department and departmental officials oversee and inspect 50 approved and registered wool stores where wool is held while awaiting sale. Wool is a sustainable, organic and renewable natural material which can be used in a wide range of products such as textiles, fe…

I am very interested to learn more about that co-operative approach. I assure the Deputy that although we sometimes get caught up in discussing brand new and shiny initiatives that have never been done before, as far as I am concerned, as Minister of State with responsibility for new market development, it is not about reinventing the wheel; it is actually about looking at indigenous elements of trade that had great value for farmers in the past but that have lost that value in more recent times. I am happy to disc…

The Deputy is dead right that insulation is an area in which wool is used. It is also used in fabrics, carpeting, bedding and gardening. It makes an excellent compost. Another possibility for the use of wool is in the production of wood pellets, which is an excellent organic fertiliser. The current market uncertainties should act as an impetus for the industry players to come together, as the Deputy described happening in Galway, to see what opportunities there are to promote the excellent product to the market in …

I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has no involvement in the regulation of peat extraction. As the Deputy outlined, this issue crosses several Departments. My Department does not have an involvement in the regulation of peat extraction. This is a planning process under the remit of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and an integrated pollution control, IPC, licence process under the remit of the Department of Communicati…

I would like to take the opportunity to reassure the Deputy that the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, and I are united in our determination to support the horticulture sector. As such, our Department provides support to the horticulture industry through the scheme of investment aid for the development of the horticulture sector. Financial support is available to assist growers and businesses through grant aid for capital investments in specialised plant and equipment including r…