Parliamentary questions

2168. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason applications for re-establishment on already planted land suffer the same lengthy delays as new afforestation applications; and the steps that will be taken to introduce an expedited decision making track for diseased stands. [41356/25]

2169. Deputy Natasha Newsome Drennan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of people prosecuted for failing to register equines in each of the years 2023 to 2024 and to date in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41391/25]

2170. Deputy Natasha Newsome Drennan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of people prosecuted for horse neglect under the Control of Horses Act, 1996, and under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, in each of the years 2023 to 2024, and to date in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41392/25]

2171. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if all external legal fees incurred by his Department, and by any bodies under its aegis, are charged at negotiated discounted rates; how fees are monitored for compliance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41496/25]

2172. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department conducts regular benchmarking, or market testing, to ensure that the rates paid for legal services, solicitors and barristers, represent value for money for the taxpayer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41514/25]

2173. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to detail the procurement processes used when engaging external legal firms and barristers, including whether panels are used; how often these are refreshed; the criteria used for selection and performance review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41532/25]

2174. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has conducted any audits or reviews in the past five years on legal fee spend; if so, to publish the findings or summaries of those reviews; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41550/25]

2175. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the internal oversight that exists within his Department to monitor the scope, duration, and cost escalation of legal services once engaged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41568/25]

2176. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department makes use of capped fee arrangements, fixed-fee briefs, success-based fee models or other such arrangements in its legal engagements; if not, the reason such options are not considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41586/25]

2177. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether any legal engagements have exceeded their initial estimated or approved cost in the past three years; if so, the number of such cases and total overrun; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41604/25]

2178. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will support a €60 million annual investment for a new tillage scheme, aiming to boost crop production which would include a €400 per ha payment for new land converted to tillage and €250 per ha annually for subsequent years, with a €250 per ha payment for existing tillage land; and if he will make a statement o…

2179. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address concerns about potential cuts to the CAP budget; if he will support calls for the EU Commission to be transparent about the process and engage with farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41679/25]

2180. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will seek clarity on the EU Commission's proposed changes to the derogation and its potential impact on Irish farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41680/25]

2181. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will support calls for targeted measures to address rising farm costs, including support for PRSI, trade and energy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41681/25]

2182. Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the potential for pollack quota (TAC) in ICES area 6a south for 2026; how this will benefit those that fish this stock by hook and line in areas such as Arranmore Island; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41699/25]

2183. Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the actual number of and extent of surveys that the Marine Institute carried out on sprat stocks for the period 2015 to date in 2025; the scale and extent of each of these surveys, indicating the bays surveyed, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41717/25]

2184. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of pet passports issued for dogs and cats being taken out of the country in each of the past five years, in tabular form; if these dogs and cats have returned to Ireland or have remained outside the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41746/25]

2185. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of people applying for pet passports for their dogs and cats in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41747/25]

2186. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the perceived failure to exclude large trawlers from coastal waters (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41814/25]

2187. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of hectares of forestry approved for planting by individual farmers, commercial companies and pension/investment funds; the county-level locations of those plantings; and the percentage share of each category in the overall area planted, for each year from 2014 to 2024, in tabular form. [41838/25]

2188. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of applications for forestry planting licences received and approved from, farmers and commercial entities that is, companies, funds and pension schemes, in tabular form. [41839/25]

2189. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the comparative breakdown of financial returns per hectare from forestry for individual farmers and commercial entities that is, companies, investment funds and pension schemes, by total grant payments, annual premium receipts and the revenues from timber sales, both before and after tax, based on a standard 30-year …

2190. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the stamp duty rates applied to commercial purchasers of forestry land including timber value and farmers acquiring the same land, in tabular form. [41841/25]

2191. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the breakdown or map showing all lands acquired by the Irish Strategic Forestry Fund to date, with hectare totals and purchase prices, in tabular form. [41842/25]

2192. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the details of the Coillte-Gresham House Irish Strategic Forestry Fund arrangement; the total value of State-backed funding committed; the number of hectares of land acquired; and the locations of those land parcels, in tabular form. [41843/25]