Parliamentary questions

153. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether his Department will arrange an inspection or review of any proposed felling operations at Curragh Wood, Midleton, County Cork, before works commence, in view of local concerns about biodiversity, water quality, public amenity and the recreational value of the woodland; and if he will make a statement on the mat…

154. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether alternatives to clear-felling, including selective thinning, continuous-cover forestry, phased felling, retention of mixed/native woodland and enhanced riparian buffers, were assessed in respect of any felling licence at Curragh Wood, Midleton, County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46235/…

155. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 326 of 10 April 2025, the progress made in reviewing forestry setbacks and corridors in relation to the safeguarding of the electrical network and updating forestry related requirements; when the new regulations will be published and implemented; and if he will make a statement o…

156. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware of widespread concerns in some rural communities that replanting of forestry is continuing close to critical infrastructure such as electricity lines which will inevitably cause further problems for the electricity network in the future as evidenced by the widespread damage caused to transmission lines…

157. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 471 of 28 May 2026, if he will provide a further breakdown of the €30 to €40 cost per night of rehoming a greyhound, by staff, facilities and other costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46383/26]

158. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when it is proposed to amend legislation and regulations in relation to forestry, taking into account the widespread concerns of communities regarding power outages which have occurred as a direct result of trees falling on power lines and telecommunication lines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46386…

159. Deputy Gillian Toole asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the funding stream his Department provides to enable children of farming families access equine assisted therapies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46407/26]

717. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on the work of developing a carbon farming framework; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44938/26]

718. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide information on the number of commercial egg farms nationwide; the percentage breakdown of enriched cage systems, barn systems, free-range operations and organic operations, with approximate overall numbers of birds in each of the four systems; the size (as in bird population) of the five largest operati…

719. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide information on the average size of the outdoor access area available to the hens on free-range farms; if there is a minimum outdoor space requirement set down by his Department for all free-range egg farms; if all organic egg farms provide outdoor access to the birds; and if he will make a statement on …

720. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the practice of beak-trimming is used on commercial egg farms in Ireland; if so, the extent and the number of producers using this practice; the age at which beak-trimming takes place; the method in which the beaks are trimmed; if beak trimming is carried out by a veterinary professional, or by a farm worker; i…

721. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on developing a carbon farming framework; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44936/26]

722. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide an update on his Department's investigation into the welfare breaches on pig farms. [45001/26]

723. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an outstanding payment for a person (details supplied) under the water EIP scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45039/26]

724. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 930 of 26 May 2026, if his Department can clarify the activity class on the 112,460 BISS applications for 2026 that are not referred to in this question response; and if they have met the 0.1LU/Ha. [45128/26]

725. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 930 of 26 May 2026, for the 8,691 BISS applications for 2026 that were identified in this response and excluding multiple entry cases, the total area claimed in each category; and the ID the average area claimed per applicant in each category. [45129/26]

726. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of licences that have been approved for importing/exporting poultry litter from the north of Ireland for each of the years 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026. [45130/26]

727. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware that exporting of poultry litter from the North of Ireland to the South has been suspended; and the measures his Department is taking to have this suspension lifted. [45131/26]

728. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for a breakdown of the number of applicants who are in receipt of forestry payments; the number who receive an annual payment under €5,000; the number who receive a payment between €5,000 and €10,000; the number who receive a payment between €10,000 and €20,000; the number who receive a payment between €20,000 and €50…

729. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total annual spend in forestry payments to farmers for the years 2021-2025. [45133/26]

730. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for a breakdown of the number of farmers and agri-contractors that applied for the fuel support scheme by county; and the rate of payment. [45134/26]

731. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers that are currently in the ACRES scheme; and the average payment per farmer for the years 2023-2025 [45135/26]

732. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total annual spend to farmers in the ACRES scheme for the years 2023-2025 [45136/26]

733. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether for procurement spend, a purchase order can be raised within his Department's financial management systems without reference to a contract, framework agreement, procurement process or other authorising arrangement; if so, the circumstances in which this may occur; and if he will make a statement on the matter.…

734. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether an invoice can be paid by his Department without an associated purchase order having first been raised; if so, the circumstances in which this may occur; the number and value of payments made during quarter one of 2026 which were not associated with a purchase order; and if he will make a statement on the matt…