Parliamentary questions

38. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department will provide targeted financial assistance to horticulturalists who do not meet the €7,500 minimum investment requirement under the 2025 Scheme of investment aid for the development of the commercial horticulture sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13625/25]

39. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures his Department is taking to tackle the neglect and abuse of horses in Cork north central, particularly with summer approaching; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13683/25]

40. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the checks that are in place to ensure pig farms in the State maintain the highest animal welfare standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13736/25]

41. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of farmers in Cavan and Monaghan impacted by delays to ACRES payments to date; the number who still have not been paid; the reason for such delays; when payments are expected to conclude; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13739/25]

42. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of windblow-related felling licences that have been received since storm Éowyn; the current processing times for these types of licences and the priority given; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13740/25]

43. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address the ongoing funding deficiencies in State marine infrastructure, particularly in counties like Donegal, which has 155 piers and harbours to maintain (details supplied); to outline plans to increase investment in marine infrastructure to support both local economies and tourism development; and i…

44. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied that there is an understanding of the importance of the Nitrates derogation among EU counterparts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13814/25]

45. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine given the significant disparity between the forward malting barley price offered by a company (details supplied) of €240/t and the €300/t sought by growers, and considering the fears raised by an organisation (details supplied) regarding transparency in the pricing mechanism, if he will direct the Office of the Ag…

46. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of applications to the organic payment scheme received by his Department from Galway city and county to date; the number approved; the number refused and the reasons therefor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13803/25]

47. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when all outstanding ACRES payments will be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13812/25]

48. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the action his Department is taking regarding succession in farming, in view that this is a critical issue which must be urgently addressed by the delivery of a comprehensive succession policy with the outcome of a succession scheme that specifically addresses the barriers to entry for young farmers into the agricultural…

49. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to address the long waiting time farmers face to obtain felling licences which are taking months and even years to process despite many farmers and foresters having these trees on the ground, losing the ability to salvage timber; and if the farmers and foresters will be compensated for the lost trees. [7893/25]

50. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total amount of funding allocated to the Wool Council since its establishment on 5 April 2023; if all of the €30,000 allocated in seed funding to the Council has now been drawn down; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13800/25]

51. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department will provide targeted financial assistance to horticulturalists for the replacement of plastic polytunnel covers and other structures not covered under the 2025 scheme of investment aid for the development of the commercial horticulture sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1362…

52. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way his Department is supporting and will support the development of a commercial flour sector in Ireland, including through the Tillage Strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13680/25]

53. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if eligibility for back-up power generators applies to all farmers; if not, if he will extend eligibility to all schemes; how farmers can apply; the deadline for application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13750/25]

54. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures being taken to address concerns around declining numbers of young people entering farming, particularly in light of financial uncertainty and environmental pressures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13823/25]

55. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has consulted with the ESB in relation to setbacks and corridors for powerlines going through forestry plantations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13630/25]

56. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will reconsider the proposal of rewetting land as it is very unfair to farmers who have been doing their best to farm peaty soils, and will diminish their income and ability to make a living off the land; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13822/25]

57. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine given the ongoing delay in updating the TAMS reference costs, which has been flagged by an organisation (details supplied) as creating uncertainty and delaying investment in essential farm infrastructure, to provide a definitive timeline for the completion of this review; the measures his Department will take to e…

58. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he plans to financially reward farmers for carbon sequestration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13687/25]

59. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the 100,000 hectares of non-carbon soils (mineral soils) included in the GAEC 2 standard will be subject to the same regulations as carbon soils with regard to ploughing, reseeding, drainage and fertiliser use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13813/25]

60. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider amending the Control of Horses Act 1996 and appoint an equine officer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13682/25]

61. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will report on the success of new regulations introduced to combat bovine tuberculosis since 2020; the new measures he intends to introduce in support of bovine tuberculosis eradication; the supports he intends to make available to farmers to ensure that they do not alone bear the financial burden of the impleme…

62. Deputy Edward Timmins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the details of staff resources in Naas regional veterinary office dedicated to the wildlife programme in each of the years from 2015 to date (details supplied); and the complement of farm relief service operatives available for the badger programme each year since 2015. [13538/25]