Questions

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 on the matter. [46351…

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 by falling trees pa…

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. [46386/26]

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 operations; and if he will …

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 the matter. [44930/2…

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; if by a farm worker, …

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]

746. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of herd number applications for companies that his Department has demanded an entirely new application for, due to a change in keeper details during the application process; to detail on a by county basis in each of the years 2010 to 2026, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45356/26]

902. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding an application on behalf of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39475/26]

904. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to address an issue regarding the inputting of an incorrect date (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39534/26]

772. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to detail, on a per county basis, from 2010 to 9 May 2026, the number of herd number applications for companies where his Department has requested an entirely new application due to a change in keeper details during the application process, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36672/26]

774. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide the year-on-year percentage increases in the average cost per tonne of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilisers in Ireland from 2021 to April 2026; the main drivers behind the renewed surge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36821/26]

775. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the estimated additional annual input cost burden placed on the average family farm arising from the recent fertiliser price increases; to provide a breakdown by farm type (dairy, beef, tillage, sheep); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36822/26]

776. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether any emergency financial supports, rebates or targeted grants are being considered to offset the fertiliser cost pressures highlighted by witnesses (details supplied) at the Oireachtas Joint Committee meeting on 29 April 2026; to outline the timeline for any such measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36823/26]

777. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to detail the current level of domestic fertiliser production capacity in Ireland and the steps being taken to reduce reliance on imported fertilisers in light of the volatility and price surges as raised in the Joint Committee debate of 29 April 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36824/26]

778. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the uptake figures for precision fertiliser application technology and low-emission slurry spreading equipment under existing schemes, and whether additional funding or incentives will be introduced to help farmers reduce fertiliser usage without compromising yields; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36825/26]

779. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether his Department has engaged with the European Commission on any flexibilities under the Nitrates Directive or other EU environmental rules that could ease fertiliser-related cost pressures on Irish farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36826/26]

780. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide the latest data on fertiliser price trends in Ireland compared with other EU member states and to outline any specific actions his Department is taking to prevent Irish farmers from being placed at a competitive disadvantage as a result of the price increases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36827/26]

782. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether his Department will commission or publish an independent assessment of the cumulative effect of fertiliser price volatility on overall farm incomes and on the viability of contracting services, as highlighted by an organisation (details supplied) at the Oireachtas Joint Committee meeting of 29 April 2026; and if he will make a sta…

783. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline the Government's long-term strategy for stabilising and reducing fertiliser input costs for the Irish farming sector, including any plans for research into alternative nutrient sources or on-farm nutrient efficiency programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36830/26]

808. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason animals will not be released back to a herd owner (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37238/26]

448. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when will a herd number issue to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35857/26]

455. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the additional measures he intends to introduce to support generational renewal in the farming sector, particularly in relation to land access, succession planning and support for young farmers entering agriculture; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36476/26]

457. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to evaluate the impact of the EU's trade performance on the Irish agricultural sector, noting that 39% of respondents in Ireland view trade as the area where the EU's performance is strongest according to the recent European Movement Ireland EU Poll 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36478/26]

891. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide, in respect of the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF), the total amount of Exchequer and CAP funding the organisation has received since its inception, for each year from 2008 to the most recent year available; the amount of funding paid to ICBF, disaggregated by source and type, including annual operating grants, capital…