Parliamentary questions

718. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine how conflicts between Coillte's commercial forestry operations and national biodiversity objectives are formally assessed within its governance framework; and whether any formal decision-making or escalation process exists. [32673/26]

719. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total area of Sitka spruce within the State forestry estate; the proportion of this area classified as monoculture or near-monoculture planting; and if he will provide a breakdown by year for the past ten years. [32674/26]

720. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether any policy targets are in place to reduce reliance on single-species conifer systems within State forestry; if so, the baseline percentage, current percentage, and target timeline; and if not, whether such targets are under consideration. [32675/26]

721. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether he or his Department has engaged with representative bodies or the Veterinary Council of Ireland regarding workforce sustainability challenges in the veterinary nursing profession, including recruitment and retention difficulties; and if so, the outcome of those engagements; and if he will make a statement o…

722. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the assessment that has been made of the potential impact of staffing shortages in veterinary nursing on animal welfare, veterinary service capacity, and the viability of practices, including in rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32838/26]

723. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether consideration is being given to undertaking or supporting a review of workforce sustainability in the veterinary sector, including training pathways, retention challenges, and long term service capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32839/26]

724. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to review the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32867/26]

725. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline his response to the call from an association (details supplied) for an increased share of the national pelagic quota for inshore fishermen; and to provide an update on work ongoing in his Department to reopen closed fisheries . [32874/26]

726. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will review correspondence (details supplied); the plans in place to introduce legislation to regulate the use of animal-drawn vehicles on public roads; if he will indicate whether any such measures would include a complete ban on sulky racing on public roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33064…

727. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will clarify the role that the Food Industry Development Division of his Department plays in respect of below cost selling of agricultural food products by supermarket chains (details supplied). [33177/26]

728. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 655, 649, 650, 651, 652, 653, 65 and 656 of 21 April 2026, when he proposes to answer these questions, and to account for the ongoing delay in providing responses to these questions. [33366/26]

729. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide a detailed breakdown of all gifts received in his capacity as Minister; the nature of these gifts and potential monetary value; the procedures followed in accepting gifts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33373/26]

381. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department agrees on the need to legislate for a cap on the number of dogs a breeder can own and breed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31528/26]

382. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department agrees that action is urgently needed to improve and safeguard the welfare of dogs in dog breeding establishments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31529/26]

383. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on an EU-wide voluntary milk supply reduction scheme whereby the proposed measure will provide milk producers with a financial payment per litre to voluntarily not produce milk for a defined period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31548/26]

384. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to consider the implementation of an independent oversight body for horse welfare for the horse racing industry given concerns that have been raised (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31561/26]

385. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a large-scale business and co-ops (details supplied) will be included in the excise duty relief that supports licensed hauliers, freight operators, agricultural and fishing contractors or bus companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31641/26]

386. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address rising fuel costs and to support the transport, farming and fisheries sectors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31642/26]

387. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures he will take to support horticultural growers operating heated glasshouses in light of escalating costs, particularly energy and fertiliser; whether he is aware that some growers are facing projected increases in annual gas bills if current prices persist; whether he considers the current situation t…

388. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the area of Sitka spruce planted compared to the broadleaves and native conifers planted by area each year, including the 20% broadleaves within the Sitka spruce plantations, since 2016, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31717/26]

389. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number and area of monoculture Sitka spruce forests his Department has grant aided, by year since 1993, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31719/26]

390. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of pet passports that his Department issued in the years of 2025 and to-date in 2026, by month, in tabular form. [31730/26]

391. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a schedule of EU-funded projects undertaken by his Department from 2020 to date in 2026 in the areas of risk, emergency planning and or food security; and/or were coordinated by his Department, or in which it participated. [31743/26]

392. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures that will be introduced to support farmers due to the substantial increase in costs over recent months resulting in financial pressures on the farming community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31786/26]

393. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of prosecutions for horse welfare offences from 2020 to 2025 and to date in 2026. [31793/26]