Parliamentary questions

757. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if consideration would be given to the provision of funding supports to veterinary practices employing registered veterinary nurses (RVNs), enabling fair pay to RVNs without passing the entire cost onto pet owners and farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21574/26]

758. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide the necessary funding to widen the slip at Renard Pier, County Kerry to accommodate the new larger ferry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21605/26]

759. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures currently in place to support the recruitment and retention of veterinary nurses in Ireland; his plans to improve pay, career progression or training pathways for veterinary nurses to ensure adequate staffing levels across the profession; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21777/26]

760. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the full breakdown of expenditure by his Department on St. Patrick’s Day related activities; the details of any travel abroad; the number of officials that travelled; the costs involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21815/26]

761. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will engage with an organisation (details supplied) to ensure that the hardship fund providing financial support to the sector is immediately released, in light of the significant financial pressures currently facing the sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21876/26]

762. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of heads of government, heads of state, ministers, governors, mayors or other senior elected officials he and Ministers of State in his Department met for the St. Patrick's Day engagements overseas this year. [21894/26]

763. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of Irish diaspora groups, including but not limited to sporting and cultural organisations, as well as emigrant organisations he and Ministers of State in his Department met for the St. Patrick's Day engagements overseas this year. [21912/26]

764. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of businesses and business representative organisations he and State Ministers of State in his Department met for the St. Patrick's Day engagements overseas this year. [21930/26]

765. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the value of trade and tourism respectively, between Ireland and the states visited by him and by Ministers of State in his Department for the St Patrick's Day engagements overseas this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21948/26]

766. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has approved the loading of approximately 5,000 cattle at Greenore Port onto the livestock vessel MV Saleh scheduled to arrive on or about 10 March 2026; the destination country for these cattle; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21966/26]

767. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether his Department is aware that the livestock vessel MV Saleh (details supplied) has recently transported cattle shipments primarily to Israel; whether the Department expects the cattle being loaded in Greenore Port to be exported to that destination; whether any conditions have been attached to the export l…

768. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will confirm that the MV Saleh has the capacity to transport up to 5,000 cattle; whether this represents the largest livestock export shipment to depart from Ireland to date; the additional welfare oversight measures that will be in place given the scale of the consignment; and if he will make a statement o…

769. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the specific animal welfare inspections, veterinary supervision, and stocking density requirements that will apply to the transport of cattle on the MV Saleh; whether Department officials will be present during loading at Greenore Port; and how compliance with EU animal transport regulations will be monitored dur…

770. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether he has considered the appropriateness of permitting the export of live cattle to the Middle East region at a time when charter aircraft are reportedly being organised to repatriate Irish citizens from the region; if he will outline the Government's policy considerations in this regard; and if he will make…

771. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether the Department intends to review Ireland's policy on long-distance live animal exports following the proposed shipment of up to 5,000 cattle on the MV Saleh; if he will outline plans to strengthen oversight or introduce further restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21971/26]

772. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to ensure that Ireland has a well-funded CAP post-2027 that supports farm viability and resilience, environmental ambition, along with well-funded rural development measures such as LEADER; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22003/26]

773. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to significantly increase the amount and scope of the forestry road grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22018/26]

774. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine how it is possible that on 1 January 2026, there were 1,997 non-coursing greyhounds whose year of birth was 2021 still in the active status category on the Rásaíocht Con Éireann traceability system (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22098/26]

775. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline the monitoring procedures undertaken by his Department of the Rásaíocht Con Eireann traceability system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22099/26]

776. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has met with the Mayor of Sacramento during his recent visit to the US for St. Patrick's Day events. [22140/26]

777. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of staff employed directly by an organisation (details supplied) with funding provided by his Department; the salary bracket of said staff in each of the years from 2022 to 2025; the amount of travel expenses claimed in each year from 2022 to 2025; the total funding available each year from his Depar…

778. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of third party contractors engaged directly by an organisation (details supplied) with funding provided by his Department each year since 2022; the functions provided by each contractor; the contract value of each awarded contract and duration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22174/26…

779. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of meetings with an association (details supplied) in the past three years; the amount of funding provided by his Department directly or via third parties to market and promote the traditional Irish horse; the number of meetings each year between the associations; the marketing plan each year since 2…

780. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the current supports available for generational renewal to farmers under Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan (CSP) 2023-2027, if he will also outline the suite of strong national taxation measures, access to finance supports, as well as advisory and education and training support available for generational renewal; and i…

781. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers in the Roscommon-Galway constituency awaiting ACRES and other CAP payments; and the average delay in issuing those payments, in tabular form. [22325/26]