Parliamentary questions

1416. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to review the slurry-spreading calendar given changing weather patterns, which can leave farmers not allowed spread slurry in decent weather with good soil conditions, and allow farmers to spread slurry when ground is saturated; this, compounded by the fact that many farmers do not have enough storage to…

1417. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider increasing funding to the horse racing and greyhound industry in Ireland in the upcoming budget, due to the significant economic impact these sectors have in rural Ireland in particular; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18427/26]

1418. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason the sale of cattle on the open market will be restricted as part of the new TB action plan, particularly in relation to the sale of calves; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18440/26]

1419. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether the Government received a full disclosure of lobbying activities of a person (details supplied) prior to nominating him for the position of Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18577/26]

1420. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of staff from his Department seconded to other Departments or agencies in the Civil Service, per annum from 2022 to date in 2026; and the details of the Department or agency, in tabular form. [18585/26]

1421. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of staff from his Department seconded to a firm in the private sector, per annum from 2022 to date in 2026; and the details of the company, in tabular form. [18603/26]

1422. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of staff from his Department seconded from a firm in the private sector, per annum from 2022 to date in 2026; and the details of the company, in tabular form. [18621/26]

1423. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will financially support farmers, who farm lands that are designated as natural heritage areas, to purchase virtual fence collars for their livestock, including cattle, sheep and goats; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18727/26]

1424. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on the implementation of the 31 recommendations outlined in the report of the Commission on Generational Renewal in Farming, which was published in September 2025, the recommendations include: CAP supports; pensions, taxation, access to finance, access to land, collaborative arrangements, advisory s…

1425. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of reports received of horse neglect, or cruelty due to the misuse of horses on public roads, by his Department from 2020 to 2025 and to date in 2026, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18830/26]

1426. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to expedite aquaculture licence applications in respect of an applicant in County Kerry, (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18872/26]

1427. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the current guidelines for poultry farming in Ireland in light of the number of farmers directly and indirectly affected by avian influenza; and whether further measures or supports are being considered. [18877/26]

1428. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total anticipated costs associated with his foreign travel for St. Patrick's Day; the delegation size; and if a breakdown can be provided on these costs, including on accommodation and flights. [18884/26]

1429. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the date bovine viral diarrhoea, BVD, sampling, which started as a three-year scheme in 2012, will cease; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18930/26]

1430. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of calves detected under the BVD sampling scheme per year; if a farm with no detections in the past five to ten years could opt out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18931/26]

1431. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied ) will receive BVD compensation for a number of animals culled in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18932/26]

1432. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when farmers who entered a registered farm partnership in February 2024 (details supplied) can expect payment of their outstanding ACRES payments for 2024 and 2025, and a final determination regarding the interim ACRES debt balance issued to them, in circumstances where those payments remain outstanding; and if he will ma…

1433. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine , further to Parliamentary Question No. 487 of 7 October 2025, the reason his Department has ceased to engage with a retired worker (details supplied) prior to his or her pension issue being fully resolved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19002/26]

1434. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline the 2024 and 2025 expenditure for forestry and bioenergy-related programmes under Vote 30; whether any underspends occurred in these areas compared with original allocations; to provide the value and reasons for any such underspends; the steps being taken to ensure the full drawdown and delivery of funding…

1435. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 78 of 29 January 2026, to provide a cost for payment of TB compensation rates that fully reflect current market valuations to the farmers whose animal valuations (approximately 9% of TB reactors) are above the current compensation levels; and if he will make a statement on the ma…

1436. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline the 2024 and 2025 expenditure for agri-environmental schemes under Vote 30; to detail whether any underspends occurred in these areas compared with the original allocations; to outline the specific schemes involved; the reasons for the underspend; the number of participants affected; and if he will make a …

1437. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline the 2024 and 2025 expenditure for targeted agricultural modernisation scheme, TAMS, under Vote 30; to detail whether any underspends occurred; the number of eligible applicants who did not draw down funding in that period; the measures being taken to ensure the full utilisation of allocated TAMS funding in…

1438. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department holds statistics on the mortality rate in Europe from blue tongue among sheep, if he will furnish this Deputy with such statistics; and if he will outline the steps he is taking to protect sheep in Ireland from the disease. [19088/26]

1439. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason for the significant discrepancies between the total number of common health entry documents for products of animal origin, CHED P, and total gross tonnage and summed individual country of origin figures for those same years (details supplied); the steps being taken to correct or verify these inconsi…

1440. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason 84 consignments listed in his Department's most recently published import tables indicate a country of origin but contain neither CHED-P numbers nor gross tonnage; if this indicates incomplete documentation on TRACES NT; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19164/26]