Parliamentary questions

801. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the disclosure and transparency obligations imposed on Bord Bia's board members in respect of external commercial interests, including the way such disclosures are reviewed by his Department; and whether he plans to strengthen these requirements to protect public confidence in the governance of State bodies under his r…

802. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether he plans to initiate, or has requested, a review of governance and conflict-of-interest guidance as it applies specifically to State bodies operating in the agrifood sector, including Bord Bia; and the scope and timeline of any such review. [6558/26]

803. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has assessed the impact on long-standing Irish vessels and crews in the razor clam fishery of alleged chronic overfishing, under-enforcement, and unfair competition from vessels using low-paid non-EU crews; the specific supports or structural measures he is considering to sustain indigenous operators in this f…

804. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied that the current management plan for the razor clam fishery on the north-east coast is being adhered to in practice; the total annual tonnage recommended by the Marine Institute for this fishery for each of the past five years; the total tonnage actually recorded as landed in each of those years; …

805. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of enforcement actions that have been taken by the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) in each of the past five years in relation to breaches of the 600 kg-per-vessel, per-week limit in the razor clam fishery; the number of inspections carried out; the number of successful prosecutions; and if he wi…

806. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures in place to ensure accurate weighing, recording and traceability of razor clam landings, particularly where there may be broken, undersized or discarded product; if he is satisfied that there is no systemic under-declaration of catches at point of sale; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66…

807. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has examined the use of Irish-registered companies as vehicles to acquire Irish-registered fishing vessels and licences on behalf of non-EU or non-EEA nationals; if any risk assessment or review has been carried out on whether this practice complies with EU and national rules on ownership and contr…

808. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way in which the statutory requirement that at least 50% of crew on certain licensed fishing vessels must be EU/EEA nationals is monitored and enforced; the number of inspections carried out on crew composition in each of the past five years; the number of breaches identified; the number of sanctions imposed; an…

809. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware of allegations that some vessels operating in the razor clam fishery are deploying vessel monitoring system (VMS) or GPS units on buoys or static locations while the vessel fishes in different areas, including potentially closed or restricted areas; whether the SFPA has investigated such practices; ho…

810. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the checks that are in place to ensure that no product is certified for export where it has been harvested from closed or restricted areas; whether any retrospective audits have identified certification of product taken from such areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6606/26]

811. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied that the SFPA has sufficient staff, sea-going capacity, and legal clarity to enforce fisheries rules effectively in inshore fisheries such as the razor clam fishery; whether any instruction or policy direction has been issued to the SFPA regarding prioritisation of “larger cases” over local inshor…

812. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in light of reports from local fishermen of declining razor clam size and abundance between Dublin Bay and Carlingford Lough, if he will publish the most recent Marine Institute survey results for this fishery; the details of any advice to reduce total allowable removals; the emergency or precautionary measures he i…

813. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason only 25% of solar PV applications under TAMS 3 were approved in tranche 9, with the same rate proposed for tranche 10, despite strong farmer demand; the way this aligns with climate targets and commitments to support on-farm renewable energy; the way the current scoring system, including the use of derogati…

814. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the €30 million tillage support package announced for tillage farmers in Budget 2026 will be paid; whether payments will issue before planting commences in the coming weeks; the crops which will be eligible for payment under this support; if he acknowledges the urgency of delivering this funding given the severe …

815. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether his Department has evaluated the OIE-approved, Irish-developed enferplex bovine TB antibody test for use in the national TB eradication programme; the reason it is not currently being deployed alongside SICCT and interferon-gamma tests to improve detection of mycobacterium bovis in suspect or hard-to-detect ca…

816. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the assessment which has been made of the employment supported by the inshore fishing sector, including onshore jobs in coastal communities; the way in which the Government plans to safeguard this employment in the context of climate change and economic pressures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6614/2…

817. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way the Government plans to respond to the proposed 20–24% reduction in Ireland’s CAP Post-2027 allocation; the engagement which is taking place at EU level to protect Ireland’s CAP budget; the reason the proposals do not include ring-fenced funding for young farmers; when the National Strategy for Generational Re…

818. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the immediate actions his Department is taking to strengthen Ireland’s biosecurity and import-control regime in view of evidence of serious grass-weed contamination including blackgrass, brome and wild oats in imported straw and in cover-crop seed placed on the market; the action being taken to prevent further introdu…

819. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Ireland’s position on the European Commission’s proposals to restructure the Common Agricultural Policy post-2027 into a single National and Regional Partnerships fund; if Ireland will oppose any dilution of ring-fenced supports for young farmers, including the Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers; and if he…

820. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason the 2025 budget for the forgotten farmer scheme has been reduced from €5 million to €2.25 million in the supplementary estimates; whether the unspent money will be reallocated to the suckler or sheep welfare schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6618/26]

821. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide an update on the review of the agri-climate rural environment scheme; when this review is expected to be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6619/26]

822. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his Department’s plans to support and reward farmers who generate renewable energy for their own use or sell surplus energy to the grid, in line with the Programme for Government commitments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6620/26]

823. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the engagement his Department has had with the European Union in relation to fishing quotas. [6626/26]

824. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the supports being provided to fishery sector in view of the Agri-Fish Council meeting in December of EU states. [6627/26]

487. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide an update on the timeline for publishing the heads of bill for the fisheries (amendment) Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5122/26]