Parliamentary questions

1781. Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the European leaders he personally contacted in advance of the Fisheries Council seeking support for Ireland. [73713/25]

1782. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has any events/initiatives planned to coincide with the International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026; if any funding has been allocated for any events/initiatives planned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73876/25]

1783. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason an animal welfare organisation (details supplied) have had their annual animal welfare grant reduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73959/25]

1784. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider a submission by an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74002/25]

1785. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason funding was cut for an organisation (details supplied); if this will be reviewed and the funding be reinstated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74077/25]

1786. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether the 117 dairy heifers exported to Libya on 5 January 2025 were pregnant at the time of export; the procedures which were followed to verify their gestation stage in accordance with EC Regulation 1/2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74099/25]

1787. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason the journey log for 5 January 2025 Libya shipment lists Murcia, Spain as the destination; to provide details of the method of transport from Spain to Libya, including whether a livestock vessel was used and whether it complied with the Carriage of Livestock by Sea Regulation 2016; and if he will make …

1788. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to confirm whether all 117 heifers arrived safely in Libya; the details of any injuries, illnesses, or mortalities during transport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74101/25]

1789. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the route, means of transport, duration, and veterinary supervision for the 287 unweaned dairy calves exported to Libya in May 2025, including the journey from France to Libya; the measures taken to ensure compliance with EC Regulation 1/2005 on feeding and rest intervals; and if he will make a statement on the …

1790. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to confirm whether all 287 unweaned calves arrived safely in Libya; the details of any injuries, illnesses, or mortalities during the journey; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74103/25]

1791. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the process used by his Departments veterinary inspectors to verify that in-calf heifers exported to Algeria on 15 November 2025 had less than 90% of their expected gestation completed; the way in which the fitness for transport of pregnant cows is assessed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74104/…

1792. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures which are taken to ensure the safety of calves if a birth occurs during transit, including space allocation for pregnant cows, and whether any cows gave birth during the recent shipment to Algeria; and if so, whether the cows and calves arrived safely; and if he will make a statement on the matter. …

1793. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether any cows died during the recent shipment to Algeria; and if so, the cause of death; the way in which carcasses were disposed of; whether any efforts were made to save calves; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74106/25]

1794. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether veterinary supervision was present during loading at Waterford Port; the reason animals with lameness were permitted to board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74107/25]

1795. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps which were taken to ensure safe transport of exported heifers from the port of arrival to the final destination in Algeria, including vehicle compliance with EC Regulation 1/2005, rest breaks; the action which will be taken against exporters using vehicles that do not meet legal standards; and if he wi…

1796. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide a list of AI pilot projects which have taken place in his Department within the past 12 months; the expenditure associated with those projects; and whether they are still ongoing, in tabular form. [74126/25]

1797. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether standards or service-level targets exist for his Department or bodies under the aegis of his Department, in responding to correspondence from members of local authorities; if compliance with such standards is monitored; the reasons for delays or failures to respond to correspondence from elected members; and …

1798. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the negotiations he took part in prior to the EU’s decision on 13 December in relation to the fisheries deal; and if he was aware that the Hague preferences would be blocked. [74284/25]

1799. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will review the correspondence from Monaghan County Council (details supplied); the position of his Department on the concerns raised therein; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74377/25]

1800. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way in which the aquaculture and foreshore management division (AFMD) in his Department determines the prioritisation of aquaculture applications requiring appropriate assessment; the criteria used to place bays or applications on its priority list; and if the prioritisation framework is published or com…

1801. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the indicative timeframes for the commencement and completion of appropriate assessment (AA) once an application or bay has been prioritised; the reason no start date has been scheduled for AA’s in an area (details supplied) despite their inclusion on a priority list; the steps are being taken to improve tra…

1802. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the office rental costs per annum for staff in his Department and for each agency or organisation under his remit, in each of the years between 2015 and 2025 inclusive, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74441/25]

1803. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to promote grants for installing solar panels on farm buildings in rural areas; if he will consider allowing all grant recipients to sell surplus electricity back to the grid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74500/25]

1804. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the payroll cost of his Department and of each organisation or agency under its remit individually, in 2015 to 2025, by year, in tabular form. [74619/25]

1805. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide an update on the cross-departmental working group focused on navigating the complexities of State aid rules to create a capital funding scheme for non-SMEs in the seafood processing sector. [74641/25]