Latest news with #MartinHeydon


Irish Examiner
5 days ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
AgNav launches tillage enterprise at Oak Park open day
AgNav has now added tillage enterprises to its online digital platform. The new tillage capabilities on the platform were launched by minister for agriculture Martin Heydon at the Crops and Technology Open Day in Teagasc Oak Park on June 25. AgNav supports farmers in identifying mitigation strategies for their farms to deliver on climate action. With the addition of tillage it will allow tillage farmers to calculate the carbon footprint of their crops, marking a significant advancement in sustainability tools for Irish tillage farmers. AgNav was originally developed as a collaboration between Teagasc, Bord Bia and ICBF (Irish Cattle Breeding Federation) as a platform designed to help farmers measure and manage the environmental impact of their operations. With the addition of tillage, this will enable farmers to calculate the carbon footprint of their crops using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) model specifically tailored for Ireland. Teagasc collaborated with Tirlán to develop the LCA model specifically for an Irish tillage farming system. Teagasc's tillage LCA model follows global standards, evaluating the carbon footprint of native grains, from cradle to farm-gate. Hence, the scope of the model extends from the acquisition of raw materials, through to the harvesting of crops. It also utilises national information on agricultural emissions and carbon capture and retention (sequestration) to determine carbon footprint as CO2 emissions per tonne of grain produced. Speaking at the open day, Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon, said: The tillage sector has a major role to play in achieving Ireland's climate targets. I welcome this new development in AgNav, which allows farmers to understand their emissions profile and to identify ways of making further sustainability improvements at farm level. John Spink, Head of the Crops, Environment and Land use Programme in Teagasc, said: 'This is an important development for growers and for the tillage sector. Farmers will be able to sign up and get a demonstration of how to use the system. I would encourage all growers to register and use AgNav so that we can get a good view of the carbon footprint of Irish tillage crops.' Dr Siobhán Jordan, Head of Teagasc Technology Transfer office, said: 'Teagasc, and its partners ICBF and Bord Bia, are committed to the ongoing development of the AgNav tool, and plans are in place to include other farming enterprises in the years ahead. (Left to right) John Spink, Teagasc; Professor Frank O'Mara, Teagasc Director; Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon; Dr Jack Kennedy, editor of the Irish Farmers Journal and Liam Woulfe, Teagasc Authority at the official opening of the Crops and Technology Open Day in Teagasc Oak Park. Picture: Dylan Vaughan "It facilitates informed decision-making by farmers to identify the actions for their own individual farms that will have the greatest impact in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and capturing carbon.' The 'Crops and Technology' Open Day in Oak Park was organised in conjunction with the Irish Farmers Journal. The open day covered the latest research on all main tillage crops and horticulture field crops, and a major machinery demonstration with particular focus on sprayers and the technology available for more accurate applications. Read More Government sets out next phase of agriculture emission target plans


Irish Independent
6 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
One in three Wicklow farmers still waiting on ACRES payments
ACRES is Ireland's agri-environment climate scheme under Ireland's CAP Strategic Plan. This €1.5 billion flagship agri-environment scheme is a farmer-friendly scheme to help address biodiversity decline while delivering an income support for farm families in Ireland. Deputy Whitmore, the Social Democrats spokesperson on agriculture, said: 'According to the latest figures, 62 farmers in Wicklow have yet to receive their advance payment, and 191 are still waiting on any payments. That's nearly one in three participants left in limbo. 'These payments are vital for farmers who are actively working to improve biodiversity and environmental outcomes on their land. Many have already invested time and money into these measures, and the department's failure to deliver payments on time is completely unacceptable. 'Farmers need certainty. If the government wants to encourage participation in schemes like ACRES, it must ensure that payments are made promptly and fairly. Delays like this undermine trust and place unnecessary financial pressure on farming families. I am calling on the Minister for Agriculture to urgently address the backlog and ensure that all outstanding payments are processed without further delay.' At a meeting of the Select Committee on Agriculture and Food held last week, Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon acknowledged the significant payment delays experienced with ACRES. More than €500 million has been paid out to Irish farmers since 2023 through ACRES, but a 'dark cloud hangs over it because not every farmer was paid', the minister said, though he expected 'considerable progress' to take place over coming weeks to drive the number of outstanding payments down further.


Irish Examiner
25-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Industrial-scale Mussel farm is ‘completely incompatible' with Kinsale Harbour, campaigners say
Campaigners are calling on the minister for agriculture and the marine to revoke a licence for a 23 hectare industrial-scale mussel farm in Kinsale Harbour, directly in front of the popular Dock Beach. Health, environmental, and economic concerns for the locality have been raised, along with fears that it may jeopardise access to one of the town's most popular beaches and surrounding water used for swimming, kayaking and sailing. The licence should be revoked pending a full Environmental Impact Assessment, a marine navigation risk study, a cultural heritage survey, and a social and economic impact analysis, campaigners say. A licence was granted in May to Waterford-based Woodstown Bay Shellfish Ltd for bottom-culture mussel farming using dredging across a zone long used by swimmers, kayakers, sailors, and crab fishers. No marine safety or navigational impact assessment has been conducted, campaigners say. The proximity to a wastewater treatment facility lacking UV disinfection further raises serious sanitary concerns under EU directives, they say. They are appealing for Minister Martin Heydon to revoke the licence, which they say was granted on highly flawed grounds. The window for appeals closes this week. And while the industrial mussel farm is expected to create some six new jobs, the town is heavily reliant on its €70m annual tourism economy, which campaigners say the mussel farm may jeopardise. Appeals have been submitted to the Aquaculture Licence Appeals Board (ALAB), citing legal, ecological, economic, and procedural grounds. The licence should be revoked pending a full Environmental Impact Assessment, a marine navigation risk study, a cultural heritage survey, and a social and economic impact analysis, campaigners say. Picture: Eddie O'Hare 'This farm is completely incompatible with the heritage, ecology, and economy of Kinsale Harbour,' said local environmental advocate Dr Marc Ó Riain. 'We're asking minister Heydon to exercise his authority to revoke this licence in the public interest.' Under Section 7.3 of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act, the Minister may revoke a licence if it is deemed contrary to the public interest — a clause now being urgently invoked by campaigners. Protected seagrass beds, a priority habitat under the EU Habitats Directive which play a vital role in marine biodiversity and carbon capture, have been found recently in the proposed dredging area but this was not reflected in the original environmental screening, they say. 'There was no Environmental Impact Assessment. The data relied on is over six years old,' said one appeal letter submitted to ALAB. 'This violates the precautionary principle of EU law.' The site is also adjacent to the 17th-century James Fort, a designated national monument, and the remains of a historic blockhouse at the mouth of the Bandon River. No underwater archaeological survey was undertaken — a 'serious procedural omission' according to one submission, potentially placing unrecorded heritage at risk. The area is one of Ireland's busiest mixed-use harbours, with sailing schools, kayak tours, angling trips, and marine wildlife excursions operating daily. The site overlaps traditional crab pot grounds, and no alternative fishing areas or mitigation measures have been proposed, campaigners say. Appeals also raised the danger of mussel larvae clogging raw water intakes on leisure and commercial vessels — a hazard which can cause overheating and engine failure. A decision from the Appeals Board is expected later this year. Read More Watch: Mussel Farm protest in Kinsale Harbour


The Irish Sun
17-06-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Government plot unlikely new housing crisis solution with ‘wood first' move as Healy Rae-backed plan details revealed
THE Government is branching out in its bid to solve the housing crisis with a new 'Wood First' plan that will see timber become the main building material used to build our homes, schools and libraries. It comes as the Cabinet will today give the green light to emergency legislation to extend 3 A new 'Wood first' procurement policy will be launched to ensure that timber is the 'material of choice' in the construction of public buildings Credit: Getty Images - Getty 3 Forestry Minister Micheal Healy-Rae said Ireland has excellent forest resources that are being underused in our construction sector A series of memos will go before the Cabinet today that are aimed at trying to address the Minister Martin Heydon will bring forward the first report from the Government's Timber in Construction Steering Group which calls on the State to use wood more when Forestry Minister Micheal Healy-Rae has worked with the steering group on the report which notes that Ireland has excellent forest resources that are being underused in our construction sector. The steering group believes that our forests have the capacity to supply the timber needed to build Read more in News A new 'Wood first' procurement policy will be launched on the back of the report which will see State bodies ensure that timber is the "material of choice" in the construction of public buildings including schools, libraries and housing. Forestry Minister Micheal Healy-Rae told the Irish Sun: 'If we are trying to build twenty or thirty or sixty thousand houses – every one of those will need a roof and the most environmentally friendly way you can build a roof is not with steel or anything else – it is wood. 'Again with all the partitions in houses you have people who will want to use steel fixing or concrete but at the end of the day I am encouraging people to use wood instead. 'Timber framed houses made in a factory were very big during the Boomy Boom and people will tell you to use others instead like concrete but I think we should be promoting timber. Most read in Money 'We can grow it ourselves. It's our own indigenous resource. It is renewable. You plant it and it grows here, you cut it down and use it and you plant it again and it creates work locally.' Three other plans to try tackle the housing crisis will be brought to Cabinet today by Housing Minister James Browne as Government try to speed up the slow planning process. Sinn Fein housing spokesman Eoin O Broin reacts to record number of homeless people As part of the new measures, former HSE boss Paul Reid will be appointed as chairman of the revamped Coimisiun Pleanala, which will replace An Bord Pleanala. The new Commission will have mandatory times for planning applications to be complete in a bid to speed up the clogged up system. The Cabinet will also be asked to give the Land Development Agency additional powers to develop all types of housing on public land and remove some current checks to speed up the process. The final motion on housing to be brought to Cabinet will be emergency legislation to NEW LAW RUSH This follows the launch of the Government's new rent form strategy last week which has left them scrambling to draw up emergency legislation to prevent landlords cashing in on the long lead in time for the changes. The plan launched last week will see the entire country covered by rent controls with a two per cent cap but with landlords given the power to 'reset' their rent prices every six years or for every new tenancy. These changes were due to kick in from March 1 next year with opposition parties highlighting that the delay in extending the two per cent rent cap would enable landlords in areas that are not currently designated pressure zones jack up their prices before the new rule starts. As a result, Minister Browne will today bring forward emergency legislation that will be rushed through the 3 The Government's new rent form strategy was launched last week Credit: Getty Images - Getty


Irish Times
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
There is still a small chance of rescuing Wexford lagoon from the same fate as Lough Neagh
Ireland still enjoys a reasonably healthy democracy, but we should not underestimate the potential for untruths and wilful ignorance to infect our political discourse. The Government, on the whole, does not deny climate science. So far so good. But when it comes to water quality, alternative facts are endemic. I witnessed an example of this on June 5th. The Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon was challenged outside a Department of Agriculture conference by a group of activists from Animal Rebellion over the impact of agricultural run-off into Lady's Island, an important saltwater lagoon in Co Wexford. 'Where's the evidence for that?' he replied tetchily. It is tempting to craft a detailed response to the Minister, listing out all the studies published over the last two decades by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and forwarded as a matter of course to his department, but what is the point? Either the Minister is poorly informed or prefers not to know. READ MORE The facts are actually piled high in EPA reports on the shelves of his own department and those of Teagasc and local authorities. The EPA's catchment studies show agriculture accounts for roughly 70 per cent of nitrogen inputs in the southeast of Ireland. The data overwhelmingly points to farming – livestock and tillage – as the dominant pressure on water quality. And nitrate pollution is actually on the rise at more than a third of river sites. An Taisce's recent submission to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy stated that the nitrogen pollution problem in the south and southeast was a result of ineffective regulation, combined with a notable lack of enforcement of the regulations we do have. All the scientific evidence points to the need for a radical reduction in fertiliser and slurry spreading in sensitive catchments. An EPA-funded study published earlier this year and conducted by Aquafact found a five to seven-fold reduction in nitrogen and phosphorus inputs to Lady's Island Lake would be necessary to return the lagoon to good ecological status. [ 'The lough isn't just dying, it's been killed': How Lough Neagh reached crisis point ] This will require changes to farming practices and the construction of buffers and wetlands, as well as tree planting, to contain the nutrient losses. It will also require stepped up inspections and enforcement: since 2018, Wexford County Council has only conducted 30 farm inspections despite the critical state of the lagoon. The Aquafact study was considered at a hearing of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy last week. There was no denial evident from the experts who addressed the committee. Not from Wexford County Council , nor from the National Parks and Wildlife Service . Their representatives pointed out that it has been known for four decades that Lady's Island, an ecologically important saltwater lagoon used by migrating birds, was in steady decline. Local farmers are, on the whole, compliant with the environmental regulations. But if the government's Nitrates Action Plan is not fit for purpose, and permits too much nitrates and phosphates to be deposited in sensitive catchments, then nutrient run-off and pollution is inevitable. However, the Minister for Agriculture has yet to state in the Dáil that he will act decisively to improve water quality, hiding instead behind vague statements such as 'science is telling us things are not where they should be'. It seems like everyone apart from the Minister for Agriculture is in agreement that radical measures are required to reduce nutrient losses. But if the Minister believes there is insufficient evidence to act, then he can justify more studies, more talk, more delays. Politically speaking, his goal is to retain the nitrates derogation (which permits higher stocking rates of cattle), not to save Lady's Island. Retaining the nitrates derogation has become the rallying cry for the entire agricultural sector and its political backers, despite the obvious problem that it is adding to the pollution burden in our rivers, lakes and estuaries. So it would be wrong to think of the death of Lady's Island as a tragedy. Government policy on nitrates is designed to fail, but to keep the derogation regardless. The policy is to sacrifice water quality where it cannot be improved with modest interventions, to support agricultural exports. The Minister has a small chance of rescuing the lagoon from the fate of Lough Neagh by acting decisively to reduce nutrient pollution and to fund the required measures, but I won't be holding my breath. Sadhbh O'Neill is a climate and environmental researcher