Seán Canney
Question:405. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health when front line workers in an organisation (details supplied) will be paid the Covid bonus payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7985/23]
View answerCovid-19 Pandemic
Questions (405)
Written answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly.
Covid-19 Pandemic
Questions (406)
Seán Canney
Question:406. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health when front line workers in an organisation (details supplied) will be paid the Covid bonus payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7986/23]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly.
Hospital Appointments Status
Questions (407)
Robert Troy
Question:407. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite an appointment for surgery for a person (details supplied). [8017/23]
View answerWritten answers
Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Nursing Homes
Questions (408)
Richard Bruton
Question:408. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health the rate of indexation on deferred nursing home payments in 2021, 2022 and projected for 2023; the way they compare to the cost of Government borrowing to fund the carryover of such debt; and his views on the significant gap emerging; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8020/23]
View answerWritten answers
As this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Community Care
Questions (409)
Cian O'Callaghan
Question:409. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the proportion of respite places available in CHO9 compared to the other CHO areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8022/23]
View answerWritten answers
As this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Disability Services
Questions (410)
John McGuinness
Question:410. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health when a speech and language service will be provided to a child (details supplied) considering that children’s disability network team identified this as a high priority due to the complexities of the child’s disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8034/23]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Hospital Services
Questions (411)
Seán Canney
Question:411. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health when secretarial support will be provided at the neurology clinic in UHG; if he is aware that 400 patients who have been seen at the clinic have not had their letters sent to their GPs updating them on patient information; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8035/23]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Hospital Procedures
Questions (412)
Michael Fitzmaurice
Question:412. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health when the blood results of the microarray test conducted in April 2022 at Portiuncula University Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway on a child (details supplied) will be made available to the family; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8042/23]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Agriculture Schemes
Questions (413)
Matt Carthy
Question:413. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the expected timeframe to open a liming scheme announced as part of Budget 2023; the proposed payment rates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7769/23]
View answerWritten answers
Funding of €8 million was announced for a Liming Measure as part of Budget 2023.
The Liming Measure is being introduced by my Department to incentivise the use of lime, a natural soil conditioner, which corrects soil acidity by neutralising the acids present in the soil and in turn allows for an improvement in overall soil health and biodiversity as well as improved nutrient use efficiency. This in turn facilitates a reduction in fertiliser use.
My officials are currently finalising the Terms and Conditions of the scheme which, subject to approval from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, is expected to launch shortly.
Once approval received, I will then be in a position to announce further details around the operation of the measure and the associated payment rates.
Forestry Sector
Questions (414, 415, 416)
Alan Farrell
Question:414. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to detail the current capability for the Irish forestry sector to produce timber that can be used in cross laminated timber manufacturing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7780/23]
View answerAlan Farrell
Question:415. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views regarding the supply of load-bearing timber in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7785/23]
View answerAlan Farrell
Question:416. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the production of timber in Ireland suitable to be used in glue-laminated timber glulam manufacturing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7786/23]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 414 to 416, inclusive, together.
Ireland's forests are an expanding natural resource and cover 11.6 % of our total land area. This equates to an area of 808,848 hectares as outlined in Ireland's recent National Forest Inventory. The total area in public ownership is now 49.1%.
Successive forestry programmes have provided significant funding to create new forests by private landowners which has facilitated this expansion. There are now in total over 23,500 forest owners who planted new forests in the last 30 years.
Ireland's forests are producing in excess of four million cubic metres of roundwood per year and production is set to increase to over seven million cubic metres by 2035. This expansion in production is creating a wide variety of opportunities by providing wood for construction and as a source of renewable energy. Innovation in the use of timber products has seen significant changes in the way we use wood in construction.
For example across Europe and Canada we see significant amounts of cross laminated timber and a variety of different glum laminated products, particularly in modern methods of construction.
My Department has funded a number of research projects which examined the use of different construction methods and also examined in detail the timber properties of tree species growing in Ireland. Irish timber is excellent for a wide variety construction types and is very suitable for a range of products including cross laminated and glulam timber.
Ireland does not have a cross laminated timber production plant and developing one would require a significant expansion of the market and considerable capital investment. Currently Ireland's forest resource is processed by a number of large sawmills and panel board mills who provide a range of products such as sawn timber, medium density fiber board and orientated strand board.
The use of home grown timber in construction is strength graded and used in a wide variety of applications. The majority of Irish timber is suitable for all construction types when the appropriate strength class is selected.
While it is common for Irish manufactures of timber frame building to import higher strength classes from more slower growing regions of northern Europe, there are opportunities to substitute this material with home grown timber.
For example, in Scotland, where species and growing conditions are similar to Ireland, they manufacture timber frame buildings using home grown timber.
The Climate Action plan 2023 and our new Forestry Strategy, which will be published shortly, recognises the importance of using wood in construction and the significant opportunities to reduce carbon emissions from buildings by substituting materials such as concrete and steel.
My Department is currently working with other Departments and industry stakeholders to help create the conditions to increase the use of wood and lead to more sustainable buildings in the future.
More work needs to be done in this area and you will note the Government supported the recent motion in the Seanad on 30th November 2022 which called for more wood to be used in construction.
Question No. 415 answered with Question No. 414.
Question No. 416 answered with Question No. 414.