Written Answers Nos. 491-501
491. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine with regard to Shannon Callows flooding scheme, if this is only covering the Shannon Callows special area of conservation; the reason there was there no reference to this when the scheme was announced; if he can justify why one farmer is being paid compensation and the adjoining framer is not eligible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3009/24]
View answerFollowing exceptional flooding in the Shannon Callows during summer 2023, on 7 November 2023 I announced the launch of the Shannon Callows Flood Scheme. The aim of the scheme is to support farmers who have lost fodder due to flooding in the region during summer 2023. I have allocated funding of approximately €800,000 which will allow for a payment rate of up to €325 per hectare. This is for LPIS parcels in the Shannon Callows impacted as determined by my Department's Earth Observation team, utilising the Area Monitoring System, and which were claimed by farmers on their 2023 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) application.
My Department has contacted the farmers that the Earth Observation team, utilising the Area Monitoring System, identified as having been impacted by the flooding, providing them with a simple application form for them to sign and return if they wish to apply for the support. Farmers are asked to confirm they have lost fodder as a result of the exceptional flooding in order to receive payment.
A total of 230 expression of interest letters including the application form were issued on the 17 November 2023 and a further 47 expression of interest letters including the application form issued on the 7 December 2023, with 268 out of 277 now paid.
The Shannon Callows is designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage are responsible for this designation. However, specific designation of a parcel as Natura or not, is not a factor in the eligibility of a parcel, but rather its location within the Shannon Callows and evidence of sufficient flooding.
492. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine with regard to Shannon Callows flooding scheme, if he is aware of farmers with ten hectares or more flooded but they have only been paid for a proportion of these lands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3010/24]
View answerFollowing exceptional flooding in the Shannon Callows during summer 2023, on 7 November 2023 I announced the launch of the Shannon Callows Flood Scheme. The aim of the scheme is to support farmers who have lost fodder due to flooding in the region during summer 2023. I have allocated funding of approximately €800,000 which will allow for a payment rate of up to €325 per hectare. This is for LPIS parcels in the Shannon Callows impacted as determined by my Department's Earth Observation team, utilising the Area Monitoring System, and which were claimed by farmers on their 2023 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) application.
My Department has contacted the farmers that the Earth Observation team, utilising the Area Monitoring System, identified as having been impacted by the flooding, providing them with a simple application form for them to sign and return if they wish to apply for the support. Farmers are asked to confirm they have lost fodder as a result of the exceptional flooding in order to receive payment.
A total of 230 expression of interest letters including the application form were issued on the 17 November 2023 and a further 47 expression of interest letters including the application form issued on the 7 December 2023, with the majority of those now paid.
Payment is made on LPIS parcels in the Shannon Callows and determined by my Department's Earth Observation team, utilising the Area Monitoring System, as impacted by flooding and which were claimed by farmers on their 2023 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) application.
493. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine with regard to Shannon Callows flooding scheme, the reason the farmers along the Suck Callows, Cross River and the little Brosna River have been excluded from the scheme despite the fact that the lands have been flooded due to the upstream flow of waters from the River Shannon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3011/24]
View answerFollowing exceptional flooding in the Shannon Callows during summer 2023, on 7 November 2023 I announced the launch of the Shannon Callows Flood Scheme. The aim of the scheme is to support farmers who have lost fodder due to flooding in the region during summer 2023. I have allocated funding of approximately €800,000 which will allow for a payment rate of up to €325 per hectare. This is for LPIS parcels in the Shannon Callows impacted as determined by my Department's Earth Observation team, utilising the Area Monitoring System, and which were claimed by farmers on their 2023 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) application.
My Department has contacted the farmers that the Earth Observation team, utilising the Area Monitoring System, identified as having been impacted by the flooding, providing them with a simple application form for them to sign and return if they wish to apply for the support. Farmers are asked to confirm they have lost fodder as a result of the exceptional flooding in order to receive payment.
A small number of LPIS parcels along the River Suck, Cross River and the Little Brosna River that are within the Shannon Callows area are included within the Shannon's Callows Flood Scheme.
A total of 230 expression of interest letters including the application form were issued on the 17 November 2023 and a further 47 expression of interest letters including the application form issued on the 7 December 2023, with 268 out of 277 paid as of 19 January 2024.
494. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine with regard to Shannon Callows Flooding Scheme, if the Sentinel satellite data aerial monitoring system is incapable of picking up images of water in the middle of the Callow land if grass is growing 3/4 ft high; the reason other open source satellite data which could identify water in such circumstances was not used; if any on the ground checks were performed by his Department to verify the data; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3012/24]
View answerFollowing exceptional flooding in the Shannon Callows during summer 2023, on 7 November 2023 I announced the launch of the Shannon Callows Flood Scheme. The aim of the scheme is to support farmers who have lost fodder due to flooding in the region during summer 2023. I have allocated funding of approximately €800,000 which will allow for a payment rate of up to €325 per hectare. This is for LPIS parcels in the Shannon Callows impacted as determined by my Department's Earth Observation team, utilising the Area Monitoring System, and which were claimed by farmers on their 2023 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) application.
My Department has contacted the farmers that the Earth Observation team, utilising the Area Monitoring System, identified as having been impacted by the flooding, providing them with a simple application form for them to sign and return if they wish to apply for the support. Farmers are asked to confirm they have lost fodder as a result of the exceptional flooding in order to receive payment.
Using satellite data to identify those most impacted represents the most appropriate mechanism to verify the baseline criteria required to establish eligibility for the scheme and to ensure much needed funds are received by farmers in a prompt manner. Imagery captured by the Copernicus Sentinel satellites is publicly available and utilising a flooding marker, provides clear identification of flooding in the Shannon Callows between 02 July 2023 and the 29 September 2023. The Department identified flooding in Sentinel 1 images based on the low backscatter returns from water surfaces. The spatial resolution of the image is 10 metres, meaning a majority of a 10 metre x 10 metre area must be flooded. Sentinel 1 was used in the analysis to pick up flood events as it is not impacted by clouds in the same way as Sentinel 2 is. There is other open-source satellite data available, but it is of coarser resolution and is also impacted by cloud cover.
Given that the scheme was announced in November 2023, and that seasonal flooding is a feature of the Shannon Callows, ground checks were not a feasible option for confirming flooding that occurred between 02 July 2023 and 29 September 2023.
A total of 230 expression of interest letters including the application form were issued on the 17 November 2023 and a further 47 expression of interest letters including the application form issued on the 7 December 2023, with 268 out of 277 paid as of 19 January 2024.
495. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will clarify whether the transfer of data and/or records from his Department that is transferred to other departments, State bodies and local authorities is in aggregated form or on an individual basis; and the reason the data and/or records are provided. [3075/24]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware from PQ 57204/23, the formalisation of data sharing processes was introduced by the GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 and supplemented by the Data Sharing and Governance Act 2019, with the commencement of sections 6(2) and (3) of that Act coming into operation on 16th December 2022.
My Department and the Offices under its aegis share both aggregated and person-specific data sets with Public Sector Bodies, including other Government Departments and in certain cases with State bodies, agencies, and local authorities. Any data sharing undertaken is in line with the Government’s Data Strategy 2019-2023 and is underpinned by appropriate legislative provisions.
The Department is legally required to share person-specific or personal data in certain situations such as providing taxation data to the Revenue Commissioners, Statistical data to the CSO, or HR related data to the NSSO (National Shared Services Office).
From an administrative perspective, the sharing of data with the referenced entities also facilitates efficiencies for government bodies and customers by not unnecessarily seeking data multiple times from relevant stakeholders. Such personal data sets that are shared are varied in nature depending on the type of services that are being provided to our customers.
Importantly, all the necessary governance arrangements, as underpinned by relevant legislative provisions, are put in place in connection with the sharing of personal data in these circumstances.
My Department operates in line with our legal requirements in this area and adheres to advice provided by the Data Protection Commission in the processing and sharing of personal data
496. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide an update on plans to provide a community neurorehabilitation team in all nine CHOs; the timeline he is working towards for each CHO; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2422/24]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible. The Deputy will be aware that due to the ongoing industrial action by FÓRSA administrative and management grade staff in the HSE (which commenced on 6 October, 2023), delays remain in receiving answers to parliamentary questions and ministerial representations.
The HSE has been engaged with Fórsa through the auspices of the WRC in an effort to resolve the dispute but a resolution has not been reached as of yet.
497. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the reason a person (details supplied) is waiting on an appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2452/24]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible. The Deputy will be aware that due to the ongoing industrial action by FÓRSA administrative and management grade staff in the HSE (which commenced on 6 October, 2023), delays remain in receiving answers to parliamentary questions and ministerial representations.
498. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if any plans are in place to replace, or to find a temporary replacement for, the psychologist currently on long-term maternity leave from a centre (details supplied). [2467/24]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible. The Deputy will be aware that due to the ongoing industrial action by FÓRSA administrative and management grade staff in the HSE (which commenced on 6 October, 2023), delays remain in receiving answers to parliamentary questions and ministerial representations.
499. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there are plans to set up a community neuro-rehabilitation team in CHO9; if he could provide a timeline for the establishment of a neuro-rehabilitation team in CHO9; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2554/24]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible. The Deputy will be aware that due to the ongoing industrial action by FÓRSA administrative and management grade staff in the HSE (which commenced on 6 October, 2023), delays remain in receiving answers to parliamentary questions and ministerial representations.
500. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the level of respite services available in Cavan and Monaghan for children and for adults; the proposals to extend and improve the range of such services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2895/24]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible. The Deputy will be aware that due to the ongoing industrial action by FÓRSA administrative and management grade staff in the HSE (which commenced on 6 October, 2023), delays remain in receiving answers to parliamentary questions and ministerial representations.
501. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will outline the procedures in place relative to the oversight of services being provided by property owners housing Ukrainian families and international protection applicants to ensure that all aspects of the contract are being adhered to; and if he is satisfied that the procurement process and oversight are robust and transparent. [2953/24]
View answerAs part of my Department’s contractual arrangements with Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTP) accommodation providers, a number of requirements must be met in terms of service provision. This includes delivery of key services: laundry, meals in serviced accommodation and cooking facilities in self-catering accommodation, and compliance with all obligations in relation to health and safety matters are clearly set out.
Where my Department becomes aware of potential issues with a provider or where a specific concern is raised by residents, officials will request an inspections by an independent inspections company. Where appropriate, inspections are unannounced. The inspector will provide a report and any confirmed breaches of requirements are followed up with the accommodation providers. Failure to address contractual breaches may impact on payments to a provider or, in severe cases, could lead to the termination of contracts.
A Request for Tender (RFT) has recently been published to procure inspection services under two lots; one for BOTP accommodation and the other for IP accommodation. In the case of BOTP inspections, the RFT provides for a scheduled inspection programme for a proportion of BOTP accommodation under contract. It is anticipated that the contracts will be in place in the coming weeks.
In relation to the standards being used to determine the suitability of accommodation locations, in relation to permanent (non-emergency) International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centres, IPAS has taken steps to support adherence to the National Standards through its contract arrangements with accommodation centres. The National Standards meet the requirements of the relevant legislation – the EU (recast) Reception Conditions Directive which Ireland opted into in June 2018. These standards were adopted by Government in 2019 and have been in effect since the beginning of 2021.
As part of contractual arrangements with accommodation providers the Department sets out a number of requirements which providers must meet in terms of service provision, including delivery of key services, laundry, meals (including cultural/dietary requirements) in serviced accommodation and cooking facilities in self-catering accommodation, and compliance with all obligations in terms of health and safety, child protection etc. Any alleged breaches of the foregoing are investigated by the Department.
The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) will monitor permanent International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centres against National Standards as part of transitional arrangements for moving to the new model. Regulations providing for this were commenced this month and inspections will be conducted against National Standards throughout 2024.
