Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 9 Jul 2015

Vol. 886 No. 4

Topical Issue Debate

Cancer Screening Programmes

Deputy Helen McEntee

I thank the Minister of State for being present to discuss this issue. One of the first Topical Issues I raised here, with my colleague, Deputy Kieran O'Donnell, regarded an extension of BreastCheck, the national screening programme to detect breast cancer among women. At the time, women aged between 50 and 64 could avail of this programme, but there was evidence that women from the ages of 64 to 69 were also at quite a high risk.

The figures show that 87 women's lives would be saved a year if this was introduced. Thankfully, in last October's budget, the Minister for Health, Deputy Varadkar, agreed to this change and to extend it. No doubt by the end of the year or next year, the figures will show that countless lives will be saved.

We also have a screening programme called CervicalCheck for young women. At the age of 25, they receive a letter - it is something I received - to tell them that they can avail of a free smear test to check for cervical cancer. Sometimes young women can be shy or nervous about doing this, but when one gets a letter to say that the service is there, that it is free to avail of and that other young women of the same age are availing of it, one is more likely to go. These two services, combined with raising awareness on a national scale, will continue to save lives.

We have begun to talk about cancer a lot more in recent years than we have done in the past. It is not the secret that people kept a long time ago and the more we talk about it, the more we raise awareness.

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men in Ireland, apart from non-melanoma skin cancer which is a non-invasive cancer. Some 29% of all men diagnosed with cancer have a diagnosis of prostate cancer. It can be detected by a simple blood test. As with most cancers, if one diagnoses it early the likelihood of beating the disease and making a full recovery is extremely high.

However, sometimes men are reluctant to visit GPs. I hope men do not mind me saying this, but sometimes they have to be on their death-bed before they go to a GP or before their other half or a family member makes them go. If it were part of a screening programme and if they were to receive a letter to encourage them to go, it might encourage more men to do so. For example, a couple of weeks ago a gentleman in my constituency - he is not somebody who I would know - had a two-page article in the local newspaper essentially telling his story. He was 57 years old when he found out he had prostate cancer and it tore his world apart. He managed to survive it. One point he made with which I would agree is that there was no national programme to encourage men. There is advice but if men were to receive a letter through the door stating the service is there for them to avail of, they would be more likely to take it on board.

According to the statistics, over 3,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year. Sadly, approximately 500 of those will lose their lives. A startling figure is that 11% of all cancer deaths in Ireland are those of prostate patients.

I would ask the Minister to look at this. Previous studies have shown that there is not sufficient evidence to recommend the introductory programme but if one were to look at further figures, one in 10,000 men under the age of 40, one in 38 aged between 40 to 59, and one in 14 for ages 60 to 69 will be diagnosed. If one thinks of one's grandfather, father, brothers, uncles, cousins and neighbours and work colleagues, the likelihood is high of one, two or many more of those having prostate cancer in a couple of years' time and I do not see how introducing a screening programme that could detect this early would do any harm. Somebody stated it would do more harm than good but I do not see how that would be the case. This is an extremely important issue. CervicalCheck and BreastCheck have saved lives and I think we need something similar for men.

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin)

I thank Deputy McEntee for raising this important issue. The importance of early detection of cancer is fully accepted by Government. Population-based screening programmes are an important element of early detection and have been introduced for cancers in Ireland where international evidence supports this approach. At present, available evidence has given rise to population-based screening programmes being recommended for bowel, breast and cervical cancer and such programmes have been introduced here.

However, there is currently insufficient evidence to recommend the introduction of a prostate cancer screening programme. Instead, the focus is on the early detection of such cancers through rapid access clinics that have been established in the eight designated cancer centres. These clinics provide access to early diagnosis and multidisciplinary decision-making for prostate cancer, with patients who are deemed to be at higher risk being fast-tracked to the clinics. Men referred to these prostate clinics undergo comprehensive assessment, with appropriate imaging and biopsies.

Apart from non-melanoma skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in Ireland. In recent years, the rapid access prostate clinics have seen between 2,400 and 2,800 men annually. Approximately 1,300 of these patients each year have had a diagnosis of a prostate cancer, a diagnosis rate of 40%. It is vital, therefore, that men are aware of the symptoms of prostate diseases and present early to their GP. The Deputy's comments about the reluctance of men to do this sometimes are well made.

Last month my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, launched clinical guidelines on the diagnosis, staging and treatment of patients with prostate cancer. These guidelines, which were approved by the national clinical effectiveness committee, represent a significant step forward in dealing with prostate cancer in Ireland.

Survival from cancer has improved markedly in recent years and is expected to increase further when the long-term effects of the reforms in cancer care under the current cancer strategy, including screening programmes, impact more fully. However, it is predicted that the total number of cancer cases will rise in the coming years, with better diagnosis combined with an increasing, and aging, population.

The Department of Health is currently working on the development of a national cancer strategy to provide the focus for cancer control for the next decade. A steering group has been established to inform this work. The Department of Health is currently running a public consultation process on the new strategy and I would encourage individuals, organisations and Members of this House to contribute to the process before the closing date of 24 July.

Deputy Helen McEntee

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I acknowledge we have the rapid access prostate clinics but, as he stated, it is for men who have been referred on. One of the biggest problems is that men are less likely to go to their GPs and they are less likely to be referred on if they do not get to that stage.

I suggest something as simple as a letter encouraging men. It is difficult to have an open-ended scheme, as with CervicalCheck or BreastCheck, as one must pick a certain age demographic. Men aged between 60 and 69 have a one in 14 chance of developing prostate cancer and six in ten cases are found in men over the age of 65, and it would be possible to start something like this targeted at those ages where it is most prevalent.

As I said, 3,000 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed this year in Ireland. Ireland has the fourth highest incidence of prostate cancer in 27 EU countries and this is 50% higher than the EU average. I would urge the Minister of State to take this on board because no Member of this House can say he or she does not know somebody who has had prostate cancer. The same is so with breast cancer or cervical cancer. It is extremely important and I thank him for taking this issue.

Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

On the consultation process on the new national cancer strategy, I would encourage individuals and organisations the Deputy might know to contribute to that process before the closing date of 24 July.

The Department of Health and the national screening service in the HSE will continue to review emerging international evidence on screening, including any developments that arise in relation to prostate cancer. The final point I would make is that any man who has a concern about possible prostate cancer should seek the advice of his GP, who will, where necessary, refer him to a rapid access clinic. I take on board the points made by the Deputy.

National Monuments

Deputy Sandra McLellan

I raise this issue today because of concerns regarding the proposed auction of the Project Jewel loan portfolio now under the control of NAMA. It is my understanding that this portfolio includes the 1916 national monument, 14 to 17 Moore Street, situated in heart of the last extant 1916 battlefield. Can the Minister confirm if this is the case?

This site, which spans from 14 to 17 Moore Street has been described as the most important historic site in Irish history by the National Museum. Any continuing uncertainty regarding the future of this historic area is totally unacceptable to the relatives of the founding fathers of the nation as we approach the centenary of the Rising.

To sell it to private investors who will doubtless have little regard as to its significance beyond its commercial potential is unacceptable and an affront to Ireland's people and history. We must protect this battlefield site. The 1916 freedom quarter must be removed from the NAMA property portfolio. It cannot be allowed to become a shopping centre, as has been planned by Chartered Land. It must be respected for its historic and cultural significance, which far outweigh commercial gain. It is a key part of our history and heritage, yet NAMA has refused to meet the cross-party Oireachtas Moore Street committee members to discuss it. Has consideration been given to the implications the sale and any future work will have on the national monument? Is the €5 million set aside by NAMA for the restoration of the monument still available? Will the Minister of State confirm whether there has been any consultation with the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht or the National Museum on the sale of this portfolio, known as Project Jewel, by NAMA?

Yesterday, the Oireachtas cross-party group, relatives and other stakeholders made a formal request to An Taoiseach for the protection of the 1916 national monument. As we move into the centenary of one of the most defining moments in Irish history, we are asking the Taoiseach and the Government to act swiftly and decisively to ensure our heritage is honoured appropriately.

Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan

Táimid buíoch go bhfuil an t-ábhar seo á phlé againn inniu toisc go bhfuil sé práinneach. For decades, the Moore Street site has been allowed to fall into neglect and dereliction. This is embarrassing, particularly with the centenary approaching next year. Nos. 14 to 17 have been designated a national monument. A figure of €5 million is floating around, but who costed the buildings? They form part of what the National Museum has called a battlefield site. It is our Gettysburg, our Alamo. Apart from the fact that the people from the GPO evacuated to those houses and Nos. 14 to 17 were the scene where they discussed a surrender, the surrounding streets saw the deaths of up to 2,000 people. There are stories on Henry Street, Henry Place, Moore Lane, Moore Street and the renamed O'Rahilly Parade. It is all a battlefield site.

In recent months, more than 10,000 signatures have been collected by volunteers every Saturday on Moore Street to save it. They belong to ordinary Dubs and others who come to shop on Moore Street. With its rich culture and history, they do not want to see it extinguished. It is in danger. The late Eamonn Mac Thomais used a great phrase: "Me jewel and darlin'". He did not have it in mind that Project Jewel would become part of selling off the area lock, stock and barrel.

Even though the area is designated one of special planning control and much of it is included in an architectural conservation area, there is a danger of the site being sold to sovereign funds from the Middle East, the Far East and elsewhere. There is a great deal of confidence that the sale will be of interest to the Blackstones of this world that have been buying up a range of distressed properties. Our group handed in a letter to the Taoiseach and copies were sent to every Minister. What responsibility will the Government take for this national monument and battlefield site? It is the guardian of our national monuments.

Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

I am aware of reports that NAMA is seeking buyers for the loans it holds in respect of the commercial entity that owns the Dublin central development site that includes the national monument at Nos. 14 to 17 Moore Street. Contrary to the impression being created by some of those reports, the fact is that it is loans and not properties for which NAMA is seeking expressions of interest. I am concerned that an entirely false picture is being painted about the sale of the national monument itself. It is being sold. However, the buyer is the State and not some banker or venture capitalist, the State that will safeguard and restore it to how it was in 1916, and the State that will develop a 1916 commemorative centre on the site as a solemn and fitting tribute to the 1916 leaders who held their final war council meeting there. This decision by the Government was made to bring the national monument into public ownership, secure its long-term future and complete the development of the proposed 1916 commemorative centre as quickly as possible. The Government's decision will not in any way be affected, delayed or otherwise impinged upon by any disposal of NAMA's loan books. The national monument site is being removed from the NAMA portfolio sale.

Deputy Sandra McLellan

Good.

Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

As part of the transfer of ownership to the State, all loans will be discharged over the monument site and all necessary licences and wayleaves will be put in place to carry out the national monument works.

I want to be as clear as I can in the hope that it will dispel the attempt at confusion and uncertainty that has always been the hallmark of certain parties that seem to be more anxious for nothing to happen than to see the monument properly restored and opened to the public. At the risk of repeating myself, the position is that the acquisition of Nos. 14 to 17 Moore Street by the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht on behalf of the State is in progress and will, I expect, be completed shortly. What is more, the Minister made this clear in the House in the past two weeks in answer to several parliamentary questions from Deputy McLellan.

This is the clearest possible demonstration of the Government's commitment to acknowledge and mark the historical importance of the site in a positive and substantive way and to guarantee, secure and safeguard the long-term future of this historical landmark. The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht is actively engaged with the monument owners and other relevant parties to conclude the transfer of the property into State ownership as quickly as possible. This process is nearing completion. In common parlance, the sale is agreed.

The Minister is also considering the best way to restore the buildings in order for the commemorative centre, the plans for which are being developed in consultation with the 1916 Relatives Association, to open at the earliest possible date. The Minister has informed the House on innumerable occasions that her functions in this case arise from the preservation order that was placed in 2007 on Nos. 14 to 17 Moore Street under the National Monuments Acts with the objective of protecting No. 16 as the site of the final council of war and final headquarters of the leaders of the 1916 Rising. The acquisition and restoration of the monument buildings by the State for the people is the clearest possible statement of how seriously the Government has taken this objective.

The commemorative centre to be housed in the restored monument buildings will be developed and run as a public facility that will enhance and complement the 1916 visitor facility being developed in the GPO from where the insurgents retreated to the Moore Street buildings. I look forward to it being completed and to seeing the public going through the doors in the centenary year of the most momentous events in our country's history.

Deputy Sandra McLellan

I thank the Minister of State for his response, which I welcome. While he made it clear that the national monument was not part of Project Jewel, I still have concerns about the sale and the implication of future works in the surrounding area. I welcome the Minister of State's confirmation that the purchase of the national monument by the State is nearing completion. I hope that the completion date will be soon, as 2016 is fast approaching. Nos. 14-17 Moore Street and the surrounding area have been an issue in this Chamber since I was elected, and probably long before then. The national monument is a derelict site and a national disgrace. The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht is its guardian, so it is for her to protect it.

When and how will the €5 million be spent? Have the building structures and newly discovered cellars at the national monument been surveyed by suitably qualified experts? If not, when will that happen? Has consideration been given to extending the protection of national monument status to other 1916 buildings and structures identified by the Frank Myles-Shaffrey battlefield report as having direct links to the Rising? Will any restoration work take place prior to 2016 or will we still be looking at a derelict site?

Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. More clarification on the figure of €5 million and how the restoration of Nos. 14 to 17 will be funded is required. The 10,000 plus signatures that I mentioned were more concerned with saving Moore Street than just Nos. 14 to 17. The street has been described as a battlefield site. I mentioned other stories. The Taoiseach described the area as the lanes of history, so the rest of the Moore Street site is of great importance. There is significant potential for an historical and cultural quarter linking the GPO, Moore Street, the Rotunda where the surrender occurred and the Parnell monument where the men lined up while waiting to be moved to Richmond Barracks, Kilmainham Gaol and the North Wall Quay to be taken off to the camp in Frongoch.

We still do not have an independent survey of the site. Our group in the Dáil asked for a meeting with NAMA. Deputy Wallace was told to go to NAMA with his issues, yet we could not get a meeting to address these issues.

Deputy Sandra McLellan

No.

Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan

What of the battlefield site, which was not covered in the Minister of State's answer?

Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

I wish to emphasise that the Minister has no function in the operations of NAMA and has no role in the disposal of its loans or assets. The Minister's involvement in the Moore Street issue, as she has made clear countless times, arises from the preservation order that was placed in 2007 on Nos. 14 to 17 under the National Monuments Acts.

Any plans or proposals for the wider area outside the confines of the national monument are the responsibility of Dublin City Council as the planning authority. Redevelopment plans for the area have received full planning permission from An Bord Pleanála. The properties around the national monument are in private ownership. They are not subject to the Minister's remit under the National Monuments Acts.

The historical significance of the fundamentally intact building at No. 16 as the final headquarters of the 1916 Rising was the determining factor when the decision was taken to make the preservation order. These buildings are the only substantially authentic, original and intact pre-1916 buildings on the street. They are the only buildings that retain significant original elements that would have been there in 1916, including staircases, partitions, plaster work, doors, floors, fittings and fixtures. Above all, Nos. 14 to 17 also contain the physical evidence of the presence of the insurgents in the form of the openings broken through party walls as they tunnelled their way up the street. All of these elements are being retained, secured and permanently safeguarded as a result of the Government's decision to assume ownership of the national monument.

The Minister is pressing ahead as speedily as possible to acquire the site, carry out the restoration work and have the 1916 commemorative centre open to the public. I wish I had a better timeline for the Deputies, but I do not. I look forward to the day work gets started on the Moore Street project. All of our citizens can look forward with pride to the day it opens its doors to welcome the public as a fitting testament to the men and women of 1916 and what they fought for. There are more discussions to be had, not least with the traders who occupy the street and do their daily business there. Subject to agreement, we hope to have a wrap going around those four buildings in the very near future. This will be a solid indication of the Government's intention to establish a lasting monument to the sacrifices of those who fought that week and had their final meetings in this historic building.

Agriculture Industry

Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Ann Phelan, for coming to the House to debate this important issue. The decline in Common Agricultural Policy funding means that the issue of price has to take centre stage. I have been telling the Minister for three years that it is absolutely vital for him to realise that the price issue cannot be left simply to market forces. The reality is that there has been a significant decline in the price of milk, which is currently 22% lower than it was in July 2014. The decrease we have had here is slightly bigger than the average decrease of 18% across the EU. I will put that in monetary terms. According to the ICMSA, every cent that is cut from the farmgate milk price is costing the average farmer between €3,000 and €6,000 per annum. For the average dairy farmer, that means a loss of approximately €30,000, which is a huge amount of money. Given that the processing cost is 28 cent per litre, it is clear that we are approaching the point at which no profit will emerge from the production of a litre of milk. People with low gearing ratios who have been in farming for a long time can probably ride it out, but this is a significant challenge for people who have got into very heavy investments. I will elaborate on the major worry in this regard. We see the uncertainty in the world. Russia imposed a sudden ban because of things that could not have been foreseen three or four years ago. I will explain what the Minister has allowed to happen. The intervention price in the EU is 20 cent a litre. We need a safety net at 28 cent a litre. In other words, the intervention price should be 28 cent a litre. An intervention price of 20 cent is nonsensical because that is the world market price anyway. One can always sell one's product at that low level.

We have seen a massive decline in sheep prices. I know the Minister of State will probably read the same answer that she was given to read in the Seanad yesterday, when she spoke about technology adoption programmes and everything else. We could have a big debate about EU schemes, but tonight is not the night for it. Therefore, the Minister of State can skip that part of her reply. The issue here is price. In other words, farmers want to get their price in the market. I am particularly interested to know what the Minister, Deputy Coveney, intends to do on two issues. If he does not make sure there are constant live exports to provide for competition in the market, we will be in a bottleneck situation where the market is controlled by a very small number of processors. This is particularly concerning because we do not have a food ombudsman here like they have in Britain. I have two questions. First, can the Government ensure we get the full capacity for live exports? We need to have markets for live exports, and live exports need to be facilitated in every way. Second, can the Government confirm my understanding that if one sends a 25 kg lamb into the factories to be killed, one will be paid for just 21.5 kg?

Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice

That is correct.

Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív

I do not believe the factories are throwing 3.5 kg of meat into their skips. My view is that if one's lamb is killed at 25 kg, one should be paid for 25 kg. Can the Minister not insist at all the beef and sheep forums he is so keen on that farmers are paid on the basis of the full weight of the animals they send in? This seems to be another way for the factories in a monopoly situation to depress the price artificially. I would be really grateful if the Minister of State could address the specific issues I have raised. I refer to the issue of the intervention price, the question of what is being done about live exports and the need for farmers to be paid on the basis of the full weight.

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Ann Phelan)

The Deputy is right when he says I spoke on this issue in the other House yesterday. It is important for me to reiterate what I said on that occasion. The Deputy will appreciate that I am responding on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Coveney, who is in Galway today for bilateral meetings with the EU Fisheries Commissioner, Karmenu Vella. The Deputy has spoken about market developments in the sheep and dairy sectors, which are two of the most important elements of our agri-food industry. I will deal with the sheep sector first.

Primary output from the sheep industry is worth approximately €230 million. This value has grown significantly in recent years. More than two thirds of our output is exported. In 2014, exports totalled almost 48,000 tonnes, with a value of €218 million. The sheep sector in Ireland is heavily dependent on the export market because domestic consumption is approximately 30% of overall production. France and the UK continue to be our core markets. The French market usually represents twice the size of the UK market. This reflects the strong demand and reputation in France for Irish lamb and the consumer preference in the UK for the British product. I am aware that the sheep farmers are vulnerable to price fluctuations. While prices are subject to the normal dynamics of the marketplace, the Government has provided a range of financial and structural supports to the sector that can help to make it more resilient and position it to avail of development opportunities.

On the issue of sheep prices, my Department monitors average sheep prices and sheep slaughtering figures on a weekly basis because the two are clearly inter-linked. While the recent movement on prices has been disappointing, it is not out of line with the trend experienced in other countries and there have been some signs of recovery this week. I am satisfied that recent movements do not point to a structural difficulty within the overall sheepmeat sector, but instead reflect the fluctuations that can happen at this time of year. The latest available figures show that after a strong first quarter in 2015, when the average Irish price was approximately 11% more than in the same period in 2014, prices have fallen back. This change in price in recent weeks is probably due to a combination of various factors. Supplies are in full flow at present due to seasonal factors. At the same time, there are poor market conditions. This is believed to be driving down average prices as measured on a weekly basis.

While this recent dip in prices is disappointing, it remains the case that at the end of June the average year-to-date price was running at approximately 4% ahead of the price for the same period last year. This week prices have started to rise sharply again, and demand for sheep and lamb from factories is very strong.

In recognising the vulnerability of sheep farmers, the Minister has introduced a number of measures to help drive on-farm viability. These include the sheep technology adoption programme, STAP, which was introduced in 2013 and has played a major role encouraging technology adoption on farms, while also requiring participants to undertake a number of farm tasks. These farm tasks make use of the best technologies available to sheep farmers in Ireland while also encouraging improved breeding. STAP is currently in its third and final year. An average of approximately 4,000 farmers have participated in the scheme each year, and total funding of more than €6.5 million was spent in 2013 and 2014.

Various other schemes in the rural development programme, RDP, are also of direct relevance to the sheep sector. For example, the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme, GLAS, will benefit sheep farmers, and they will continue to be significant beneficiaries from the areas of natural constraint scheme. A series of capital investment schemes is being introduced under the TAMS II scheme. It must also be remembered that the sheep grassland scheme, under which more than €65 million was invested in Irish sheep farms during its lifetime, has now been included in the direct payment of each sheep farmer under revised CAP arrangements. The Food Wise 2025 report launched last week also includes included a number of recommendations relating to the sheep sector, and the Minister will put in place a robust implementation process to monitor progress on implementation.

Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív

One can do anything with figures, and unfortunately the Minister of State's colleague is a genius with this. The Minister says the change in price in recent weeks is likely due to a combination of various factors and the fact that supplies are in full flow at present due to seasonal factors. However, if there are a large number of sheep coming to the market at a low price and the price is very high in the spring, when there are very few sheep available, the high price is not much good to the farmer because of the number of sheep coming out. If one looked at the average price paid for sheep, one would find that it has been a very bad year for lowland sheep to date. What is being done to stimulate live exports to maintain competition for the factories?

The Minister said the market was subject to the normal dynamics of the marketplace. Of course farmers will say that because of what they call the hourglass effect of farming - that is, many producers and many consumers but very few processors and multiples in the middle. There is no normal dynamic in the middle. The processor and the multiples have overweening power. It is interesting that the Minister's erstwhile colleague, Commissioner Phil Hogan, shares my concern about the price issue and about what can be done to curb the power of the small number of major multiples. All of the lamb goes to the continental market; virtually nothing is exported outside the EU at present. I look forward to hearing the Minister's response on this.

I have a second question. Will the Minister of State accept that when the Minister amalgamated the sheep grassland scheme, particularly for hill sheep farmers, most of them were under €150 per hectare? By 2019, all of that money will be eroded because they will be at the €150 figure, but they would have been at that figure anyway. The way the Minister handled the grassland scheme is of no benefit to most hill farmers in the longer term. It was a disastrous decision. What is the Minister of State's view on that?

With regard to milk, there appears to be great confidence that the market will rise. However, it might not. I listened to a report about China yesterday. It said that China might have a classic stock market bubble of the same type that the US experienced in the 1920s. It is ordinary citizens who invested in the stocks and shares. If that is the case, purchasing power will go down. What contingency is in place if there is a collapse in milk prices? The best on offer at present is the intervention price of 20 cent, which is 8 cent below the production cost. What will the Minister do to get the intervention price up to 28 cent per litre?

Deputy Ann Phelan

The price situation in Ireland is broadly replicated in other EU member states, reflecting the global nature of the problem. Using cross-country comparable data from the European Milk Market Observatory, the most recently available complete data shows that the milk price in Ireland is, as the Deputy said, approximately 22% below the price in the same month in 2014 and slightly above the 19% decrease on average across the EU.

The Minister's focus now is on ensuring that the correct balance of policies and supports are in place so the Irish dairy sector can overcome the effects of volatility over the next period. The Minister will continue to push for the deployment and extension of EU market supports, such as aids to private storage and intervention, where appropriate. A number of other measures have been introduced by the Minister and the Government to assist Irish dairy farmers, including the introduction of a number of agri-taxation measures in last year's budget, such as extending the income averaging to five years, which will be of great assistance to dairy farmers wishing to manage volatility; the introduction of a scheme to facilitate the repayment of the superlevy bill by farmers over three years, which the Minister expects will be heavily subscribed; and engagement with Irish banks to ensure that access to credit for the dairy sector is available, competitive and responsive to market volatility.

A combination of these measures, allied to the investment and expertise of our dairy farmers and processors, means that the Irish dairy sector remains well placed to realise its potential in years to come and to meet the challenges of market volatility along the way. Both the dairy and sheep sectors are, and will continue to be, integral elements of our agrifood sector, and I and the Department are fully committed to their development.

National Standards Authority of Ireland

Deputy Bobby Aylward

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise the struggles that small and medium-sized businesses, SMEs, are facing in Carlow and Kilkenny as a result of State inefficiencies and bureaucracy.

SMEs make up over 99% of businesses in the enterprise economy in Ireland and account for almost 70% of people employed. Put simply, our local businesses are the heart of our economy. These businesses create and sustain employment in every community across this country. While large multinationals boost employment in larger urban areas such as Dublin, it is local businesses that ensure the economic recovery is felt across all communities, including in Carlow and Kilkenny. We regularly hear that the Government wishes to promote local businesses in expanding their orders, winning contracts and increasing employment. The Taoiseach has repeatedly stated that he wants Ireland to be the best country in the world in which to do business. We support that ambition. However, despite all the talk, press releases and policy announcements, situations still arise in which State agencies impose unnecessary delays and inefficiencies which are undermining local companies that are ambitious and wish to build up their businesses.

I will illustrate my point with the example of a small business in Carlow which is losing important business due to significant delays by the National Standards Authority of Ireland, NSAI, in issuing the company's compliance certificates. Keltruck Bodies Limited is a company that manufactures truck bodies. It employs 13 full-time staff in its workshop on O'Brien Road in Carlow town. Every truck body the company manufactures must be certified by the National Standards Authority of Ireland. It currently takes between four and six weeks for the NSAI to certify a truck body from Keltruck Bodies. This means that four to six weeks are added to the wait time for customers.

The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Bruton, stated in a response to my party leader on this matter on 13 May that the time for review should only be two weeks. The equivalent process in the UK can be carried out within 24 hours by its standards authority. Many of the customers of Keltruck Bodies are UK based and the company is losing exports to the UK due to the four- to six-week wait for a compliance certificate from the NSAI.

This is a perfect example of how the State is undermining local businesses in their quest to compete nationally and internationally. One cause for the delay is clearly reduced staff levels in the National Standards Authority of Ireland with staff numbers reducing from 168 when the Fianna Fáil Party was last in government to the current figure of 140. These delays are having a dramatic impact on local companies in their desire to expand their business. I call on the Minister to address the issue immediately.

This is another example of red tape gone mad. The company in question is willing to export but must wait between six and eight weeks for certificate of compliance from the NSAI. The business employs 19 people and I ask the Minister to address the problem. The same certification can be obtained in the United Kingdom within 24 hours. Why do companies trying to survive and maintain employment have to wait between four and six weeks for a certificate of compliance? I ask the Minister to do something about the problem.

Deputy Ann Phelan

I am pleased to be able to reply to my constituency colleague, Deputy Bobby Aylward. The National Standards Authority of Ireland, NSAI, operates as the approval authority for related directives, 2007/46/EC, under the European Communities (Road Vehicles: Entry into Service) Regulations (S.I 157 of 2009) made by the then Minister for Transport, which requires that all member states have national approval schemes implemented through to October 2014.

The automotive approvals process relies heavily on technically competent assessors to process the applications. Applications for certification are processed by the NSAI on a first come, first served basis. Since the beginning of the year, the NSAI has received 3,108 individual vehicle approval, IVA, applications, of which it has completed 2,843. As of 9 July 2015, 196 files are being processed and these have been in process for an average of 3.5 weeks.

In response to the increasing workload, the NSAI tendered in 2014 for an alternative service delivery, which commenced from January 2015 with Applus for the provision of technical assessors. Owing to the regulatory and technical nature of the assessment process, it was not possible to increase processing capacity rapidly as the sourcing, training and induction of engineers takes a period of approximately six months before they become competent in the approvals process. In addition, staff training reduces the time spent on processing. While the addition of new resources was necessary to address the backlog, in the initial stages this is disruptive and impacts on the existing resource as training is necessary.

In addition to resources issues, the processing times also reflect the technical nature of the approvals process itself, the unavoidable requirement on industry to build in an adequate provision for the automotive approvals timescale and the registrations cycle for new vehicles, which are in January and mid-year. However, with regard to the three companies in the Carlow-Kilkenny area which have applications in process, I am informed by the NSAI that company A currently has no outstanding applications; and company B has submitted 35 applications since January this year, of which 24 have been approved and 11 are in the process of approval. A number of applications are awaiting responses to queries which need to be addressed before the approval can be completed; and company C has submitted 79 applications since January this year, of which 64 applications have been processed and 15 are awaiting processing. Again, there are queries which need to be addressed before approval is completed.

Approvals of a number of outstanding applications have not been completed as a result of queries from the NSAI to the applicants about the applications. This can cause long delays as application forms must be fully completed before being processed. Another contributing factor is the delay in separate approvals processes for different types of commercial vehicles which is outside the control of the NSAI. Against this background, I encourage companies to inquire directly with the NSAI about the progress of their applications. In this context, the NSAI has been working with individual companies experiencing pressure points to prioritise applications, according to the company's needs.

I will supply the remainder of the reply to the Deputy if he wishes as it deals with some technical issues.

Deputy Bobby Aylward

While I welcome the explanation provided, I do not agree with it. As late as last week, the company in question informed me that it is still waiting between four and six weeks to be granted a certificate of approval. The Minister of State tells me a different story but I am sure the company knows best.

The Minister of State and I share the same constituency and she knows the area well. Everyone knows that small and medium enterprises are the lifeblood of the economy. Outside Dublin, between 70% and 80% of employees are employed in the SME sector. Any Government worth its salt would do everything in its power to help these enterprises, as all of us must do.

As I stated, this company has 19 employees and is willing to do a job but is being held up by bureaucracy. Is the National Standards Authority of Ireland fit for purpose? Does it have a sufficient number of employees to do its job? In the United Kingdom, the authorities can provide certification to similar companies within 24 hours. Only a few kilometres across the sea on this island, businesses seeking similar certification face a wait of between four and six weeks. There is something wrong with this and either the Minister or the NSAI should take responsibility for the problem. The NSAI must become more efficient. A waiting period of one or two weeks would make some sense but a waiting period of between four and six weeks does not make any sense. I ask the Minister of State to relay that message to the Minister and tell him that something needs to be done about this issue.

I asked my party leader, Deputy Micheál Martin, to raise this issue in the Dáil on my behalf in May after receiving a complaint while canvassing in the Carlow-Kilkenny by-election. I raise the issue again as a newly elected Deputy because no progress has been made for the company in question since Deputy Martin raised it. I do not want to raise it again in the House in three or four months' time. This company is willing to export and generate income for the country. Someone must do something about this issue and I ask the Minister to act immediately.

Deputy Ann Phelan

Perhaps the remainder of the written reply will go some way towards explaining the technical and staff issues and information technology requirements involved in this matter.

By the end of October, the NSAI expects to operate consistently to the two weeks target and sustain it thereafter with the exception of the surge in new certification applications in January and February to which I referred.

I remind industry to take note of all the technical information required in the application form and ensure forms are complete before submission to the NSAI. Otherwise they will be queried and delays will ensue.

I accept the points Deputy Aylward has made and give an undertaking to raise them with the Minister.

Deputy Bobby Aylward

Technical issues are not the problem. The issue is the long processing time required for certification applications.

Deputy Ann Phelan

Companies must complete the form correctly as it involves a technical assessment. As I pointed out, queries have been raised in respect of a number of applications. If the companies in question dispute this, the Minister asks that they engage directly with the NSAI to resolve any queries that arise.

The Dáil adjourned at 7.50 p.m. until 10 a.m. on Friday, 10 July 2015.