Tuesday, 28 Jun 2016

Written Answers Nos. 450-469

Hospital Waiting Lists

Questions (454)

Robert Troy

Question:

454. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health to set out the status of a hospital appointment for a person (details supplied). [18545/16]

Written answers

Minister for Health

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.

The National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2014, has been developed to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care. This policy, which has been adopted by the HSE, sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists.

In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.

Question No. 455 withdrawn.

Veterinary Medicines

Questions (456, 457, 458, 461, 462, 463)

Clare Daly

Question:

456. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine why he took no action to ensure that Irish producers of organic farmed salmon meet the requirements under European Commission Regulation No. 710/2009, given that the Food Safety Authority of Ireland was alerted in February 2016 that organic salmon was being marketed here without the warning required to inform consumers that the product had been treated with chemical veterinary products; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17940/16]

Clare Daly

Question:

457. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline his plans to ensure that the public is made aware of when chemically treated organic salmon is marketed, as required under European Commission Regulation No. 710/2009. [17941/16]

Clare Daly

Question:

458. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine why he took no action to ensure that Irish producers meet the requirement to protect the consumer, given that organic salmon is being marketed without the warning required under European Commission Regulation No. 710/2009 to inform consumers that the product had been treated with chemical veterinary products; and his plans to address this and to protect consumers. [17942/16]

Clare Daly

Question:

461. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware that the European Commission Regulation No. 710/2009 requires that packaging states clearly when a product has been treated with chemical veterinary products; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17937/16]

Clare Daly

Question:

462. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline his plans to ensure that stocks of organic salmon treated with chemical veterinary products are clearly identifiable to the consumer and that any products on the market without this warning are withdrawn from the market and no further organic products permitted on the market without meeting European Commission Regulation No. 710/2009. [17938/16]

Clare Daly

Question:

463. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine why his Department holds no relevant records, given that the European Commission Regulation No. 710/2009 requires that whenever veterinary medicinal products are used such use is declared to the control body or the control authority before the animals are marketed as organic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17939/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

I propose to take Questions Nos. 456 to 458, inclusive, and Questions Nos. 461 to 463, inclusive, together.

Under Commission Regulation No. 710/2009 of 5 August 2009, the use of veterinary treatments is permitted in certain circumstances, provided the governing conditions are adhered to.

If veterinary medicinal products are used, such use must be declared to the Control Body or the Control Authority before the animals are marketed as organic. My Department, as the Competent Authority, has delegated control tasks to five Organic Control Bodies, who receive all such declarations and hold all relevant records.

In addition, Regulation 710/2009 provides that treated stock are to be clearly identifiable. In the case of fish, for example, this means that any batches of fish that have been treated can be identified at the point of production, to ensure amongst other things that the required withdrawal period for the treatment in question is being observed. However, this is an issue of record keeping, not labelling of packaging. Organic operators meet this requirement by maintaining information at their premises giving details of the purpose, date of application, method of application, type of product and relevant withdrawal period, as well as by the declaration of such use to the Control Body and by making all required information available to the Control Body.

It is also important to note that the withdrawal period between the last administration of any such veterinary treatment and the production of organic produced foodstuffs from such animals is twice the withdrawal period applicable for non-organic production for the medicine in question. If the fish are treated in full compliance with the provisions laid down in the Regulation, then they fulfil all the requirements of organic production and may be labelled and sold as such.

Teagasc Courses

Questions (459)

Brendan Griffin

Question:

459. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to request Teagasc to review a person's (details supplied) eligibility for inclusion in a course and to grant permission to the person to participate in it as a matter of priority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17920/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Teagasc is the main provider of further education in agriculture, food, horticulture, forestry and equine studies. The assessment of eligibility for a Teagasc training course is solely an operational matter for Teagasc and I have no function in this matter.

I understand that the person concerned submitted an application to Teagasc for the Distance Education Green Cert Eligibility for this course is restricted to holders of a “Level 6 or Higher Major Award” in a non-agricultural discipline. The onus is on the applicant to provide proof that their award meets this entry requirement.

Teagasc reviewed the application submitted by the person in question and it was found that her award did not meet the educational eligibility criteria for the Distance Education Green Cert. She was informed that her application could not be processed further.

However, it is open to her to apply to join either the Teagasc Green Cert part-time or full-time training programmes for which there are no minimum education requirements. Further information on course availability is obtainable from her local Teagasc education officer.

GLAS Payments

Questions (460)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

460. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to set out the status of a payment to a person (details supplied) under the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17931/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

An application under Tranche 1 of GLAS was received in my Department on the 16 May 2015 and the person named was approved into the GLAS 1 with effect from 1 October 2015. There are a number of applications, including that of the person named, remaining which have not passed all of the Department’s pre-payment validation checks for the 2015 part-year payment. The Department is continuing to investigate these issues including the correction of any IT or data issues with a view to all these remaining cases meeting the payment validation checks so that they will be paid the full amount of their 2015 part-year payment at the same time the 2015 GLAS balancing payment is due to issue.

Questions Nos. 461 to 463, inclusive, answered with Question No. 456.

Agriculture Industry

Questions (464)

Alan Farrell

Question:

464. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether the primary function of the agricultural sector is the provision of public goods; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17943/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The Irish agricultural sector is multi-functional and provides a range of benefits to the economy in terms of economic competitiveness, environmental and social sustainability and land management. In addition to the economic importance of the sector, there are a wide range of public goods associated with agriculture; including social benefits for rural communities, as well as significant environmental benefits in relation to landscape, biodiversity, water quality and carbon sequestration and mitigation.

The agri-food sector is Ireland’s largest indigenous industry, contributing €26 billion in turnover and 7.6% of GDP. In 2015, the sector accounted for around 8.4% of total employment, making a particularly significant contribution to employment in rural and coastal areas.

2015 saw the publication of Food Wise 2025 which sets out a ten-year strategy for the agri-food sector. It underlines the sector’s unique and special position within the Irish economy, and illustrates the potential for this sector to continue to grow. The strategy sets out the key actions required to maximise the contribution of the sector to economic growth, job creation and environmental sustainability over the next decade.

Rural Recreation Policy

Questions (465)

Jim Daly

Question:

465. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline the schemes his Department has rolled out in recent years; his plans to encourage and reward farmers to allow walking trails on their land; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17973/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

My Department administers numerous schemes for the agri-food, forestry and marine sectors and provides services across a wide range of areas under the remit of the Department. Details of all schemes and services available are outlined in my Department’s publication “Schemes and Services 2014-2020”, copies of which are available from any of the Department’s offices around the country or from my Department’s website www.agriculture.gov.ie. Copies of the booklet are also available at some Teagasc offices.

Where possible application dates for schemes are included in the Schemes and Services booklet. Otherwise detailed terms and conditions and application dates are announced and publicised in advance of scheme operation dates.

I am aware that my colleague, the Minster for Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht, has responsibility for the Walks Scheme which is a trail maintenance scheme where landholders receive support to maintain sections of National Way Marked Ways and other priority walks that traverse their lands. A Programme for a Partnership Government contains a commitment to expand the Walks Scheme, and plans in this regard are due to be developed in 2016 subject to available funding.

Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme

Questions (466)

Brendan Griffin

Question:

466. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to set out the status of an application by persons (details supplied) under the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme 2; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17974/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The applicants in question have applied under Tranche 3 of the Animal Welfare, Safety and Nutrient Storage Scheme with their application finalised on the online system on 15 June 2016. This tranche closed on 24 June 2016 and the administrative checking of all applications received is ongoing.

Single Payment Scheme Payments

Questions (467)

John Paul Phelan

Question:

467. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine why the single farm payment in respect of a person (details supplied) has not yet issued; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18023/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

EU Regulations governing the Basic Payment Scheme provide that all farmers who were eligible to receive a direct payment greater than €100 in 2013 (Single Payment, Grassland Sheep Scheme, Burren Life Scheme, Beef Data Scheme) have an automatic allocation right under the Basic Payment Scheme in 2015.

The person named submitted a 2014 Transfer of Entitlements application seeking the transfer of 20.33 Single Payment Scheme entitlements by gift as transferee. This application was fully processed and the entitlements were transferred to the person named. As neither the transferor of the entitlements in 2014 nor the person named had received a direct payment in 2013 no allocation right had been established under the Basic Payment Scheme. The 2013 Single Payment Scheme entitlements expired on 31st December 2014.

Basic Payment Scheme Applications

Questions (468)

Brendan Griffin

Question:

468. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he will complete a review of a 2015 basic payment scheme application by a person (details supplied). [18036/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The above named submitted an application for the Basic Payment Scheme which was received in the Department on 29 May 2015. The application was processed with payments issuing to the nominated bank account in November and December 2015.

The above named claimed on 2014 forestry parcels and these have recently been updated to forestry eligible under the terms of the Basic Payment Scheme and allocated a Reference/Maximum Eligible Area accordingly. This revised position will now be examined by my officials in the context of his current entitlement allocation under the Scheme.

Basic Payment Scheme Applications

Questions (469)

Pat Breen

Question:

469. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 530 of 24 May 2016 to outline the status of an application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18048/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

An application under the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme was received in my Department from the person named on 12 May 2015. Full payment due to date under the Scheme issued to the nominated bank account of the person named in October and December 2015. A further final balancing payment will issue this week.