Written Answers Nos. 223-234
223. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the waiting times for persons to receive an appointment at the rheumatology department at Our Lady's Hospital in Manorhamilton, County Leitrim, specifically for those waiting three months, six months, nine months, 12 months or greater than 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27927/16]
View answerIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
224. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the total number of appointments which have been made with respect to patients from County Donegal and the number of whom have accessed rheumatology services at Our Lady's Hospital in Manorhamilton, County Leitrim, following the cessation of outreach clinics at Letterkenny University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27928/16]
View answerIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
225. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the number of transgender persons here who have been diagnosed with HIV; and the way in which transgender persons are categorised in the current statistics. [27934/16]
View answerHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a notifiable disease covered by the Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Regulations 2016. The HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre collects and collates data nationally on new HIV diagnoses. At present, data that would allow the separate categorisation of transgender people is not systematically collected on new HIV diagnoses. Transgender people are a group that may be at higher risk of HIV infection and the systematic capture of this information will be considered, as part of on-going review of HIV surveillance.
226. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health when a physiotherapy appointment will issue for a person (details supplied) in County Galway in view of the fact that this person has been waiting for an appointment for some time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27949/16]
View answerAs this question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy.
228. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if psychological assessment will be arranged for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27993/16]
View answerAs this is a service issue, I am referring your question to the HSE for direct reply.
230. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of 2016 ANC payments for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27802/16]
View answerAn application under the 2016 Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme was received from the person named on 16 May 2016. The application was processed and payment under the scheme issued at the earliest possible date of 20 September.
As the person named had outstanding debts owed to my department in respect of cross compliance penalties realised for years 2012 and 2013 (15% and 81% respectively) this money was recouped from the 2016 ANC payment.
231. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an appeal application by persons (details supplied). [27805/16]
View answerThe person named submitted an application for an allocation of entitlements under the 'Scottish Derogation' measure of the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme.
Under EU Regulations governing the Scottish Derogation measure of the Basic Payment scheme, processing of applications involves administrative checks to verify that the applicant had been actively farming in the Beef, Dairying, Sheep or Arable sectors on 15 May 2013. The applicant in this case applied on the grounds of Beef production. Upon review of the evidence available to the Department, the applicant was found to have no production of Beef on 15 May 2013 and was advised in writing that his application was rejected. The applicant appealed this decision and his application was fully reviewed. However there was no evidence provided to alter the Department's decision. The applicant was advised that their appeal was unsuccessful and was provided with the option to further appeal to the Independent Appeals Committee.
An application for an Appeal was received by the Department on 19 September 2016 and will be forwarded to the Independent Appeals Committee who will carry out a full review of the case.
232. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a farm payment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27823/16]
View answerThe person named has been approved under Tranche 1 of GLAS with a contract start date of 1 October 2015. GLAS applicants with a start date of 1 October 2015 are entitled to a 2015 part-year payment in respect of 2015 eligible actions, covering the three month period 1 October 2015 - 31 December 2015.
My Department received a request to withdraw a parcel approved for the Low Input Permanent Pasture action from the approved GLAS application and this delayed the processing of the payment. The agricultural advisor of the person named then submitted a request to GLAS section cancelling the withdrawal of this parcel. Department officials sought and have now received confirmation of this request from the person named.
The application has been processed on this basis and will be included in the next pay run for payment in respect of the 2015 scheme year, which is due to issue shortly.
233. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to provide an additional €11 million in respect of a dairy package so as to match in full the EU allocation which was recently announced and in which Ireland secured €11 million as part of a €350 million aid package; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27842/16]
View answerI am fully aware of the pressures on farmers right now and I have committed to working with all the stakeholders, both at national and EU level, to address these issues and ensure that we continue to have a sustainable and resilient sector. In order to address the ongoing difficulties in the Dairy markets at EU and international level, the Commission presented a further package of measures at the Agri-Fish Council on 18 July 2016. The main component of the package is a fund of €500 million, which in turn comprises two elements:
- The first is a €150 million EU-wide measure to compensate farmers for reducing their milk output in the final quarter of 2016 compared to the same period in 2015 (at a rate of 14c/kg). The detailed rules regarding this measure were agreed at EU level on August 25 and the Commission provided the legal provisions to give effect to this measure earlier this month. The Scheme is currently being implemented in Ireland and some 4,400 milk producers have applied, indicating that they propose to reduce milk production by 72 million litres in the Oct – Dec 2016 period over the same period last year.
- The second element of the EU July 2016 package, to which the Deputy refers, is a €350 million fund that will be allocated to Member States in the form of national envelopes, which each Member State can use in accordance with domestic circumstances. Whilst eligibility criteria will apply, Member States are afforded a large degree of flexibility in terms of the measures they might adopt. Ireland’s allocation from the fund will be €11.09 million. Member States will be required to notify the Commission by 1 November 2016 of the measures to be adopted.
I will consider the question of additional national funding in the context of the overall budgetary process and taking into account the finite resources available and the demands from across the agri food sector.
234. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will ensure that an ANC payment to a person (details supplied) will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27845/16]
View answerThe person named submitted a 2016 Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme application on 12 May 2016. Processing of the application is ongoing. Once this process is completed the application will be further reviewed with a view to payment issuing directly to the nominated bank account of the person named at the earliest possible date.
