Written Answers Nos. 409-427
409. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health his proposals for accommodating the requirements as set out by physiotherapists and physical therapists, with particular reference to their respective positions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33806/16]
View answerThe Physiotherapists Registration Board established its register under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 with effect from 30 September 2016. This ensures that the specified title of physiotherapist will be protected for the exclusive use of registrants when the register’s two-year transitional period ends in September 2018.
Earlier this year, my predecessor, Deputy Leo Varadkar, having consulted with relevant parties, concluded that protecting the title of physical therapist under the Act as a variant of the title of physiotherapist would be the best way to eliminate the ongoing risk of title confusion and the consequent risks to public safety. He also decided to allow particular existing users of the title of physical therapist, who are not physiotherapists but who hold qualifications of a certain standard, to continue to use the title.
New grand-parenting provisions will allow such practitioners to apply, on a once-off basis and for a limited period, to register in the physiotherapists register, confining their practise to musculoskeletal therapies.
I am implementing these decisions which were welcomed by the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists and the Irish Association of Physical Therapists.
Preparation of the necessary legislation to give effect to these decisions is now at an advanced stage. The legislation will involve the making of regulations under the 2005 Act in tandem with the enactment of necessary amendments to that Act to allow existing qualified title users to continue to use the title. It is my intention to seek Government approval to include these amendments to the Act in a Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill that is currently being drafted by the Parliamentary Counsel to the Government.
410. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure that necessary funding is made available to a group (details supplied) to expedite orthotics for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33807/16]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for reply to the Deputy.
411. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health the terms of the review under way into arterial pumps (details supplied); the timeline for completion of the review; the number of requests to fund the machines that have been turned down during this review process; the number of requests pending; his views on the difficulties being encountered by persons who need this equipment but cannot access it owing to this review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33853/16]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for reply to the Deputy.
412. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Health if there is assistance available to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare in relation to the purchase of a medical aid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33866/16]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for reply to the Deputy.
413. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if national lottery funding is available at present through his Department to support the work of community groups; if so, if there are specific programmes eligible for grant assistance; the details of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33265/16]
View answerThe Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is not in receipt of any National Lottery Funding.
414. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider making the 70% advance payment to farmers on the basic payment scheme and the greening to those whose payments are delayed due to digitisation, partnerships and inspection cases and so on as this will greatly assist farmers in the current income crisis at farm level and any penalties found can be deducted from the balance payment of 30%. [33348/16]
View answerI am pleased to confirm that advance payments under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) commenced in Ireland on 17 October 2016 in respect of applicants whose applications are fully processed and who have no outstanding errors. This is the earliest that payments can commence under the governing EU Regulations. The level of advance payment was set at 70% for 2016 rather than the 50% provided for in the EU legislation.
To date payments in excess of €768m have issued to over 116,500 applicants. Regular payment runs are being made in respect of all applicants whose applications are fully processed and who have no outstanding errors. There are currently approximately 11,000 applicants with an allocation of entitlements where further processing is required.
Balancing payments of 30% are scheduled to commence on 1st December.
It should also be noted that the processing of the 2016 applications under the Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme is currently in progress. To date payments of some €183m have issued to some 84,500 applicants. Regular payment runs are being made in respect of all applicants whose applications are fully processed and who have no outstanding errors.
This brings the total amount paid to farmers over the past ten weeks to over €950 million.
The processing of applications under the Basic Payment Scheme is a complex administrative task and one that remains a top priority for my Department.
The Basic Payment Scheme is fully funded by the European Union and the relevant Competent Authorities in each Member State are obliged to ensure that the requirements of the governing EU Regulations are observed and that only valid applications that fully comply with the requirements are paid. The administration of the Scheme in each Member State is subjected to close scrutiny by officials of the EU Commission and the EU Court of Auditors to ensure that the regulatory requirements are met and that the Schemes are applied in a uniform manner across the European Union.
All applications under the Scheme are subject to administrative checks, with a further 5% also subject to land eligibility inspections in compliance with EU legislation.
Where issues preventing payment are identified contact is immediately made with the applicant concerned in order to resolve the query. Work is well under way in resolving the queries that have arisen following these checks and farmers are being contacted as necessary.
I am keenly aware that the advance payment of the BPS is a vital support to farmers across sectors in maximising cash flow and my Department will continue to prioritise the processing of all outstanding cases.
415. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if officials in his Department were aware that the board of HRI did not know that the chairman of the board had been making representations on its behalf to his Department regarding the reappointment of the CEO without its knowledge before the reappointment was approved by his Department. [33360/16]
View answerHorse Racing Ireland (HRI) is a commercial state body established under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001, and is responsible for the overall administration, promotion and development of the horse racing industry.
My Department's natural assumption upon receipt of a letter from the chairman was that the question of reappointment of the CEO had been discussed at the board. A final HRI board decision on the reappointment or agreement on a contract could not have been made until the necessary Ministerial consents had been obtained.
I have indicated previously that it would have been more appropriate for the board to have had a full discussion on the case made by the chairman prior to its submission. I understand that the chairman accepts this. I further understand that the board has issued a statement confirming that the chairman’s actions and intentions reflected its views regarding the CEO’s contract, but recognising that a more collegiate approach would have improved the process. The Board's statement also indicated that the best result was achieved for HRI and the industry with the completion of a new contract.
It was never the case that an appointment could have been made other than by the Board.
416. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to bodies represented by board members of HRI, which bodies are in receipt of funding, provided by taxpayers, from HRI for the body which they represent on the board of HRI, whether directly or indirectly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33361/16]
View answerHorse Racing Ireland (HRI) is a commercial state body established under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001, and is responsible for the overall administration, promotion and development of the horse racing industry.
The composition of the board of HRI is provided for by the Horse Racing Ireland Act, approved by the Oireachtas in 2016. The Act provides for a broad spectrum of representation from the Irish horseracing industry, both North and South of the Border, and includes representatives of the Racing Regulatory Body, authorised racecourses, breeders, owners, stable staff and the betting sector.
In addition, the HRI Act 2016 provides for three Ministerial nominees, and these will be appointed through the Public Appointments service. A number of nominating bodies receive funding from HRI. This is inevitable, but I am satisfied that the configuration of the board is appropriate, with a sufficiently broad spectrum of representation and processes and procedures which provide for reasonable checks and balances in the system.
417. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total overall amount of Exchequer money paid to Galway racecourse in the years 2006 to 2016; the amounts paid for each of the individual years of 2006 to 2016 to date, allocated by HRI to Galway racecourse by way of grant aid and or by any other form of aid or grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33362/16]
View answerHorse Racing Ireland (HRI) is a commercial state body established under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001, and is responsible for the overall administration, promotion and development of the horse racing industry.
The question raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for HRI. However, I have made inquiries on the matter. Galway racecourse makes a significant economic contribution to the region and I understand that the Galway Festival alone is estimated to be worth approximately €54 million annually to the local economy. Approximately €11.6 million in grants were paid to Galway Racecourse over the 10 years 2006 to 2016. This includes grants paid under capital schemes and marketing schemes.
418. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to outstanding or pending disputes and-or court cases which may impact on the ability of Horse Racing Ireland to provide services to the racing industry from the funding it receives from the Exchequer, in view of the fact that its budget would be impacted on and reduced in the event of an adverse finding by a court; if his attention has been further drawn to any contingency sum being set aside and-or being provided for by HRI to meet any potential liability in such an event; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33363/16]
View answerHorse Racing Ireland (HRI) is a commercial state body established under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001, and is responsible for the overall administration, promotion and development of the horse racing industry.
HRI has informed me that no outstanding cases would have any impact on their ability to provide services to the racing industry from the funding it receives from the Exchequer.
419. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the fact that included in the operating costs of Horse Racing Ireland in 2013 there is notification and a receipt of €1.5 million arising out of a High Court order concerning amounts due to a subsidiary company, some of which had previously been written off; if he will provide the name of that subsidiary company of HRI; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33364/16]
View answerHorse Racing Ireland (HRI) is a commercial state body established under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001, and is responsible for the overall administration, promotion and development of the horse racing industry.
This is an operational matter for HRI and is the subject of court proceedings. It would not therefore be appropriate for me to comment on this matter.
420. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will confirm that in addition to grant aid being provided by HRI to Irish racecourses in the financial year of 2014, Irish racecourses also received an additional total figure of €22,616,000 from the sale of media rights, divided among racecourses commensurate to the number of race meetings held by any particular racecourse; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33365/16]
View answerHorse Racing Ireland (HRI) is a commercial state body established under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001, and is responsible for the overall administration, promotion and development of the horse racing industry.
Under section 61(2) of the Irish Horseracing Industry Act 1994 the property rights in relation to any broadcast of any part of a race-fixture or any photography, film or sound recording taken or made for commercial purposes at a race-fixture shall vest in the executive of the authorised racecourse concerned.
HRI has informed me that while the total amounts received are a commercial matter for racecourses, in the Petrus Report, produced and published on behalf of the Association of Irish Racecourses in 2013, the media rights annual total was stated as €19.972m and it showed that 'without media rights income, racecourses would have experienced aggregate losses of over €13.7 million. This shows the very high level of dependency of racecourses on this revenue stream.
421. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the fact that expenditure on a company (details supplied), a subsidiary of Horse Racing Ireland, increased from €1.6 million to €1.8 million in 2014; his views on whether discernible value accrues to HRI and to the general public from this expenditure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33366/16]
View answerHorse Racing Ireland (HRI) is a commercial state body established under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001, and is responsible for the overall administration, promotion and development of the horse racing industry.
While the matter referred to by the Deputy is an operational matter for HRI, they have informed me that Irish Thoroughbred Marketing (ITM) promotes Ireland as the leading source for the production and sale of quality thoroughbreds worldwide, and as a premier country in which to own, breed and buy thoroughbreds. This kind of marketing and promotion is a critically important element in the development of the Irish Thoroughbred sector.
Public auction turnover at Irish sales increased by 10% in 2014, and exports of Irish foaled horses increased by 4%.
422. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an application for TAMS by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33386/16]
View answerThe person named submitted an application under the Young Farmer's Capital Investment Scheme of TAMS II on 28 September 2016, under tranche 4. All applications received in a given tranche must be checked to ensure that all administrative issues are in order. Once this process is complete a ranking and selection is carried out and all eligible applications within the available tranche budget are sent to the local office for final technical appraisal before approvals issue. It should be noted that the submission of an application under a TAMS II measure does not mean automatic approval. Processing of applications received under tranche 3 is underway and processing of applications under Tranche 4 will be begin shortly.
423. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an ANC payment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33387/16]
View answerAn application under the Area of Natural Constraints Scheme was received in my Department from the person named on 21 April 2016.
Payment under the scheme issued directly to the nominated bank account of the person named on 7 October 2016. This payment was subject to a 3% cross compliance penalty in relation to landscape features following a ground eligibility inspection.
424. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a TAMS grant for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33390/16]
View answerThe person named submitted an application for grant-aid under the Young Farmer's Capital Investment Scheme on 10 June 2016, tranche 3 of TAMS II. All applications received in a given tranche must be checked to ensure that all administrative issues are in order. Once this process is complete a ranking and selection is carried out and all eligible applications within the available tranche budget are sent to the local office for final technical appraisal before approvals issue. In this case the applicant was not selected in tranche 3 and will be rolled over to tranche 4 for re-examination. It should be noted that the submission of an application to the TAMS II scheme does not mean automatic approval.
425. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an appeal by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33391/16]
View answerAn application from the person named under Tranche 1 of GLAS was received in my Department on the 13 May 2015.
Following the Departments pre approval validation checks the application was unsuccessful and therefore was not selected for admission to the scheme.
The original assessment of this application is currently under review and the outcome of this review will be notified directly to the person named as soon as it is finalised.
426. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an application for funding by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33393/16]
View answerThe application submitted by the person named to the online TAMS system is the subject of ongoing examination. A number of queries in relation to the application have been raised with the applicant.
A query letter issued on 9 September 2016 for internal dimensions required on drawings for all investment items on the application. Officials from the Department have been in ongoing contact with both the person named and his advisor in an effort to resolve the outstanding issues with this application and a number of meetings have taken place. When the outstanding issues are resolved the Department will be in a position to arrange for approval to issue.
427. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an application for TAMS II by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33394/16]
View answerThe person named submitted an application for grant-aid under the Animal Welfare, Safety and Nutrient Storage Scheme, Tranche 3 of TAMS II on 21 June 2016. The application is undergoing a series of administrative checks. Once these are completed, the application will be then checked for technical issues in the local office before approval issues.
