Written Answers Nos 214-224
214. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Health the provisions being made for rheumatology services in the new children’s hospital at Saint James's; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21362/17]
View answerIn relation to the query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service issue, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
215. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Health if the new children’s hospital in Saint James's will have a dedicated rheumatology unit with an infusion suite; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21363/17]
View answerIn relation to the query raised by the Deputy, as this is as service issue, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
216. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Health his plans to provide regional outreach clinics and services for children suffering with rheumatology conditions from regional areas particularly the north west; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21364/17]
View answerIn response to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
217. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the national shortage of hedge plants for the purpose of planting hedges under GLAS; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that this is affecting the ability of persons to meet hedge planting requirements by the deadline as prescribed in their GLAS plans; if he will provide flexibility in view of the hedge plant shortage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21183/17]
View answerHedgerow planting was an available action under tranche 1 of the GLAS scheme and due to the fact that the delivery target for the entire programming period to 2020 was exceeded in the first tranche, this action was suspended for tranche 2 & 3 applications.
Farmers who selected this action in tranche 1 were required to have new hedgerows planted by 31 March 2017. No issue in relation to the supply of plants has been brought to the attention of my Department and indeed when the action was suspended representations were made by nurseries to reinstate the action.
218. Deputy Eamon Scanlon 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. [21259/17]
View answerAn application under the 2016 Basic Payment (BPS) and Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) Scheme was received form the person named on 28 April 2016. Processing is now complete and payment has issued directly to the nominated bank account of the person named on 27 April 2017.
219. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a GLAS payment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21264/17]
View answerThe person named approved into GLAS 1 with a contract commencement date of 1 October 2015 and has been paid in full in respect of the 2015 scheme year.
During the 2016 prepayment checking process issues were identified with the consistency of parcel use between Basic Payment Scheme and GLAS with regard to the Wild Bird Cover action. Department officials will be in contact with the applicant directly to resolve these issues with a view to further processing the application for payment at the earliest opportunity.
220. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) does not qualify for basic payment scheme entitlements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21268/17]
View answerThe person named submitted a 2014 Single Farm Payment/Disadvantaged Areas’ scheme application on 15 May 2014. EU Regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks, including in some cases Remote Sensing (i.e. satellite) inspections, be completed to confirm eligibility under the schemes.
The application of the person named was selected for a Remote Sensing inspection. Initial processing of this inspection identified a requirement to verify the eligibility of land declared by means of a field inspection. Pending the outcome of this field visit payment under the 2014 Single Payment Scheme was processed based on the area declared by the person named and issued on 9 December 2014.
The subsequent field visit, to verify the position on the ground, identified discrepancies between the area declared and the area determined resulting in an over-declaration in area of greater than 20%. Based on the terms and conditions of the scheme this resulted in no payment being due under the 2014 Single Payment Scheme. The person named was notified of the outcome of this field visit by letter issued on 7 April 2015. The person named was also notified of their right to seek a review of this decision. To date no such request has been received.
As payment had already issued under the 2014 Single Payment Scheme, my Department is required to recover any overpayment from future payments issuing to an applicant. The person named was notified of this process by letter dated 21 April 2015.
Department records show that the person named claimed 6.10 hectares in 2016 and held 6.10 Basic Payment Scheme entitlements.
221. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the publication date for the maps of the areas of natural constraint scheme; the consultation period thereafter; the expected presentation date to the European Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21290/17]
View answerUnder the Rural Development Regulation each Member State must designate areas eligible for payments under the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) scheme. The ANC scheme replaces the previous Disadvantaged Areas Scheme/Less Favoured Areas Scheme. The designation of eligible areas under these schemes to date has been based on a range of socio-economic factors. Under the new designation, eligible areas must instead be designated using a set list of bio-physical criteria. In cases where a Member State does not introduce this new system for payment, the old scheme remains in place but payments must phase out on a digressive basis.
The biophysical criteria set out in the legislation to underpin the new system of designation are:
- Low temperature
- Dryness
- Excess soil moisture
- Limited soil drainage
- Unfavourable texture and stoniness
- Shallow rooting depth
- Poor chemical properties
- Steep slope.
My Department has commenced work on this project, and relevant technical experts are currently working on sourcing and analysing the data in relation to the new criteria. Department officials have also been in contact with the Joint Research Centre (JRC) and DG Agri in the EU Commission in relation to technical issues arising. This analysis will identify areas deemed to be facing natural constraints, which will in parallel be subjected to a refinement process. It is envisaged that stakeholders will be consulted as this process develops.
222. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there will be an appeals system in place in respect of the areas of natural constraint scheme for persons that are not satisfied with the proposals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21292/17]
View answerAt present, work is ongoing in relation to the redesignation of the Areas of Natural Constraint scheme by reference to the new biophysical criteria outlined in the Rural Development Regulation. It is envisaged that there will be an Appeals process in place in relation to the redesigned scheme.
223. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if areas of natural constraint are being examined based on district electoral divisions or townlands or a combination of both; his Department's policy on these matters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21293/17]
View answerUnder the Rural Development Regulation each Member State must designate areas eligible for payments under the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) scheme. The ANC scheme replaces the previous Disadvantaged Areas Scheme/Less Favoured Areas Scheme. The designation of eligible areas under these schemes to date has been based on a range of socio-economic factors. From 2018 eligible areas must instead be designated using a set list of bio-physical criteria. In cases where a Member State does not introduce this new system for payment, the old scheme remains in place but payments must phase out on a digressive basis.
The bio-physical criteria set out in the legislation to underpin the new system of designation are:
- Low temperature
- Dryness
- Excess soil moisture
- Limited soil drainage
- Unfavourable texture and stoniness
- Shallow rooting depth
- Poor chemical properties
- Steep slope.
My Department has commenced work on this project, and relevant technical experts are currently working on sourcing and analysing the data in relation to the new criteria. Department officials have also been in contact with the Joint Research Centre (JRC) and DG Agri in the EU Commission in relation to technical issues arising. This analysis will identify areas deemed to be facing natural constraints, which will in parallel be subjected to a refinement process. It is envisaged that stakeholders will be consulted as this process develops.
In relation to the use of townlands as opposed to District Electoral Division (DED), the Rural Development Regulation sets out that LAU2 should be the basis for designation. This is equivalent to DED in the Irish context. There is some scope for flexibility on this issue, and my Department is engaging with the Commission on this issue with a view to ensuring the most technically robust basis for designation.
224. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding the issue of persons applying for GLAS with outstanding applications being blocked from making applications to the basic payment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21311/17]
View answerMy Department has been aware of number of applicants who have not yet been able to submit their 2017 BPS application due to an outstanding application to GLAS. My Department has put in place procedures to ensure that GLAS applicants awaiting final decisions on their applications can now complete their 2017 BPS application online.
