Written Answers Nos. 278-290
278. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health if funding will be allocated to recruit an additional full-time consultant medical oncologist with a special interest in sarcoma for St Vincent's Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45021/17]
View answerThe Deputy's question relates to service delivery matters and accordingly I have asked the HSE to respond directly to him.
279. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health the number of section 38 and section 39 agencies in receipt of annual State funding in excess of €500,000; the cumulative amount of this funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45022/17]
View answerThis question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
280. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the reason dieticians are not available in the Dublin region to work with children diagnosed with autism; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45054/17]
View answerThe Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose, and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. This commitment is outlined in the Programme for Partnership Government, which is guided by two principles: equality of opportunity and improving the quality of life for people with disabilities.
The particular issue raised by the Deputy is a service matter for the HSE. Accordingly I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy.
281. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 429 of 10 October 2017, the procedures in place to record and review maternal deaths; the reason age and nation of origin are not recorded (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45063/17]
View answer282. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the steps he and his predecessors have taken on foot of a report (details supplied) regarding investigating and addressing the disproportionate number of reported deaths of women born outside the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45064/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 281 and 282 together.
I can assure the Deputy that there are procedures in place to record and review maternal deaths and to ensure that any learning is disseminated and applied to help improve our maternity services.
A maternal death is classified as a Serious Reportable Event and, as such, must be reported through the National Incident Management System within 24 hours. Investigations must be commenced within 48 hours of the organisation becoming aware of the incident and completed within four months of commencement. In addition, from now on, all maternal deaths will be subject to a review which is external to the Maternity Network/Hospital Group. I understand that maternal deaths are also reported to the Coroner as a 'rule of practice'.
It is recognised that it can be difficult to make international comparisons in relation to maternal mortality because data collection systems vary. However, in an effort to improve the accuracy of our information on maternal deaths in Ireland, a Confidential Maternal Death Enquiry (MDE) system was established in 2009, linking Ireland to the United Kingdom's Confidential MDE which is considered the gold standard for maternal death enquiries.
With regard to MDE Ireland, the information it collects includes maternal age and ethnicity/nationality, body mass index and smoking status. The Deputy will be aware that the statistics reported to MDE Ireland require anonymisation due to the small number of such incidents occurring across the country's maternity hospitals/units. Thus, naming the hospitals/units where such events have occurred would not meet the data protection standards required for protection of otherwise identifiable patient information (Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003, Section 5(h)); such statistics are not, therefore, publicly available. Submitting information to MBRRACE-UK allows Ireland to participate in reporting on maternal deaths while keeping anonymity in place.
According to MDE Ireland, 38.7% of maternal deaths 2009-2012 (including direct and indirect causes) occurred in women born outside Ireland, who represented 24.2% of all maternities in Ireland for that time period. This finding reflects those from successive UK MBRRACE reports which have found an increased risk of maternal deaths among migrant ethnic minorities.
In conclusion, I would like to reiterate the Government's commitment to the progressive development of maternity services in Ireland. 2016 saw the publication of Ireland’s first National Maternity Strategy, the HSE’s National Standards for Bereavement Care following Pregnancy Loss and Perinatal Death and HIQA’s National Standards for Safer Better Maternity Services. In addition, each of our maternity hospitals/units is now publishing monthly Maternity Patient Safety Statements. In January 2017, the National Women & Infants Health Programme was established to lead the management, organisation and delivery of maternity, gynaecological and neonatal services with the HSE, which includes ensuring that learning is disseminated to all hospitals/units. I have recently launched the Programme's Implementation Plan for the Strategy. All these developments represent key building blocks to facilitate the provision of a consistently safe and high quality maternity service, including for women born outside of the State.
283. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health the number of beds in County Tipperary under headings (details supplied) which were available at all HSE facilities within the county for each of the years 2010 to 2016, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45080/17]
View answer284. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health if he will address the growing number of persons on waiting lists for admission to the Hospital of the Assumption, Thurles, County Tipperary, for step-down care following care at an acute hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45081/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 283 and 284 together.
As these are service matters I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
285. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a report (details supplied) into the harness racing sector will be published; the reason for the six-month delay in its publication; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44588/17]
View answerThe Indecon report, which reviewed the Irish harness racing sector is currently being examined by officials within my Department and I intend publishing it shortly once this review is complete.
286. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if an organisation (details supplied) will receive financial support as part of budget 2018 given that Horse Racing Ireland will receive €60 million while the Irish Greyhound Board will receive €16 million; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44589/17]
View answerThe Irish Harness Racing Association was a beneficiary, for the first time in 2016, of an Equine Infrastructure grant scheme operated by my Department. The IHRA has received grants totalling €21,704 under this scheme, with a view to supporting this sector in a targeted way. In addition, the IHRA has been approved in 2017 for grants totalling €40,077 under the Equine technical Support Scheme.
My Department has also offered assistance of the order of €25,000 to the IHRA "Road Racing Education Programme". This programme is aimed at bringing about an improvement in horse welfare and, in particular, to encourage a move away from road racing.
The Indecon report to review the Irish Harness Racing sector in Ireland is currently being examined by officials within my Department and further supports in line with this report are being considered.
287. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding stamp duty on farmland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44623/17]
View answerFollowing detailed engagement between our two Departments, I was pleased that Minister Donohoe announced key measures in the Finance Bill in relation to stamp duty on agricultural land transactions: the extension for three years of “Consanguinity Relief” for inter-family farm transactions, the retention of the 1% rate and the removal of the upper age limit of 67 for the transferor. Coupled with the existing “Stamp Duty Relief for Young Trained Farmers”, which is a complete relief from stamp duty, it means that lifetime transfers of land within families, whether by gift or sale, are strongly protected.
288. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44649/17]
View answerIn 2006, following the reform of the EU Sugar Regime, Ireland availed of the EU Voluntary Restructuring Scheme under which the sugar industry dismantled its infrastructure and ceased sugar production. Many Member States however, retained their sugar industry and continued to operate within the EU sugar quota system. With effect from 1 October 2017 sugar production quotas were fully abolished throughout the EU.
In this connection and by way of explanation I would like to give the Deputy a short background to this issue. In 2011 officials from my Department met with two separate groups who had conducted feasibility studies into the possibility of establishing a new sugar/bioethanol production facility using sugar beet in this country. The figures published at the time by these interested groups who were investigating the possibility of building a new facility indicated that the overall capital costs involved could range from €250 million to €400 million depending on what type of facility would be constructed. Both groups were informed that any venture to develop a combined sugar/bioethanol production facility in Ireland would have to be a viable commercial proposition, and supported by a sufficiently robust business case in order to attract the funding from investors for the very substantial capital investment required.
The current Programme for a Partnership Government makes clear that “State enterprise bodies will be asked to examine any substantial business plans related to rebuilding the industry with a view to considering appropriate State supports”. It is now a matter for any interested parties to move a project forward and to garner sufficient commercial and financial support to turn their plans into a viable reality. The possible location of any proposed new facility is a matter for the parties concerned.
289. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way in which the cost of renting moorings by fishermen varies (details supplied). [44653/17]
View answerThe Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has responsibility under the Fishery Harbours Centre Act, 1968 (as amended) for the six Fishery Harbour Centres located at Howth, Dunmore East, Killybegs, Dingle, Ros an Mhíl and also, at Castletownbere.
Rates and charges for the use of facilities and services at each of the six Fishery Harbour Centres are imposed in accordance with the Fishery Harbour Centres (Rates & Charges) Order 2012 (S.I. 214 of 2012), which was introduced following a public consultation process. Charge No. 9, Schedule 2 of the Order sets out the applicable charges for the use of swing moorings as follows:
(a) Vessels up to 5.5 metres in length €200 per year
(b) Vessels over 5.5 metres in length €300 per year.
My Department has no role in the setting of rates and charges at privately owned piers and harbours or those under the jurisdiction of Local Authorities.
290. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of persons waiting for GLAS 2016 payments due to inadequacies in his Department's software system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44801/17]
View answerMy Department has an excellent record in the delivery of high quality ICT systems. We have been consistently among the first to make payments in the EU.
98.6% of GLAS 1 and GLAS 2 participants have received advance payments in respect of 2016. The remaining cases have been informed of the outstanding steps which they must take to receive their payments.
In terms of the balancing payments, the delay by participants in submitting their outstanding Nutrient Management Plans (NMP) is the single greatest contributory factor delaying payments. The NMP is a core scheme requirement and I urge all GLAS participants and advisors to attend to this urgently so that outstanding balancing payments and 2017 advance payments can be processed. Some 6,000 NMPs remain outstanding and as soon as they are received payment will be processed.
This is also a major factor for the 2017 advance payments as participants will not be receiving a payments until they submit their NMP.
