Written Answers Nos. 460-479
460. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the way in which he plans to implement the recommendations set out in the national youth mental health task force report for 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4509/18]
View answer461. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the way in which his Department plans to create an independent advocacy and information service aimed at young persons' mental health as outlined in the national youth mental health task force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4510/18]
View answer462. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the way in which his Department plans to commence training programmes to help recognise signs of mental issues as outlined in the national youth mental health task force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4511/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 460 to 462, inclusive, together.
The National Youth Mental Health Task Force was established in response to an undertaking in the Programme for Partnership Government. The Task force was asked to produce a series of action-focused recommendations and its report was published in December.
The report made recommendations in 10 different themed areas. It also identified lead agencies associated with each recommendation that would be tasked with developing and/or implementing these as appropriate.
Specifically, the development of an advocacy service for young people with mental health issues has been tasked to the Pathfinder Youth Mental Health group. Final approval for this pathfinder group is currently being sought, but it is envisioned that it will be established in the first quarter of this year.
Under the recommendation relating to Awareness and Training, the HSE has agreed to take responsibility to develop these recommendations throughout the first half of 2018.
463. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health his plans to encourage young persons to limit screen time spent on smartphones; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4512/18]
View answerLast November, Minister Harris and I launched a new child obesity campaign, called START, which my Department has developed with safefood and the HSE.
Reflecting the partners involved in the campaign, the broader ‘START’ campaign is underpinned by ‘A Healthy Weight for Ireland: Obesity Policy and Action Plan 2016 – 2025’ and is designed around four key themes to deliver a system-wide approach to tackling overweight and obesity:
1. Providing families with practical advice and support to help build their confidence in making positive changes to their lives including video, online and social content covering food, making changes and physical activity.
2. Delivering a consistent approach across all relevant sectors including schools, crèches, hospitals and GP surgeries by integrating the campaign with existing programmes such as the HSE’s Making Every Contact Count.
3. Supporting sustainable communities and tapping into existing community health programmes like Community Food Initiatives.
4. Tackling the obesogenic environment as a driver for change through key policy initiatives such as the new healthy eating standards for state-funded school meals and the sugar tax.
With these themes in mind, the campaign aims to promote healthy habits that are critical in helping those children who are a healthy weight now, stay a healthy weight and those who are overweight or obese achieve a healthier weight as they grow and develop The key healthy habits include:
1. Reducing portion sizes;
2. eating plenty of fruit and vegetables every day;
3. manage treat foods – not every day;
4. replace sugary drinks with water;
5. make being active fun – everyday;
6. have less screen-time; and
7. encourage more sleep.
The message to promote less screen-time involves zero screen time being recommended for children under 2 years and tips for parents such as:
- Figure out how much screen time is typical for your family and aim to cut it in half;
- Do not make too many strict rules at once. Start gradually and reduce by 30 minutes a day or every second day;
- Remove screens from your children's rooms;
- Explain to family and friends that you are reducing screen time and make sure that TV watched outside the home is part of their daily allowance or goal;
- Make meal-times a technology-free zone – no phones, TV, computers etc
- Do not forget to practise what you preach – if you’re attached to your device for long periods of time, your children will expect to be as well;
- Have a 'no tech day' once a week and plan some active time with your family. Turn off TV, Video games, computers and DVDs.
464. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the way in which the HSE deals with young persons accessing mental health care in a sensitive, transparent and helpful manner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4515/18]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
465. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health if his Department or the HSE has noted possible links between the need for speech therapy and increased usage of smartphones among children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4517/18]
View answerThe HSE has advised me that it has not noted any definitive link between the use of smart phones among children and the need for speech and language therapy. That said, I am aware that some international studies have highlighted concerns relating to the impact of smartphones on child speech development.
In relation the provision of speech and language services by the HSE, I understand that the services provided continue to promote the use of two way communication to encourage language development in young children through nursery rhymes, books and play activities, etc. Such activities are considered to be preferable to the use of electronic devices.
However, it is important to highlight that speech and language therapists can and do use a variety of communication apps in working with and supporting people with speech, language or communication difficulties. Smartphone apps can for example be extremely useful to support communication for people with conditions such as motor neurone disease .
My Department is mindful of the impact of screen time, not only on speech and language development but in relation to general health and well being. To that end, a new child obesity campaign, called START, developed by the Department of Health with Safefood and the HSE is underway which aims to deliver a system-wide approach to tackling overweight and obesity. This campaign includes advice to parents on encouraging healthy habits, including promoting less screen time for families and children.
466. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the HSE's use of dialectical behaviour therapy to address instances of self-harm and suicide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4521/18]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
467. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Health the number of adult, child and adolescent patients per annum who require mental health external placements; the locations of these placements; the services they provide, by each CHO, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4528/18]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
468. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Health if there is a staffing recruitment and retention plan for mental health services in CHO2, in view of the significant whole-time equivalent gaps for community general adult services, community child and adolescent mental health services and psychiatry of old age services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4529/18]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
469. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the introduction of free Wi-Fi for the use of patients will be made available to inpatients and outpatients at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda; the estimated cost of such a project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4537/18]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly.
470. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Health the number of beds allocated for the treatment of anorexia nervosa nationally; the plans under the national development plan or bed capacity review to increase the number of beds for persons with anorexia nervosa; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4597/18]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
471. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the progress that has been made on the programme for Government commitment to establish an expert group to report within six months on options for reforming the law of torts and the claims process, particularly when it comes to birth injuries, catastrophic injuries and injuries that can result from vaccination; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4604/18]
View answer472. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health his views on whether the system of clinical and medical indemnity is inhumane and contributes to long legal battles before eventual apology and admission of liability and can add to the trauma of families; and his plans to reform the system of clinical and medical indemnity. [4605/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 471 and 472 together.
The commitment in the Programme for Partnership Government states "We will tackle the rising cost of claims by establishing an expert group to report within 6 months on options for reforming the law of torts and the current claims process, particularly when it comes to birth injuries and catastrophic injuries, and injuries that can result from vaccination." The Department of Health is examining the health related aspects which can be addressed within these parameters and, in this regard, is linking with the Department of Justice and Equality as tort legislation is within their remit.
Any adverse clinical incident is one too many and it is essential that we must learn from past experience in order to continue to deliver improved services. The management of clinical negligence cases taken against the State is delegated to the State Claims Agency (SCA) which has a statutory mandate to investigate and manage these cases to completion. In order to avoid distress to patients and their families, I am advised that the SCA, that wherever it is proper to do so and based on expert medical and legal advice, that the breaches of duty are admitted at the earliest possible opportunity. However, many of these cases, particularly those involving catastrophic injuries, are very complex in nature and require time to investigate and verify the cause and the liability. Inevitably, this involves some delay before a formal admission of liability, if appropriate, can be made.
Also, it is essential that we continue to improve the framework and timeline around the management of clinical claims and the payment of awards. In this regard, there has been significant progress on a suite of legislation in 2017, including the enacting of The Mediation Act, 2017 and The Civil Liability Amendment Act 2017. Work is also under way within the Department of Justice and Equality on framing regulations for Pre-Action Protocols under the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015, which are aimed at encouraging timely communications between parties and the early resolution of such actions.
Other important measures include the Government's agreement to support open disclosure of patient safety incidents in the Civil Liability Act 2017, the establishment of the National Patient Safety Office in my Department and the launch of the HSE’s Incident Management Framework on 24 January 2018.
473. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the status of the recommendations of a commission (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4606/18]
View answerThe Commission on Patient Safety and Quality Assurance was established in January 2007 and reported to the Minister of Health in July 2008. The report was considered by government in January 2009 which agreed the implementation process. The overall objective of the Commission was to develop clear and practical recommendations to ensure that safety and quality of care for patients is paramount within the healthcare system.
The Commission made 134 recommendations concerning the provision of a high-quality health service delivered in an effective way in a safe environment. The recommendations covered a broad array of areas, including issues related to:
- Involvement of Patients, Carers and Service-Users, including communications and open disclosure;
- Leadership and Accountability in the system, including governance, management and reporting structures, education, training and research;
- Organisational and Professional Regulatory Framework, including licensing of healthcare facilities, regulation of healthcare professionals and credentialing; and
- Quality Improvement and Learning Systems, including clinical effectiveness evidence-based practice, clinical audit, adverse event reporting, medication safety, health information and technology.
The implementation plan endorsed by the Commission recommended the immediate establishment of an Implementation Steering Group (ISG) to report to the Minister for Health and Children regarding progress on the implementation of the recommendations of the report. Government approval was given on 27 January 2009 to set up such an ISG to drive the implementation of all the recommendations in the Commission’s Report. The ISG was set up in May/June 2009 and met 12 times in the period June 2009 – December 2010. The Implementation Group published a Report on 10 March 2011, which is available at
http://health.gov.ie/blog/publications/final-report-of-the-implementation-steering-group-isg-on-the-recommendations-of-the-report-of-the-commission-on-patient-safety-and-quality-assurance/ .
Key areas in relation to patient safety and healthcare quality continue to be developed. An update on these items is set out below. It should also be noted that the National Patient Safety Office (NPSO) was established by the Minister for of Health in December 2016 and is progressing a programme of legislation, policy changes and the promotion of the clinical effectiveness agenda.
Programme of Patient Safety Legislation
Legislation on licensing of public and private healthcare providers – the Cabinet approved the general scheme of the Patient Safety (Licensing) Bill in December 2018 and it has now been forwarded to the Oireachtas in order for drafting to commence and to allow the Bill to undergo pre-legislative scrutiny by the Oireachtas Health Committee. The Bill will introduce a licensing system for all hospitals, public and private, as well as certain designated high risk activities which take place in other settings. The Bill will provide for regulations which licensees must abide by, while the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) will be the licensing authority. The Bill will also place a heavy emphasis on clinical governance arrangements, to ensure that hospitals are engaging in best practice with regard to accountability mechanisms.
Mandatory reporting of serious adverse events is provided for in the patient safety elements of the Health Information and Patient Safety (HIPS) Bill, which underwent pre-legislative scrutiny in January 2016 at the then Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children. In relation to the policy of open disclosure on patient safety incidents, Part 4 of the Civil Liability (Amendment) Act 2017 provides a framework for clinicians and other relevant personnel to engage in open disclosure with a patient and their families when an adverse incident has occurred. Regulations arising from the passage of the Bill will be brought forward shortly.
Standards
HIQA have statutory responsibility for the formulation of standards, which are then forwarded for consideration by the Minister as to whether they should be introduced into the healthcare system. The National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare, in place since 2012, provide the overarching framework for the current approach to standards, with others e.g. the National Standards for Safer Better Maternity Service (December 2016) flowing from that. HIQA also develop standards for Health Information governance, to ensure interoperability of systems.
Clinical Effectiveness - National Clinical Guidelines and Clinical Audit
The National Clinical Effectiveness Committee was established in 2010. Its terms of reference are:
1. Provide strategic leadership for the national clinical effectiveness agenda.
2. Contribute to national patient safety and quality improvement agendas.
3. Publish standards for clinical practice guidance.
4. Publish guidance for National Clinical Guidelines and National Clinical Audit.
5. Prioritise and quality assure National Clinical Guidelines and National Clinical Audit.
6. Commission National Clinical Guidelines and National Clinical Audit.
7. Align National Clinical Guidelines and National Clinical Audit with implementation levers.
8. Report periodically on the implementation and impact of National Clinical Guidelines and the performance of National Clinical Audit.
9. Establish sub-committees for NCEC workstreams.
Publish an Annual Report.
To date the NCEC has published 16 National Clinical Guidelines and one National Clinical Audit.
Health information and ICT:
The Government approved and published the eHealth strategy in 2013 for developing eHealth and ICT capability in the Irish health system. This strategy sets out a number of objectives and a road map for the delivery and implementation of eHealth for the benefit of patients by supporting a more patient centred approach and also underpinning patient safety and efficiency. The Knowledge & Information strategy, published in 2014 by the Office of the Chief Information Officer in the HSE, builds upon the eHealth strategy and outlines how integrated information and enabling technology will support the delivery of innovative, safe and high quality patient care to meet the needs of our population across all patient pathways and care settings.
Significant progress has been made on both strategies since their publication. This includes the establishment of eHealth Ireland, the appointment of a Chief Information Officer for the HSE, the establishment of the eHealth Ireland Advisory Committee and the Irish eHealth Ecosystem.
Progress has also been made in relation to the implementation of the Health Identifiers Act 2014, which provides for a system of unique identification for patients, professionals and providers, via an Individual Health Identifier (IHI). My Department has worked closely with HIQA on the development of a system of identifiers. The Individual health Identifier initiative aims to enhance patient data security and confidentiality and support administrative efficiency. This was a key recommendation of the Commission on Patient Safety.
On 30 May 2017, a Commencement Order and Regulations under the Health Identifiers Act 2014 were signed, allowing the further progression of the implementation of the IHI.
The HSE have also developed a business case for the implementation of an electronic health care record (EHR) in Ireland. The roll-out of electronic health records was also a recommendation called for in the Commission on Patient Safety. The business case sets out a number of investment scenarios including timescales for implementation and roll out. The Department of Health is currently working closely with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on an approval mechanism for the EHR business case.
Progress has been achieved with the roll-out of the Maternity and New-born Clinical Management System (MN-CMS), which is the design and implementation of an electronic health record for all women and babies in maternity services in Ireland, went live in Cork in December 2016 with Kerry following in March 2017, the Rotunda in November 2017 and the National Maternity Hospital in January 2018. In each location the new MN-CMS successfully replaced paper processes with efficient digital processes.
The delivery of digital health care services will require a robust legal framework to ensure confidentiality and security of patient data consistent with the new EU data protection regulation, Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation). The GDPR will have a significant effect on how and where data is gathered and the purpose for which it is used. My Department is currently examining the appropriate information framework that will provide the optimum environment to support future developments in eHealth. In this context, a public consultation was carried out in late 2017 seeking views of the public and other stakeholders on the proposals to inform the drafting of a national health information policy in 2018. My Department is working closely with the Department of Justice and Equality in relation to Data Protection Bill 2017 which will provide mechanisms to enable the health service to develop legislative capability to support the processing of personal health data in and across the health system that promotes health services goals and builds public confidence in how health information is used in the context of the General Data Protection Regulation. In addition to the provisions in the new Data Protection Bill there are also legislative provisions in the Health Information and Patient Safety Bill that will provide robust support for the best use of information to support health and social care goals.
Increases in capital spending and resources have been facilitated and the capacity and capability of HSE ICT to successfully undertake large scale ICT projects have been further developed, which will see continued progression on the area of ICT and eHealth. Delivery of eHealth is also being examined in the context of the Sláintecare report, which advocates the “Continued strong support of the e-health strategy – particularly ensuring the necessary funding for timely roll-out of the EHR system ”. The report is currently being reviewed by my Department in the context of its implementation and with a particular focus on further implementing the eHealth strategy and a National Electronic Health record. Additional investment in eHealth and ICT was secured for the period 2018-2021 as part of the Mid-Term Capital Review. The capital provision for eHealth and ICT for 2018 to 2021 is set out below and will allow for a multi-annual rolling programme of work on multiple projects including the capital ICT elements of the New Children’s Hospital.
|
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
|
€60m |
€85m |
€100m |
€120m |
Professional Regulation:
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland
On 21 December 2011, the Nurses and Midwives Act 2011 was signed into law. This Act updated the provisions relating to the regulation of nurses and midwives. It has been commenced in three stages with the exception of Part 11 - Maintenance of Professional Competence, and any provisions of the Act associated with that part. The Board's functions are to safeguard the public - this requires the Board to establish procedures and criteria for establishing and maintaining the register of nurses and midwives. Additionally, the Board sets the standards for and approves education programmes for the purposes of registration and continued registration and keeps these programmes under review. The Board also sets standards of practice and provides support for registered nurses and midwives. This includes developing, publishing and reviewing the code of professional conduct and ethics and providing guidance on clinical practice. It also provides guidance on how nurses and midwives should provide care to patients, their families and society. Through its fitness to practice functions, the Board is responsible for considering complaints against nurses and midwives.
CORU
Work continues on the phased implementation of the Health and Social Care Professionals Act, 2005, with the number of professions designated for regulation under the Act having increased from 12 to 15 14 professions (rising to 16 in the coming weeks months). In terms of protection of the public, as of now, 12,500 health and social care professionals are registered by CORU. Eleven registers of the designated professions have been established and the titles of 7 now fully protected in law. Registration Boards for a further 3 professions are appointed and working hard towards opening their registers as soon as possible.
With a view to further strengthening protection of the public and ensuring more robust governance of health profession regulatory bodies a Regulated Health Professions Bill amending all five regulatory Acts is to be published in Q.2 and work has commenced on the preparation of the general scheme of a new Dental Bill.
Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is an integral component in the continuing provision of safe and effective services by health and social care professionals registered by CORU under the 2005 Act, for the benefit of service users. In order to ensure that registrants keep their professional skills and knowledge up to date, the Registration Board for each profession issues and updates CPD standards and requirements specific to the profession. Each registrant must engage in a range of CPD activities on an ongoing basis, complete 30 CPD credits in a 12 month period, demonstrate that the CPD activities are relevant to their professional role, taking account of current and future practice and maintain an up to date CPD portfolio.
A Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics is developed by each Registration Board and is specific to each profession. The code is developed following consultation with the general public, members of the profession, their representative bodies and employers. The Code sets out the standards of conduct, performance and ethics which a member of the profession must adhere to throughout the course of their work. All registrants must abide by the a statutory Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics and on applying for registration must verify that they have read, understood and agreed to abide by the Code for their profession. They must also sign a statutory declaration stating that fact.
Both the Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics and the CPD Standards are living documents which are reviewed and update on a rolling basis. Open communication principles, standards and patient safety /protection of the public are central to the provisions of these documents.
Medication Safety
A subgroup of the Medication Safety Forum was formed to prepare a report on the problems and solutions surrounding unlicensed medicines and medicines shortages. This report forms the basis of the work being undertaken by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) in its new function of leading the coordination of efforts by national agencies to manage medicines shortages.
S.I No. 272 of 2012; S.I. No. 273 of 2012; and S.I. No 274 of 2012 transposed amendments to our national legislation to strengthen the European-wide system for monitoring the safety of medicines.
Since July 2012, all new medicinal products must now have a Risk Management Plan which focuses on the assessment and minimisation of important risks associated with the medicine throughout its life cycle.
Risk minimisation measures are interventions intended to: prevent or reduce the occurrence of adverse reactions; maximise the benefit risk; exclude patients where use is contraindicated; or educate a target audience about safe and effective use of medicinal products. Additional risk minimisation measures will be identified in the risk minimisation plan for a particular medicinal product.
Direct Healthcare Professional Communications (DHPCs) are used to deliver important safety information directly to healthcare professionals. These communications inform of a safety concern and advise on what action needs to be taken to minimise a concern. Periodic Safety Review Reports provide an opportunity to re-evaluate the safety profile of a medicine and to review any new safety information that has been reported. Pharmaceutical companies are legally required to prepare PSURs for all authorised medicines and these are then assessed by the HPRA either nationally or in collaboration with other regulatory authorities in other member states in the EU. Following assessment of the information provided, updates to the product safety information may be considered necessary or safety concerns which require further consideration may be referred for review at a European level.
474. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health his plans to introduce a device (details supplied) under the long-term illness scheme for type 1 diabetes; if his attention has been drawn to the device and that it has been introduced in the UK; if research has been carried out on the amount it could save; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4627/18]
View answerUnder the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for the administration of the community drug schemes; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
475. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Health if an additional emergency ambulance fleet will be allocated in Carrick-on-Shannon, County Leitrim; the extra funding that will be provided to the ambulance service in the north west in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4641/18]
View answerAs this is a service issue, I have asked the HSE to reply to you directly.
476. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has spoken to his EU colleagues regarding CAP post-2020. [4598/18]
View answerDiscussions on the future of CAP post-2020 have been afoot since the middle of 2016 at many forums. Since then, CAP post 2020 has been discussed at Agri Fish Councils and Bilateral meetings on several occasions.
Since the publication of the Commission’s CAP Communication in November 2017, CAP Post 2020 was discussed at the Agri Fish Council meeting in December 2017. Also in December, 2017 France organised a Conference on the future of CAP where France invited a number of Ministers to attend and speak including Ireland, Spain, Poland, Austria, Estonia and the Netherlands.
My Department is currently reviewing the CAP Communication published by the European Commission in November 2017, in advance of legislative provisions to be presented by the Commission in mid 2018. It is also expected that Multi Annual Financial Framework proposals will be presented in May 2018.
The CAP binds the members of the European Union in a collective commitment to food security, environmental sustainability, and the protection of farm families and rural communities. My officials have and will continue to engage with officials in all Member States with whom we have a deep and long lasting relationship.
I look forward to working with the institutions of the European Union and with all my Ministerial colleagues to deliver the best possible Common Agricultural Policy for the citizens of the European Union into the future.
477. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to introduce a €200 subsidy for suckler cows in view of the lack of profitability and the drop in suckler cow numbers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3938/18]
View answerI am acutely aware of the importance of the suckler sector to Ireland's rural economy and the wider agrifood industry. As such, my Department provides a range of supports to the suckler herd. A number of direct payment and grant schemes provide vital income and investment support to the suckler sector, including BPS, ANC, GLAS and TAMS.
The Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) is the main support specifically targeted for the suckler sector, which provides Irish beef farmers with some €300 million in funding over the current Rural Development Programme period. Responding to significant demand, last year I reopened the BDGP programme for new entrants, reflecting the success of this programme, which targets both the environmental footprint and the profitability of the suckler herd through improving the genetic merit in participating herds. There are currently approximately 25,000 herds covered between the two schemes.
The range of supports as currently configured represents a balance between direct income support for the sector and rural development measures designed to improve its competitiveness and sustainability. Considering the existing supports in place, I do not have plans to introduce any additional schemes to support the suckler herd, including the proposed scheme mentioned by the Deputy.
Any introduction of a coupled suckler cow payment under Pillar I would necessitate a linear reduction in all farmers' existing BPS of approximately €175 million, based on the number of suckler cows in the most recent AIM statistics, to fund such a scheme.
478. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when an archaeology report will issue regarding a proposed forestry plantation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3953/18]
View answerThe Department has completed an archaeological report on the application for the Afforestation Grant and Premium submitted on behalf of the person named. The application will now be further processed and the Department will be in touch with the applicant and their Registered Forester when finalised.
479. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a case in which a person (details supplied) has been left with an outstanding bill to his Department through no fault of their own will be investigated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3954/18]
View answerThe person named commenced a contract under the Agri-Environment Options Scheme on 1 December 2010.
Following a full review and investigation of this and similar cases, the Department found in this case that the herd owner, following a number of written communications, could not satisfactorily support the level of the original claim for the purchase of the trees. It was also found that the amount claimed was far greater than the going rate for the purchase of such trees from the supplier concerned and from other similar outlets.
A decision was made by the Department, that all monies already paid for the action would be recouped and the person named would be excluded from the scheme for two years as provided for under the relevant EU Regulations.
The person named appealed this decision to the Agricultural Appeals Office which upheld the Department's position in a decision dated 23 August 2016.
