Written Answers Nos. 308-319
308. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the number of healthcare professionals whose application to have their professional qualifications recognised in this jurisdiction were unsuccessful 2020 and to date in 2021, by county in tabular form. [44411/21]
View answerIt has been clarified that the Deputy seeks information for healthcare professionals with overseas professional qualifications where the Minister and CORU are the relevant Competent Authority for the recognition of such professional qualifications.
In the case of the Minister, this includes the following professions for those seeking to work in the public sector: Audiologist, Clinical Biochemist, Environmental Health Officer, Orthoptist and Psychologist.
Information by county is not available but information by country of qualification and nationality of applicant is provided in the table attached for each of the 5 professions, indicating the unsuccessful applicants who applied in 2020 and those who have applied to date in 2021 and for whom a decision has been reached.
With regard to the CORU professions, CORU have been contacted and asked to provide the relevant information directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
309. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to media reports (details supplied) that the HSE's audit and risk committee will not sign off on the corporate structure outlined in the Mulvey proposal for the move of the National Maternity Hospital to St. Vincent’s at Elm Park due to the fact that it would not adequately protect the public interest and would give effective control to St. Vincent’s Healthcare Group; the steps he will take to address this matter; if he will give consideration to an alternative site to progress this project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44417/21]
View answerThe Government is committed to the development of the new National Maternity Hospital (NMH) planned for the St Vincent’s University Hospital Campus at Elm Park, as set out in the Programme for Government. Significant progress has been made on the capital project, with planning permission for the hospital secured in 2017 and, in 2018, the awarding of the contract for substantial enabling works.
I am committed to ensure that there is no religious ethos brought to bear in the provision of public maternity and gynaecology services which would restrict the provision of all legally permissible services in the new hospital. I will not bring any proposal to Government unless it achieves this, and in addition, safeguards the State’s investment in the new hospital.
The proposed corporate and clinical governance arrangements for the new National Maternity Hospital were set out in the Mulvey Agreement, which was finalised in 2016 following an extensive mediation process between the NMH and St. Vincent’s Healthcare Group (SVHG). As the Deputy will be aware, a draft legal framework has been developed to copperfasten the clinical and operational independence of the new hospital, and to ensure the protection of the State’s investment, and it would be expected that the HSE Board would give very detailed consideration to the draft.
Work remains ongoing to finalise the legal arrangements for the project in relation to which I have engaged further with stakeholders. However, as I have made clear, I will not be making any further comment on the nature of this engagement until the process has concluded.
310. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health when it is expected to finalise arrangements for a Covid-19 vaccination booster programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44419/21]
View answerMore than seven million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have now been administered since the programme began in December last year. As the current phase of vaccination is nearing completion, the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) has been examining evidence regarding booster vaccines.
On 8 September, I announced a further update to the Covid-19 vaccination programme following additional advice from the NIAC. The NIAC has now recommended that a booster dose of an mRNA vaccine (irrespective of whether the primary vaccination course was of an mRNA or adenoviral vector) for residents aged 65 years and older living in Long Term Residential Care Facilities and for those aged 80 years and older living in the community.
The booster dose can be given after a minimal interval of six months following completion of the primary vaccination schedule. I have accepted this advice and the HSE has been requested to make the necessary arrangements to operationalise the recommendations.
The NIAC continues to examine emerging evidence regarding booster vaccines for those with waning immunity and reduced effectiveness in other groups.
311. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of paid views registered on Greyhound Racing Ireland's pay-per-view online channel (details supplied) by week, track and country of viewer since its launch in March 2021; and the associated revenue generated and the cost of running the channel. [44275/21]
View answerRásaíocht Con Éireann (RCÉ) is a commercial state body, established under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958 chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. RCÉ is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
The question raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for RCÉ and, therefore, the question has been referred to the body for direct reply.
312. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of horses injured and that died or were killed at Galway Racecourse to date in 2021; if an investigation will be carried out into the high level of fatalities; and if consideration will be given to ending State funding to Horse Racing Ireland in view of the growing number of horse deaths. [44276/21]
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 Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) is the regulatory body for all horseracing in Ireland. The Board is a company limited by guarantee set up by the Turf Club (established 1790) and the Irish National Hunt Steeplechase Committee (established 1866) for the purpose of carrying out the regulatory and licensing functions for Irish horseracing.
The role of the IHRB is provided for under the Irish Horse Racing Act 2016 and subsequent Statutory Instruments.
The question raised by the Deputy in relation to horses injured or killed at Galway Racecourse to date in 2021 are operational matters for HRI and the IHRB and I have requested my officials to refer the question to them for direct reply.
I have no plans to cease State funding to HRI.
313. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the direct or indirect funding provided to an organisation and a publication (details supplied) in the past ten years up to September 2021. [44277/21]
View answerCoursing is regulated under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958, chiefly by the Irish Coursing Club (ICC), subject to the general control and direction of Rásaíocht Con Éireann (RCÉ). Hare coursing is managed and regulated by the Irish Coursing Club (ICC). The organisation consists of 89 affiliated clubs from Ireland and Northern Ireland, all of whom must abide by the ICC’s rules and regulations.
Coursing receives no funding from Government or RCÉ. Funding is derived from Stud Book registration fees and the ICC newspaper “The Sporting Press”.
314. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will stop Horse Racing Ireland's major financial supports to foxhunting groups for point-to-point races of more than €10 million since 2001 given that this funding is sustaining foxhunts whose hunting activities are opposed by a majority of citizens due to the animal cruelty involved. [44278/21]
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 and I have requested my officials to refer the question to them for direct reply.
315. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of culled badgers that are tested for TB; the number of badger post-mortems for TB that have been carried out by county in each of the past ten years; and the number of badgers that tested positive and negative, respectively for TB. [44279/21]
View answerThe statistical information is being collated and will be returned to the Deputy within 10 working days
316. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of badgers vaccinated and culled in 2020 and to date in 2021; and if he will immediately end the cull in view of the findings of his Department funded study which concluded that vaccination could be a highly effective means of reducing the incidence of tuberculosis in badger populations. [44308/21]
View answerThe statistical information requested is being collated and will be returned to the Deputy within 10 working days
317. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will ensure that all staff in his Department and public bodies and agencies that operate under his remit who, by necessity of their work have to come into close proximity with others, including other employees or members of the public are provided with medical grade masks in the EN14683 category; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44367/21]
View answerApproximately half of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s staff have been working from their assigned workplaces throughout the pandemic. This includes in locations such as offices, laboratories, meat plants, seaports and airports as well as inspection staff visiting farms and other premises. All safety measures appropriate to these roles were put in place at the outset of the pandemic and will be maintained as Departmental staff return to their assigned workplaces over the coming weeks.
As regards the 12 State Bodies under the aegis of the Department, the information requested is an operational matter for the State Bodies themselves. I have referred the Deputy’s question to the Agencies and have requested that a response should issue within 10 days.
318. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he is taking to reduce the administration costs of schemes under the new Common Agricultural Policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44398/21]
View answerThe Department is continually looking at ways to ensure the most efficient delivery of the €1.6 billion of EU-funded scheme payments to applicants, in line with regulatory requirements.
Applications for the majority of the Department’s schemes are now online, resulting in improved efficiencies for farmers.
For example, online applicants for the Basic Payment Scheme applications can avail of preliminary checks. This allows online applicants to be advised of certain errors at an early stage and to correct any such issues without penalty.
The Department is also developing a new Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS). This database underpins payments to farmers under area-based schemes.
The new LPIS gives farmers a more accurate representation of land parcel boundaries, and is based on the most up-to-date technologies and Ordnance Survey Ireland mapping standards.
The Department is also participating in EU projects dealing with the uptake of new technologies for the modernisation of CAP controls and interactions with farmers. For example, the introduction of Checks by Monitoring (CbM) for the Protein Aid Scheme in 2021 is the first step in the implementation of the Area Monitoring System (AMS), which will be compulsory in the new CAP. CbM is an automated and continuous process which will use satellite data along with other data sources to determine the agricultural activity on all land parcels declared by farmers under the Protein Aid Scheme in 2021.
The use of satellite data and technologies such as AgriSnap, DAFM’s geotagged photo app for Checks by Monitoring, will have significant benefits for farmers. For example, CbM facilitates prior notification of Protein Aid Scheme applicants of non-compliances concerning crop type, and provides the applicant with the opportunity to amend their claim accordingly, without penalty.
The development of all schemes under the new CAP will also take account of the one of the aims of the new CAP which is to reduce the administrative burden and ensure simplification in its implementation. The use of online applications and new technologies will allow the Department to meet these objectives, and to continue to improve on the delivery of essential payments to farmers.
I am committed to reducing bureaucracy for farmers and making schemes as easy to navigate as possible.
319. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he is taking to ensure a clear and enforceable definition of an active farmer is provided in the implementation of the new Common Agricultural Policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44399/21]
View answerIn the Department’s recent public consultation on the Proposed Interventions in Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027, I sought opinions on a number of key definitions, including that of the Active Farmer.
While the CAP Strategic Plan (CSP) is still under development, the draft CSP regulations outline that “Active Farmer” must be defined in such a way as to ensure that support is granted to farmers engaged in at least a minimum level of agricultural activity. Our current definition comprises a "negative list", excluding areas such as golf courses and airports.
The Department is examining the feedback from the public consultation and is considering the best approach to this issue, including in the context of whether a farmer in receipt of support is bearing the economic and agricultural risk for the activity on their declared land.
