Skip to main content
Normal View

Wednesday, 6 Oct 2021

Written Answers Nos. 166-180

General Practitioner Services

Questions (166)

Holly Cairns

Question:

166. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if he will restore the general practitioner distance coding rural practice allowance. [48729/21]

View answer

Written answers

Between 2009 and 2013, a number of reductions were applied under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2009 (FEMPI) to the fees and allowances paid to healthcare professionals, including GPs who provide services under the GMS scheme.

The “distance code” was removed as a factor in calculating GP fees and allowances in 2010. Under the previous arrangements, certain fees payable to GPs such as capitation and out of hours fees varied according to a patient's age, gender and distance of their residence from the GP's surgery.

There are no plans to reintroduce the “distance code. However, the Government is aware of the workforce issues currently facing general practice, including the limited access to GP services in certain areas, and has implemented a number of measures to improve recruitment and retention in general practice.

These measures include an increase in investment in general practice by approximately 40% (€210 million) between 2019 and 2023 under the terms of the 2019 GMS GP Agreement. The Agreement provides for increased support for GPs working in rural practices and for those in disadvantaged urban areas, and for improvements to maternity and paternity leave arrangements. In addition, the number of GPs entering training has been increased steadily over the past ten years, rising from 120 in 2009 to 233 in 2021, with plans for further increases in future years.

The additional funding will put general practice on a much more sustainable footing and will help make general practice more rewarding and a more attractive career option for doctors. Overall, these measures will see an increase in the number of GPs working in the State, improving access to GP services for patients throughout the country.

Hospital Investigations

Questions (167)

Holly Cairns

Question:

167. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if he will immediately put in place an external review of practices in all maternity hospitals and units to ensure that all guidelines and protocols regarding pregnancy loss and perinatal death are being adhered to. [48730/21]

View answer

Written answers

The Government is committed to the progressive development of maternity services. In 2016, Ireland’s first National Maternity Strategy was published, as well as the HSE’s National Standards for Bereavement Care following Pregnancy Loss and Perinatal Death. The National Maternity Strategy recognises the importance of improving and standardising bereavement care throughout our maternity services and recommends the implementation of the National Standards for Bereavement Care following Pregnancy Loss and Perinatal Death. The Standards are designed to enhance bereavement care services for parents who experience a pregnancy loss or perinatal death and cover all pregnancy loss situations from early pregnancy loss to perinatal death.

There has been significant progress to implement the National Standards for Bereavement Care following Pregnancy Loss and Perinatal Death. This includes the development of Specialist Bereavement Teams in all 19 maternity hospitals/units, each with a Clinical Midwife Specialist in Bereavement, and the majority of maternity units also now have a specific Bereavement Room. This ensures that families who have experienced a bereavement, get high standard, compassionate care in an appropriate setting, and a setting that affords them privacy and dignity at a very difficult and distressing time. There are also quiet rooms available in most units to facilitate parents spending time with their baby. The Department has been assured that all units continue to implement the Standards, and this is closely monitored by the Bereavement Standard Implementation Steering Group which reports to the National Women & Infants Health Programme.

Hospital Investigations

Questions (168)

Holly Cairns

Question:

168. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if he will immediately put in place external review to ensure all human remains held at any stage by maternity hospitals and units have been buried in a dignified manner. [48731/21]

View answer

Written answers

I have been advised by the HSE that all hospital groups have confirmed in writing that they are fully compliant with the HSE Standards and Recommended Practices for Post Mortem Examination Services 2012.

However, arising from recent concerns, the HSE has asked all hospital groups to conduct a full review of compliance against the National Standards with specific reference to issues relating to consent, storage and disposal to ensure consistent compliance at individual patient level. The hospital groups have been asked to report on the results of their reviews and associated actions to the National Director of Acute Operations. Arising from review of the results, the HSE Healthcare Audit Team may conduct further independent reviews at hospital or national level. I have received assurances from the HSE that this review process will be undertaken in a timely manner and that the outcome is relayed to my Department.

Fire Service

Questions (169)

Gary Gannon

Question:

169. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Health if there is a plan to address the underfunding by the HSE of Dublin Fire Brigade to operate ambulances and the need for additional ambulances in the capital. [48737/21]

View answer

Written answers

Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) provides emergency ambulance services in Dublin city and county by arrangement between Dublin City Council (DCC) and the Health Service Executive (HSE). The HSE National Ambulance Service (NAS) also provides some emergency capacity within the greater Dublin area. In addition, ambulances from other parts of the country, which may be travelling to or from a Dublin hospital, may be available to respond to emergency calls in the Dublin area where they are the nearest resource to a patient.

As the funding arrangement between DCC and the HSE is an operational matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.

Departmental Data

Questions (170)

Michael Moynihan

Question:

170. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the number of home support hours for older persons that were provided in each local health office area in 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021; and the projected out turn for 2021, in tabular form. [48740/21]

View answer

Written answers

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Departmental Schemes

Questions (171)

Niamh Smyth

Question:

171. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) has not received the full payment to their genetic scheme application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48471/21]

View answer

Written answers

One of the requirements in the Beef Data Genomics Programme (BDGP) was that participants using a stock bull were required to have at least one stock bull on the holding on 30th June 2019. This must have been a genotyped four or five star bull on either the Terminal or Replacement index (on a within or across breed basis) at the time of purchase and retained on the holding and where it was replaced in the period to 30th June 2020, it must have been replaced by a bull of equivalent genetic merit i.e. a genotyped four or five star bull on either the Terminal or Replacement index (on a within or across breed basis) at the time of purchase.

Department records show that the person named did not have an eligible stock bull on the holding on 30th June 2019. As the person named did not meet the bull replacement strategy requirement, a penalty was applied to their BDGP payment in 2019. They were paid in 2020 in accordance with the Terms and Conditions.

Agriculture Schemes

Questions (172)

Michael Lowry

Question:

172. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department will extend the deadline for farmers to submit their Beep-S dung samples beyond 1 October 2021; if he will take into account that in 2020 the deadline to submit these samples was 1 November; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48529/21]

View answer

Written answers

The objective of the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme – Suckler (BEEP - S) is to further increase economic and environmental efficiency in the suckler herd through better quality data on herd performance, supporting decision making on farm and support of best practice in welfare management.

In addition to the mandatory weighing requirement, participants had the choice of two additional animal welfare measures. The first of these involves the meal feeding of calves as part of the weaning process or carrying out a vaccination programme in conjunction with the participants veterinary practitioner. The second optional measure was to submit samples to a participating laboratory for faecal testing.

The deadline for submission of samples for the 2021 BEEP-S scheme was 1st October 2021. This represents a change from the 2020 programme where the deadline was 1st November. The date was brought forward by one month to mitigate against the large number of samples that were submitted to laboratories in late October 2020 and which presented significant challenges for participating laboratories and ultimately delayed BEEP-S payments to a large portion of participating farmers.

To ensure all BEEP-S participants were aware of the earlier submission date this year, the date of 1st October 2021 was clearly set out in the approval letter that issued to all participants earlier this year. The earlier deadline was also clearly referenced in the Terms and Conditions of the scheme when it opened on 16th March 2021 and has been highlighted to the various stakeholders throughout.

Participating farmers were also issued a text message in July 2021 reminding farmers of the revised deadline.

Forestry Sector

Questions (173)

Martin Browne

Question:

173. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the current felling site notice which has to be erected following the granting of a felling licence and during harvesting operations at a location is in compliance with all relevant data protection legislation given the details that are made public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48569/21]

View answer

Written answers

The Department requires tree felling licence holders to erect a site notice on their lands, where felling operations are taking place. The blank site notice is issued with the granted forestry licence and is completed by the licensee or their agent. The purpose of the site notice is to inform the public that the tree felling, the details of which appear on the notice, are taking place on the lands under a valid tree felling licence.

The format of the site notice is like site notices erected on sites where a grant of planning application has been submitted to the local authority. Local authority site notices also require the applicant’s name to appear on the notice.

Tree felling licence site notices are a requirement of the Forestry Act, 2014 and the Forestry Regulations, 2017. An applicant for a tree felling licence is advised of the requirements in respect of the site notice on the application form and on the Department’s website.

Forestry Sector

Questions (174, 175)

Martin Browne

Question:

174. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reasoning for the balance between State aid funding for forest establishment and the accounting of carbon credits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48570/21]

View answer

Martin Browne

Question:

175. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reasoning for the balance between forests established with no State aid and the accounting of carbon credits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48571/21]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 174 and 175 together.

The current model adopted by Ireland provides funding to landowners to cover 100% of the costs of establishing forests and to provide premiums to encourage land owners to make this land use change. In addition, tax free incentives are provided when timber is sold and other grant aid provided to construct forest roads.

These financial incentives and also the favourable tax treatment of income from the sale of timber recognise that forests provide a range of benefits not just to the landowner but in the general provision of public goods.

There is no difference how forests, whether state funded or not, are accounted and reported. Under international reporting and accounting requirements, Ireland must report on all emissions and removals from the total national forest estate.

Forests removing or emitting carbon dioxide has the same impact on climate irrespective of whether the forests are publicly or privately owned.

All forests are accounted and reported together to determine the total amount of carbon dioxide removed or emitted to the atmosphere as part of Ireland's international commitments.

Question No. 175 answered with Question No. 174.

Departmental Policies

Questions (176)

Matt Carthy

Question:

176. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has considered a ban on polyflurinated alkyl substances in food packaging; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48711/21]

View answer

Written answers

In the EU, Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 as amended lays down general requirements for all materials and articles intended for contact with food.

Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 requires that materials and articles, including active and intelligent materials and articles, are manufactured in compliance with good manufacturing practice so that, under normal or foreseeable conditions of use, they do not transfer their constituents to food in quantities which could: (a) endanger human health, or (b) bring about an unacceptable change in the composition of the food, or (c) bring about a deterioration in the organoleptic characteristics thereof.

EU Regulation 10/2011 as amended, on plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food contains a list of substances permitted for use in plastic FCMs, which includes several PFAS. Before substances are authorised for use in plastic food contact materials (FCMs), all substances require a risk assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to determine their safety, restrictions of use and other matters related to their safety, which manufacturers using them must comply with.

In Ireland, all EU legislation on FCMs is given effect by the European Union (Plastics and other materials) (Contact with food) Regulations 2017 (S.I. No. 49 of 2017) which was amended in 2018 and 2019.

Restrictions on the use of perfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS) are being considered across a number of pieces of legislation in the EU. In Ireland, multiple agencies and departments are involved in discussions on these measures, including my Department and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland.

Table

Departmental Correspondence

Questions (177)

Matt Carthy

Question:

177. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 865 of 28 September 2021, if he has conveyed to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment that there are shortages of labour in specific agricultural sectors; the sectors in this regard; if his Department did so in the context of a particular review; if his Department proposed a particular solution to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48712/21]

View answer

Written answers

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is in regular contact with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment on these issues, including highlighting the shortages that exist in certain sub-sectors of agri-food. That Department has lead responsibility for employment permit policy and the most recent review of the lists for employment permits is expected to conclude shortly. This is one method for helping to fill labour shortages, although it is considered to be a last resort. In advance of this, the Department of Social Protection are involved in helping employers recruit from the domestic and European labour pools, supplemented through initiatives such as ‘Help2Harvest’. These sectors also need to have appropriate labour attraction and retention policies in place.

The new Food Vision 2030 strategy includes a goal to “Attract and Nurture Diverse and Inclusive Talent” and this recommends five actions for the sector: employers in the agri-food industry will develop an education, skills and talent attraction and retention strategy; they will ensure decent work and address labour shortages; education and training programmes, including new apprenticeships, will be kept under review to ensure they respond to needs such as in the areas of environmental sustainability; they will promote and improve gender balance at all levels, but particularly at senior management and board level; and they will promote and develop initiatives to improve diversity and inclusion.

Departmental Schemes

Questions (178)

James Lawless

Question:

178. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of playgrounds funded under the CLÁR scheme in each county both through community organisations and through schools. [48423/21]

View answer

Written answers

The CLÁR Programme provides funding under a number of different Measures for small-scale infrastructural projects in designated rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population over a defined period. The Measures to be included in the CLÁR programme are reviewed and revised, if appropriate, each year.

Measure 2 of the 2021 programme provided support for Outdoor Community Recreation Facilities, including playgrounds. There were 20 playground projects approved for funding this year. These projects consist of new playgrounds/play areas and/or upgrades to playgrounds/play areas. The breakdown of these projects per county is provided in the table below.

CLÁR 2021 also approved funding for a host of other outdoor amenities such as multi-use games areas, sensory gardens and community gardens.

The full list of successful CLÁR 2021 projects and the successful projects from previous years are available on the Department's website at www.gov.ie/drcd .

Playgrounds/Play Areas Approved for funding under CLÁR 2021

County

Projects

School/Community

Carlow

St. Patrick's NS, Ballymurphy

School

Cavan

Kingscourt Community Centre Sports Club

Community

Cavan

Killeshandra Community Playground

Community

Cavan

St Felims NS, Ballinagh

School

Clare

Kilbaha Playground

Community

Clare

Fanore National School

School

Donegal

Fintown Railway – Cumann Traenach na Gaeltachta Láir

Community

Galway

Skehana Community Development Committee

Community

Galway

Glinsk Community Development Association

Community

Kerry

Comharchumann Forbartha an Leith-Triúigh Teo (Brandon Community Playground)

Community

Laois

Ballyfin Community Development Association

Community

Leitrim

Manorhamilton Public Playground

Community

Longford

Dromard Rural Development - Dromard Playground

Community

Longford

Sacred Heart Primary School, Granard

School

Mayo

Keel Community Playground

Community

Monaghan

Mullan Tidy Towns and Community Development

Community

Roscommon

Croghan NS

School

Roscommon

Camloon NS

School

Sligo

Dromore West Community Council CLG

Community

Westmeath

Kilbeggan Playground Upgrade & Extension

Community

Departmental Schemes

Questions (179)

James Lawless

Question:

179. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the insurance arrangements for playgrounds that are funded under the CLÁR scheme. [48424/21]

View answer

Written answers

The CLÁR Programme provides funding under a number of different Measures for small-scale infrastructural projects in designated rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population over a defined period. The Measures to be included in the CLÁR programme are reviewed and revised, if appropriate, each year.

Measure 2 of the 2021 programme provided support for Outdoor Community Recreation Facilities, including playgrounds.

Applications for funding under Measure 2 are submitted to the Department via Local Authorities. The Local Authority must ensure that funded facilities are publicly accessible with clear arrangements to insure and manage the facility.

Facilities funded under Measure 2 must be open to the public without limitations such as requiring users to be a member of a club or enrolled in a school. Furthermore, facilities on school grounds must be open to the public outside school hours.

Departmental Schemes

Questions (180)

Jennifer Whitmore

Question:

180. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will consider extending the streetscape enhancement initiative announced on 4 August 2021 which had a deadline of 14 September 2021 with successful applicants required to apply for payments once work has been completed before 22 October 2021; if her attention has been drawn to the difficulties this short timeframe has caused for persons wishing to apply; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48713/21]

View answer

Written answers

The €7 million Streetscape Enhancement Initiative, which is a commitment in Our Rural Future, is designed to make 124 of our rural towns and villages more attractive and welcoming places for locals and visitors alike. Property owners will be part funded to improve the facades of buildings, carry out artwork and install features such as canopies and street furniture.

The initiative is being delivered by the Local Authorities on behalf of my Department. The maximum level of funding that can be provided to individual properties is set at a national level, with considerable discretion provided to Local Authorities to design the scheme locally to meet their individual needs.

As the funding is being made available from savings elsewhere in my Department's vote, it must be fully utilised before year end. The projects must be completed and funding drawn down from my Department by mid-November. My Department is working very closely with local authorities to ensure that as much flexibility as possible is being provided in the delivery of the scheme and to facilitate quick delivery on the ground.

Notwithstanding this, I am aware of concerns regarding the tight timeframes set to complete the works and the impact which weather conditions may have on delivery at this time of year. I have asked my officials to explore what further flexibility can be provided to address these concerns so as to ensure effective delivery of this worthwhile scheme.

Top
Share