Robert Troy
Question:253. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure a full palliative care programme is put in place for a person (details supplied) without further delay. [55071/21]
View answerHealth Services
Questions (253)
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.
Health Services
Questions (254)
Patricia Ryan
Question:254. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health pursuant to the Government report, The Trauma System for Ireland, the progress that is being made in developing a comprehensive fracture liaison service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55095/21]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Disability Services
Questions (255)
Patricia Ryan
Question:255. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health the number of vacancies in each of the network disability teams in Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55096/21]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Ambulance Service
Questions (256, 257, 258)
Holly Cairns
Question:256. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to address the shortages of ambulances in south-west County Cork. [55175/21]
View answerHolly Cairns
Question:257. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the average response time of ambulances in west County Cork; the number of ambulances ordinarily based at each location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55176/21]
View answerHolly Cairns
Question:258. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the number of paramedics assigned to ambulance services in west County Cork; and the optimum number of paramedics that should serve that area. [55177/21]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 256 to 258, inclusive, together.
As these are service matters I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Question No. 257 answered with Question No. 256.
Question No. 258 answered with Question No. 256.
Medical Register
Questions (259)
Holly Cairns
Question:259. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking in relation to the waiting lists for CORU to register health and social care professionals. [55178/21]
View answerWritten answers
As the Deputy is aware, CORU is Ireland's multi-profession health and social care regulator. CORU’s role is to protect the public by regulating the health and social care professions designated under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (as amended). The Act seeks to protect the public by providing a system of statutory registration for designated health and social care professions. There are two forms of application to CORU; applications for the recognition of qualifications received outside the State and applications for registration.
Where a health and social care professional qualifies outside the State and applies to register in Ireland, they must apply for the recognition of their qualification. Once a complete file has been submitted to CORU, a decision must issue within four months. Currently there is no waiting list for such applications. Nevertheless, CORU continues to innovate to shorten timeframes for these applicants.
In respect of applications for registration, CORU has informed my officials that the average processing time for an application for registration is 9.2 weeks for new applicants entering a profession. This represents an improvement on the previous average of 14 weeks.
I met with the Chairperson and CEO of CORU earlier this year and raised the issue of timeframes for recognition of qualifications and registration. Following our discussion, a variety of measures have been initiated by CORU aimed at further reducing timeframes. CORU has informed my officials of two innovations that will further improve these processes. Firstly, applications for the recognition of qualifications received outside the State are now accepted for all professions through an online application system, which launched this year. Secondly, CORU has commenced the contemporaneous processing of recognition and registration applications. Once an applicant submits an application for recognition an invitation to initiate a registration application to run in parallel is issued. These initiatives, in addition to additional resources I have allocated to CORU, are anticipated to further reduce timeframes.
Furthermore, a number of opportunities for innovation and change have been identified by CORU, some are already underway, while work is beginning on others. For example work is underway to assess alternative approaches to facilitate recognition of EU qualifications which would reduce timeframes and CORU has also commenced a project to facilitate the digitisation and integration of all registrant related systems.
My department will continue to support CORU in achieving its strategic vision and improving timeframes for all applicants into the future.
Medical Register
Questions (260)
Holly Cairns
Question:260. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the rationale for the application fees for health and social care professionals registering with CORU. [55179/21]
View answerWritten answers
The Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (as amended) seeks to protect the public by providing a system of statutory registration for designated health and social care professions. The Health and Social Care Professionals Council and the Registration Boards it oversees (collectively known as CORU) are governed by that Act. The Act provides, amongst other things, that CORU is a legal entity in its own right. As such CORU is an independent body, with the power to charge certain fees and has the responsibility to ensure that it has the financial capacity to undertake all of its legal obligations.
The Act intends that the regulation of health and social care professionals be a self-funded activity. Consequently, certain fees are charged for registration as a professional and for associated services on a cost basis. The annual registration fee was set by CORU at €100 and along with other fees, is required to enable CORU to carry out its statutory obligations to protect the integrity of the practice of the Health and Social Care Professions it regulates and to protect the public. This approach to funding professional regulation is mirrored across professions within the State and internationally.
Health Services Staff
Questions (261)
Holly Cairns
Question:261. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to address the shortage of neurology nurse specialists in the south-west regional centre for neurology. [55180/21]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Covid-19 Pandemic
Questions (262)
Willie O'Dea
Question:262. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health the reason persons aged 65 years and over cannot get an EU digital Covid certificate following a positive PCR test for Covid-19, when they have natural immunity for at least nine months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55234/21]
View answerWritten answers
An EU Digital COVID certificate of recovery is available from 11 days after a positive PCR test carried out by the HSE, and is valid for no more than 180 days after the positive test, as per the EU Regulation.
Individuals can now fill out an online form to request a certificate of recovery or call the EU Digital COVID Certificate helpline directly.
Forestry Sector
Questions (263)
Richard O'Donoghue
Question:263. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the financial supports that will be given to encourage landowners back into forestry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54789/21]
View answerWritten answers
I am pleased to report that this year’s Budget delivered strong support for Forestry with the indicative allocation of over €100m for 2022.
This funding allows us to continue to fund the establishment of new forests which has been highlighted as one of the targets in the recently published Climate Action Plan 2021. Afforestation will play an important role for realising our 2030 climate ambition, and is contributing to achieving carbon neutrality no later than 2050.
The current Forestry Programme 2014-2020 (extended to end 2022) provides significant supports for afforestation and includes 12 different planting categories to promote a good species mix and covers 100% of the cost of establishing a forest.
The scheme also pays an annual premium to the landowner of up to €680 per hectare payable each year for 15 years.
Measures included in the programme comprise the main Afforestation Scheme (incorporating Native Woodland Establishment, Agro-Forestry and Forestry for Fibre), as well as a variety of support schemes to help forest owners with the management of their forests, including timber mobilisation.
This approach has resulted in over 28,000 hectares of forestry having been planted on private lands during the course of the Programme so far.
As the Deputy may be aware, Project Woodland was launched in February this year and one of its key objectives is the creation of a shared national vision for forestry and the development of a new Forest Strategy for the future of forests in Ireland.
This includes an extensive and inclusive public consultation, which has been approved by the Project Board and will be undertaken as a matter of priority. I would like to invite everybody with an interest in forestry in Ireland to actively contribute to this consultation process.
The measures that will be taken to encourage landowners to consider the planting of forests will be discussed as part of this consultation process and the development of the new Forest Strategy, which will be the enabler of the next National Forestry Programme, which is due to commence in 2023.
The new Forestry Programme will focus on the importance of climate smart forestry and new afforestation will be encouraged in pursuit of commercial, climate, water, and biodiversity objectives.
Fishing Industry
Questions (264)
Colm Burke
Question:264. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if Irish boats which normally operate in UK waters will face the same trajectory as our French counterparts; if they will require to have a licence from the UK authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55006/21]
View answerWritten answers
Within the terms of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), access arrangements are set out in Article 500 (1).
Currently, 358 Irish vessels are licensed by the UK authorities and have been granted an authorisation by my Department to fish in the UK's 12-200 nautical mile zone. All licensed and registered Irish fishing vessels which applied for access to the UK's 12-200 miles zone have been granted a licence by the UK authorities for 2021. Irish fishing vessels must hold a UK licence and are granted an access authorisation by my Department to fish in UK waters.
Under the TCA, access in each others 6-12 miles zones for both parties has been considerably reduced. The UK vessels no longer have access to Ireland's 6-12nm zone in the Irish sea. Subject to relevant track record, UK vessels may be authorised to fish off the south east coast from Mine Head to Carnsore Point in the 6-12 miles zone. The UK vessels have no other access to this zone.
The only access Irish vessels have to the UK 6-12 zone is potentially around the Isle of Man subject to a relevant track record of fishing in the area. The records demonstrate that some Irish fishing vessels have fished to some degree for herring in the Isle of Man 6-12 miles zone.
The Voisinage (or “neighbourhood”) arrangements between Ireland and Northern Ireland have provided reciprocal fishing access for more than 50 years. These arrangements have allowed boats from Northern Ireland to fish in coastal waters in Ireland. They have also allowed Irish-registered sea-fishing boats access to fish in coastal waters in Northern Ireland. The European Commission has confirmed that these arrangements are preserved under the TCA by Article 511 ‘Relationship with other agreements’. The application of the arrangements post-Brexit is governed by the Sustainable Management of External Fishing Fleets Regulation (2017/2403).
My Department has regularly submitted lists of Irish sea-fishing applicant vessels to the European Commission seeking authorisation for them to fish in the Northern Ireland 0-6 nautical mile zone and was informed by the European Commission on 9th July 2021 that the UK authorities had permitted 195 Irish vessels to fish in the UK 0-6 nautical mile zone from 10th July 2021. My Department continues to review applications from Irish sea-fishing boat owners and additional applications are sent to the European Commission at regular intervals. Two hundred and three vessels had been licensed by 31st October 2021.
Wildlife Protection
Questions (265)
Patricia Ryan
Question:265. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he can restrict the importation of bees from other countries; if not, if he is considering introducing such restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55089/21]
View answerWritten answers
The importation of bees into Ireland is governed by EU legislation. Member States shall permit the entry of the consignment if the legislative requirements are met.
These EU requirements are reflected in a health certificate that accompanies the consignment. The health certificate is issued by the competent authority in the country of export after a physical inspection of the bees and their packaging has taken place.
These checks ensure that the bees are healthy and that bees and the packaging do not harbour pathogens or parasites that may be harmful to our native bee stocks. EU rules and the requirements therein reflect animal health risks and are important to facilitate intra-community trade and trade with third countries which Ireland is dependent on.
My colleague with responsibility for Horticulture, Minister of State Senator Pippa Hackett, met with beekeeping representative organisations and discussed the protection of the Native Irish Honey Bee, Apis mellifera mellifera.
Following this meeting there has been engagement at official level with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) under the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on internal measures to protect the native Irish honeybee. This engagement is ongoing.
I recognise the important contribution bees make to agriculture and biodiversity as both pollinators and honey producers.
In this regard, my Department provides a range of supports and initiatives to encourage and assist beekeepers and the national beekeeping associations. These supports include funding to carry out applied research through the National Apiculture Programme, the Genetic Research Grant Aid Scheme, grants to national beekeeping associations and grant aid to fund capital investments for beekeepers.
My Department is also a partner in the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan 2021 – 2025 and is a member of the All-Ireland Honeybee Strategy Steering Group.
Agriculture Schemes
Questions (266)
Paul Kehoe
Question:266. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) can expect to hear the outcome of an appeal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54792/21]
View answerWritten answers
I inform the Deputy that the Agriculture Appeals Office operates independently of my Department.
I have been informed, however, that an appeal was received by the Agriculture Appeals Office from the person named and was assigned to an Appeals Officer to determine the appeal. I am further informed that an Oral Hearing was held in relation to this appeal in June 2021.
Following the oral hearing, the appellant provided further information to the Appeals Officer which was subsequently provided to my Department for consideration.
I understand that the Appeals Officer dealing with the appeal will shortly be in contact with the person-named regarding the provision of further information to progress the appeal.
I have been assured that a decision will issue in relation to this appeal as soon as possible once all information has been submitted and considered.
Departmental Advertising
Questions (267)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:267. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total amount spent by his Department on advertisements, including traditional forms of advertisement and online advertising, in each of the past ten years and to date in 2021. [54901/21]
View answerWritten answers
The information requested by the Deputy is being collated by the Department and a reply will be forwarded within 10 working days.