Written Answers Nos. 699-720
699. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if the HSE has a reserve of healthcare staff or professionals to assist nursing homes in instances of staff shortages or staffing emergencies arising from Covid-19; if so, if he will provide details on such reserves; and if he will outline the number of reserve staff currently available in each county. [57532/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
700. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken in consultation with other relevant Departments and their agencies to ensure that the legislation on the prevention of the spread of Covid-19 are adhered to, particularly in retail, hospitality, workplaces and so on in view of the rapid increase in Covid-19 numbers; the response he has received from these agencies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57538/21]
View answerMy Department actively works together with relevant Departments and agencies, on inspections in relation to compliance by businesses with COVID-19 related regulations and guidance, participating at the Labour Employer Economic Forum (LEEF) and the Regulators' Forum.
The (LEEF) is the forum for high-level dialogue between Government, Trade Union and Employer representatives on matters related to the labour force. Given the importance of keeping workplaces safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, it established a consultative stakeholder group to oversee the implementation of the Work Safely Protocol. This consultative group prepared and published an updated Guidance to assist employers and workers.
In support of this work, the Regulators’ Forum, brings together relevant Departments, Agencies and other bodies involved in compliance, engagement and inspections related to COVID-19. The Forum, chaired by D/Taoiseach, includes representatives from a range of Government Departments as well as the Health and Safety Authority, the Environmental Health Service of the HSE, the Workplace Relations Commission, the Veterinary Inspectorate of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, the Private Security Authority, the Schools Inspectorate of the Department of Education, Tusla, the City and County Managers Association, Fáilte Ireland, and An Garda Síochána.
The Forum has agreed that there will be a renewed focus on compliance activities, including inspections, over the period ahead, both for businesses that are already open, and those that have just reopened following the most recent government decisions.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) were both identified as relevant bodies under the Health Act 1947 (Sections 31AB and 31AD) (Covid-19) (Operation of certain indoor premises) Regulations 2021 and are collaborating closely in relation to compliance activity. The HSE is the only agency that comes within the remit of my Department - the HSA comes within the remit of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
I have been advised by the HSE that, in relation to the Indoor Dining Regulations and the expanded scope of premises under the Regulations, the HSE are ensuring that Compliance Officers (COs) are in place to conduct the necessary checks across the hospitality sector.
702. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health if he will consider accelerating and directing additional resources to the booster vaccine roll-out in order to mitigate the need for further lockdowns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57572/21]
View answerThe immunisation programme in Ireland is based on the advice of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC). The NIAC makes recommendations on vaccination policy to my Department based on the prevalence of the relevant disease in Ireland and international best practices in relation to immunisation.
On 15 November the NIAC recommended that a booster of an mRNA vaccine be offered to persons aged 16-59 years with underlying conditions, all residents in Long Term Healthcare Facilities and persons aged 50-59 years. The Chief Medical Officer has endorsed the latest NIAC recommendations and written to the HSE to request that the recommendations be operationalised as soon as possible.
The NIAC has previously recommended that a booster dose of an mRNA vaccine (irrespective of whether the primary vaccination course was of an mRNA or adenoviral vector) be offered to those aged 60 years and older and healthcare workers. The booster dose should be given after an interval of six months (or at least five months) following the last dose of any authorised Covid-19 vaccine. I have accepted this advice and the HSE has made the necessary arrangements to operationalise these recommendations with the booster roll out now underway.
The NIAC will continue to examine emerging evidence regarding booster vaccines for others in the population where there is evidence of waning immunity and reduced effectiveness and will make further recommendations if required.
703. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the point at which a person will be considered unvaccinated in circumstances in which they receive two vaccines and do not receive the third vaccine; if they can continue to use a Covid-19 pass; the point at which these passes will expire; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57573/21]
View answerInternational travellers to Ireland must have appropriate valid proof of vaccination or recovery, or to present evidence of a negative RT-PCR result. For the purposes of travel, passengers are considered vaccinated if they have received a full regime of a vaccine approved for use for international travel into Ireland after the recommended number of days after the final dose, see www.gov.ie/en/publication/77952-government-advice-on-international-travel/ for full details. There is currently no time limit on this definition of fully vaccinated.
The Government gives continuing consideration to policy on international travel informed by the epidemiological situation and public health advice.
704. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health his plans to ensure that the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 is implemented ensuring that children are protected from alcohol marketing, particularly the broadcast watershed under section 19 that removes alcohol advertising from television until 9 p.m. and the content of advertisements under section 13, which, if enacted, ensures all self-regulatory and voluntary codes administered by the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland would become redundant and replaced by a statutory code (details supplied). [57597/21]
View answerThe full implementation of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 remains a priority.
Section 13 on the content of advertisements requires regulations which must be submitted to European Commission under the Technical Standards Directive (Directive (EU) 2015/1535). Those regulations are currently being developed.
Section 19 on a broadcast watershed requires engagement with the Environmental Health Service and the Broadcast Authority of Ireland on compliance and enforcement issues.
Work on commencing both of these section was suspended throughout 2020 and much of 2021 due to resources being diverted to COVID-19 related areas and has now restarted.
705. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the cause of the recent power outage at University Hospital Tallaght, leading to the cancellation of all scheduled outpatient and day appointments; and the measures that will be put in place to ensure that it does not occur again. [57618/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
706. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) can expect an appointment. [57622/21]
View answerUnder the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
707. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health if a site (details supplied) is in the ownership of the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57631/21]
View answerAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the management of the public healthcare property estate, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.
708. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health , further to Parliamentary Question No. 843 of 27 January, the status of plans by the HSE to provide a new base for the ambulance service in Drogheda, County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57632/21]
View answerAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy on this matter.
709. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health if the HSE plans to provide a facility in Drogheda, County Louth to ensure the swift roll-out of the Covid-19 booster shots to the population in Drogheda, south Louth and east Meath; when such a decision will be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57633/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
710. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health if the HSE will provide a permanent Covid-19 testing centre in Drogheda, County Louth, given the high rate of infection in the community and the fact that the area frequently features in the list of areas affected by higher than average rates of infection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57634/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
711. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter regarding neurology nurses in Cork University Hospital (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57637/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
713. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if he will respond to correspondence from a representative organisation (details supplied); the reason for the delay in issuing a substantive reply; if he plans to meet the organisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57639/21]
View answerI have met with the organisation concerned previously and at that time I listened carefully to their concerns and to their proposals. I have recently received additional correspondence which is under consideration and a response will issue in due course.
My Department is currently in a process of reviewing its structure in terms of its strategic business priorities. The matters raised by the organisation concerned are being considered by the Department in that context.
714. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Health if he will address a matter regarding the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57643/21]
View answerBe advised that the Deputy's question relates to a service matter. In light of this, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy at their earliest convenience.
715. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding assistance and help being sought from the grassroots of Irish racing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57418/21]
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.
716. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the tagging requirements of sheep; the details of the tracking system or central register for identification; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56887/21]
View answerThe rules governing the identification of sheep are determined by Commission Regulation (EU) 2016/429, supplemented by Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2035 and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/963. These rules are implemented in Ireland via the National Sheep Identification System (NSIS).
All sheep must be identified electronically by nine months of age, or on leaving the holding of their birth, whichever is the earlier date.
Lambs moving directly to slaughter from their holding of origin while aged under 12 months may be identified with a single electronic tag, inserted in the animal's right ear.
All other sheep must be identified with a full electronic tag set consisting of an electronic tag in the right ear and a corresponding conventional tag in the left ear. An electronic bolus set comprising an electronic bolus implanted into the stomach of the sheep and a matching conventional tag is also permitted.
All sheep tags (and boluses) must display an individual animal identification number encompassing the unique sheep designator assigned by the Department to the holding on which an individual sheep is born. Sheep tags can only be purchased by registered sheep keepers and can only be sourced from tag suppliers approved by the Department. The Department's systems allocate and record the details of all sheep tags (and boluses) ordered.
As sheep are not identified at birth, the Department does not maintain a central identification register for sheep.
However, in accordance with EU legislative requirements, all sheep movements are recorded on a batch basis on the Department's central Animal Identification and Movement (AIM) system. All sheep movements must be accompanied by a uniquely numbered dispatch document listing the individual tag numbers of all sheep in the batch.
Both parties to a movement must retain a copy of the associated dispatch document. In addition, sheep keepers are legislatively required to record the details of all movements into and out of their holding on a flock register. The register must further record the number of sheep notified to my Department in the context of the annual sheep census, the submission of which is also a legal requirement.
Flock registers must be kept up-to-date at all times and must be immediately presented to an authorised officer when requested for inspection purposes.
Sheep slaughter plants which are approved by my Department, together with a significant number of marts, have also been authorised by my Department to operate as Central Points of Recording (CPRs). CPRs scan all sheep moving to those locations and notify the individual identification numbers of all sheep moved to these premises to my Department where the data is retained.
717. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to reintroduce the sheep electronic identification or EID tag subsidy scheme or similar schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56888/21]
View answerThe Sheep EID Tag Subsidy Scheme was introduced as a once-off scheme in 2018, in conjunction with the decision to extend electronic identification to all sheep from 1st June 2019.
The Scheme provided a payment of up to a maximum of €100 per eligible keeper in respect of the first electronic sheep tag order completed between 1st October 2018 and 30th September 2019. Payments were based on the number of electronic tags included in the first eligible order, with €1 paid in respect of each electronic tag ordered. I currently have no plans to re-introduce this scheme for sheep.
I have recently announced the introduction of a similar scheme to coincide with a move to mandatory electronic identification of cattle from January 2022 onwards. This financial support will assist farmers in transitioning to this new electronic identification system.
The intention is that the cattle EID tag scheme will operate over three years (2022 to 2024 inclusive) with the first payments scheduled to take place in Quarter 4 2022 amounting to €2.25 million. Payments in 2022 will be calculated on the number of new EID tag sets purchased from 1st January 2022 at a rate of €1 per new EID tag set.
There is a maximum payment of €100 per farmer over the life of the scheme and, similar to the Sheep EID Tag Subsidy Scheme, no application process will be required as all required information is available on my Department's systems.
The cattle scheme is proportionately weighted in favour of smaller producers. Farmers can only order annually the number of new tag sets required commensurate to the number of breeding females in the herd.
Mandatory bovine EID will be implemented in two stages. From 1st January 2022, all approved bovine tag suppliers will be required to supply an EID tag with all new tag orders. Each new tag set will include one EID tag and one tissue tag. From 1st July 2022, it shall be a legal requirement on herd keepers to officially identify all new-born calves with a tag set containing an EID tag.
EID tags will be white in colour. The colour of conventional and tissue tags will remain yellow.
Mandatory bovine EID will deliver a substantial improvement in the bovine identification system for farmers, livestock marts, slaughter plants, export assembly centres and veterinarians. This initiative aligns with and supports the Food Vision 2030 objective that Ireland will become a world leader in Sustainable Food Systems, enhancing consumer trust in our food systems.
Further, it will lead to a safer working environment for all stakeholders with less reliance on manual checking of bovine tag numbers.
718. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if membership of a domestic scheme run by a semi-State body (details supplied) will be a requirement for entry in the suckler carbon efficiency programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56903/21]
View answer741. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on a matter regarding direct payments for suckler farmers (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57415/21]
View answer743. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason for making membership of An Bord Bia's sustainable beef and lamb assurance scheme mandatory for those wishing to participate in the proposed new suckler carbon efficiency scheme; if he will consider removing this compulsory element for participation of the suckler efficiency scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57443/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 718, 741 and 743 together.
Membership of the Bord Bia Sustainable Beef and Lamb Quality Assurance Scheme (SBLAS) is an eligibility condition of the proposed Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) as part of Ireland's draft CAP strategic plan. The full details of the draft CAP strategic plan are available on the Department's website.
A core metric underpinning this environmental schemes is the measurement and tracking of the carbon footprint for each participant farm. The sustainability survey in the SBLAS audit provides a carbon footprint using an established model.
My view is that it is imperative that the scheme includes strong and measurable environmental actions which will further drive the environmental efficiency of suckler beef farming, as well as contributing to the sector's efficiency and competitiveness and supporting farm incomes.
The Deputy will be aware that the costs associated with SBLAS audits are funded directly by my Department rather than by the participating beef and sheep farmers.
719. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the application to the European Union for protected geographical indication status for Irish beef; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56983/21]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that the PGI application for Irish Grass Fed Beef was submitted to the EU Commission in November 2020.
As part of its detailed scrutiny of the application, the European Commission raised a number of queries with my Department over the period May to October 2021. The Department officials together with Bord Bia responded to those queries.
I am hopeful that the PGI application, submitted by Bord Bia on behalf of Irish farmers, will be published by the EU Commission in the coming weeks for the next stage of consultation at EU Member State and Third Country level.
The period of this consultation process, which is formally called ‘EU/third country opposition procedure’ is three months, but this can be extended by the Commission.
If successfully registered, PGI status for Irish Grass Fed Beef could have significant benefits for all those in the supply chain, particularly our beef farmers who are the cornerstone of the sector.
The Department will continue to engage intensively with the European Commission on this application, and with counterparts in Northern Ireland with a view to ensuring that Northern Ireland can join the application at the appropriate time.
I acknowledge the work involved by my Department and Bord Bia in getting the application to this stage.
720. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason the deadline for the submission of dung samples for faecal egg count testing as a part of the BEEP scheme is one month earlier in 2021 compared with 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56988/21]
View answerThe 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. It is a clear example of my commitment to the suckler sector.
Applications were made via the Department's online application system at www.agfood.ie. 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 the submission of these samples was changed in 2021 to the 1st October 2021 rather than the 1st November 2020 as it was in the 2020 scheme.
As with any annual scheme, my Department engages with stakeholders to identify ways to improve the deliver of prompt and efficient payment to participating farmers. In 2020, some 1,300 farmers did not receive their full payment in 2020 on time as not all results were received from laboratories due to samples being submitted right up to the closing date of 1st November 2020.
In an effort to mitigate against that in 2021, laboratories put their own measures in place to encourage participating farmers to make their submissions earlier and my Department moved the deadline forward to help facilitate as many farmers as possible receiving their payment as scheduled in December 2021.
For 2020, some 20,326 expressed and interest in submitting samples as part of the scheme with some 14,686 subsequently doing so and receiving payment for the action. For 2021 that number has increased to 21,641 and to-date, with processing of samples received ongoing, some 16,257 samples have been recorded.
The 1st October deadline for 2021 was emphasised in the Terms and Conditions of the scheme and Press Releases when the scheme opened in March 2021. The date was also included in the approval letter that issued to all successful applicants for the scheme in 2021.
My Department also issued an SMS text to all BEEP S participants in July 2021 once again reminding them of the 1st October 2021 closing date.
