Written Answers Nos. 371-384
374. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he will publish the licencing plan with respect to felling for 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31898/23]
View answerAs Deputies may be aware the new and ambitious €1.3bn Forestry Programme 2023-2027 will replace the previous Programme which expired at the end of 2022. The new Programme will benefit farmers, rural communities and the overall climate and environment. Subject to State Aid approval from the European Commission and the completion of the ongoing Strategic Environmental Assessment/Appropriate Assessment (SEA/AA) process, this will support the largest, most farmer-friendly investment in forestry in the history of the State.In recognition of the need for forestry activity to continue, and pending the launch of the new Programme, my Department engaged with the Commission last December to secure an interim solution which has led to the introduction of an Interim Afforestation Scheme, an Interim Forest Road Scheme and an interim Ash Dieback Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme via General De Minimis. This ensured that those with valid afforestation licences issued before the end of 2022 could avail of the current planting season under the higher grant and premium rates proposed under the new Programme. Likewise those with valid road licences and approvals under the Ash Dieback Scheme at the end of 2022 could avail of the higher grants and enhanced payment rates as proposed under the new Programme.
Meanwhile the issuing of felling licences by my Department is not affected by the engagement with the European Commission. Indeed, to date, 1,532 felling licences have issued from my Department, equating to 17,847 hectares. The volume of wood available from these licences amounts to 4,889,821m3. There is obvious merit in signaling to forest owners, landowners, and the forest sector our intentions as regards licensing which is why I intend to publish a new Forestry Licensing Plan once the new Forestry Programme has been approved at national and EU levels. This should cover the reminder of 2023 while also indicating plans for 2024. The licencing plan, once finalised, will encompass all aspects of forestry licencing and not solely felling.My Department has been engaging intensively with the Commission over the last few months is striving to produce a programme acceptable to the European Commission, the forestry industry, licence applicants and the environmental stakeholders. Both myself and Minister of State Pippa Hackett, who has overall responsibility for the sector, are absolutely committed to delivering a forestry programme for the benefit of farmers, landowners, the climate, rural communities and the overall economy.
375. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been brought to an article (details supplied) warning of a shortage of Irish fruit and vegetables for the rest of the year due to increased costs and unpredictable weather; the details of any measures planned by him to support farmers potentially affected by any such shortages; the details of any measures planned to support Ireland's domestic fruit and vegetable supply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31904/23]
View answerI am aware that due to a wet spring and the recent lack of rainfall some growers are experiencing challenges in production and there has been an increase in input costs across all agriculture, which has added to this challenge.
To address some of the challenges being faced across the horticulture sectors, the recently published National Strategy for Horticulture 2023-2027 identified eight Key Strategic Actions the implementation of which will ensure the long term continued viability of the horticulture industry.
In addition to this my Department supports the horticulture industry in Ireland with a range of measures, firstly, The National Exchequer funded 2023 Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Horticulture Sector, which is now open for applications, has an increased budget of €10 million reflecting the importance of the sector. The EU funded Producer Organisation scheme for fruit and vegetables delivered €4.2 million in aid for the industry in 2022 and similar levels of aid will be payable for 2023 activities. The Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR) funded 2023 Scheme of Investment Aid for the Seed Potato Sector and Chipping Potato Sector has a budget of €1.5 million to help develop the Irish chipping and seed potato sectors. And, finally some horticulture growers are also eligible for support under the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3), Basic Income Support for Sustainability Scheme (BISS), Agri Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) and Organic Farming Scheme.
My Department continues to engage with the sector in relation to current challenges and will monitor the situation regarding further supports under review.
376. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to introduce measures to increase domestic fruit, vegetable and grain supply, particularly in view of the impacts of climate change as well as Ireland's reliance on food imports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31905/23]
View answerTo address some of the challenges being faced across the horticulture sectors, the recently published National Strategy for Horticulture 2023-2027 identified eight Key Strategic Actions the implementation of which will ensure the long term continued viability of the horticulture industry.
In addition to this my Department supports the horticulture industry in Ireland with a range of measures, firstly, The National Exchequer funded 2023 Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Horticulture Sector has an increased budget of €10 million and is currently open for applications. The EU funded Producer Organisation scheme for fruit and vegetables delivered €4.2 million in aid for the industry in 2022. Similar levels of aid will be payable for 2023 activities. The Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR) funded 2023 Scheme of Investment Aid for the Seed Potato Sector and Chipping Potato Sector has a budget of €1.5 million to help develop these sectors.
Separately, the importance of the tillage sector is recognised in the Food Vision 2030 Strategy and in the Climate Action Plan 2023 where a target is set out to increase the area in tillage to 400,000 hectares.
To help achieve this target, I recently established the Food Vision 2030 Tillage Group which brings together all relevant stakeholders to develop a roadmap for the sustainable growth and development of the sector to 2030.
In recent years, I have introduced several measures to support the tillage sector. Last year, I introduced the Tillage Incentive Scheme (TIS), a support measure for farmers to incentivise an increase in the area of eligible tillage crops grown which resulted in payment of €10.9 million in 2022. The budget for the Scheme in 2023 is €10 million.
I more than doubled the budget for the Protein Aid Scheme from €3 million to €7 million in the CAP Strategic Plan (CSP) 2023 - 2027. I also secured the Straw Incorporation Measure as a new measure in the CSP with an annual budget of €10 million. €19.5m has been paid out to tillage farmers under this measure since it was launched as a pilot in 2021.
Our new Agri-Environmental Scheme (ACRES) includes a broad range of actions that are relevant to tillage famers while the new Tillage Capital Investment Scheme under TAMS contains a broader range of investments and a higher investment ceiling of €90,000.
My Department continues to engage with the sectors in relation to current challenge.
377. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total advertising budget allocated by his Department and agencies in each of the past ten years, and to date in 2023, respectively; the funding provided directly to RTÉ in each year; if he has sought and secured an assurance that none of this funding was rebated via the RTÉ advertising barter account; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32001/23]
View answerMy Department provides public information about the Department's wide range of schemes, services and policies.
The amount spent by my Department on advertising in each of the past ten years, and to date in 2023, is set out in the table below. This expenditure includes the publication of Statutory Notices that are required to comply with various national and EU legislative requirements.
|
Year |
Amount in euros |
|
2013 |
192,595 |
|
2014 |
224,068 |
|
2015 |
238,460 |
|
2016 |
312,021 |
|
2017 |
544,657 |
|
2018 |
288,186 |
|
2019 |
387,482.57 |
|
2020 |
322,722.55 |
|
2021 |
381,738.63 |
|
2022 |
741,490.98 |
|
2023 to date |
255,618.76 |
Department public information campaigns, placed by the media buying agency, PHD Ltd, included €8,509 expenditure with RTÉ in 2020 and €30,748 expenditure with RTÉ in 2022. PHD Ltd have advised the Department that they did not use a barter account in respect of this expenditure.
During the period from January 2013 to date, the Department did not provide funding to RTÉ directly.
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 therefore referred the Deputy’s question to the Agencies and have requested that a response should issue to the Deputy within 10 days.
378. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if external audits have been carried out or will be carried out by or on behalf of the HSE into the validity of the application of statutory funding to major disability providers in the disability sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31827/23]
View answerThis question refers to an operational matter. I have forwarded the question to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
379. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will instruct the HSE to initiate enquiries into severance and non-disclosure agreements made, whether out of statutory income or fundraised income over the past five years to staff exiting voluntary sector agencies providing services to disabled people; if such payments were made known by voluntary sector agencies to the HSE at the time or in subsequent reports on their service agreements with the HSE; if he will request the HSE to quantify the total of all such severance and/or non-disclosure payments by all agencies in the disability sector receiving grants from the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31828/23]
View answerAs this question refers to an operational matter, I have forwarded the question to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
380. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will set-up a community neuro-rehabilitation team in CHO4 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31829/23]
View answerThe Programme for Government – 'Our Shared Future’ - includes a commitment to advancing neuro-rehabilitation services in the community.
The Health Service Executive is leading on the implementation framework in respect of the recommendations of the National Policy and Strategy for the provision of Neuro-Rehabilitation Services in Ireland 2011-2015.
The Neuro-Rehabilitation Strategy Implementation Framework (IF) was launched in February 2019. The aim of the Strategy is the development of neuro-rehabilitation services to improve patient outcomes by providing safe, high quality, person-centred neuro-rehabilitation at the lowest appropriate level of complexity.
This must be integrated across the care pathway and provided as close to home as possible or in specialist centres where necessary. These services are to be configured into population based managed clinical rehabilitation networks (MCRNs).
The overarching aim is the development of these networks around the country.
In order to this new MCRN model in the Irish context, a decision was made by the Neuro-Rehab Steering Group to run two demonstrator projects within CHO6 and CHO7 to assess the feasibility of the model to inform national roll-out.
The recruitment process within CHO6 and CHO7 is well advanced and and teams are planned to be operational in Q4 2023.
Funding was provided in budget 2023 for two CNRTs in CHO 2 and CHO 4.
Within these CHOs, initial meetings have taken place to establish a Local Implementation Group (LIG) who will drive the creation of the CNRT within the CHO, identify a location for these teams, as well as operationalise the model of governance approved by the NSG.
Moving forward with the strategy, the plan will be to roll out these services on a national basis.
381. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the amount paid out to all consultancy firms for any services rendered; and the cost per contract for the year-to-date 2023, in tabular form [31683/23]
View answerMy Department is preparing a response and will contact the Deputy as soon as possible.
382. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when access to psychology services will be facilitated in the case of the son of a person (details supplied); the progress to date in securing an additional psychologist for the provision of such services in north Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31709/23]
View answerAs this refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
383. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when the new policy framework for children and young people will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31713/23]
View answerThe new policy framework is expected to be published in the middle of this year. Last year, my department published a Blueprint of the Policy Framework for Children and Young People (0-24) 2023-2028, setting out our plans for this framework, which adopts a children’s rights approach, informed by the UN Convention on the Rights of Child (UNCRC), envisioning an Ireland in which the rights of children and young people are respected and realised.
The framework has been developed in the context of significant progress having been made since the publication of Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures, and the ongoing work taking place across Government to improve outcomes for children and young people. It is informed by consultations with children and young people, civil society, people working with children and young people, and the public, as well as the available data and research. It will set out the current issues impacting children and young people, identifying priority actions that require cross government focus, and will describe a programme of work to ensure children and young people are a central part of decision making.
384. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he is aware that payment to a commercial premises housing Ukrainian refugees (details supplied) is still outstanding; if an indication can be given as to when payment will be made; the reason for the delay with this payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31730/23]
View answerI can advise the Deputy that since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine on 24 February 2022, my Department continues to work as part of the whole-of-Government response with a focus on meeting the immediate, temporary accommodation needs of those fleeing the conflict.
My Department is focused on the immediate, short-term accommodation needs of those who have fled here. To date, more than 76,000 people have arrived in Ireland and just in excess of 63,000 of those have been referred to this Department seeking accommodation from the State.
I am advised by my officials that invoices have been presented to my Department from the accommodation mentioned in the Details Supplied. My officials are engaging with the provider to establish further particulars of the service provided, after which any payments due will issue.
