Written Answers Nos. 1341-1360
1341. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if, considering recent heavy rain fall and in accordance with the conservation objectives of Natura 2000 sites (details supplied), he can indicate what number of active licences contain this mitigation condition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39340/23]
View answer1342. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if, considering recent heavy rainfall and in accordance with the conservation objectives of Natura 2000 sites (details supplied), the Forestry Division of his Department has monitored and enforced the AA mitigation/licence condition in relevant licences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39341/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1341 and 1342 together.
My Department conducts comprehensive appropriate assessment to ensure that licences issued take account of any impact on Natura 2000 sites.
Compliance with environmental mitigation and other licence conditions imposed by my Department is then the responsibility of the licensee.
My Department operates a risk-based inspection regime for forestry licensing, and conducts inspections at pre-approval stage and when works have been completed. We may also conduct inspections on-site during operations where known risks exist or are brought to our attention.
The information requested in relation to active licences with the mitigation condition referenced is not readily available, but my Department will be in touch with the Deputy directly on this matter.
1343. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of dogs euthanised in registered animal rescue centres on an annual basis since 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39342/23]
View answerAnimal welfare is a key priority for my Department. Considerable resources and funding are provided to support animal welfare charities involved in rescuing and rehoming animals through the annual Welfare Grant Programme. In December 2022, my Department awarded record funding of €5.8 million to 99 animal welfare charities throughout the country.
As part of the grant application process for such animal welfare charities, each applicant is required to provide information on their policies in respect of euthanasia. However, they do not provide data directly to my Department on the number of dogs euthanised in their care.
1344. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if non-kill animal rescues can avail of Departmental funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39343/23]
View answerAnimal welfare is a key priority for me as Minister and for the Government. Considerable funding is provided to support animal welfare charity organisations.
My Department's Animal Welfare Grants Programme is open to all animal welfare organisations engaged in the care and welfare of animals and registered with the Charities Regulator and which have been in existence for more than two years.
In December 2022, I awarded record funding of over €5.8 million to 99 animal welfare charities throughout the country, through the Animal Welfare Grant Programme. This is evidence of my own and the Government’s ongoing commitment to animal welfare and acknowledges and supports the important role played by animal welfare organisations.
As part of the grants application process, applicants are required to provide information in respect of their policies on euthanasia, including in relation to their policies on:
• Animals experiencing unacceptable levels of pain or suffering (including mental & emotional) that cannot be alleviated.
• Unacceptable risk to people or to other animals.
• Quality of life compromised to an unacceptable degree, with no realistic prospect of improvement.
1345. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when an animal welfare officer will be appointed for Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39410/23]
View answerUnder the Animal Health and Welfare Act, 2013, my Department has primary policy responsibility for the welfare of all animals.
Since the introduction of the Act, over 1,000 Department officials have been designated as authorised officers under the Act and their responsibilities include the enforcement of animal welfare legislation provided for under the Act. A large number of these authorised officers are based in my Department's network of Regional Veterinary Offices throughout the country, including the Regional Veterinary Office in Castlebar, Co Mayo.
Members of An Garda Síochána and officers of the Customs and Excise Service are directly authorised under the Act. The CEO of a local authority may also appoint officers of that local authority as authorised officers under the Act.
The Minister may also enter into service agreements under which authorised officers may be appointed. Inspectors of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Rasaíocht Con Eireann, and the Irish Horse Racing Board have been appointed as authorised officers in this way. It is the responsibility of these organisations to then allocate these staff resources as appropriate to their particular roles.
My Department also provides considerable financial and administrative support to assist welfare organisations in carrying out their work in protecting animal welfare. In December 2022, I announced record funding of over €5.8 million to 99 animal welfare charities including over €155,000 to charities in County Mayo.
1346. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 630 of 13 July 2023, if the six regional assessment hubs have been developed; and to provide the location and contact details of these hubs. [37742/23]
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.
1347. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of new emergency places provided to people with a disability as of 1 September 2023; and if he would provide a tabular breakdown by local health office area of same. [39441/23]
View answerAs the query refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1348. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the investment per child by his Department for each county in Ireland for the past five years. [37178/23]
View answerMy Department has contacted the Deputy to seek clarification. Once the Deputy provides more specific information, I will look into this matter further.
1349. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the plans in place to deal with the lack of physiotherapy and occupational therapy services for children in an area (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37187/23]
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.
1350. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if will provide details on the recruitment or where a person can express interest in joining the Tuam mother and baby home new investigation team; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37210/23]
View answerLast October the Government made an Order, under the Institutional Burials Act 2022, to direct the establishment of an independent Office to lead an intervention at the site of the former Mother and Baby institution in Tuam, Co. Galway. The making of the Order followed on from Resolutions in the Dáil and Seanad in September approving the draft Order that was agreed by Government in July 2022.
The Office of Director of Authorised Intervention, Tuam was established for a period of 2.5 years by Ministerial Order in March 2023 to oversee the excavation, recovery, analysis, re-interment and, if possible, identification of the children’s remains located at the Tuam site. In May 2023 the Minister appointed Mr Daniel MacSweeney to the position of Director of Authorised Intervention, Tuam.
Work is ongoing to establish the core staffing and administrative structures of the Office and my Department has provided initial support in this regard. The Director will also need to engage appropriately qualified experts from a range of disciplines to undertake the forensic excavation, recovery and post-recovery analysis processes. In procuring the services of relevant experts the Director is required to follow appropriate procurement rules and guidance including publishing Requests for Tender at e-tender.ie.
Recruitment of staff and contractors is a matter for the Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention, Tuam, which can be contacted at info@dait.ie.
1351. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if Tusla have conducted any internal review into the prevalence of human trafficking among children in care; if he has seen the findings of such a review; and if he will furnish this Deputy with the findings. [37215/23]
View answerStatutory and operational responsibility for the delivery of child protection and welfare services is a matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. The Deputy is seeking information in relation to an operational matter for Tusla. Consequently, I have referred the matter to Tusla, and requested that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.
1352. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of times Tusla reported instances of child trafficking to the gardaí in each of the past ten years and to date in 2023. [37216/23]
View answerStatutory and operational responsibility for the delivery of child protection and welfare services is a matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. The Deputy is seeking information in relation to an operational matter for Tusla. Consequently, I have referred the matter to Tusla, and requested that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.
1353. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the source of, and the reasons for, the State funding paid to an organisation (details supplied) in 2018 and 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37230/23]
View answerI wish to advise that Officials from my Department are engaging with relevant stakeholders to ascertain the source of the funding to St John Ambulance Ireland in the years 2018-2019 and will report on their findings as soon as this source of funding has been identified.
1354. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to detail the types of services available for adults with cerebral palsy here; the location where these services are provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37240/23]
View answerThe Deputy may be aware that specialist disability services funded by this Department are provided on the basis of need and not diagnosis. As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1355. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of companies under contract to provide residential care for children in the State care system to exclude Government run charities and not-for-profits. [37283/23]
View answerStatutory and operational responsibility for the delivery of child protection and welfare services is a matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. The Deputy is seeking information in relation to an operational matter for Tusla. Consequently, I have referred the matter to Tusla, and requested that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.
1356. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will list the dates upon which he has corresponded with or met with the CEO of Tusla to date in 2023. [37299/23]
View answerI meet with the Tusla Chair and the CEO a number of times every year, usually on a quarterly basis. Meetings have been held on the following dates:
• 9th January 2023
• 24th April 2023
• 19th June 2023
• 11th September 2023
In addition, correspondence has been exchanged directly between the CEO or Interim CEO on the following dates:
|
Date |
|
|
16/01/2023 |
Letter from Minister to CEO |
|
17/01/2023 |
Letter from CEO to Minister |
|
21/03/2023 |
Letter from Interim CEO to Minister |
|
24/04/2023 |
Letter from Interim CEO to Minister |
|
21/06/2023 |
Letter from Minister to Interim CEO |
|
26/07/2023 |
Email from Interim CEO to Minister |
|
27/07/2023 |
Email from Minister to Interim CEO |
|
29/08/2023 |
Letter from Interim CEO to Minister |
1357. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will list the dates upon which he has corresponded with or met with the CEO of HIQA to date in 2023. [37300/23]
View answerI met with the CEO of HIQA on the 8th June 2023.
In terms of correspondence, I received requests from the CEO to authorise HIQA inspectors under the Child Care Act and Children Act on the 24th July, and these authorisations were granted and returned on the 27th July.
1358. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will list the dates upon which he has corresponded with or met with the special rapporteur for child protection to date in 2023. [37301/23]
View answerThe Special Rapporteur for Child Protection, Ms Caoilfhionn Gallagher, was appointed on the 1st February 2023.
I have met Ms Gallagher on two occasions since her appointment, and once in advance of her formal appointment the dates of which are as follows:
|
Date |
Meeting Type |
|
30/01/2023 |
Virtual Meeting |
|
13/02/2023 |
In person meeting |
|
05/04/2023 |
In person meeting |
1359. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will list the dates upon which he has corresponded with or met with the Ombudsman for Children to date in 2023. [37302/23]
View answerOn 12th January this year I participated in the Ombudsman for Children's forum ‘Pieces of Us: The Children’s Submission to the UN Committee on the Rights on the Child’, taking part in a child-led discussion. The Ombudsman for Children was also present at the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child Review in Geneva in January 2023, and Ireland's Mission to the UN in Geneva hosted a meeting with myself, my officials and the Civil Society organisations, including the Ombudsman for Children, following the review.
Official letters between the Ombudsman for Children and I have been exchanged on the following dates:
|
Date |
Correspondence |
|
19/01/2023 |
Email from OCO to Minister O'Gorman |
|
02/03/2023 |
Letter from OCO to the Taoiseach, Copied to Minister O'Gorman |
|
23/03/2023 |
Letter from Minister O'Gorman to OCO |
|
14/04/2023 |
Letter from OCO to Minister O'Gorman |
|
24/04/2023 |
Letter from Minister O'Gorman to OCO |
|
23/08/2023 |
Letter from OCO to Minister O'Gorman |
1360. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will list the dates upon which he has corresponded with or met with the CEO of the HSE to date in 2023. [37303/23]
View answerI have not corresponded directly with the CEO of the HSE so far this year. I attended a meeting of the HSE Board on 31st of May this year which the CEO also attended.
