Written Answers Nos. 445-454
445. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide an update on measures being taken to tackle puppy farming across the country; what is being done to enforce these measures; what measures are being taken to enforce dog microchipping regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4144/24]
View answerRegarding the issue of puppy farming, the Department of Rural and Community Development has policy responsibility for matters pertaining to the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010, while the local authorities are responsible for operational activities such as the registration, inspection and regulation of Dog Breeding Establishments, including enforcement activities.
My Department is responsible for S.I. No 63/2015, the Microchipping of Dogs Regulation 2015 and S.I. 427/2015 - Microchipping of Dogs (Amendment) Regulations 2015. Under these Regulations, all dogs over 12 weeks of age (or younger if sold before 12 weeks) must be microchipped.
These regulations were made under the Animal Health & Welfare Act, 2013 and therefore can be enforced by any authorised officer under that Act. This includes officers of my Department, An Gardaí Siochana, authorised officers appointed by local authorities, Customs agents and officers of the ISPCA and DSPCA.
446. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the Department will provide additional funding for organisations that provide out-of-hours services for animal welfare; if there are any plans to train gardaí, customs officers, etc. on animal welfare practices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4145/24]
View answerAnimal welfare is a key priority for me as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and for the Government. Neglect of or causing unnecessary suffering to animals is not acceptable in our society and considerable funding is provided to support animal welfare charity organisations.
In December 2023, I announced the record allocation of €6 million in funding to 101 animal welfare charities throughout the country, under the Animal Welfare Grant Programme. This marks the largest award of grant funding to animal welfare bodies ever made by my Department. The 2024 grants programme will open for applications later this year.
All members of An Garda Siochana and the Customs Service are authorised officers under the 2013 Animal Health and Welfare Act. Questions regarding training for Gardai and Customs Officers should be directed to those organisations.
447. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide inspection reports from 2019 to the present day for a company (details supplied). [4161/24]
View answerMy Department does not make inspections reports of this nature available. My Department performs a range of regulatory functions in premises of this nature and takes appropriate action where this is necessary.
It does not publish inspection reports.
448. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide a schedule of the number of civilian drivers and Garda drivers attached to him and to Ministers of State of his Department; to provide the official work pattern for each driver and the total annual hours worked by each driver; and to indicate the number of drivers assigned to each Minister and Minister of State. [4213/24]
View answerTo support my work and that of the two Ministers of State, my Department has two civilian drivers appointed in addition to Garda drivers.
Civilian Driver appointments were made in line with the “Instructions to HR Managers on Ministerial Appointments for the 33rd Dáil” and the “Guidelines on the Staffing of Ministerial Offices for the 33rd Dáil’’.
The hours of attendance for each of the civilian drivers are fixed from time to time, amounting to on average, not less than 41 hours and 15 minutes gross per week. The working pattern is seven days on and seven days off on a week-on week-off basis.
The two Civilian Drivers are assigned to Minister of State Heydon.
The Garda drivers are employees of An Garda Síochána and any details of their terms and conditions are a matter for an Garda Síochána.
449. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for his views on correspondence from an association (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4247/24]
View answerAs the details provided by the Deputy describe, this time five years ago, in December 2018, a transition to a ban on vessels over 18 metres trawling in inshore waters, inside the six nautical mile zone and the baselines, was announced by my predecessor. This measure, however, was the subject of extended legal proceedings following a Judicial Review taken by two fishermen challenging the validity of the Policy Directive which underpinned the initiative. The outcome of these proceedings is that Policy Directive 1 of 2019 has been quashed by an Order of Certiorari made by the Court of Appeal.
As I have previously put on record on this issue, I have asked my Department to request updated analysis of trawling in inshore waters inside the six nautical mile zone and the baselines from the Marine Institute and from Bord Iascaigh Mhara. I am conscious of the dependence of our inshore fleet, compared to larger vessels, on fishing resources within the six nautical mile zone. Other issues that need to be reflected on include balancing the management of our fisheries with the needs of the marine ecosystem and particularly with the forthcoming introduction of legislation for Marine Protected Areas.
450. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he will take to increase biosecurity measures in light of the outbreak of bark beetle in Cratloe, County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4332/24]
View answer451. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what ongoing supports his Department is offering to a cohort of farmers (details supplied); what engagements he has had with those farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4333/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 450 and 451 together.
My Department’s Plant Health Contingency Plan was activated following the finding of Monterey pine engraver in the Cratloe Co Clare area. This included the establishment of a 10km demarcated area around the traps where beetles were found. This has been done in accordance with the requirements of the EU national plant health legislation. Further intensive surveillance is being carried out in the area.
Movement restrictions apply only to pine wood that is not bark-free originating in the demarcated area. The movement restrictions are being put in place as a precaution to avoid situations where potentially infested wood could be traded out of the area, facilitating the spread of the beetle. Forest owners impacted have been contacted directly by telephone and informed of this situation and also contacted in writing and provided with information on the Monterey pine engraver and a map of the Demarcated Area. Owners will be kept informed as this situation develops.
The new Forestry Programme allows my Department to develop a Reconstitution scheme that can contribute to the costs of restoring forest potential as a result of damage, or potential damage, from frost, drought, wind and other natural events. We are committed to working closely with those affected and will be engaging with the landowners and those affected again this week, to keep them up to date with the situation.
My Department is working to facilitate the movement of pine wood that is not bark-free out of the demarcated under controlled circumstances.
All regulated third country wood products are subject to inspection at the point of entry into Ireland and the EU. All wood packaging material – wooden pallets, crates, boxes, dunnage etc. associated with imports into the EU, including Ireland must be treated and marked in accordance with the international standard ISPM No.15 for Regulation of Wood Packaging in International Trade.
The pathway of introduction into Ireland of the Monterey Pine Engraver is currently unknown and under investigation by my Department. Molecular diagnostic work has indicated that the beetles found in Co. Clare are most likely of Mexican lineage. There is no current direct trade in pine wood commodities from Mexico.
452. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of blind persons in receipt of the blind welfare allowance which is a means tested payment; the number of persons in receipt of less than €50, between €50 to €100, between €100 to €150; between €150 to €200 and over; if the means test for this payment will be re-examined for persons who are in this difficult situation in order that more persons can qualify for a larger payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4134/24]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible. The Deputy will be aware that due to the ongoing industrial action by FORSA administrative and management grade staff in the HSE (which commenced on 6 October, 2023), delays remain in receiving answers to parliamentary questions and ministerial representations. The HSE has been engaged with Forsa through the auspices of the WRC in an effort to resolve the dispute but a resolution has not been reached as of yet.
453. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth how many reports or notices IPAS has received for each of the past five years from management at contracted asylum seeker accommodation centres requesting help for residents in terms of mental health issues, violent behaviour or addiction; and what steps or actions have IPAS undertaken to help residents in those circumstances. [4232/24]
View answerServices for all International Protection applicants, including healthcare, are mainstreamed and accessed through the same referral pathways as Irish citizens. Residents in all International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) accommodation centres access GP services within the local community, and mental health services are accessed through the same referral pathways as Irish citizens – that is, through primary care, GP referral and emergency services.
IPAS liaises with the HSE in relation to how best to meet the health and related needs of International Protection Applicants in IPAS centres, including working closely with the HSE Social Inclusion Outreach Team to provide healthcare assistance for residents.
Additionally, IPAS has a dedicated Resident Welfare Team comprising subject matter experts seconded to the team on a full time basis, as well as a number of support officers, who direct applicants with special reception needs within our accommodation, to relevant services or provide other appropriate information, as required.
Where appropriate, the Resident Welfare Team engages with the centre managers and NGOs on-site to ensure that an applicant’s reception needs can be addressed within their current accommodation centre, providing information and support and signposting persons to relevant services. IPAS Social Workers seconded to the Resident Welfare Team are available to help applicants with high levels of vulnerability, and can make onward referrals to services and advocate for vulnerable persons as appropriate.
At 24 January 2024, IPAS’s 265 centres provide accommodation to over 26,000 International Protection Applicants. IPAS receives varying correspondence, notices and reports annually from centre management, other stakeholders and from International Protection Applicants directly, seeking assistance in respect of health concerns, including mental health and addiction. In such cases and as outlined above, IPAS provides guidance and advice to persons to engage with their GP and where required, provides detail of local services available to them.
While IPAS maintains information annually in respect of persons and their health and reception needs, these are utilised to address the individual’s requirements at that point in time. In certain instances, correspondence is addressed to a conclusion, requiring no further action or management.
Please see, in tabular format, the number of incidents recorded under the associated keywords provided by the Deputy.
|
Keyword: |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
|
Mental Health |
10 |
11 |
44 |
4 |
|
Violent Behaviour/Violence |
3 |
65 |
42 |
10 |
|
Addiction |
0 |
3 |
1 |
5 |
454. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will house refugees in a property (details supplied) whilst an enforcement action detailing significant issues with the development has been issued against the property by the local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4271/24]
View answerSince the outset of the war in Ukraine in early 2022, Ireland has provided accommodation to over 100,000 people between those fleeing Ukraine and International Protection applicants. This includes approximately 75,000 Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) from Ukraine who required State supported accommodation and over 26,000 International Protection applicants currently in IPAS accommodation. Prior to the war in Ukraine, there were 8,300 applicants for international protection in State supported accommodation.
As stated in previously in Parliamentary Question 1422 of 17 January 2024, I am advised that my Department has no current offer for accommodation for BOTPs or IPs at the property to which the Deputy refers.
All accommodation offered to the Department undergo an assessment process.
Offers of accommodation to BOTPs where properties are in need of significant conversion and refurbishment works are passed on to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage for assessment under the Emergency Refurbishment (Ukraine) Programme (ERUP). As with all offers of accommodation to accommodate BOTPs, but most particularly with regard to those requiring conversion/refurbishment, a detailed assessment must be carried out to ensure the property being offered is being prepared to the required standard and complies with building, fire and other statutory requirements. Accommodation providers are responsible for engaging with the relevant local authority when carrying out the refurbishment works. Before a property in the ERUP programme is contracted for accommodating BOTPs, the relevant local authority confirms to my Department that the property is in compliance with key requirements, including planning, fire and other regulatory requirements.
