Written Answers Nos. 323-342
323. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what his Department's current position is with regard to plans to take over the running of local authority veterinary services; what stage those negotiations are at; when he can see them reaching conclusion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4659/24]
View answerAt present, Local Authorities (LAs) under service contract with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) are responsible for food law enforcement at certain food businesses, including small meat manufacturing plants and slaughterhouses.
On 3rd January 2024, the Department of Health (DoH), Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH), and the FSAI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) confirming that DoH, DAFM and FSAI, in consultation with DHLGH, have reached an ‘Agreement in Principle’ for the State to have a single National Veterinary Service in terms of the function relating to the supervision of food production premises, that incorporates the Local Authority Veterinary Service (LAVS) into the existing DAFM Veterinary Service.
Understanding the significant complexities involved in progressing the transfer of the LAVS to DAFM, the parties have agreed to develop a phased transitional plan, which will be in consultation with the local government sector.
324. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there are any circumstances in which compensation can be paid to a farmer (details supplied) for the losses incurred; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4697/24]
View answerIt is not appropriate for my Department to get involved in or to pay compensation to a farmer for losses incurred as a result of malting barley not reaching the required quality specification as part of a supply contract/commercial agreement.
This matter falls to the farmer and the buyer to resolve.
325. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what body or bodies are carrying out the investigation into the fact that an individual (details supplied) was allowed to continue to own and race greyhounds at tracks around this country for up to ten months after they had been banned from owning, keeping or breeding a dog following a conviction for cruelty under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4721/24]
View answerRásaíocht Con Éireann (RCÉ) is a commercial state body, established under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958 chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. RCÉ is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
The question raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for RCÉ and, therefore, the question has been referred to the body for direct reply.
326. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of women farmer capital investment scheme applications received by his Department; the total number of applications that have been approved to date; the total number of applications that have been rejected; the total number that have been withdrawn, in tabular; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4724/24]
View answerThe Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3) provides grants to farmers to build and/or improve a specified range of farm buildings and equipment on their holdings. The scheme was launched in 2023, and is comprised of ten specific measures linked to climate, environment or animal welfare. This includes the Women Farmer Capital Investment Scheme (WFCIS), where 259 applications were received under Tranche 1.
The Women Farmer Capital Investment Scheme is a new measure introduced under TAMS 3 to address the issue of gender balance in farming. In excess of 220 of the 259 applications received in Tranche 1 have now passed administrative checks, with 15 approvals now issued.
|
Scheme (Updated 29 Jan 2024) |
|
Received |
Approved |
Rejected |
Withdrawn |
|
WFCIS |
Tranche 1 |
259 |
15 |
13 |
7 |
327. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the promised changes to the income supplement scheme under the Bovine TB Programme will come into effect, whereby the date of eligibility for income supplement would be the date of restriction, and these changes will be backdated to 1 February 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4731/24]
View answerIn 2023, as part of the ongoing work of the TB Forum, agreement was reached at the Financial Working Group, a dedicated group comprising of Department officials and Key stakeholders, on a number of enhancements to the suite of compensation measures available to farmers who experience a TB breakdown,
Officials from my Department have been working to implement the necessary changes to our IT systems which reflect all of the agreed changes.
I am pleased to confirm that the the agreed enhancements to the On Farm Market Valuation Scheme and Depopulation Grant are now operational. All eligible herd owners will have received balancing payments in respect of the changes to these two schemes.
In addition to the above, I can confirm that the necessary system upgrades in relation to the Hardship Grant have recently been finalised and work is currently underway at regional level, assessing herds for eligibility under the scheme and processing payments where applicable.
Work is ongoing in respect of the Income Supplement Scheme IT system updates, and is now at an advanced stage.
One of the main agreed changes, is that the eligibility date for Income Supplement will now be linked with the date that the required percentage of animals are identified as reactors, replacing the previous criteria which linked eligibility to the later date of the removal of the required percentage of reactors.
While eligibility may coincide with the date of restriction in some cases, it will depend on the date which the required percentage of animals are identified in a herd, which may be after a 60 day reactor re-test.
In the interim, while the IT updates are being finalised, all eligible herds will continue to receive the previously agreed flat rates to ensure continuity of financial assistance from my Department. Once operational, the enhanced rates for the Income Supplement Scheme will be available immediately going forward and any eligible herd will receive a balancing payment in due course which will reflect the new rates back to their date of eligibility under the scheme or February 1st 2023, whichever is appropriate.
328. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there are any representatives from the fishing sector on the board of the Marine Institute Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4753/24]
View answerIn adherence with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform ‘Guidelines on Appointments to State Boards’ (2014), all vacancies on the Board of the Marine Institute are filled following a State Boards campaign. Pursuant to Section 3(2) of the Marine Institute Act, 1991, the Chairperson, and eight ordinary members, are appointed by virtue of their experience in fields of expertise relevant to the functions of the Institute.
There is currently one ordinary member of the Board who also holds a representative position within the Irish fishing industry. That appointment was made following a State Boards campaign.
329. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there are any vacancies on the board of the Marine Institute Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4754/24]
View answerThere is currently one vacancy on the board of the Marine Institute. I have recently appointed three new ordinary board members and this process is being finalised
The current vacancy is for the Chairperson position which became vacant this month (January 2024). My officials are progressing this matter at present. In line with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform's ‘Guidelines on Appointments to State Boards’ it is anticipated that a State Board competition will be initiated in the near future.
330. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a payment due to a person (details supplied) under ACRES will be issued without delay as it is long overdue. [4766/24]
View answerThe person named was approved into Tranche 1 of the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES), with a contract commencement date of 1 January 2023.
As the deputy is aware, there was unprecedented demand under ACRES Tranche 1. This is a reflection of the interest amongst farmers in taking on actions to address climate, biodiversity, and environmental issues. In response, all eligible Tranche 1 applications were approved, with just under 46,000 active contracts now in place.
As is the case with all EU co-funded schemes, all ACRES applications must pass regulatory controls and validations before payment can issue. Validations are currently being carried out and officials continue to work to expedite payments, but with the unprecedented numbers, it was not possible to get all ACRES participants paid by the 2023 year end.
I can confirm that the ACRES claim for the person named is progressing through the necessary validation checks, and officials are working actively to facilitate payment in the coming weeks.
331. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to advise of any possible funding to complete the set-up of a facility (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4785/24]
View answerMy Department provides funding each year through the Animal Welfare Grants Programme to registered animal welfare charities for the care and welfare of animals. Animal welfare remains a key priority for me as Minister and for the Government and considerable funding is provided to support these organisations.
On the 7th December last year, I announced record funding of €6 million to 101 animal welfare charities nationwide through the Programme. This is the largest award of grant funding to animal welfare bodies ever made by my Department.
My Department would be happy to consider an application from the organisation in question for funding within the parameters and criteria set out in the Animal Welfare Grants Programme. The Programme is open to all animal welfare organisations engaged in the care and welfare of animals, who are registered with the Charities Regulator and which have been in existence for more than two years.
The application process for the Animal Welfare Grants Programme for 2024 will open later this year.
332. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when farmers will receive payments for ACRES; the number of farmers waiting for confirmation of a payment date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4794/24]
View answerAs the deputy is aware, there was unprecedented demand under the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) Tranche 1. This is a reflection of the interest amongst farmers in taking on actions to address climate, biodiversity, and environmental issues. In response, all eligible Tranche 1 applications were approved, with just under 46,000 active contracts now in place.
ACRES payments commenced on December 15th, with payments issuing in the initial payment run to two-thirds of all ACRES General participants. Further payments have been made in January 2024 to additional ACRES General participants that had cleared payment validations. Currently there are 9,081 ACRES General participants awaiting payment. Work is ongoing on the preparation of Co-operation stream advance payments to the 18,408 Tranche 1 participants, and every effort is being made to deliver these payments as quickly as possible.
As is the case with all EU co-funded schemes, all ACRES applications must pass regulatory controls and validations before payment can issue. Validations are currently being carried out and officials continue to work to expedite payments.
ACRES General payments will continue to issue on an ongoing basis, as cases are cleared for payment.
333. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 1159 of 17 January 2024, with regard to the number of applications submitted to the women farmer capital investment scheme under TAMS III, the reason no applications have been approved yet of the 259 submitted; how many applications of those submitted are expected to be accepted to the scheme; when this will be announced, given other schemes under TAMS the number of accepted applications have been confirmed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4815/24]
View answerThe Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3) provides grants to farmers to build and/or improve a specified range of farm buildings and equipment on their holdings. The scheme was launched in 2023, with Tranches 1 and 2 of the scheme receiving over 17,000 applications under ten specific measures linked to climate, environment or animal welfare. This includes the Women Farmer Capital Investment Scheme (WFCIS), in respect of which 259 applications were received under Tranche 1 and a further 438 applications received under Tranche 2.
The Women Farmer Capital Investment Scheme is a new measure introduced under TAMS 3 to address the issue of gender balance in farming. In excess of 220 of the 259 applications received in Tranche 1 have now passed administrative checks, with 15 approvals now issued to the applicants concerned.
I can confirm that 100% of all eligible applications in both Tranche 1 and Tranche 2 under all schemes, including the Women Farmer Capital Investment Scheme, will receive approval.
334. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of farmers paid under the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme per county; the total amount of payments in Euro paid out under the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme since the formation of this Government, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4825/24]
View answerThe Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) provides grants to farmers to build and/or improve a specified range of farm buildings and equipment on their holdings. The scheme has proved to be highly successful since it opened for online applications in mid-2015, with in excess of €434.5 million paid under TAMS II, which closed to applications on 16th December 2022.
TAMS 3 was launched in 2023, with Tranches 1 and 2 of the scheme receiving over 17,000 applications under ten specific measures linked to climate, environment or animal welfare objectives.
Since the formation of this Government on 27 June 2020, 21,037 applications have received payments totalling €218,324,402.50, broken down by county as follows:
|
County |
Number of Applications |
Total Paid |
|
Carlow |
463 |
€ 4,141,427.41 |
|
Cavan |
705 |
€ 7,398,494.46 |
|
Clare |
685 |
€ 7,730,738.49 |
|
Cork |
3665 |
€ 38,668,545.01 |
|
Donegal |
961 |
€ 6,983,448.17 |
|
Dublin |
99 |
€ 971,393.69 |
|
Galway |
1309 |
€ 11,444,093.54 |
|
Kerry |
1318 |
€ 13,138,333.97 |
|
Kildare |
406 |
€ 4,169,394.03 |
|
Kilkenny |
1131 |
€ 12,971,195.06 |
|
Laois |
621 |
€ 6,066,933.95 |
|
Leitrim |
197 |
€ 1,559,559.65 |
|
Limerick |
1027 |
€ 12,356,219.34 |
|
Longford |
300 |
€ 3,182,689.05 |
|
Louth |
221 |
€ 2,532,816.49 |
|
Mayo |
678 |
€ 6,319,328.15 |
|
Meath |
607 |
€ 6,270,620.06 |
|
Monaghan |
594 |
€ 6,069,966.30 |
|
Offaly |
612 |
€ 7,312,813.01 |
|
Roscommon |
570 |
€ 4,535,758.42 |
|
Sligo |
243 |
€ 3,026,291.80 |
|
Tipperary |
1769 |
€ 21,368,293.58 |
|
Waterford |
732 |
€ 8,291,153.88 |
|
Westmeath |
475 |
€ 4,967,899.62 |
|
Wexford |
1309 |
€ 13,288,716.02 |
|
Wicklow |
340 |
€ 3,558,279.35 |
|
Grand Total |
21,037 |
€ 218,324,402.50 |
335. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of farmers paid to date under the agri-climate rural environment scheme per county; the total amount of payments in Euro paid out under the agri-climate rural environment scheme in each county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4826/24]
View answerThe information requested is provided in the below table. Payments will continue on a regular basis as cases pass all validation checks.
|
County |
No of applications |
Amount € |
|
Carlow |
246 |
€1,167,164.19 |
|
Cavan |
1,009 |
€4,680,984.81 |
|
Clare |
991 |
€4,548,228.64 |
|
Cork |
1,042 |
€4,454,657.52 |
|
Donegal |
1,213 |
€4,893,928.27 |
|
Dublin |
30 |
€129,531.86 |
|
Galway |
1,952 |
€8,474,608.24 |
|
Kerry |
345 |
€1,416,584.74 |
|
Kildare |
183 |
€798,286.91 |
|
Kilkenny |
420 |
€1,912,252.58 |
|
Laois |
229 |
€1,072,278.78 |
|
Leitrim |
548 |
€2,490,201.78 |
|
Limerick |
550 |
€2,403,715.52 |
|
Longford |
898 |
€4,233,825.77 |
|
Louth |
119 |
€556,204.29 |
|
Mayo |
2,000 |
€8,533,439.73 |
|
Meath |
337 |
€1,550,497.41 |
|
Monaghan |
453 |
€1,940,206.96 |
|
Offaly |
479 |
€2,155,588.76 |
|
Roscommon |
1,720 |
€7,924,389.66 |
|
Sligo |
660 |
€2,921,193.71 |
|
Tipperary |
639 |
€2,874,691.07 |
|
Waterford |
185 |
€819,284.17 |
|
Westmeath |
677 |
€3,320,558.41 |
|
Wexford |
551 |
€2,728,713.94 |
|
Wicklow |
247 |
€1,052,671.06 |
|
Total |
17,723 |
€79,053,688.78 |
In addition, €6.7 million has been paid to date for the provision of, and attendance at, ACRES training courses. As the payments for attendees are made to the course providers for passing on to the ACRES participants, an accurate breakdown by county is not available as an ACRES participant may attend a course provided by an ACRES trainer based in a neighbouring county.
336. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total amount of funding allocated under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Programme, by county, in tabular form since the formation of the current Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4827/24]
View answerMy Department's €240 million European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) 2014-2020 has over recent years been the principal source of public funding for the sustainable development of our fisheries, aquaculture and seafood processing sectors and has been co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union.
On an going basis over the life of the Programme the list of beneficiaries under the various schemes has been published as required by the EU Regulation 1303/2013 at the link below, with the county of each beneficiary detailed. Beneficiaries are listed on 6 different tabs based on the six Union Priorities (UP) set out in Article 6 of the EMFF Regulation (508/2014).
eufunds.ie/european-maritime-and-fisheries-fund/operation-beneficiary-list/
As eligible expenditure under the EMFF concluded at 31 December 2023, my officials are currently engaged with the various beneficiaries and intermediate bodies to establish the final level of expenditure under the Programme. Once this is established, the final verification checks by my Department can be completed and claims can then be submitted to the Commission for reimbursement to the exchequer of the co-funded element of incurred costs. In line with the EMFF regulation, my Department will be publishing an updated beneficiary list in due course.
The successor Programme to the EMFF, the €258.4 million European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund 2021-2027 has already commenced implementation and its delivery will accelerate through 2024. Combined with the significant commitment under the Brexit Adjustment Reserve, this represents unprecedented investment in the sustainable development of our seafood sector and coastal communities.
337. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will list each fishery harbour centre that was allocated capital funding since the formation of the current Government, by county, in tabular form; the total amount allocated to each fishery harbour centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4828/24]
View answerMy Department owns, operates and maintains six designated State-owned Fishery Harbour Centres, located at Castletownbere, Dingle, Dunmore East, Howth, Killybegs and Ros An Mhíl under statute. Between 2020 and 2023 (inclusive), €133.7 million of capital funding was allocated to these harbours under the annual Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme.
Funding of €32.6 million was allocated for capital projects in the six Fishery Harbour Centres as part of the 2020 Programme prior to the formation of the Government in June 2020 and has been included for completeness. Attached table details the total allocations to each Fishery Harbour Centre for the years 2020 to 2023 (Inclusive).
Of the €133.7 million €110.7 million was spent as construction delays arose in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid restrictions.
Funding Allocated to the Fishery Harbour Centres (2020-2023)
|
Fishery Harbour Centre |
2020 €m |
2021 €m |
2022 €m |
2023 €m |
Total €m |
|
Howth |
8.07 |
8.295 |
6.025 |
0.655 |
23.045 |
|
Dunmore East |
2.75 |
2.42 |
1.74 |
1.32 |
8.23 |
|
Castletownbere |
7.23 |
11.77 |
10.80 |
5.14 |
34.94 |
|
Dingle |
1.44 |
1.12 |
1.73 |
1.35 |
5.64 |
|
Ros An Mhil |
1.52 |
1.09 |
3.41 |
17.36 |
23.38 |
|
Killybegs |
11.60 |
8.71 |
9.20 |
8.95 |
38.46 |
|
Total |
32.61 |
33.405 |
32.905 |
34.775 |
133.695 |
338. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total amount of funds allocated to each local authority under the local authority marine infrastructure scheme 2022-2023, since the formation of this Government, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4829/24]
View answerThe responsibility for the development and maintenance of Local Authority owned piers, harbours and slipways rests with each Local Authority in the first instance. I am also mindful that the primary governance role for local authorities rests with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and any wider funding issues for local authorities should be addressed to that Minister.
Funding of €3.1 million was allocated for capital projects in Local Authority owned piers, harbours and slipways as part of the 2020 Programme prior to the formation of the Government in June 2020 and has been included in the table for completeness. In 2021, I allocated almost €4.2m in funding for local authority delivered projects under the Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme
In 2022, I allocated funding for capital projects under the Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR) which had unprecedented level of funding. In order to maximise the Brexit Adjustment Reserve I approved projects for funding in 2024 which have been selected on the basis of their capacity to be delivered in 2024 and having regard to their ongoing relevance to addressing the impacts of Brexit on Ireland’s fishing industry.
Please see the table for reference.
|
Local Authority |
2020 € |
2021 € |
2022 - 2024€ |
Total € |
|
Clare |
138,000 |
334,289 |
828,674 |
1,300,963 |
|
Cork |
394,500 |
484,500 |
6,032,337 |
6,911,337 |
|
Dun Laoghaire/ Rathdown |
138,750 |
4,114,468 |
4,253,218 |
|
|
Donegal |
433,500 |
637,500 |
25,125,287 |
26,196,287 |
|
Fingal |
157,500 |
142,500 |
722,000 |
1,022,000 |
|
Galway |
345,588 |
1,225,975 |
1,571,563 |
|
|
Kerry |
251,250 |
213,750 |
5,308,723 |
5,773,723 |
|
Louth |
3,167,944 |
3,167,944 |
||
|
Mayo |
525,000 |
626,250 |
1,121,000 |
2,272,250 |
|
Sligo |
166,500 |
202,500 |
1,200,325 |
1,569,325 |
|
Waterford |
435,000 |
510,000 |
3,702,638 |
4,647,638 |
|
Wexford |
420,000 |
333,750 |
1,691,008 |
2,444,758 |
|
Wicklow |
215,625 |
204,000 |
1,042,150 |
1,461,775 |
|
Total |
3,136,875 |
4,173,377 |
55,282,529 |
62,592,781 |
339. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what precautions are being taken following an outbreak of blue tongue in the UK; if any routine testing has been carried out here; if any animals have ever tested positive in Ireland for blue tongue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4841/24]
View answerIreland is currently free of Bluetongue virus. Following the outbreak of Bluetongue in Great Britain, The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has been taking several precautions.
Since 12 November 2023, the UK Government has temporarily suspended all movements of ruminants and their germinal products (semen, embryos) from Great Britain to the island of Ireland.
The greatest threat of Bluetongue entering the country comes from the import of an infected animal from a country in which Bluetongue is circulating. The Department has also been tracing and testing all cattle and sheep movements from Great Britain into Ireland between 1st October and 12th November 2023. All animals tested in this period have been negative for Bluetongue. Bluetongue is a notifiable disease, which means that any suspicion of the disease must be notified to the Department without delay, following which an official investigation is undertaken. All such investigations to date have ruled out the presence of the virus.
The Department also has ongoing passive and active surveillance for Bluetongue. Information campaigns targeting relevant stakeholders are also ongoing. My officials continue to liaise closely with their counterparts in the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland taking an all-island approach to disease prevention and control. There has never been an outbreak of Bluetongue in Ireland, although the virus was detected in cows imported from France in 2021, 2017, 2016 and 2008.
340. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if all eligible applicants under tranche 2 of ACRES will be accepted on to the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4903/24]
View answerIt will not be possible to accept all of the applications received for Tranche 2 of the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES). Just over 9,000 applications were received, while the available funding only facilitates the acceptance of approximately 4,000 applicants.
This will bring the overall number of participants in the Scheme up to 50,000, in line with Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027.
A ranking and selection process will be undertaken, as provided for in the Terms and Conditions for Tranche 2 of ACRES. The selection criteria and marking system to be used are also in those Terms and Conditions, which are available on my Department’s website.
The guiding principle in framing those criteria is to maximise the contribution that ACRES can make to meeting a range of environmental, climate and biodiversity objectives and challenges.
341. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when a person (details supplied) in County Clare will receive the allocated home help hours; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4793/24]
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.
342. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to confirm the list of Mother and Baby Homes and any other State institutions that are included in the Redress Scheme, and to provide also a list of institutions that are not included; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4662/24]
View answerThe Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme is designed to provide payments and other benefits to people who spent time in one or more of the Mother and Baby or County Home Institutions, that were identified by the Commission of Investigation as having a main function of providing sheltered and supervised ante and post-natal facilities to single mothers and their children.
The list of institutions – 44 in total - included in the Scheme is laid out in Schedule 1 of the legislation that underpins the Scheme, the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Act 2023.
The Government does not wish to disregard or diminish any person’s experience and recognises that there are people who suffered stigma, trauma and abuse in other institutions, and outside of institutions, who will not qualify for this Scheme.
If it were to come to light that an institution, in which the State had a regulatory or inspection function, fulfilled a similar function with regard to single women and their children as those included in the Scheme, section 49 of the Act provides that I may insert an additional institution into the Schedule.
