Michael Healy-Rae
Ceist:186. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if he will examine the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52186/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraTreatment Abroad Scheme
Ceisteanna (186)
Freagraí scríofa
The HSE has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
General Practitioner Services
Ceisteanna (187)
Marc MacSharry
Ceist:187. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Health the reason that general practitioners who are providing a much needed dispensing service to elderly and marginalised persons in rural areas were not informed of their respective annual dispensing figures until 2017 by the primary care reimbursement service, PCRS; if his attention has been drawn to the fact they were not informed of their right of appeal in cases in which termination of contract notices were issued at short notice by PCRS based on new performance requirements set by it; his plans to review the flawed methodology used by PCRS to determine performance requirements having regard to the fact that blister high tech drugs and new oral anti coagulants which are the more expensive drugs cannot be dispensed by general practitioners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52187/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
Infectious Disease Epidemics
Ceisteanna (188, 189, 195, 196, 197, 198)
Brendan Ryan
Ceist:188. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 271 and 272 of 17 October 2017, if the one health approach to tackling antimicrobial resistance, AMR, encompassing all sectors means that the current and evolving risk of AMR contamination associated with urban gulls will be monitored and addressed by the recently established National interdepartmental AMR consultative committee in view of the launch of iNAP on 25 October 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52188/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraBrendan Ryan
Ceist:189. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Health if such current and emerging associations (details supplied) will be monitored and addressed by the recently established national interdepartmental AMR consultative committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52189/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra
Clare Daly
Ceist:195. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 271 and 272 of 17 October 2017, if the one health approach to tackling antimicrobial resistance encompassing all sectors means that the current and evolving risk of AMR contamination associated with urban gulls will be monitored and addressed by the recently established national interdepartmental AMR consultative committee in view of the launch of iNAP on 25 October 2017. [52231/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraClare Daly
Ceist:196. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to recent European scientific studies (details supplied); and if the emerging association between urban gulls with carbapenemase producing enterobacteriaceae noted in those studies will be monitored and addressed by the recently established national interdepartmental AMR consultative committee. [52232/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraClare Daly
Ceist:197. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to recent studies (details supplied); and his views on the findings in regard to antimicrobial resistance. [52233/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraClare Daly
Ceist:198. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to recent international scientific studies (details supplied); and his views on the findings in regard to antimicrobial resistance. [52234/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 188, 189, and 195 to 198, inclusive, together.
The HSE-Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) is a specialist agency for the surveillance of communicable diseases. It works in partnership with health service providers and similar organisations in Ireland and around the world, to provide the best possible information for the control and prevention of infectious diseases. The roles of the HPSC include providing timely information and independent advice, carrying out disease surveillance, epidemiological investigation and related research and training.
Earlier this year the HPSC undertook an investigation to determine if gulls posed a potential infectious risk and to attempt to quantify this in the most valid manner. The main focus of investigation was an examination of the potential for transmission from gulls to man of infectious disease. An extensive review of the relevant international literature on the evidence for transmission of infectious disease from gulls to man indicated that although disease carriage is relatively common amongst such birds, there is very little evidence of disease transmission to humans and that wild birds play a limited role in human infectious disease.
About 5% of gulls are infected with Salmonella. This is a lower prevalence than many other common wild birds. For example, amongst starlings and house sparrows, a number of studies agree that the prevalence of carriage of various pathogens is about is in the range of 24% for Salmonella, 4% for Campylobacter and 24% Clostridium perfringens. About 20% of starlings carry E.coli and the same levels are seen in crows. Levels of these pathogens are even higher in long distance migratory birds.
With regard to antibiotic resistant pathogens, in general about 10-15% of isolates carried by wild birds, are resistant to the common (and not so common) antibiotics. Transmission of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by wildbirds is a potential health issue, but it has its greatest potential for impact when the birds acquire these AMR pathogens in countries where there are high levels of AMR. These can be carried long distances by far-reaching migratory wild birds. Gulls do not migrate very far, and so tend to be infected with local pathogens.
A review of 10 years of Irish national infectious disease data was carried out to determine how many cases of any infectious disease (but particularly instances of gastrointestinal disease caused by Salmonella and Campylobacter) could be attributed to contact with birds. The aim was to determine the proportion of human infectious disease cases in which wild birds (including gulls) were associated. The results of this investigation showed that in that ten-year period, there were barely a handful of infectious disease cases that could be explained by bird contact. Between 2006 and 2016, there were just three cases of salmonellosis (two of these mentioned contact with caged, pet birds) and a further two cases of campylobacteriosis (one of which mentioned proximity to gulls). These were suggestive of association but not evidence of cause. Moreover, there were no outbreaks of human disease over the same 10 year period in which gulls (or any other wild birds) had been implicated as the cause of an outbreak of infectious disease, or even a contributory factor.
Over the last 10 years there have been in total in Ireland about 25,500 reported cases of Campylobacter and 3,900 cases of Salmonella. That investigation found that, of our salmonellosis cases, 0.06% and of our campylobacteriosis cases, 0.012% mentioned some form of bird contact, though not necessarily causative. In other words, cases of these diseases that even mentioned birds as possible risk factors are extremely uncommon.
The information that gulls are colonised with bacteria which demonstrate varying levels of antimicrobial resistance does not add to the negligible risks of transmission from gulls to humans. Just because these are AMR pathogens, this does not alter their ability to be spread from these birds to humans and AMR pathogens are just as unlikely as non-AMR pathogens to be spread in this manner. Moreover, among wild birds, gulls would seem to have a lower propensity (as evidenced by their lower rate of carriage) to carry these pathogens than other, far more numerous species, such as crows, starlings and sparrows.
In Public Health, health threats are prioritised using a number of parameters (severity of disease, potential for transmission, numbers of cases of illness). Diseases that have such features as severe of illness, ready transmissibility, or high numbers of cases then become priorities for Public Health interventions such as control and prevention. It is evident that there are extremely low numbers of cases of diseases spread from gulls to humans in this manner and that this is an extremely uncommon way in which humans can acquire these diseases. If this was a common or significant mode of transmission there would have been considerably greater numbers of these diseases over the years in which gulls as a potential source of infection were mentioned and there would been evidence of outbreaks of illness that could be validly explained by gull contact.
The available evidence, while indicating that gulls and other wild birds do carry potentially harmful pathogenic bacteria, does not indicate that they transmit these microbes to any significant extent, or in any meaningful amount, to humans despite these birds having been documented as carrying and excreting these bacteria, in close proximity to humans, for many decades.
With regard to the interdepartmental AMR Consultative Committee which was launched in November 2014. This committee advised on the development Ireland’s National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (iNAP) which was launched October 25th 2017. An implementation plan for iNAP is currently being drafted.
Hospital Appointments Status
Ceisteanna (190)
Michael Healy-Rae
Ceist:190. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of an appointment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52190/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Under 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.
The scheduling of appointments for patients is a matter for the hospital to which the patient has been referred. Should a patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he or she should take the matter up with the consultant and the hospital involved. In relation to the specific case raised, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
Hospitals Building Programme
Ceisteanna (191)
Maurice Quinlivan
Ceist:191. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Health when the 96 bed extension to University Hospital Limerick will be started and completed. [52191/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Health capital funding was outlined in the recently published Public Service Estimates for 2018 and the HSE is currently developing its Capital Plan for 2018 - 2021.
The Government is also preparing a new 10 year National Investment Plan for the period 2018-2027, which is expected to be published by the end of the year alongside and in support of the forthcoming new National Planning Framework, to sustain national economic and social progress over the long term.
My Department has asked the HSE to reply directly to you in respect of proposed 96 bed extension at University Hospital Limerick.
Eating Disorders
Ceisteanna (192, 193)
Clare Daly
Ceist:192. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 163 of 8 November 2017, the reason the three paediatric hospitals do not keep data on inpatients by category of admission, for example data on the number of young children and teenagers being treated for anorexia as inpatients in paediatric hospitals, in view of the fact that such data is crucial for directing resources appropriately; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52207/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraClare Daly
Ceist:193. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 163 of 8 November 2017, if historical data on the number of children and teenagers treated for anorexia as inpatients in paediatric hospitals is retained; and if so, the data for the years 2010 and to date in 2017 [52208/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 192 and 193 together.
As these are service matters I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible, with specific reference to the data collated as a matter of routine by paediatric hospitals for categories of admissions generally, and the reasons why the more specific data raised by the Deputy in her questions are not collected as a matter of routine.
Departmental Expenditure
Ceisteanna (194)
Fergus O'Dowd
Ceist:194. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health the expenditure by his Department by heading (details supplied) in each of the years since June 1997 to January 2011, in tabular form; and the miscellaneous expenditure not relating to set Department budgets pertaining to the headings. [52224/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Department does not collect data in the manner that would allow the Deputy's question in full. During the period concerned, my Department primarily retained the services of public relations / communications and advertising consultancy firms to implement national health promotion campaigns. Table A below shows expenditure on media consultants for the period 1997 to 2008. This covers a variety of services ranging from the provision of advice, through the cost of purchasing advertising space, to organising events. During the period 2009 to 2011 the Department did not spend any money on public relations or communications consultants.
Information on expenditure on consultancy services is paid from the A7 subhead. Data in tables (B) and (C) details expenditure under this subhead from 1997 to 2011 is contained in the following links.
The table below presents data on the Department's A7 consultancy expenditure from 1997 - 2011. This has been split into two tables 2011 - 2000 and 1999 - 1997 due to table limits of 255 rows. They are contained in the following links.
Questions Nos. 195 to 198, inclusive, answered with Question No. 188.
Fisheries Protection
Ceisteanna (199)
James Browne
Ceist:199. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 361 of 14 November 2017, if his Department, the SFPA or the Naval Service intervened or gave advice on the trawler seen in Wexford Harbour; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52083/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As the Deputy is aware, the monitoring and control of fishing vessels within Ireland’s Exclusive Fisheries Zone are matters for the Irish control authorities. Under the Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006, all operational issues of this nature concerning sea-fisheries control are, as a matter of law, exclusively for the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) and the Naval Service. I am precluded from getting involved in operational matters including in relation to law enforcement.
In this context I can inform the Deputy accordingly that my Department did not intervene or give advice in the manner referred to by him. I would suggest that the Deputy contact the control authorities directly with any queries he may have in this regard.
Trade Missions Participation
Ceisteanna (200)
Thomas P. Broughan
Ceist:200. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will report on his recent trade mission to the Far East; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52128/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
During the recent trade mission to Japan and South Korea I was accompanied by 40 representatives of the Irish food sector, as well as by experts from my Department, the CEO of Bord Bia and senior representatives from Enterprise Ireland and Teagasc.
This was a very opportune time to bring a delegation of Ireland’s food leaders to this part of the world, given that the EU has concluded a Free Trade Agreement with South Korea as well as agreeing an Economic Partnership Agreement with Japan earlier this year. Japan and South Korea are markets of high potential for beef, pigmeat and sheepmeat exports, and so it is important that we raise the profile of Irish agrifood enterprises that already have access to these markets, and make progress in negotiating access for others. To do this effectively, we need to spend time 'on the ground', developing positive relationships with Japanese and South Korean buyers, regulators and political counterparts.
In Japan I met the Minister for Health Labour and Welfare, Minister Katsunobu Kato. This was a useful opportunity to hold high level discussions with a Senior Minister in Japan, with responsibilities in the areas of food safety, standards and certification. I took the opportunity to request that the 30-month age limit on our beef exports be raised and also undertook to begin the process of gaining market access for Irish sheepmeat to Japan. I also met with the State Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Mr Yousuke Isozaki. This was another valuable opportunity to raise awareness of Ireland as a strategic partner from a food perspective, and a similar range of issues was discussed. Indeed, Minister Isozaki, who also holds responsibility for the equine sector, was interested to hear about Ireland’s success as a world leader in the thoroughbred horse industry. Parallel to this meeting Department officials held technical discussions with their Japanese counterparts.
The Japanese element of the mission was extremely useful in gaining a better understanding of Japan's priorities in the agrifood area, while also raising awareness of Ireland as a potential strategic partner. Japan has one of the most highly respected food safety systems in the world, and it was important to get the opportunity to let potential Japanese customers know that our own systems are of a similarly high standard. The Ministries of Agriculture and Health both responded very positively to the issues raised, and it is clear that Japan is open to further cooperation and collaboration with Ireland. I also hosted a number of promotional events such as the Bord Bia Origin Green Dairy Seminar, which facilitated further engagement between Irish food companies and potential customers.
The Korean leg of the trade mission began with a meeting with the South Korean Minister for Agriculture, Mr. Kim Yung-Rok. During the meeting I emphasised the very high priority that Ireland accords to achieving beef market access to Korea, and the importance of further advancing the process, following on from recent inspection visits. A follow-up meeting has been arranged between Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine officials and Minister Kim's technical experts.
In South Korea, I had the pleasure of opening an Origin Green Dairy seminar and also addressing ‘The Flavour of Ireland’ networking reception which showcased the best of Irish food and drink to an audience of South Korean buyers and media.
I concluded the trade mission with a meeting with South Korea’s Minister for Food and Drug Safety, Minister Ryu. During the meeting it was useful to receive a direct appraisal from the Minister on the progress of our application for market access for Irish beef. While a number of stages remain to be cleared in the multi-stage process before market access can be secured, Minister Ryu indicated that it may be possible to move to the next phase of the process before the end of the year. I also took the opportunity to communicate to the Minister our intention to initiate applications for poultry and sheepmeat access.
Overall, the 5-day mission was very positive for Irish agrifood ambitions in the region. I met four Senior Ministers in two major economies, engaged with five multi-billion euro companies, and attended thirteen separate promotional events attended by over 400 Japanese and Korean buyers. More importantly, the travelling delegation from the agrifood industry considered the mission a success in terms of helping their efforts to build links in these markets.
I believe that Trade missions like these play a crucial role in raising the profile of Ireland. They help to build the kind of political, official and commercial relationships that can make a real difference to Irish food and drink exporters, which is, of course, critically important against the background of the challenges presented by Brexit.
Question No. 201 withdrawn.
Agriculture Scheme Payments
Ceisteanna (202)
Michael Healy-Rae
Ceist:202. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an appointment for a person (details supplied) for a scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52210/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The person named submitted a GLAS 1 application on May 20th 2015 and following the initial checks the Bird Box action was rejected resulting in the application not being approved as the minimum score of 16.3 was not achieved on the remaining actions.
The Department reviewed this decision and deemed the action to be eligible which means that the Bird Box action will be reinstated. The process of reinstating actions is underway and I expect this case to be resolved in the near future.
Basic Payment Scheme Payments
Ceisteanna (203)
Willie Penrose
Ceist:203. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he will take to ensure that the BPS payments due to a person (details supplied) who transferred some of their entitlements to another person has their payments paid out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52211/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The persons named submitted a 2017 Transfer of Entitlement application to my Department seeking the transfer of entitlements by way of lease. There was an outstanding issue in relation to this transfer and this is currently being finalised by my Department with a view to issuing any payment due under the Basic Payment Scheme as soon as possible.
Departmental Expenditure
Ceisteanna (204)
Fergus O'Dowd
Ceist:204. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the expenditure by his Department by heading (details supplied) in each of the years since June 1997 to January 2011, in tabular form; and the miscellaneous expenditure not relating to set Department budgets pertaining to the headings. [52214/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As the information requested by the Deputy spans a period between seven and twenty years ago, the bulk of it is not readily accessible and in some cases may no longer be retained by my Department. Efforts to retrieve any existing information would be disproportionate in terms of the cost to my Department and therefore to the Exchequer. I am, however in a position to provide data in respect of January 2010 – January 2011. This information is detailed in the table below.
The vast bulk of my Department’s advertising is in respect of press notices in the specialised farming press, provincial and national newspapers. This expenditure includes the publication of Statutory Notices that are required to comply with various national and EU legislative requirements. Decisions on the placement of notices are made on a case by case basis, depending on the nature of the advertisement and the target audience. In 2010 Brindley Advertising held the contract for the provision of the majority of advertising needs. Adverts typically included under this contract are afforestation notifications, aquaculture license applications, and Department schemes and services.
My Department does not generally employ external public relations firms. Public relations advice is provided by my Department’s Press Office.
|
Year |
Public Relations € |
Communications € |
Advertisements € |
Consultants Contracted € |
Communications Reports Commissioned € |
|
2010 |
Nil |
Nil |
€426,520 |
Nil |
Nil |
|
2011 (January) |
Nil |
Nil |
€25,471 |
Nil |
Nil |
Agriculture Scheme Administration
Ceisteanna (205, 206, 207)
Michael Fitzmaurice
Ceist:205. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the EU auditor conducted inspections on lands here during 2017; if so, the county and land type audited, for example privately owned land or commonage land, hill type land or low land, tillage or grazed land; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52286/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMichael Fitzmaurice
Ceist:206. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the failures identified by the EU auditors or European Commission in the implementation of land eligibility from 2015 to 2017; if so, if he will provide the communications advising him of such failures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52287/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMichael Fitzmaurice
Ceist:207. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if failures have been identified by the EU auditor on land eligibility; if these failures relate to agricultural activity or the inclusion of hard features such as rock, scrub, lakes and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52288/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 205 to 207, inclusive, together.
The EU Commission is one of a number of bodies that carry out regular audits in relation to various payment schemes, operated by my Department, that are funded under the Common Agricultural Policy.
During 2017, the Commission carried out one such audit, in which issues relating to eligibility and inspections were examined.
The Commission has advised my Department of its findings and my officials are currently preparing a response. These communications will continue as part of a bilateral process over the coming months in accordance with standard procedure, and it would therefore be inappropriate to comment, at this stage, on any particular details as this is very much the beginning of what will be a very thorough deliberative process.