Written Answers Nos. 224-233
224. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if reconsideration will be given to allocating a person (details supplied) an urgent hospital appointment; if it is standard procedure that patients on priority waiting lists must wait over a year before receiving appropriate treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21164/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder 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 National Waiting List Management Policy, a standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, since January 2014, has been developed to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care. This policy, which has been adopted by the HSE, sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
225. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Health if services have been removed from a centre (details supplied) in recent months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21168/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra226. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Health if services have been removed from a centre (details supplied) over the past two years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21169/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 225 and 226 together.
As this question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply.
227. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding a TAMS grant applied for by a person (details supplied); the position in which the appeal lodged is within the appeals system; if same can be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20983/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Agriculture Appeals Office operates independently of my Department. I have been advised that the records of the Agriculture Appeals Office indicate that the named person lodged an appeal on 29 March 2019 in relation to a TAMS II grant. The Agriculture Appeals Regulations 2002 provide that an appeal may be made within 3 months of the date of my Department's decision letter that was issued to the named person. The date of the decision letter was 11 December 2018 and therefore the deadline for receipt of an appeal against that decision was 11 March 2019.
On 1 April 2019, the Agriculture Appeals Office issued a letter to the named person advising them that their appeal was received after the statutory deadline. The letter advised the named person that it was open to them to write to the Director of the Agriculture Appeals Office detailing any exceptional circumstances that prevented the appeal from being lodged within the 3 month timeframe. The deadline for receipt of a response to the Appeals Office letter was 15 April 2019.
The records indicate that to date there has been no correspondence received from the named person in response to that letter.
228. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the four residencies rule is a private arrangement between organisations (details supplied); if so, if the decision to display residencies on mart boards is not a directive from his Department and there is no directive currently in place directing marts to continue displaying this information; the reason his Department is providing information in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21009/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra232. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason his Department facilitates the four-movement rule being displayed on mart display boards by providing movement history; the legislative basis on which his Department shares the data; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21130/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 228 and 232 together.
A Quality Payment System (QPS) related to the beef grid was agreed between Meat Industry Ireland (MII) and the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) in 2009. The payment is based on the classification of the carcass in which a price differential is set between certain classification grades.
My understanding is that any additional bonus payments and the conditions attached to qualification for such payments are determined by processors and their retail customers. There are a number of conditions which pertain to such payments and may include age limits and restrictions on the number of movements allowed. These are commercial arrangements and my Department has no role in their establishment, nor in collection or analysis of the payments which are made.
My Department has not issued a directive to livestock marts regarding the display of residencies information on the mart boards. The movement information is included on the bovine passport which must accompany the animal at all stages of movement including to a livestock mart. My Department provides similar movement information to that on the passport to the livestock mart and this information is provided by means of a secure webservice facility.
The information which is recorded on the Department's Animal Identification and Movement database (AIM) is in compliance with Council Regulation 1760/2000 which provides for the competent authority to ensure access to the data for all parties concerned, S.I. No. 77 of 2009 European Communities (Identification of Bovines) and S.I. No. 521 of 2014 Animal Health and Welfare (Bovine Movement Regulations).
229. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will publish the reply he received from the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment to the detailed response of the Marine Institute, which he stated in Parliamentary Question No. 1141 of 8 May 2019 had been forwarded to the Department by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21026/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment forwarded a document to my Department containing a series of specific queries in respect of the control of sea lice at specific aquaculture sites.
At the request of my Department, the Marine Institute prepared a detailed and site specific response to the queries raised. My Department forwarded this response to the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment.
My Department’s records do not indicate a specific response from the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment to the Marine Institute text.
230. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to implement measures to assist the suckler beef sector in view of ongoing difficulties facing farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21074/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe agri-food sector is of critical importance to the Irish economy, and its regional spread means it underpins the socio-economic development of rural areas in particular. Brexit has the potential to have a very significant impact on the sector, given its unique exposure to the UK market, which accounted for 38% (€5.2 billion) of agri-food exports last year.
There are on-going discussions with the Commission regarding the difficulties which would face Ireland in the event of a no-deal Brexit, and the assistance that might be required for its agriculture food and fishery sectors. Avoiding a no-deal Brexit continues to be the Government’s overriding policy priority.
I have held a number of discussions with Commissioner Hogan regarding the potential impact of a disorderly Brexit on the sector. I have stressed the need for the Commission to be ready to deploy a range of measures to mitigate the potential impacts on agri-food and fisheries, including through traditional market supports and exceptional aid under the CAP's Single Common Market Organisation regulation (Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013), as well increased flexibility under State Aid regulations.
Obviously, as Minister, I have no role when it comes to prices paid to producers but it is important to acknowledge that the past few months have been very difficult for beef farmers in particular, following a difficult year in 2018 due to weather conditions. There has been a period of depressed prices since last autumn with the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the outcome of Brexit, among other factors, contributing to this market disturbance. I also note that prices have started to increase week-on-week recently mainly due to tightening supply of cattle and the outlook is that this will continue. Market intelligence also points towards other factors such as the presence of African Swine Fever in China affecting their pork output, thereby strengthening the demand for beef in a market to which Ireland already has access.
In light of the on-going market disturbance, I have, in discussions with Commissioner Hogan and my EU counterparts, said that I believe that the deployment of exceptional measures under the CMO Regulation, to provide targeted aid to farm families who have suffered a sustained reduction in returns from the market, is now required. I made an intervention to this effect at the April meeting of the Council of Agriculture Ministers, and my officials have followed this up with a detailed submission, which is under consideration by Commission officials.
I am deeply committed to fully supporting and developing Ireland’s beef sector. I am strongly of the view that the existing range of supports available to beef farmers under the Rural Development Programme (RDP), together with ensuring access to as many markets as possible, both for live animals and beef exports, are appropriate for the continued development of the sector.
The Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) is currently the main support specifically targeted for the suckler sector, which provides Irish beef farmers with some €300 million in funding over the current RDP period. Building on this is the Beef Environmental Efficiency Pilot (BEEP), a €20 million pilot project for 2019.
My Department has rolled out a range of schemes as part of the €4 billion Rural Development Programme (RDP), 2014 - 2020. In addition to the BDGP, other supports which are available for suckler farmers under Pillar II of the CAP include GLAS, ANCs and Knowledge Transfer Groups. Suckler farmers also benefit from the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) and Greening payments under CAP Pillar I. According to National Farm Survey already suckler farmers receive support equivalent to approximately €500 per suckler cow on average.
My Department is examining all appropriate measures to support the different agrifood sectors, including the suckler sector in preparation for the next iteration of the CAP, and through the next Agri Food strategy to 2030. My view is that such measures should support and encourage suckler farmers to make the best decisions possible to improve the profitability and the economic and environmental efficiency of their farming system.
231. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the requirements for the beef roundtable in view of the current crisis; the reason an organisation (details supplied) has not been included on the forum; when it will be included in the forum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21129/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Beef Roundtable was most recently convened in October 2018 and the date for the next session will be announced in due course. I am satisfied that farmers are well represented by a variety of farming organisations at the Roundtable. Written submissions to my Department from any stakeholder representative body requesting participation in the Roundtable will be considered in that context.
233. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address matters relating to heifers that are purchased for fattening in feedlots that arrive in calf (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21132/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraIf the Deputy is referring to a controlled finishing unit (CFU, formerly known as “feedlot”), then all animals from such a unit may only move from the unit direct to slaughter. Where permission is sought to move in female animals, such CFU herds must, notwithstanding that there is no intentional breeding planned, satisfy the Regional Veterinary Office, bearing in mind the calf welfare Regulations, that there are appropriate facilities to rear any unplanned calves born and, if necessary, carry all such calves through to slaughter.
Otherwise for farms outside this category, this is a commercial decision for the parties involved, bearing in mind the calf welfare Regulations.
