Written Answers Nos. 726-748
726. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the reason he has not commissioned a report to examine the operation of telemedicine for advice on pregnancy and the prescription of abortion pills; the reason he is relying on evidence in this matter from a jurisdiction outside the EU with different laws to Ireland's; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59052/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs part of the Government’s ongoing efforts to protect public health and limit the spread of COVID-19, the Department of Health and the HSE worked together to put new arrangements in place to allow termination of pregnancy services in early pregnancy to be provided remotely.
For the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency, where the need for social distancing, reducing personal contacts and reducing the burden on medical practitioners are paramount, it will be possible for a woman to access a termination under section 12 of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 (i.e. before 12 weeks) from her medical practitioner by telephone or video conference consultation.
The arrangement enabling remote consultation will be reviewed once the public health emergency is declared over. There is regular ongoing engagement between the Department of Health and the HSE to monitor service provision, facilitate the smooth-running of the service and resolve any issues that may arise.
727. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health when it is planned to provide fit-for-purpose cancer care infrastructure for the Saolta region West, Northwest Hospitals Group; the reason for the delay in providing same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59084/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the National Programme for Radiation Oncology, a new €56m three-storey radiation oncology centre is under construction at UHG. The facility will include seven radiotherapy treatment vaults, a brachytherapy suite, two CT rooms, MRI, on-treatment support, ancillary physics, treatment planning, out-patient suites and administration facilities. It will provide increased capacity, with four new linear accelerators, and the capability to increase to five. Construction will be completed in 2023.
Plans are being drawn up for an Aseptic Compounding Unit at Letterkenny University Hospital and the extension and reconfiguration of the existing Oncology Day Unit there (increasing from 8 treatment spaces to 15 spaces).
Saolta have also indicated that they are working on drawing up proposals for further infrastructural improvements to cancer services in the region. These will be considered by the HSE on receipt.
728. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health if he is satisfied that the Rotunda Hospital is now allowing fathers to attend the birth of their children in the maternity hospital; and if not, the steps he is taking to have this matter resolved. [59086/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
729. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 834 of 28 September 2021, the buildings currently in use by the HSE that are either owned, leased or rented on a full or part-time basis which have been assessed as having asbestos in the buildings; and the actions that have been taken to ensure the health and safety of employees and former employees to assess the health impact that asbestos had for counties Longford and Westmeath in tabular form. [59120/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the management of the public healthcare property estate, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to you in relation to this matter.
730. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if he has received a submission for a specialist centre for intestinal failure; if he plans to deliver a specialist centre at St James’s Hospital, Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59123/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
731. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health the location the staff at the Owenacurra Mental Health centre, Midleton, County Cork will be redeployed to after the closure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59125/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
732. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health his plans for the Owenacurra Mental Health centre, Midleton, County Cork; if the building is deemed not fit for purpose, if it will be used for an alternative purpose; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59126/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
733. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health the location that the 19 residents and patients will be redeployed to in east County Cork after the closure of the Owenacurra Mental Health centre, Midleton; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59127/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
734. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that some residents of the Owenacurra Mental Health Centre, Midleton, County Cork have been offered alternative placement outside of Midleton which are not appropriate to their needs; the reason this is happening when the residents want to remain in Midleton; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59128/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
735. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that some residents in the Owenacurra Mental Health Centre, Midleton, County Cork are being left with no choice but to sign up for the fair deal scheme as they are being offered no alternative accommodation within Midleton town's surroundings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59129/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
736. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health if the HSE has found alternative accommodation in Midleton for patients of the Owenacurra Centre, Midleton, County Cork; if so, the number of patients that have been offered appropriate accommodation in Midleton; the location in Midleton; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59130/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
737. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health the plans the HSE have in place to retain the 24 bed long-stay respite services in Midleton, County Cork if the Owenacurra Centre is to close; when these beds and the service will be put in place; the date for the reinstatement of these services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59131/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
738. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health if the HSE has found an appropriate replacement building in Midleton, County Cork to provide mental health day care services if the Owenacurra Centre is to close; if so, the location of this building; if services are running at 100%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59132/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
739. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health if the HSE has put in place a plan to retain all respite services and 24 beds and all short-term stay respite services in Midleton, County Cork if the Owenacurra Centre Closes; if so, the location these services will operate from; the start date for the retention of these services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59133/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
740. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health the reason at least one nominated pharmacist in each town and village in east County Cork cannot administer the PCR tests; the reason this service is not being rolled out with families travelling from Youghal to Cork city to obtain this test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59134/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraPeople who have symptoms of Covid-19 or who are referred for a test because they may have Covid-19 are advised to self-isolate while waiting for the test. This includes staying indoors completely avoiding contact with other people until going for the test and while waiting for their test result.
PCR testing is conducted at centres established specifically for this purpose by the HSE where the movement of people for testing purposes is controlled, where the staff manning the centres have been trained in infection prevention and control measures and where attendance of other people not involved in the testing process is limited. To direct people to pharmacies would be encouraging people who potentially have the virus in to retail outlets where they may spread the infection through coming in to contact with other people. This would not be consistent with public health advise to minimise contact until the results of a test are known.
741. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will confirm that three trees per hectare is all that is being considered with regard to tree planting in the new CAP 2023-2027; his views on whether this will assist Ireland in meetings its climate change commitments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58253/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraSignificant tree planting measures are proposed within Ireland’s draft CAP Strategic Plan.
The proposed Agri-Environment Climate Measure contains options for planting trees in rows, groups or parkland, including the option of planting a tree belt for ammonia recapture adjacent to a farmyard, or planting trees on a riparian buffer adjacent to a watercourse as appropriate. Over 50,000 farmers are expected to participate in the scheme.
The Eco-Scheme will be an annual agri-environmental scheme under the next CAP. To participate in any given year, a farmer will have to select two actions from a list of options. The proposed list includes an option to plant three trees per hectare in the year. This equates to 100 trees for a farmer with the national average farm size of just over 33 hectares per annum. There is also a proposed enhanced tree planting option where a farmer can plant double the numbers outlined above annually if they wish to solely plant trees to draw down their Eco-Scheme payment.
Regarding climate commitments, trees that occur in hedgerows or outside forests are not considered forest and are not included as part of the land use sector for national greenhouse gas reporting. To address the lack of data on carbon sequestration by such trees, Teagasc are undertaking a research project called “Farm-Carbon – Farm Hedgerows and Non-forest Woodland Carbon” which may provide for these trees to be counted in the inventory in the future.
In addition to the tree planting proposed under CAP, my Department will continue to promote afforestation including broadleaf planting to contribute to the achievement of our climate change targets.
742. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on whether CAP 2023-2027 is an ideal opportunity to incentivise afforestation to meet both the Programme for Government, Food Vision 2030 and the Climate Action Plan Afforestation targets which have not been met for many years due to the exclusion of afforestation from CAP; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58254/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAfforestation rates have seen a decline in recent years and there are many reasons for fall-off in interest in planting, including negative perceptions of forestry, competition for land and regulatory difficulties. It will be the challenge of the next Forestry Programme to incentivise and promote forestry.
As set out in the Programme for Government, this Government is committed to a new national Forestry Programme. The aim is that this new Forestry Programme will highlight to farmers that forestry can represent a valuable and complementary income stream to an active farming enterprise.
The new Forestry Programme will be the main implementation vehicle of the new Forest Strategy which is currently being developed as part of the work of Project Woodland. The new strategy will be based on a national shared vision.
A comprehensive consultation process for the new vision and strategy have commenced and I would like to invite everyone who has an interest in forestry to actively participate in this consultation exercise.
The new Forestry Programme will again be funded nationally and will be subject to State aid approval by the European Commission.
Due to the long-term nature of forestry, it is not proposed to include forest planting measures in the new CAP measures, however, as the CAP framework normally sets the requirements for the new EU State aid Guidelines, there will be close alignment between the two programmes.
In respect of the integration of forestry and the next CAP, as outlined in the CSP draft interventions that have been published by my Department, several tree planting measures have been proposed to be included in the CAP Strategic Plan.
The new Forestry Programme and the new CAP will provide opportunities to further align agricultural support schemes and forestry, to better integrate planting into the farming system, and to remove any barriers to uptake.
743. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason he has declined to introduce the urgently required frost recon scheme to support owners of woodlands affected by detrimental frost damage that has been the subject of many Parliamentary Questions over the past number of years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58255/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department is aware of the request for a reconstitution scheme in response to frost damage on young plantations for woodland owners affected by frost events experienced in 2019, 2020 and again in 2021. Surveys for frost damage in affected forests have been conducted by the Department. We are continuing to consider the case for such a scheme and hope to be to clarify our position shortly.
744. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if snail producers in the State can be recognised as farmers and included in green and low-carbon grant schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58276/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhile the current agri-environment measure, namely the Green Low-carbon Agri-environment Scheme (GLAS), is closed to new entrants, it should be noted that the eligibility requirements included being the holder of an active herd number with Herd Owner status and also having all lands farmed declared in the applicant's name on my Department’s Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS). It is envisaged that the new agri-environment climate measure (AECM) in Ireland’s draft CAP Strategic Plan will have similar requirements.
To register as a snail farmer, a person must obtain a herd number for their holding (land used for farming purposes) from my Department.
When applying for a herd number, snails must be declared under “other”. Snail farmers who intend to process snails must be registered as a snail farmer with their local Department Regional Veterinary Office and they must also be registered as a meat establishment with my Department’s Meat Hygiene Division.
If a person farming snails has eligible hectares and a herd number, they can submit an application for the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS). The BPS does not differentiate between types of farms.
745. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a GLAS payment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58292/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraA key priority for me and my Department is the efficient issuing of scheme payments to farmers. I know how critical these payments are to our farmers and their businesses. I am very pleased that GLAS 2021 payments commenced a week ahead of our stated target of mid-November.
Processing of the 2021 Advance Payment for the person named are at an advanced stage. Administrative checks involving a number of sections within the Department take place on all GLAS claims. All cases must clear validation checks before payment can issue.
GLAS payments are continuing on a weekly basis as applications pass all validation checks and are approved for payment.
746. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a satellite inspection for a person (details supplied) will be complete; when payment will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58344/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe satellite inspection in this case is completed and a letter detailing the inspection findings issued to the person named on 23rd November 2021. The applicant has since advised my Department that they accepts the result of the inspection.
Accordingly, my Department has finalised the processing of the application and any payments due will issue to the nominated bank account shortly.
747. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will instruct an immediate examination of the cause in fall-off of farmer planting from 852 farmers in 2015 to 100 in 2020 during the term of the GLAS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58345/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Green, Low-carbon, Agri-environment Scheme (GLAS) offered farmers a suite of actions that could be carried out across their holding on a parcel-by-parcel basis. This allowed parcels to remain free of GLAS actions for other uses including forestry. The GLAS terms and conditions outline that afforestation is fully compatible with GLAS and is recognised as contributing to the creation of a valuable landscape mosaic at farm-level. The Scheme also had the “Planting a Grove of Native Trees” action which has been chosen by over 3,600 farmers and resulted in the planting of over 1.5 million trees.
Analysis shows since the start of the scheme, approximately 1,000 GLAS participants have applied for or have in fact gone on to plant forestry.
It is now well-established that the overall number of landowners, both farmers and non-farmers who are choosing to plant forestry is in decline.
There are many reasons for this decline, landowners have options for their land, including lease or the sale of lands and regulatory difficulties. I would also like to note that non-farmer applicants may well be the relative of a deceased or retired farmer, who have made the decision to plant forestry rather than farm the land.
Along with Minister of State Pippa Hackett, who has overall responsibility for the sector, I am anxious that farmers engage with forestry and I acknowledge that current licensing difficulties are likely a contributory factor in terms of reduced interest.
This is a priority issue for me and my Department and is being dealt under Project Woodland. Alongside Project Woodland, we are committed to improving our delivery and we now have 10 ecologists assigned exclusively to afforestation files.
We intend to recruit more ecologists for afforestation and are working to streamline the processing of these files. While these changes will take some time to work through the system, we anticipate that they will deliver an increase in the number of afforestation files issuing.
The Department is working to ensure that there is integration between Agri-Environment schemes in CAP and the new Forestry Programme. It is intended that tree planting measures will form part of the new Agri-Environment schemes.
The transitional REAP scheme (a results-based payment approach for grasslands) has, for instance, complementary tree-planting actions. In addition, direct payments will be eligible to be made on areas afforested under the new CSP, in accordance with the conditions set out in Article 4(4).c(iii) of the draft CSP Regulation.
There will also be an opportunity with the proposed new Forest Strategy, which will underpin the next Forestry Programme, to look at new at ways in which to engage farmers and indeed all of society with our ambition to create 8,000 hectare of forest per year. We will be undertaking an extensive consultation exercise to inform our response to this challenge and I would encourage all those interested in the future of forestry in Ireland to take part in this process.
748. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of applicants for REAP that have applied for afforestation approval for the months of September, October and November 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58346/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraREAP is not a whole-farm project and opportunities continue to exist for afforestation and for other Forestry Schemes on parcels not in REAP. Details on the level of afforestation on non-REAP parcels is not currently available. Applicants for REAP were urged, together with their advisors, to look at the opportunities afforded by Forestry Schemes when planning for REAP.
Farmers who have planted land under the forestry scheme do not do so using their herd number and, therefore, are not easily cross-checked with REAP participants.
The Department is still analysing the issue as two separate data sets are involved.
