Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Thursday, 7 Apr 2022

Written Answers Nos. 427-440

Ukraine War

Ceisteanna (427)

Holly Cairns

Ceist:

427. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to ensure that Ukrainian medical professionals can register to practise in Ireland. [19159/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

As the Deputy will be aware, the Medical Council is the statutory agency responsible for the registration and regulation of doctors in Ireland. In order to protect patients, it has a responsibility to ensure that all doctors registered to practise medicine in Ireland meet the requirements to practise as set out in its legislation. Officials from my Department have been working closely with the Council in recent weeks to examine the ways in which support can be provided to doctors arriving from Ukraine and the Council has established an internal working group to explore and address the issues that arise.

Depending on where a doctor qualified and the type of qualifications they hold, some doctors arriving into Ireland from outside the EU may be required to take a pre-registration exam and an English language exam. These exams look at a number of areas including communication and clinical skills and are an important step to ensure patient safety. The HSE in partnership with various stakeholders are also looking at other options which these doctors can avail of while registration is pending, such as medical translation and access to CPD resources. To date the Council has not received a full application for registration from any of the new doctors arriving in Ireland, however it is directly supporting a number of doctors with queries about the registration process and the requirements.

The Council is working directly with key stakeholders in the HSE, Postgraduate Training Bodies and the Irish Medical Schools Council. Discussions with these partners are ongoing and it is hoped to have a further update in the near future. The President and the CEO of the Medical Council also met with Ambassador Larysa Gerasko and the Ambassador has offered the support of the Embassy in acting as a liaison with Ukrainian authorities to support the registration of Ukrainian doctors in Ireland and also to assist the Council in disseminating information to Ukrainian doctors in Ireland.

Ukraine War

Ceisteanna (428, 433)

Holly Cairns

Ceist:

428. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the payments, benefits and other supports issued by the HSE to which Ukrainian refugees are entitled. [19160/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Holly Cairns

Ceist:

433. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the payments, benefits and other supports issued by his Department to which Ukrainian refugees are entitled. [19221/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 428 and 433 together.

The Government is committed to delivering a humanitarian response to welcome people fleeing the war in Ukraine and seeking protection in Ireland as part of the EU response and such it is providing the necessary supports to those who have arrived here, as well as the large numbers of further people expected to arrive.

A reception facility at Dublin Airport is staffed by officials from the Departments of Justice, Social Protection, Children, the HSE and other State departments and agencies where needed. It is a one-stop shop to provide people with temporary protection immediately when they arrive, as well as giving them access to social welfare, to accommodation if required, and to care packages and other supports provided by the private sector. The HSE Team are ensuring that Ukrainian arrivals get information on how our health service works, immediate care, prescriptions, and can get started on applying for a medical card. Equivalent arrangements are being implemented by the Government agencies involved at other ports of entry.

It is a priority for the Department and the HSE to ensure that Ukrainians arriving to Ireland are provided with appropriate health and social care services including primary health care services for adults, children and older people, ongoing care of priority medical conditions and vaccination services including for COVID-19 and childhood immunisations. Ukrainian refugees will be able to access the equivalent health services as people who are ordinarily already living here, including Irish citizens.

There is a simplified and streamlined medical card application process for Ukrainians granted temporary protection status with 2692 medical cards issued as of 06/04/22. Translated versions in Ukrainian and Russian are available on the dedicated HSE Ukrainian webpage (Healthcare services for Ukrainian nationals in Ireland - HSE.ie). It is recognised that whilst awaiting their medical card, some individuals may need access to prescription medicines. The HSE has put in place a means to enable reimbursement to pharmacies for such medicines dispensed.

For Ukrainians placed in temporary accommodation, the HSE and local healthcare workers are providing GP and primary care services and connections to more specialist services as needed. i.e. maternity services. In addition, Safety Net are providing GP clinics to facilities located in Dublin and out of hours services are accessible as required.

In conjunction with the National Women’s and Infant Health Programme, a specific urgent referral service at the Rotunda Hospital for pregnant women near term (over 32 weeks) or those who require urgent access is in place. The senior midwife can refer to any maternity unit nationally.

The Inclusion Health Service at CHI Temple Street is being reoriented to assist with the Ukrainian situation in the area.

In collaboration with National Cancer Control programme (NCCP) and the Irish Cancer Society (ICS), a Ukrainian cancer information page on how to access services is live (www.cancer.ie/ukraine). The ICS will be appointing a Ukrainian Cancer Coordinator which Acute Operations will work in close collaboration with.

Refugees can find information and other resources about public healthcare services at www2.hse.ie/services/healthcare-in-ireland/ukrainian-refugees.html. This information is available in Ukrainian, English and Russian.

The above information is provided on the dedicated government webpage for Ukrainian refugees at www.gov.ie/ukraine.

Defibrillators Provision

Ceisteanna (429)

Holly Cairns

Ceist:

429. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if defibrillators are installed in all offices and buildings accessible by the public in his Department and the public bodies and agencies that operate under his remit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19173/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

My Department has only one office, located at Miesian Plaza, Baggot Street, Dublin 2. Each floor has a centrally placed automated external defibrillator and staff are trained as First Aid Responders.

In respect of the HSE, I have asked them to respond directly to the Deputy.

Details for other bodies under the aegis of my Department are operational matters for the bodies concerned and the Deputy should contact the relevant Director/CEO/Registrar directly.

Departmental Contracts

Ceisteanna (430)

Gerald Nash

Ceist:

430. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health the total value of consultancy contracts awarded to an organisation (details supplied) for work with his Department and bodies under auspices of his Department in each of the years 2017 to 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19192/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The attached table outlines the total spend on McKinsey & Company external consultants from 2017 to 2021.

Supplier

Project Description

Year

Amount

McKinsey & Company

None

2017

€0

McKinsey & Company

The development of a response to Sláintecare.

2018

€261,586 (Inclusive of VAT)

McKinsey & Company

None

2019

€0

McKinsey & Company

None

2020

€0

McKinsey & Company

None

2021

€0

Total:

€261,586

Gender Balance

Ceisteanna (431)

Ivana Bacik

Ceist:

431. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Health his plans to ensure that there is gender balance on interview committees and in the conduct of recruitment processes within the health service particularly relating to maternity hospitals. [19218/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Nursing Homes

Ceisteanna (432)

Réada Cronin

Ceist:

432. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health the way that State-run nursing homes are assessing dental and oral health and pain in residents who are unable to speak or are cognitively impaired; the number of dental checks carried out on patients in this cohort in each of the past five years in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19220/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Question No. 433 answered with Question No. 428.

Departmental Schemes

Ceisteanna (434)

Brendan Griffin

Ceist:

434. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if advice will be provided to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18963/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

There are a wide variety of items available under the suite of seven measures under TAMS II. Grant aid is currently available for horse stocks under the Animal Welfare and Nutrient Storage Scheme and the Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme. To date, total expenditure under the seven measures of the TAMS, including transitional expenditure, has reached in excess of €349m with commitments of an additional €126m made to scheme participants who have yet to draw down those grants.Some 49,053 applications have been approved under the scheme. All outstanding approvals issued represent potential outstanding liabilities for the Department and we must have a budget in place to pay these claims. As a result, it is not possible to consider adding additional items such as specific investment items for equine farming to the comprehensive list of investment items already available under TAMS at this time.Specific investments have not yet been finalised in relation to the interventions to be included in the CAP Strategic Plan (CSP)(2023-2027), and representations from the equine sector will be given due consideration. The Capital Investment Scheme (CIS), as is the case with all proposals under the CAP Strategic Plan (CSP), is subject to the formal approval of the European Commission.

Agriculture Schemes

Ceisteanna (435)

John McGuinness

Ceist:

435. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if an appeal relative to the Beef Genomics Programme payments in the case of a person (details supplied) will be expedited and issued. [18989/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine wrote to the person named on 2nd July 2021 informing them that he was non-compliant with the Genotyping element of the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) for 2019 and 2020. Their agent wrote to the Department on 6th September 2021 outlining the reasons why the farmer could not meet the commitments entered into by him under BDGP. This information has now been considered, taking account of all the circumstances outlined. The person named will be informed of the outcome of the review shortly.

Agriculture Schemes

Ceisteanna (436)

Matt Carthy

Ceist:

436. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers in receipt of a basic payment; the average number of hectares for which they are in receipt of payment by county, by farm system in 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19011/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The detailed information requested by the Deputy is currently being compiled and will be forwarded directly to him as soon as possible.

The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51
I refer to Parliamentary Question 19011/22 regarding the average number of hectares paid per county, by farm system in 2021.
No data is available as to the particular sectors the payments are paid on, nor is there a requirement on the applicant to provide such information. Payment is made based on the applicant holding entitlements and corresponding eligible land to cover those entitlements.
Please see below the data in tabular form for the average number of hectares paid per county for 2021.

County

Average Hectares paid

CARLOW

43.33

CAVAN

27.86

CLARE

31.99

CORK

40.38

DONEGAL

32.99

DUBLIN

56.07

GALWAY

29.55

KERRY

41.23

KILDARE

49.92

KILKENNY

46.56

LAOIS

40.01

LEITRIM

29.06

LIMERICK

37.28

LONGFORD

28.73

LOUTH

40.32

MAYO

29.72

MEATH

44.05

MONAGHAN

23.54

OFFALY

38.80

ROSCOMMON

27.62

SLIGO

29.67

TIPPERARY

44.55

WATERFORD

52.11

WESTMEATH

38.00

WEXFORD

43.80

WICKLOW

51.10

Agriculture Schemes

Ceisteanna (437)

Matt Carthy

Ceist:

437. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if unspent monies allocated for BEAM scheme funding can be reallocated within his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19012/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The objective of the Beef Exceptional Aid Measure (BEAM) implemented in 2019 was to provide temporary exceptional adjustment aid to farmers in the beef sector in Ireland subject to the conditions set out in EU Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1132.

The measure was co-funded with €50m funding from the EU to be supplemented by up to €50m of exchequer funds to be allocated to the budget for the measure according to demand. Just over 33,000 participants joined the scheme and over €77 million was paid to them in 2019 representing a supplemental exchequer allocation of €27 million.

The core support for the beef sector under the outgoing RDP is the €300 Million Beef Data and Genomics Programme. In addition to this support, since 2020, over €260 million of additional supports were made available specifically to the beef sector, including the Beef Finishers Payment and BEEP-S in 2020. In addition, the Beef Sector Efficiency Programme with allocation of €45 million which ran in 2021 and has been launched for 2022 recently also with a budget of €45 million. I have also, secured €6m in funding to promote our world-class suckler brand abroad. All of these supports are additional to the more general supports that beef farmers can avail of under the current RDP including ANCs.

As the Deputy will be aware, the proposal for suckler farmers in Ireland's new CAP strategic plan is to continue to provide support to farmers by building on the efficiency gains of the BDGP and the BEEP-S measures through the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme. This important scheme will deliver €150 on the first 10 cows and €120 on remaining cows compared to €90 on the first 10 cows and €0 thereafter on the outgoing BDGP.

I remain committed to supporting the economic and environmental sustainability of the suckler and beef sector. Beef farmers, in addition to being the driving force behind a multi-billion euro sector, are the foundation of local economic activity and rural society.

Agriculture Industry

Ceisteanna (438)

Matt Carthy

Ceist:

438. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his proposals to ensure an adequate supply of clover seed is available to farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19013/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

All clover seed used for planting forage crops in Ireland is imported. No clover is cultivated in Ireland for the production of seed. The clover seed is primarily imported from continental Europe, but additional imports can be sourced from third countries (e.g. New Zealand) that are members of the OECD seed certification scheme where seed is produced to equivalent standard to those that pertain in the EU. Italy, Germany, Denmark and the Czech Republic are among the main producers of clover seed for cultivation in Europe.

The Multi Species Sward Scheme including support for the Red Clover Silage Measure is one of three schemes under the €12m Tillage Incentive Package that I announced recently to support farmers. Its purpose is to promote environmentally sustainable methods of farming and thereby greatly reduce nitrogen fertiliser while maintaining forage yields. Both Multi Species Swards and Red Clover Silage Measure can save farmers money while maintaining production levels and reducing the farm carbon footprint. The Measures will support the establishment of approximately 12,000 hectares of Multi Species Swards and approximately 4,000 hectares of the Red Clover silage mix.

To ensure that there will be an adequate supply of clover seed, the Department has amended the Terms and Conditions of the Multi Species Swards Scheme and the Red Clover Silage Measure so that it is no longer a requirement for clover seed to be on the Department’s Recommended List thereby ensuring seed agents can gain access to a wider range of clover varieties.

The Department is confident that, with the incentive provided through these measures, the seed merchants can fulfil this shortfall through additional imports this coming year from producers in continental Europe and other third countries.

Departmental Staff

Ceisteanna (439)

Denis Naughten

Ceist:

439. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of staff within his Department who are based and working with the European Union in Brussels; their present roles and responsibilities; the posts and responsibilities that are presently vacant; the corresponding figures on 23 June 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19027/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The Programme for Government emphasises the diversification and development of new markets for the Irish agri-food sector. The success of my Department's diplomatic representation abroad in assisting in the retention, expansion and securing of access to markets is directly related to the support and additional work carried out in my Department’s line divisions at home.

With specific focus on my Department’s resources in Brussels, currently there is one officer deployed at Counsellor level (which is equivalent to Principal Officer grade) and a further two officers are deployed at First Secretary level (which is equivalent to Assistant Principal). On 23 June 2016, there was one officer serving as Counsellor and two officers from my Department serving in First Secretary roles.

From time to time, my Department considers allocating staff to Seconded National Expert (SNE) positions. In selecting SNE posts, my Department gives consideration to achieving a balance between filling these posts and the need to retain key expertise within the Department for ongoing responsibilities. The roles of any SNEs that we approve to be filled are linked to priorities, for example, the Common Agriculture Policy and ensure policy coherence between EU environmental objectives and funding in respect of agriculture and forestry. Currently, there are a total of three officers from my Department assigned to SNE roles. On 23 June 2016 there were three officers from my Department assigned to SNE positions in Brussels.

My Department also utilises the bi-annual National Experts in Professional Training scheme to provide an opportunity to work in the European Commission for limited periods of three to five months. Currently, there is one Administrative Officer from my Department engaged in this role. The skills and experiences acquired by Irish officials during their traineeship have the potential to benefit my Department and facilitate greater understanding of the functioning of European institutions. Participation in this programme is in line with the Government’s overall EU engagement strategy. There was no officer from my Department in such a role on 23 June 2016.

In addition to the above roles, my Department currently has one Executive Officer assigned to the Permanent Representative, Brussels. This officer provides support to my Department officials through attendance and reporting on weekly meetings of the Special Committee on Agriculture, monthly meetings of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council, management of the day-to-day administration within the Agriculture Office, co-ordination of briefing material and logistical organisation. On 23 June 2016 there was also a staff member assigned to this position.

My Department regularly reviews overseas assignments, assessing vacancies in line with workforce planning, to ensure that our presence abroad supports market access and delivers on the expected benefits.

Agriculture Schemes

Ceisteanna (440)

Michael Healy-Rae

Ceist:

440. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a person (details supplied) will be considered for the BEEP scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19054/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The objective of 2021 BEEP-S is to further increase economic and environmental efficiency in the suckler herd though improvement in the quantity and quality of performance data that is collected. This is done through the enhancement of the national herd dataset for genetic evaluations, with a view to supporting the adoption of best practice and more informed decision making at farm level. The Programme targets the weaning efficiency of suckler cows and calves through the collection of the live weights of cows and progeny in the herd of each participant; improving the welfare of suckler calves at the time of weaning through vaccination and meal feeding; and controlling liver fluke in adult suckler cows.

The scheme opened on 16th March 2021 and closed without late penalty on 26th April 2021. It remained open, albeit with a late penalty from 27th April 2021 until 21st May 2021.

All dates were clearly set out in the Terms and Conditions, in the Press Releases and in the farming media. A series of texts also issued to herd owners, including the person named, informing them of the deadline for applications for the scheme. The person named did not create or submit an application for the 2021 BEEP S programme.

Correspondence was received from the applicant's Advisor in January 2022 stating that they missed the deadline to submit the BEEP-S application on-line. This matter was examined and it was determined no application had been recorded. The person named was informed of the outcome of the examination and the decision that no application could be lodged at that time.

A request for a review of this decision was received. The review was carried out and a letter issued on the 3rd March, 2022 upholding the original decision. This letter also advised the person named of their right to appeal this decision to the Agriculture Appeals Office.

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