Written Answers Nos. 398-410
398. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health when a child (details supplied) will be provided with a date for surgery; and if the surgery will go ahead as soon as possible given the delays experienced and the timeline provided for the best outcome. [49380/22]
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.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
399. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason that payments ceased for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49177/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraA 2021 BPS application was submitted on behalf of the above named person on the 29th of September 2021. As per EU regulation the closing date for the receipt of BPS applications was the 17th of May 2021.
There is a 25 day period after the closing date which allows for the submission of late applications, however a penalty of 1% per day applies to these applications. Applications received after this 25 day period (ie the 11th of June 2021) are subject to 100% penalty.
As this application was received outside of this time period, it was subject to a 100% penalty. However, the applicant lodged an appeal which has been successful. The late penalty has now been removed and payment for 2021 will issue shortly
Processing of all applications under the 2022 BPS is ongoing. Advance payments under the 2022 BPS are due to commence on 17th October 2022.
400. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the name, function and establishment date of all the organisations and agencies that are funded by his Department; the number of employees in each; the salary of the chief executive in each organisation and agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49179/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information sought by the Deputy in relation to the 12 State Bodies under the aegis of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is outlined in the table attached.
|
Name of State Body |
Function and Establishment Date |
Number of Employees |
CEO Salary |
|
Aquaculture Licensing Appeals Board |
Established on 17 June 1998 under Section 22 of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act, 1997, the function of the Aquaculture Licenses Appeals Board is to provide an independent authority for the determination of appeals against decisions of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine on aquaculture licence applications. |
5 |
N/A |
|
Bord Iascaigh Mhara |
Established on 01 July 1952 under Sea Fisheries Act 1952, Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) is the State agency with responsibility for implementing national development policy for the Irish seafood industry. BIM helps to develop the Irish Seafood Industry by providing advice and technical expertise, business support, funding, training, and promoting responsible environmental practice. |
123 |
€136,000 |
|
Marine Institute |
Established in 1991 under the Marine Institute Act, 1991, the Marine Institute is responsible for marine research, technology development and innovation providing scientific and technical advice to Government to help inform policy and to support the sustainable development of Ireland’s marine resource. |
233 (146 Core and 87 temporary (externally funded)) |
Assistant Secretary Scale Non PPC €112,099 (salary of CEO) €80,304 (salary of an interim CEO) |
|
Sea Fisheries Protection Authority |
Established on 1 January 2007 under the Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006, the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) is the Ireland’s competent authority and statutory body responsible for enforcement of sea fisheries legislation within Ireland’s 200 mile limit, for Irish fishing vessels wherever they operate and for seafood safety legislation for all seafood produced in Ireland. |
169 |
N/A Please Note: SFPA has an Executive Chairperson (ASG PPC Salary Scale €145,283 - €166,194) |
|
Rásaíocht Con Éireann Greyhound Racing Ireland |
Rásaíocht Con Éireann is a commercial semi-state body, which is responsible for the control and development of the greyhound industry in Ireland. RCÉ was established pursuant to the Greyhound Industry Act 1958 which gives RCÉ wide powers to regulate all aspects of greyhound racing, from licensing of stadia to the issue of permits to officials, bookmakers and trainers. 28th May 1958 |
112 full time 35 casual race night staff |
€122,951 |
|
Horse Racing Ireland |
Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) established under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act 2001 is a commercial State body responsible for the overall administration, promotion and development of the horse racing industry. 18 December 2001 |
227 |
€190,773.00 |
|
Bord Bia |
12th July 1994 Bord Bia's role is to market and promote Irish food, drink and horticulture to customers worldwide on the basis of sustainability, traceability and quality. |
148 |
€174,616.88 *with effect from 01/10/2022 |
|
Teagasc |
Teagasc, the Agriculture and Food Development Authority, was established under the “Agriculture (Research, Training and Advice) Act”, 1988, as the national agency with responsibility for the provision of research, training and advisory |
The total number of employees at end August 2022 was 1,392 (1,353.26 Full Time Equivalent) of which 265 were employed on externally funded short-term |
The current salary of the Director of Teagasc is €172,888 per annum |
401. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when fees for students attending agricultural colleges will be reduced to a level similar to fees for students attending colleges of further education as there is a significant differential at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49242/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe setting of fees for Teagasc education and advisory services is an operational matter for Teagasc and its governing board, the Teagasc Authority.
Any proposal from Teagasc to my Department to adjust fees for Teagasc Further Education Programmes will be considered on its merits and having regard to developments in the wider education sector.
402. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will reply to correspondence from this Deputy (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49243/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that I have replied to the correspondence in question. In relation to the subject matter of the correspondence, I can confirm that there is no change to the status of the border control post (BCP) at Shannon Airport. The BCP remains fully operational, staffed, and ready to process consignments requiring SPS checks that land at Shannon Airport. As the BCP remains fully operational, there is no requirement for businesses to transport goods that arrive in Shannon, to Dublin Airport for checks.
Shannon had never been designated as the first point of arrival for consignments landing at Dublin Airport. Whilst issues around the construction of a BCP at Dublin Airport were being resolved, an exceptional arrangement was put in place whereby products that landed in Dublin Airport were sent by truck for clearance at the BCP in Shannon. This arrangement could not continue indefinitely, as it is not in compliance with the requirements of EU legislation.
As ever, staff in my Department's Import Controls Operations Division remain available to assist businesses in complying with their legal obligations. Should any individual businesses have issues, I would advise that they contact staff in the headquarters of that division in Dublin Port.
403. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a clear timeframe on when the area around his Department owned Syncro lift in Dunmore East County Waterford will be dredged to remove silt that will then allow all sizes of fishing and other vessels to be lifted from the waters for maintenance and repair; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49244/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraSyncrolift facilities are available at four of the six Fishery Harbour Centres, namely Dunmore East, Howth, Castletownbere and Killybegs. The syncrolifts have different capabilities with larger vessels being accommodated at Killybegs and Howth Fishery Harbour Centres. The syncrolift in Dunmore East is capable of lifts up to 230 tonnes and a transfer system to a repair yard is available. The Department's syncrolifts are routinely inspected and maintained and the Dunmore East syncrolift is currently undergoing maintenance which will be completed shortly. This routine maintenance will not increase the lift capability and any larger vessels will still need to look elsewhere for appropriate services.
The syncrolift in Dunmore East has seen a reduction in use in recent years with only around four lifts per annum. There may be a number of factors affecting this, including competition from private facilities, increases in vessels sizes and proximity of services, which the Department intends to review.
404. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to an incident in relation to one of his staff members which occurred on 5 September 2021; and if he will ensure that there is an internal investigation into this incident. [49285/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAllegations of criminal damage are appropriate for investigation by An Garda Síochána who have the necessary powers and skills to do so in accordance with the law. In relation to the case referred to by the Deputy, I understand that the matter was referred to An Garda Síochána and that such an investigation was undertaken at the time and has since concluded.
I am not aware of any reason why a subsequent investigation should now be undertaken by my Department, or how the outcome of such an investigation could vary from that of the Garda investigation.
405. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if grants are available for the replacement of windows and doors in an old farmhouse to ensure it is weatherproof for the winter months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49293/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 2022 GLAS Traditional Farm Buildings Scheme funds the restoration of traditional farm buildings and structures of significant heritage value and which are conserved for agricultural use. It does not cover farmhouses for residential purposes.
The Heritage Council manages this Traditional Farm Buildings Scheme on behalf of my Department, and it is funded by my Department under the Rural Development Programme.
406. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49341/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe above-named applicant's 2022 Basic Payment Scheme application has now been updated, to remove the impact of the 2021 reductions due to burning during the closed season. An official from my Department will be in direct contact with the applicant to advise him of this.
EU Regulations governing the administration of the Basic Payment Scheme and other area-based schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks are completed before any payments issue. Processing of applications under the 2022 BPS is ongoing. Once the checks are completed, the appropriate 2022 BPS payment will issue to the above-named applicant. Advance payments are due to commence on 17th October, 2022.
407. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 588 of 20 September 2022, if he will detail the minimum and the most time that an ecologist worked on the files referred to in 2021 (details supplied); the minimum and maximum cost in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49355/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra408. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 588 of 20 September 2022, the average output in terms of number of files per ecologist per week; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49356/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra409. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 588 of 20 September 2022, stating that there was an average 78 licences per week in 2021, and 92 licences per week to date in 2022 in tabular form the number of ecologists working on said files per week for both 2021 and to date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49357/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 407, 408 and 409 together.
Following a Court of Justice of the European Union ruling in 2018 and subsequent High Court rulings, which had transformative implications for the process of screening forestry licence applications for likely environmental effects, approx. 75% of licence applications are now referred for ecological assessment. The referral of such a high proportion of licence applications has been the principal cause of delays in the issuing of licences and of the backlog in the number of licence applications on hand.
To address this, my Department has invested in additional ecology resources. It has recruited a significant number of external ecologists in 2022 and these are focusing exclusively on afforestation in order to increase output further and to meet the target for afforestation licences as set out in the Licencing Plan. These improved outputs for afforestation are now coming through on the monthly and quarterly output figures. Improvements to process have also been introduced and outputs from Project Woodland are contributing to a better functioning licensing system. These outputs include implementation of an end-to-end process review and of an independent expert regulatory review, completion of a training needs analysis and commencement of an organisational review, the roll-out of a pre-application discussion initiative nation-wide and the payment of an environmental grant in 2022.
The average DAFM output per week to date in 2022 for licences approved is 93 files. On the basis that 75% of these had an ecologist input approximately 70 files per week had ecology input. Based on an average of 30 ecologists on hand in 2022, each ecologist on average processed slightly over 2.3 files per week.
In 2021 the average DAFM output per week for licences approved was 78 files. On the basis that 75% of these had an ecologist input approximately 58 files per week had ecology input. Based on an average of 22 ecologists on hand in 2022, each ecologist on average processed slightly over 2.6 files per week.
The total number of ecologists working within the Forestry Inspectorate fluctuates. The average number of Full Time Equivalents ecologists in 2022 is approximately 30, but today this number stands at 35.
As previously stated, in 2021, the estimated average cost of ecology input per file was around €650 to €700.
The production of licences is a team effort and requires administrative staff, forestry Inspectors and, when required, archaeologists and ecologists. It is estimated that ecologists are involved in around 75 to 80% of all licences files, but they also work on other non-licence files and other ecology-related activities.
410. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 588 of 20 September 2022, if he will detail the forestry service estimate of the available volume that justifies stating that there is a very large supply of timber available to be felled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49364/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe recently published All Ireland Roundwood Production Forecast covering the period 2021 to 2040 predicts that the annual potential round wood supply, will increase from 4.7 million cubic metres in 2021 to 7.9 million cubic metres in 2035. The Forecast is available on the COFORD website (www.coford.ie) and provides details on wood assortments and projected share of private and Coillte
|
Year |
Ireland Private |
Ireland Coillte |
Total Ireland |
NI DAERA FS |
NI Private |
Total NI |
Total Island of Ireland |
|
2021 |
1,467 |
2,757 |
4,224 |
489 |
24 |
513 |
4,737 |
|
2022 |
1,742 |
2,757 |
4,499 |
489 |
24 |
513 |
5,012 |
|
2023 |
2,385 |
2,757 |
5,142 |
489 |
24 |
513 |
5,655 |
|
2024 |
2,408 |
2,757 |
5,165 |
489 |
24 |
513 |
5,677 |
|
2025 |
2,472 |
2,757 |
5,229 |
489 |
24 |
513 |
5,742 |
|
2026 |
2,750 |
2,560 |
5,309 |
554 |
46 |
600 |
5,909 |
|
2027 |
2,922 |
2,560 |
5,482 |
554 |
46 |
600 |
6,082 |
|
2028 |
2,925 |
2,560 |
5,484 |
554 |
46 |
600 |
6,084 |
|
2029 |
3,156 |
2,560 |
5,716 |
554 |
46 |
600 |
6,316 |
|
2030 |
3,499 |
2,560 |
6,059 |
554 |
46 |
600 |
6,659 |
|
2031 |
3,738 |
2,717 |
6,456 |
751 |
40 |
791 |
7,247 |
|
2032 |
4,042 |
2,717 |
6,759 |
751 |
40 |
791 |
7,551 |
|
2033 |
3,950 |
2,717 |
6,668 |
751 |
40 |
791 |
7,459 |
|
2034 |
3,963 |
2,717 |
6,680 |
751 |
40 |
791 |
7,471 |
|
2035 |
4,428 |
2,717 |
7,145 |
751 |
40 |
791 |
7,937 |
|
2036 |
4,177 |
2,703 |
6,880 |
663 |
39 |
702 |
7,582 |
|
2037 |
4,177 |
2,703 |
6,880 |
663 |
39 |
702 |
7,582 |
|
2038 |
4,177 |
2,703 |
6,880 |
663 |
39 |
702 |
7,582 |
|
2039 |
4,177 |
2,703 |
6,880 |
663 |
39 |
702 |
7,582 |
|
2040 |
4,177 |
2,703 |
6,880 |
663 |
39 |
702 |
7,582 |
|
Totals |
66,733 |
53,684 |
120,417 |
12,285 |
745 |
13,030 |
133,447 |
