Written Answers Nos. 218-234
218. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if he will establish a committee/unit to study stillbirth and neonatal death as a public health issue and to make recommendations for reducing the number of stillbirths and neonatal deaths, including testing and screening for group B strep, vasa praevia, pre-eclampsia, and intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy. [58457/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the National Women and Infants Health Programme leads on the management, organisation and delivery of maternity, gynaecological and neonatal services, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
219. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the reason that a 60-bed extension to a community nursing unit (details supplied) in Cork city is not yet operational; when the facility will start receiving clients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58472/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
220. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will be called for an appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58478/22]
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.
221. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of bovine animals aged greater than 36 months that were sold at livestock marts in each of the years 2018 to 2021 and to date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58176/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe number of bovines aged greater than 36 months that were sold at livestock marts in each of the years 2018 to 2021 and to date in 2022 are set out in the table below.
|
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
to date in 2022 |
|
188,293 |
170,764 |
180,924 |
221,377 |
223,643 |
222. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 285 of 19 October 2022, if the referenced field visit has been carried out in relation to the basic payment scheme application by a person (details supplied); if so, when it is scheduled to be carried out; the date that payment can be expected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58179/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is currently awaiting the outcome of an appeal in relation to this commonage. Once the Agriculture Appeals Office decision is received, the eligibility of the commonage will be reviewed and a decision made regarding the scheduling of the Rapid Field Visit. Following completion of this review, any payment due to the applicant will issue as soon as possible.
223. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the percentage of the salaries of the CEO, chief financial officer, director of communications and corporate affairs and director of commercial and marketing of Horse Racing Ireland that are met by Exchequer funding in 2019, 2020 and 2021, in tabular form. [58210/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraHorse 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.
Under Section 12 of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act 2001, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine provides funding to HRI on an annual basis.
The table below outlines the amounts allocated to HRI to assist the horse racing industry in the years 2019 to 2021:
|
Year |
Total Allocation €m |
Current €m |
Capital €m |
|
2019 |
67.2 |
56.1 |
11.1 |
|
2020 |
67.2 |
54.1 |
13.1 |
|
2021 |
76.8 |
61.4 |
15.4 |
The allocation from the Horse and Greyhound Fund is subject to certain conditions including compliance with the Code of Governance, submission of financial returns and capital requirements.
Of the current allocation of the fund not more than 80% must be applied to prizemoney and a minimum of 20% applied to integrity.
HRI also generates commercial income from tote and wagering activities, sale of media rights, gate admissions and food and beverage operations.
Having regard to the parameters applying to the allocation from the Horse and Greyhound Fund, HRI's income in its entirety is used to fund all of its activities, encompassing the salaries of all staff, including the four roles identified.
224. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a basic payment scheme payment will issue to a person (details suppled) in County Donegal; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58229/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraEU Regulations governing the administration of the Basic Payment Schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks, including in some cases ground inspections, must be completed before any payments issue.
The application of the person named was selected for a 2022 ground inspection. This inspection has now been completed. The results are being processed and will be communicated to the applicant once completed. Any payments due under the Basic Payment Scheme will then issue to the nominated bank account of the person named.
225. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the issues raised in correspondence (details supplied) will be given detailed consideration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58258/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy may be aware, Coillte is a private limited company established under the Forestry Act 1988 and as such is operationally independent from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Any pension increases granted are at the discretion of Coillte and are subject to the approval of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.
A request for such consent is being considered at present.
226. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the information and concerns in documentation (details supplied); and if he will ensure that an independent investigation is launched into the concerns raised. [58275/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraOfficials in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is in receipt of the email in question.
Since significant sums of taxpayers' money are involved and to ensure good governance and a level playing field for all animal welfare organisations seeking public funding, all applications for financial support are administered through the annual programme, where the same rigorous criteria are applied in assessing each application.
Awards are made on the basis of objective criteria which are reviewed on an annual basis. These include the level and type of assistance provided by the organisation in the delivery of care and welfare services to animals.
The process involves thorough veterinary inspections of each premises involved to ensure compliance and suitability for funding.
The 2022 call for grant applications was launched in June and applications, including that from the named organisation, are now being evaluated by my officials. I will make an announcement on grants awarded next month.
227. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to concerns regarding irregularities in registered charities (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58311/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe issues addressed to the Charities Regulator in the correspondence were responded to by that body in February 2022. It is for that body to decide as to whether discussions with the ISPCA are warranted.
A number of the issues outlined in the correspondence by the individual were previously raised with my Department in 2021. These matters were examined by my Department at that time. Following that examination, based on the information available, my Department is fully satisfied that the public funding assigned to the organisations in question has been used appropriately.
228. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the manner in which the additional funding for the wildlife control programme is being allocated for spending; the number of staffing vacancies that exist within the programme; the roles that remain vacant; the measures being put in place to address these vacancies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58324/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Wildlife Programme forms an integral part of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's (DAFM) Bovine TB Eradication Strategy. Supported by scientific research, the current policy is to vaccinate badgers to prevent disease outbreaks and to cull badgers where necessary in response to outbreaks in areas where epidemiological investigations have demonstrated the link between badgers and TB breakdowns on cattle farms.
Funding for the wildlife programme will be used to procure services from Farm Relief Services (FRS), purchase additional equipment and continue the core work of vaccination and removal of badgers.
Currently there are 7.5 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) vacancies at the level of Technical Agricultural Officer (TAO) in Area Management Team (AMT) South Region (the southeast and southwest counties) and 6 FTE vacancies again at TAO level in AMT North Region (the northeast and northwest counties). In the short term DAFM has used locum tenens to try to ameliorate this position, and we are working on more long-term solutions with the Public Appointments Service to try to ensure there are adequate numbers of staff working on the Wildlife Programme.
229. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on whether the animal welfare grant is adequate in light of increased demands on animal welfare organisations; if his attention has been drawn to reports that one such organisation (details supplied) that received €48,500 towards its costs for 2022, has paid €147,000 in veterinary bills to date in 2022, with a bill of €55,000 remaining; if a review of ascertaining and addressing need is required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58325/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAnimal welfare is a key priority for me as Minister and the Government. We provide considerable funding is provided to support animal welfare charity organisations.
In December 2021, I awarded record funding of €3.7 million to 98 animal welfare charities throughout the country, through the Animal Welfare Grant Programme. This is evidence of my own and the Government’s ongoing commitment to animal welfare and acknowledges and supports the important role played by animal welfare organisations.
The Programme for Government includes an undertaking to provide additional funding in support of animal welfare charities again this year, to which I am fully committed.
Awards are made on the basis of objective criteria which are reviewed on an annual basis. These include the level and type of assistance provided by the organisation in the delivery of care and welfare services to animals and the level of funding raised by organisations from other sources to support welfare activities.
As with last year’s awards, this year’s funding will recognise the importance of education and dissemination of knowledge to improve animal welfare. Imparting knowledge on animal welfare plays a crucial role in improving standards nationally.
For example, raising awareness on responsible pet ownership can help to prevent dogs subsequently being surrendered to charities for rehoming.
I note that this organisation is mainly involved with the care and rehoming of greyhounds. My Department provides dedicated financial support under the Horse & Greyhound Fund to Rásaíocht Con Éireann (RCÉ), the statutory body responsible for the operation and regulation of the greyhound industry. Private greyhound re-homing organisations in Ireland may, through RCÉ’s registered charity the Irish Retired Greyhound Trust, seek assistance towards costs incurred in the preparation of greyhounds for re-homing.
I urge the organisation in question to avail of this funding opportunity also.
230. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures that he will take to address the shortfall of planting 8,000 hectares of trees per year as promised in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58397/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am acutely aware of the afforestation target of 8,000 hectares per year as set out in the Climate Action Plan and the fact that afforestation rates have been declining in recent years.
To address this ongoing need, the Department has recently published a Shared National Vision for Trees, Woods and Forests in Ireland until 2050 which was informed by a series of extensive engagements and consultations.
This vision has informed a new Forestry Strategy for Ireland, which has been developed via Project Woodland. In parallel, a draft Forest Strategy Implementation Plan was also created to facilitate the inceptive steps in the implementation of this Forest Strategy.
This Plan comprises a list of actions and measures and includes the Forestry Programme for the period 2023-2027.
This in turn will be the main implementation vehicle for the Forest Strategy in the immediate to short term.
The draft Forest Strategy and Forest Strategy Implementation Plan were published on the 18th of October and are now subject to an ongoing six-week public consultation process that concludes on 29th November 2022. Once this process has concluded, the feedback provided will help inform the final versions of these documents.
As the Deputy may be aware, my Department provides supports for afforestation, including grants and premiums and covers the cost of establishing a forest through the mechanism of the Forestry Programme. Despite strong support for landowners over a period of 15 years, we have not yet achieved the level of planting anticipated during the current Forestry Programme.
However we hope that stemming from extensive work and consultation done to date in the development of our new Forestry Programme, that it will re-engage landowners, farmers in particular, and realise the land-use change needed. In light of this ongoing process, I am also pleased to advise that I have secured a package of €1.318 billion for forestry which will support the biggest and best-funded Forestry Programme to date in Ireland.
This is the outcome of detailed discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. The Forestry Programme will also be subject to state aid approval from the European Commission and my Department is actively engaging with the Commission to progress this.
Through this new Forestry Programme & the associated funding, I hope to incentivise farmers in particular to re-engage with forestry. This can be seen in our increased proposed premia rates for tree planting. These increases range from between 46% to 66% , along with a longer premia term of 20 years for farmers, compared to 15 years for non-farmers. Grant rates for forest establishment are also showing increases of around 20%. It is hoped that these substantial increases will incentivise behavioural change and re-engage both landowners and farmers with forestry.
The Forestry Programme also includes other novel elements such as for example, the innovative One-hectare Native tree scheme. The target of 8,000 hectares of new afforestation per year includes all of my Department's tree planting measures that are 0.1 hectares or more in size. This includes the aforementioned scheme and it is currently intended that this will form part of our delivery of this 8,000 target.
I am also pleased to advise that this year we have also seen considerable improvements in the issuance of forestry licences. We are now issuing more licences than applications received, and this means that the backlog continues to drop, with faster turnaround times for new applicants. The pace of processing of these applications has picked up significantly, since increased ecological specialist resources have come online with 238 licences processed in the 3rd quarter of this year, compared to 131 in the second quarter.
We have also embarked on an intensive effort to prioritise afforestation with an aim of clearing older files ahead of the new forestry programme.
It is my intention to introduce a programme which will deliver for society, for landowners and for the forestry sector in Ireland. A comprehensive and well-subscribed forestry programme has the potential to deliver lasting benefits for not just for climate change, but for biodiversity, wood production, economic development and quality of life.
231. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the importance that the producer organisation status of an organisation (details supplied) is recognised; if he will consider 50% advance funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58448/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe present EMFF Producer Organisation Scheme provides supports to recognised and prospective Producer Organisations. Part A of the scheme provides supports of up to €55,000 to groups of fisheries or aquaculture producers working to achieve recognition as a PO, while Part B of the scheme supports POs that have been recognised by this Department, up to a maximum of almost €100,000.
The EU Common Provisions Regulation (1303/2013) provides that grants under the EMFF Programme may take the form of reimbursement of eligible costs actually incurred and paid by the beneficiary, or alternatively through 'Simplified Cost Options' or SCOs, which are essentially fixed grants based on the past grant history of the beneficiary. As the organisation (details supplied) is only commencing implementation of its first Production and Marketing Plan (PMP) in 2022, in accordance with the EU Regulations, it will become due for support for implementation of its PMP after submission in 2023 of it’s Annual Report on 2022 activities and related grant claim and vouching documentation.
Article 66 of the EMFF Regulation (508/2014) allows the Managing Authority for the EMFF Programme to avail of a partial derogation from the above regulatory requirements, in that a 50% advance may be paid after approval of the Producer Organisations PMP. However, this derogation was not included in the terms of the Producer Organisation scheme, adopted at the outset of the Programme by the EMFF Monitoring Committee, of which the organisation is now a member.
The Irish scheme as adopted by the EMFF Monitoring Committee states that only once the relevant Producer Organisation’s Production and Marketing Plan (PMP) is approved by this Department as the competent authority and the Producer Organisation’s Annual Report for the year concerned is also approved; expenditure related to the implementation of identified measures by the Producer Organisation in the approved PMP and as verified by the Annual Report, supported by the necessary vouching documentation, is eligible for support under the scheme.
Ireland did not avail of the article 66 derogation as advance payments require the sanction of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and in the absence of official data in the form of grant history, the derogation was not considered to be workable in practice as there is no data on which to base a 50% advance.
In a scenario where the proposed actions described in a Producer Organisation’s PMP have not yet been implemented and the Annual Report has not been prepared; the costs of actions actually implemented are not known, and so a 50% calculation cannot be made. I strongly value the contributions of all the producer organisations and look forward to the receipt of thst organisations PMP and Annual Report.
232. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if scallop dredging is permitted in special areas of conservation. [58449/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can inform the Deputy that a number of fisheries, including scallop, which involve the use of sea-bed impacting gear such as dredges, are regulated under the Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act, 2006 and in the case of Special Areas of Conservation and other protected Natura 2000 sites, the European Union (Birds and Natural Habitats) (Sea-fisheries) Regulations, 2013. A series of appropriate assessments and risk assessments have been undertaken by my Department in conjunction with the Marine Institute over the years with regard to sea-fisheries in or near Natura 2000 sites. It must be noted that such sites include a variety of habitats and species, each with varying sensitivities and in respect of introducing measures to manage sea-fisheries, regard must be had to the specific conservation objectives for each habitat and species within these sites. While scallop dredging is not prohibited in Special Areas of Conservation, my Department has introduced a number of risk mitigation measures in the case of bivalve dredge fisheries, including scallop, in order to fulfil Ireland’s obligations under the EU Birds and Habitats Directives for protected habitats and species.In the case of scallop fishing, this activity is not permitted to occur in sensitive habitats including seagrass, coral and reef. A number of scallop fishing exclusion areas have been set out in a number of sites to protect sensitive habitats. Such exclusions are established in Roaringwater Bay in Co. Cork, north of Saltee Islands and in the Hook Head area of Wexford and Blacksod Bay in Co. Mayo which are provided for in legislation in the form of Fisheries Natura Declarations. The Deputy may wish to refer to the Fisheries Natura Declarations in place which can be viewed at www.fishingnet.ie.I can advise the Deputy that scallop fishing is allowed to occur in sedimentary habitats such as sand and gravel in Special Areas of Conservation on the basis that its frequency or intensity is limited and that habitats can recover between fishing seasons or where the footprint of the fishery is limited relative to the spatial extent of these habitats. In such instances, the effects of scallop fishing on habitats are deemed not to be significant.I am very aware of the importance of putting measures in place, where relevant, to mitigate the risks of fishing for scallop and other bivalve fisheries with dredges to sensitive habitats within our bays so as to protect and maintain these habitats and the quality of our marine environment which is vital to the sustainability of our seafood sector.
233. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of foreshore licences granted monthly between the period 1 January 2019 and 31 October 2022, including the average waiting time for applications. [58450/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe detailed information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in full within the timescale. Provision of the information sought will require an extensive examination of the Department’s records.
The information requested will be forwarded to the Deputy within 14 days.
234. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Talmhaíochta, Bia agus Mara cén uair a rachaidh an cead pleanála don ché dhomhainfharraige ag Calaphort Ros an Mhíl in éag; cad iad na pleananna atá ann iarratas a dhéanamh ar shíneadh ar an gcead pleanála sin; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [58479/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraBronnadh an cead pleanála reatha don ché dhomhainmhara i Ros an Mhíl i mí Aibreáin 2018. Maireann cead pleanála ar feadh 5 bliana de ghnáth. Tá roinnt forálacha reachtacha ann, áfach, lena ndéantar foráil do shíntí, go háirithe i gcúinsí ina bhfuil móroibreacha críochnaithe. Tá mo Roinn ag glacadh comhairle maidir le fad an cheada reatha agus déanfaidh sí iniúchadh ar aon síntí leis an gcead sin más gá.
