Written Answers Nos. 386-397
386. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the number of radiation therapist posts by hospital; the number of vacant posts; the steps that are being taken to address staff shortages; the adequacy of the present number of training places; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63088/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly.
387. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health the average waiting times for initial referrals in respect of each urology clinic in the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63096/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. While significant work continues to positively impact on waiting times and improve pathways to elective care, acute hospitals are still impacted by operational challenges arising from the pandemic.
The HSE has confirmed to the Department that patient safety remains at the centre of all hospital activity and elective care scheduling. To ensure services are provided in a safe, clinically-aligned and prioritised way, hospitals are following HSE clinical guidelines and protocols.
The Department of Health continues to work with the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) to identify ways to improve access to care, including through increased use of private hospitals, funding weekend and evening work in public hospitals, funding “see and treat” services, providing virtual clinics, and increasing capacity in the public hospital system.
The 2022 Waiting List Action Plan allocates €350 million to the HSE and NTPF to reduce waiting lists. Under this plan the Department, HSE, and NTPF will deliver urgent additional capacity for the treatment of patients, as well as investing in longer term reforms to bring sustained reductions in waiting lists.
For 2023, funding of €443 million is being allocated to tackle Waiting Lists. This includes:
- €123 million in funding for delivery of the HSE Waiting List Action Plan, including priority areas such as Obesity/Bariatrics, Spina Bifida/Scoliosis and Gynaecology, as well as progressing longer-term reforms to sustainably enhance capacity. Other actions in the Action Plan will streamline and reconfigure care pathways.
- €150 million for the NTPF to procure additional capacity to reduce waiting lists.
- €90m for additional short-term measures to address acute scheduled care waiting list backlogs.
The NTPF only collects data on patients currently on the waiting list. The time to treatment of patients who have already received their care is not collected. As a result, the health system does not have the data necessary to calculate true average wait times.
Waiting list information by hospital and by specialty is published monthly and is available on the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) website at: www.ntpf.ie/home/nwld.htm
389. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the policy in respect of allowing flexibility for reduced hours for nurses and midwives in circumstances in which they have other caring duties at home; if there is a need to update this policy in view of severe staff shortages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63111/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraA number of policies are in place in the public health service in respect of the caring responsibilities of our staff. These are set out in the HSE's Terms and Conditions of Employment staff guide, which can be viewed online here assets.hse.ie/media/documents/Guidelines_on_terms_and_conditions_of_employment.pdf
There are no plans to introduce any further arrangements in this regard.
390. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the drugs that are currently available and approved by the HSE for the treatment of cystic fibrosis and other similar conditions, the medication which is awaiting approval in this country or in the European Union; when is it expected that those drugs still waiting for approval are likely to become available to patients likely to require the treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63112/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy, as soon as possible.
391. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 17 of 8 December 2022, the details regarding a timeline for the establishment of a local community neurorehabilitation team for CHO to be based in Bray, County Wicklow; the stage that the recruitment process is at for these roles; when it is expected to be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63131/22]
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.
392. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payments will issue to persons (details supplied); the reason for the delay in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62853/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named was approved to GLAS 3 with a contract commencement date of 01st January 2017. GLAS payments have issued to this Herd for scheme years 2017 – 2021 inclusive.
Processing of the balancing payments for the Low-Input Permanent Pasture action 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.
393. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the supports that are available to farmers to install solar panels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62855/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraTo help encourage on-farm renewable technology uptake and usage, grant aid is provided through the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Schemes (TAMS) to assist farmers in maximising their contribution to the production of renewable energy through the installation of Solar PV technology along with battery storage on Irish farms.
The solar PV systems currently grant-aided under TAMS include Solar PV Panels and Solar PV Rechargeable Batteries and Solar Panels (Solar Thermal) for water heating under the Pig and Poultry Capital Investment Scheme. An ‘On Farm Solar PV Survey’ must be completed and submitted with the application to quantify the holdings electricity power requirement and the planned electricity supply from the proposed development, this survey can also include the dwelling house which must be occupied by the herd owner or family member and situated on the holding..
The maximum size of panel eligible for grant aid currently is 62kW for the Pig and Poultry Scheme (PPIS) and 11kW for all other eligible TAMS II schemes.
Changes have recently been announced to the planning laws which will exempt rooftop solar installations from requiring planning permission, subject to certain exemptions.
Further changes to the scheme are proposed for TAMS 3. These include increasing the kilowatts for solar applications in TAMS 3 to 30 kilowatts from 11 kilowatts and retaining the current limit of 62 kilowatts for the Pigs and Poultry Investment Scheme. An increase of the grant rate to 60% and a standalone investment ceiling of €90,000 for solar panels on farms is also part of the TAMS 3 proposal from 2023 onwards.
It should also be remembered that there are other state supports for the installation of solar panels, including from the SEAI and all farmers should be examining all options for support.This can be installed in tandem with the TAMS investment for those farmers who wish to do this at scale and is a further option for those keen to explore renewable energy generation.
394. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address the case of persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62890/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraA General Felling Licence issued to an individual in 2013 and was valid until 1st July 2015. I understand that the people mentioned in the details supplied to the question are the neighbours of the licence holder. Concerns arise in relation to the replanting associated with that licence.
The circumstances of this case and the avenues open to the Department remain under consideration and efforts are being made to progress or conclude this matter to ensure that conditions associated with the licence are fulfilled in full. However, the details that can be provided are limited by the fact that any actions, if taken, will be a matter between the Department and the landowner.
395. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a date for the announcement of the forgotten farmer's scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62906/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have committed to helping the cohort of farmers known as forgotten farmers. The details of the eligibility requirements and benefits to successful applicants for any scheme to support the forgotten farmer group are being finalised. I am committed to supporting this cohort of farmers who find themselves in this situation, in many cases, through no fault of their own. The eligibility requirements and other scheme details will be made available as soon as this process has been completed.
396. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the funding that will be available for minor pier upgrades at a location (details supplied) in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62914/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy may be aware that I announced the roll-out of the Brexit Adjustment: Local Authority Marine Infrastructure Scheme 2022-2023 last January. The BALAMI Scheme was one of the recommendations of the Seafood Sector Taskforce which I established following Brexit. This scheme is proposed to be funded in the main from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR).
Just last week I announced funding of €55.3m in funding under the Scheme for 164 projects around the coast. Details of the funding allocated is available online at gov.ie - McConalogue announces increased Brexit Investment in Public Marine Infrastructure - total now €55.3 million (www.gov.ie). All projects approved under the Scheme will benefit from an increased Scheme contribution rate of 95% of project costs, including projects already awarded funding under the first call in April.
Mayo County Council has been approved for €1.12 million to support eight projects under the Scheme. The Council has not applied for funding under this Scheme for Saula Pier.
I must stress that responsibility for the development and maintenance of local authority owned piers, harbours and slipways rests with each local authority in the first instance. I am also mindful that the primary governance role for local authorities rests with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and any wider funding issues for local authorities should be addressed to that Minister.
397. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 1299 of 8 November 2022, the outcome of his Department's review of a number of investment proposals submitted by an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62942/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Irish Harness Racing Association (IHRA) is a representative body for Harness Racing in Ireland.
My Department funded the Indecon Review of the Irish Harness Racing Sector at a cost of some €57,000 in 2017 and a five-year Strategic Plan for the IHRA at a cost of some €64,000 in 2018.
In addition, from 2016 to date, grants totalling some €175,000 have been paid to the IHRA under my Department's Equine Infrastructure Scheme. Some €4,300 has been paid to date in 2022 to the IHRA under the Equine Infrastructure Grant Scheme. A balance of some €22,700 has been allocated to the IHRA under this scheme for 2022 subject to terms and conditions.
My Department also awarded a tender to carry out an education programme aimed at road racing sulky participants and owners of trotting horses, with a view to raising awareness of the importance of good horse welfare. This programme ran between 2017 and 2019 with a total funding allocation of some €96,000.
The IHRA has submitted a number of investment proposals to my Department which are currently being reviewed by my officials.
