Written Answers Nos. 225-32
225. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Health the reason services provided by the Alzheimer Society of Ireland in County Kildare have been reduced so dramatically; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27743/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
226. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Health if he will review a requirement by a person (details supplied) for a profiling bed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27744/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the particular issue raised relates to an individual case, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
227. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health the criteria used in assessing an application for a medical card for a patient who is diagnosed with cancer and is embarking on chemotherapy; the point of the diagnosis at which the medical card is automatically granted; if the fact that the cost of cancer care is greatest at initial diagnosis when chemotherapy is prescribed will be taken into account in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27765/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn accordance with the provisions of the Health Act 1970 (as amended), eligibility for a medical card is determined by the HSE. The Act obliges the HSE to assess whether a person is unable, without due hardship, to arrange general practitioner services for himself or herself and his or her family, having regard to his or her overall financial position and reasonable expenditure and every application must be assessed on that basis. Under the legislation, having a particular illness, in itself, does not establish eligibility for a medical card and therefore, the medical conditions of applicants for this scheme are not monitored on that basis. Where the applicant's income is within the income guidelines, a medical card or GP visit card will be awarded.
Every effort is made by the HSE, within the framework of the legislation, to support applicants in applying for a medical card and, in particular, to take full account of the difficult circumstances in the case of applicants who may be in excess of the income guidelines. In certain circumstances, the HSE may exercise discretion and grant a medical card, even though an applicant exceeds his or her income threshold, where he or she faces difficult financial circumstances, such as extra costs arising from an illness. Social and medical issues are considered when determining whether undue hardship exists for an individual accessing general practitioner or other medical services. The HSE affords applicants the opportunity to furnish supporting information and documentation to fully take account of all the relevant circumstances that may benefit them in the assessment, including medical evidence of cost and necessary expenses.
The HSE has a system in place for the provision of medical cards in response to an emergency situation for persons with a serious medical condition in need of urgent or on-going medical care that they cannot afford and persons in palliative care, who are terminally ill. With the exception of terminally ill patients, all medical cards, granted on an emergency basis, are issued on the basis that the patient is eligible for a medical card on the basis of means or undue hardship, and will follow up with a full application within a number of weeks of receiving the medical card eligibility. These cards are issued within 24 hours of receipt of the required patient details and a letter which confirms the medical condition from a doctor or consultant. For terminally ill persons, no means test applies and the cards are not renewed.
I can clarify for the Deputy that 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.
228. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an areas of natural constraint scheme payment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27563/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named submitted a 2016 Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme application on 18 April 2016. EU Regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks, including in some cases on farm inspections inspections, be completed before any payments issue.
The application of the person named was selected for a Ground Eligibility eligibility inspection. The outcome of this inspection is currently being processed with the intention of issuing any payment due under the Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme as soon as possible. 2016 Basic Payments will commence on 17 October 2017. In the event that any queries arise officials in my Department will be in contact with the person named.
229. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason the first tranche of GLAS 1 payments are not being paid until December 2016, 85%, and March 2017, 15%, when the deadline for completion was spring of 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27575/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraA part-year payment in respect of the final three months of 2015 for certain GLAS actions was due to some GLAS tranche 1 applicants. A first instalment of this 2015 payment, representing up to 85% of the total payment due issued in December 2015 and March 2016.
The 2015 balancing payments issued to most applicants in early August 2016 and my Department is continuing to process all outstanding 2015 payments subject to the completion of the required inspection and administrative checks.
Under the EU Regulations governing the Scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, must be completed before any payment can issue. It is anticipated that the 2016 scheme year payment for GLAS tranche 1 and GLAS tranche 2 participants will be processed after these checks have been completed in the final quarter of this year.
230. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding farm payments for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27645/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named submitted a 2016 Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme application on 19 April 2016. EU Regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks, including in some cases on farm inspections, be completed before any payments issue.
The application of the person named was selected for a ground eligibility inspection. The outcome of this inspection is currently being processed with the intention of issuing any payment due under the Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme as soon as possible. Basic Payments will commence issuing on 17 October 2016. In the event that any queries arise officials in my Department will be in contact with the person named.
231. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to introduce a targeted sheep scheme to the value of €25 million from early 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27720/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government commits to the introduction of a scheme for sheep farmers under the Rural Development Programme with a budget of some €25 million to be provided in Budget 2017. Any such scheme must meet criteria laid down by Rural Development Regulation. This scheme, in addition to the existing supports for sheep farmers under the BPS, GLAS, ANC and TAMS, will make a vital contribution to the sheep sector in Ireland.
My Department has engaged in extensive consultation with farm organisations and industry stakeholders, and met with officials of the European Commission to discuss the proposed new scheme in the context of the specific requirements of the Rural Development Programme. In light of these consultations, my Department has recently submitted to the European Commission a proposed Animal Welfare scheme for sheep as part of Ireland's second amendment to its Rural Development Programme (RDP).
232. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to reopen the beef data and genomics programme to facilitate new entrants to the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27721/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) is a part of Ireland’s Rural Development Programme and provides Irish suckler farmers with some €300 million of funding over the next 6 years. The BDGP builds on the large investment in data recording and genomics which have been made in recent years and will continue to drive further developments and improvements in this area.
The BDGP has been agreed with the European Commission as part of Ireland’s Rural Development Plan (2014-2020) alongside a number of other schemes. I am conscious of the positive effect that the programme will have on the Irish suckler herd. It will help to improve productivity, profitability and carbon efficiency in the Irish suckler herd. I firmly believe that the scheme will deliver long-term and cumulative positive effects for both suckler farmers participating in the scheme, and farmers who buy the progeny of suckler cows for further finishing. It is a significant contributor to Ireland’s reputation as a producer of sustainable beef.
In relation to any possible reopening of the scheme, this will have to be considered in the context of an assessment of budgetary priorities, the operation of the Rural Development Programme and the potential impact both upon the scheme itself and other schemes. However, it will not be possible to allocate additional resources to the scheme, having regard to the very large financial commitment already made to the BDGP in the Rural Development Programme, and the significant budgetary pressures across the agri food sector.
