Michael Healy-Rae
Ceist:366. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine about a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23938/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraLand Issues
Ceisteanna (366)
Freagraí scríofa
Any alleged breaches of the EIA (Agriculture) Regulations (SI 456 of 2011, as amended) that are brought to my Department's attention are investigated.
Following investigation a prohibition notice was issued in this case. Subsequently the farmer submitted an Ecological Impact Assessment, which is being reviewed by my Department. Once the review is completed, the farmer will be informed of the outcome. No further work can take place on this site while the prohibition notice remains in place.
If the farmer would like any further information he can contact the EIA section of my Department at EIAscreening@agriculture.gov.ie.
Departmental Schemes
Ceisteanna (367)
Denis Naughten
Ceist:367. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) was not included in the Shannon Callows scheme even though they are within the Shannon SPA; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23944/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Following exceptional flooding in the Shannon Callows during summer 2023, on 7 November 2023, I announced the launch of the Shannon Callows Flood Scheme. The aim of the scheme is to support farmers who have lost fodder due to flooding in the region during summer 2023.
I have allocated funding of approximately €800,000 which will allow for a payment rate of up to €325 per hectare. This is for LPIS parcels in the Shannon Callows Special Area of Conservation (SAC) impacted as determined by my Department's Earth Observation team, utilising the Area Monitoring System, and which were claimed by farmers on their 2023 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) application.
My officials have examined the relevant records and have confirmed that no parcels have been identified as being in the Shannon Callow SAC area for the herd number provided, and, as such, they did not receive an application form from my Department for the Shannon Callows Flood scheme.
Agriculture Schemes
Ceisteanna (368)
Cathal Crowe
Ceist:368. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a 2023 organics payment will issue to a farmer (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24014/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Advance payments to organic farmers commenced on 7th December 2023. To date, approximately 98% of Organic Farming Scheme participants have received advance payments.
My Department is working to finalise payments for the remaining 2% of participants. The majority of these payments, including in respect of this case, will issue within the next 2 weeks.
Horse Racing Industry
Ceisteanna (369)
Paul Murphy
Ceist:369. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when Horse Racing Ireland is due back in the Houses of the Oireachtas to discuss the overspend at the Curragh Racecourse. [24095/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) is a commercial State body established under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001, and is responsible for the overall administration, promotion and development of the horse racing industry. HRI operates under the aegis of my Department.
HRI and my Department have received an invitation from the Dail Public Accounts Committee to meet its members on 20 June 2024. The agenda of the meeting relates to HRI's 2022 audited financial statements.
Animal Welfare
Ceisteanna (370)
Paul Murphy
Ceist:370. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department is aware of the conditions of the dogs being held in a location (details supplied); if there are inspections held to ensure the welfare of the dogs regularly or if his Department relies entirely on the organisation; if all the organisation’s pounds are compliant with public procurement procedure; and who has oversight of the local authority pounds. [24097/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Animal welfare is a key priority for me as Minister and for the Government. Each year, I provide considerable funding to support animal welfare charity organisations. All animal welfare organisations in receipt of this funding through my Department’s Animal Welfare Grants programme receive an annual veterinary inspection by veterinary staff from my Department. This is a key part of the Animal Welfare Grants programme’s approval and evaluation process for applicants. Additional veterinary inspections and visits to animal welfare charities are carried out where appropriate throughout the year by my officials.
The organisation in question receives an annual inspection by Veterinary Inspectors from my Department in the context of the grants application and approvals process. It has also recently had an additional inspection by my Department’s Veterinary Inspectors, which is a common practice as part of the ongoing oversight process for such charities in receipt of funding under my Department’s Animal Welfare Grants programme.
The procurement procedures relating to the provision of dog control services, including pounds, for local authorities is a matter for the relevant local authority and for the Department of Rural and Community Development, which has responsibility for the control of dogs.
Forestry Sector
Ceisteanna (371)
Alan Dillon
Ceist:371. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the engagement with Coillte with a view to increasing the pension payments for retired workers, considering that their pensions have not been increased for many years and some have had no increase since they retired; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24119/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Pensions in Coillte are provided from schemes established under the Forestry Act 1988. The Coillte Superannuation Scheme rules provide that the “Company may grant such increases in pensions and preserved pensions under this Scheme as may be authorised from time to time by the Minister with the concurrence of the Minister for Finance.”
From vesting day, 1 January 1989, until the onset of the financial crisis, pensions in Coillte continued to be granted on a discretionary pay parity basis in line with the practice in the public sector.
Coillte decided each year from 2008 to 2021, inclusive, not to grant any discretionary pension increase. Pension increases of 2% in 2022 (effective from 1 January 2022) and 4% in 2023 (effective from 1 January 2023) were subject to consent requests and received Ministerial approval in the respective years.
Coillte normally review the possibilities for pension increases on an annual basis and any request for increase is subject to consent being provided by the Minister, the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform and, as appropriate, the Minister for Finance.
Departmental Reviews
Ceisteanna (372)
Mattie McGrath
Ceist:372. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will make available the 2023 CDNT staff census and workforce review; the reason for the delay in publishing this data; when it is going to be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23531/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Assisted Decision-Making
Ceisteanna (373)
Catherine Connolly
Ceist:373. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when it is intended to provide information to the general public on the assisted decision-making legislation, in line with the State commitment to a clear and transparent process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23700/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Decision Support Service (DSS) is the organisation charged with operating the provisions of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 (the 2015 Act), which includes to promote public awareness of the Act.
Section 95 of the 2015 Act specifically mandates the Director of the DSS to promote awareness of the 2015 Act and to promote public confidence in the Act. The DSS is also obliged to provide information regarding the various decision support options to the public, which includes relevant persons and decision supporters alike.
As part of commencement the DSS ran the "My Decisions, My Rights" campaign, which brought together nine champions from across Irish society to highlight the main ethos and message of this new state service. The campaign featured across television; national, regional and local print and online media; national and regional radio; social media; as well as physical advertisements on billboards and buses throughout the country. It has been shortlisted for the 2024 Awards for Excellence in Public Relations in the category ‘Best Public Information Campaign’.
Additionally and since commencement, as part of the requirement to promote the 2015 Act, the Director of the DSS has engaged with a large number of stakeholders and attended a wide range of public events, ensuring greater public awareness on the existence and purpose of the Act.
Additionally, the DSS has also held public events to promote a greater take up of Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPA) in Irish society, in particular encouraging people to consider the registration of EPAs at a younger age, while they still have capacity to do so. Historically, Irish citizens have tended to create EPAs at a more advanced age, and the DSS are trying to address this issue through greater public awareness regarding the benefits and purpose of EPAs.
More information on the operation of the Act is available on the Decision Support Service Website:
decisionsupportservice.ie/
My Department will continue to support the DSS in discharging its statutory function in raising awareness around the operation of the new system of rights based decision supports.
Mental Health Services
Ceisteanna (374, 375)
Holly Cairns
Ceist:374. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 1355 of 9 April 2024, the number of young people on the assessment of need waiting lists in the HSE areas of north Lee, south Lee, west Cork, north Cork and Kerry; and if these waiting-list figures are separate from or part of the figures provided for CHO4 primary care psychology services in response. [23706/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraHolly Cairns
Ceist:375. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the longest exact wait time for an assessment of need in each of the HSE areas of north Lee, south Lee, west Cork, north Cork and Kerry, in tabular form. [23707/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 374 and 375 together.
As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Question No. 375 answered with Question No. 374.
Disability Services
Ceisteanna (376)
Denise Mitchell
Ceist:376. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide an update on when Section 39 workers can expect to receive agreed pay increases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23713/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth acknowledges the essential role provided by the staff in organisations who provide services to some of the most vulnerable people in our society and recognises that the ability of community-based organisations to pay their staff is largely dependent on State funding.
To support the sustainability of services, including the ability of voluntary organisations to recruit and retain staff, the Department and its agencies are proactively engaged with a Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) process with unions representing staff in what are known as Section 39 and Section 56 organisations. The process also includes staff from providers in other sectors funded by separate statutory agencies and Departments.
The pay agreement reached in October 2023 delivered a significant increase in funding to these services, amounting to a phased 8% increase in funding for pay for Section 39 staff. An additional €41m has been made available to the HSE in 2024 to meet the full year cost of this increase for S39 disability service providers, with the balance provided for in the Department of Health Vote.
The HSE has contracted dedicated resources (KOSI) to work with employer organisations and has set up a portal to expedite payments. Significant interim payments were made to qualifying organisations in late January/early February 2024 and the HSE is currently in the process of administering the balance of funding to eligible organisations.
At 16th May, of 1,159 organisations to whom communication was made, 483 have made submissions. Almost all submissions require additional interaction between KOSI and the Section 39 organisation; this has been a positive interactive process involving validation and clarification. A number of Section 39s have taken the opportunity to adjust their submissions following this engagement.
This process is ongoing with Section 39 organisations who have submitted their claim. As at 16th May, 66 organisations which include the largest organisations have exited this process and KOSI has recommended a cumulative payment total to date of €30.3m (relating to uplifts due to 8,470 workers).
46 of these agencies have been paid/part paid with the balance (20 no. of agencies) to be paid over coming weeks.
Disability Services
Ceisteanna (377)
Marian Harkin
Ceist:377. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the necessary supports will be put in place as a matter of urgency for a child (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24031/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
International Protection
Ceisteanna (378, 379, 380, 381, 382, 383, 384, 385)
Johnny Guirke
Ceist:378. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the Government previously had a contract with a company (details supplied) to provide accommodation to beneficiaries of temporary accommodation in Coole, County Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23541/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraJohnny Guirke
Ceist:379. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the Government currently has a contract with a company (details supplied) to provide accommodation to beneficiaries of temporary accommodation in Coole, County Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23542/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraJohnny Guirke
Ceist:380. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the Government had any prior knowledge of accommodation to be provided for IPAS applicants in Coole, County Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23543/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraJohnny Guirke
Ceist:381. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the Government previously had a contract with a company (details supplied) to provide accommodation for IPAS applicants in Coole, County Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23544/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraJohnny Guirke
Ceist:382. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the Government currently has a contract with a company (details supplied) for IPAS applicants in Coole, County Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23545/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraJohnny Guirke
Ceist:383. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the Government currently has a contract for housing/temporary accommodation for IPAS applicants in Coole, County Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23546/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraJohnny Guirke
Ceist:384. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the Government had/has an agreement to have accommodation provided by a company (details supplied) in Coole, County Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23547/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraJohnny Guirke
Ceist:385. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the Government had any prior knowledge of accommodation to be provided for beneficiaries of temporary accommodation in Coole, County Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23548/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 378 to 385, inclusive, together.
Following a Request for Tender process undertaken in 2022, in October 2023, the Department entered into a contract for 98 beds for International Protection (IP) applicants at a property in Coole Court, Coole, Mullingar, Co Westmeath. A two-year contract was signed with the provider.
The Department has no contract in place for the provision of modular homes at this address. This has been subject to erroneous public commentary recently.
The Department did receive an offer for additional capacity at the site through the tender process in relation to accommodation for IP applicants. This offer has been rejected, as it did not comply with planning regulations.
The provider has already been advised that this offer was refused. Only the accommodation currently in use at this site is contracted to the Department and no additional capacity in modular homes is planned at this site.
The Department is clear that no contract for modular units will be entered into at this site.
Question No. 379 answered with Question No. 378.
Question No. 380 answered with Question No. 378.
Question No. 381 answered with Question No. 378.
Question No. 382 answered with Question No. 378.
Question No. 383 answered with Question No. 378.
Question No. 384 answered with Question No. 378.
Question No. 385 answered with Question No. 378.