Maura Hopkins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their presentation. I had reason to meet Ms McHugh in another capacity, one which is, in many ways, similar as it involves supporting refugees who will come to my home town of Ballaghaderreen in the coming months, an issue on which she has been very supportive.

The presentation and the discussion that followed laid out many difficulties and practical challenges faced by emigrants. I am aware of some of these difficulties. Recently, for example, I dealt with a nurse who returned from the United Kingdom and had secured work as a care attendant while waiting for her registration to be processed by An Bord Altranais. The administrative delays in processing her registration were excessive and unnecessary. Thankfully, her registration is now complete and she is working as a nurse in a rural area. Registration with An Bord Altranais must be processed in a timely and efficient manner. In the case I highlighted, the excessive administrative delays resulted in the nurse working as a care attendant for a considerable period during which she could have been working as a nurse. I am, therefore, familiar with some of the challenges faced by returning emigrants.

As someone from a rural area in County Roscommon, I am also familiar with challenges facing the farming sector in rural areas of the west. We need to encourage productive young farmers. I ask Mr. Staunton to respond to some questions on the young farmer scheme and national reserve. He will be aware of the terms and conditions that attach to the scheme. The three main eligibility criteria are that applicants must be aged under 40 years, have an educational qualification and may not have held a holding for more than five years. It appears emigrants wishing to access the scheme face further stumbling blocks. Mr. Staunton referred to a requirement to produce tax returns for two years, for example. What difficulties do emigrants face in accessing the scheme other than the three criteria I cited? I encounter cases involving people who are not emigrants but experience problems accessing the scheme. A forgotten cohort of farmers cannot access the national reserve, even though they are aged under 40 years, because their holding was established prior to 2008. My specific question, therefore, is to ask Mr. Staunton to indicate what criteria outside the terms and conditions are causing a problem.

Mr. Staunton referred to engagement with Ministers and departmental officials and Ms McHugh referred to engagement with the interdepartmental agency. What, if any, progress has been made with the interdepartmental agency? I note Senator Ó Clochartaigh asked a similar question. I will raise issues with the relevant Ministers, including the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Michael Creed, whom I will contact with regard to the young farmer scheme. I have raised with the Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris, the administrative challenges faced by nurses wishing to register here. The witnesses laid out many more practical difficulties.

Unfortunately, as I have quorum duty on the Order of Business in the Seanad, I may not be present when the witnesses reply. If that is the case, I will read the Official Report later.