I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Ann Phelan, to the House.
Commencement Matters
Dental Services Provision
I welcome the Minister of State to the House. A plethora of issues and challenges for young people's health, such as the obesity crisis, are emerging these days. Dental health is just as much an essential issue when it comes to ensuring the future well-being of our citizens. As we all know, dental complications can lead to serious illness and disease. If the Government is serious about children and their health, it must ensure that dangers are minimised, not just for patient health but also for the savings this could bring to the cost of dental services provision in the longer term if problems are detected and dealt with at an earlier stage.
The State provides free dental services to persons under 16 years of age. Parents should be able to expect their children's teeth to be examined in second, fourth and sixth class. However, with delays in dentist visits, many children may not be seen until they are 11 or 12 years of age. By that stage, the priority will be orthodontic work. Seeing a dentist for the first time at 12 years of age or so could be too late to stop major problems with decay and gum disease. It is tantamount to closing the door after the horse has bolted. Reductions in staff and funding have led to cutbacks in the service in recent years. In my county, Cavan, this has been an issue of grave concern to many families. The local council has raised the issue with the HSE on several occasions. Collectively, counties Cavan and Monaghan are three to five years behind other counties in terms of dentists visiting primary schools. This is unacceptable.
Even though there are supposed to be screening programmes and services for persons under 16 years of age, the reality is that this is not happening. The plight of children and young adults with dental disease is being exacerbated by this failure of the HSE to meet its obligations to children to provide primary school dental services. The failure to provide timely screening and treatment of simple problems or early onset of dental disease causes severe deterioration which then requires more complex remedial treatments. The State services often cannot provide these and many families simply cannot afford them, particularly given current economic circumstances. This is the reality.
From previous ministerial responses to this issue when raised by other Deputies and Senators, I understand that a three-year project is under way to develop a new national oral health policy. It has been acknowledged that despite the introduction of the 1994 dental health action plan, inequalities remain in the population's oral health. The vulnerability of some groups linked to low income or disabilities is of particular concern. The severe delays in dentists visiting primary schools are having a very detrimental effect on children's oral health in their formative years. Why are there such delays and problems with dentists visiting primary schools and what is being done to address this?
I thank the Senator for raising this important issue. I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy Leo Varadkar. Dental services for children up to 16 years of age and persons of all ages with special needs are provided by the public dental service of the HSE. These services are provided through its dental clinics throughout the country. All HSE dental clinics ensure emergency care for children up to 16 years of age, treatment for special needs patients and screening of children aged 11 to 13 years. This includes referral for orthodontic services where necessary. Other services, including screening of children aged six to eight years, are provided where possible.
Following the successful recruitment of a general dental surgeon in October 2014 and a dental nurse in November 2014, the HSE public dental service is now able to operate across all locations in Cavan and Monaghan. There were particular difficulties in Virginia, County Cavan, and in Monaghan, but these have recently been addressed. The dental clinic at Castleblayney was decommissioned several years ago as part of network area reforms. This coincided with a reduction in dental surgeons employed across the Cavan and Monaghan area between the end of 2006 and 2010, including the loss of a dental surgeon at Castleblayney. Retirements, including the early retirement of the dental surgeon in Ballybay in 2011, added to the pressures on the service. Despite these severe difficulties, a level of dental service was maintained and provided at Ballybay and Carrickmacross into 2014. A new dental team was recruited and routine dental services resumed at Carrickmacross in October 2014. With a dental nurse member of the new dental team assuming duties in November 2014, routine services at Ballybay are once again being provided. The service, which is based in the dental clinic in the health centre in Ballybay, caters for the Ballybay and Castleblayney areas, for a number of national schools and also provides emergency care to eligible adolescents aged up to 16 years of age attending secondary schools in Ballybay and Castleblayney. To date the service has been following up on recall-review appointments and providing emergency care. Service frequency is two to three days a week, Monday to Wednesday, inclusive.
The service has arrears to deal with concerning children aged 11 to 13 who were in sixth class in the school year 2013-2014.
Accordingly, screening is being completed in Carrickmacross, County Monaghan, and arrangements are being made to commence screening of such children in Virginia, County Cavan. It should be noted that the HSE public dental service in the Cavan-Monaghan area is not merely a school dental service as the service remit includes dental paediatric specialist care in Cavan General Hospital and Monaghan hospital, for children with special needs who are medically compromised. It also includes a dental general anaesthetic service at Cavan General Hospital for routine paediatric extraction cases, paediatric services and adult special care, oral health promotion service and care for adults with special needs.
I wish to assure the Senator that the HSE is committed to continuing to address the service challenges in providing these important primary care services in Cavan and Monaghan.
The Minister of State is replying on behalf of her colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy Varadkar. I ask that she brings to the attention of the Minister my queries about the arrears for children aged 11 to 13 years in Virginia County Cavan and the time line for the commencement of screening.
I assure the Senator that I will convey her concerns to the Minister. I take her point that perhaps a stitch in time saves nine. The earlier the intervention the greater the outcome.
Driver Safety
I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, to consider whether a compulsory driving retraining programme should be introduced for those drivers who are unfortunate enough to have lost a limb as a result of an accident or medical complications. This may seem a strange matter to raise but I refer to the wonderful work of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport in its efforts to reform and strengthen the pathway to learning and achieving full driving licences for able-bodied citizens. I acknowledge that I am speaking about a very small cohort of the population but they use the road along with all the other drivers.
I know of two constituents, one of whom has completely lost a limb and the other who cannot use his right leg. They both drive specially adapted cars. Can the Minister of State imagine if he had to drive an adapted car with his left leg for the rest of his life and he had permission to drive even though he might never have had to use his left leg to drive? It is a very different experience for the brain to have to use the left leg as opposed to the right leg or to use hand controls in the case of a person with no legs. The driving licence gives such a person full permission to drive. I think the Minister of State will agree that this is madness and that it is completely unsafe both for those who have, unfortunately, lost a limb and for the other drivers they may encounter.
I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Paschal Donohoe. I thank Senator O'Brien for raising this issue. There is universal agreement that safety should be the highest priority in all areas of transport. When it comes to safety on our roads, we have to consider a range of factors which may contribute to - or endanger - the safety of road users. One of the most important factors is the capacity of the driver behind the wheel.
Driver licensing exists to ensure there is a standard of driving which is required of people driving on our roads. Skills and experience are vital. As part of the overall concern which we must have for driver qualifications, we have to recognise that medical factors can and do have an impact on the ability to drive. The legislative framework for medical fitness to drive is set at EU level. Under this framework, drivers are required in certain circumstance to notify the national driver licensing service of particular medical conditions which might impact on their driving. In cases where people who are already licensed to drive, suffer an injury or develop an illness which may impact on their driving, they are required to notify the NDLS, and also their insurance provider. There is also a responsibility on medical professionals to advise patients if an illness or injury will have an impact on their driving. Dangerous driving is a serious offence and it is important that drivers with medical conditions which might impact on their driving are aware of this.
Last year, the Road Safety Authority published a detailed set of guidelines on health and fitness to drive entitled, Medical Fitness to Drive Guidelines. This document is on the RSA's website and it is highly recommended. This document sets out in detail the responsibilities of drivers, health care professionals and the NDLS in relation to health factors and driving. This includes the correct approach in cases of injury.
Current practice requires the health care professional to inform the patient of an impact to his or her driving as a result of a medical or physical condition. Where appropriate - as it would be in the case of a loss of limbs - an assessment will be made as to whether the individual would be fit to drive with certain vehicle modifications, and what modifications would be appropriate. A GP may look for specialist opinion including that of an occupational therapist to be assured that any disability resulting from the loss of a limb or the loss of function can be mitigated so that the person can continue to drive.
In cases where a vehicle modification is required, the NDLS must be notified. There are several codes which can be marked on a licence to indicate the modifications which are required and the appropriate code will be added to the person's licence. The Minister is satisfied that the current system is working well and that there is no need for the mandatory retesting suggested by the Senator. However, he is willing to retain an open mind and if evidence were to suggest that policy needed to change, he would of course consider it.
I thank the Minister of State and I thank the officials in the Department for taking the trouble to put together a very good reply. I have read the RSA's detailed set of guidelines. However, I ask the Minister of State to convey my concerns to the Minister. Even though I agree with the response, the reality is that a person could this morning drive a modified car. I suggest that instead of retesting these drivers they could be required to take ten lessons. The Irish Wheelchair Association has specialist trainers. I would be a lot happier if such training was mandatory. The rules are somewhat soft because a person could drive straight away. I question the safety aspect.
I will convey the concerns of the Senator to the Minister. I have met many people in my own constituency over the years who have found themselves in this tragic situation. The scheme for the modification of vehicles is helpful. It is important to help bring these people back into the workplace and into society and to help them to continue with their lives. In my personal opinion, I agree with the Senator that safety is the number one priority. We must also consider the individual whose lifestyle has changed as a result of a tragic accident and who has lost a limb. That person may be able to continue working but may need to be able to drive to work. We need a balance of all interests. I agree that there should be a training programme because it should not be possible for a person who has lost a limb to get behind the wheel without some retraining. The Minister has stated that if further legislation is necessary he will consider that option.
Social Welfare Code
If I had a disappointment that the Tánaiste or the Minister of State at the Department of Social Protection was not here to take this motion, it has dissipated because I have never had the opportunity to have an exchange with the Minister of State, Deputy Ann Phelan.
I am asking the Minister to outline her view on whether the three-day rule to calculate availability for work under the rules for jobseeker's allowance is too restrictive and blunt an instrument for its purpose, and whether there are any plans to review this rule and the timeframe for same. As the Minister of State, no doubt, is aware, under the current rules a person who works for three full days a week is entitled to payment for two days of jobseeker's allowance whereas a person who works for one or two hours a day for five days a week is not entitled to any jobseeker's payment. Is it not reasonable and fair that a person who works eight hours a week should be considered to have worked the equivalent of a full day and is entitled to four days of jobseeker's payment?
A mother who is a leader in my community in Tallaght west contacted me on this issue. I know her personally, she is an extraordinary leader and volunteered at board level with An Cosán, the organisation in west Tallaght with which I am associated. She has been working part-time for 12 years, for nine hours a week. She was allowed to supplement her one-parent family payment with her earnings from her part-time work, but since her child is now over 18 years, she no longer qualifies for the one-parent family payment. She needed to register for the jobseeker's allowance and was initially disqualified, as many other women are, because she was working five days a week although she only worked nine hours. Her nine hours of part-time work were spread over five days. As a consequence she has had to give up her part-time work to receive jobseeker's payment. Even for one woman, that is a tragedy, not to mention the significant number of women this is impacting on now and will impact on in the future. Is this rule beneficial:? Will it help to get her into full-time employment or halt her progress towards full-time employment? I am afraid that in Ireland the three-day rule regarding part-time work simply does not correspond to the reality of people's - women's - opportunities to participate in the labour market and the characteristics of part-time work. This is largely a women's issue, though I understand it impacts on men as well.
The labour market is changing and especially women's access to employment has become more fragmented with lower pay, fewer hours and less job security, a key point made by Professor Jill Rubery at the recent ESRI Geary lecture. Many women who were previously in receipt of the one-parent family payment do not qualify now as their children are over 14 years of age and do not qualify for the payment of the jobseeker's transitional payment. There are major barriers to re-entering full-time employment after a significant period spent outside of it. There should be supports available for these women to re-access the labour market rather than restrictions to accept work. I imagine that the Tánaiste, in particular, is very keen on these issues.
I believe that part-time work provides a positive attachment to the labour market and hence should not be discouraged among long-term jobseekers who are genuinely seeking full-time employment. This is impacting on thousands of women and some men throughout the country. I would appreciate the Minister's consideration for the issue and an update if any review has taken place.
I am taking this matter on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection. The jobseeker's benefit and jobseeker's allowance schemes provide income support for people who have lost work and are unable to find alternative full-time employment. The 2015 Estimates for the Department of Social Protection provide for expenditure this year on the jobseekers' schemes of €3.01 billion. It is a fundamental qualifying condition of both schemes that a person must be fully unemployed for four in any period of seven consecutive days, so a person working more than three days a week will not qualify. It is recognised that a changing labour market has resulted in a move away from the more traditional work patterns, resulting in an increase in the number of persons employed for less than a full week. This is an important policy issue for the Department of Social Protection but any changes to the current criteria could have significant cost implications for the jobseeker's schemes.
In 2011, the advisory group on tax and social welfare was established to harness expert opinion and experience to address a number of specific issues around the interaction of the tax and social protection systems. The group was also tasked with examining how the social welfare system can best achieve its goals of supporting persons through periods of involuntary unemployment, while incentivising work and disincentivising welfare dependency. Subsequently the Tánaiste asked the group to broaden its remit to include issues relating to atypical working patterns. In the course of its work the group looked at the current system which, in allowing people to work on three days a week and still get welfare support, is a very significant support to the functioning of the labour market and those who work part-time.
In this area it is often argued that the schemes should move to a system where hours, half-day, income levels, or a combination thereof, are used for measuring the level of employment engaged in by scheme recipients. It is suggested that such alternative approaches have the potential to offer greater support to the small numbers of workers whom the current system cannot accommodate.
On the other hand it may be argued that if such changes increased the flexibility of the system and allowed greater levels of access to income support, counterbalancing measures would have to be introduced to protect the integrity and fiscal sustainability of the jobseeker's schemes. Such measures could have the effect of removing support from a much larger cohort of workers. For example, if the current system of allowing three days of work in any seven days were replaced by an hours-based system, then the threshold for access to the schemes could not be 24 hours as this could significantly increase claim numbers and cost. However, any move to an hours-based system with a threshold of less than 24 hours could disenfranchise claimants currently working for three days.
Another issue of note would be the effect of any change on labour market practice. The jobseeker's schemes play a very important role in supporting persons to gain a foothold in the labour market and we must ensure that any development of the system continues to support people to sustainable, full-time jobs rather than facilitating any erosion of job quality.
Does the Senator have a question?
What a disappointment. I hear what the Minister of State has said on behalf of the Tánaiste. There are no plans to alter the schemes. I think I put my case well. Others have also put the case well. The issue is that it will cost to make a change. Yes, it probably will cost, but on the other hand, it is currently costing the State, particularly for women who are moving from the one-parent family payment to the jobseeker's allowance in light of other changes the Tánaiste has made.
It is important to incentivise work and there is no question about that. We do not have enough time to argue the logic of the case put forward by the Minister of State, who argued that to calculate the time at work in hours rather than days will disincentivise people to work. It really means that it might cost more because more people will access it. That is the bottom line.
I am disappointed. Having said that, is it correct that the advisory group on tax and social welfare is considering the issue and might come up with some better arguments as to why it should be calculated on the basis of hours rather than days? Perhaps it could come up with suggestions or even a special scheme to incentivise and activate women who have moved from the one-parent family payment to the jobseeker's allowance, so that in the case of this particular woman, there might be something for her and those in similar circumstances. At present there is nothing for them.
I certainly understand the Senator's frustration. Before I was a Member of the Dáil, we would have always argued about the inflexibility of the social welfare system. The social welfare system seems to deliver for the maximum number on its books. To be helpful to Senator Zappone, I encourage her to continue in her effort to have the staff in social welfare look at the small cohort of people who find themselves in these circumstances.
They might monitor them over their interaction with the social welfare system. In that way they could see if minor changes could be made to help such people. We may not necessarily need to make major changes to manage the small group referred to by the Senator. I would encourage the Senator to follow her conviction in this matter. She will perhaps find herself with a deal of support, so I encourage her to continue.
I thank the Minister of State, from woman to woman.
Garda Stations
I welcome the Minister of State to the House.
A recent report on the Bailieborough Garda station building, in County Cavan, found that it was not fit for purpose and was in a dilapidated state. The current station, which is located in Barrack Street, is a former RIC barracks and is totally inadequate. Portakabins are being used to provide extra space and there is insufficient parking for Garda vehicles, members' private cars or the general public.
That Garda station, which is a district headquarters, should have modern, state-of-the-art facilities to accommodate gardaí and others working there, as well as members of the public who have reason to call to the station to transact their business.
My colleague in the Lower House, Deputy Brendan Smith, has raised this issue on a number of occasions with the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald. In her most recent reply she stated that the Garda Síochána authorities, who are responsible for the Garda district headquarters at this particular location, will continue to pursue this matter in the context of An Garda Síochána's identified accommodation priorities and in light of available resources within the Vote for the Office of Public Works.
I am aware that the Commissioners of Public Works, on behalf of An Garda Síochána, have recently requested submissions from property owners or developers wishing to provide a usable site in the order of 0.5 hectare, or buildings on comparably sized plots, for the provision of a new Garda station facility in Bailieborough. I appreciate that it will take time to get submissions. I understand that the end of the month is the deadline for them, but even after that they will have to be checked and planning permission must be sought. However, I am anxious to find out if provision has been made in this year's budget for a new Garda headquarters in Bailieborough. It should be progressed as swiftly as possible.
Deputy Brendan Smith has raised this matter in the Dáil on a number of occasions, and we have had meetings with local residents concerning it. Councillors Fergal Curtin, Clifford Kelly and Shane P. O'Reilly have contacted us continuously about this matter. We are most anxious to see that this much-needed facility is progressed for staff who have to work there, as well as for the general public. The new facility should be provided as a matter of urgency.
The Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, wishes to thank the Senator for raising the matter and regrets that she is unable to be present for this discussion.
The programme of replacement and refurbishment of Garda accommodation is based on requirements which are established by An Garda Síochána. This programme is advanced in close co-operation with the Office of Public Works, which has responsibility for the provision and maintenance of Garda accommodation. Provision for expenditure on capital projects, including the provision of Garda accommodation, is provided for in the Vote of the Office of Public Works.
In that context, the Minister has been informed by the Office of Public Works that the acquisition of a site for development of a new district headquarters in Bailieborough has been identified by An Garda Síochána as a priority for 2015.
The Minister has also been informed that a review of State-owned sites in the area was conducted to identify any suitable sites for the development of a new Garda station in Bailieborough. No suitable State-owned site was identified. The Office of Public Works has further advised the Minister that a notice has recently been published in local and national media seeking offers of suitable sites.
The Minister has been advised by the Garda authorities that the provision of a new Garda district headquarters in Bailieborough will continue to be pursued in the context of An Garda Síochána's identified accommodation priorities, the successful acquisition of a suitable site and in light of available resources within the Vote of the Office of Public Works.
With regard to the existing station at Bailieborough, the Garda authorities have advised that while a long-term solution to the accommodation needs at Bailieborough is being progressed, Garda management is actively engaged with the Office of Public Works with a view to improving, in the more immediate term, the working conditions at Bailieborough Garda station.
In that context, any proposals for refurbishment works at the existing station will be progressed in the context of An Garda Síochána's identified accommodation priorities and the availability of funding within the Vote of the Office of Public Works.
I thank the Minister of State for her reply. She stated that while this process is being pursued, the OPW is working with An Garda Síochána to try to improve working conditions for members there. I would also include the general public who have to use those facilities. This is one of only two district headquarters that still remain within County Cavan. The other district headquarters, in Cavan Town, is coming under pressure due to the closure of the Ballyconnell station. As a result, the district jurisdiction for that area has now been moved to Cavan Town, so it is difficult to find accommodation for personnel who have moved.
I welcome the fact that while this process is being pursued, conditions will be improved. However, we do not want that used as an excuse for putting the matter on the long finger. The facility is badly needed and long overdue. The Minister of State should emphasise to the Minister the necessity for providing this new accommodation as quickly as possible.
I thank the Senator again for raising this important matter. As I indicated earlier, the programme of replacement and refurbishment of Garda accommodation is based on agreed priorities which are established by An Garda Síochána. The necessary work is progressed in co-operation with the Office of Public Works. That office has responsibility for the provision and maintenance of Garda accommodation. Provision for expenditure on the provision of Garda accommodation is provided for in the Vote of the Office of Public Works.
The Office of Public Works has informed the Minister that the acquisition of a site for development of a new district headquarters in Bailieborough has been identified by An Garda Síochána as a priority for 2015.
The provision of a new Garda district headquarters in Bailieborough will continue to be pursued in the context of An Garda Síochána's identified accommodation priorities, the successful acquisition of a suitable site, and in light of available resources within the Vote of the Office of Public Works.
I assure the Senator that I will pursue his concerns with the Minister.
Sitting suspended at 11.09 a.m. and resumed at noon.