I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Dara Murphy.
Commencement Matters
Foreign Conflicts
I thank the Cathaoirleach for allowing me to raise this issue. I will share time with Senator David Norris who has already raised the issue in the House. I understand the Minister, Deputy Charles Flanagan, is attending a meeting of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade and accept totally that he is unable to be present. I, therefore, welcome the Minister of State with special responsibility for European affairs who is very involved in the region. The matter has been highlighted by a young councillor, Mr. Patrick Costello, who represents the Rathgar-Rathmines ward at Dublin City Council. I compliment him on raising it and bringing it to the attention of the Members of this House and others. He was in Palestine last year and has made a submission to the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade in which he has outlined his concerns about the situation in Palestine.
We are well aware of the issues in the village of Susiya. The matter was raised comprehensively by Senator David Norris recently. To be quite frank, the Israeli Government has decided to demolish this Palestinian village. It is a very serious issue which will affect the lives of people in the area. There has been an absolute contravention of every rule and regulation governing international arrangements, but this is only part of what is happening in Israel in dealing with the Palestinian issue. We know about the increase in the number of houses constructed by the Israelis. However, the eyes of the world have been taken off what is happening in the region because of the threat posed by ISIS and other issues around the world. Somehow it is below radar, which is why the Israelis are conducting themselves in a most offensive manner towards Palestinians, as they did in the past. All we in this House are seeking - it has been the policy of this and previous Governments - is a two-state solution.
We have an ambassador in Tel Aviv. Will the Minister of State contact the ambassador and Israeli officials? Will he contact his opposite number in the Israeli Government and beg them not to proceed with this provocative action against Susiya which is very special to the people of the region?
I again compliment Senator David Norris who has outlined the exact position in great detail. I can make the Offical Report available to the Minister of State in order that he can read the Senator's contributions. I hope the Minister of State can take action as we should utilise international opinion. Given his responsibility for European affairs, I request him to raise the issue at the next meeting of the Council of Ministers to get the European Union involved in the region to protect the people of this village.
I express my gratitude to Senator Terry Leyden for giving me the opportunity to speak. I know Susiya as I have been there. I also know its people. My friend Ezra Itzhak Nawi has been villified, framed and wrongly charged by Israeli Governments because of his attempts as a Jewish Israeli to support the people of Susiya.
Five things need to be done. First, a protective diplomatic presence is needed. If there was a co-ordinated diplomatic effort to have a presence there in solidarity with them, this would inhibit the Israelis. Second, the impact should be recorded. Where demolition threatens donors' investment, the donors should enter into immediate communications with Israel and request that the Israeli Civil Administration delivers a official signed copy of the demolition order for its files. Donors should insist that these official signed orders clearly state the legal premise on which they are based and should challenge any premise that is not based on international humanitarian law. They should also plan to seek reparation for the damage done by Israel. Israel confiscated and demolished protective structures, temporary structures and slides for schools. What it is doing is outrageous. They should support fact finding to determine if a grave breach has occurred. The UN Secretary General has stated that Articles 53 and 49 of the Geneva Convention have been seriously breached by the Israelis. They should also insist that the Palestinians be given a role in the planning. They are excluded from planning, which is illegal under international law.
The people in Susiya have been there for 200 years. It was declared an archaeological site and they were forcibly moved. The village was demolished and was partly rebuilt. Israeli settlers were then allowed to move into what was an archaeological site and build a settlement. A total of 500,000 Israelis live illegally on Palestinian land, which is shocking for the families involved and the people being moved. They lose their homes and the effect on children is catastrophic.
On 15 May 2015, the High Court in Israel refused an application from the people of Susiya to defer the demolition until the court had heard a serious and complete application. This is very unusual for the Israelis. I point out to the Minister of State that the state of Israel in these proceedings raised no security arguments nor did it argue against the petitioners' ownership of the land. It did not use security and did not challenge the Palestinians' right to this land. What always happens in these situations is that demolition and eviction is speedily followed by the illegal occupation of the Palestinians' land by Israeli settlers. The situation is a disgrace. I have spoken at length on this issue. I am particularly glad that the plight of the village of Susiya has been raised by Senator Leyden here this morning because it is a village I know. I know the people. They are humble Bedouin farmers. They do not have any connection with politics. They just want to get on with their lives. They are there legally and have 200 years of inheritance. The Israelis are demolishing, illegally moving them and illegally moving their own settlers in. I support Senator Leyden in urging the Minister to take very strong action on this matter.
I thank Senators Terry Leyden and David Norris for raising this very important matter and for their understanding regarding the unavailability of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade this morning. There are two current demolition-eviction cases which have been the subject of recent reporting. Many of us in the Oireachtas have received correspondence relating to them. Some 46 Bedouin communities in the hills east and north east of Jerusalem, containing about 7,000 people, have been the subject of relocation orders since 2011. They have been ordered to move to three designated resettlement areas, in one of which some Bedouin removed earlier are already located. This threat has been hanging over the villagers for some time. Former Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Eamon Gilmore, visited one of the threatened locations during his January 2012 visit to the region to support the villagers. However, there are indications now that the Israeli authorities are progressing their plans. A retired general has been appointed to liaise with the communities and oversee the transfer and work is ongoing on preparing the relocation sites. A total of 18 of these communities are in the strategic E1 area adjacent to Jerusalem, which has previously been the subject of strong US and EU pressure on the Israeli authorities because of its strategic location and previous settlement moves there have been withdrawn. The implementation of this plan now may provide an early indication of the intentions of the new Israeli government in respect of settlements.
In a separate case, the village of Susiya in the south Hebron hills is also subject to a general demolition order and a previous injunction freezing this while a planning process was completed was set aside by an Israeli court in May. In theory, this allows demolition to proceed. While this has not yet occurred, it must be assumed that the authorities intend to proceed, perhaps after Ramadan is over.
Both of these cases are classic examples of the policies of eviction, dispossession and demolition which are being relentlessly advanced as part of the Israeli occupation - in many, but not all, cases to allow for the expansion of nearby Israeli settlements. The pretext is generally lack of planning permission for residential and other structures but in practice, it is impossible for Palestinians in Area C, which is 60% of the West Bank, to obtain such permission. Many of these families have already been subject to dispossession by Israel one or more times.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade has said he agrees with the assessment of the UN Secretary General that these policies amount to forcible transfer, which is forbidden by the Fourth Geneva Convention in respect of a population under occupation, except in specific circumstances of immediate military necessity, which, as Senator David Norris pointed out, do not apply here. Thus, they are contrary to international law. These policies are, therefore, an intrinsic feature of the occupation. Both Ireland and the European Union have clearly and consistently condemned the expansion of settlements and the associated policies of evictions and dispossession, most recently in the Foreign Affairs Council conclusions in November 2014 which specifically referenced the Bedouin case. Bilaterally, Ireland has conveyed the same messages in public statements and in diplomatic contacts in Israel and with the Israeli embassy here, at EU and UN level at the Human Rights Council in Geneva and directly with the Israeli Government, most recently with the Israeli foreign Minister during the visit by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to the region in February.
We do not have the resources to attempt to follow and be active on every case on the ground in which these policies operate. Ireland's main focus is on trying to put political pressure on the occupation as a whole. However, the Irish representative office in Ramallah has made a number of field visits to the Bedouin communities and confirmed that the villagers, contrary to some reports, do not wish to relocate. The Irish representative visited Susiya in May - I acknowledge the Senator's visit - to meet the community and show support for their struggle. There was another visit to Susiya in June with a delegation of EU heads of mission accompanying the Palestinian Prime Minister. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is continuing to monitor developments in both cases.
The question of recognition of Palestine, or of any state, is an important issue to be considered on its own merits. It has not been raised here this morning. It should not as a punishment or reward for one side or the other. In respect of a specific request that the issue be raised by Ireland at the next meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council, I will make that suggestion to the Minister. It seems to be a most reasonable suggestion.
I am intrigued by the Minister of State's statement that the question of recognition of Palestine, or of any state, is an important issue to be considered on its own merits and not as a punishment or reward for one side or the other.
Ireland recognised the State of Palestine's right to exist. To my recollection I think there was a motion passed in this House-----
A motion was passed but we do not officially recognise it yet.
I suggest to the Minister of State that this would be a very positive step because it would show where we stand in that regard. It has been the policy since the time of the late Brian Lenihan Snr. to recognise the two-state solution. He was the first Minister for Foreign Affairs to bring that forward and it has been the policy of successive Irish Governments.
Could the Minister of State raise the five points that I raised at the beginning of my contribution with the Minister? Even if it is difficult for us to be represented there we could co-ordinate with the other donors to make sure there is a diplomatic presence. The EUROMED agreement has human rights protocols and it was supposed to be activated when there were human rights violations by Israel. The United Nations Secretary General has spoken of breaches of articles of the Geneva Convention. Surely it is time that the EUROMED agreement be examined in the light of Israel's human rights violations.
I will, of course, raise the five points with the Minister. On the question about co-ordination, I think it would be appropriate to raise it in the context of a discussion at the Foreign Affairs Council; therefore, both will be linked. I assure Senator David Norris that we are aware that on 22 October 2014 and 10 December 2014, Seanad Éireann and Dáil Éireann, respectively, adopted unanimous motions calling on the Government to recognise the State of Palestine. It is a matter for the Government as to when that would be most appropriate to put in place but we are aware of the unanimous wishes of both Houses of the Oireachtas.
Sheepmeat Sector
I welcome the Minister of State for a debate about the sheep sector which is one of our domestic agricultural sectors. This sector is of vital significance to many parts of rural Ireland. In her brief as Minister of State with responsibility for rural development and rural affairs, she will be very aware of the sheep sector's importance in many rural parts of the country where the land may not be as good as in the major agricultural areas.
According to the national sheep register there are more than 3.5 million sheep in the country. Most sheep flocks are located along the western seaboard. My county has 12.5% of the national sheep stock with approximately 450,000 sheep in County Donegal - more sheep than people. For example, there are 387,000 sheep in County Galway; 369,000 in County Mayo; and 308,000 in County Kerry.
I have highlighted those numbers because they illustrate that the vast majority of those involved in the sheep sector are along the western seaboard which has seen significant rural decline over many years with young people leaving, for example. Therefore, the sheep sector is very important as a means of keeping young people on the land. Sixty per cent of the farm holdings in County Donegal represent sheep farmers. I am raising this issue which was highlighted by my colleague, Councillor James Pat McDaid, who is a sheep farmer in County Donegal. He spoke last week about the decrease of up to €20 a head in lamb prices over the past fortnight or two and a half weeks alone. This is having a drastic effect on many sheep farmers who are having difficulties finishing lambs earlier this year due to the fact that the weather was very bad and wet and there was slow grass growth. They were forced to feed sheep later in the year and the increased feed prices means that they are being hit hard. According to some of the farming organisations the factories are controlling the prices. There is also price volatility in the UK and sheep prices are at their lowest point in the past five years.
It is not an issue confined to this country but it needs Government intervention to support the sheep sector. This support could be supplied by an attempt to bolster the export market. Ireland exports most of its lamb and sheep meat. We produce approximately 55,000 tonnes of sheep meat a year. Last year, 45,000 tonnes was exported to France, the UK, Belgium, Germany and Scandinavia. The French market has fallen. There was a great demand this time last year from the French market but this has dwindled somewhat this year. The Government response to support the sheep sector needs to be fast and drastic because sheep farmers will be driven out of existence given that the price has fallen below €5 per kilo and according to some of the farming organisations it could fall to close to €4 per kilo. The farmers say that their floor price is around €5 per kilo and when the price falls below this level they are producing and working in the negative, in the red. That cannot be allowed to continue. Farmers are primary producers and they need support. The sector has 3.5 million sheep and farmers are willing to stay on the land which is marginal in many cases being commonage or poor land which is not of much use for any other farming. I ask for a twofold response to this issue, first, that we go after those markets aggressively and try to open up the markets to new Irish lamb, that we promote lamb within the country; second, that a subsidy is provided to sheep farmers either from the Exchequer or through pillar 2 funding which is the €580 million available annually under the CAP rural development programme. That needs to happen. The sheep sector is vital to the economy and it is particularly important to the western seaboard regions from Donegal down to Cork and Kerry.
I thank the Senator for raising this very important issue. I am replying on behalf of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Simon Coveney, who is in Strasbourg attending a European Parliament plenary session.
This is a hugely important element of our agrifood sector and one which is a priority for the Minister. Primary output from the sheep industry is currently worth about €230 million, a value which has grown significantly in recent years. Over two thirds of output is exported. Exports in 2014 totalled 44,759 tonnes, with a value of €218 million. The sheep sector in Ireland is heavily dependent on the export market as the domestic consumption is usually only about 30% of overall production. The core markets remain France and the United Kingdom with the French market usually representing double that of the United Kingdom. This reflects the strong demand and reputation in France for Irish lamb and also the consumer preference in the United Kingdom for British product. The growth markets in Europe are Sweden, Germany and Belgium with Sweden, for example, now representing our third most important market.
I am also aware that the sheep farmers are vulnerable to price fluctuations. While price is something that is subject to the normal dynamics of the marketplace, the Minister has provided a range of financial and structural supports for the sector that can help to make the sector more resilient and position it to avail of development opportunities.
The application of the latest scientific knowledge to the business of sheep breeding in Ireland is only in its infancy in comparison to programmes for beef and dairy. However, the establishment of Sheep Ireland and the buy-in from stakeholders is improving matters considerably and proving to be of significant benefit.
The sheep technology adoption programme which was introduced in 2013, has played a major role encouraging technology adoption at farms while also requiring participants to undertake a number of farm tasks. These farm tasks make use of the best technologies available to sheep farmers in Ireland while also encouraging improved breeding through the use of a Sheep Ireland performance-recorded ram.
The programme is currently in its third and final year. On average, around 4,000 farmers have participated in the programme in each year and total funding of more than €6.5 million was provided in 2013 and 2014. Under the Rural Development Programme 2014-20, the Minister has made provision for further improving efficiency and profitability in sheep production through the knowledge transfer groups measure. The experience in the sheep technology adaption programme has informed the development of this measure. In addition to profitability, the emphasis will be on the key issues of business skills, environmental sustainability and herd health, with increased interaction between individual farmers and facilitators in order to customise information exchange. Approximately 300 potential facilitators recently expressed interest in running knowledge transfer groups for the sheep sector.
Various other schemes in RDP are also of direct relevance to the sheep sector. For example, the green low carbon agri-environment scheme will benefit sheep farmers and they will continue to be significant beneficiaries from the areas of natural constraints scheme. A series of capital investment schemes are being introduced under the TAMS II scheme, several of which will provide for sheep farmers. It must also be remembered that the sheep grassland scheme, which invested over €65 million in Irish sheep farms during its lifetime, has now been included in the direct payment of each sheep farmer under revised CAP arrangements.
Last week a new ten-year strategy for the agrifood sector, Food Wise 2025, was launched with the key theme of local roots, global reach. The agrifood sector is a sector unlike any other given its strategic importance to the Irish economy, its roots in local communities throughout the country and its rapidly increasing global reach. Food Wise 2025 sets out a comprehensive plan for the development of Ireland's agrifood sector in the next decade. It predicts that over the next decade Ireland can increase the value of agrifood exports by 85% to €19 billion, increase value added to the sector by 70% to €13 billion and increase the value of primary production by 65% to €10 billion. This should deliver a further 23,000 jobs in the agrifood sector by 2025. With over 350 recommendations, Food Wise 2025 is very detailed but that detail is vital. Many of these recommendations relate to the sheep sector.
The report acknowledges the importance of the sheep sector and notes that growth in the sector will come from improved technical efficiencies, as well as growth opportunities from an increase in consumer demand and export market opportunities. Important actions identified for the sector include: genetic improvement of the sheep herd with a focus on ewe fertility and breeding resilience and resistance to diseases; working collaboratively with processors, Bord Bia, Teagasc and Sheep Ireland to modify the seasonal nature of our sheepmeat supply and maintaining presence; increasing farmer participation in the beef and lamb quality assurance scheme to 90% in terms of proportion of output by 2025; adding value to exports by further moving up the value chain from exporting entire carcasses to pre-packaged boneless cuts through wider market access; increasing sheep farmer participation in knowledge transfer programmes; and developing a carbon navigator tool for sheep producers. The Minister will put in place a robust implementation process to monitor progress and deliver on the ambitious projections in the report.
My Department monitors average sheep prices and sheep slaughtering figures on a weekly basis because the two are clearly interlinked. A national average sheep price is also submitted to the European Commission once a week. While the recent movement on prices has been disappointing, it is not out of line with the trend in other countries. I am satisfied that it does not point to a structural difficulty within the overall sheepmeat sector but rather reflects the fluctuations which can occur at this time of year. The latest available figures show that after a strong first quarter in 2015, when the average Irish price was approximately 11% up on the same period in 2014, prices have fallen back. This change in price in recent weeks is likely due to a combination of factors. Supplies are in full flow at present due to seasonal factors. At the same time, poor market conditions are believed to be driving down average prices as measured on a weekly basis. While this recent dip in prices is disappointing, it remains the case that at the end of June, the average year to date price was running at approximately 4% ahead of the same period last year. Just this week, I understand that prices have started to rise again and that demand for sheep and lamb by factories is rising.
I thank the Minister of State for her reply and appreciate that prices are fluctuating but the reality is that the costs are much higher this year compared to last year and prices have dipped. In my neck of the woods in the north-west region, prices are significantly below the figures for this time last year. The fluctuations appear shallower than is actually the case because the Department is using generic figures across the country.
A mechanism needs to be found to support sheep farmers. I note that the Minister of State used the phrase "technical efficiencies". For many sheep farmers, technical efficiencies are probably not possible. We cannot continue to develop technical efficiencies in a sector that is already at break-even point. We must assist sheep farmers either by finding new markets or providing a top-up subsidy.
I have asked my officials to prepare background information for the Senator on sheep prices. I ask him to let me know if he does not receive the information.
School Staff
I raise the issue of the pressing need to secure a permanent resource teacher for Esker national school in Esker, County Galway. The Department of Education and Skills allocates resource teachers on the basis of need calculated by time. A resource teacher may work across two schools to make up the total time allocation. These allocations are temporary unless the hours can be provided by teachers on permanent contracts. Regrettably, this has been the experience of Esker national school for quite some time. For the last three years the school has had an allocation of between 20 and 23 hours, which when combined with other schools creates a full 25 hour post. Every year the school community expresses the hope that the Department will see sense by allocating a permanent position in light of obvious demand and the fact that the school falls short by only a few hours. However, each year the post is sanctioned on a temporary basis. This is frustrating for all concerned but especially for the pupils and resource teacher, whose employment has not been made permanent even though she returns to the school year after year. There is no certainty for the teacher, the school or the students who depend on her. Based on the repeat allocation of resource teachers on temporary contracts, it should be clear to the Department that a permanent resource teacher is required at the school in light of the demand arising. I understand the Department is relying on temporary positions until such time as it introduces a new model but schools like Esker national school have no clear idea of when the new model will be introduced or what it will comprise. They have a rational fear that they will be left worse off after the introduction of a new model. It is important that the Department assuages their fears in this regard.
I call on the Minister of Education and Skills to clarify this issue by expediting the introduction of a new model and, taking into consideration my submission, moving to secure a permanent resource teacher for Esker national school. The school deserves one because it is ridiculous that it requires 25 hours on a weekly basis to have a permanent teacher even though it has established a need for between 20 and 23 hours. For the sake of certainty in the education system, it is imperative that the school's resource teacher post be made permanent.
I thank the Senator for raising this important issue. I am aware that she regularly raises issues like this in her constituency.
I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of my colleague the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan.
The education of children with special educational needs remains a key priority for the Government. We have been resolutely committed to protecting and, in some instances, increasing the level of investment made to support children with special educational needs at a time when there has been a requirement to make expenditure reductions across a range of areas. It is an area which has been prioritised above most others by the Government, despite the enormous pressures in all areas of public spending. This year alone over €1.37 billion or 15% of the Department's budget is being spent to provide supports to enable learners with special educational needs to access an education appropriate to their needs. This week alone the Minister announced the provision of an additional 610 SNAs to support children with special needs in schools.
The growth in provision for resource teaching support has been a major factor in ensuring the successful integration of children with special educational needs into mainstream education. More children than ever before are receiving resource teaching support in schools. The number of resource teaching posts available for allocation has increased by 27% since 2012, from 5,265 posts in 2012 to 6,705 in 2015-16. The allocation of resource teaching posts to schools will increase by over 9% for the coming school year. This is in excess of demographic increases in 2015 of approximately 1.8% at primary level and 1.2% at post-primary level.
The House will be aware that the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, through its network of local special educational needs organisers, is responsible for allocating resource teachers to schools to support children with special educational needs. It operates within the Department's criteria in allocating such support. All schools were asked to apply to the NCSE for resource teaching support for the 2015-16 school year by 18 March 2015. The NCSE continued to accept applications after this date in recognition of the fact that enrolments might not have been completed or where assessments had not been completed. It has published details of the resource teaching allocations which will be made to each individual school on its website. It will also have a second round allocation process to respond to late enrolments, or diagnosed disabilities emerging after the closing date for the first allocation round, to the start of the new school year.
The Department's Circular 05/2015 sets out arrangements for filling NCSE-approved resource teaching posts in primary schools. Permanent resource posts are allocated to schools with an allocation of 25 resource teaching hours. Many schools will receive an allocation of less than 25 resource hours. In such cases, they join neighbouring schools to form clusters with an allocation of 25 hours. In these circumstances a temporary post is appointed and based in one of the schools. The school referred to in the Senator's question has been approved for such a temporary shared post for the coming school year. Clustering arrangements operate successfully throughout the country. They ensure pupils can continue to access additional teaching supports in school and also that the additional teaching resources are utilised to best effect to maximise teaching and learning outcomes for children.
I again thank the Senator for raising this important matter.
I thank the Minister of State for her response. I accept that 15% of the Department's budget is being used in meeting special educational needs. It was heartening to hear the Minister's announcement earlier this week on the allocation of an additional 610 SNAs. While I am delighted that Galway, in particular, will receive an extra allocation of 42 SNAs, I ask the Minister to look at the specific needs of Esker national school. There is no doubt that there is a demand and a pressing need for a permanent post at the school. As I said, there is a need for certainty and clarity. I, therefore, ask the Minister of State to convey to the Minister that this needs to be taken into consideration and borne in mind when introducing a new model for the rolling out of resource teaching posts. We must try to make an impact in an area in which assistance is needed the most.
I thank the Senator for raising the issue and will convey her concerns to the Minister. I ask her to continue her endeavours to secure assistance for the schools in her constituency.
Hospital Consultants Recruitment
I welcome the Minister for Health.
I also welcome the Minister and thank him for dealing with this matter.
I have a concern about a vacancy that has arisen at Beaumont Hospital where Professor David Hickey was a consultant for many years and provided an excellent service in carrying out transplants. I understand he has retired and that a second consultant who worked at the hospital has returned to the country. The number of transplant consultants has been reduced to four in total when it should be eight, which means that we have a major problem.
In the past six months the figures for transplant procedures were presented on a number of occasions to us at the Joint Committee of Health and Children where comparisons were made with the position in Norway, which has a population of 4.8 million, of whom only 370 are on dialysis. In Ireland there are over 1,800. A transplant saves the Exchequer in the order of €750,000 in real terms, which is a huge saving for the country.
The appointment of consultants is an issue about which I have been concerned for some time. Last October, at the Joint Committee on Health and Children, I asked representatives of the HSE a question, only to be told in reply that there was no information available at a national level on the number of posts which were vacant. At the time I advised the HSE that if it was to give me the name of one porter in each hospital around the country, I was sure I would be able to obtain the information. It was a further six months before I eventually received a list which indicated that there were over 300 vacancies.
This issue dates back to the time of Comhairle na Ospidéal which was subsumed into the HSE in 2004. When Comhairle na Ospidéal was in place, a vacancy would have been flagged by a health board at least 12 months in advance, advertising would have taken place and the post would have been filled as soon as the vacancy arose. We now seem to have a policy of advertising vacancies only after they arise. There is a lack of long-term planning, which seems to be the case at Beaumont Hospital. Responsibility for filling the vacancy seems to lie with the HSE, Beaumont Hospital and the Department. What we need is clarity. We must decide how to fast-track the filling of the post and how to make it attractive enough for someone to apply from abroad if there is no one available in Ireland to fill it. A candidate may be Irish, but at least such a process would ensure the post was filled and thus allow us to meet the target for the number of transplants to be undertaken in this country.
The consultant who carried out pancreas transplants at Beaumont Hospital took early retirement at the end of 2014. Given the limited number of surgeons who specialise in transplantation, the filling of such vacancies poses a challenge. While Beaumont Hospital is making every effort to recruit a suitable replacement, it is also collaborating with St. Vincent's University Hospital on a combined approach to kidney and pancreas transplants. It is proposed that pancreas transplants, of which six were performed in 2014, will be carried out in St. Vincent's University Hospital.
The two hospitals, together with Organ Donation and Transplant Ireland, ODTI, which is part of the HSE, and my Department, are working to make arrangements to facilitate the commencement of this work as soon as possible.
Most pancreas transplants are combined with a kidney transplant. These cases will involve transplant surgeons from St. Vincent’s University Hospital and Beaumont Hospital working together in St. Vincent’s University Hospital. In addition to working with St. Vincent’s University Hospital in a combined approach to kidney and pancreas transplants, Beaumont Hospital is collaborating with it in the development of an intra-abdominal organ retrieval service that will facilitate a more effective and cohesive overall procurement and transplant service.
In May Beaumont Hospital wrote to all patients who had received a pancreas transplant, in addition to all patients on the transplant waiting list. It has also written to all referring consultants. At this point, all pancreas transplant recipients have been seen by clinicians in Beaumont Hospital or have appointments in place. Future pathways of care are being discussed with all patients at these meetings.
A joint assessment clinic for the eight patients waiting for a pancreas transplant, involving consultants and nurses from Beaumont Hospital and St. Vincent's University Hospital, will be held on 24 July. Management and clinical staff at the hospitals are committed to ensuring an optimal service will be put in place for the long-term benefit of those in need of pancreas transplants. As St Vincent’s University Hospital is already established as the national liver transplant centre and is a designated centre for pancreas cancer services, it is well placed to undertake pancreas transplants. Every effort is being made to have all of the necessary arrangements and protocols in place to facilitate St. Vincent's University Hospital to be in a position to undertake pancreas transplants from mid-September should there be a suitable donor-recipient match.
Additional funding of almost €3 million has been provided to facilitate the development of the most appropriate infrastructure to support organ donation and transplantation. This will facilitate the appointment of 19 whole-time-equivalent staff dedicated to organ donation and transplantation across the country. Included in this number are five organ procurement co-ordinators who have been appointed and six organ donation nurse managers who will be in post in each of the hospital groups by the end of August.
I recognise all of the families who have facilitated the donation of the organs of their loved ones, often to the benefit of several recipients. I reiterate my commitment to enhance organ donation and transplantation rates for the benefit of patients and their families.
Dr. Hickey took early retirement, but surely this was flagged in the hospital beforehand. Why was there such a delay in advertising for a replacement? What is the HSE now doing? Considering that it took me six months to obtain a list of vacancies from the HSE, it appears that there is no national co-ordination. I asked what consultants were to retire in the following 12 months and in what number, but the HSE could not give me an answer. This is an extremely important issue which concerns long-term planning. It is clear from what has occurred that there was no long-term planning. There is none; the matter is being put on the back burner. It is no longer acceptable that there are long waiting lists. We can talk all we like about waiting lists, but until such time as we sort out the issue of consultant appointments before they arise, we will be complaining about waiting lists for the next 20 years. This matter needs to be prioritised. With regard to appointments, we are down to four consultants carrying out transplants. What incentive is going to be offered to try to bring people back from abroad to take up the vacant posts?
The post was advertised. I cannot say with absolute certainty when it was advertised, but it was certainly advertised many months ago. However, it was not possible to find a suitable applicant. As the Senator will know, the health service works in such a way that the HSE is not always the employer. Beaumont Hospital, for example, is a voluntary hospital. Therefore, the people who work there, in St Vincent's University Hospital and many other hospitals are not actually HSE employees but employees of the voluntary hospital. As a consequence, recruitment procedures vary. There is direct recruitment by the HSE and also recruitment by individual voluntary hospitals. Quite a large number of consultant posts have been advertised in recent months. Advertisement is through the Public Appointments Service which fills the posts. It is trying to speed up the filling of posts, but sometimes it can take time because recruits have to give notice elsewhere before taking up a post, particularly if coming from overseas. There are difficulties in attracting applicants or any applicant in some cases, particularly when the job is not in one of the major cities. That is a particular difficulty. Obviously, any incentive that can be offered is limited because we are bound by the rules on public sector pay. The current structure does not give us flexibility to offer bespoke contracts, top-ups or incentives.
Sitting suspended at 11.25 a.m. and resumed at 11.30 a.m.