Written Answers Nos 199-208
199. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on planned advances in diabetic paediatric services to widen the availability of insulin pumps for children under five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52092/12]
View answer200. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Health the diabetes services that have been funded in the Health Service Executive National Service Plan and the services currently in place, particularly with reference to the number of footcare posts and a retinopathy screening programme [52093/12]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 199 and 200 together.
The HSE National Clinical Programme for Diabetes - which includes the care of children and adolescents with diabetes - was established within the Clinical Strategy and Programmes Directorate. The purpose of the Programme is to define the way diabetic Clinical Services should be delivered, resourced and measured; and a clinician has been appointed to lead on the development of the programme. In relation to the specific queries raised by the Deputy, as these are local service issues, they have been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
201. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Health his views in relation to the proposed impact of a sugar tax on the food and drinks industry; its international success rate of reducing consumption of unhealthy foods; if he will consider the possibility of reducing VAT for some healthier foods in order to neutralise the impact of inflation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52098/12]
View answerDuring 2011 I established a Special Action Group on Obesity comprising key stakeholders and chaired by my own Department. Its remit is to examine and progress a number of issues to address the complex and multi-factorial problem of obesity. Alone no single initiative will reverse the trend, but a combination of measures should make a difference. The Special Action Group on Obesity (SAGO), has recommended the introduction of a Sugar Sweetened Drinks tax as a priority action. My Department established a Steering Group to oversee the carrying out of a Health Impact Assessment on the health and economic aspects of introducing such a tax and the Institute of Public Health has facilitated my Department with this assessment.
The Health Impact Assessment Report was presented to me at a meeting of the Special Action Group on Obesity last week. Myself and my officials are considering the HIA Report and will use this as part of the decision making process regarding any possible introduction of a tax on sugar-sweetened drinks.
The responsibility of VAT on food and drink products rests with the Minister for Finance and I would point out that most staple healthy foods are zero rated for VAT.
202. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 755 of 19 July 2012, if the Health Service Executive will arrange an early date for an operation in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; if he will confirm the timeframe for this operation if the person has to wait their turn on the current list which 69th on the bariatric surgery waiting list; if he will outline other options for this patient [52108/12]
View answerI refer the Deputy to my answer of 20 November 2012. The position remains the same.
203. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if further home help hours will be allocated to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny, to cover Saturday and Sunday in view of the fact that their health has deteriorated and they live alone; if he will expedite a response as the matter is urgent [52109/12]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
204. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if a full medical card will be issued to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny [52110/12]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
205. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the agency that would be responsible for the management and clean-up of any oil spill in Dublin Bay that resulted from drilling by a company (details supplied) or any other such entity; the persons who would pay for this and the way it would be done. [52018/12]
View answerThe oil exploration site off Dalkey is the subject of an exploration licence awarded by the Minister for Communications Energy and Natural Resources. The exploration company is required to comply with all the Rules and Procedures of the Petroleum Affairs Division of that Department prior to commencing operations at the site. These provide for the recovery of clean-up costs by individual or Unified Claims.
Part of the conditions on the development of the site is the requirement to have in place an Oil Spill Contingency Plan approved by the Irish Coast Guard which would include measures put in place by the Company to avert or deal with an Oil Spill incident. The Irish Coast Guard is reponsible for the "At Sea Response" while the Local Authority / Port Authority have responsibility for the clean up in their areas, the Coast Guard also have an oversight role in this regard.
The requirements of the Contingency Plan are outlined in Section 2.2 of the Sea Pollution Amendment Act 1999 and addresses issues such as the responsibilities of personnel reporting arrangements including on site operational control, time criteria for cessation of production and shut off of pressure, risk assessment and prediction of various pollution causes, consequences and areas under threat, taking into account the maximum volume of pollutant that could be released and the composition and properties of the pollutant, response to worst case and most credible likely emergency, clean-up facilities, for first strike response and back up equipment, disposal of recovered oil, training of personnel, surveillance of and reporting on oil slick extent and movement, contact lists and site data.
206. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport in view of the fact that the digital communication equipment, which was in storage in Dublin for the past five years, is now being moved to the Marine Rescue Centre, Valentia Island, County Kerry, if he will state the reason for waiting from 2009 after purchasing the equipment until now to take it to Valentia to be installed; when this new communication technology will come into service in Valentia; the investment it will take to bring this equipment into operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52089/12]
View answerThe new integrated communications equipment was delivered to Coast Guard stores in Blanchardstown Dublin at the end of 2009. The installation project consists of six main phases.
First phase was to evacuate the existing marine rescue coordination centre (MRCC) in Dublin on foot of an OPW notice that the building would be sold. At the same time the new National Maritime Operations Centre (NMOC) in Leeson Lane Dublin was provided incorporating the moved MRCC.
The third phase was to go live in the NMOC using the east coast aerial sites whilst running in tandem with the existing old technology equipment. This was completed in December 2010. The fourth phase saw the remainder of the national aerial sites connected to the NMOC throughout 2011, thus putting in place the essential communications service architecture and network connections as well as the preparatory work in advance of the final installation of the new equipment in Malin and Valentia.
2012 has seen the installation of the equipment in Malin MRSC and the system is now live there. The activation of Valentia MRSC (Phase 6) is well underway and will be completed early in 2013.
I am advised that it would have been unsafe to have attempted switchover in either Malin or Valentia until the first four phases were complete.
Costs for Valentia so far are approximately €34,000 for engineering and €50,000 for general refurbishment. The total cost is €84,000.
207. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding a grant in respect of a club (details supplied) in Dublin 13; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51962/12]
View answerAn allocation of €100,000 was made in 2004 to the club referred to by the Deputy. This allocation was made towards the development of dressing rooms. €60,541of the allocation was drawn down. Dublin City Council, who were managing the allocation, have agreed to the remainder being withdrawn as there were no further invoices to submit and the project was completed.
208. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to harmonise the driving licence regime between Ireland and Canada; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52049/12]
View answerThe Road Safety Authority (RSA) has operational responsibility for approving countries for the recognition and mutual exchange of driving licences, and has been continuing its engagement with the Canadian authorities since I last addressed this matter in response to a Dáil Question of 6 November.
Canadian driver licensing laws are made at provincial level, and this means that the RSA must engage with the provinces individually and compare their licensing systems with ours to see if they are compatible. Equally, the Canadian authorities will need to be convinced of the compatibility of the two systems before any agreement can be reached. As I explained in my response of 6 November, it was decided to prioritise discussions with Ontario, which is now home to a large community of Irish people.
I understand that the RSA has received details of the Ontario licensing system and is now studying them, while the Ontario authorities are currently studying information on the Irish licensing system provided to them by the RSA.
