Written Answers Nos. 717-739
717. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Health if he will provide the number of agencies that are working in the area of suicide prevention and or awareness here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7284/13]
View answer719. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Health the number of agencies working in the area of suicide prevention and-or awareness that are in receipt of Exchequer funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7286/13]
View answer723. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Health if the existence of hundreds of suicide related organisations is a reflection of the lack of the implementation of a comprehensive, national prevention programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7290/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 717, 719 and 723 together.
The increasing number of deaths by suicide is of great concern to this Government. There is not a community in Ireland that has not been affected by suicide. We know that reducing suicide rates requires a collective, concerted effort and most importantly a collaborative approach. The National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP) was established by the HSE in 2005 to oversee the implementation of Reach Out our National Strategy for Action on Suicide Prevention 2005 – 2014. Reach Out is a comprehensive and integrated approach to reducing the loss and suffering from suicide and suicidal behaviours. It encompasses the promotion, coordination, and support of activities to be implemented at national, regional and community levels.
Currently there are many organisations working in the area of mental health promotion and suicide prevention. Many communities affected by suicide have responded by trying to find ways of coping with it and preventing it. Ordinary people concerned about suicide and people directly affected by suicide have come together with the common goal of dealing with the challenge of suicide and strengthening the community after a suicide has happened. Suicide prevention is about promoting positive mental health and supporting people to learn a range of positive coping strategies so that they can better deal with difficulties in their lives. To assist communities, the HSE last year published Suicide Prevention in the Community - A Practical Guide, which aims to provide information to help make communities safer from suicide.
The NOSP funds a range of agencies providing prevention, intervention, postvention and research services across the voluntary and statutory sector. It currently funds 26 agencies with over 40 programmes. Projects funded in 2012 include: BelongTo, Bodywhys, Console, Samaritans, National Suicide Research Foundation, Spunout, Teenline, Young Social Innovators, etc. In 2013, there will be further investment in a range of existing and new initiatives. The NOSP publishes an Annual Report, which is laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas, that details its work programme and expenditure for the year. The latest report published is for 2011.
Irrespective of the number of agencies working in this area, it is vital that we ensure that this work is connected/interlinked and avoids duplication, is evidence and needs based and offers value for money. In order to get maximum benefit from the investment in suicide prevention and ensure a coordinated response to the needs of those at risk of or affected by suicide, the NOSP will continue to coordinate the work of the many different voluntary, statutory and non-statutory organisations working in this area. By promoting cross-organisational collaboration, the development of networks and partnerships, skills sharing and service development, the NOSP hopes to maximise the impact of a suicide prevention and support network in Ireland, to ensure it reaches and responds effectively to people who are vulnerable. The NOSP is currently working to integrate current programmes so as to reduce duplication within the sector, and provide a strategic framework for the coordination of the extensive range of actions in this area.
718. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Health if he will provide the number of agencies that are working in the area of suicide bereavement care here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7285/13]
View answer720. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Health the number of agencies working in the area of suicide bereavement care which are in receipt of Exchequer funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7287/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 718 and 720 together.
Bereavement support for families and communities is critically important in the aftermath of a death by suicide. The aim of bereavement support is to support those immediately affected by the death, to allow them to express their grief and to prevent more suicides from happening in the same area. A range of local and national services provide suicide bereavement support to families and communities. The HSE's National Office for Suicide Prevention provides funding to Console to deliver suicide bereavement support services across the country. The organisation has six regional offices and has a dedicated helpline for individuals bereaved by suicide. The National Office also provides funding to Counselling, Responding, Information & Bereavement Services in HSE South and to Mayo Suicide Liaison Project.
It is important that those providing bereavement support services follow evidence-based practice. In this regard, the National Office for Suicide Prevention, Console and Turas le Cheile developed national quality standards for all levels of suicide bereavement support in Ireland. These standards provide a significant resource for those organisations providing support to individuals at a very vulnerable time in their lives.
721. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular format, the total sum that was spent by his Department each and every year since and including 2008 on suicide prevention and-or awareness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7288/13]
View answerFunding for suicide prevention is provided to the National Office for Suicide Prevention by the HSE from its overall budget for mental health. Funding provided in the years 2008 to 2012 is as follows:
|
Year |
Funding |
|
- |
€m |
|
2008 |
4.5 |
|
2009 |
4.3 |
|
2010 |
3.7 |
|
2011 |
4.1 |
|
2012 |
7.1 |
In relation to 2012, I have asked the HSE for details of the actual spend on suicide prevention and awareness and I will provide the Deputy with the information requested as soon as possible.
722. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular format, the total sum that was spent by his Department each and every year since and including 2008 on suicide bereavement care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7289/13]
View answerAs this is a service matter this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
724. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Health the number of the 96 actions in the ten year national strategy for action on suicide prevention, which is due to end in 2014, that have been implemented as specified in the strategy document; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7291/13]
View answerThe National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP) was established by the HSE in 2005 to oversee the implementation of Reach Out our National Strategy for Action on Suicide Prevention 2005 – 2014. Reach Out is a comprehensive and integrated approach to reducing the loss and suffering from suicide and suicidal behaviours. It encompasses the promotion, coordination, and support of activities to be implemented at national, regional and community levels.
Since the launch of Reach Out and the establishment of the NOSP, there has been a significant amount of cross-sectoral working which has resulted in considerable advances in suicide prevention. The NOSP has implemented many of the action areas engaging a strategic approach in four key areas - delivering a general population approach to mental health promotion and suicide prevention; using targeted programmes for people at high risk of suicide; delivering services to individuals who have engaged in deliberate self harm and providing support to families and communities bereaved by suicide; and commissioning research into suicidal behaviour. Initiatives progressed to date include:
- Suicide awareness training programmes.
- The tough economic times programme.
- Mental Health awareness campaigns.
- Supporting voluntary organisations in their work on suicide prevention.
- Developing all-island cooperation in the areas of promoting positive mental health and tackling the issue of suicide.
- Funding a number of Suicide Community Assessment Nurses (SCAN) to work within primary care to provide an effective and coordinated response for people who are in distress.
Each year the NOSP publishes an annual report which outlines the work that has been undertaken under Reach Out.
In relation to the 26 Action Areas and the 96 Recommendations of the strategy work has commenced on each of these Recommendations. Earlier this year, the NOSP established a Working Group comprising the statutory and voluntary sectors to review the current activities in the area of suicide prevention and to determine the priorities within this area to ensure that we maximise available resources. The Group will also review current national and international evidence on effective approaches in suicide prevention and will consider how the emerging evidence base can be used to inform the remaining period of the Reach Out strategy and influence new policy on suicide prevention beyond 2014.
725. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Health if the promised €35 million investment in mental health services was delivered on in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7292/13]
View answer726. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Health the number of additional staff appointed to mental health services due to increased investment in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7293/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 725 and 726 together.
In 2012, a special allocation of €35m was provided for mental health to be used primarily to further strengthen Community Mental Health Teams in both adult and children’s mental health services, to advance activities in the area of suicide prevention, to initiate the provision of psychological and counselling services in primary care, specifically for people with mental health problems and to facilitate the re-location of mental health service users from institutional care to more independent living arrangements in their communities, in line with A Vision for Change.
414 posts were approved to implement the €35m package of special measures. As at 30 January 2013, 204 posts have been filled (i.e. an employment contract has issued and is signed with a start date agreed) and the remainder are at various stages of selection. The majority of these posts are expected to be filled by end March 2013.
Budgetary pressures within the HSE delayed the full utilisation of this funding, but this sum is now available to mental health services along with an additional €35m and over 470 new posts allocated in Budget 2013 for the continued development of mental health services across a range of headings, including the further ongoing development of community services. I have been assured by the HSE that the recruitment process for the new posts being funded in 2013 will commence immediately and any outstanding posts from the 414 approved in 2012, will also be filled in the near future.
727. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health following the announcement on 17 July 2012 that a new primary health centre will be built in Dungloe, County Donegal, if he will provide a full update on the progress made to date on this announcement; and if he will consider investing this allocation to the health campus-facilities currently in Dungloe. [7365/13]
View answerDungloe, Co Donegal is one of the 35 potential locations for primary care centres for development by way of PPP as announced in the July 2012 Infrastructure Stimulus Package. Of the 35, approximately 20 will be offered to the market subject to a) agreement between the local GPs and the HSE on active local GP involvement in the centres and b) site suitability and availability. The HSE is currently analysing the available sites in each location and engaging with the GPs in each location to determine their interest in participating in the primary care centre development. While it is not possible, at this time, to give start and completion dates for any of the individual 20 potential locations, the best estimate is that these primary care centres will be completed by late 2016. The estimated capital allocation of €115m indented for the PPP initiative and announced in July 2012 cannot be allocated to the HSE's annual capital allocation, and therefore cannot be used for direct-build or to upgrade existing facilities.
728. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Health the cost incurred by his Department for assessing means of individual citizens for any reason on an annual basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7390/13]
View answerMy Department does not undertake means testing of individual citizens. Where such testing is necessary for the purposes of providing health and personal social services, it is undertaken by the Health Service Executive, accordingly I have referred the matter to the Executive for Direct reply to the Deputy.
729. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health the funding allocated, with the subsequent outturn, for the implementation of Traveller health policy for 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and the allocation for 2013, with a calculation of any level of underspend. [7402/13]
View answerAn amount of €10,546,230 was spent on Traveller health via Traveller Health Units during 2011. This amount excludes the costs of core/mainstream services accessed by members of the Travelling community e.g. GP services, foster care etc. Efforts have continued to ensure that funding for all vulnerable groups remains protected as far as possible.
The specific information requested for each of the years in question is not readily available. However I have asked the Health Service Executive to supply this information to me and I will forward it to the Deputy as soon as possible.
730. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health the number of community health workers engaged to work with Travellers in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. [7403/13]
View answerTraveller Health Units (THUs) operate in each HSE area and work in partnership with local Traveller organisations. Peer led healthcare projects known as Primary Healthcare Projects play an invaluable role. They began in 1994 and now there are over 40 projects involving over 450 participants. In addition the HSE’s National Traveller Health Advisory Forum (NTHAF) is a governance body comprising THUs and Traveller representation as well as HSE personnel working together to address key priorities. These structures are accountable to the National Social Inclusion Governance Group in the Health Service Executive.
The specific information on the number of community health workers engaged to work with Travellers in each of the years requested is not readily available. However I have asked the Health Service Executive to supply this information to me and I will forward it to the Deputy as soon as possible.
731. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if it is possible to apply council parking charges to existing out-of-town retail developments as proposed in the policy Smarter Travel, A Sustainable Transport Future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6930/13]
View answerThe setting of parking charges on public roads and in local authority owned car parks is a matter for the relevant local authority and I have no function in this or the setting of parking charges in privately owned car parks. Smarter Travel, A Sustainable Transport Future includes as a recommended action, the consideration of parking charges in shopping centres under the Planning Guidelines. This recommendation was reflected in the Retail Planning Guidelines which were published by my colleague the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government in 2012. The relevant section sets out the role of planning authorities as follows: Section 5.2 'Planning Authorities may also wish to consider as part of an overall approach to supporting their city and town centres, related issues of, for example, tailoring the contribution scheme to encourage retail development into the appropriate locations, having compatible traffic management and car parking measures to encourage city and town centre usage'.
732. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the efforts to create a national tennis league; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6640/13]
View answerTennis Ireland is the National Governing Body for the sport of tennis in Ireland. I suggest that the organisers of the national tennis league contact Tennis Ireland if they require information or assistance on this matter.
733. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he is in a position to provide further information on work on route alignment and design for a Dublin to County Galway cycle route; if further details of the proposed routes are available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6654/13]
View answerPlanning for the proposed Dublin-Galway cycle route is currently being carried out by the National Roads Authority (NRA) and National Transport Authority (NTA). The NTA is responsible for the provision of cycling infrastructure in the Greater Dublin Area and is therefore proceeding with the planning of the Dublin City Centre to Maynooth section of the proposed route. The Grand Canal is the intended route for the cycle way from Dublin city-centre to Maynooth. Preliminary design work on the route will be completed in 2013. This will allow robust cost estimates to be developed.
Decisions on the statutory approval and construction timelines will be taken during 2013, dependent upon the progression of the design work and funding profiles. The NRA is currently undertaking detailed route alignment and design work for the Maynooth-Galway section of the route, with a view to delivering the route in sections, as funding allows. The Royal Canal tow path is the selected route for the section of the facility between Maynooth and Mullingar. Design of this section is currently underway and will be the subject of planning processes in Meath and Kildare this summer. If successful, and if funding for construction is available, construction work on this section could commence in autumn 2013.
The section from the Meath/Westmeath county boundary to Mullingar is currently under construction. Route selection has commenced on the section between Mullingar and Ballinasloe. One option that is being examined is the use of the disused railway between Mullingar and Athlone. Route selection west of Ballinasloe is at an early stage with constraints and opportunities being mapped.
734. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans for the regional road network in County Meath in conjunction with Meath County Council for the years 2013 and 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6671/13]
View answerThe improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is a statutory function of each road authority in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. The carrying out of works on these roads is a matter for the relevant local authority to be funded from its own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded from these grants is also a matter for the local authority. Meath County Council has been allocated over €10.6 million in regional and local road grants in 2013. Details of these allocations are available in the Dáil Library. Regional and local road grants are allocated on an annual basis and the 2014 allocations will be notified to local authorities early next year.
735. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide details of the expenditure allocated to upgrading Blackhorse Avenue, Dublin, in 2013. [6681/13]
View answerThe improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the local authority. Copies of booklets detailing the road allocations in respect of national, regional and local roads for 2013 are available to Deputies in the Dail Library.
736. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if works on O'Reilly's Bridge, over the railway line in Cabra, Dublin 7, will proceed as planned this year. [6682/13]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. In the Greater Dublin Area (GDA), funding for the implementation and development of public transport infrastructure projects, such as the development of the Maynooth line, is provided by my Department to the National Transport Authority (NTA) for allocation to projects and programmes. Noting this I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you don't receive a reply within 10 working days.
737. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will report on the recent new regulations which will allow insurance companies to access drivers' penalty point information from the National Vehicle Driver File; his views that penalty points accruals are being comprehensively recorded and transferred to the NVDF; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6715/13]
View answerI signed a Commencement Order on 21st December 2012 to commence Section 53(3) (c) of the Road Traffic Act 2010. That section of the Act places the supply of data on penalty points to the insurance industry on a legal footing. The new measure will give insurance companies reliable and up-to-date information from my Department's National Vehicle Driver File (NVDF) on serious offences which have incurred penalty points. As the Deputy maybe aware, insurance companies already have access to the NVDF to verify the number of penalty points incurred by individual drivers. Now, they will be able to determine whether an offence involved drink driving, speeding, using a mobile phone, or any of the 13 specific categories of serious offence.
There are currently 2.67 million licensed drivers in Ireland of whom 487,000 have penalty points applied to their licence records. The new system will be implemented across the motor insurance sector on a phased basis over the next few months. The information will not be available to the general public and the arrangement is subject to strict data protection controls. Penalty points data for endorsement on the NVDF as required by Section 2 of the Road Traffic Act 2002 derives from two sources An Garda Síochána and the Courts Service. While it is a matter for both bodies to satisfy themselves that all the details necessary for the endorsement of penalty points on the NVDF are recorded by them prior to transfer, my Department is satisfied that where such details are transferred, the appropriate number of penalty points are endorsed on the NVDF.
738. Deputy Seán Kenny asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of revenue generated for the Exchequer through the toll plazas in each of the past four years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6825/13]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. The planning, design and implementation of individual road projects is a matter for the National Roads Authority (NRA) under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2007 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. In addition, the statutory power to levy tolls on national roads, to make toll bye-laws and to enter into toll agreements with private investors in respect of national roads is vested in the NRA under Part V of the Roads Act 1993 (as amended by the Planning and Development Act 2000 and the Roads Act 2007). Noting the above position, I have referred the Deputy’s question to the NRA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you don’t receive a reply within 10 working days
739. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if any comprehensive or economic impact assessment of 2012's Emerald Isle Classic Notre Dame Vs Navy American Football game in the Aviva Stadium, Dublin, the kick-off event of The Gathering, has been commissioned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6837/13]
View answerThe matter raised is an operational matter for Fáilte Ireland. I have referred the Deputy's question to Fáilte Ireland for direct reply. Please contact my private office if a reply is not received within ten working days.
