Written Answers Nos. 1101-1123
1101. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which her Department is in a position to focus on the issues affecting youth with particular reference to the mental and physical well-being of young people and the provision of adequate back-up facilities in respect of any particular areas of specific deficiency in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17591/13]
View answer1102. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the most predominant issues affecting young people which have been brought to her and/or her Department in the past two years; the means by which such issues have been conveyed to her; the extent to which she expects to be in a position to address these issues; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17592/13]
View answer1103. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which studies have been undertaken by her Department with a view to identification of the wide variety of issues confronting the youth of today; the level of importance she hopes to assign to such issues and the means by which she hopes to address them over a specific period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17593/13]
View answer1104. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the degree to which she and her Department have studied the various economic, social, educational or health issues that impact most seriously on today’s youth; if she has in mind a particular strategy to address any issues arising; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17594/13]
View answer1105. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the steps she will take to address issues of social or economic deprivation at school or in the workplace affecting today’s youth; if she will take specific steps to address issues of inequality and thereby economic recovery; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17595/13]
View answer1110. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the degree to which she maintains contact with the various youth organisations throughout the country with the view to offering support and identification of any specific inadequacies in services which might be beneficial to youth support services in general; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17600/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1101 to 1105, inclusive, and 1110 together.
Funding of €53.173m, including €1.75 for a new capital funding programme, has been provided to my Department in 2013 for the provision of youth services and programmes to young people throughout the country through a number of schemes.
These schemes include the Youth Service Grant Scheme, the Special Projects for Youth Scheme, the Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund Rounds 1 and 2, Local Drug Task Force projects and certain other provisions including the Local Youth Club Grant Scheme and Youth Information Centres. This funding supports the delivery of a range of youth work programmes and services for all young people, including those from disadvantaged communities, by the voluntary youth sector. There are some 1,400 youth work staff in 477 projects and over 40,000 volunteers involved in the provision of services and activities for young people.
Each year over 380,000 young people participate in youth services. Youth work and non-formal learning in its many programmes and activities; recreational, sporting, learning, volunteering and personal development, offers young people opportunities to acquire new competences and skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, resilience, motivation, creativity and leadership. These are core and transferable life skills; the 21st century skills that are so important to equip young people for the challenges in today’s world.
The role of research and consultations with youth sector interests and the young people themselves are central elements in my Department’s approach to the formulation of the youth policy services that are responsive to young peoples needs. My Department has commissioned a review of international best practice in the field of youth work to advance our understanding of the impact of youth services in the lives of children and young people. The study will inform a new Youth Policy Framework which is planned by my Department for later this year. The findings of the Growing Up In Ireland Study of my Department and other studies including EU studies have been significant in relation to providing information about children and young peoples experience of bullying and its impact on them.
The Action Plan on Bullying - produced by cross-sectoral working group on which my Department and the youth services were represented, contains a range of evidence based actions to support parents, young people, schools and community interests, in tackling this issue which can have a serious impact on young people. My Department will work closely with the Department of Education and Skills on the implementation of the Action Plan in supporting initiatives to raise awareness about the problem and implementing identified actions to tackle prejudice and promote a safer environment for our young people. The Youth Clubs funded by my Department are an important outlet for children and young people in this context. Their activities can help to build self esteem, increase confidence and strengthen friendships so that young people are better equipped to counter bullying behaviour.
The Youth Affairs Unit of my Department also provides funding towards the administration of the National Youth Health Programme. This programme is a partnership between my Department, the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) and the Health Service Executive. Funding of some €83,940 has been allocated to the programme in 2013 by my Department. The aim of the programme is to provide a broad-based, flexible health promotion/education support and training service to youth organisations and to all those working with young people in out-of-school settings. The programme has sought to develop the capacity of the sector and organisations to advocate on issues that affect young people and develop evidenced based resources and training to support that work. The advantage of this training is evident in the fact that Youth Work often acts as the first point of contact and referral in the interface with other youth-related services spanning the realms of care, health and welfare.
My Department works closely with the youth sector organisations to address the needs of children and young people. The National Youth Work Advisory Committee is an important source of advice and guidance to my Department in developing youth policy and initiatives. The committee is composed of a chairperson and 32 members drawn equally from the voluntary and statutory sectors involved in the administration and provision of youth work programmes and services. This committee advises my Department on matters relating to the development and coordination of youth work policies, programmes and services.
In addition, The Late Night League (LNL) Programme, for which my Department provides funding under the Young People's Facilities and Services Fund, is a diversionary programme incorporating soccer leagues at various locations across Dublin. It is aimed at encouraging at risk juveniles to participate in meaningful activities, thus reducing anti-social behaviour involving young people in the selected areas. It also provides a forum which promotes positive lifestyle choices away from problems such as homelessness. Open to young people aged 13-21, this diversionary programme takes place in disadvantaged areas during prime anti-social hours such as Friday nights. This initiative has proved to be very successful with teams from both the travelling and settled community participating and other diverse groups. The initiative is based around the concept of using football as a tool for social inclusion and learning.
There is a growing recognition in Ireland and across Europe of the significance of youth work in promoting young people’s development, health and well-being, enhancing their participation in education, training and employment and the potential youth work has, as part of wider strategies to respond to the challenges that arise. I am delighted to have hosted an EU Youth Conference in March 2013. This conference, organised by my Department in partnership with the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI), was the flagship event in the Irish Presidency Youth Programme and it was the culmination of the EU wide consultation with youth on the theme of social inclusion in which young people in all 27 Member States are currently participating. The seven thematic areas identified were;
Employment – employment leads to inclusion
Education – inclusive education for all young people
Participation – equal rights and equal opportunities to participate in civic life
Welfare – access to welfare
Support – social and youth services for young people
Youth organisations – youth organisations and social inclusion
Quality – assuring quality in youth work to ensure social inclusion
Young people and Ministry officials from the 27 Member States have jointly defined the 21 conclusions arising from the Conference. The conclusions from this Conference will be brought forward in the current trio cycle and will inform the Structured Dialogue components of the Lithuanian and Greek Presidencies, which will ultimately inform the development of a Council Resolution on Structured Dialogue at the end of this current Presidency Trio. This is a clear and compelling example of young people’s voices and vision directly informing youth policy.
I have met, and will continue to meet, with many youth organisations and groups to try and see how we can work together to minimise the impact of the savings required under the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure and to see how we can work together to ensure the most effective and efficient use of the resources available in order to continue to support the provision of quality youth services to young people.
1106. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which she and her Department, in the study of issues affecting children and young people generally, have identified issues such as poor attendance at primary school level and subsequent dropout of education as a cause for inability to effectively compete in the jobs market; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17596/13]
View answerMy Department is committed to evidence-based research and has a strong comprehensive research programme in place; this includes funded research and capacity building programmes, as well as a research infrastructure and dissemination programme. Flagship initiatives such as the Growing Up in Ireland Study are focused on securing good evidence on children’s and young people’s lives and outcomes, and should provide future opportunity to follow children’s lives from childhood to early adulthood and examine the factors that impact later outcomes.
The National Strategy for Research and Data on Children’s Lives 2011-2016 sets out a comprehensive action plan for research and data on children’s lives in Ireland and proposes a systematic, harmonised and coordinated approach across departments and agencies to achieve a better understanding of children’s lives including research actions so that children’s educational outcomes will be better understood.
School absenteeism is one of the strongest known risk factors associated with early school leaving and research confirms the enduring nature of the difficulties which arise from high levels of absenteeism and associated poor educational achievement.
There is a body of evidence on this from work carried out by the ESRI and others in the area of education research and early school leaving and its impact on access to employment and the risk of poverty. This evidence has informed a range of policy responses introduced by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, the Department of Education and Skills and others to promote school retention and support young people’s participation in education. The Department will explore areas for future research on issues related to youth employment in the context of the new Children’s and Young People’s Policy Framework, which is currently being developed by this Department.
Combating the issues underlying poor school attendance requires concerted action and close collaboration among schools, school support services and other stakeholders involved with children, young people and their families. My Department is committed to supporting the educational attainment of young people, in particular by targeting supports to young people from disadvantaged communities through a variety of formal and informal educational support services.
The National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB), which operates under the remit of my Department, has a mandate to ensure that ‘each child attends a recognised school or otherwise receives a certain minimum education’. The Board’s services, which include the Educational Welfare Service, the School Completion Programme and the Home School Community Liaison Scheme, operate within an integrated continuum of services to deliver a range of services from the universal and preventative activities up to more intensive interventions where required. The work of the Board is a key component of Delivering Equality of opportunity in Schools (DEIS), the Department of Education and Skills’ Action Plan for Educational Inclusion. The latest NEWB report of the Analysis of School Attendance Data shows that the percentage of student days lost through absence is running at just over 6% (or 11 school days per year) in primary schools and around 8% (or 13 school days per year) in post-primary schools. These figures continue to show a slight improvement in attendance over time since the introduction of this analysis by the NEWB.
While the overall improvement is to be welcomed the number of children who continue to miss school each day, in particular in areas of social and economic disadvantage, remains a concern. This is why we must maintain our focus and target resources effectively to secure further improvements in educational outcomes for children in at risk groups.
My Department’s youth work services and programmes also play an important role for young people who encounter difficulties with school attendance in that engagement in youth activities complements the formal learning in the school system. Each year over 380,000 young people participate in youth work services throughout the country. There is a growing recognition in Ireland and across Europe of the potential of youth work services to enhance learning and contribute to employability of young people and that it may have a particular role as part of a wider education, employment and enterprise strategy for those young people who are marginalised from more formalised systems of education and training. This priority theme is being explored further as part of the Ireland’s Youth Presidency Programme. I plan, as part of the Presidency programme, to host an expert round table event on quality youth work and its contribution to youth employment (20–21 June 2013, Kildare).
My Department continues to work closely with the Department of Education and Skills and other Government departments to ensure that policy is informed by the best available evidence and to ensure a consistent approach is taken to achieving our shared policy objectives for children and young peoples educational outcomes.
1107. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of incidents of child abuse of a physical, psychological or sexual nature reported in each of the past four years to date; the extent to which all such issues have been followed up in the context of resolution; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17597/13]
View answerThe HSE's Review of Adequacy of Children and Family Services for 2011, which is available to view on the HSE website, includes the following information in relation to the number of child protection concerns received in the period 2009 - 2011. The category of child protection includes physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and neglect.
2009: 12,013
2010: 12,825
2011: 15,818
The review also gives separate figures in relation to welfare referrals.
The Review of Adequacy in respect of 2012 is not yet available. However, Performance Monitoring Reports compiled by the HSE, and also available to view on its website, indicate that 14,391 referrals for child abuse were received in 2012.
Each referral received by the HSE is assessed and progressed on an individual basis by the relevant social work team. Preliminary screening is aimed at establishing the appropriateness of the referral to HSE Children and Family services and if necessary is followed by an initial assessment of the nature and degree of any harm and an assessment of the child's needs.
1108. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she is satisfied regarding the adequacy of the resources available to her Department to combat issues such as child abuse and various forms of bullying including electronic or social media; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17598/13]
View answerMy Department was set up to drive the delivery of key commitments in relation to children and young people and to put in place a unified framework of policy, legislation and provision across Government in respect of children and young people.
The 2013 estimate includes an allocation of €443m for my Department which represents an increase of €16m over the 2012 allocation and this clearly demonstrates the continuing commitment of this Government to the ongoing development of quality and effective services to support children and families.
As regards service delivery, the commitment to establish a new Child and Family Support Agency is at the heart of the Government's reform of child and family services. The new Agency will assume responsibility for Children and Family Services, currently provided by the HSE, and the Family Support Agency. It will have a workforce of approximately 4,000 staff, and a combined existing budget of over €590 million. The Agency will be headed by Gordon Jeyes, as the Chief Executive designate, who will be supported by a senior management team.
In order to achieve genuine improvements for children and families, the Agency will have a broader focus than child protection. Prevention, early intervention, family support and therapeutic & care interventions are all key to the provision of integrated multi-disciplinary services for children and families based on identified need.
It is my intention that the new Agency will address the persistent issues which have been raised regarding the standardisation of services, communication, coordination and sharing of risk assessment, management and treatment for many of the children and families with the most complex needs. At the same time, the Agency will have a role in supporting families - providing less complex, less intrusive and less expensive responses which have a preventive function.
The new Child and Family Support Agency and the wider transformation of children's services represents one of the largest, and most ambitious, areas of public sector of reform embarked upon by this Government.
In relation to the specific issue of bullying raised by the Deputy, the Action Plan on Bullying - produced by cross-sectoral working group on which my Department was represented, contains a range of evidence based actions to support parents, young people, schools and community interests, in tackling this issue which can have a serious impact on young people. My Department will work closely with the Department of Education and Skills on the implementation of the Action Plan and is undertaking a series of initiatives to raise awareness about the problem and the measures to be taken to tackle prejudice and promote a safer environment for our young people.
1109. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs arising from any specific weaknesses identified by her Department in respect of child support services, the action she has taken or proposes to take to address such issues; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17599/13]
View answerIt is clear from the wide range of investigation reports over many years which examined cases where children were not adequately protected, that there have been many failures of the past. In response to these failings, I am committed to the establishment of a new Child and Family Agency.
It is my intention that the new Agency will address the persistent issues which have been raised regarding the standardisation of services, communication, coordination and sharing of risk assessment, management and treatment for many of the children and families with the most complex needs. At the same time, the Agency will have a role in supporting families more universally - providing less complex, less intrusive, less expensive responses which have a preventive function.
The Agency will function on a stand alone basis with strengthened governance and management arrangements. Accountability and transparency will be a key feature at the planning and performance management frameworks to be introduced in the legislation.
The success of the Agency will depend on the right legislative framework, the right leadership and the right planning for the change. That is why adequate time has to be taken. It is clear that all of these requisites are the focus of intense activity by my officials, the HSE and Child and Families management within the HSE.
I am confident that these arrangements will provide a robust framework to fully implement the ambitious agenda for children’s service reform.
1111. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health if he has identified the specific sections of the Health Service Executive where employees can apply for the planned new targeted voluntary redundancy scheme; when he expects the scheme to open for applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16069/13]
View answerThe Government has decided that the numbers employed across the public service must be reduced, in order to meet fiscal and budgetary targets. The health sector must make its contribution to that reduction. This policy requires that by the end of 2013, the health service achieves a workforce of 98,955 whole-time equivalents (WTEs).
Work is being undertaken at present by my Department, in conjunction with the HSE, to develop a series of targeted measures which will facilitate the achievement of the necessary net reductions in health service staff numbers, while at the same time ensuring that the service levels and other objectives provided for in the HSE's National Service Plan 2013 are delivered upon. These measures include an Incentivised Career Break Scheme and a targeted Voluntary Redundancy Scheme.
These schemes will be among the tools available to the HSE to assist in achieving the reductions required. It will be a matter for the HSE to determine the specific locations, units, services etc. to be targeted while ensuring that front-line service delivery is minimised.
I expect that the schemes will be made available on a phased basis in the coming weeks.
1112. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health the procedures that apply whereby existing Health Service Executive employees may wish to be considered for a transfer to other parts of the public service where opportunities arise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16070/13]
View answerThe Public Service Agreement 2010 - 2014 provides for the implementation of effective staff redeployment arrangements both within the Public Service and across the sectors. The HSE has been asked to respond directly to the Deputy in relation to the procedures applicable in the HSE for such redeployment.
1113. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he expressed reservations with regard to new international legal instruments dedicated to the human rights of older persons, to the UN Economic and Social Council, Economic Commission for Europe Working Group on Ageing in Geneva last November; the reason for such reservations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16139/13]
View answerIt is my view that older people in Ireland and elsewhere benefit from the protections afforded by the existing range of international human rights standards and principles and current human rights instruments address many of the issues of particular relevance to older people such as, for example, protection from discrimination and abuse and access to health and social protection systems. However, the challenges faced by some older people are acknowledged. While many of the challenges might be described as human rights issues and while gaps in protections for older people have been identified, older people worldwide are not a homogenous group and discussions need to continue to identify existing implementation gaps. I believe that it is in our best interests to continue to concentrate effort on effective implementation of existing instruments and make better use of existing mechanisms for monitoring and appraisal of the situation of older people in society.
The Deputy may wish to note the General Assembly resolution 67/139 of 13 February 2013, entitled "Towards a comprehensive and integral international legal instrument to promote and protect the rights and dignity of older persons" in which the open-ended working group on ageing is mandated starting from its upcoming fourth session to be held in 2013, to consider proposals for an international legal instrument to promote and protect the rights and dignity of older persons. I would like to assure the Deputy that the challenges and opportunities associated with ageing will continue to be given a priority by the Government and my Department will work with colleagues in other Government Departments and in appropriate international fora to ensure continued effective and constructive collaboration in relation to the situation of older people in society.
1114. Deputy Heather Humphreys asked the Minister for Health the proposals that are under consideration to address the problem of below cost selling of alcohol; if he will provide an update on progress made to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16563/13]
View answer1197. Deputy Heather Humphreys asked the Minister for Health the progress that has been made to date in addressing the problem of the below cost selling of alcohol; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16562/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1114 and 1197 together.
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that real and tangible proposals are currently being finalised on foot of the recommendations in the National Substance Misuse Strategy report. These proposals cover all of the areas mentioned in the report, including legislation on minimum unit pricing which is about setting a statutory floor price per gram of alcohol.
The Cabinet Committee on Social Policy has considered these proposals and I intend to bring forward specific proposals for consideration by Government as soon as possible.
In the meantime, work on developing a framework for the necessary Department of Health legislation is continuing. For example, in conjunction with Northern Ireland, a health impact assessment is being commissioned as part of the process of developing a legislative basis for minimum unit pricing. (Scotland commissioned the same sort of assessment before it drafted its legislation on minimum unit pricing.) The health impact assessment will study the impact of different minimum prices on a range of areas such as health, crime and likely economic impact.
1115. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the amount of funding provided by the Health Service Executive to bodies working in the area of homelessness in each year for 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and the amounts projected for 2013 subdivided into HSE area; and if expended on social inclusion children and families or other objectives. [17346/13]
View answerThe Department of Environment, Community and Local Government and local authorities have statutory responsibility for the provision of homelessness services in Ireland in line with the National Homeless Strategy, ''The Way Home 2008-2013' and 'Pathway to Home'.
Local authorities identify and address the level of need through a range of community based accommodation options and related housing supports, and the HSE and its partner agencies arrange health and personal social care supports appropriate to the individual service user's needs within this structure.
The allocation of the HSE's homeless budget comes within the remit of the HSE and is allocated based on identified needs in line with the overall financial constraints that the HSE operates within.
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.
1116. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health if all the 150 additional posts for the child and adolescent mental health teams in 2012 have been filled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17761/13]
View answer1302. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 679 of 16 October 2012, the number of the 150 posts promised for child and adolescent mental health services that are now in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17321/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1116 and 1302 together.
Progress on the recruitment of the 150 posts for Child and Adolescent Community Mental Health Teams approved in 2012 is continuing. I understand that 109 of these posts have either been filled or have a start date over the next few weeks and that the recruitment of the remainder of these new posts is being given priority within the HSE. I will continue to closely monitor implementation of this important initiative over the coming months.
1117. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health if he will consider requesting that the Health Service Executive to extend the clinic opening hours for the donation of blood platelet donations to cover at least one weekend per calendar month in view of the fact that the current arrangements make it very difficult for potential donators to attend on a regular basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15978/13]
View answerThe Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) remit is to provide a safe and reliable blood service to the Irish health system. Blood, and the products derived from it, are an integral facet of health care delivery. A major objective of the organisation is to ensure that it always has the necessary programmes and procedures in place to protect both the donors of blood and recipients of blood and blood products.
I have been informed by the IBTS that their current collection model for platelets is meeting demand. They have no plans at this time to open weekend platelet collection clinics but this matter is under constant review.
1118. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the reason for the lack of follow through on his commitment to SOUND that a report would be put to Government proposing a range of supports for sufferers of narcolepsy as a result of vaccination with Pandemrix prior to Summer recess 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16024/13]
View answer1119. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm that he still intends to progress the report to Government proposing a range of supports for sufferers of narcolepsy as a result of vaccination with Pandemrix, if he will provide a definite time frame for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16025/13]
View answer1120. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the reason that he has yet to meet with SOUND sufferers of unique narcolepsy disorder in view of (details supplied) [16026/13]
View answer1121. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a comprehensive response to the HSPC report investigation of an increase in the incidence of narcolepsy in children and adolescents in 2009 and 2010; if he will list the full package of life long supports that the victims may expect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16027/13]
View answer1122. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he understands the suffering the victims of Pandemrix and their families have been through for the past three years and that the families need an urgent detailed update as to where the report to Government detailing supports to be put in place is; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16028/13]
View answer1123. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health in the event that the progress of the report proposing supports to sufferers of narcolepsy as a result of vaccination with Pandemrix has stalled, if he will disclose the roadblocks he has encountered; the way he intends to deal with them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16029/13]
View answer1151. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Health if a package of supports has been drawn up by his Department or the Health Service Executive for families affected by unique narcolepsy disorder as a result of receiving a vaccination and on the back of a report published on 19 April 2012 acknowledging the casual links between the vaccination and narcolepsy; the reason for the delay in providing this package of supports when families had originally been told that they would be in place by July 2012, and then October 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16272/13]
View answer1173. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health the progress that has been made to date on the matter of supports for those children and adolescents suffering with narcolepsy and additional medical complications following vaccination with Pandemrix which was to be submitted prior to the summer recess of Dáil Éireann and again in September and October; if, as outlined in his response of that date, this matter has been given priority by his Department and the Health Service Executive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16399/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1118 to 1123, inclusive, 1151 and 1173 together.
My priority is to ensure that children/adolescents affected by narcolepsy, with symptom onset post pandemic vaccination are provided with a range of services and supports to meet their health needs. The Health Service Executive has responsibility for health service delivery and at my request the HSE developed a range of appropriate services and supports to address the needs of this group. Together, the HSE and the Department of Education and Skills provide a very comprehensive range of services and supports to those affected.
These supports and services include access to rapid diagnosis, clear treatment pathways, temporary medical cards and reimbursement of expenses incurred. This includes expenses for counselling services for individuals and also for families of children affected by narcolepsy following pandemic vaccination, in cases where such services are not already available through the HSE. Multi-disciplinary assessments which allow for the appropriate individualised health and educational supports to be put in place are ongoing. The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) is also engaging with the HSE and with the individual schools and parents of children concerned to identify and provide educational supports for the children and adolescents affected.
The HSE's advocacy unit is in regular contact with the support group SOUND and last met representatives of the group on 28 February 2013. Through regional co-ordinators the HSE also has frequent contact with individual members of SOUND and recently held an information day to ensure those affected were fully aware of all of the services available. My Department is considering all possible supports which may need to be put in place for those affected by Narcolepsy following pandemic vaccination. I would like to assure the Deputy that this matter continues to be a priority for my Department. A further meeting with representatives from the support group will be arranged when the matter has been concluded.
