Written Answers Nos. 56 to 66
57. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the measures she will take to address the deficiencies in social work provision in Health Service Executive North Lee area; her plans to implement the recommendations arising from the Ombudsman for Children's Investigation of April 2013; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32594/13]
View answerThe Ombudsman investigation arose from a complaint submitted by a social work staff member from the North Lee social work team which related to the level of referrals received by the duty team and the difficulties in responding to this, specifically referrals regarding child welfare and protection. A number of serious concerns were raised throughout the report and in its conclusions. The HSE was given an opportunity to respond to the Ombudsman’s report, and those responses are reflected throughout, including in the recommendations section. The HSE indicated they were firmly of the view that at no time either previously or currently has there been Immediate or Priority 1 cases left unattended to, and that at all times these cases are receiving a service and depending on their ranking will either receive a service within 24 hours or within 7 days. In relation to Priority 2 cases, HSE South advised that the necessary network checks are completed when there is capacity within the team to deal with same. At no time are these cases left unscreened as review has taken place by the Team Leader. In relation to screening of duty referrals the HSE advised the Ombudsman that all referrals received are recorded by a Social Worker, the intake record is completed and more clarifying information is sought if possible from the Garda, other HSE personnel/agencies or the referrer. Any case that warrants immediate attention is discussed immediately with the Team Leader or any on site manager. Overall, HSE National concluded that the area was aware and taking steps to address the issues raised. A decision was made to keep the area under review which occurs at senior management meetings with the National Director and Regional Managers. It should be noted that the level of social work service required will vary greatly, depending on the circumstances of each case, and this can put a high degree of pressure on the overall social work resource.
The Ombudsman made recommendations in respect of external audit, monitoring of referrals and review of unallocated cases, HSE procedure for management and assurance of child protection cases by file audit, clarification of child protection procedures, social work caseload, public accountability and recording of professional activity. HSE responses to these recommendations include:
- During the course of the Ombudsman investigation, the HIQA commenced its inspection of child protection services. The North Lee area fully co-operated with a targeted HIQA inspection, and a report of this inspection is awaited;
- A review of cases in North Lee is under way as recommended by the Ombudsman;
- Referral levels and resource capacity are to be reviewed on a monthly basis;
- A national audit of cases in social work services has commenced;
- Practice guidance has been clarified in the HSE’s Child Welfare and Protection Practice Handbook;
- The HSE is actively monitoring areas where there are growing caseloads and waiting lists in order that these areas can be supported;
- Progress continues to be made in respect of the National Childcare Information System going live next year.
More generally, reform of the social work service is an ongoing priority process within HSE Children and Families, and this will continue when the new Child and Family Agency is established. Work is under way to ensure that all areas work to a national policy on review of cases awaiting allocation. Where immediate actions are needed to safeguard a child the duty social work team provide the service. For instance where a child needs to come into care, or where an assessment is deemed a priority or a case conference is required, the duty social work team undertake this work. The HSE has rolled out the Standardised Business Process and is bedding it down across the 17 areas to make sure services are provided on the basis of a consistent assessment and categorisation of risk. The recently commenced inspection of child protection services by HIQA will assist in the identification of areas where improvement is required and in time will support safer systems for children at risk. It is important to note, as has been highlighted in other reports, the number of referrals in respect of welfare has increased substantially in recent years. What has also been highlighted is the challenge of understanding fully and responding to welfare concerns underneath which may lie more serious neglect issues. What is critical is the support of those reporting concerns to give as much information as is possible to ensure a 'complete' picture and to ensure that the persistence and ongoing nature of concerns is clear to the HSE. If this is highlighted quickly where necessary the child's case can be escalated to the appropriate level of priority. The new prioritisation system provides not only assignment to a priority category on intake of a referral, but a review of individual prioritisation by Principal Social Workers on an ongoing basis, as well as an overall assessment of numbers and levels of prioritisation across the area and across the country to ensure consistency of approach and to identify areas of high pressure. The Ombudsman for Children’s report is important, and once again a range of service delivery issues have been highlighted. Improvements to the social work services, and integration of these services with a range of other child and family services, continue to be a high priority for the CEO designate of the Child and Family Agency, Mr. Gordon Jeyes, and his senior management team.
58. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will outline the status of military attachés to foreign embassies and Governments here, either on a resident or non-resident basis; if he will outline in tabular form the current list of nations that have military attachés here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32630/13]
View answerMembers of diplomatic missions to Ireland are appointed in accordance with the terms of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961, as given effect in Irish law by the Diplomatic Relations and Immunities Act 1967, as amended. Article 7 of the Convention makes provision for the sending state to freely appoint the members of the staff of the mission, but provides that in the case of military, naval or air attachés, the receiving state may require their names to be submitted beforehand, for its approval. Our practice is to require that the names of military, naval or air attachés be submitted for prior approval, which is done through diplomatic channels. Military, naval or air attachés are regarded as members of the diplomatic staff of the mission to which they are accredited and are accorded the appropriate privileges and immunities under the Vienna Convention. A table of the states with accredited Defence Attachés is provided below.
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Country |
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Algeria |
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Argentina |
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Australia |
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Austria |
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Botswana |
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Canada |
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Chile |
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Croatia |
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Finland |
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France |
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Georgia |
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Germany |
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Greece |
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Hungary |
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Israel |
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Italy |
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Mexico |
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Nigeria |
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Norway |
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Pakistan |
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Russian Federation |
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Saudi Arabia |
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Slovak Republic |
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Slovenia |
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Spain |
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Sweden |
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Switzerland |
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The Netherlands |
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Turkey |
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Ukraine |
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United Kingdom |
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United States of America |
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Zambia |
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Zimbabwe |
59. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the current expected and waiting times for all the various forms of applying for a passport, including the Passport Express Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32628/13]
View answerPassport demand in Ireland is seasonal. Almost 50% of all passport applications are received in the four months April–July. Currently the passport service is receiving almost 19,000 applications a week. This contrasts with 8,000 applications per week in December. For this reason, as we advise applicants on the information note accompanying the form and our website, during the peak summer period application processing times for this service can lengthen. Due to the present surge in demand, the turnaround time for passport express applications received through the Passport Express system is currently running between 11 and 12 working days, rather than the normal 10 working days. Measures have been taken to return current turnaround times back to standard service levels at the earliest opportunity. The Passport Service regrets the delay and any difficulties caused in this regard. For those who have non-emergency urgent travel, the Passport Service now operates an appointment system and extended opening hours in our Molesworth St office. People can also attend our Cork public office. It should be noted however that the minimum turn-around time for a passport is 3 working days.
Approximately 20% of applications submitted to the public counter are processed in less than 5 working days as these passports are required for non-emergency urgent travel. Non urgent applications received at the public counter are processed in 15 days and first time adult applicants, which require more stringent checking, and who apply at the counter have a 20 day turnaround.
60. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will publish a copy of the letter he recently sent to the United States Secretary of State, Mr. John Kerry, regarding immigration reform in the United States; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32649/13]
View answerThe welfare of the Irish abroad is a priority for the Government and I have raised the issue of immigration reform with Secretary of State Kerry in person and most recently in a letter where I set out Ireland’s concerns relating specifically to proposed amendments to the J1 visa and the renewal of Ireland’s working holiday agreement with the United States. In my letter, I expressed concerns that certain provisions of the US Senate’s bill on immigration reform could have the inadvertent consequence of severely restricting the operation of the J1 summer programme. I noted the significant level of Irish participation in the J1 programme and asked for the Secretary’s assistance in resolving these concerns. I also raised the issue of the Ireland-US Intern Work and Travel Pilot Programme, which is due for renewal later this year and which is the subject of ongoing discussions at official level. Secretary Kerry and I had discussed the renewal of the programme during my St. Patrick’s Day visit to Washington DC. I am pleased that the Bill passed last week by the Senate has resolved issues surrounding the future operation of the J1 summer programme. I do not propose to publish a full copy of my correspondence with Secretary of State Kerry.
61. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he believes that there is significant overlap in the Foreign Affairs Council and the General Affairs Council in the European Council; if he further believes they should be merged into one council; if he will outline the proposed reforms Ireland intends to put forward in the future in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32652/13]
View answerIt will be recalled that under the terms of the EU Treaties prior to the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, the functions of the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) and the General Affairs Council (GAC) were combined in one formation of the Council of the European Union, the General Affairs and External Relations Council. The provisions of the Treaty of Lisbon, which entered into force on 1 December 2009, separated out these distinct functions to constitute the two separate formations of the Council which exist today – the Foreign Affairs Council and the General Affairs Council. The Treaty on European Union (Article 16) confers on the GAC two primary functions: first, to "ensure consistency in the work of the different Council configurations"; and to “prepare and ensure the follow-up to meetings of the European Council”. The GAC thus has a cross-cutting coordination role among the various formations of the Council and it endeavours to do this, most evidently, through its role in preparing for and ensuring the follow-up to meetings of the European Council. The GAC is chaired by the rotating Presidency, which over the last six months, has been undertaken by the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. Article 16 in the Treaty on European Union separately confers on the FAC two primary functions: first, to "elaborate the Union’s external action on the basis of strategic guidelines laid down by the European Council"; and to "ensure that the Union’s action is consistent".
The FAC deals with the EU's external action, including common foreign and security policy, development cooperation and trade. It is tasked with framing the Union’s common foreign and security policy and it takes the decisions necessary to define and implement it on the basis of guidance from Heads of State or Government. The FAC, along with its chair the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, is also tasked under the Treaties with ensuring the unity, consistency and effectiveness of action by the Union. The FAC and GAC formations of the Council each undertake substantive and distinct bodies of work. The only overlap of note that occurs between the two relates primarily to the GAC’s role in preparing the work of the European Council, which by definition draws upon and engages with the work of many other Council formations, including that of the FAC. I am happy with the current division of functions, as set out in the Treaties.
62. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will detail the names of resolutions and the dates that Ireland has voted for and against at the United Nations General Assembly from 2011 to the present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32653/13]
View answerThe information sought by the Deputy calls for very substantial and detailed research. It will not unfortunately be possible to provide this information within the time available. I should say that officials from my Department would be happy to meet with the Deputy, when convenient, to discuss these and other questions he has asked relating to Ireland’s membership of the United Nations.
63. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Ireland's current strategy on overseas aid; and if Ireland's commitment to overseas aid until 2015 will be met. [32691/13]
View answerThe Government remains committed to Ireland’s overseas aid programme. Our new Policy on International Development, “One World, One Future”, clearly sets out our vision for a sustainable and just world, and our goals and areas of focus for the coming years. It reaffirms the Government’s commitment to international development and its centrality to our foreign policy. The new policy restates the commitment in the Programme for Government to achieving the UN target of providing 0.7% of Gross National Product (GNP) for Official Development Assistance (ODA) when economic circumstances permit. Over the past two years, the Government has broadly stabilised the budget for development assistance. This is a significant achievement in the context of the very difficult conditions facing the country. For 2013 we have allocated a total of €622 million for ODA. Of this €497 million is managed by my Department under Vote 27 - International Cooperation. The remainder is made up of ODA eligible contributions from other Government Departments and Ireland’s share of the EU Development Cooperation Budget.
64. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the establishment of a United Nations parliamentary assembly to scrutinise the work of the UN; if established, the way he envisages Ireland's participation in the parliamentary assembly; if he will detail Ireland's position, stance and contribution to the establishment of such an assembly to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32706/13]
View answerIreland is steadfastly committed to the United Nations and the principles and values of the UN Charter. As a strong supporter of the United Nations, we engage actively in discussions and actions at UN level to promote reform of the Organization across a range of priority areas. In the context of this wider engagement on UN reform, proposals which aim to improve the effectiveness of the UN and the contribution it makes to global governance are of interest. I have noted in this regard proposals for the establishment of a UN Parliamentary Assembly. As such ideas are still at an early stage of development and consideration, it would be premature to offer detailed views at this time.
65. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of projects that were approved for funding by his Department conditional on a bond being produced from a builder; the amount of the default by builders where such bonds were in place; the amount recovered through the use of bonds in such cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32720/13]
View answerThe premises occupied by my Department within the State are owned by or leased through the Office of Public Works which normally leads on the procurement for any necessary refurbishment or maintenance projects. Accordingly, the Department has not approved funding for projects within the State conditional on a bond being provided and consequently no defaults occurred nor were any amounts recovered through the use of such bonds. For works abroad, my Department acts in accordance with expert advice on local practice in the matter. A type of bond was put in place in respect of two projects in The Hague. These are the subject of ongoing litigation following non-completion of works by contractors.
66. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the engagements he had in Zagreb, Croatia, to mark the celebration of Croatia's accession to the European Union on 30 June 2013; if he will detail other engagements he had in Croatia to mark the occasion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32741/13]
View answerI was honoured to attend the accession celebrations in Zagreb, representing both the outgoing EU Presidency and Ireland, as we welcomed Croatia as the 28th member state of the European Union. The official programme was organised by the Croatian government. In addition to attending the official dinner hosted by H.E. Mr Ivo Josipovi, President of the Republic of Croatia and H.E. Mr Zoran Milanovi, Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, I also participated in the official ceremony in central Zagreb, speaking just before midnight on behalf of the outgoing Irish Presidency. The other speakers at this event were the Croatian President, Mr Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, Ms Dalia Grybauskaite, President of Lithuania representing the incoming EU Presidency, Mr Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, and Mr Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament. The Irish Presidency prioritised the area of enlargement, which we see as a vital tool for promoting peace, democracy and prosperity in Europe. Croatia's accession is testament to this, and Croatia will be an inspiration for its neighbours in the region.
