Seán Ó Fearghaíl
Question:249. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Health the estimated annual average cost of a medical card; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41731/13]
View answerMedical Card Data
Questions (249)
Written answers
The HSE has indicated that, given the large number of medical card holders, the variety of payment arrangements and the variation in drug costs, a single average annual cost figure in respect of the medical card is not a sufficiently refined measure for analysis.
Questions Nos. 250 and 251 answered with Question No. 232.
HSE Properties
Questions (252)
Patrick Nulty
Question:252. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Health his plans for the Health Service Executive owned site (details supplied) in Dublin 8; if the HSE will ensure that the site is properly maintained; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41779/13]
View answerWritten answers
Management of the healthcare property portfolio is a service matter. Therefore your question has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
Road Projects Status
Questions (253)
Seamus Kirk
Question:253. Deputy Seamus Kirk asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding the Narrow Water Bridge project in view of its symbolic and economic benefit to the north east; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41647/13]
View answerWritten answers
The 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 each local authority. The application for INTERREG IVA funding by Louth County Council and its partners was for €17.4m. This amount was approved by the SEUPB. Financial contributions were sought from my Department and the Northern Ireland Department of Finance & Personnel on the basis of this figure, with any balance to be funded by Louth County Council. The funding which was to be provided by my Department for the Narrow Water Bridge Project represented a significant commitment given the current financial circumstances and the fact that the project did not perform well in cost benefit analyses from a transport perspective.
On 9th July Louth County Council released a statement indicating that the tenders received ranged from €26m to €40m plus VAT which was substantially above the allocated budget for the project and leaving the Council with a substantial funding shortfall. The Council also stated that while they would try to see if the shortfall could be filled through any combination of additional funding and cost reductions the project had been put on hold. Unfortunately, on the basis of the tender prices received, the cost of the project is well beyond that projected and bridging the shortfall is very difficult. Furthermore the increased cost of the project now has significantly reduced the Benefit to Cost Ratio associated with this project.
I understand that the Special EU Programmes Body has been in discussion with Louth County Council and its project partners in relation to the financial viability and deliverability of the scheme. This is to be expected given the scale of the cost increase. It is a matter for the SEUPB, taking account of its responsibilities in relation to the allocation of INTERREG IVA funding, to assess the position and satisfy itself as to the deliverability of the project. As part of this process SEUPB sought clarifications and additional information from the project partners which it is now assessing. No formal proposal has been made by Louth County Council to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport on increasing the Department’s funding contribution. Due to budget cut backs the Department for Transport, Tourism and Sport has had to curtail investment on major new / improvement projects in recent times to focus available funds on necessary maintenance and repair work and based on the current estimates. As the Deputy will be aware, there is scheduled to be a further reduction of in excess of €50m in the 2014 budget for Regional and Local Roads. It is from this budget that any additional funds for the Narrow Water Bridge would have to come.
Notwithstanding this, I have previously stated that I would be willing to consider helping to make up some of the shortfall but only in the context that there would be significant additional contributions from other parties including the Northern Ireland Executive. As I understand it to date such a package of funding has not been put together. The SEUPB is currently in discussions with Louth County Council and its project partners in relation to the financial viability and deliverability of the scheme. It should be noted that there are other transport related projects with a cross-border dimension that could be consider for any unallocated INTERREG funding including improvements to the North-South railway.
Tourism Industry Issues
Questions (254)
Michael McCarthy
Question:254. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if it is the intention of Bord Fáilte to close down the tourist information office at a location (details supplied); if there has there been any consultation with local interest groups regarding the proposed closure; and his views on the potential negative effect of this closure and the potential negative impact of this on the area and upcoming Gathering events. [41577/13]
View answerWritten answers
The matter raised is an operational matter for Fáilte Ireland. I have referred the Deputy's Question to Fáilte Ireland for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
Dublin Bus Services
Questions (255)
Thomas P. Broughan
Question:255. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if Dublin Bus has now completed its network direct programme or if there are plans to further change the network; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41666/13]
View answerWritten answers
This is an operational matter for Dublin Bus in conjunction with the National Transport Authority (NTA) and I have forwarded the Deputy's question to Dublin Bus and to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
Rail Services
Questions (256)
Thomas P. Broughan
Question:256. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of persons Iarnród Éireann has prosecuted for failure to have a valid train ticket in the years 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013; and the number of successful convictions obtained against those who have been found without a valid ticket. [41667/13]
View answerWritten answers
This is an operational matter for Iarnród Éireann and I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the company for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
Road Safety Issues
Questions (257)
Tom Fleming
Question:257. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will prioritise a new road realignment for the road between Killorglin and Miltown, County Kerry; if he will take into consideration the fact that there are a number of dangerous bends/junctions on this national secondary route and the fact that a number of serious accidents occurred on this particular stretch of road; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41690/13]
View answerWritten answers
As Minister for Transport, Tourism and 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. Within its capital budget, the assessment and prioritisation of individual projects is a matter in the first instance for the NRA in accordance with Section 19 of the Roads Act. Noting the above position, I have referred the Deputy’s question to the NRA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.