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Thursday, 17 Oct 2013

Written Answers Nos. 186-195

Disadvantaged Areas Scheme Applications

Questions (186)

Heather Humphreys

Question:

186. Deputy Heather Humphreys asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan will receive their disadvantaged area payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44069/13]

View answer

Written answers

Payments under the 2013 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme commenced, on schedule, on 25 September and, to date, payments worth €169 million have issued nationally, to some 80,115 applicants, with payments continuing to issue on a twice weekly basis, with individual cases being paid as they are confirmed eligible. As processing of the 2013 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme application of the person named has recently been finalised, payment will shortly issue, directly to the nominated bank account of the person named.

Disadvantaged Areas Scheme Applications

Questions (187)

Heather Humphreys

Question:

187. Deputy Heather Humphreys asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan will receive their disadvantaged area payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44070/13]

View answer

Written answers

Payments under the 2013 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme commenced, on schedule, on 25 September and, to date, payments worth €169 million have issued nationally, to some 80,115 applicants, with payments continuing to issue on a twice weekly basis, with individual cases being paid as they are confirmed eligible. As processing of the 2013 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme application of the person named has recently been finalised, payment will shortly issue, directly to the nominated bank account of the person named.

Disadvantaged Areas Scheme Applications

Questions (188)

Heather Humphreys

Question:

188. Deputy Heather Humphreys asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan will receive their disadvantaged area payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44071/13]

View answer

Written answers

Payments under the 2013 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme commenced, on schedule, on 25 September and, to date, payments worth €169 million have issued nationally, to some 80,115 applicants, with payments continuing to issue on a twice weekly basis, with individual cases being paid as they are confirmed eligible. As processing of the 2013 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme application of the person named has recently been finalised, payment will shortly issue, directly to the nominated bank account of the person named.

Disadvantaged Areas Scheme Applications

Questions (189)

Brendan Griffin

Question:

189. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a disadvantaged area scheme/area aid payment will be made in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44078/13]

View answer

Written answers

While an application under the 2013 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on 22 April 2013, payment has not yet issued as the holding has not yet satisfied the Scheme minimum stocking density requirements.

Applicants are required to maintain 0.15 livestock units for a minimum retention period of seven consecutive months, in addition to maintaining an annual average of 0.15 livestock units calculated over the 12 months of the scheme year. Livestock must be owned, possessed, held and maintained by the person named in order to meet the minimum stocking level. While the person named had livestock on the holding for feeding purposes, as these animals were in the ownership of another farmer, they cannot be counted for stocking purpose on the application of the person named under the Terms and Conditions of the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme.

Early Child Care Education Issues

Questions (190)

Terence Flanagan

Question:

190. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the timeline for publication for the early years strategy which is currently being prepared by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43947/13]

View answer

Written answers

The Early Years Strategy which is one of three, more detailed strategies under the high-level Children and Young People's Policy Framework is currently being developed by my Department.

Following my announcement that I would lead the preparation of Ireland's first Early Years Strategy, I appointed an Expert Advisory Group, chaired by Dr. Eilis Hennessy of UCD to advise my Department and I on recommendations for inclusion in the Strategy. The work of this group has now been concluded and their comprehensive report, entitled 'Right from the Start' was presented to me last week. The next step will be consultation on the recommendations in the report, which will take place over the next two months. I expect the Strategy to be brought to Government before the end of the year.

Foster Care Supports

Questions (191)

Róisín Shortall

Question:

191. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the rates for foster payments that will apply in 2014. [43982/13]

View answer

Written answers

Decisions in relation to foster care rates for 2014 have not yet been taken. My Office is currently liaising with the Department of Finance regarding the rates of the Foster Care Allowance to apply.

Alcohol Pricing

Questions (192)

Brendan Smith

Question:

192. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health his plans to ban below cost selling of alcohol; if legislation is required or if an order will be made to that effect under current legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44036/13]

View answer

Written answers

Proposals are currently being finalised on foot of the recommendations in the Steering Group Report on a National Substance Misuse Strategy 2012. These proposals cover all of the areas mentioned in the report, including measures on access and availability of alcohol; controls on alcohol advertising and sponsorship; labelling of alcohol products, and legislation on minimum unit pricing. The Cabinet Committee on Social Policy has considered these proposals and it is intended to bring forward a finalised package of proposals for consideration by Government shortly. In the meantime, work on developing a framework for the necessary Department of Health legislation is continuing.

Minimum unit pricing is a mechanism of imposing a statutory floor in price levels per gram of alcohol that must be legally observed by retailers in both the on and off trade sector. A health impact assessment, in conjunction with Northern Ireland, is being commissioned as part of the process of developing a legislative basis for minimum unit pricing. The assessment will study the impact of different minimum prices on a range of areas such as health, crime and likely economic impact.

The provision of such a price measure for alcohol - as opposed to fiscal measures - is aimed chiefly at preventing the sale of alcohol at very cheap prices. A minimum pricing regime is a proportional policy exigency that allows the State to engage another parameter to deal with managing the supply of alcohol for the purpose of preventing its misuse. It is a policy aimed at those who drink in a harmful and hazardous manner.

Medical Card Data

Questions (193)

Billy Kelleher

Question:

193. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will supply in tabular form, the number of discretionary medical cards in each local health area at the end of 2010, 2011 and 2012; and the most recent figures for same [43890/13]

View answer

Written answers

The information sought by the Deputy 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.

Medical Card Data

Questions (194)

Billy Kelleher

Question:

194. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will provide in tabular form, according to local health area the number of medical cards discontinued as a result of the Budget 2013 changes implemented in the Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) Act 2013 [43891/13]

View answer

Written answers

The information sought by the Deputy 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.

Maternity Services

Questions (195, 196)

Billy Timmins

Question:

195. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Health the position in relation to the response from the Coombe Hospital, Dublin, the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin, and the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, Dublin, to the enquiry from the Health Information and Quality Authority investigation as to whether they had implemented the 27 recommendations of the Health Service Executive McCabe report in 2007, HSE inquiry into the tragic death of persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43905/13]

View answer

Billy Timmins

Question:

196. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Health the position in relation to the instruction given to the Coombe Hospital, Dublin, the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin and the National Maternity Hospital Holles Street, Dublin with respect to the implementation of the 27 recommendations of the Health Service Executive McCabe report in 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43906/13]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 195 and 196 together.

I am determined that the recommendations of the HSE inquiry into the death of Tania McCabe and her infant son Zach at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in 2007, and the recently published HIQA Report of the care and treatment provided to Ms. Halappanavar, will be fully implemented and that any actions required will be implemented across our health services. To ensure this, I have written to the Chairman of the Board of HIQA requesting that the Authority ensures that the monitoring of progress against the recommendations of the HIQA Report of the care and treatment provided to Ms. Halappanavar is a priority as part of its monitoring programme against the National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare. I have also written to the Director General of the HSE giving further directions on how progress on the implementation of the recommendations should be monitored and reported. The process for implementing recommendations will also address any outstanding issues arising from the HSE inquiry into the death of Tania McCabe and her infant son Zach.

I am determined that out of the sad loss of these young women our whole health system will learn lessons that will ensure that it provides safe, patient-centred care.

With regard to the specific questions raised by the Deputy, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to him.

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