Written Answers Nos. 209-217
209. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when she expects a final decision to be made by Pobal on the awarding of the €1 million fund available from her Department for the start up of new youth cafes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52253/13]
View answerThe Youth Affairs Unit of my Department 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.
Total funding of €1.75m has been provided to my Department for a new capital funding programme for 2013 to support projects in the youth services, including new Youth Cafés. Pobal is assisting my Department with the application and evaluation process for the Youth Cafés scheme.
Some 95 applications for support under the scheme have been received. The evaluation process has been completed and details of the funding allocations to individual projects for the support of new youth cafés will be announced shortly.
210. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her Department's annual report for 2012 has been published. [52267/13]
View answerMy Department's Annual Report for 2012 has been laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas and is available on my Department's website www.dcya.gov.ie.
211. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when a decision will issue on an application under the area-based response to Child Poverty Programme 2013-2016 (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52319/13]
View answerLast week, with my colleague the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Mr. Eamonn Gilmore T.D., I announced that an additional nine areas have been selected to enter the design stage of the Area-Based Childhood (ABC) Programme 2013-2016, in line with a key Programme for Government commitment.
This brings the total number of areas that will participate in the ABC programme to 13, as three existing projects which participated in a forerunner Prevention and Early Intervention Programme (PEIP) in Tallaght, Ballymun and Darndale were approved for entry earlier this year and a further project, linked to the existing ‘Preparing for Life’ project in Darndale, is also being included.
The evaluation process, which included consideration of 50 proposals, was undertaken by a Working Group of the Project Team which was set up in February of this year to oversee the implementation of the new programme. The Project Team is chaired by my Department and includes representatives from seven other Government Departments, our co-funders The Atlantic Philanthropies as well as two organisations, Pobal and the Centre for Effective Services, which have been designated to manage the programme on behalf of my Department.
Under the evaluation process, the Galway Early Education proposal was not deemed to have scored sufficiently highly against the programme criteria to be invited to proceed at this point to the next stage of development and design work. While the ranking was good, it was not, I regret, sufficiently high to be among the proposals selected in what was a very competitive process. The conclusions of the Project Team have been noted by the Government.
As the Galway Early Education proposal was one of a number that showed promise against the criteria set for the programme, my Department has invited Galway Early Education to continue to work in association with it by participating in a mentoring programme in the implementation of evidence-based programmes to improve outcomes for children and young people. My Department will develop the mentoring programme during 2014 in conjunction with the Centre for Effective Services and will be in contact with Galway Early Education then.
212. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if a person (details supplied) in Dublin 15 has been informed by the authorities of the reason their children have been placed in care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52408/13]
View answerThe HSE advised that as this case is subject to legal proceedings and the in camera rule, it is not appropriate to comment any further on the specific aspects of the case. The HSE will work closely with the family, ensuring that all views are considered in order to achieve the best outcome for the children.
213. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 524 of 8 October 2013, 137, 138, 133 and 168 of 16 October 2013, and 193 and 194 of 17 October 2013, when replies will issue; the reason for the delay in view of the fact that all questions were listed before 18 October last; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52240/13]
View answerResponses to PQs no. 524 (41832/13), no. 133 (43725/13) and no. 138 (43738/13) have recently issued to the Deputy. I have sought updates on the status of the outstanding responses and will revert immediately to the Deputy once these responses have been received.
214. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that as many pubs are only surviving because they sell food and close at 2.30 p.m. this will cost jobs. [52245/13]
View answerThe Government recently approved an extensive package of measures to deal with alcohol misuse to be incorporated in a Public Health (Alcohol) Bill. These measures are based on the recommendations contained in the Steering Group Report on a National Substance Misuse Strategy, 2012. The package of measures to be implemented will include provision for: minimum unit pricing for alcohol products; the regulation of advertising and marketing of alcohol; structural separation of alcohol from other products in mixed trading outlets; health labelling of alcohol products; and regulation of sports sponsorship.
There are no measures proposed to alter the current opening hours regime.
Work on developing a framework for the necessary Department of Health legislation is continuing.
215. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health the amount of money that was cut from CRC in Clontarf, Dublin 3 in the past three years. [52248/13]
View answer232. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the State funding provided to the Central Remedial Clinic for the past five years; if he will provide a breakdown of the way this funding has been spent between staff costs and other costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52367/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 215 and 232 together.
Voluntary/non statutory service providers such as the Central Remedial Clinic have a long history of providing health and personal social services in Ireland. The primary legal framework under which the Health Service Executive provides financial support to voluntary/non-statutory providers is set out in the Health Act 2004, which enables the HSE to enter into arrangements for the provision of a health or personal social service on behalf of the Executive. The HSE has developed a formalised national governance framework to manage the funding provided to organisations such as the Central Remedial Clinic through annual Standard Service Arrangements.
I have arranged for the questions of the Deputies to be referred to the HSE and asked that the Executive reply directly to the Deputies.
216. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the safety concerns of staff working at Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown on exiting and entering the hospital during the hours of darkness; if he will ask the hospital management to provide better lighting at the rear entrance to the hospital to address these concerns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52255/13]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
217. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if his Department's annual report for 2012 has been published. [52274/13]
View answerThe Department of Health's Annual Report is at final draft stage and will be published on the Department's website shortly.
