Written Answers Nos. 186-194
186. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the extent to which consideration has been given to the submission received from a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath who has been employed in regular insurable employment in this country for more than six years; if they are likely to be granted temporary or long-term residency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27756/14]
View answerI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that, in response to a notification pursuant to the provisions of Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), dated 3rd July, 2013, the person concerned has submitted written representations. These representations, together with all other information on file, will be fully considered, under Section 3 (6) of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended) and Section 5 of the Refugee Act 1996 (as amended) on the prohibition of refoulement, in advance of a final decision being made. Once a final decision has been made, this decision and the consequences of the decision, will be conveyed in writing to the person concerned. The Deputy should note that the person concerned has never held a right of residency in this State of a nature as would have allowed them to take up a position of paid employment.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS of my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from the INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
187. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the current residency status and-or expected eligibility for long-term residency/eligibility for naturalisation in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27757/14]
View answerThe question of residency status or entitlement to naturalisation does not arise at this time in the case of the person whose details were supplied. As the Deputy is aware, if the person has made an application for asylum or subsidiary protection, the position is that it is not the practice to comment on such applications for so long as they remain in the protection process.
188. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the current residency status in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27759/14]
View answerI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person mentioned by the Deputy entered the State on 26 July 2007 and was registered in their own right as a student from 20 August 2007 to 19 October 2013. This person's current residency status is that they are without permission to be in the State. They have an application pending with INIS which is currently receiving attention.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of Parliamentary Questions process.
189. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to a case (details supplied) in County Offaly, the tragic circumstances in this case and the hardship and distress being caused to the family at present stemming from the lack of support available for a person with an intellectual disability; if he will immediately intervene to ensure that funding is made available for a residential place in this case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27594/14]
View answerAs the Deputy's question relates to service matters I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
190. Deputy Eamonn Maloney asked the Minister for Health his Department's total spend on smoking cessation services in 2010 to 2013, inclusive; the amount of this spend that went to hospital settings, primary care settings, community settings or other settings; the amount of this spend that went on staff, marketing, programmes, or other areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27598/14]
View answerSmoking cessation services and the collation of data in relation to same is a matter for the Health Service Executive. As such, I have referred the Deputy's question to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
191. Deputy Eamonn Maloney asked the Minister for Health the number of smokers that have successfully completed the Health Service Executive cessation programmes in 2010 to 2013, inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27599/14]
View answerSmoking cessation services and the collation of data in relation to same is a matter for the Health Service Executive. As such, I have referred the Deputy's question to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
192. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite the waiting time for an operation in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27600/14]
View answerThe National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2014, has been developed to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care. This policy, which has been adopted by the Health Service Executive, sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists. In relation to the particular query raised by the Deputy, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.
193. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health in view of the precedent set by the agreement between the Irish Medical Organisation and the Competition Authority the procedures, if any, that have been put in place for engagement with the National Association of General Practitioners by his Department; the rationale behind the procedures or lack thereof; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27607/14]
View answerThe Government is committed to introducing, on a phased basis, a universal GP service by 2016, as set out in the Programme for Government and the Future Health strategy framework. As announced in the Budget, it has been decided to commence the roll-out of a universal GP service by providing all children under 6 years with access to a GP service without fees. This will mean that almost half of the population will have access to GP services without fees.
In line with this policy, the Health (General Practitioner Service) Bill was published on 23 April 2014 and is currently progressing through the Oireachtas. The Bill was debated and approved at Committee Stage on 19 June 2014 and it is intended that the legislation will be passed by the Oireachtas before the summer break. This will provide for a GP service to be made available without fees to all children aged five years and younger.
As you are aware, the Department of Health and the HSE prepared a draft GP contract earlier this year to facilitate the introduction of this service. As part of the consultation process on the draft contract, I met with the National Association of General Practitioners (NAGP), the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) and the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) on January 31, 2014. At these meetings, the concerns of the organisations were acknowledged and they were invited to revert with any and all issues they may wish to raise on the draft contract.
Following the meeting with the NAGP on the 31 January, the NAGP did not make a submission to the HSE. They did, however, write to me on 20 February last in relation to the draft contract, stating "Accordingly, the NAGP does not propose to waste any further time considering this document and respectfully suggests that a full re-write is undertaken with the proper and meaningful negotiations with all key stakeholders. Then, and only then, are we prepared to give your proposals further consideration ".
Following the meetings on 31 January last, the IMO provided a written submission to the HSE on the draft under 6 contract and subsequently entered into talks with the Department of Health and the HSE. On 4 June 2014, a Framework Agreement with the IMO was signed. This sets out a process for engagement concerning the GMS/GP contract and other publicly funded contracts involving General Practitioners (GPs), starting with the provision of GP care free at the point of access for children under 6 years. This will enable collaboration on the full implementation of a universal GP service and will allow progress on a new GMS GP contract. The HSE, Department and IMO met yesterday to commence discussions on a new GP contract for children under 6 years in accordance with the terms of the Framework Agreement and are using the draft under 6 contract as published on the HSE website on 31 January as the basis for these discussions.
194. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 567 of 15 April 2014, when a response will issue. [27608/14]
View answerI understand that the HSE have responded to the Deputy on the 23rd June 2014 in relation to this matter.
