Written Answers Nos. 213-221
213. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health when a report in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Meath will be completed; if there are any further assessments scheduled; if so, the date of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27713/14]
View answerAs the particular issue raised by the Deputy relates to an individual case, this is a service matter for the Health Service Executive. Accordingly, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
214. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a medical card in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Clare in view of the decision of 17 June 2014 regarding discretionary medical cards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27721/14]
View answerIn the context of the Government's decision to develop a policy framework for providing eligibility for health services on the basis of medical conditions, the Government recently announced that a medical card or GP visit card is to be issued to a person, with a serious illness, whose discretionary card was refused renewal since the centralisation of medical card assessments. If the medical card or GP visit card to which the Deputy refers was awarded by way of discretion and was refused renewal in the period from 1 July 2011 to 31 May 2014 following the completion of an eligibility review, a card will issue by the HSE.
The HSE has commenced the process of identifying and contacting persons to advise them that their medical cards and GP visit cards will issue. It is estimated that this process will take 3 weeks. No action is required on the part of those affected as the HSE will be in contact. If people do not hear from the HSE by mid July, they should contact the HSE on its Lo-Call contact number: 1890 25 29 19. These individuals will be able to access medical card and GP visit card services in the normal manner when they have been advised by the HSE that their medical card or GP visit card is active.
The Health Service Executive has been asked to examine the specific query raised and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible. The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to medical cards and GP visit cards, which the Deputy may wish to use for an earlier response. Contact information has issued to Oireachtas members.
215. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if a medical card recently withdrawn in the case of persons (details supplied) in County Kildare might be reissued; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27743/14]
View answerThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible. The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to medical cards and GP visit cards, which the Deputy may wish to use for an earlier response. Contact information has issued to Oireachtas members.
216. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Health the number of applicants waiting for assessment for the fair deal scheme; the average waiting time between assessment and funding approval by geographical breakdown; the average amount paid by participants between assessment and funding; if such amounts are reimbursed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27773/14]
View answerAt end April 2014, there were 1,517 applications for the Nursing Homes Support Scheme in progress.
The HSE operates a national placement list to enable it to operate within the budget for the Nursing Homes Support Scheme. All applicants who are approved for funding are put on the placement list in chronological order by the date of determination of their application. Funding issues to applicants in this chronological order to ensure equity nationally. As such, the average waiting time between assessment and approval is a national figure. As of the 19th June, there were 1,390 people on the national placement list. Currently the wait time for persons receiving funding approval is 10 weeks.
The provision of nursing home services is the subject of a contract between the approved nursing home and the person in receipt of those services, or his/her representative. The HSE is not party to such contracts which are concluded between each resident and their nursing home. Therefore, it is not possible to provide figures in relation to the amounts payable by nursing home residents before funding is released. The HSE does not reimburse any monies paid by nursing home residents for their cost of care while on the national placement list.
217. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Health when a child (details supplied) in County Carlow will be scheduled for an operation in Wateford Regional Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27790/14]
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.
218. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on the work of the interdepartmental group set up under his Department to consider the establishment of a pay-as-you go road tax scheme for HGVs here, similar to that introduced in the UK, in view of the pressure facing road hauliers at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27705/14]
View answerI established an Interdepartmental group in January 2014 to assess the implications of introducing a ‘pay-as-you-go’ road tax system for Heavy Goods Vehicles, in response to concerns raised by hauliers about the cost of running a haulage operation in Ireland. This group is examining the technical, regulatory and economic dimensions of introducing a pay-as-you-go charging system for HGVs in Ireland. The Group is made up of representatives from my Department; the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government; the Department of Finance; the National Roads Authority; the Road Safety Authority; An Gardaí Siochána and Forfas. I hope to receive the final report from the Group by the end of July. I do not want to anticipate the findings of the Group at this stage, but the following is an update on their work to date:
The Group has carried out a review of the current motor tax arrangements for HGVs, including the administrative procedures and the tax raised. The Group has examined other charges levied on the domestic HGV operators, such as tolls and fuel costs, and other charges which hauliers face as business operators, including labour costs. The cost to haulage operators carrying loads outside of Ireland has been considered and a full review carried out of the road charging regimes in other European states, including the system introduced in the UK this year. The relevant European Union legislation in this area has also been examined. I understand that the Group has identified various options for changes to the motor tax regime in Ireland to support the haulage industry and to ensure that transport costs do not negatively impact on Irish businesses, particularly Irish exporters who are driving our economic recovery.
I look forward to receiving this report later in the summer.
219. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport in view of the recent widespread opposition to proposals to privatise Bus Éireann, if the National Transport Authority has begun a consultation process with the trade unions, as the Minister previously indicated it would; his views that the current Government policy of tendering out 10% of Bus Éireann has disproportionately targeted Waterford where 100% of the city's services are being hived off to the private sector at the expense of the travelling public and staff; his views that by targeting Waterford city there is a real risk due to economies of scale of the entire Bus Éireann operation at Waterford being lost, resulting in yet more job losses which the city could not sustain and a depleted service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27417/14]
View answerThe direct award contracts for the provision of PSO bus market services held by Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann expire later this year. The awarding of subsequent contracts is a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA). There are no plans to revisit the decision of the NTA to tender the PSO bus services in Waterford.
The purpose of public transport is not to provide employment to any particular group of people but to provide a good public transport service to the public. The principal concern when looking at the future of bus services in Waterford is to provide a better service to those people who currently use those services, and more importantly, getting those people who don’t, to use those bus services. As at present, the fares, timetables and service standards will be set by the NTA. The tendering of these services will therefore not lead to a downgrading of services to bus users. The purpose of the tendering is to secure a better service for the same cost. It will be good for Waterford, its residents and may yet become an example for other places to follow. It is open to Bus Éireann to compete in this tender.
In the case of Bus Éireann not being successful in the competitive process, staff would be protected under the European Communities (Protection of Employees on Transfer of Undertakings) Regulations 2003 (the “Transfer Regulations” or “TUPE”). Minister of State Alan Kelly and I met with the unions representing Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann workers in November to discuss this matter. Arising from that we asked the NTA to put a structured engagement with unions in place and the NTA met with the NBRU and SIPTU unions in January and March this year.
220. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the changes that have been made to drivers licence category D in recent years, including the retiring age from driving and the turnover of these licences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27610/14]
View answerIrish driver licensing legislation operates within the framework of EU legislation. The principal EU legislation in relation to driver licensing is Directive 126 of 2006. This sets definitions for the different vehicle categories, requirements of the format of licences, content of tests, and standards for vehicles used in test. That Directive sets a minimum age of 24 to hold a category D licence and provides that category D licences should have a period of validity of five years. These requirements are transposed into Irish law by the Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) (Amendment) Regulations 2013 (S.I. No. 6 of 2013), which came into effect as of 19 January 2013.
The Directive allows Member States the option of limiting the validity period of licences due to age. Ireland has a long-standing policy of treating 70 years of age as the cut-off point in these terms. Therefore, an applicant for a category D licence who is 65 to 67 years of age will receive a licence valid until the day before they turn 70. An applicant over 67 will receive a three year licence. When applying for a licence over the age of 70 in any category, an applicant must provide a medical report indicating their continuing fitness to driver. There is no ‘retirement age.’
221. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide a report on the previously agreed Adare bypass in County Limerick; if the project is feasible as previously agreed with all consultations, soil samples, route agreed and funding secured; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27616/14]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, Tourism & 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.
