Written Answers Nos. 121-128
121. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the position regarding rape crisis centres; the funding by location for each since 2012; his plans to expand support services to them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45682/14]
View answerResponsibility for the funding of Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence Services transferred from the HSE to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, upon its establishment on 1 January, 2014.
I am advised that in 2013, the HSE spent over €17 million on the provision of Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence Services. In 2014, the Child and Family Agency will also spend in excess of €17 million on the provision of these services. This includes the funding of some 60 services throughout the country:
- €10m for 20 Crisis Refuges and support services
- Over €4 million for 16 Rape Crisis Centres
- Almost €3.5 million for 24 Domestic Violence Support Services.
The Agency has concluded a review of Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence Services and a consolidated national budget is in place for these services. A roadmap for the future delivery of services has been approved by the Board of the Agency. The Agency has continued to engage with funded organisations during the review period and representatives of all those involved in the delivery of services were invited to consultations throughout the review process.
A structure for the national oversight of Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence Services is currently being put in place, with dedicated roles to support the delivery of these services. This approach will facilitate the provision of effective, high quality services with more equitable availability of services across different geographical areas and different population groups.
Sexual violence services will be developed as a national specialist service in order to achieve greater co-ordination of responses to both adult and child victims of sexual violence across all relevant services. The ultimate goal is to enable better experiences and outcomes for those who have experienced sexual violence and the important role of Rape Crisis/Sexual Violence services in this respect is recognised.
As part of the Child and Family Agency performance framework, the Agency is committed to implementing a commissioning approach to funding all external service providers, including sexual violence services.
The Agency's budgetary arrangements are currently being finalised. The Agency will liaise with funded sexual violence services regarding services required and funding arrangements for 2015 once its budget has been signed off. Frontline sexual violence services will be prioritised within available resources.
With regard to the additional information requested by the Deputy, on funding of Rape Crisis Centres by location, I have asked Tusla to provide this data, which will be forwarded to the Deputy upon receipt.
122. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if his attention has been drawn to funding difficulties faced by a youth club (details supplied) in County Cork as the service was forced to close recently as a result of same; if the possibility of continuing the service has been considered by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45683/14]
View answerMy Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. The schemes include the Youth Service Grant Scheme under which funding is made available on an annual basis to 31 national and major regional youth organisations and targeted support schemes for disadvantaged, marginalised and at-risk young people. The funding schemes support national and local youth work provision to some 380,000 young people and involve approximately, 1,400 youth work staff in 477 projects and 40,000 volunteers working in youth work services and communities throughout the country. In 2014, funding of €49.78m has been provided to my Department for these schemes.
I am pleased to advise that Budget 2015 has confirmed that funding of €49.78m will again be provided to my Department in 2015 to support the provision of youth services. There will be no reduction in the overall allocation for youth services in 2015 which was a key priority for youth organisations.
In recent years capital funding has been made available to my Department for the development of youth cafés and some 100 new youth café facilities have received support under the scheme since 2011 when the Department of Children and Youth Affairs was established. Recent research undertaken by my Department indicates that there are now over 160 youth cafés throughout the country. In the main, these have been developed, over the years, by local communities with the support of different funding sources.
The youth café initiative referred to by the Deputy has not received funding under the capital funding schemes administered by my Department. I have been advised that the youth café in question has received funding under the Local and Community Development Programme administered by Pobal on behalf of the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government. I understand that funding has been provided under the programme and that an allocation has been made to the youth café in 2014 and that the café remains open to the young people in the area.
My Department does not have available to it a capital fund for the development of new youth cafés in 2014. Youth Cafés offer young people a safe, alcohol and drug free space, for recreation, non-formal learning and youth activities and they make an important contribution to facilities for young people at local level. Youth Cafés make an important contribution to the development of services to meet the needs of young people in their local communities. The development of youth cafés is a priority for my Department should further capital funding become available in future years.
In 2014, funding of €548,205 has been provided for local youth work projects and services in County Cork.
123. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Sligo will receive a decision on their application for the nursing homes support scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45566/14]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
124. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if he will explore the different options for the provision of respite services for children with special needs (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45567/14]
View answerThe vision for the Health Service Executive's Disability Services Programme is to contribute to the realisation of a society where people with disabilities are supported, as far as possible, to participate to their full potential in economic and social life, and have access to a range of quality personal social supports and services including respite care to enhance their quality of life.
In relation to the specific queries raised by the Deputy, as these are service issues, they have been referred to the HSE for direct reply. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, he can contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with the HSE.
125. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Health the way a person (details supplied) in County Kildare may avail of services for their child whose care needs are known to the Health Service Executive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45576/14]
View answerAs this is a service issue this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
126. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health if the design team has been appointed for the 100-bed unit at St. Patrick's geriatric hospital, John's Hill, County Waterford; if the money has been ring fenced for the building of this much needed facility for the local area; the timeframe that has been set out for the construction and completion of the facility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45580/14]
View answerThe design team has been appointed and is working on the stage 1 design. As with all capital projects, the CNU infrastructure programme which includes this project, must be considered within the overall capital envelope available to the health service. There will always be more projects than can be funded by the Exchequer. There is limited funding available for new projects over the next multi-annual period 2015-2019 given the level of commitments and the costs to completion already in place. The HSE is concentrating on applying the limited funding available for capital works in the most effective way possible to meet needs now and in the future.
127. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health if he will provide in tabular form, per region, from 2012 to date in 2014, the progress in recruitment of posts in community mental health services approved following the budget ring-fencing of €90 million for this purpose; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45585/14]
View answerThis Government has prioritised the reform of our mental health services in line with A Vision for Change and is committed in particular to the delivery of more and better quality care in the community. Towards this end, funding of €90 million and some 1,100 posts have been provided since 2012 to develop our community mental health services and suicide prevention resources.
At the end of September 2014, 770 posts of the 890 provided for in 2012 and 2013 had been recruited with the remainder at various stages in the recruitment process, with some difficulties in identifying some outstanding candidates for geographic and qualification reasons. Therefore, approximately 86% of combined 2 years posts have taken up duty.
In relation to 2014, while €20 million was provided for mental health services, the HSE National Service Plan outlined that this expenditure would be phased-in, in order for the HSE to live within the overall available resource in 2014. Accordingly, it was decided that the recruitment of 2014 posts would be commenced to provide for posts to come on stream during the last quarter of 2014. To this end, and informed by the analysis carried out, some 200 posts have now been identified from the 2014 allocation and the recruitment process has now commenced.
In relation to the specific details of the recruitment of posts per region and initiative, as this is a service issue the question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with the Executive.
128. Deputy Eamon Gilmore asked the Minister for Health his views on adding acute rheumatoid arthritis to the long-term illness scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45589/14]
View answerThe Long Term Illness (LTI) Scheme was established under Section 59(3) of the Health Act, 1970 (as amended). Regulations were made in 1971, 1973 and 1975 specifying the conditions covered by the LTI Scheme, which are as follows: Acute Leukaemia; Mental handicap; Cerebral Palsy; Mental Illness (in a person under 16); Cystic Fibrosis; Multiple Sclerosis; Diabetes Insipidus; Muscular Dystrophies; Diabetes Mellitus; Parkinsonism; Epilepsy; Phenylketonuria; Haemophilia; Spina Bifida; Hydrocephalus; and conditions arising from the use of Thalidomide. There are no plans to extend the list of conditions covered by the LTI Scheme.
Under the Drug Payment Scheme, no individual or family pays more than €144 per calendar month towards the cost of approved prescribed medicines. The scheme significantly reduces the cost burden for families and individuals incurring ongoing expenditure on medicines.
Under the provisions of the Health Acts, medical cards are provided to persons who are, in the opinion of the HSE, unable without undue hardship to arrange GP services for themselves and their dependants. In the assessment process, the HSE can take into account medical costs incurred by an individual or a family.
