Written Answers Nos. 506 to 521
506. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health his plans to support the alcohol addiction programme CARE, which operates with general practitioners in Finglas and Ballymun in Dublin 11 and in Swords in County Dublin and for which funding has been cut; if he will direct the Health Service Executive to support the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18625/15]
View answerThe provision of services to prevent and treat addiction to alcohol is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive and as such, I have referred this question to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office who will follow up the matter with them.
As the Deputy may recall, on 3 February 2015, the Government approved the General Scheme of a Public Health (Alcohol) Bill. The aim is to reduce alcohol consumption to the OECD average by 2020 (i.e. 9.1 litres of pure alcohol per capita) and the harms caused by alcohol. The Bill is part of a suite of measures agreed by the Government in 2013 on foot of the recommendations in the Steering Group Report on a National Substance Misuse Strategy. The other measures (eg for the HSE, professional bodies etc) set out in the Steering Group Report on a National Substance Misuse Strategy, were endorsed by Government and are to be progressed by the relevant departments and organisations. The HSE has responsibility for implementing a number of recommendations and some of these measures are reflected in the HSE Service Plan for 2015. The remit of the Drugs Task Forces was extended to include the problem of alcohol misuse last year, in view of the key they play in co-ordinating the response to substance misuse at local level.
507. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health if funding will be provided for St. Michael’s House services, Dublin 9, in 2015 and 2016, in order to deal with the consequences for persons who do not receive after-school services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18626/15]
View answer509. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health if he will provide funding for intellectually challenged school leavers, and support their families, as a matter of priority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18634/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 507 and 509 together.
Preparations are underway in respect of all school-leavers and rehabilitative training (RT) graduates to ensure that needs are identified and appropriate services are provided to young people with disabilities. The Health Service Executive (HSE) has confirmed that all young people and their families will be notified by the end of June of the placement that will be available to them from September. Additional funding of €6 million (at a full year cost of €12 million) has been allocated in the Social Care Operational Plan 2015 to meet the needs of around 1,500 young people who will require continuing health-funded supports.
The HSE is very aware of the challenges faced by St. Michael's House and remains committed to working with all voluntary disability service providers to ensure that all of the resources available for specialist disability services are used in the most efficient and effective manner possible. The HSE has informed me that they are on schedule to meet the day service needs of all young people with disabilities who are due to leave school or graduate from an RT programme in the coming weeks.
508. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health his views on the high levels of lead in water pipes in an area of the north side of Dublin (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18627/15]
View answerThe Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government is responsible for policy and legislation in relation to drinking water quality. Since 1 January 2014 Irish Water has statutory responsibility for the provision of public water services.
The EU (Drinking Water) Regulations 2014 require that where Irish Water or a local authority, having consulted with and subject to the agreement of the HSE, consider a supply of water intended for human consumption constitutes a potential danger to human health they must ensure that appropriate restrictions are put in place, that consumers are given necessary advice and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is informed.
In practice the local authority engineer, acting on behalf of Irish Water, contacts the Principal Environmental Health Officer (PEHO) of the HSE to consider whether an exceedance of a parametric value has occurred and the initial investigation into the exceedance warrant restrictions and/or notification to consumers. Where a potential danger to human health exists the PEHO liaises with the Specialist in Public Health Medicine before agreeing appropriate actions with Irish Water and/or the local authority as appropriate.
The Regulations also provide the EPA with supervisory powers for public water supplies whereby the EPA can direct Irish Water to improve the management or quality of a public water supply. Under the Regulations Irish Water must notify the EPA of drinking water non-compliances or risks to public health from a public water supply.
Irish Water and the local authority are responsible for taking the necessary steps to bring the public water supply back into compliance and for issuing information and advice to consumers.
510. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) in County Longford was refused a primary medical certificate, which the person recently applied for, despite the person suffering from a very severe stroke, which has left the person completely paralysed on the right side, severely immobilised and in need of a modified car and electric wheelchair in order to get around; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18637/15]
View answerAs the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy. 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 the matter up with the HSE.
511. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Health the plans the Health Service Executive has for the St. Loman's Campus in Mullingar in County Westmeath, and in particular the front of the campus, which is the main building section thereof; if consideration will be given to converting and refurbishing same, in order to provide accommodation and long-stay beds for elderly persons from County Westmeath, in view of the fact that there are only 96 public beds for the elderly, available to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18640/15]
View answerThe Deputy's question has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply as the delivery of the health care infrastructure is a service matter.
If he has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days he should contact my Private Office who will follow up on the matter.
512. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Health the reason that persons who have health insurance as a benefit of their employment, but whose insurance is provided by an insurer that is not included in the list of recognised health insurer providers, could have to pay lifetime community rating loadings, in the event that they change employer, and no longer receive such benefits from such an insurer. [18641/15]
View answerThe new Lifetime Community Rating system, which came into operation on 1 May 2015, is designed to encourage people to join the private health insurance market at an earlier age and thus support affordable community-rated premiums for everyone who wishes to purchase insurance. Since 1 May, ‘late entry loadings’ apply for those aged 35 and over who did not purchase health insurance prior to that date. There are exemptions available for people who previously had health insurance but cancelled it. A credited period can apply for any periods of inpatient cover where a full adult premium rate has been paid. In such cases, the level of loading will then be reduced by the relevant credited period(s).
These credited periods apply for periods of health insurance cover purchased with registered health insurers in this country. Periods of cover on health insurance plans held outside the State will not be taken into account when calculating loadings, as such plans do not comply with health insurance legislation or the key principles of community rating, open enrolment, lifetime cover and minimum benefit on which the Irish private health insurance regulatory system is based. In addition, providers of health insurance schemes based outside the State are not registered with the Health Insurance Authority, the statutory regulator of the health insurance market, and have not obtained a certificate of registration from the Authority under Section 14 of the Health Insurance Act, 1994.
513. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Health the conditions that must be fulfilled by a health insurer to be included in the recognised list of insurers. [18642/15]
View answerThe Health Insurance Authority, as the statutory regulator of the health insurance market, maintains the "The Register of Health Benefits Undertakings". In order to carry on the business of health insurance in Ireland, it is necessary for health insurers to be registered and to obtain a certificate of registration from the Authority under Section 14 of the Health Insurance Act, 1994. There are three types of health insurer in Ireland:
- Insurers such as Aviva Health, GloHealth, Laya healthcare and Vhi Healthcare that provide in-patient health insurance cover and that must accept, subject to certain limited terms and conditions, all persons who wish to purchase private health insurance cover. These insurers may also provide cash plans.
- Restricted Membership Insurers which provide insurance to people who are members of a particular group, normally a vocational group or employees of a particular organisation and their dependants.
- Insurers (such as Vhi, Laya, GloHealth and the Hospital Saturday Fund) that only provide cash benefit plans in certain circumstances.
A certificate of registration is valid for 12 months. The Authority only issues a certificate once it has examined the scheme and it is satisfied that the proposed scheme of the health insurer complies with all relevant legislative provisions. The issuing of a certificate confirms that a health insurer may offer private health insurance in accordance with the terms of their rules and with the legislation. Any registered undertakings that has ceased to provide health insurance must be removed from the Register.
514. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Health if there is any assistance available towards the rental of a vital medical device, in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18694/15]
View answerAs the particular issue raised relates to an individual case, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE for direct reply. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days he should contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
515. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a breakdown by year, from 2016 to 2021, inclusive, of the estimated additional expenditure required to meet the requirements of demographic changes, on a no-policy-change basis; and if he will identify the component parts of that expenditure. [18696/15]
View answerThe exact information for the years requested by the Deputy is not readily available. However work done by the Department of Health last year showed that for the health services as a whole, the estimated additional demographic cost pressure in expenditure ranged from €180 million to €201 million per annum, from 2014 to 2015.
It is important to emphasise that this projection in expenditure assumed that the health services would have the same age-specific population-based utilisation rates and unit costs in 2015 as in 2014.
Nonetheless, I am aware of the additional demographic pressures that exist and those pressures that are emerging. Decisions made will take into account those pressures.
516. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the efficiencies being achieved in the sectors under his remit regarding the use of shared services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18835/15]
View answerIn March 2013 the Health Service Executive established a separate division with specific responsibility for the development and delivery of a portfolio of support services using a shared services delivery model. The division called “Health Business Services” or HBS provides national focused management to services including Financial Services, Human Resources, Procurement, Estates and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems. While the concept of shared services in the HSE was not new in that a number of previous initiatives had been initiated and certain services centralised with a view to achieving efficiencies, the implementation of a national shared services delivery model had not been previously implemented.
The Health Business Services (HBS) Strategy 2014 – 2016 is pursuing a comprehensive set of specific actions to drive the shared services agenda and enable the Organisation to leverage benefits of scale, process efficiency and the adoption of appropriate technologies that will ultimately deliver cost efficiencies alongside quality customer centred service delivery.
Some examples of benefits and efficiencies being pursued and achieved to date by the HSE would include:
- Efficiencies have been brought about through our Procurement Service to the tune of €250 million since 2010;
- A national distribution centre (NDC) which will deliver savings in the management of inventory across health is currently being implemented.
- Government policy is to have one approach to procurement in health. HBS procurement have developed “One Voice” for health in the area of procurement encompassing all funded agencies. This is in line with the Government decision of April 2013;
- The delivery of recruitment services nationally via the National Recruitment Service achieved with a 62% reduction in core staffing was previously delivered via a number of separate recruitment operations. This initiative has been implemented over a number of years and apart from the efficiencies achieved in the area of staffing complement can report significant efficiencies in terms of a nationally consolidated approach to recruitment advertising and a consolidated approach to the interviewing process which reduces the “days lost to the service” from managers engaged in interviewing;
- All HSE Payroll operations & Accounts Payables are now transitioned under one governance and management structure within the HSE HBS which allows for the standardisation of transactions and reporting and the development of a strategy to rationalise the number of payroll units is being developed;
- HBS is pursuing critical IT enabling projects that will advance the Organisation’s capabilities in terms of pursuing efficiencies such as the introduction of electronic document management for personnel records. This initiative is currently being implemented and will deliver efficiencies in human resource service delivery and will be a key ingredient in advancing ultimately to the introduction of Employee Self Service (ESS) and Manager Self Service (MSS);
- Upon establishment of Tusla a full shared services payroll service was implemented and is being delivered by HBS;
- HBS ERPS have developed consolidated MIS reporting capabilities for all HR & Payroll data.
517. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question No. 169 of 30 April 2015, the measures he is in favour of in the Common Security and Defence Policy approach to the humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean; the measures he is opposed to; and if there will be any involvement from any Irish law enforcement agencies. [18174/15]
View answerIreland is actively participating in ongoing discussions at EU level on various strands of the EU’s comprehensive strategy regarding the humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean. Our primary concern in these deliberations is to prevent further loss of life at sea.The European Council on 23 April did not make a specific commitment to Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) actions but asked High Representative Mogherini to prepare proposals for a possible EU CSDP Mission. She is also examining ways of providing increased support to Southern partner countries to monitor and control land borders, building on current civilian CSDP operations in the region. These proposals have not yet been finalised. Ireland is stressing the need for vessels which may be assigned to any future possible CSDP operation to be ready and equipped to perform Search and Rescue tasks as necessary.
518. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will campaign for a meaningful annual review of the human rights situation in Columbia at the United Nations and with the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18180/15]
View answerThe promotion and protection of human rights is a core principle of Ireland's foreign policy and human rights issues in Colombia are a focus for Ireland and for the European Union.Human rights are addressed in detail in the context of the EU-Colombia Human Rights Dialogue. Through this mechanism, which addresses the issues directly with the Colombian authorities and includes input from civil society groups, the EU and member states engage in a structured manner across the full range of human rights concerns, including as regards human rights defenders and the slow pace in the decrease of impunity. The Human Rights Dialogue is an important forum in which the EU engages constructively with the Colombian authorities, makes suggestions on how difficulties can be addressed, and shares experience with its Colombian counterparts. During the last session of the Human Rights Dialogue, in October 2014, issues such as the land restitution process, the situation of human rights defenders and the challenges facing protection schemes were addressed. In addition, the EU and its member states support both national authorities and civil society organisations working with the protection of human rights defenders. I believe that this policy of engagement, dialogue and scrutiny, which is ongoing, regular and structured, is the best way to promote human rights in Colombia.
Our Embassy in Mexico City, which is accredited to Bogotá on a non-residential basis, is in regular contact on human rights issues with the Colombian authorities, with civil society, and with the EU delegation there.
With regards to the United Nations, the Universal Periodic Review is a unique mechanism of the UN Human Rights Council whereby the domestic human rights records of all 193 UN member states are peer-reviewed on a regular basis. Colombia’s most recent review took place on 23 April last year. In the course of the review, Ireland made specific recommendations on Colombia’s National Protection Programme for human rights defenders, referring particularly to the difficulties faced by trade unionists and journalists. In addition, Ireland urged Colombia to address high levels of impunity and the lack of access to justice for victims of gender-based violence.
The UN High Commission for Human Rights is actively involved in Colombia and Ireland supports their operations there. I agree with the view expressed in the High Commissioner’s report that an end to the longstanding armed conflict - now under negotiation between the government and the guerrillas - has the potential to transform Colombia in terms of its level of respect for and enjoyment of human rights. Ireland will continue to encourage and support a successful outcome to these negotiations.
519. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of agencies, quangos or other bodies within his Department, funded or established by his Department which have been scrapped, merged or reduced since this Government was formed; the amount saved in each case; the reduction in staff as a result; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18435/15]
View answer520. Deputy Joe Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the State boards, bodies or committees on which vacancies currently exist, or on which vacancies are anticipated to arise, up to and including 1 January 2016; the number of vacancies in each case; when the vacancy arose or will arise; if the vacancy relates to a chair or a member; if he will provide details of the appointment process in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18483/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 519 and 520 together.
There are no State Agencies, State Boards or organisations of the type referred to under the aegis of my Department.
My Department currently has four bodies, boards, or committees under its aegis. These are: the Emigrant Services Advisory Committee; the Irish Aid Expert Advisory Group; the NGO Standing Committee on Human Rights; and the Standing Committee on Holocaust Education, Research and Remembrance. All appointments are unpaid except for appointments to the Irish Aid Expert Advisory Group. For that group, members receive an allowance of €2,000 per annum and the Chairperson receives an allowance of €3,000 per annum, although the current Chairperson has waived this.
None of these bodies has been merged or abolished since 2011. However, in September 2013, the Development Education Advisory Committee (DEAC), which was responsible for providing advice on development education, was officially disbanded. Its abolition followed the publication of ‘One World, One Future’ - Ireland’s Policy for International Development - which provided for a member of the DEAC to be appointed to the Irish Aid Expert Advisory Group. This Committee was serviced from the Department’s overall budget, and it had no whole time equivalent staff. Accordingly, there were no significant savings arising from its abolition.
My Department intends also to establish an Oversight Group with an Independent Chair in order to monitor implementation of Ireland’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security 2015-2018. The Plan outlines actions Ireland will take in its development, political and peacekeeping engagement in order to (i) ameliorate distinct adverse effect of conflict on women and girls and (ii) increase the participation of women in decision-making in conflict and post-conflict situations. The Oversight Group will comprise representatives of the relevant statutory authorities as well as representatives of civil society organisations, academics and independent experts. As Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, I also appoint four Irish citizens to the board of the Ireland-United States Commission for Educational Exchange (known as the Fulbright Commission). The Commission is a bi-national Education Commission between the Irish and United States Governments. Members of the board do not receive remuneration and no vacancies currently exist nor are any anticipated to arise before 1 January 2016.
The boards, bodies or committees on which vacancies currently exist or on which vacancies are anticipated to arise up to and including 1 January 2016 are set out in the following table.
|
Board, Body or Committee |
Expected Date of vacancy |
Number of Vacancies |
Chair/Member |
Appointment Process |
|
Oversight Group – National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security |
Spring 2015 |
TBC |
TBC |
Nomination of Minister. Open call for expressions of interest was issued March 2015. |
|
Irish Aid Expert Advisory Group |
Vacancies will arise after the final meeting of the Expert Advisory Group in 2015. |
3 |
Member |
Nomination of Minister. |
521. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on a passport with a reduced validity period as an option for elderly persons. [18497/15]
View answerIt is the norm internationally to provide passports of a ten year standard validity to all adults. A reduced term of validity for children’s passports is necessary as children’s appearances change significantly within a short period of years, which can lead to uncertainty regarding the identity of the passport holder. However this is not generally the case for adults of any age. Furthermore introducing an arrangement whereby adults of any age would be eligible to apply for a passport for a period of less than 10 years would increase the total demand for passports on an ongoing basis and would require the recruitment of additional staff in the Passport Offices to cope with increased demand. For these reasons, there are no plans to introduce a passport of less than 10 year validity for adult applicants, regardless of age.
