Martin Ferris
Question:188. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Limerick, who is almost totally blind, can expect laser eye treatment. [27944/15]
View answerHealth Services
Questions (188)
Written answers
Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
The 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, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.
Hospital Services
Questions (189)
Michael McGrath
Question:189. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health the position regarding spinal surgery at Crumlin Hospital in Dublin 12, for a child (details supplied) in County Cork; when the child will be scheduled for the procedure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27950/15]
View answerWritten answers
Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
In relation to the specific case raised, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.
National Lottery Funding Applications
Questions (190)
Éamon Ó Cuív
Question:190. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health if there is any scheme of assistance available under the aegis of his Department to assist voluntary groups in the community, who are setting up first responder groups, with the cost of equipment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27953/15]
View answerWritten answers
The National Ambulance Service provides support to Community First Responder groups in relation to training, management and administration of schemes. In relation to funding, my Department administers a National Lottery Discretionary Fund, from which once-off grants are paid to community and voluntary organisations providing a range of health-related services. Organisations such as First Responders can apply for grants towards equipment. Organisations wishing to make an application for National Lottery Funding should submit a formal application, however the 2015 applications have closed.
Further information about the grant scheme, along with the application form, are set out on the Department's website at www.health.gov.ie.
Departmental Schemes
Questions (191)
Noel Harrington
Question:191. Deputy Noel Harrington asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide a list of each of the current grant schemes that are administrated by his Department and that are available to community groups or projects; the total amount paid for each of these schemes for each of the past four years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27783/15]
View answerWritten answers
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has a number of funding schemes for which community, voluntary and sporting organisations may be eligible. Details of the total amount paid for each of these schemes for each of the past four years are set out in the table below:
|
Grant Scheme |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
|
Emigrant Support Programme (1) |
11,297,365 |
11,455,364 |
10,539,850 |
11,998,575 |
|
The Reconciliation Fund (2) |
2,999,180 |
2,696,962 |
2,697,761 |
2,847,865 |
|
Development Education Funding (3) |
2,400,000 |
1,800,000 |
1,300,000 |
1,115,000 |
(1) The Emigrant Support Programme (ESP) provides funding to not-for-profit organisations and projects to support Irish communities overseas and to encourage closer links between these communities and Ireland.
The focus of the Emigrant Support Programme is on initiatives that address the needs of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable Irish emigrants; enhance access for Irish emigrants and Irish community organisations to local statutory and voluntary services; foster a more vibrant sense of community and Irish identity amongst the Irish abroad; and encourage closer links between Irish communities abroad and Ireland, to the benefit of both. The ESP also supports projects that further the outcomes of the Global Irish Economic Forum.
(2) The Reconciliation Fund formerly known as the Reconciliation and Anti-Sectarianism Funds, awards grants to organisations (mainly small community groups) working to address sectarianism and to further peace and reconciliation on the island of Ireland and between Ireland and Britain. The full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, and the Agreements that flowed from it, are central to the aims of the Fund.
(3) The Development Education Annual Grant is provided to organisations for a wide range of development education initiatives that promote understanding of, and engagement with, global development and justice issues in Ireland. Projects approved under this scheme include development education initiatives in the youth sector as well as in the adult and community sector.
Overseas Development Aid Expenditure
Questions (192)
Thomas P. Broughan
Question:192. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the amount of Irish aid provided in each of the years 2011 to 2014 and in 2015 to date; how this compares, as a percentage of gross national product, with other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries, and their 0.7% target; if he will report on the upcoming summit of world leaders in September 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27868/15]
View answerWritten answers
The Government is strongly committed to Ireland’s overseas aid programme, which is at the heart of our foreign policy. “One World, One Future” our policy on International Development, sets out our vision for a sustainable and just world, and reaffirms our commitment to the UN target of providing 0.7% of Gross National Product (GNP) in Official Development Assistance (ODA), and to making further progress on it when economic circumstances permit.
The latest statistics published by the OECD show that five of the 28 international donor countries (Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden and the UK) met or exceeded the target last year. Ireland was ranked 11th in the OECD table, in percentage terms, having provided 0.39% of GNP for ODA in 2014.
A summary of Ireland’s total volumes of ODA, together with the percentage of GNP for the years 2011 through to 2014 is set out in tabular form below.
|
Year |
Total ODA |
ODA as a % of GNP |
Ireland‘s position within the OECD Development Assistance Committee donor Group of 28 States, for ODA as % of GNP |
|
2014 |
614.86 |
0.39% |
11th Place |
|
2013 |
637.09 |
0.46% |
9TH Place |
|
2012 |
628.90 |
0.47% |
8tH Place |
|
2011 |
657.04 |
0.50% |
8TH Place |
At the end of September, world leaders will meet in New York at a United Nations Summit to adopt a new framework for global development, to succeed the Millennium Development Goals, adopted in 2000. The agenda, including a new set of Sustainable Development Goals, will frame global policy up to 2030, and will aim to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger in a single generation. I will lead the Irish delegation to the International Conference on Financing for Development next week, which will focus on the resourcing and implementation of the new development agenda.
Ireland was honoured to be asked to co-facilitate the intergovernmental negotiations at the UN to finalise the post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda, and the Goals, which will be universally applicable to all countries. We look forward to participating at the highest level in all aspects of the Summit in New York from 25 to 27 September.
Special Educational Needs Service Provision
Questions (193)
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Question:193. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to set up a language unit in the main population area of Newbridge and-or Naas in County Kildare, given that the county has one of the highest populations with no language unit and that many families in the Kildare area have children with severe speech and language impairment and have been refused special needs assistants and resource hours allocations in their schools, and have instead been offered places in language units in Tallaght in Dublin 24 or in Portlaoise in County Laois; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27773/15]
View answerWritten answers
I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department provides an extensive range of supports for pupils with Specific Speech and Language Disorder (SSLD).
This includes provision for the establishment of special classes for pupils with SSLD in primary schools. Applications to establish such classes are considered by the school's assigned Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) and those meeting the criteria for establishment are approved by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). The criteria for enrolment in a Special Class for pupils with SSLD are set out in my Department's Circular 0038/2007.
Pupils who are not enrolled in a special class for SSLD and who meet the criteria for Specific Speech and Language Disorder, as outlined in my Department's Circular, may qualify for additional teaching support where he/she is enrolled in mainstream school. Pupils with mild speech and language difficulties may qualify for supplementary teaching support from within the school's general allocation of learning support/teaching support. It is a matter for individual schools to use their professional judgement to identify pupils who will receive this support and to use the resources available to the school to intervene at the appropriate level with such pupils.
Pupils with SSLD have access to speech therapy services either through the speech and language therapy services provided in the special class setting by the Health Service Executive (HSE), or through the primary care service. The provision of health supports, including Speech and Language Therapy services, is the responsibility of the HSE.
Finally, I wish to advise the Deputy that the NCSE, through its network of SENOs, is available to assist parents to identify appropriate educational placements for children with special educational needs. Schools and parents may contact their local SENO using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.
Bullying of Children
Questions (194)
Bernard Durkan
Question:194. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which her Department continues to monitor bullying among children or teenagers while out of school or on school holidays; if an evaluation has been completed to determine the extent to which incidents are on the increase; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27969/15]
View answerWritten answers
There is no requirement that schools report incidents of bullying behaviour to my Department. However, the Deputy may be aware that my Department published new anti-bullying procedures for all primary and post primary schools at the beginning of the 2013/14 school year.
The procedures are designed to give direction and guidance to school authorities and school personnel in preventing and tackling school-based bullying behaviour amongst its pupils. They include specific requirements in relation to the use of prevention and education strategies and the consistent investigation, follow up and recording of bullying behaviour.
The procedures also recognise that parents and pupils have a role and responsibility in helping the school to prevent and address school-based bullying behaviour and to deal with any negative impact within school of bullying behaviour that occurs elsewhere. The procedures include important new oversight arrangements that involve the school Principal reporting regularly to the Board of Management and a requirement for the Board to undertake an annual review of the school's anti-bullying policy and its implementation. Confirmation that the annual review has been completed must be provided to the Parents' Association and published on the school website.
Arising from commitments made in the Action Plan on Bullying, my Department's Inspectorate is placing a stronger focus on the actions schools take to create a positive school culture and to prevent and tackle bullying. For example, parent and student questionnaires issued as part of whole school evaluations, include, since January 2014, additional questions to get a clearer picture of how the school deals with bullying.
National Internship Scheme Administration
Questions (195)
Tom Fleming
Question:195. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills the average waiting time to access training in each SOLAS training centre; her plans to cater for the anticipated surge of new entrants following the doubling of apprenticeship courses from 27 to 52 in the recent report by the Apprenticeship Council; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27977/15]
View answerWritten answers
Training centres are run by individual Education and Training Boards (ETBs) rather than SOLAS. Information on waiting times would be a matter for the ETBs but they would very according to the type of programme, the means of recruitment and other factors.
I am currently in the process of examining the implications of the report from the Apprenticeship Council in the light of the governance, budgetary and other considerations raised in their report. It should be noted that a range of further and higher education and training providers are involved in the proposals made to the Apprenticeship Council so additional demand will not fall exclusively on training centres. The next stage of the process involves the detailed development of the proposals into apprenticeships, including curriculum development, quality assurance, approval of employers and a range of other issues.