Sandra McLellan
Question:180. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the estimated cost to increase the capitation fee from €62.50 per child to €64.50 for 38 weeks and 52 weeks, respectively. [29445/15]
View answerEarly Childhood Care and Education
Questions (180, 181, 182)
Sandra McLellan
Question:181. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of Irish children of early childhood care and education scheme age who currently reside in this State. [29446/15]
View answerSandra McLellan
Question:182. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of free preschool places that are available under the early childhood care and education scheme from September 2015 for the next 38-week period. [29447/15]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 180 to 182, inclusive, together.
The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme provides a free preschool year to all eligible children before commencing primary school. Funding of over €170 million is provided for the ECCE programme annually in which some 67,000 children receive one year free preschool care and education.
The approximate additional extra cost of increasing the capitation rate for the ECCE programme to €64.50, based on the current cohort of eligible children, is €5m for 38 weeks and €6.8m for 52 weeks. The programme is designed to be delivered for three hours per day, five days per week, over 38 weeks (183 days per year), and capitation fees are paid to participating services on the basis of this provision. The programme is based on the primary school model, under which primary schools are required to open on 193 days per year (equivalent to 38.6 weeks). There are currently no plans to extend the programme to a 52 week model.
The ECCE programme is a universal and free programme for which all children qualify when they are within the qualifying age range, which is between 3 years and 2 months to 4 years and 7 months in the September of the relevant year. Therefore, in 2015 children born between 2 February 2011 and 30 June 2012 will be eligible and funding will be made available by my Department to provide for those children that are enrolled in the programme. Data from the Central Statistics Office (CS0) indicates that 74,033 children were born in Ireland in the calendar year 2011 and 71,674 in the year 2012. A more detailed breakdown of these figures may be available from the CSO.
After-School Support Services
Questions (183, 184, 185)
Sandra McLellan
Question:183. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children currently availing of the free after-school child care scheme. [29448/15]
View answerSandra McLellan
Question:184. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of places that will be available under the free after-school child care scheme for the 38-week period of 2015-16, commencing in September 2015. [29449/15]
View answerSandra McLellan
Question:185. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the system in place for transporting children from school to after-school child care provided through the free after-school child care scheme; if he will provide, in tabular form, a breakdown of the counties availing of the scheme and by the number of participants. [29450/15]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 183 to 185, inclusive, together.
The After-School Childcare (ASCC) programme provides after-school care for primary school children of eligible parents for a period of 52 weeks. Eligibility for the programme is determined by the Department of Social Protection. The programme contributes €40 per week for an after-school place or €80 per week in situations where the childcare service provides a pick-up service that collects the child from school. The programme also provides a full day care rate of €105 per week, for a maximum of 10 weeks, to cater for school holiday periods. In all cases, the maximum fee payable by parents is €15 per week per child.
This year 433 children are availing of the after-school programme with 339 of these children availing of a pick-up service. A breakdown of these figures on a county basis is shown on the attached table. Funding will be available to support a similar number of children next year but the numbers seeking support under the programme in 2015/2016 will only become evident as the school year progresses.
|
County |
Total Number of Children availing of ASCC per County |
Number of Children availing of ASCC Pick-up Service per County |
|
Carlow |
8 |
7 |
|
Cavan |
15 |
15 |
|
Clare |
14 |
13 |
|
Cork |
30 |
20 |
|
Donegal |
21 |
14 |
|
Dublin |
65 |
49 |
|
Galway |
28 |
23 |
|
Kerry |
15 |
12 |
|
Kildare |
29 |
21 |
|
Kilkenny |
6 |
6 |
|
Laois |
5 |
1 |
|
Leitrim |
6 |
6 |
|
Limerick |
20 |
14 |
|
Longford |
14 |
13 |
|
Louth |
29 |
19 |
|
Mayo |
8 |
8 |
|
Meath |
23 |
19 |
|
Monaghan |
14 |
14 |
|
Offaly |
4 |
1 |
|
Roscommon |
11 |
5 |
|
Sligo |
9 |
9 |
|
Tipperary |
14 |
10 |
|
Waterford |
17 |
15 |
|
Westmeath |
7 |
4 |
|
Wexford |
18 |
18 |
|
Wicklow |
3 |
3 |
|
Grand Total |
433 |
339 |
All figures cover the current funding period 1 Sep 2014- 28 Aug 2015
Mental Health Services
Questions (186)
Mattie McGrath
Question:186. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the names of the solicitors and barristers currently appointed as chairpersons of mental health tribunals, together with year-by-year details of the earnings of each chairperson appointed from 1 November 2013 to 30 June 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29436/15]
View answerWritten answers
The Mental Health Act 2001 provides for the patients’ right to an automatic independent review of an involuntary admission to an Approved Centre. Within 21 days of an admission or renewal order, a three person mental health tribunal consisting of a lawyer as chair, a consultant psychiatrist and another person review the admission or renewal order. There were 1,896 hearings in 2013 and 1,823 in 2014.
The specific information requested is not routinely reported on; however I have asked the Mental Health Commission to collate the information, and I expect to be in a position to forward it to the Deputy shortly.
Hospital Services
Questions (187)
Arthur Spring
Question:187. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Health the options available to a person (details supplied) who requires medical treatment; the hospitals which and the consultants who offer such treatment; and the waiting list for each hospital and consultant for a public patient. [29231/15]
View answerWritten answers
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.
Health Services Staff
Questions (188)
Brian Walsh
Question:188. Deputy Brian Walsh asked the Minister for Health his plans to amend the Medical Practitioners Acts 2007 to 2011 to allow non-national doctors to access specialist training, as failure to do so is likely to result in an exodus of such clinicians from Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29242/15]
View answerWritten answers
The Medical Practitioners Act 2007 provides that nationals of a non EEA country are registered in the Trainee Specialist Division of the Medical Council's Register if they have passed the Council's Pre-Registration Examination System (PRES) (or are exempt in line with legislation), have an approved training post and have been granted in a third country a document which, in the opinion of the Council, is at least the equivalent of a certificate of experience.
Amendments to the Medical Practitioners Act 2007, resulting from the modernisation of the EU Professional Qualifications Directive amongst others, are currently planned. Provisions in relation to registration is one of the areas being amended. It is proposed to remove the equivalence of the certificate of experience as a requirement for entry to the Trainee Specialist Division as part of the planned amendment process, subject to Government approval. This would mean that entry to the Trainee Specialist Division for non-EEA doctors would be by way of the PRES (unless exempted) and the offer of a specialist training post by the HSE in a recognised training programme.
However I am also conscious of Ireland's need to develop a national policy of self-sufficiency in medical personnel. The World Health Organisation recommends that countries 'strive to create a sustainable health workforce and work towards establishing effective planning, education and training, and retention strategies that will reduce their needs to recruit migrant health personnel'. Ireland is committed to a national policy of health worker self-sufficiency.
In this context, the HSE has developed the International Medical Graduate Training Initiative. This Initiative provides one possible route for overseas doctors wishing to undergo structured postgraduate medical training within the public health service in Ireland. The Training Initiative enables suitably qualified overseas postgraduate medical trainees to undertake a fixed period of active training in clinical services in Ireland.
The purpose of the Initiative is to enable overseas trainees to gain access to clinical experiences and training that they cannot get in their own country, with a view to enhancing and improving the individual’s medical training and learning, and in the medium to long term, the health services in their own countries.
The first bilateral agreement under this Initiative was signed with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan and the Initiative was launched in June 2013. In 2014, 100 trainees were offered posts under the Initiative following a joint selection process. Further expansion of this Initiative in the coming years is key to both delivering on Ireland's commitments under the WHO Global Code, and supporting the service requirements of the Irish public health system.
Hospital Food
Questions (189)
Ciara Conway
Question:189. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Health the progress made in offering a wider variety of healthier foods on menus in hospitals following his meeting with hospital chiefs in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29243/15]
View answerWritten answers
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.
General Practitioner Contracts
Questions (190, 191)
Michael McNamara
Question:190. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Health if he will negotiate with a representative body, the National Association of General Practitioners, on future general practitioner contracts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29273/15]
View answerMichael McNamara
Question:191. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Health the procedures in place by his Department for negotiating with the National Association of General Practitioners; the rationale behind the procedures or lack thereof; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29274/15]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 190 and 191 together.
Formal engagement on contractual issues is conducted through a process of negotiation with the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO), which is a party to the current agreement upon which HSE contracts with general practitioners, as independent contractors, are legally founded. Discussions have commenced between the Department of Health, the HSE and the IMO in relation to a review of the present GP contracts. These discussions are taking place in accordance with the Framework Agreement signed by these three parties on 4 June 2014.
The National Association of General Practitioners has not demonstrated its capacity to engage with the health service in a manner which recognises the respective roles of Government and the Oireachtas in determining health policy and which seeks to facilitate the implementation of policy in a manner that enables the needs of all parties, including in particular the users of the services, to be met. In these circumstances there are no plans to involve the NAGP in the present negotiations.
The Minister for Health and I engage regularly with a wide range of interested parties in relation to the development and delivery of health services, including those contracted from general practitioners. We have in the past met the NAGP in this context and I anticipate that we will do so again at a future date.
Hospital Services
Questions (192)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:192. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite an appointment for a magnetic resonance imaging, MRI, scan at Cork University Hospital for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29279/15]
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.
The scheduling of appointments for patients is a matter for the hospital to which the patient has been referred. Should a patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he or she should take the matter up with the consultant and the hospital involved. 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.