Tuesday, 1 Dec 2015

Written Answers Nos. 369-390

Family Resource Centres

Questions (369)

Joan Collins

Question:

369. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views on proposals from the family resource centres, FRCs, that funding for the family resource programme is ring-fenced within the Túsla - Child and Family Agency programme; that funding is also secured to meet the basic operational costs of running FRCs; that FRC projects be funded to ensure each is resourced with three full-time-equivalent employees; ensuring the continuation of funding to support the family resource centre national forum, enabling FRCs to speak with one voice, access to suitable training through regional support agencies and the workforce development system and evaluation systems; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42498/15]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

There are currently 109 communities supported through the Family Resource Centre Programme which is funded by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. Tusla provides core funding to Family Resource Centres to cover the employment of two to three members of staff and some overhead costs. In 2015, Tusla provided €13.09 million in funding for the Family Resource Centre Programme.

Family Resource Centres (FRCs) are front-line services rooted in the community they serve. Acting as a focal point within their community, Family Resource Centres provide a holistic service of child, family and community support and advocacy to all children and families in their community. While Family Resource Centres operate an open-door policy and provide many services and development opportunities at a universal level, they also proactively target specific cohorts within their communities.

In addition to funding individual Family Resource Centres in 2015, Tusla also provided €60,000 in funding to the Family Resource Centre National Forum (FRCNF) to assist it in providing support to Family Resource Centres around the country.

The Family Resource Centre National Forum is recognised as a valuable asset in the overall operation of the Family Resource Centre Programme. It ensures a representative voice at national level and coherence within the programme. Meetings are held with Tusla on a regular basis to discuss issues of common concern. In recognition of the valuable contribution the Family Resource Centre National Forum makes to the work of Family Resource Centres, Tusla will continue to provide funding to the Forum.

In recent months the National Forum met with Tusla’s Chief Operations Officer to whom they outlined the key priority areas that they believe are critical for their continued development as a valuable support service to the Programme. Tusla has welcomed the key proposals outlined by the Forum.

As the Deputy will be aware, I announced a significant increase in the funding allocation to Tusla for next year. Tusla will have available to it some €676 million in funding, representing an increase of €38 million (5%) over 2015.

The precise level of funding to be provided to Family Support Services for next year will now be considered by Tusla in developing its Business Plan for 2016, which will be sent to me for consideration.

The Government, since its establishment, has attached particular priority to supporting vulnerable children and families and the significant increase in funding being made available to Tusla next year represents further evidence of our delivery on this ambition.

Child and Family Agency Services

Questions (370)

Sandra McLellan

Question:

370. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when 24-hour social work services will come into effect; how the service will work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42706/15]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

Tusla, the Child and Family Agency provides a range of services aimed at addressing emergency situations in the area of child welfare and protection. In the main, these emergency situations arise out of hours.

I am pleased to inform the Deputy that Tusla commenced the new Emergency Out-of-Hours Social Work Service last month. The 2016 allocation to Tusla includes provision for the full year cost of the Emergency Out-of-Hours Social Work Service. The key objective of the service is to co-operate with and support An Garda Síochána in the execution of its duties and responsibilities under the Child Care Act, 1991 and the Refugee Act, 1996.

Prior to this new development Tusla provided, in an emergency situation, for

- residential and foster care placements for children under Section 12(3) of the Child Care Act, 1991 and

- placements for children referred under Section 8.5 of the Refugee Act, 1996;

The additional service now available allows An Garda Síochana to contact a national emergency social work out-of-hours phone service for general advice or consultation. This on call service is staffed by social workers operating from the Out-of-Hours services in Dublin, supported by on-call social workers in different parts of the country.

The social workers are currently employed by Tusla in its children’s services.

Tusla and An Garda Síochána are the key agencies empowered by law to protect and promote the welfare of children and they have separate yet complementary roles. Mutual understanding and cooperation is essential in ensuring that these roles are carried out effectively and in a child-centred manner.

The aim of the Emergency Out-of-Hours Social Work Service is to ensure that the disruption and upset to which children may be exposed in emergency situations are minimised and the rights of parents and guardians are respected. The introduction of the Emergency Out-of-Hours Social Work Service assists in maximising inter-agency co-operation and promoting the safety and welfare of children.

Early Childhood Care and Education

Questions (371)

Sandra McLellan

Question:

371. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide capital funding to enable early childhood education and care settings to expand, in keeping with the announcements made in budget 2016; when and how child care providers will be able to access this funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42707/15]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

Funding will be provided in 2016 as part of the Early Years Capital Programme. I am currently considering how best this funding can be targeted in the context of building capacity in the early years sector to meet the new demands for places under the extended Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme. I hope to be in a position to announce the details of this programme of capital funding shortly.

In addition to this, the Inter-Departmental Group, which I established earlier this year to consider options for future investment in early years and after-school childcare set out a range of options for future investment to enhance affordability, increase the accessibility and improve the quality of early years and after-school childcare.

Several recommendations of the Group, including a number which relate to after-school childcare, were considered as part of the Estimates process for the Budget and will also be funded in 2016. These include a €3 million capital fund, which will be provided to enable both community/not-for-profit and private providers to develop after-school childcare services using existing school and other accessible community facilities. The terms and conditions for this €3 million capital fund are currently being drafted. It is envisaged that this programme of capital funding will be announced in the first quarter of 2016.

Child Care Costs

Questions (372)

Patrick O'Donovan

Question:

372. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if a person (details supplied) in County Limerick is exempt from paying child care costs under the child care employment and training support scheme while undergoing a course; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42745/15]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

The Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) programme, which is one of a number of childcare support programmes implemented by my Department, provides subsidised childcare places to qualifying trainees and students participating in certain Solas and Education Training Boards (ETB) training and education courses. The eligibility criteria for CETS are determined by Solas and ETB.

Under the CETS programme, funding is provided by my Department to participating childcare services in return for the provision of subsidised childcare places to qualifying trainees and students. Parents are required to make a contribution which is dependent of the session type and the maximum parental contribution for each session type has been prescribed. Once a childcare place is approved, funding is committed for the entirety of the parent’s course, subject to certain terms and conditions.

There are four session types of subsidised childcare places under the CETS programme which attract different rates of payments to the provider and different maximum rates of parental contribution. They are:

Full-day care (maximum of 10 hours per day)	€145	€25
Part-time day care (maximum of 5 hours per day)	€80	€15
Session Type	Payment rate to provider*	Maximum parental contribution*
After-school (maximum of 3.5 hours per day)	€40	€5
After-school with pick-up (maximum of 5 hours per day)	€80	€15

*The payments shown are in respect of 5 days of childcare per child. Pro-rata rates are applied where childcare is less than 5 days.

In relation to the specific query by the Deputy, I understand that two children of the parent in question are currently approved for full-day care places for 5 days a week under the CETS programme. The funding for these two children has been committed for a total of 43 weeks and represents a financial commitment of €12,470.00. The maximum parental contribution that the service provider may request from the parent in question is €25 per child per week.

Domestic Violence Services Funding

Questions (373)

Maureen O'Sullivan

Question:

373. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will commit to re-establishing child contact centres to facilitate safe and supervised accessed visits between children and perpetrators of domestic violence in line with court orders, as advocated by Women's Aid; if the existing system can lead to ongoing abuse for parents who are victims of domestic violence during home access visits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42752/15]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is the statutory body with responsibility for providing effective responses to victims of domestic violence and sexual violence. At all times, Tusla’s key priority is to ensure that the needs of victims of domestic violence and sexual violence are being met in the best way possible.

In 2015, Tusla provided over €19 million euro in funding for the provision of domestic and sexual violence services. This funding is allocated to specialist organisations responding to sexual and domestic violence and includes funding for 60 domestic and sexual violence services throughout the country comprising:

- Over €15m for 44 organisations providing domestic violence support services, including 20 emergency refuges.

- €4m for 16 rape crisis centres.

Tusla has advised that it currently has arrangements in place to provide child-friendly, safe and neutral places where children can spend time with the parent(s) they do not live with in order to allow them to develop a relationship with the parent at their own pace in their own way. Tusla supports further developments in local areas in this regard.

I would like to assure the Deputy that Tusla will continue to examine appropriate responses to the needs of children who witness or directly experience violence within the family setting.

School Completion Programme

Questions (374)

Maureen O'Sullivan

Question:

374. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the progress of the school completion programme; if he will implement the changes recommended by the Economic and Social Research Institute report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42753/15]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

The review of the School Completion Programme was published by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) on 7 October. The review, which is available from the ESRI’s website, was undertaken for Tusla the Child and Family Agency under the remit of my Department. It presents the findings of an examination of the operation of the School Completion Programme and makes recommendations in relation to the future operation of the programme.

The review is now being considered by my Department and a range of actions has already been taken by Tusla aimed at strengthening the operation of the programme. Improvements have been introduced in the annual school retention plans so that there is a stronger focus on the outcomes to be achieved for children and young people in the locality. Focused discussions have commenced with all those involved in the delivery of the programme on the review findings and how to strengthen the core functions of the programme. In addition, a new governance structure is being put in place at national level to support local projects in the development of the programme and to improve integration with the related Home School Community Liaison Scheme and the Educational Welfare Officers.

My Department will work closely with Tusla to draw together the output from the ESRI review along with the perspectives of stakeholders, including the children and families who participate in the programme, to improve its effectiveness in responding to the needs of children at risk of educational disadvantage. In addition, my Department will participate in the Inter Departmental Group that the Minister for Education and Skills proposes to establish to consider the roles of different Government departments in delivering the DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) programme in a joined up way.

Tusla will have a key input to the work of the Group, in relation to the role of its education welfare services, as part of the cross departmental initiative aimed at securing improved education outcomes for children at risk of early school leaving.

Adoption Services Provision

Questions (375, 376)

Michelle Mulherin

Question:

375. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the safeguards in place to protect the deposits paid by clients to adoption agencies, such as the Arc Adoption agency; if these safeguards offer adequate protection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42896/15]

Michelle Mulherin

Question:

376. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the assistance he is providing to clients who are seeking the return of deposits and registration fees paid to the Arc Adoption agency, which is in the process of winding down; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42897/15]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Deputy James Reilly)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 375 and 376 together.

Arc Adoption is a company limited by guarantee, not having a share capital and operates on a “not-for-profit basis”. I am aware that there is an issue regarding the repayment to clients of refundable registration fees they are owed by Arc Adoption. These fees were paid as part of an agreement between Arc Adoption and its clients. My Department was not party to this agreement and therefore has no legal responsibility for repayment of these fees. While my Department made a once off payment of €10,000 to assist the Arc Adoption in repaying clients that were due their refundable registration fees in July 2014, repayment of these fees and any other legacy debts are clearly a matter for the Board of Arc Adoption. Despite this, my Department indicated to Arc Adoption last December that I was willing to examine the question of legacy debt relating to refundable registration fees.

This is a complex matter as it gives rise to a number of issues, some of which are legal issues. In this regard my Department has sought formal legal advice and we hope to reach a conclusion on the matter as soon as possible.

Early Childhood Care and Education

Questions (377)

Patrick O'Donovan

Question:

377. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to revert to this Deputy on (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43027/15]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

As I stated in my reply to the Deputy's previous question, the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme is funded by my Department through the provision of capitation grants paid directly to participating services. This capitation payment is for the provision of services, including preparatory and supportive work such as engagement with parents, training, planning and organisation. For the purposes of clarification, this also includes administration.

At present, the standard capitation fee paid to participating services is €62.50 per week per eligible child. A higher capitation fee of €73 per week per eligible child is available to pre-school services with more highly qualified staff. With effect from September 2016, these capitation rates will be restored to pre-2012 levels of €64.50 and €75 respectively.

Child Care Services Data

Questions (378)

Patrick O'Donovan

Question:

378. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to revert to this Deputy on (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43028/15]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

I indicated in my previous reply to the Deputy the various childcare support and capital programmes which are implemented by my Department and their availability to private providers. To summarise:

- The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is provided through both private and community/not-for-profit providers

- The Training and Employment Childcare (TEC) programmes (i.e. Childcare Education and Training programme (CETS), Community Employment Childcare (CEC) programme and After-school Childcare (ASCC) programme) are provided through both private and community/not-for-profit providers, and

- The Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme is currently provided through community/not-for-profit providers only.

The original rationale for opening the CCS Programme to community/not-for-profit providers only was to ensure that children and families could access childcare in areas of market failure (i.e. in areas where private providers did not traditionally operate) and, due to economic constraints, Budget 2012 closed the CCS programme to new applications from providers wishing to enter the programme and to the expansion of services by existing providers.

However, as I also indicated in my previous reply to the Deputy, under Budget 2016, I lifted these restrictions and provided €16 million in additional funding to further expand the CCS programme, to include its roll-out to private providers, in a targeted manner. During 2016, work will also commence on developing a new simplified childcare subsidy programme. This programme, which will replace the existing CCS and TEC programmes, will be available through both private and community/not-for-profit providers in 2017.

- In 2012, capital funding of €6m was provided to fund a maintenance programme for services (i.e. to address remedial, maintenance and renovation work and to purchase equipment). This funding, which provided grants up to a maximum of €50,000, was available to both private and community/not-for-profit providers.

- In 2013, capital funding of €2.75m was provided to support the on-going improvement of services. Both private and community/not-for-profit services participating in one of the childcare support programmes implemented by my Department were eligible to apply.

- In 2014, capital funding of €2.5 million for the maintenance and upgrade of community/not-for-profit services to ensure that these previously-funded community/not-for-profit services remained fit-for-purpose thus protecting State investment. For this reason, private providers were not eligible to apply.

- In 2015, capital funding of €7 million was provided. Under Strands 1-3 of the 2015 programme, €5 million was made available to community/not-for-profit services to ensure that these previously-funded community/not-for-profit services remained fit-for-purpose thus protecting State investment. The remaining €2 million, which was made available under Strand 4 of the 2015 programme, was made available for both private and community/not-for-profit providers.

Preschool Services

Questions (379)

Patrick O'Donovan

Question:

379. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to revert to this Deputy on (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43029/15]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

The decision to extend free pre-school provided under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme was based on recommendations set out in the Reports of the Expert Advisory Group on the Early Years Strategy in 2013 and Inter-Departmental Group on Future Investment in Childcare in 2015. Both Groups consulted widely with a range of stakeholders, including the early years sector, during the course of their work.

Under this extended Programme, there will be three opportunities for eligible children to enrol during the pre-school year: children who reach the age of 3 between April and August will have the opportunity to enrol in September; children who reach the age of 3 between September and December will have the opportunity to enrol in January; and children who reach the age of 3 between January and March will have the opportunity to enrol in April. As a result of this extension, the number of children benefiting from the Programme is expected to rise from around 67,000 to 127,000 in a given programme year. For the 2016/17 programme year, it is estimated that 89,500 children will be eligible to enrol in the Programme from September 2016, 22,000 from January 2017 and 15,500 from April 2017.

In order to provide the early years sector with the time to build capacity to meet this increased demand, a decision was taken to introduce this new measure from September 2016. As the increased demand for the Programme is not expected to peak until January and April 2017, this timeframe should allow pre-school providers to make any necessary infrastructural or service changes and to put in place extra staff resources to accommodate the additional demand.

I am satisfied that there is already additional capacity in the early years sector to cope with some of the increased demand. Indeed, the Annual Survey of Early Years Services, which was conducted in December 2014, estimates that there are more than 24,000 vacancies in early years services across the country with almost 13,000 of these vacancies in sessional services. I am also aware that every year a significant number of new pre-school providers apply to participate in this Programme, and, this increased demand for, and additional investment in, free pre-school provision should encourage a greater numbers of applicants.

The restoration of capitation rates to pre-2012 levels from September 2016 should also encourage a greater number of new applicants and encourage existing pre-school providers to expand.

I am clear that more capacity will be required and that building this capacity may pose a challenge for some pre-school providers. Officials in my Department are committed to assisting with these challenges. They are already working closely with the City and County Childcare Committees and the Voluntary Childcare Organisations on a range of measures, which will assist pre-school providers meet increased demand for free pre-school provision, particularly from January and April 2017. Further information on these measures will be available shortly.

With regard to payment for sick time for children availing of the ECCE Programme, the Programme contains provision for payment to continue in instances where the child is absent for periods of 4 consecutive weeks or less. It is only in instances where a child is absent for a period of more than 4 consecutive weeks that the pre-school provider is obliged to cease claiming payment. If the child subsequently returns to the service, payment will be re-instated.

With regard to payment for holiday time, pre-school providers voluntarily contract into the ECCE Programme on the basis of the capitation rates and number of payment weeks provided for under the Programme. It is a matter for pre-school providers themselves to decide whether the terms of the Programme are suitable for their service and whether they operate for the 38 weeks of the ECCE programme only.

Child Care Services Funding

Questions (380)

Patrick O'Donovan

Question:

380. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to revert to this Deputy on (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43030/15]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

As I stated in my reply to the Deputy's previous question, the Programmes Implementation Platform (PIP), which was introduced by my Department and launched in September 2014, provides for childcare providers to submit applications for childcare funding through an online facility.

For the purposes of further clarification, when a parent decides to register a child for participation in a childcare programme, the childcare provider in question gives the parent a Child Registration Form to fill out. In the case of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, the parent will supply their own full name, the child’s full name, PPSN details, date of birth, gender, the number of days the child will attend for and the starting and end dates of the child’s participation in the programme. The childcare provider uses the information on the completed form to register the child on PIP. Once the child has been entered on PIP, the childcare provider must destroy the form in order to comply with data protection requirements.

Once the child has been registered on PIP, a Parental Declaration Form is printed and signed by both the parent and childcare provider. A copy is given to the parent and the original signed Parent Declaration Form is retained by the childcare provider for inspection during compliance visits, which are undertaken by Pobal on my Department's behalf.

Preschool Services

Questions (381)

Patrick O'Donovan

Question:

381. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to revert to this Deputy on (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43031/15]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

The decision to extend free pre-school provided under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme was based on recommendations set out in the Reports of the Expert Advisory Group on the Early Years Strategy in 2013 and Inter-Departmental Group on Future Investment in Childcare in 2015. The latter Group consulted widely during the course of their work and all stakeholders in the early years sector were invited to make a submission. There is no record of a submission being received from the HSE (now Tusla).

With regard to the other questions raised by the Deputy, I can re-confirm that the Childcare Pre-School Regulations 2006 allow for children aged 0-6 years to be cared for in a pre-school and there is no requirement by Tusla that a child must be toilet trained before attending a private pre-school service or any pre-school service. The age range of children to be catered for in a pre-school service is a matter for each individual service.

Further, I, nor the HSE (now Tusla), are aware of any request by the HSE (now Tusla) having requested a review of the staffing levels allowed for in private pre-school providers to take into account the different levels of needs for three- to five-year-olds.

Departmental Legal Cases Data

Questions (382)

Billy Timmins

Question:

382. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of legal cases currently ongoing against his Department including State agencies under his aegis; the number of cases that took place during the years 2011 to 2014, inclusive; the cost of those that were contested and what damages were involved; the costs and damages of those that were settled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43261/15]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

I can inform the Deputy that there are ten legal cases currently ongoing against my Department. These do not include personal injury cases which are dealt with by the State Claims Agency. In addition, there is also one case before the Court of Justice of the European Union in respect of an Article 267 reference from the Irish Supreme Court.

The most significant legal proceedings against my Department since it was established in June 2011 concerned matters relating to the referendum on children's rights. All of those cases are complete. None involved damages. There were two cases in 2012 which involved total costs of €222,523.43 paid to the plaintiff. Two cases took place during 2013 and one in 2014 which was the consolidated Supreme Court Appeals in the Jordan case. No costs have been paid to date in respect of the 2013 or 2014 cases.

In the time available, my Department has not been in a position to compile the rest of the information sought by the Deputy and I will write to him separately with the relevant information at the earliest opportunity.

I will also ask each of the agencies under my remit, namely the Adoption Authority of Ireland, the Child and Family Agency and the Ombudsman for Children's Office, to write to the Deputy directly with the information sought.

Departmental Staff Data

Questions (383)

Regina Doherty

Question:

383. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of employees under his remit who are classified under a contract of indefinite duration; the number of these who are receiving incremental salary payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43275/15]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

One person in my Department is employed under a Contract of Indefinite Duration. This employee is in receipt of incremental salary payments.

My Department does not generally hold information relating to individual employees of the various agencies operating under the Department's remit, including the number of temporary contracts or contracts of indefinite duration sought or in place in the agencies. Accordingly, the information requested by the Deputy is not readily available. Officials of my Department have requested that the specific information requested be supplied directly to you by the agencies involved.

Health Services Funding

Questions (384)

Pearse Doherty

Question:

384. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the funds allocated to the Travel2Care scheme for 2016. [42305/15]

Written answers

Minister for Health

The National Cancer Control Programme made a grant of €.3m to the Irish Cancer Society to assist with the cost incurred in the Travel2Care programme in 2015. It is planned to continue such funding in 2016.

Hospital Waiting Lists

Questions (385)

Pádraig MacLochlainn

Question:

385. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health his plans to reduce the long waiting lists for patients with diabetes type 1 to see a consultant in Letterkenny University Hospital in County Donegal. [42307/15]

Written answers

Minister for Health

I can assure the Deputy that improving waiting times for out-patients and in-patient care is a key priority for the Government. In January, taking into account current pressures on acute hospital services, I put in place maximum permissible waiting times for in-patient and day case treatment and outpatient appointments of 18 months by 30 June and 15 months by year end. The HSE was provided with additional funding of €51m to ensure that these maximum waiting times would be achieved. The funding provided is intended to maximise capacity across public and voluntary hospitals as well as outsourcing activity where the capacity is not available to meet patient needs within the maximum allowable waiting time.

The HSE is addressing the areas of underachievement of maximum waiting times with Hospital Groups as part of the regular performance and accountability process, as well as seeking the support of the National Clinical Programmes to ensure that the appropriate referral and clinical pathways are used at all times. The main priority is the patients affected by any delays in waiting lists and the HSE will ensure that these patients are prioritised for treatment.

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 Transfers

Questions (386)

Pádraig MacLochlainn

Question:

386. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the policy of transferring children who have cancer from Our Lady's Children's Hospital in Crumlin in Dublin 12 to St. James's Hospital in Dublin 8 when they reach 16 years of age; and if a new policy will be considered that would not cause as much upheaval and at times distress for the families involved. [42308/15]

Written answers

Minister for Health

The Deputy's questions relate to service delivery matters and accordingly I have asked the HSE to respond directly to him.

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.

Hospital Waiting Lists

Questions (387)

Arthur Spring

Question:

387. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Health when an operation for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry will be performed; if he is aware of delays in this case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42314/15]

Written answers

Minister for Health

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.

Ambulance Service Provision

Questions (388)

Pádraig MacLochlainn

Question:

388. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if it is acceptable for a Teachta Dála to repeatedly request a meeting with the national ambulance service to discuss matters of concern within that Teachta Dála's constituency and to no avail. [42324/15]

Written answers

Minister for Health

I understand that the National Ambulance Service are happy to meet with the Deputy; the Director will make contact with you shortly with a view to agreeing a suitable date.

Hospital Facilities

Questions (389)

Pádraig MacLochlainn

Question:

389. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of reports of issues with some windows in the new medical block at Letterkenny University Hospital in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42325/15]

Written answers

Minister for Health

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.

Ambulance Service Provision

Questions (390)

Pádraig MacLochlainn

Question:

390. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if the national ambulance service has a policy of leaving deceased persons at the location of their death; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42326/15]

Written answers

Minister for Health

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.