Written Answers Nos. 222-230
222. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health the proposals he has to provide additional financial resources in 2016 for the mental health services in counties Cavan and Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9165/16]
View answer223. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health the proposals he has to extend mental health services in counties Cavan and Monaghan in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9166/16]
View answer224. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health the proposals he has to provide new facilities in 2016 for the provision of mental health services in counties Cavan and Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9167/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 222 to 224, inclusive, together.
As this is a service matter these questions have been referred to the HSE for direct reply. If you have not received a reply within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
225. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Health if eligibility criteria for assessment by child psychiatry will be re-examined for a person (details supplied). [9168/16]
View answerAs this is a service issue this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply. If you have not received a reply within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
226. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of public waiting lists for persons with cancer (details supplied) in respect of a recent survey; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9177/16]
View answerThe report to which the Deputy refers, 'Access to Diagnostics Used to Detect Cancer', was published by the Irish Cancer Society and the Irish College of General Practitioners and it focuses on access to diagnostics rather than on treatment and outcomes. A finding of the report was that people who have private health insurance can access diagnostic services more quickly than those in the public system. The report also states that 'there were no significant findings when comparing average delay in the public system to distance from GP practice to nearest hospital for referral'.
The report acknowledges the significant contribution to cancer control in Ireland arising from the establishment of the National Cancer Control Programme, the designation of cancer centres and the development of rapid access clinics for patients with suspected breast, prostate and lung cancers.
227. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Health to ensure that a person (details supplied) who is in urgent need of an operation and has been on the waiting list for surgery and treatment is immediately admitted for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9187/16]
View answerUnder 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 HSE, 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.
228. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to outline the support Ireland is providing to the Kurdish people in Turkey, given that the Kurdish population in Turkey has been under bombardment from the Turkish state since the breakdown of the peace process in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8870/16]
View answerThe domestic situation in Turkey remains a matter of concern, both for Ireland and our European partners. I would like to reiterate the serious concern I have expressed several times already in this House at the escalation of violence since the breakdown of the ceasefire between the Turkish Government and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) last summer. This breakdown has been all the more regrettable given that there were positive signs in the peace process as recently as early 2015.
Ireland has been a strong supporter of the peace talks between the Turkish Government and the PKK and, through the work of the Conflict Resolution Unit of my Department, financial assistance has been provided to an international NGO which has facilitated study visits to Ireland by Turkish and Kurdish MPs, journalists, and advisers working for peace. The current situation demonstrates clearly the critical importance for all sides to cease hostilities and return to dialogue and I take this opportunity to urge again all sides to do so. The most recent Progress Report on Turkey, published by the European Commission in November 2015, emphasised the importance of this too.
The issue of human rights in Turkey has also been raised by the Taoiseach at the European Council.
Officials in my Department, both at headquarters in Dublin and in our Embassy in Ankara, will continue to follow developments in Turkey very closely.
229. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has raised at European Union or United Nations level the question of Turkey’s status as a safe state for refugees being overturned; the efforts being made to stop the process of refugees being returned to Turkey; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8871/16]
View answerTurkey has a key role to play in resolving the current migration crisis, as most of the migrants and refugees who have entered the EU since early 2015 have travelled via Turkey. The EU and Turkey have engaged deeply on developing joint approaches and the EU’s engagement with Turkey was the focus of the most recent European Council on 17 and 18 March 2016.
The core intention of the EU-Turkey agreement which emerged from the Council is to break the business model of the people smugglers who are profiting from the suffering of the vulnerable. Critically, it should stop people getting into unsafe boats and risking their lives. The need to comply with international law was at the heart of the discussions leading to the Agreement.
All migrants will be protected in accordance with the relevant international standards and in respect of the principle of non-refoulement. The EU and Turkey have agreed that there will be no blanket returns and no automatic returns of asylum seekers: all migrants/refugees arriving in Greece who wish to claim asylum will have their applications processed individually by the Greek authorities in accordance with the Asylum Procedures Directive, in cooperation with the European Asylum Support Office (EASO). In addition, the €3 billion Facility for refugees in Turkey is aimed at supporting Syrians and other refugees by providing access to food, shelter, education, and healthcare. This funding has been accelerated and, as of 19 April, €187 million has been committed to the Facility.
Steps to address the migration challenge are also continuing outside of the EU-Turkey framework. In addition to the humanitarian aid provided by Ireland, we agreed last year to accept up to 4,000 migrants, despite our opt-out from EU legislation in the area of freedom, security and justice. Last year the Irish Naval service rescued 8,592 migrants from the Mediterranean Sea.
More broadly, the issue of human rights in Turkey has been raised by the Taoiseach at the European Council and continues to form an integral part of the country’s Enlargement process.
230. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has expressed concerns at European Union level regarding Turkey’s application for membership of the European Union, given the human rights abuses being carried out against the people of Kurdistan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8872/16]
View answerIreland supports the accession of Turkey to the EU. However, the domestic situation in Turkey remains a matter of concern, both for Ireland and our European partners and I would like to reiterate the serious concern I have expressed several times already in this House at the escalation of violence since the breakdown of the ceasefire between the Turkish Government and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) last summer. The Government also remains concerned at the broader situation of fundamental freedoms in Turkey, particularly with regard to freedom of expression and the media.
Both rule of law and human rights issues are, of course, an integral part of the EU accession process and this was highlighted in the most recent Progress Report on Turkey, which was published by the European Commission in November 2015. The Government has been consistently clear that all criteria and benchmarks in this process must be met. Ireland, along with our EU partners, will continue our dialogue with Turkey on these very important issues, including as part of the accession process.
