Written Answers Nos. 612 - 638
612. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will follow Sweden in petitioning the European Union to list the American lobster as a foreign species, which would prohibit the import of live lobsters from the United States of America and Canada, as a measure to protect the indigenous lobster population from gaffkaemia. [10075/16]
View answerEU Regulation 1143/2014 on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species provides for the adoption of a list of invasive alien species of European Union concern (“the Union list”). The Regulation also provides for a range of measures to detect, control and manage species on the “Union list”. The first list under this Regulation was adopted last December but has not yet been formally commenced by the EU.
To be included on the “Union list”, an invasive alien species has to meet a number of criteria, such as being alien to the territory of the European Union, capable of establishing a viable population and spreading in the environment under current or foreseeable climate change conditions, and being likely to have a significant adverse impact on biodiversity or related ecosystems, or impact on human health or the economy.
Member States proposing a species for inclusion on the “Union list” are required to carry out a risk assessment on the species concerned to demonstrate the need for such measures and the likelihood of their effectiveness. Further information on the process for EU assessment and listing of invasive alien species may be found here: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/invasivealien/index_en.htm.
I understand that there is a proposal to include the American lobster on a second list, which is due to be considered at the EU’s next Scientific Forum meeting on invasive alien species on 21st June. However my Department has not received any proposal regarding this species from relevant experts or interested parties here in Ireland.
The Risk Assessment (RA) for the American lobster is available online here: https://circabc.europa.eu/faces/jsp/extension/wai/navigation/container.jsp?FormPrincipal:_idcl=FormPrincipal:_id3&FormPrincipal_SUBMIT=1&id=5ffbcde1-6243-4e33-9d0b-6a9961eed44c&javax.faces.ViewState=rO0ABXVyABNbTGphdmEubGFuZy5PYmplY3Q7kM5YnxBzKWwCAAB4cAAAAAN0AAE1cHQAKy9qc3AvZXh0ZW5zaW9uL3dhaS9uYXZpZ2F0aW9uL2NvbnRhaW5lci5qc3A =
The question of the risk of introduction of disease is a matter in the first instance for the Fish Health Unit of the Marine Institute.
My Department will continue to consult with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine on the matter.
613. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to petition at European Union level to have the American lobster recognised as a foreign species, as Sweden has already done in March 2016, which would prohibit the import of live lobsters from the United States of America and Canada (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10087/16]
View answerEU Regulation 1143/2014 on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species provides for the adoption of a list of invasive alien species of European Union concern (“the Union list”). The Regulation also provides for a range of measures to detect, control and manage species on the “Union list”. The first list under this Regulation was adopted last December but has not yet been formally commenced by the EU.
To be included on the “Union list”, an invasive alien species has to meet a number of criteria, such as being alien to the territory of the European Union, capable of establishing a viable population and spreading in the environment under current or foreseeable climate change conditions, and being likely to have a significant adverse impact on biodiversity or related ecosystems, or impact on human health or the economy.
Member States proposing a species for inclusion on the “Union list” are required to carry out a risk assessment on the species concerned to demonstrate the need for such measures and the likelihood of their effectiveness. Further information on the process for EU assessment and listing of invasive alien species may be found here: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/invasivealien/index_en.htm
I understand that there is a proposal to include the American lobster on a second list, which is due to be considered at the EU’s next Scientific Forum meeting on invasive alien species on 21st June. However my Department has not received any proposal regarding this species from relevant experts or interested parties here in Ireland.
The Risk Assessment (RA) for the American lobster is available online here:
https://circabc.europa.eu/faces/jsp/extension/wai/navigation/container.jsp?FormPrincipal:_idcl=FormPrincipal:_id3&FormPrincipal_SUBMIT=1&id=5ffbcde1-6243-4e33-9d0b-6a9961eed44c&javax.faces.ViewState=rO0ABXVyABNbTGphdmEubGFuZy5PYmplY3Q7kM5YnxBzKWwCAAB4cAAAAAN0AAE1cHQAKy9qc3AvZXh0ZW5zaW9uL3dhaS9uYXZpZ2F0aW9uL2NvbnRhaW5lci5qc3A =
The question of the risk of introduction of disease is a matter in the first instance for the Fish Health Unit of the Marine Institute.
My Department will continue to consult with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine on the matter.
614. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of discreet method statements she received for discreet elements of the proposed works on the N59 from Oughterard to Galway in County Galway; the dates she received and approved each statement; the number of statements awaiting approval; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9414/16]
View answerMy Department has received eight method statements from Galway County Council in relation to the development of the N59. These concern the section of the road from Oughterard to Maam Cross, rather than from Oughterard to Galway. On a number of occasions, the method statements could not be reviewed for various reasons, including that they had not been approved by the Council itself, a requirement of a condition on the planning consent, or as a result of the omission or uncertainty of key information. On such occasions, the Council was required to revise the method statements and resubmit them, in accordance with the planning permission. The statements and dates listed below refer to the revised or final method statements and the dates on which they were received by my Department.
1. Topographic Contract: final statement submitted 5th November 2014, approval issued 12th November 2014.
2. Site Compound Set-Up: final statement submitted 30th April 2015, approval issued 15th May 2015.
3. Five method statements were submitted 19th January 2016 for the following works:
- Setting Out
- Vegetation Clearance
- Trial Pits and Slit Trenches
- Rotary & Pavement Coring, Cable Percussive Drilling, Russian Sampling
- Silt fencing.
4. Turbidity meters for installation at Letterfore and Glengowla Bridges: method statement submitted 12th April 2016.
At a recent meeting, my Department and Galway County Council agreed that, amongst other things, a review of the turbidity meters statement would be completed prior to a review of the method statements that were submitted on 19th January. That method statement is under review and I expect a response to issue to Galway County Council in the coming week.
615. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status of the Spanish Armada cannons lifted from the seabed off County Sligo in 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9677/16]
View answerThe nine cannons recovered from the wreck of the Spanish Armada ship La Juliana are currently undergoing conservation by the National Museum of Ireland with a view to being displayed in a suitable museum setting, in due course. The ongoing conservation process may take up to 2 years to complete.
616. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding the development of a site; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9605/16]
View answerThe site referred to by the Deputy forms part of a Special Protection Area (SPA) and a candidate Special Area of Conservation (cSAC). Drainage of the outflow channel from the site is maintained by the local authority in order to avoid flooding of a road, farm properties and agricultural lands. While it is an objective of the SPA to achieve favourable conservation condition of the wetland in question, my Department has no immediate plans to restore the site to the condition that it was in in the 1970s. Substantial environmental changes have occurred since then. High nutrient levels in the lake in the past may have also attracted waterfowl previously, and grazing has also been relaxed, leading to substantial changes in the vegetation cover.
My Department will consider management options in light of resource availability at a future stage.
617. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht arising from visits to the site by various Ministers, the financial support she will provide to the owners of Jerpoint Park, the lost town of Saint Nicholas in County Kilkenny, to protect the site; the funding schemes available to the owners of such important heritage sites; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9923/16]
View answerWith regard to funding, the position is that financial support is provided by my Department through a number of structured schemes for the conservation and protection of heritage buildings. My Department itself operates a Structures at Risk Fund to enable conservation works to heritage structures, in both private and public ownership, that are protected under the Planning and Development Acts and are deemed to be at significant risk of deterioration. This fund, which has an allocation of €624,000 in 2016, is administered through the local authorities and seeks to encourage the regeneration and reuse of heritage properties and to help to secure the preservation of protected structures which might otherwise be lost. Applications for this scheme have now closed for 2016, and recommended projects are currently being finalised.
I launched a new €2 million scheme - the Built Heritage Investment Scheme - for the repair and conservation of protected structures on 21 October 2015. This scheme will operate in 2016, via the local authorities, on the same model as the very successful Built Heritage Jobs Leverage Scheme, which ran in 2014. It is expected to support a significant number of projects across the country and to create employment in the conservation and construction industries, while helping to regenerate urban and rural areas. The scheme for this year is now fully allocated.
The Heritage Council, which my Department funds, also provides grants for the protection and preservation of the built heritage. For 2016, the Council is administering a community based heritage grants scheme available for projects that contributed to particular heritage themes. The Council would be able to advise if the particular structure referred to by the Deputy would be eligible for funding, now or in the future.
The remainder of my Department’s built heritage capital budget for 2016 will be focused on the conservation and presentation of the State's heritage portfolio, which is managed by the Office of Public Works.
618. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to supply a copy of the report on a gorse fire at a location (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10055/16]
View answerMy Department is responsible for over 60,000 hectares of diverse landscape within our six National Parks and over 18,000 hectares within our statutory Nature Reserves. Where issues of particular importance arise regarding any of these important natural heritage assets, I am kept apprised, on an on-going basis, by my officials. Given the nature of the wildfires which took place in the southeast of the location, and given the necessity of evaluating the damage caused on an on-going basis, I received a number of oral reports from my officials on the effects of the fires. At the time of the fires themselves, I was kept apprised of the efforts of the local authority’s Fire & Rescue Service, the Air Corps of the Defence Forces, the Coast Guard, and my own officials in my Department’s National Parks and Wildlife Service in combating the fires. Most of the damage caused at the location in question occurred in the upland areas where the fires originated, with heather, gorse and mollinia (grass) burned across a large area southeast of the location.
These upland areas are very important habitats for a number of flora and fauna, including ground-nesting birds, invertebrates, small mammals and many species of insects. Shortly after the fires abated, my officials informed me that over 1,000 hectares within the location were affected by the fires and that, while the woodlands escaped serious damage, a number of trees, including oak, birch, holly, and arbutus, were scorched by the fires. I was also advised that a number of deer fences and a part of the board-walks on a long-distance walking trail, which runs through the location were damaged, but that, from an ecological perspective, the damage to uplands habitats was more serious.
Section 40 of the Wildlife Acts 1976 to 2012 currently prohibits the cutting, grubbing, burning or destruction of vegetation, with certain strict exemptions, from 1 March to 31 August. Section 40(1)(a) specifically provides that it is an offence to cut, grub, burn, or otherwise destroy any vegetation on any land not then cultivated. In addition, it should also be noted that section 39 of the Acts prohibits burning, in any season, within one mile of a statutory Nature Reserve or a wood which is not the property of the person burning, unless notice has been given.
Accordingly, at the time the fires occurred at the location in question, my officials indicated that they would work closely with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Garda Síochána, as appropriate, to investigate the cause, or causes, of the wildfires which affected the location and, where evidence is forthcoming, to pursue appropriate enforcement under the Wildlife Acts or other legislation.
Finally, the Deputy will be aware that at the time the fires occurred, I appealed to all members of the public to be conscious of the danger posed by fire, particularly on open ground where it can very quickly become an uncontrolled fire. As we now enter into the summer, this is a message I would re-iterate, and I believe that the fires which took place at the location, and the resultant damage to upland habitats and risk to our oak woodlands, will have given members of the public a greater appreciation of the value of our National Parks and Nature Reserves, and the importance of protecting our natural heritage.
619. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status of the national monuments Bill which was expected in late 2015 as part of the Government’s legislative programme for spring and summer 2015; when she will complete the text; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10177/16]
View answerThe National Monuments Bill is intended to replace, in extensively revised and modernized form, the five existing Acts that make up the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2004, as well as a number of other pieces of related legislation, some going back to the 19th century. The Bill is, therefore, a major undertaking that will seek, for example, to:
- replace different levels of protection under the existing legislation with a single Register of Monuments;
- give automatic legal protection to newly discovered archaeological monuments;
- introduce an integrated archaeological licensing system in place of the series of sometimes overlapping licensing and consent requirements that exist at present;
- enable the State to ratify a number of key international conventions relating to protection of underwater cultural heritage and illicit dealing in cultural goods; and
- give formal recognition for the first time to World Heritage Sites in domestic Irish law.
Work on the drafting of the Bill has been underway for some time and I am advised that it is now at a relatively advanced stage.
620. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to issue a final response to a query that was sent to her office in February 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10425/16]
View answerA final reply has now issued to the Deputy in response to his query.
621. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if farmers in special areas of conservation will be permitted to clear scrub off their lands to avoid ineligible area penalties without the requirement for planning or any other approval; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9910/16]
View answerEligibility conditions under the basic payment scheme are a matter for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. There are specific provisions in relation to habitats in designated lands and this is elaborated on in the 2015 guidance produced by that Department. Full details of the guidance of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine are available at:
https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/media/migration/farmingschemesandpayments/basicpaymentscheme/LandEligibility2015Booklet010515.pdf .
Under Section 40 of the Wildlife Acts, the burning of vegetation between 1 March and 31 August is prohibited. It is important to note that land may be considered ineligible for payment by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine if it is burned without appropriate plans or consent, or outside the dates prescribed under the Wildlife Acts.
Natura 2000 is a network comprised of special areas of conservation and special protection areas. My Department understands that land within Natura sites is eligible for payment under the basic payment scheme, provided that the land:
(a) is being actively farmed and managed to deliver the ecological objectives of the site in question,
(b) was claimed under the 2008 single payment scheme and was eligible for payment under that scheme; and
(c) has since become ineligible as a result of the management requirements or ecological objectives of the Natura site.
If farmers wish nonetheless to carry out scrub removal in Natura sites, they may require consent.
There is no requirement to obtain my consent as Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if:
a) the activity is licensed by or subject to the permission of another public authority; or
b) the activity is specified as permitted in a farm or land management plan (subject to compliance with any conditions set out therein).
In practice, farmers wishing to clear scrub in Natura sites should contact my Department’s National Parks and Wildlife Service prior to carrying out such work to establish what requirements may apply.
622. Deputy Kate O'Connell asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if targeted resources will be made available to support the arts in education, in particular for Children's Books Ireland and Poetry Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9913/16]
View answerThe Programme for a Partnership Government commits to the implementation of the Arts in Education Charter. I am firmly committed to continuing the on-going interdepartmental and cross-sectoral dialogue and partnership between my Department, the Department of Education and Skills and the Arts Council, in line with the Charter. The arts in education remit is being achieved largely through existing and evolving structures, such as education centres and local authority arts departments, with funding provided by my Department and the Department of Education and Skills. In 2015 the Arts in Education Portal was launched and this now serves as an effective key communications and information channel for both education and arts sectors.
In terms of direct support for the arts, this is primarily a matter for the Arts Council operating under the provisions of the Arts Act 2003. The Arts Council’s ten-year strategy Making Great Art Work (2016-2025) places specific emphasis on the need to plan and provide for children and young people. The strategy also commits to working to achieve full implementation of the Arts in Education Charter.
The Arts Council contributes funding to number of organisations to assist in the delivery of Arts in Education projects in schools. These include Poetry Ireland's Writers in Schools Scheme, where writers and storytellers visit primary and post-primary schools, as well as the Bringing to Book Artist-in-Residence Scheme, a Children's Books Ireland project.
623. Deputy Kate O'Connell asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if there are plans to increase resources and support for the National Library of Ireland and the National Archives; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9914/16]
View answerDespite significant challenges in recent years, our national cultural institutions have worked hard to maintain their services to the public, and to protect and make our national collections accessible to the greatest extent possible. I am acutely aware of the challenges facing the National Library, and indeed other national cultural institutions, following the significant reduction of resources available to the Exchequer as a result of the economic crisis. These are significant challenges which will not be fixed overnight, and will most likely take a number of years to address. Thanks to improvements in the economy, I was in a position to secure an additional €2 million in current funding for our national cultural institutions as part of the 2015 Revised Estimates. This was after six years of continuous cutbacks and included an increased allocation of €600,000 for the National Library and €100,000 for the National Archives. I was pleased to have been in a position to maintain those increased budgets in 2016.
In addition, I provided the National Archives with a special allocation of €150,000 for 2016 to assist in work currently being undertaken by it, in association with the Office of Government Chief Information Officer, in regard to digital records and public sector records management policy.
I will continue to support the National Library and National Archives to the greatest extent possible and hope to be in a position to provide additional funding as the Exchequer position improves.
In relation to capital funding, I was delighted in late 2015 to announce a major new capital investment plan for the National Library's historic Kildare Street premises, as part of the Government's Public Capital Programme Building on Recovery 2016-2021. I have earmarked an allocation of €10 million in funding for the first phase of the works.
In addition, as part of the Decade of Commemorations programme, €8 million in funding has been earmarked for the first phase in a capital development plan at the National Archives. The OPW has recently appointed a design team to the project and I expect it to go to tender shortly.
These two significant capital investments will address many of the long-standing to infrastructural issues that face both the National Library and the National Archives in terms of their building and storage requirements.
624. Deputy Kate O'Connell asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the amount of funding provided to all branches of the arts over the past five years in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9915/16]
View answerDetails of the funding allocations made available to my Department are published each year in the Revised Estimates Volume with the outturn published in the annual Appropriation Account. These publications are available on the website of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform at www.per.gov.ie and on the website of the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General at www.audgen.gov.ie. Most of my Department's arts and culture budget is allocated to the cultural institutions and agencies under its remit. Within these allocations, the Arts Council is the primary State agency for funding the arts in Ireland. Details of the Arts Council's expenditure including its individual grants are published on the Arts Council's website at http://www.artscouncil.ie/home/.
Where my Department makes direct grants to organisations, the figures are published on the website of my Department at http://www.ahg.gov.ie/arts/creative-arts/grants-and-funding/
and http://www.ahg.gov.ie/arts/culture/grants-and-funding.
The figures for 2016 will be published in due course. It should be noted that the support provided directly by my Department for the arts primarily relates to capital investment in arts infrastructure. The information on the website indicates in each case the county in which the project is situated.
625. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health how persons can access records of local authorities prior to the introduction of the health boards in relation to births that took place in mother and baby homes, particularly in Donegal County Council and at Bessborough House in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9420/16]
View answerIn accordance with the Registration of Maternity Homes Act, 1934, local authorities, as defined under the Act, were the registration authority for maternity homes. Records which were required to be kept at maternity homes included;
(a) every reception into such home;
(b) every discharge from such home;
(c) every confinement therein;
(d) every miscarriage therein;
(e) every birth therein;
(f) every death therein;
(g) every removal of a child therefrom and of the name of the person by whom and the address to which such child is removed.
Over the years, responsibility for the registration and inspection of such maternity homes transferred to the Health Boards and subsequently to the HSE. To help with this matter I have passed your query to the HSE for direct reply, but given the passage of time, I am not sure if all records relating to the nursing homes in question still exist. I am aware that some historic maternity records are held by the National Archives so it might also be worth addressing your query to that Office.
626. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health the status of the work of the Drugs Advisory Group. [9805/16]
View answerThe Deputy is informed that the Drugs Advisory Group was replaced by the National Coordinating Committee on Drug and Alcohol Task Forces which was established in January 2014, in line with the Review of Drugs Task Forces (2012). The National Coordinating Committee has the following terms of reference:
- to drive implementation of the National Drugs Strategy (NDS) at local and regional level;
- to oversee, monitor and support the work of the Drug and Alcohol Task Forces to ensure that policy on drugs is informed by their work and that their work is informed by the NDS;
- to promote effective coordination between statutory bodies and the community & voluntary sectors in delivering on the objectives of the Strategy at local and regional level;
- to monitor implementation of NDS actions specific to Drug and Alcohol Task Forces; and
- to make recommendations to the Minister in relation to the implementation of the NDS and effective coordination of service delivery at local and regional level.
The committee is chaired by a senior official in the Department of Health and includes representatives from the networks representing the Local Drugs and Alcohol Task Forces and the Regional Drugs and Alcohol Task Forces, as well as the key Departments and agencies involved in the implementation of the Strategy and the Community and Voluntary Sectors.
The committee, which meets up to six times a year, has developed a work programme to assist it in meeting its terms of reference. Among its priorities in 2016 is the development of a common approach across all Task Forces to addressing drug litter issues. The Department of Health has commissioned external consultants to assist the committee in measuring the effectiveness of the Drugs and Alcohol Task Forces, having regard to best practice internationally. It is also intended that the performance management framework under development by the consultant will provide a mechanism to target funding allocations on the basis of objective criteria, having regard to the drugs situation in the Task Forces catchment areas and other demographic factors. The study is due to be completed by September 2016 and will inform Task Force policy considerations going forward.
627. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health when he will commence relevant sections of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 to enable the non-biological parents of children conceived in assisted human reproduction to be legally recognised as parents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10026/16]
View answerThe Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 was enacted in April 2015.
A number of functions and responsibilities were assigned to the Minister for Health under the provisions in Parts 2 and 3 of the Act relating to donor assisted human reproduction. Preparatory work is required to give effect to these provisions (including the non-anonymity provisions), which includes the preparation of specific regulations and the establishment of the National Donor-Conceived Person Register. This work is in progress involving officials from my Department.
628. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health to meet with a group (details supplied) in regard to the siting of the new children's hospital. [10094/16]
View answer782. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health to meet with a group (details supplied) in regard to the siting of the new children's hospital. [10095/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 628 and 782 together.
An Bord Pleanála has recently granted planning permission for the new children’s hospital at the St James’s Hospital campus in Dublin. This represents a massive milestone for Irish children, young people and families. The children’s hospitals at Temple Street, Crumlin and Tallaght have always provided superb care to children, but their infrastructure is not fit for purpose for modern 21st century children’s hospitals. The new facilities at the St. James’s Hospital campus will allow doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals to deliver safe, quality care in a purpose-built facility, to be delivered by 2020. Enabling works are to begin this summer. The planning decision also allows construction to begin on satellite urgent care and outpatient centres at Connolly Hospital and at Tallaght Hospital, which are expected to open in 2018, enhancing access to these services.
The previous Government's decision to locate the new children’s hospital on the St. James’s hospital campus was based on the over-riding priority of best clinical outcomes for our children, and in particular the sickest of these. It is intended that the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital will also be built on the campus in time, achieving tri-location of adult, paediatric and maternity services. Tri-location has benefits for children, adolescents, newborns and mothers. In all cases, the benefits of tri-location are maximised where the adult hospital provides the broadest possible range of clinical sub-specialties and expertise, which are readily accessible for paediatric and maternity patients on the shared campus. Also, tri-location that delivers the most significant breadth and depth of clinical and academic research on site will enhance the potential of research to drive best clinical outcomes. St James's Hospital has the widest range of sub-specialities and the highest level of clinical complexity of all the adult hospitals in the country, as well as a strong and well-developed research infrastructure, making it the hospital that best meets the criteria to be the adult co-location partner. Tri-location of paediatric, adult and, in time, maternity services on the shared campus will create a centre of medical expertise to support research, innovation and education.
In relation to meeting with a deputation, my Private Office has no record of having received a request for a meeting from this particular group. If the group submits a meeting request to my Private Office, it will of course be considered in line with the usual procedures.
629. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health if it is within the remit of An Garda Síochána to investigate offences under the Mental Health Act 2001; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10175/16]
View answerThe Mental Health Act 2001 addresses two main requirements in the provision of mental health care in a modern society. Firstly, the Act sets out the legislative framework within which persons with a mental disorder may be admitted, detained and treated involuntarily in approved centres. Secondly, the Act provides for the promotion and maintenance of quality standards of care and treatment that are regularly inspected and properly regulated.
The Garda Siochána have been given certain powers under the Act. For example, the Gardaí may sign an application to involuntarily admit a person to an approved centre. In addition the Gardaí have the power, in certain circumstances to enter a premises, to take a person into custody if they believe that person has a mental disorder and because of that mental disorder they may harm themselves or others. The Gardaí may also be asked to help staff transport a person to an approved centre for examination.
While the Mental Health Commission has the power to prosecute summary offences (section 74 of the 2001 Act) and in doing so will issue the summonses, it is the Gardaí and DPP who deal with all other offences set out in the 2001 Act. The Commission is also obliged to report all possible criminal activity which may come to its attention to the Gardaí, save for those matters which it is specifically provided that they can deal with under the 2001 Act. Finally, the power to carry out investigations under Section 51 of the Act does not provide for investigations to be carried out by the Gardaí but it is possible that such an investigation could uncover a criminal matter which would have to be reported to the Gardaí.
630. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if the Health Service Executive will award financial assistance to Lisheen House in Skibbereen, County Cork, for the provision of the mental health services it provides throughout Cork city and county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9353/16]
View answerFunding for suicide prevention is provided to the National Office of Suicide Prevention (NOSP) by the HSE from its overall budget for mental health. The role of NOSP is to oversee the implementation of Connecting for Life, our new suicide prevention strategy, and to coordinate suicide prevention efforts around the country. NOSP, in partnership with the voluntary sector, helps to support a wide array of work in communities across the country that focus on promoting positive mental health and reducing suicide and self harm by providing significant grant funding each year as well as by assisting in coordinating and giving a strategic direction to the work undertaken. Funding for NOSP has increased from €3.7 million in 2010 to the current level of €11.55 million.
In terms of allocation of funds to specific organisations, as 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.
631. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Health to urgently examine and expedite a hospital appointment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9356/16]
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 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.
632. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of surgery for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9358/16]
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.
633. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of a procedure for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9364/16]
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 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.
634. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health if and for how long the practice is to continue where respite care has been reduced from seven nights per month to two nights per month and if a crisis case arises the respite is withdrawn (details supplied); if this practice is acceptable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9368/16]
View answerThe Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose, and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. This commitment is outlined in the Programme for Partnership Government, which is guided by two principles: equality of opportunity and improving the quality of life for people with disabilities.
The Programme for Partnership Government commits to more respite care to facilitate full support for people with a disability.
As 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.
635. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Health to address a matter (details supplied) regarding procurement within the Health Service Executive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9416/16]
View answerAs 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.
636. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of persons who suffer from fibromyalgia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9381/16]
View answerAs you are aware, Fibromyalgia is not one of the 16 conditions covered under the Long Term Illness (LTI) Scheme. There are no plans to extend the list of conditions covered by the LTI Scheme.
Under the Drug Payment Scheme, no individual or family pays more than €144 per calendar month towards the cost of approved prescribed medicines. The scheme significantly reduces the cost burden for families and individuals incurring ongoing expenditure on medicines, regardless of their illness of medical condition.
Under the provisions of the Health Acts, medical cards are provided to persons who are, in the opinion of the Health Service Executive (HSE), unable without undue hardship to arrange GP services for themselves and their dependants. In the assessment process, the HSE can take into account medical costs incurred by an individual or a family.
637. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the number of persons awaiting speech and language therapy assessment, by community health area and length of time waiting, for each of the years 2010 to 2015. [9424/16]
View answer639. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the funding he has allocated for speech and language therapy services for each of the years 2011 to 2016 to date, by community health area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9425/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 637 and 639 together.
As these are service issues, these questions have been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy. 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 the Executive.
638. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the assistance available from the Health Service Executive in the form of a grant or a provision of equipment for adapting a home for persons with a severe disability; if this extends to hoists, specially designed sinks, automatic doors, lights and so on; if this applies in a special purpose build or for existing house adaptions only; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9407/16]
View answerHousing adaptation grants for people with disabilities are administered by Local Authorities and are a matter for the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) provides medical/surgical aids and appliances to people with disabilities to enable them to maintain their health and to support their mobility and functional independence. Assessments are carried out by a range of multidisciplinary staff. Prioritisation is based on the results of the assessment process. As this aspect of the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE for a more detailed, 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.
