Written Answers Nos. 380-396
380. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her views on correspondence (details supplied) from a person who is seeking an all-party approach to national cultural policy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14622/16]
View answerThe Programme for a Partnership Government contains a very important commitment to work to progressively increase funding to the arts, including the Arts Council and the Irish Film Board, as the economy continues to improve.
I can assure the Deputy that I will be engaging with my colleagues in Government and with the Oireachtas to seek to advance this commitment in the context of the forthcoming estimates and budgetary processes.
The figures quoted from the Council of Europe are from a project called Compendium-Cultural Policies and Trends in Europe. I understand that many European counties are not included in the figures, including ten EU member states. The data for the Compendium project are provided by independent researchers and it is not a standardised system for collection of statistics.
I further understand that the Compendium itself warns that data provided by the researchers are not comparable across countries because each researcher includes different elements in the definition of culture and these elements are reflected in the figures for public expenditure. Figures can also include some, or all, of national, regional or local expenditure.
The issue of a definition of culture and of capturing public expenditure on culture is one which was discussed in the public consultation process that was held for the purpose of developing Ireland's first National Cultural Policy, Culture 2025. This will be reflected in the draft policy document which I intend to submit to Government for consideration in the coming weeks. As I have stated previously, this first such policy will be a living document and will form the basis of an on-going dialogue with all who are interested in cultural policy. I look forward to consideration of Culture 2025 by the Oireachtas following its publication and would very much welcome the adoption of an all-party approach in this matter.
Expenditure on the arts in Ireland comes from multiple sources, both public and private. I understand that the CSO does not produce national statistics that capture the totality of this expenditure as a percentage of GDP. However, I do consider that further research on this issue is warranted in the context of Culture 2025.
381. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of staff which have been redeployed by Waterways Ireland since 2012 on the River Shannon from north Roscommon to Athlone and the numbers of staff currently employed in each of the areas along this stretch. [14950/16]
View answer382. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to downgrade or close the Portumna and Tullamore bases; and the reason an on call allowance for employees has ceased particularly in light of the fact that a new post of head of administration, regional stores and offices, comes with a salary of between €61,000-€72,545. [14951/16]
View answer383. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to provide a breakdown of funding which she has allocated to Waterways Ireland from Northern Ireland and here since 2012. [14952/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 381 to 383, inclusive, together.
I am advised by Waterways Ireland that it has redeployed no staff on the Shannon Navigation since 2012. Currently, 37 members of staff are employed on the North Shannon at the following locations: Roosky (6), Athlone (6), Albert Lock (3), Kilclare (1), Clarendon/Drumshanbo (1), Tarmonbarry/Cleendra (1), Knockvicar (12) and Carrick-on-Shannon (7). Waterways Ireland does not have an on call allowance.
I am advised also that Waterways Ireland has no plans to downgrade or close the Portumna or Tullamore bases. The organisation is in the process of completing a competition to appoint, from within its existing staff, a manager, on a fixed term contract of 24 months, to review the services provided by Tullamore and Portumna offices and to examine how these services can best be developed to meet evolving requirements and the changing circumstances in which Waterways Ireland works.
Details of the funding allocated to Waterways Ireland by the two jurisdictions, North and South, are contained in the Annual Report and Accounts for Waterways Ireland, which are laid simultaneously before the Houses of the Oireachtas and the Northern Assembly each year and published on the Waterways Ireland website www.waterwasireland.org. The allocations, including both current and capital allocations, for the years 2012 to 2015 are shown in the following table:
|
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
|||||
|
Funding |
Ireland (€'000) |
Northern Ireland (€'000) |
Ireland (€'000) |
Northern Ireland (€'000) |
Ireland (€'000) |
Northern Ireland (€'000) |
Ireland (€'000) |
Northern Ireland (€'000) |
|
Total |
27,093 |
4,047 |
25,482 |
4,013 |
24,209 |
3,735 |
24,314 |
4,470 |
The 2016 funding allocations to Waterways Ireland from my Department and the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland are €22.799m and €3.614m, respectively.
384. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to ensure that the funding previously allocated to the O'Carolan Harp Festival will be restored in 2016 to ensure that this festival can continue. [14954/16]
View answerI understand that this festival has been funded by the Arts Council in the past. In this regard, the Arts Council operates under the provisions of the Arts Act 2003, which provides, inter alia, that the Council is independent in the performance of its functions in funding the Arts.
It may be noted that the Arts Council operates an appeals procedure which the applicants may wish to consider.
385. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the name of the body which audits the Arts Council and if she will make these audits available for the past five years. [14981/16]
View answerThe Arts Council is audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General. The Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General is submitted to the Houses of the Oireachtas and is available in the Oireachtas Library. The report is also published in the Annual Report of the Arts Council and is available on the website of the Arts Council.
386. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if it is her policy to inform landholders if their land is to be designated a special protection area, special area of conservation or natural heritage area; the other methods by which the public are made aware of such proposed designations; the number of appeals received by the appeals advisory board, since the inception of these designations, against designation; the number of these that went to a full oral hearing; the number of cases where the advice of the board was varied by her and the years in which this happened; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15025/16]
View answer387. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of times that the European Union commission have approached her Department seeking further designations of special protection areas and special areas of conservation; her response to these requests; the reason for each response; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15026/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 386 and 387.
Ireland remains committed to the implementation of the EU Nature Directives. To this end, Ireland has identified 430 sites for protection as special areas of conservation under the Habitats Directive and 154 sites for protection as special protection areas under the Birds Directive.
The matter of further designations being required has arisen for a number of reasons. A review of each Member State's contribution to the special area of conservation network was carried out in stages by the European Commission from 2000, which involved experts contracted by the Commission, independent scientific experts and representatives of Member States. Where such reviews indicated particular habitats and species for which the Member State was considered insufficient in terms of designation, further survey work and designations were required. There have also been judgements made by the Court of Justice of the European Union requiring further designations or extensions to existing designations in Ireland. For example, Ireland's 148 raised and blanket bog natural heritage areas were designated as part of proceedings in relation to the implementation of the Environment Impact Assessment Directive in Ireland.
Legal protections, consistent with those set out in the relevant EU and national legislation, such as the requirement to obtain consent for certain activities, have applied to these sites since initially proposed for designation. Ireland's planning and environmental legislation have operated under these designations since the time the sites were first advertised for designation.
In advance of the designation of a site, my Department writes to all identified land owners with a legal interest in the site, outlining the intention to designate the site, the appeals process and how to get further information. Public notices in relation to the proposed designation are placed in the media. Government Departments, public authorities, State and semi-State agencies, and bodies representing environmental, farming and business interests are also notified directly.
Since it began, the Designated Areas Appeals Advisory Board has received 990 appeals against the proposed designation of sites. Some 271 have progressed to a full oral hearing, with a recommendation made to the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. In the remaining cases, 254 appeals remain to be heard and the remainder were either withdrawn or resolved with my Department without the Board's involvement. In 27 cases, the Minister either accepted the Board's recommendation in part or rejected the recommendation. In all other cases, the recommendation was accepted in full.
The 27 cases occurred in the following years:
|
Year |
No of cases |
|
2003 |
2 |
|
2006 |
3 |
|
2007 |
4 |
|
2008 |
14 |
|
2009 |
4 |
388. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of times that the European Union commission has threatened proceedings against the Government for non-compliance with the habitats directive; the number of cases that have been brought to court; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15027/16]
View answerThe information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.
389. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the reason that the pilot project relating to the management of blanket bogs has been transferred from Connemara, County Galway to County Wicklow; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15029/16]
View answerThe national peatlands strategy makes it clear that greater clarity must be brought to the process of how turf cutting on blanket bog special areas of conservation is to be managed in compliance with the requirements of the EU Habitats Directive and the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive. The aim is to have in place a workable system for the management of turf cutting on these sites. The most appropriate type of system will emerge through a scientific study, which will also involve a process of stakeholder consultation.
In 2015, a pilot survey commenced of representative areas in blanket bog special areas of conservation in order to test methodologies and techniques of mapping and assessment of the impacts of turf cutting on blanket bog and associated habitats and species. Several study sites were chosen for the pilot survey in order to encompass a wide geographic range including uplands, lowlands, eastern and western examples. The study sites were small areas located in the following special areas of conservation: Owenduff/Nephin Bog Complex, Connemara Bog Complex, Wicklow Mountains, Glenveagh National Park and Cloghernagore Bog.
The study sites in these special areas of conservation have been surveyed as intended.
390. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of representations she has received from Members of the Oireachtas and the number of these to which she had not issued a substantive reply by 31 May 2016, by month of initial receipt, from 1 January 2015 to 30 April 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15031/16]
View answerMy office endeavours to answer all representations, from both public representatives and members of the public, within our specified customer service timeframes and follows up on all unanswered representations routinely.
In the period specified by the Deputy, I received 513 representations from members of the Houses of the Oireachtas. Replies had issued in respect of 394 of these by 31 May 2016. The following table sets out the position in this regard by month of initial receipt:
|
Month in which representation was received |
On Hands |
|
January 2015 |
3 |
|
February 2015 |
8 |
|
March 2015 |
4 |
|
April 2015 |
14 |
|
May 2015 |
10 |
|
June 2015 |
11 |
|
July 2015 |
12 |
|
August 2015 |
1 |
|
September 2015 |
4 |
|
October 2015 |
2 |
|
November 2015 |
9 |
|
December 2015 |
7 |
|
January 2016 |
11 |
|
February 2016 |
11 |
|
March 2016 |
5 |
|
April 2016 |
7 |
|
Total |
119 |
391. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health the number of residential beds for inpatient drug rehabilitation available here through the public health service. [14323/16]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days he should contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
392. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health his views regarding a breach of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in respect of the Government's obligations under this convention, to a person (details supplied) and his plans to address this issue. [14542/16]
View answerI have been advised that individual cases are managed in the most clinically appropriate way for the particular child. I am also advised that cases can arise where a child who is ready for discharge and who is waiting for a residential placement/accommodation can remain in hospital for longer than clinically required. In such cases, all agencies involved in the care of the child work together to address any issues in order to speed up discharge pathways.
I have asked for the HSE to provide me with a report on this matter and I will contact the Deputy directly once I have received their response.
393. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if a condition of employment for a hospital doctor to work or be on call for 24 hours can be included as a precondition to employment; if this is at variance with the working time directive; if there is a temporary exemption for hospital doctors and if so, will he outline that exemption; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14546/16]
View answerA Collective Agreement between the IMO and the HSE dated 22 January 2010, part of a broader Settlement Agreement of a High Court case relating to non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs) working hours, provides that: 'no NCHD shall be required to work greater than 24 consecutive hours'. Reflecting this, the Contract of Employment also agreed between the parties at the time states that: 'The NCHD shall not be required to work for more than 24 consecutive hours on-site'.
This position is not at variance with the Working Time Directive. The Settlement Agreement states that it, the Collective Agreement and the Contract of Employment for NCHDs are subject to the provisions of the Working Time Directive. The Collective Agreement also states that where the daily rest period of 11 hours provided for in the Directive and Irish transposing legislation is not provided the compensatory rest provisions set out in the Legislation shall apply. The compensatory rest provisions in the Directive are specifically designed for activities involving the need for continuity of service. The relevant article of the Directive specifically states that it encompasses hospital care and the activities of doctors in training. These provisions ensure that doctors are entitled to equivalent periods of rest to any foregone while on duty.
My Department is engaging constructively with the EU Commission in relation to progressing and achieving full compliance with the EWTD in respect of non-consultant hospital doctors. Since Quarter 4 2013, compliance with the 24 hour maximum agreed with the IMO has increased from 77% to 96%, while compliance with the 48 hour average maximum week has increased from 40% to 80%. Actions to achieve compliance are being progressed through a National Group that includes the HSE's National HR, Acute Hospitals and Mental Health Divisions, the IMO and my Department.
394. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health when the staffing complement will be increased in a hospital unit (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14261/16]
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.
395. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health his views on reports from parents regarding possible side effects from the human papilloma virus vaccine; if he will convene an official forum to hear from all sides in this debate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14265/16]
View answerThe immunisation programme in Ireland is based on the advice of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC). NIAC is a committee of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland comprising of experts in a number of specialties including infectious diseases, paediatrics and public health. The committee's recommendations are informed by public health advice and international best practice. In 2009, NIAC recommended HPV vaccination for all 12 year old girls, and in September 2010, the HPV vaccination programme was introduced for all girls in the first year of second level schools. The HPV vaccine protects girls from developing cervical cancer when they are adults. It is available free of charge from the HSE for all girls in 1st year of secondary school and over 200,000 girls have received the vaccine since its introduction.
In Ireland, the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) is the regulatory authority for medicines in Ireland and is the appropriate authority to which possible adverse reactions to medicinal products should be reported. In November 2015, the European Medicines Agency completed a detailed scientific review of the HPV vaccine. The review which the HPRA participated in, specifically focused on rare reports of two conditions, complex regional pain syndrome and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome associated with heart rate increase. The outcome of the review which was carried out by the EMA Pharmacovigilance and Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) found no evidence of a causal link between the vaccine and the two conditions examined. The European Medicines Agency has advised healthcare professionals that available data does not warrant any change to the use of HPV vaccines as there are no new safety concerns regarding HPV vaccines. Healthcare professionals should therefore continue using the vaccines in accordance with the current product information. On 12 January 2016, the European Commission endorsed the conclusion of the European Medicines Agency stating that there is no need to change the way HPV vaccines are used or to amend the product information. This final outcome by the Commission is now binding in all member states.
I am aware of claims of an association between HPV vaccination and a number of symptoms experienced by a group of young women. It appears that some girls first suffered symptoms around the time they received the HPV vaccine, and understandably some parents have connected the vaccine to their daughter’s condition. Anyone who is suffering ill health is eligible to seek medical attention, and to access appropriate health and social care services, irrespective of the cause of their symptoms. The individual nature of the needs of some children may require access to specialist services which can be accessed through their GP.
396. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the State bodies under his remit which have developed memoranda of understanding with his counterpart in Northern Ireland with regard to the efficient delivery of services on the island of Ireland; if he has carried out a cost-benefit analysis of the development of further memoranda of understanding; the details of the cost-benefit analysis; and the new memoranda of understanding he will create between State bodies under their remits through the lifetime of this Government. [14284/16]
View answerMy Department is seeking the information requested by the Deputy. I will be in further communication with him as soon as this information has been received and compiled.
