Niamh Smyth
Question:171. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) has not received home help; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42657/18]
View answerHome Help Service Provision
Questions (171)
Written answers
As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Neuro-Rehabilitation Services Provision
Questions (172)
Niamh Smyth
Question:172. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if funding for a person (details supplied) will be provided; his plans to enhance services for persons with Parkinson's disease; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42658/18]
View answerWritten answers
The Model of Care for Neurology was launched in 2016. It was developed by the HSE’s National Clinical Programme for Neurology in collaboration with consultants, nurses, health and social care professionals and patient support groups. It aims to address the need for strategic development of neurology services to provide better care for patients, including those with Parkinson's Disease. This year, funding has been allocated by the HSE to commence development of peri- and post-operative services to support patients receiving Deep Brain Stimulation.
In relation to the particular queries raised, as these are service matters, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
Hospital Appointments Status
Questions (173)
Eugene Murphy
Question:173. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Health when a CT scan will be provided to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42660/18]
View answerWritten answers
Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
The National Waiting List Management Policy, a standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, since 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 the Deputy directly.
Medicinal Products Reimbursement
Questions (174, 177)
James Browne
Question:174. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the provision of access to Spinraza in view of a fresh price offer by the drug company in July 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42669/18]
View answer
Eamon Scanlon
Question:177. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Health when the drug Spinraza will be approved for spinal muscular atrophy sufferers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42676/18]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 174 and 177 together.
The HSE has statutory responsibility for medicine pricing and reimbursement decisions, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. The Act specifies the criteria for decisions on the reimbursement of medicines. The Minister for Health does not have any statutory power or function in relation to reimbursement of medicines.
For a medicine to be considered for reimbursement by the HSE, it must first have a marketing authorisation from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) or the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), before being assessed under the 2013 Act.
Nusinersen (Spinraza) is indicated for the treatment of 5q spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a disorder characterised by progressive muscle atrophy and weakness.
In May 2017, the EMA granted market authorisation for nusinersen and in October 2017, the HSE received a reimbursement application for nusinersen.
In December 2017, the NCPE completed a HTA of nusinersen and did not recommend reimbursement at the price submitted. The application is being considered by the Rare Diseases Medicinal Products/Technology Review Committee and the HSE Drugs Group and is due to be considered by the HSE Leadership Team shortly, following which the final decision will be notified.
Medicinal Products Reimbursement
Questions (175)
James Browne
Question:175. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health his views on a recent statement (details supplied) regarding the proven success and efficacy of Translarna as a drug to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42670/18]
View answerWritten answers
The Health Service Executive has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicines under the community drug schemes, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. The 2013 Act does not give the Minister for Health any powers in this regard.
The Act specifies the criteria to be applied in the making of reimbursement decisions which include the clinical and cost effectiveness of the product, the opportunity cost and the impact on resources that are available to the HSE.
The HSE has received a new application for the reimbursement of Ataluren (Translarna) from PTC Therapeutics.
The application is being assessed at present in accordance with the criteria set out in the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013 and is due to be discussed by the HSE Drugs Group shortly.
Cancer Screening Programmes
Questions (176)
Thomas Pringle
Question:176. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the process that is used to inform persons who have been referred for further examination by the CervicalCheck scheme of the results of the tests; the reason they would have to wait for up to three months for those results; the number of persons who have had further examination and have been given further tests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42673/18]
View answerWritten answers
Following a Government decision on 1 May, I asked CervicalCheck to make the necessary arrangements to provide that any woman who has had a CervicalCheck smear test, and whose GP considers that they should have a further test, to access such a further test without charge. CervicalCheck laboratory activity has thus been significantly above normal levels. This is a result both of out-of-cycle smears and increased uptake generally. This has impacted turnaround times for results of smear tests.
The HSE has advised that every effort is being made to ensure that tests are processed as quickly as possible, having regard to the high standards required for testing.
In relation to the specific queries made, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy in this regard.
Question No. 177 answered with Question No. 174.
Suicide Incidence
Questions (178)
Pat Buckley
Question:178. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health the number of national incident report forms that were filed over the past four years, respectively, including 2018, in which death was registered as the outcome of self-injurious behaviour, including a breakdown on the basis of facility by CHO area; and if the behaviour was logged as intentional or unintentional. [42683/18]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Mental Health Services Data
Questions (179)
Pat Buckley
Question:179. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health the number of national incident report forms that were filed over the past four years, including 2018, which indicated self-injurious behaviour, including a breakdown on the basis of facility by CHO area and type of behaviour; and if the behaviour was logged as intentional or unintentional. [42684/18]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Departmental Funding
Questions (180)
John Brady
Question:180. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the detail of State funding that is provided to religious organisations or persons here by his Department; the amount of funding provided for each of the years 2010 to 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43156/18]
View answerWritten answers
I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly on this matter.
Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme Applications
Questions (181)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:181. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42590/18]
View answerWritten answers
An application under the Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme was received from the person named on 16 March 2018. The processing of this application has been completed and payment will issue to the nominated bank account shortly.
Departmental Agencies Funding
Questions (182)
Charlie McConalogue
Question:182. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the proposed current and capital allocation to each agency under his remit following budget 2019, in tabular form; and the allocation made in his Department and in each agency towards hiring new staff. [42601/18]
View answerWritten answers
The individual allocations for 2019 will be set out in the Revised Estimates Volume (REV) which will be published later this year.
Brexit Issues
Questions (183, 184, 185)
Charlie McConalogue
Question:183. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the details of each Brexit measure committed to in his Department following budget 2019, in tabular form; and the financial allocation for each such measure. [42602/18]
View answerCharlie McConalogue
Question:184. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of staff to be recruited under the allocation in 2019 following budget 2019’s confirmation that €7 million is to be allocated for staff and IT costs arising from additional import control and export certification requirements arising from Brexit; his plans for advertising such positions; the timelines for recruitment; when the first staff hires will take up positions in 2019; the 2019 financial allocations; and the number estimated to be hired for sanitary and phytosanitary staff and veterinary staff. [42603/18]
View answerCharlie McConalogue
Question:185. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount allocated in budget 2019 to facilitate potential increased sanitary and phytosanitary controls including staffing and upgrading infrastructure at Dublin and Rosslare ports specifically in addition to other Irish airports and ports in the event of the UK becoming a third country with the EU. [42604/18]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 183 to 185, inclusive, together.
In line with the Government Decisions of 18 July and 18 September, my Department has been working closely with other Departments on Brexit preparedness on the central case scenario, i.e. no hard border on the Island of Ireland, a transition period to the end of 2020 and EU-UK Free Trade Agreement from 1 January 2021. The primary focus has been on the staffing, infrastructural and IT requirements that will arise in the context of the implementation of greatly increased Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) controls at ports and airports on an East-West basis.
Depending on the shape of the final deal these requirements are likely to be significant, and will arise in respect of the import of live animals, plants, and products of animal and plant origin from the UK into Ireland and the EU once the UK has become a third country. There are also likely to be significant export certification requirements in relation to the export of such products to the UK, although this is a matter for the UK authorities.
Accordingly, I have made provision in my Department’s estimate for 2019 for the commencement of a phased process of recruitment of additional staff to carry out the greatly increased volumes of import controls and export certification arising from Brexit. An amount of €4 million has been set aside for this purpose, with a further initial provision in 2019 of just over €3 million to address ICT hardware and software requirements. Further expenditure is planned in these areas in 2020 and 2021, with full-year staffing costs from 2021 estimated to be of the order of €28 million.
This phased recruitment involves the recruitment of up to 116 staff for SPS and fisheries controls in 2019, as agreed by Government on 18 September. The necessary arrangements to commence this recruitment process are currently being put in place. New positions will be advertised through the Public Appointments Service.
The Department is also feeding intensively into the wider ongoing process around the infrastructural requirements at ports and airports, and will continue to liaise closely with the Office of Public Works, in particular, in this regard.
I announced the following Brexit measures in Budget 2019 :
|
Amount |
Support to |
|
€44 million |
Direct aid to farmers through additional spending of €23 million on the Areas of Natural Constraint scheme, the introduction of a €20 million Beef Environmental Efficiency Pilot Scheme and additional funding of €1 million for the horticulture sector. |
|
€27 million |
Brexit-related supports for the food industry, comprising €13 million in supports for competitiveness and innovation, an additional €5 million in funding for Bord Bia, €6 million to progress the National Food Innovation Hub in Teagasc Moorepark, and €3 million for artisan and micro food and beverage programmes. |
|
€7 million |
To support Brexit preparedness work within my Department, namely, to meet the staffing and IT costs associated with the additional import control and export certification requirements arising from Brexit. |
Agriculture Cashflow Support Loan Scheme
Questions (186)
Charlie McConalogue
Question:186. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason there was no working capital loan scheme announced in budget 2019 for farmers in view of the severe cash flow difficulties being experienced; and the reason the Government decided not to use the €25 million allocation announced in budget 2018 to create a low-cost cash flow loan scheme. [42605/18]
View answerWritten answers
The agreement I secured from Commissioner Hogan to make higher advance payments this autumn will result in a very substantial €260 million in additional cash flow for farmers in 2018.
I have had ongoing engagement with the banks on the cash flow pressures arising from the effects of the weather on grazing and fodder stocks. I am pleased to see that this engagement and the delivery of last year’s Agriculture Cash Flow Loan Scheme have acted as a catalyst to encourage financial institutions to improve and develop new products for the sector, including:
- A recently announced initiative by one of the main banks mirrors the Scheme in offering a discounted interest rate with extended and flexible repayment terms.
- All three main banks have dedicated offerings in response to the current situation.
- Co-ops have introduced recent initiatives on credit facilities for their suppliers.
A Spending Review of the Agriculture Cash Flow Loan Scheme, published with the Budget, concluded that this was one of the main outcomes of the Scheme.
In the context of these new and improved supports in this area, the focus of the Government has been to address market gaps, the most critical of which has been identified as unsecured longer-term investment finance. In his Budget speech my colleague the Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe TD, formally announced progress in relation to the development of the “Future Growth Loan Scheme” for SMEs, including the primary agriculture and seafood sectors. As I announced on Budget day, this is the Scheme for which I had provided €25 million in funding in 2018. This is a key Government Brexit response that has been under consideration and development throughout 2018.
Further details will be provided in the coming months. The Scheme is expected to be in place in early 2019 and will run for three years from its launch date.
Agriculture Schemes
Questions (187)
Charlie McConalogue
Question:187. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason no farm management deposit scheme was introduced in budget 2019 as put forward by farm organisations as a key income volatility tool; if he had discussions with the Minister for Finance in this regard; and the further reason the proposal was not supported by Government. [42606/18]
View answerWritten answers
Taxation policy is primarily the responsibility of the Minister for Finance. My Department and I have ongoing liaison with the Minister and his Department on matters relating to agriculture. This year the Departments collaborated on the Progress Implementation Update of the Agri-taxation Review 2014, which is available at the following link: http://budget.gov.ie/Budgets/2019/Documents/Tax%20Expenditures%20Report%20Budget%202019.pdf.
This shows the excellent progress made over recent Budgets with the implementation of almost all of the 25 recommendations of the Agri-taxation Review. This has resulted in positive changes for Irish agriculture, especially in the areas of land mobility and succession. The Update shows that taxation support to the sector averaged €930 million per annum in the years 2012 to 2016, of which an average of €240 million per annum was in taxation measures exclusively available to farmers. The Update also includes a comprehensive economic evaluation of an income stabilisation measure.
An additional income stabilisation measure was not introduced by the Minister for Finance in Budget 2019. However, income averaging is a very useful tool in successfully managing volatility, and I was pleased that Minister Donohoe and I could agree to the lifting of the restriction whereby farmers with additional self-employed income could not participate. This will make income averaging available to significantly more farmers.
Agriculture Scheme Applications
Questions (188)
Pat Breen
Question:188. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 394 of 9 October 2018, when administrative checks in the case of a person (details supplied) will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42675/18]
View answerWritten answers
An application under the Basic Payment Scheme and the Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme was received from the person named on 15 May 2018. The processing of this application has been completed and payment will issue to the nominated bank account shortly.
Fish Farming
Questions (189)
Mick Wallace
Question:189. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if salmon farm escapes have been reported from 1 January to date in 2018. [42677/18]
View answerWritten answers
My Department’s records do not indicate any reports of fish escapes from salmon farms during the period referred to by the Deputy.
Energy Conservation
Questions (190)
Thomas Pringle
Question:190. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the details of the roadmap for the retrofitting of the public and private housing stock to comply with the housing and heating portion of Ireland's EU renewable energy directive targets for 2020 and 2030. [42711/18]
View answerWritten answers
Since 2013 Government investment of over €325m has been provided by my Department to drive demand and increase the depth of retrofit being carried out through home energy grant schemes operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. To date 375,000 homes across Ireland have carried out energy efficiency upgrades under these schemes.
A number of actions which are outlined in the National Mitigation Plan and Long Term Renovation Strategy are already underway to achieve the levels of retrofit outlined in the National Development Plan and to further promote deep retrofit of buildings across all building types and tenure. Those actions which relate specifically to homes are as follows:
- The Better Energy Homes Scheme provides grant aid to homeowners who wish to improve the energy performance of their home.
- The Better Energy Warmer Homes scheme delivers a range of energy efficiency measures free of charge to low income households vulnerable to energy poverty.
- The Better Energy Communities scheme allows groups of buildings to apply for funding to improve their energy efficiency.
To build on what has been achieved through these schemes, and understand how we make the step change necessary to achieve the NDP ambition, we are already gathering additional evidence through two pilot projects, both of which follow international best practice:
- The Deep Retrofit Pilot Scheme, which began in 2017 and will conclude at the end of 2019, is investigating how to create a scalable offering for the deep retrofit of Ireland’s housing stock to an A3 Building Energy Rating (BER), while building consumer demand and contractor capacity for deep retrofit. Under the scheme Government is funding up to 50% of the total capital and project management costs for homes that achieve an A3 Building Energy Rating post retrofit. This will inform a model that can make deep retrofit available to individual homeowners on a larger scale post 2020, and critically will help Ireland move away from fossil fuels to clean renewable heating systems, such as solar and heat pumps.
- The Warmth and Wellbeing Pilot Scheme, funded by my Department, is a joint policy initiative with the Department of Health, and is operated by SEAI and the HSE. It began in 2016 and this first phase will conclude at the end of this year. It is measuring the health and wellbeing impacts associated with improved energy efficiency. Not only is this evidence needed to make a robust business case for further public investment, it is critical for how we communicate the benefits of climate action. Increasing public understanding of the multiple benefits of energy efficiency is critical to motivate people to invest in, and make their contribution to, action on climate change.
Government funding of approximately €116 million was also provided, by my colleague the Minister for Housing, Planning & Local Government, from 2013 to the end of 2017 to improve energy efficiency and comfort levels in almost 64,000 local authority homes. This was Phase 1 of the social housing retrofit programme and focused on the lower-cost improvements such as cavity wall and attic insulation. In addition, energy efficiency measures have been carried out in over 9,000 vacant houses that have been returned to use since 2014. This effectively means that approximately 50% of the social housing stock has already undergone a level of energy retrofit. Phase 2 will commence shortly and will target higher-cost and higher impact measures such as external insulation and replacement of single-glazed windows. Approximately 30% of the social housing stock, or 40,000 homes are more than 40 years old and will be the main priority for phase 2. The ambition is to achieve a BER B standard for these homes. The timeline will be determined by the funding available over the coming years.
These measures continue to build demand for energy efficiency and grow the supply chain. In parallel, Ireland's building regulations continue to strengthen energy performance requirements in buildings.
The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, as required by the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (2010/31/EU), have introduced new requirements for home renovation which are proposed to come into force on 1 April 2019. This will mean that where buildings are undergoing a renovation of more than 25% of the surface of the building envelope, the entire building will have to be brought up to a higher energy performance standard. The Directive also requires that all new buildings are nearly zero-energy buildings (NZEB) by 31 December 2020.