Robert Troy
Question:180. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if an appointment for an MRI scan for a person (details supplied) will be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48607/18]
View answerHospital Appointments Delays
Questions (180)
Written 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.
Services for People with Disabilities
Questions (181)
Michael McGrath
Question:181. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health his plans to make personalised budgets available for persons with a disability as an alternative to an adult day service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48609/18]
View answerWritten answers
I wish to draw the Deputy's attention to the report of the Task Force on Personalised Budgets, which I published on 17th July 2018. The report is available on the Department of Health website. The report sets out how personalised budgets could work as a funding mechanism for people with a disability, providing them with greater choice and control over the services and supports they receive, including day services.
The Task Force, having reviewed the national and international research evidence and consulted with service users and their families, recommended that the Department of Health and the HSE should establish demonstration projects to test the delivery of personalised budgets with a view to identifying the best approach to the wider roll-out of these payment models following the initial demonstration phase.
The Department of Health, NDA and the HSE are in the process of designing demonstration projects, as recommended by the Task Force on Personalised Budgets. Selection criteria for inclusion in the demonstration projects have not yet been finalised. The Department’s website will be kept updated with information on the roll out if the demonstration projects as it becomes available.
Hospital Services
Questions (182)
James Browne
Question:182. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 382 and 412 of 13 November 2018, the position regarding the review of the second cath laboratory at University Hospital Waterford as discussed at the HSE National Capital and Property Steering Committee on 13 November 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48610/18]
View answerWritten answers
As the Deputy is aware, I have decided to proceed with the provision of a second cath lab in University Hospital Waterford based on the HSE’s preferred option for its location and operation. It is intended that the cost of progressing the project to design, planning and construction stages will be considered in the context of the HSE’s Capital Plan for 2019.
Emergency Departments Data
Questions (183)
Brendan Smith
Question:183. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of persons attending accident and emergency departments on an annual basis from 2013 to 2017 and to date in 2018, at hospitals (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48611/18]
View answerWritten answers
I wish to acknowledge the distress overcrowded Emergency Departments (EDs) cause to patients, their families and frontline staff working in very challenging working conditions in hospitals throughout the country.
This Government remains committed to tackling overcrowding in EDs and improving access to health services. My Department is working with the HSE to ensure the most effective response to the winter challenges to unscheduled care provision and I expect to be in a position to outline the full details of the Winter Plan 2018/19 very shortly.
In relation to the particular query on the numbers of ED attendances in the RCSI Hospital Group annually from 2013 to date in 2018, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
Hospital Accommodation Provision
Questions (184, 185)
Brendan Smith
Question:184. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health the expenditure to date in 2018 on the improvement and the provision of additional accommodation at a health facility (details supplied); the work to be undertaken or proposed for the remainder of 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48612/18]
View answerBrendan Smith
Question:185. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health when a project will proceed to the next stage in view of the urgent need to improve accommodation at a health facility (details supplied); if funding will be provided for this project in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48613/18]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 184 and 185 together.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly as soon as possible.
Hospital Appointments Delays
Questions (186)
Robert Troy
Question:186. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if an appointment will be expedited for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48620/18]
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.
Ambulance Service Funding
Questions (187)
Róisín Shortall
Question:187. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1065 of 20 March 2018, the status of HSE funding for Dublin Fire Brigade to provide fire based EMS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48625/18]
View answerWritten answers
Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) provide emergency ambulance services in Dublin city and county, by arrangement between Dublin City Council and the HSE. As the funding arrangement is an operational matter, I have asked the HSE to reply to you directly.
Basic Payment Scheme Payments
Questions (188)
Pat Breen
Question:188. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 496 of 23 October 2018, when payments will issue to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48430/18]
View answerWritten answers
An application under the 2018 Basic Payments Scheme was received from the person named on 15 May 2018. Application for the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) scheme is integrated into the Basic Payments Scheme application form and in order to apply for the ANC scheme applicants must tick the appropriate box on the online application form. The person named did not tick or indicate on their application that they wished to apply for the ANC scheme.
Further to contact by an official from my Department the person named has supplied the necessary information and the matter has now been addressed. Payment has issued directly to the nominated bank account of the person named.
Livestock Issues
Questions (189)
Pat Deering
Question:189. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of livestock nationally in each of the past ten years, by dairy herd, beef herd and calves, that is, live calves exported; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48440/18]
View answerWritten answers
In response to the Deputy’s question I would like to draw his attention to the data profiling of the national herd which is publically available on my Department’s website in the form of detailed annual reports. These reports are available from 2002 onwards and can be accessed at: https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/animalhealthwelfare/animalidentificationmovement/cattle/
These annual reports detail the national herd by age profile and breed type (Chapter 4) and also provide details of live exports by age and breed type (Chapter 3 - section 6).
Harbours and Piers Development
Questions (190)
Pat the Cope Gallagher
Question:190. Deputy Pat The Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if funding has been ring-fenced for the Killybegs Harbour development consisting of a 120 m extension and ancillary works in the budget 2019 allocation; when he plans to allocate funding for this project; the timeline for the completion of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48445/18]
View answerWritten answers
My Department owns, operates and maintains six designated State-owned Fishery Harbour Centres, located at Castletownbere, Dingle, Dunmore East, Howth, Killybegs and Ros An Mhíl under statute. In addition, my Department also has responsibility for the upkeep and maintenance of North Harbour at Cape Clear, as well as the maintenance of a small number of specific piers, lights and beacons throughout Ireland, in accordance with the 1902 ex-congested Districts Board piers, lights and Beacons Act.
I am happy to advise the Deputy that between the years 2010 to 2018, as part of my Department’s Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme, in excess of €20 million has been invested in maintenance, development and upgrading works at Killybegs FHC.
In addition, I will shortly be announcing further support under the 2019 Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme. Overall I have increased the allocation to this Programme by €6.29m in 2019 to €27.29m. While no final decisions on the full suite of projects to be undertaken under the 2019 capital programme have been made at this stage, I can assure the Deputy that I am committed to tendering for and commencing Phase 2 of the quay extension project at Smooth Point in 2019 and completing it in 2020.
GLAS Payments
Questions (191)
Denis Naughten
Question:191. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a payment will issue to a person (details supplied); the reason for the delay in same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48471/18]
View answerWritten answers
The person named was approved into GLAS 3 with a contract commencement date of 1 January 2017 and has received all payments for 2017.
2018 GLAS advance payments commenced last week. All validation checks must be cleared before a payment can issue. This case has not yet cleared validations and is being examined. Payment will be processed once all checks have been completed. GLAS payments will continue to issue on a weekly basis.
TAMS Applications
Questions (192)
James Browne
Question:192. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding an application by a person (details supplied) for a TAMS 2 payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48591/18]
View answerWritten answers
The person named submitted an application for approval for grant-aid under the Young Farmers Capital Investment Scheme of TAMS II on 3 September 2018. The application has passed all administration checks and is currently undergoing a final technical appraisal before approval can issue.
Direct Payment Scheme Applications
Questions (193)
Jackie Cahill
Question:193. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address a matter regarding the number of farmers whose BPS and ANC payments are held up by rigorous overzealous mapping being carried out by a company (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48614/18]
View answerWritten answers
Under the terms and conditions of the direct payment schemes, farmers are obliged to declare only eligible land when making their annual applications, and are to exclude ineligible features such as roads, buildings, farmyards, dense scrub, etc. These claims are then recorded on the Department’s Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS).
The LPIS currently records some 1 million individual land parcels and fulfils two primary functions:
- the identification and positioning of agricultural and forestry parcels, and
- the determination of the eligible area of land parcels
Given the importance of the LPIS database in underpinning direct payments worth in excess of €1.5 billion annually, my Department is obliged under EU Regulations to ensure its accuracy.
Consequently, all applications for direct payment are subject to robust administrative and eligibility checks prior to payment, the main element of which is an area assessment. Such checks are required to protect the annual drawdown of the EU funds and to avoid disallowances. Only valid applications that fully comply with the requirements of the EU legislation can be paid.
While the updating of the LPIS database is contracted to an external company, my Department retains overall responsibility for the updates made to the system. These updates are carried out by the external company as directed by my Department and in accordance with the obligations and requirements as set out under EU Regulations.
Under the 2018 Basic Payment Scheme over 118,000 farmers have now been paid a total of more than €776m, and preparations are underway for the issuing on balancing payments from the start of December. Under the 2018 Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme, almost €212m has now been paid to over 87,000 farmers.
Basic Payment Scheme Payments
Questions (194)
Willie Penrose
Question:194. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to ensure that the BPS payment which is due to persons (details supplied) is issued in circumstances in which it is being held; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48615/18]
View answerWritten answers
A change of ownership occurred on the above herd number on 30 May 2018. As the entire holding was transferred between the date of application for the Basic Payment Scheme and the 31 May 2018 the BPS payment cannot issue until a completed Declaration of Undertaking form has been submitted by all parties involved. This form has been sent to the persons named and once the Department receives their response, their application can be progressed without delay.
Energy Infrastructure
Questions (195)
Brendan Smith
Question:195. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 1060 of 7 September 2018, if the study referenced has been completed; if so, his views on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48434/18]
View answerWritten answers
As indicated in reply to Question No. 1060 of 7 September 2018, the referenced study has been completed. My Department is currently considering next steps to inform and feed into future policy development.
Metropolitan Area Networks Programme
Questions (196)
Catherine Murphy
Question:196. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if a company (details supplied) working in association with another company has engaged and-or met with him, his predecessor and-or his officials regarding managing the MANs in the past two years to date; if so, the nature of those meetings and or engagements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48459/18]
View answerWritten answers
My Department has no record of meetings with the company concerned regarding the management of the Department's Metropolitan Area Networks. I am informed that the company operates and manages its own Metropolitan Area Network in the Dublin area.
Waste Management Regulations
Questions (197)
Timmy Dooley
Question:197. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding producer obligations. [48460/18]
View answerWritten answers
Under the European Union (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Regulations - S.I. 149 of 2014, a producer of Electrical and Electronic Equipment is defined as any person who irrespective of selling technique used, including by means of distance communication:
- manufactures and sells electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) under his or her own brand;
- resells under his or her own brand, equipment produced by other suppliers; or,
- imports or exports EEE on a professional basis into a Member State.
As a producer of EEE, the main obligations are as follows:
- Producers must register with the Registration Body - The Producer Register Limited (PRL);
- Producers are obligated to declare the quantities of EEE that are placed on the market to the PRL through the WEEE Blackbox;
- Finance the environmentally sound management of WEEE by joining either one of two approved compliance schemes: WEEE Ireland or European Recycling Platform Ireland or through self-compliance;
- Ensure EEE placed on the market is in compliance with the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Regulations.
The PRL was established to assist producers in meeting their obligations for the responsible management of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and from September 2008, producer obligations for waste batteries and accumulators.
This is in line with the requirements of the WEEE Directive which requires producers to be responsible for the financing of the collection, treatment, recovery and environmentally sound disposal of WEEE.
The principal functions of the PRL include:
- Registration of producers of electrical and electronic equipment and waste batteries and accumulators;
- Notifying the EPA where there is evidence of non-compliance with the Regulations;
-Verification of visible Environmental Management Costs (vEMC) that are applicable to WEEE;
- Determination of the market share of individual producers.
Enforcement of the producer registration requirements of the WEEE Regulations are a matter for the Environmental Protection Agency and under section 60(3) of the Waste Management Act 1996, as Minister, I am precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to the performance by the EPA in particular circumstances, of a statutory function vested in it, including enforcement functions.
Metropolitan Area Networks Programme
Questions (198)
Catherine Murphy
Question:198. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 863 of 6 November 2018, the amount paid to a company (details supplied) for the advice it received; if his predecessor engaged the Office of Government Procurement on both concession agreements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48468/18]
View answerWritten answers
My Department engages with the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) for procurement support and advice on an as needed basis since that Office commenced operations in 2014. My Department undertook two public procurements for a Concessionaire to manage operate and maintain the Metropolitan Area Networks Phase I and Phase II in 2003 and 2007 respectively in compliance with national and EU procurement regulations. Contract notices for both procurements were published in the Official Journal of the European Union. These procurements preceded the establishment of the Office of Government Procurement.
In March 2017, in compliance with EU and national procurement regulations and informed by legal advice and the advice of external consultants, the MAN’s Concession Agreements were extended to co-terminate in 2030 to provide certainty to telecommunications service providers in the telecoms market. The extensions were in accordance with explicit provisions in each Concession Agreement which allowed for an extension of up to a maximum of 10 years and no procurement was undertaken.
The cost of the independent expert advice amounted to €28,228 (incl. VAT) in addition to internal departmental costs.
Mobile Telephony Services
Questions (199)
Catherine Murphy
Question:199. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he engaged with telecoms providers in the context of rolling out a total blanket coverage of 4G across the State; if he has had similar engagement in the context of 5G coverage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48469/18]
View answerWritten answers
I do not have statutory authority to require commercial companies to rollout services and make specific investments in particular locations in what is a liberalised market. The provision of mobile telecommunications services is subject to a requirement to secure a wireless telegraphy licence to access the required radio spectrum. The award of such licences, including the application of qualifying terms and conditions such as quality of service and minimum population coverage, and the associated monitoring of compliance by licensed providers with those terms and conditions is a matter for the statutorily independent Communications Regulator, ComReg.
Notwithstanding ComReg's independence, I recognise the frustration felt by Irish consumers where telecommunications networks are not always delivering the services people expect. The Programme for Government specifically included a commitment to a Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce. The Taskforce worked with key stakeholders to produce a report in December 2016, available on my Department’s website, containing 40 actions to alleviate some of the deficits. An Implementation Group is overseeing implementation of the actions and comprises all key stakeholders responsible for delivery.
My Department and the Department of Rural and Community Development published the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce Implementation Review 2017 on 21 February 2018, which comprehensively outlines the progress made in 2017 on the Taskforce actions. Of the 40 actions, 29 have been completed, with work on the remaining 11 carrying into the 2018 Work Programme. Following close engagement with stakeholders at the inaugural National Stakeholder Forum 2017, an additional 23 new measures were identified for delivery in 2018.
As Minster for Communications, it is important that both I and my officials engage on a regular basis with telecoms operators on issues of relevance to the development of the sector. In relation to engagement with providers on improving coverage, a number of Departmental officials meet with individual companies and representative groups in relation to their specific commitments under the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce report.
The type of actions for delivery by the telecommunications operators in this regard include work on identifying blackspot locations needing prioritisation; identifying, in consultation with Local Authorities and other key stakeholders, optimal locations for additional infrastructure to improve 4G coverage; introduction of WiFi calling; and reporting on activities undertaken to optimise the performance of their networks.
Discussions arising at such meetings with Industry inform the regular quarterly progress reports, which are published on my Department’s website and that of the Department of Rural and Community Development. The minutes of meetings of the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce Implementation Group are also published on both Departments’ websites.
In tandem with the work of the Taskforce, the release by ComReg of the 3.6GHz radio spectrum band, which has been identified at EU level as a primary band suitable for 5G rollout, will also contribute to addressing increasing mobile data demands and improve mobile coverage. Mobile operators’ commercial investment has also resulted in improved services, following ComReg's 2012 multi-band spectrum auction. At least one operator now has in excess of 90% 4G population coverage.
Much of the work of the Taskforce, in addition to enhancing 4G coverage, also provides a strong foundation for growing next generation capacity, including 5G. In paving the way for 5G deployment in Ireland, and future auctions, consideration will need to be given to a number of factors, including quality of coverage as well as geographical spread.