Written Answers Nos. 340-349
340. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Justice if persons with pending applications under section 3 or deportation order and persons who may have been living in Ireland for ten to 15 years will be included in the scheme to regularise the undocumented here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55287/21]
View answerThe Government committed to introducing new pathways to status regularisation within 18 months of its formation. My Justice Plan 2021 contains a commitment to create new pathways for long-term undocumented people and their dependents who must meet specified criteria to regularise their status.
The scheme will provide an opportunity for those who meet its criteria to remain and reside in the State and to become part of mainstream Irish society rather than living on its margins. Successful applicants will receive an immigration permission, access to the labour market and will be able to begin the process of becoming Irish citizens, should they wish to do so.
The objective is to ensure that the scheme is as inclusive as possible and my Department has conducted a targeted consultation on the proposed scheme which has provided a valuable opportunity to hear from those affected by the proposed approach to the scheme.
Following the consultation process, my Department continues to work to finalise the details, including eligibility considerations and qualifying criteria, and also to design and manage the practical aspects to enable applications to be made and processed as efficiently as possible. The specific qualifying criteria will be guided by, among other things, the learning from previous regularisation schemes, such as the 2018 Student Scheme, and schemes operated by other EU Member States.
We are now working to finalise the details for the scheme, including eligibility considerations and qualifying criteria, with a view to bringing a proposal to Government and to publish the details of the scheme before the end of this year.
341. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Justice when persons (details supplied) can expect a decision on their deportation appeals to be made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55299/21]
View answerIn response to a notification pursuant to the provisions of Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), written representations have been submitted on behalf of the persons concerned. These representations, together with all other information and documentation on file, will be fully considered, under Section 3 (6) of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended) and all other applicable legislation, in advance of a final decision being made.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility at INISOireachtasMail@justice.ie, which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Question process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in the cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
342. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the progress to date in the determination of eligibility for naturalisation in the case of a person (details supplied); when it is expected the application can be finalised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55458/21]
View answerThis application for a certificate of naturalisation was received on 30 September 2019. This application is currently being processed with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation and will be submitted to me for decision as expeditiously as possible.
However, the public health restrictions in place over the last 18 months due to the Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on service delivery and consequently normal service could not be maintained. As a result, the processing timeline for citizenship applications has unfortunately increased.
The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour which confers certain rights and entitlements not only within the State but also at European Union level and it is important that appropriate procedures are in place to preserve the integrity of the process.
It is recognised that all applicants for citizenship would wish to have a decision on their application without delay. However, the nature of the naturalisation process is such that, for a broad range of reasons, some cases will take longer than others to process. In some instances, completing the necessary checks can take a considerable period of time.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility at: INISOireachtasMail@justice.ie, which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Question process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in the cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
343. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if assistance with travel to medical appointments for treatment for cancer can continue to be provided in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55456/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
344. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health if alternative arrangements can be made available in the community in view of the fact that emergency departments in hospitals are seeing a surge in elderly persons presenting themselves to the departments for various non-Covid-19 related health issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55239/21]
View answerI wish to acknowledge the distress overcrowded Emergency Departments cause to patients, their families, and frontline staff working in very challenging conditions in hospitals throughout the country. The HSE reports that emergency department attendances have now reached 2019 levels, exceeding them at some sites, and the numbers of patients waiting on trolleys for hospital admission have been increasing steadily over the past several months. This winter is expected to be particularly challenging with the continued need to manage Covid-19 in our hospitals while facing the high winter demand for ED services, particularly by older persons.
The Winter Plan 2021/22 is in active development by the HSE and a revised plan has just been submitted on foot of a request by the Department of Health. The revised Plan will reflect the funding available and set out the measures to be implemented and the expected impacts. My Department is continuing to engage intensively with the HSE on the issue, and a finalised Winter Plan will be published in due course.
As part of the Winter Plan 2021/22, the HSE are preparing for the volume of both unscheduled and scheduled activity to return to previous levels. In order to accommodate this demand the HSE will implement new ways of working, open additional capacity, and continue to enhance infection prevention and control measures in our healthcare facilities.
In line with the Sláintecare 'right care, right time, right place' approach, the Winter Plan will be targeted at optimising and creating capacity at three critical stages in the patient pathway: avoidance of hospital admittance unless absolutely essential, patient flow through our hospitals, and safe and timely egress of patients from hospital. As in previous years, Winter Plan initiatives will aim to reduce demand on emergency care by providing additional acute bed capacity, alternative care pathways in the primary care and community care sectors, and additional discharge supports in the community.
The Government is continuing to invest in the development of primary and community services through the Enhanced Community Care programme. Some €195m was allocated in Budget 2022 to build on the progress made this year and to ensure the continued rollout of 96 Community Healthcare Networks across the country as well as the establishment of specialist community teams for older persons and those with chronic conditions.
The development of these networks and teams, alongside other initiatives such as improved GP access to diagnostics, expanded Community Intervention Teams and the development of Primary Care Centres, will enhance capacity in community services and ease pressure on hospital EDs.
345. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the lack of stroke facilities in hospitals; if a strategy is being put in place to alleviate this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55240/21]
View answerThe Health Service Executive’s proposed National Stroke Strategy 2021-2026 has been clinically approved by the HSE Chief Clinical Officer Clinical Forum at its meeting in July 2021 and the HSE inform me that it will be reviewed by the HSE Executive Management Team at its meeting of 23rd November, 2021. This will inform the date for publication with regard to organisational strategy, planning and implementation. Funding will also be considered in this context.
As the provision of stroke facilities in hospitals is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
346. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the reason ten jobs for mental health services in County Kerry were not advertised (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55249/21]
View answerIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
347. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health the status of progress on meeting the commitment in the HSE service plan 2021 to provide for services (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55254/21]
View answerAs the Deputy's question relates to a service matter, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
348. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health the way in which the 120,000 additional personal assistance hours announced in Budget 2022 will be distributed to address the requirements outlined in the disability capacity review (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55255/21]
View answerA Review of Disability Social Care Demand and Capacity Requirements up to 2032, was published by myself, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly and Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Roderic O’Gorman on 15th July 2021.
It is important to note that the Report quantifies and costs future need for disability support services from a 2018 baseline, and not a 2021 baseline. That is, the funding requirements as set out in the Report are relative to 2018 expenditure, not 2021. In order to drive the process of implementing the recommendations of the report, the Ministers have also published a Framework Action Plan setting out key priorities over the period to 2025.
An Interdepartmental Working Group is now preparing the Action Plan for consideration of the Cabinet Social Policy Sub- Committee. This work was enhanced by the views of service users and representative organisations who were consulted in September of this year.
Further information on the Working Group can be found at the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/publication/f7943-the-disability-framework-action-plan-working-group/.
Further information on the public consultation can be found here:
www.gov.ie/en/consultation/e9193-public-consultation-on-disability-social-care-services-to-guide-plan-for-the-next-4-years-2022-2025/.
349. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the number of hospitalisations per hospital recorded in October, November and to date in 2021 for children and older adults afflicted with respiratory syncytial virus infection in tabular form. [55257/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
