Written Answers Nos. 191-209
191. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the current or expected residency status in the case of a person (details supplied); if they are eligible to apply to the recently announced scheme for the undocumented; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10207/22]
View answerThe Regularisation of Long Term Undocumented Migrants Scheme opened for applications on 31 January 2022. Applications will be accepted for six months until 31 July 2022, when the scheme will close. The scheme is open to those who do not have a current permission to reside in the State and will enable eligible applicants to remain and reside in the State and to regularise their residency status.
When submitting an application for the scheme the onus is on the applicant to determine if they satisfy all of the eligibility criteria. Proofs of residency for each of the required years, proof of identity and proof of the claimed familial relationship must be included in the application. The applicant will also be required to complete eVetting and to meet the good character and conduct criteria.
Full details regarding the qualifying criteria, a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document and the required documentation for the Scheme is available on my Department's website at: www.irishimmigration.ie/regularisation-of-long-term-undocumented-migrant-scheme/.
192. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the current and or expected residency status in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10210/22]
View answerThe person referred to by the Deputy is the subject of a Deportation Order made on 23 September 2019. Representations were received on behalf of the person concerned requesting that the Deportation Order be revoked, pursuant to the provisions of section 3(11) of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended). All relevant aspects of the case will be considered before a decision is made either to affirm or revoke the Order. The decision will be notified in writing. In the meantime, the Deportation Order remains valid and in place.
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 (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 Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
193. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice the status of an application by a person (details supplied); the reason for the delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10288/22]
View answerThe application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy 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. Their passport was returned to them on 23 April 2021.
During this time, it is important that the person maintains their immigration permission and takes all appropriate steps to renew their permission to be in the State.
In accordance with the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, an applicant must have had a period of one year’s continuous reckonable residence in the State immediately before the date of the application. As the person concerned has already submitted their application, the six weeks absence rule no longer applies. They should, however, contact my Department at: citizenshipinfo@justice.ie, if they intend to remain outside of the State for an extended period of time.
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.
My Department is taking a number of steps to speed up the processing of applications and a number of digitisation measures have also been introduced to increase efficiency in the process, including eTax clearance, eVetting and online payments. The end result of the digitisation process will be to free up more staff to focus on processing applications in a timely and efficient manner, to improve service to our customers and reduce waiting times.
Last year, my Department made 11,512 citizenship decisions, which is the highest level since 2015. Additional staff have also been assigned to the citizenship team. Based on these measures, my Department's objective is to achieve an improved timeframe of 6-9 months for decisions on a majority of applications during 2022.
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.
194. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice the number of community Gardaí assigned to the Cork west division; the stations which they are attached to; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10496/22]
View answerThe Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs, with an unprecedented allocation provided in Budget 2022 of in excess of €2 billion. This includes funding for the recruitment of up to an additional 800 Garda members and up to 400 Garda Staff.
As the Deputy will be aware, in accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, which includes decisions on the deployment of personnel among the various Garda Divisions. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.
I am assured, however, that Garda management keeps this distribution of resources under continual review in the context of policing priorities and crime trends, to ensure their optimum use. I understand that it is a matter for the Divisional Chief Superintendent to determine the optimum distribution of duties among the personnel available to them, having regard to the profile of each area within the Division and its specific needs.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that at 31 January 2022, there were 297 Gardaí attached to the Cork West Division. This represents an increase of almost 8% since December 2015.
Detailed information on the Garda workforce is available on my Department's website at
www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/Garda_Workforce
The table below shows the number of Community Gardaí attached to the Cork West Division as at 31/01/2022.
|
Cork West 31/01/2022 |
GD |
|
Bandon |
1 |
|
Bantry |
1 |
|
Clonakilty |
1 |
|
Macroom |
1 |
|
Total |
4 |
It should be noted that, to date, the official categorisation as a Community Garda has simply referred to those who are exclusively assigned to building relationships with local communities and civil society, including giving talks to schools, community groups and others. It is important to note, however, that community policing is at the heart of An Garda Síochána and that all Gardaí have a role to play in community policing in the course of carrying out their duties.
Indeed, this is fundamental to the new Garda Operating Model recommended by the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland and currently being rolled out under 'A Policing Service for Our Future', the Government's implementation plan for the Commission's recommendations .
195. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the estimated annual cost of extending medical card provision for child and adolescent cancers from five years to ten years after diagnosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10328/22]
View answerUnder the Health Act 1970, eligibility for a medical card is based primarily on means. The Act obliges the HSE to assess whether a person is unable, without due hardship, to arrange general practitioner services for himself or herself and his or her family, having regard to his or her overall financial position and reasonable expenditure.
The issue of granting medical cards based on having a particular disease or illness was previously examined in 2014 by the HSE Expert Panel on Medical Need and Medical Card Eligibility. The Group concluded that it was not feasible, desirable, nor ethically justifiable to list medical conditions in priority order for medical card eligibility. In following the Expert Group’s advice, a person’s means remains the main qualifier for a medical card.
However, since 2015 medical cards are awarded without the need of a financial assessment to all children under 18 years of age with a diagnosis of cancer, for a period of five years.
With regard to the estimated cost of providing a medical card in the manner sought, this information is not readily available and it is therefore not possible to provide an estimate of the cost of the proposal.
196. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) can expect to be called for surgery in the Mater Hospital. [10134/22]
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.
In 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.
197. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health the actions his Department has taken to ascertain the number of persons that are dealing with a vaccine (details supplied) related narcolepsy in Ireland. [10141/22]
View answerAs this relates to service matters, I have referred the question to the HSE for direct reply.
198. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1573 of 19 January 2022, the number of persons that were tested for Covid-19 at the pop-up test centre (details supplied) in Tuam, County Galway during the three days that it was in operation in April 2021; and the number that tested positive in that centre. [10142/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
199. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Clare will receive full-time personal assistant support hours; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10144/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy, as soon as possible.
200. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health his plans to disband NPHET. [10145/22]
View answerThe National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) is an established mechanism for coordinating the health sector response to significant public health emergencies. It facilitates the sharing of information between the Department of Health and its agencies. It is a long-standing structure which has been utilised over many years to provide a forum to steer strategic approaches to public health emergencies in Ireland and mobilise the necessary health service responses. National Public Health Emergency Teams have been established in recent years in response to public health threats, including H1N1 (swine flu) and CPE (Carbapenemase Producing Enterobacterales), for example. This public health approach is in line with the advice of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Since its first meeting in January 2020, the NPHET for COVID-19 has overseen and provided direction, guidance, support and expert advice across the health service and the wider public service for the overall national response to COVID-19, including national and regional and other outbreak control arrangements. In particular, the NPHET has played a critical role in closely and continuously monitoring the evolving impact of COVID-19 on Ireland’s population, as well as the health service’s capacity, performance, and ability to respond.
Following its meeting on 20th January 2022, the NPHET advised that the prevailing profile of COVID-19 in Ireland and the available evidence and experience of Omicron internationally allowed for a fundamental change in the management of COVID-19. It advised that this should entail a transition, in broad terms, from a focus on regulation and population wide restrictions to a focus on public health advice, personal judgement and personal protective behaviours.
On 17th February, the NPHET recommended the removal of remaining public health measures from 28th February, as planned, on the basis that there is no longer a continuing public health rationale for retaining them.
In providing its advice, the NPHET has emphasised we cannot fully rule out the reintroduction of measures in the future and we must continue to ensure our response is agile and flexible, with an ability to respond rapidly and appropriately to any emerging threat. There will be an ongoing requirement to be able to scale up appropriate responses quickly should they be required.
Notwithstanding the need for continued vigilance, the NPHET has advised that we are now entering a transition phase of the pandemic response. This transition will entail a shift from the emergency type processes and measures of the last two years while also necessitating the maintenance of high levels of readiness for COVID-19 outbreaks and the emergence of new variants of concern, with significant strengthening of existing disease surveillance systems.
As we move out of the emergency phase of the pandemic and given the significant mainstreaming of the COVID-19 response, the continuing impact of the vaccination programme, and the programme of work already completed by the NPHET, it is now deemed timely to conclude the work of the NPHET.
The Office of the Chief Medical Officer will continue to closely monitor the epidemiological profile of the disease and the Minister for Health has been provided with a specific proposal on the appropriate structure and processes for this.
201. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health his plans to address the cost of breastfeeding equipment and supplies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10146/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
202. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health if section 38 and 39 workers will be eligible for the additional recognition payment applicable to frontline health care workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10147/22]
View answerFirstly I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all healthcare workers for their efforts during this most challenging period.
In recognition of the efforts of the general public, volunteers and all workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and in remembrance of people who lost their lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic, on Wednesday 19 January, the Government announced a once-off public holiday will take place on Friday 18 March 2022.
The Government also announced COVID-19 recognition payment for frontline public sector healthcare workers, to recognise their unique role during the pandemic. The payment of €1,000 will not be subject to income tax, USC, or PRSI. The measure will be ring fenced to staff ordinarily onsite in COVID-19 exposed healthcare environments within the period between 1 March 2020 and 30 June 2021.
Those public sector frontline healthcare workers eligible for the payment will be directly employed public health sector staff working in clinical settings. A pro-rata arrangement will apply for eligible part time staff / equivalents and supernumerary students who were required to perform training in clinical sites.
The Department of Health will also introduce a similar measure for frontline staff in all nursing homes and hospices (whether public, private, voluntary, Section 39 etc.). This measure will address the specific challenges associated with making payment to these organisations including governance and scope.
The Department and the HSE are currently engaging in finalising arrangements to give effect to the Government announcement concerning the Recognition Payment. Full particulars, eligibility and terms and conditions that apply to this payment shall be made available shortly. It is important that this measure is applied fairly as intended and I welcome the work that is ongoing to ensure this is so.
The Department of Health appreciates the levels of interest this announcement has generated. We are working together with the HSE to provide additional details on this measure including full eligibility criteria, particulars and terms and conditions that apply. This will be published as soon as possible.
203. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Health if general practice nurses will be included in the Covid-19 recognition bonus payment;; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10160/22]
View answerFirstly I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all healthcare workers for their efforts during this most challenging period.
In recognition of the efforts of the general public, volunteers and all workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and in remembrance of people who lost their lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic, on Wednesday 19 January, the Government announced a once-off public holiday will take place on Friday 18 March 2022.
The Government also announced COVID-19 recognition payment for frontline public sector healthcare workers, to recognise their unique role during the pandemic. The payment of €1,000 will not be subject to income tax, USC, or PRSI. The measure will be ring fenced to staff ordinarily onsite in COVID-19 exposed healthcare environments within the period between 1 March 2020 and 30 June 2021.
Those public sector frontline healthcare workers eligible for the payment will be directly employed public health sector staff working in clinical settings. A pro-rata arrangement will apply for eligible part time staff / equivalents and supernumerary students who were required to perform training in clinical sites. The Department of Health will also introduce a measure for making a similar payment to staff in private sector nursing homes and hospices that were affected by Covid-19.
The Department of Health appreciates the levels of interest this announcement has generated. We are working together with the HSE to provide additional details on this measure including full eligibility criteria, particulars and terms and conditions that apply. This will be published as soon as possible.
It is important that this measure is applied fairly as intended and I welcome the work that is ongoing to ensure this is so.
204. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the status of the reimbursement process for the drug luxturna; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10161/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
205. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the status of the establishment of a primary care centre in Millstreet, County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10162/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
206. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the status of the establishment of a primary care centre in Kanturk, County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10163/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
207. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if a prosthesis will be expedited for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10170/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
208. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost to fund the HPV catch-up programme for those that missed out on the HPV vaccine in first year of school for any given reason; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10171/22]
View answerIt is not possible to provide a detailed costing estimate in relation to the implementation of a catch up programme for the HPV vaccine, at this time. You may be aware that my Department has asked the National Immunisation Advisory Committee to consider the clinical effectiveness of providing the HPV vaccine to:
- girls and boys in secondary school who were eligible to receive HPV vaccine in 1st year but who did not receive it; and
- women up to the age of 25 years who have left secondary school and who did not receive the vaccine when eligible.
If NIAC conclude that there is sufficient evidence to support providing the HPV vaccine to one or both groups, HIQA will undertake a cost-effectiveness assessment on that basis. On completion, the cost-effectiveness assessment will inform the costing process.
209. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the progress made to date in the ongoing recruitment process for podiatrists for the HSE chronic disease management community hubs; when the number will be increased; the plan underway to improve podiatry services in County Kildare for persons with diabetes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10176/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
