Bernard Durkan
Question:290. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice when a person (details supplied) will be eligible to apply for citizenship; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2561/23]
View answerImmigration Status
Questions (290)
Written answers
The citizenship application of the person referred to by the Deputy was approved and their Certificate of Naturalisation was issued on 06 December 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.
Citizenship Applications
Questions (291)
Bernard Durkan
Question:291. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice when the application for citizenship will be granted in the name of a person (details supplied); when a decision is likely to issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2564/23]
View answerWritten answers
The naturalisation application from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department, with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation. It will be submitted to me for decision in due course.
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.
Applications are processed in chronological order by date received. Due to the high volume of applications currently on hand, regrettably, the median time for processing applications is 19 months.
However, 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.
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.
Immigration Status
Questions (292)
Bernard Durkan
Question:292. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice if all issues relating to the case of a person (details supplied) have been clarified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2568/23]
View answerWritten answers
The person referred to by the Deputy had permission to remain granted, valid to 10 December 2019, and this was communicated in writing by letter dated 18 June 2018.
This letter advised the person referred to that any future renewals of the permission to remain granted should be applied for four weeks in advance of the permission expiring to the Acknowledgments Unit, Repatriation Division, Immigration Service, Department of Justice, 13-14 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2.
It is open to the person referred to by the Deputy to submit a letter for renewal to the above address.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the Immigration Service of my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility 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 from the Immigration Service is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
Covid-19 Pandemic Supports
Questions (293)
Denis Naughten
Question:293. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health when agency nurses (details supplied) will receive the pandemic bonus payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2451/23]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
It is against Department policy to comment on individual cases.
Disability Services
Questions (294)
Bernard Durkan
Question:294. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if speech and language therapy sessions will be commenced by 30 April 2023 in the case of the son of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2452/23]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Disability Services
Questions (295)
Mary Lou McDonald
Question:295. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health the maximum number of personal assistance hours that can be provided to a person per week under the scheme. [2453/23]
View answerWritten answers
The HSE provides a range of assisted living services including Personal Assistant Services to support individuals to maximise their capacity to live full and independent lives.
PA Services are provided either directly by the HSE or through a range of voluntary service providers. The majority of specialised disability provision (80%) is delivered through non-statutory sector service providers.
Services are accessed through an application process or through referrals from public health nurses or other community based staff. Individuals’ needs are evaluated against the criteria for prioritisation for the service and then decisions are made in relation to the allocation of resources.
Resource allocation is determined by the needs of the individual, compliance with prioritisation criteria, and the level of resources available. As with every service there is not a limitless resource available for the provision of PA services and while the resources available are substantial they are finite. In this context, services are discretionary and the number of hours granted is considered along other support services already provided to the person/family.
Disability Services
Questions (296)
Mary Lou McDonald
Question:296. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health the budget allocated by his Department to the personal assistant scheme for people with disabilities for the years 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022; and the personal assistant scheme budget allocated to each CHO area for 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, in tabular form. [2460/23]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Disability Services
Questions (297)
Mary Lou McDonald
Question:297. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health when he will address the deficit in the personal assistant scheme funding, as identified by community healthcare organisations. [2461/23]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Disability Services
Questions (298)
Mary Lou McDonald
Question:298. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health his response to the shortfalls identified in the ESRI Research Bulletin Personal Assistance Services in Ireland: A Capability Approach to Understanding the Lived Experience of Disabled People, published on 2 December 2022. [2462/23]
View answerWritten answers
As Minister of State for Disabilities, I welcomed the publication of this ESRI report when it was launched in December. I know this report will be invaluable in informing the planned HSE Working Group on improving Personal Assistance Services.
The report demonstrates that service users are seeking more flexible, individualised supports. I strongly believe that this flexibility must be built in to services as this is one of the ways in which we can ensure that people with disabilities are enabled to live their lives the way they chose .
This Government and the HSE are committed to protecting the level of Personal Assistance Services available to persons with disabilities to live an independent life of their own design, in line with the disability reform policy - “Transforming Lives”. The HSE has consistently, year on year, increased the number of hours of PA Services delivered to people with a disability.
The HSE provides a range of assisted living services including Personal Assistance Services to support individuals to maximise their capacity to live full and independent lives. In 2022, the HSE target was to deliver 1.7m hours of PA services to over 2,500 people. While the final end of year figure will be published shortly, every indication is that this target will be met.
Health Service Executive
Questions (299)
Neasa Hourigan
Question:299. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 918 of 8 November 2022, if he will provide a breakdown of all costs associated with the removal of a row of trees outside Cork University Hospital on 22 October 2022; the names of the companies or persons that were commissioned for each of these services, including the arborist assessment, the tree-removal works, the clearance of the timber and the tree-planting assessment and any other associated costs in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2466/23]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Health Service Executive
Questions (300)
Neasa Hourigan
Question:300. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 918 of 8 November 2022, the details of any tendering process that may have applied to the assessment of trees for removal outside Cork University Hospital on 22 October 2022, and to the tree-removal works subsequently contracted by the HSE for that date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2467/23]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Covid-19 Pandemic Supports
Questions (301)
Joe Carey
Question:301. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in issuing Covid recognition payments; when he expects outstanding payments to be made to agency healthcare assistants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2470/23]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
Hospital Facilities
Questions (302)
Catherine Murphy
Question:302. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a schedule of planned upgrade works to Naas General Hospital, including but not limited to the Lakeview unit; and if funding has been provided for these developments. [2478/23]
View answerWritten answers
As the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
General Practitioner Services
Questions (303)
Catherine Murphy
Question:303. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details of the number of GPs providing services on behalf of the HSE in counties Kildare, Meath, Laois and Wicklow. [2479/23]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Disability Services
Questions (304)
Michael Lowry
Question:304. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health the number of whole-time equivalent positions allocated to the children's disability network team in Clonmel; the number of those positions vacant and the number of children attached to the team as of 31 December 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2483/23]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have referred to the Health Service Executive.
Disability Services
Questions (305)
Michael Lowry
Question:305. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health the number of whole-time equivalent positions allocated to the children's disability network team in Nenagh; the number of those positions vacant and the number of children attached to the team as of 31 December 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2484/23]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have referred to the Health Service Executive.
Disability Services
Questions (306)
Michael Lowry
Question:306. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health the number of whole-time equivalent positions allocated to the children's disability network team in Cashel; the number of those positions vacant and the number of children attached to the team as of 31 December 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2485/23]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Medicinal Products
Questions (307)
Catherine Connolly
Question:307. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health if he is satisfied that the Health Products Regulatory Authority is providing data on adverse drug reactions in a timely manner to the European Medicines Agency, given there appears to be a difference between the number of adverse drug reactions on the HPRA website in regard to certain drugs (details supplied) and the number of adverse drug reactions recorded on the relevant EMA database; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2488/23]
View answerWritten answers
The HPRA confirmed that it complies with regulatory reporting requirements for submission of suspected adverse reactions for authorised medicines/vaccines to the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA’s) EudraVigilance (EV) database.
The HPRA operates a system of pharmacovigilance in accordance with National and European legislation and EU Good Pharmacovigilance Practice guidelines.
In relation to reports of suspected adverse reactions notified to the HPRA by health care professionals and members of the public, these are carefully evaluated by the HPRA’s pharmacovigilance department. Validated reports are submitted onward to the EudraVigilance database in a specified format and within defined regulatory reporting timelines (within 15 calendar days for serious reports and within 90 calendar days for non-serious reports). The EU regulatory network, which includes the HPRA and its counterparts in other EU Member States, as well as the EMA, continuously monitor EudraVigilance data to detect any new safety issues. Suspected adverse reaction reports submitted to the EudraVigilance database are updated by the EMA on www.adrreports.eu, where the information is publicly available in an anonymised format.
In relation to COVID-19 vaccines, the HPRA publishes information on the number of reports of suspected adverse reactions it has received on its website, www.hpra.ie. The number of reports published by the HPRA is and can be expected to be higher than the number available on www.adrreports.eu owing to the arrangements and processes in place for reporting. The data published by the HPRA include reports already available in EudraVigilance, as well as any that are recently received and which remain under processing for subsequent onward submission to EudraVigilance within the required regulatory reporting timeline (as noted above, within 15 or 90 calendar days depending on the nature of the report). In addition, reports submitted by the HPRA to EudraVigilance, as well as any Irish reports submitted by the licence holders (companies that hold the marketing authorisation), are published by the EMA at the next scheduled update on www.adrreports.eu, which is understood to be weekly for COVID-19 vaccines. A number of reports received by the HPRA will also not meet reporting requirements to EudraVigilance, for example, reports for which the brand of vaccine is unknown or which describe a medication error but without an associated suspected adverse reaction. Follow up for information to validate such reports is undertaken by the HPRA, as appropriate.
In addition to the submission of reports of suspected adverse reactions by the HPRA to EudraVigilance, the HPRA participates in the EMAs Safety Committee, the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee, through which the HPRA maintains oversight of the evaluation of worldwide data concerning COVID-19 vaccines, including that from EudraVigilance, as well as from clinical trials and epidemiological studies. As for all medicines, should a safety issue arise, timely and appropriate regulatory action will be taken.
Hospital Staff
Questions (308)
Mark Ward
Question:308. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the number of whole-time equivalent nurses working in the National Rehabilitation Hospital as of 6 January 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2491/23]
View answerWritten answers
Referred to HSE : As this is a service matter, I have referred to the Health Service Executive.
General Practitioner Services
Questions (309)
Martin Browne
Question:309. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Health if he has plans in place to ensure non-medical card patients are not left without a GP when their GP retires (details supplied). [2501/23]
View answerWritten answers
GPs are private contractors, most of whom hold contracts with the HSE for the provision of medical services such as contracts under the General Medical Services (GMS) scheme for the provision of medical services without charge to patients who hold a medical card or GP visit card. Under the terms of the GMS contract, where a GMS GP retires or resigns from the GMS scheme, the HSE contacts the GMS patients concerned and arranges for their transfer to their new GMS GP.
People who do not hold a medical card or GP visit card access GP services on a private basis and can make enquiries directly to any GP practice they wish to register with. As private contractors, it is a matter for each individual GP to decide whether to accept additional private patients. The HSE has no role in assigning private patients to a GP practice.