Written Answers Nos. 194-213
194. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children and young persons on waiting lists for an assessment of need in each LHO, in tabular form, with a monthly breakdown of waiting times. [23316/23]
View answerAs this refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
195. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if exit interviews are conducted with therapists leaving CDNTs; if the information from these interviews is anonymously collated; if so, the primary reasons individuals cite for leaving CDNTs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23317/23]
View answerAs this refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
196. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will review correspondence from a company (details supplied) regarding delayed payments from the Ukrainian accommodation section of his Department; the reasons for these delays; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23357/23]
View answerMy Department is prioritising maintaining a practice of more timely payments, including providing more resources to address any issues, and outsourcing of elements of the process to speed up processing and to respond to supplier calls. Any delays in making payments are deeply regretted and my Department is according this issue very high priority.
With regard to the service provider referred to, I am advised by my officials that invoices referred to in the details supplied in relation to April 2023 and May 2023 are currently being processed. Payment is expected to issue after all appropriate checks have been completed. With regard to the delay in providing a Departmental purchase order for the other invoice referred to, my officials will be engaging with the provider in the coming days to supply same. Likewise I am informed by my officials that there has been and will continue to be engagement with the provider in relation to the offer to provide additional accommodation.
My Department will continue to press on to eliminate the payments backlog while ensuring appropriate governance is in place to safeguard the proper spending of Exchequer funding.
197. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will legally mandate local authorities to ensure that the needs of every homeless child should be assessed, including but not limited to factors such as access to their school, medical and therapeutical needs, and also supporting family relationships and wider social support. [23369/23]
View answerLocal authorities may provide emergency accommodation to those who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. It is the role of the housing welfare officers to assess the needs of families and children presenting as homeless and in need of accommodation.
Under the Children First Act 2015 and Children First National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children 2017, where a child protection or child welfare concern may arise, this should be referred by local authority mandated personnel to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency.
Tusla commissions a wide range of services within local areas to support families with children who are accessing emergency accommodation. Tusla works closely with local authorities and their housing welfare officers to ensure that supports are made available to families and children where appropriate. The Minister cannot legally mandate local authorities to ensure that the needs of every homeless child should be assessed as local authorities do not come under the remit of this Department.
198. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the resources available to the survivors of mother-and-baby homes once they receive their information; if the social worker quoted in his Department's letter will make themselves available to all who need help deciphering and understanding the information they have been sent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23374/23]
View answerOn 28 February 2021, with the dissolution of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation, my Department became the data controller for all the personal data contained in the records and databases that transferred from the Commission.
Former residents of Mother and Baby Homes can make a subject access request to my Department under the GDPR for access to their record. I am very mindful of the importance to people who were born in Mother and Baby Homes of access to their personal data.
My Department has worked intensively to ensure that it is appropriately resourced to handle subject access requests from former residents of mother and baby homes. It has put in place a multi-disciplinary team to respond to requests from individuals. My officials are available to assist individuals who may have queries in relation to the material received by them in response to a subject access request. In addition, individuals may also access the services of my Department’s social work team which is available to provide specific support, information and advice to individuals in the context of a response to a subject access request.
199. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the names of external cleaning companies that have provided cleaning services to his Department in the years of 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023; and the amount paid to each company for such works, in tabular form. [23401/23]
View answerI wish to inform the Deputy that my Department operates from a number of building locations including:
Block 1 Miesian Plaza, 50 – 58 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin. D02 XW14. (Floors 2 and 3).
Montague Court, 7 – 11 Montague Street, Dublin. D02 FT96. (Floors 2 and 3).
Citywest, Garter Lane, Saggart, Co. Dublin, D24 KF8A, which is a Ukrainian Refugee Transit Centre.
Cleaning services in the Miesian Plaza office are supplied by One Complete Solution (OCS), the company contracted to provide facilities management services. These costs are managed by the Department of Health as lead tenant in the building and my Department pays an agreed percentage which over the period in question is as follows :
Table 1: DCEDIY Miesian Plaza Cleaning Costs
|
Cleaning Services |
2021 |
2022 |
To date in 2023 |
Total 2021 To Date |
|
Department of Health re Miesian Plaza |
€159,684.49 |
€186,208.14 |
€56,726.34 |
€402,618.97 |
As such, these costs are not reflected in the table 2 below as the Department of Health will include the full Building cost in its response.
My Department also had a number of staff located at the Brunel Building, Heuston South Quarter, Saint John's Road West, Dublin 8 between November 2019 to May 2021. My Department paid service charges to Tusla for the use of this office space, which included cleaning costs. These cleaning costs are reflected in the table below.
These costs include amounts paid for cleaning and cleaning supplies.
Table 2: DCEDIY -Montague Court , CityWest and Brunel.
|
Cleaning Services |
2021 |
2022 |
To date in 2023 |
Total 2021 To Date |
|
Grosvenor Cleaning Services |
€15,235.89 |
€0.00 |
€0.00 |
€15,235.89 |
|
MedGuard |
€1,004.42 |
€0.00 |
€0.00 |
€1,004.42 |
|
NorthEast Hygiene Supplies Ltd |
€3,414.08 |
€1,377.60 |
€0.00 |
€4,791.68 |
|
OCS One Complete Solution Ltd |
€4,150.88 |
€23,361.10 |
€12,366.21 |
€39,878.19 |
|
Tusla regarding the Brunel Building |
€8,975.73 |
€0.00 |
€0.00 |
€8,975.73 |
|
AFM Facilities Ltd |
€0.00 |
€1,114,247.52 |
€814,005.92 |
€1,928,253.44 |
|
Total paid to cleaning companies |
€32,781.00 |
€1,138,986.22 |
€826,372.13 |
€1,998,139.35 |
200. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when three overdue payments will be paid to an accommodation centre (details supplied) providing accommodation to Ukrainian refugees as the delay in payments outside of their contracted arrangements with his Department is causing severe financial hardship; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23443/23]
View answerMy Department is prioritising making more timely payments of valid invoices, including providing more resources to address any issues, and outsourcing of elements of the process to speed up processing and to respond to supplier calls.
With regard to the service provider referred to, I am advised that my officials are engaging with this supplier, with a view to regularising the account when all outstanding queries have been satisfactorily resolved.
My Department will continue to press on to eliminate the payments backlog while ensuring appropriate governance is in place to safeguard the proper spending of Exchequer funding.
201. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if family resource centres will be guaranteed of their budget on a yearly basis (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23502/23]
View answerFamily Resource Centres are funded by Tusla, from the allocation secured for Tusla by my Department in the annual estimates and budget process. Potential changes in funding are considered and explored through the annual budgetary process.
Tusla administers the Family Resource Centre Programme which provides funding support to 121 FRCs across the country and my Department allocates core funding for the Family Resource Centre Programme. I was pleased to attend the 25th anniversary event hosted by the Family Resource Centre National Forum last week, and recently I met with senior members of the National Forum to discuss some issues of concerns for FRCs.
The relationship that has developed between the Tusla Areas, Tusla Commissioning, the Family Resource Centres and National Forum means the use of core funding is maximised and allows for engagement around additional activity and potential for pilot schemes to be explored. Many of those schemes make a real impact on people's lives.
Having been made aware of a survey conducted by the National Forum of Family Resource Centres during 2022, I and my Department were in a position to allocate extra funding to Tusla to use in Family Resource Centres to assist with the needs of those fleeing the war in Ukraine.
Family Resource Centres can also make use of non-core funding from other Government Departments or agencies and indeed from other sources such as philanthropic concerns. I commend Family Resource Centres around the country for their continued efforts to leverage and attract funding from other state actors or the private sector.
This year I will be be delivering my Performance Framework for Tusla to cover the period 2024-2026 to give policy guidance, direction and prioritisation parameters for the next three years. In deriving the Framework, I have informed Tusla that I will be looking at actions for Tusla to carry through into their Corporate Plan laying out activity over the next 3 years, with a view to looking at options to stabilise the current Family Resource Centre programme, safeguarding its approach to working with all aspects of a community and giving serious consideration to potential approaches for future expansion of the programme.
202. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 540 of 9 May 2023, if he will clarify his response in respect of the information provided (details supplied). [23526/23]
View answerThe reference to S.I. 605/22 - Planning and Development (Exempted Development) (No.4) Regulations 2022 in the Department’s Briefing Note referred to in the details of your question was an informational point contained in the 'Context and Overview of Current Accommodation Pressures' category of the Briefing.
This information provided context on the the efforts that the Department has made to try to secure additional accommodation in a wide array of repurposed buildings.
It was not outlined as an informational point that an exemption would be sought for the use of Ryevale House.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
203. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide a schedule of the amount of funds, beneficiary of funds and use of funds released by his Department under the per cent for art scheme in each of the past five years to date in 2023, in tabular form. [23571/23]
View answerMy Department has not provided any funding under the per cent for art scheme in each of the past five years to date in 2023.
204. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his response to the finding of a report (details supplied) concerning children’s disability services that “families feel they are deliberately held in the dark with 45% believing poor communication is an obstacle to service provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23606/23]
View answerBoth I and the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth acknowledge the FUSS report and in particular the findings related to communication between the HSE and families.
The way in which a family are informed that their child has a disability is an important and sensitive task. For that reason, the Department has sought a focus on communications as one of the parts of the PDS Roadmap. The Roadmap is being finalised at present and I look forward to specific improvements being introduced to assist communications within the HSE and between the HSE and families. Part of this will involve a specific focus on how the vast array of information is presented and structured to families who require relevant, timely and accessible facts and guidance.
205. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if he will reduce the average wait times for medical procedures in County Kerry (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23266/23]
View answerThe National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) works with public hospitals, as opposed to with patients directly, to offer and provide the funding for treatment to clinically suitable long waiting patients who are on an inpatient/day case waiting list for surgery, having been referred on to such a list following clinical assessment by a consultant/specialist at an outpatient clinic.
However, hospitals such as University Hospital Kerry can enter in to arrangements with local private providers for a range of services. Accordingly I have referred your question to the HSE and asked them to reply to you directly.
206. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal will receive an appointment; if they are on the urgent or routine list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23269/23]
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.
207. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the waiting times for inpatient and outpatient neurology appointments at each hospital across the seven hospital groups, in tabular form; if he will provide this information specifically regarding those waiting for three months, six months, nine months, 12 months or more than 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23270/23]
View answerAdult and child waiting list information by hospital and specialty is published monthly and is available on the NTPF website at: www.ntpf.ie/home/nwld.htm.
208. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the number of adults and children in County Donegal on the waiting list for HSE dental and orthodontic services at the end of each quarter 1 of each year 2019 to 2023, broken down by standard waiting times, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23271/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
209. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health if he is satisfied that all necessary equipment required for orthodontic assessments, including x-ray equipment, is available and in working order at the dental department, St. Conal’s Hospital, Letterkenny, County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23272/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
210. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal will receive a date for surgery in Beaumont Hospital; if they are on the urgent or routine waiting list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23273/23]
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.
211. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Health the spend on homeless services by his Department and agencies under his remit for each year since 2013; the estimated projected spend for 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23284/23]
View answerAs the HSE is responsible for the funding of healthcare services for people who are homeless, I have referred this question to the HSE for direct reply’.
212. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health the progress being made on implementing the recommendations of a report (details supplied). [23294/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
213. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health his views on establishing a digital health agency to drive the digital change in Ireland's health service. [23295/23]
View answerI am committed to significantly improving the digital transformation of healthcare. That is why I sought and received Government approval for the General Scheme of the Health Information Bill in April. The Bill is about enhancing the delivery of patient-centred integrated care; improving performance and innovation in the health service; supporting digital and data initiatives in healthcare and building public confidence and trust in how health information is handled.
The Bill provides for the establishment of a dedicated single purpose National Health Information Authority to provide strategic leadership on the transformative information challenges associated with the digital agenda in healthcare and as a key element of the EU European Health Data Space project.
The establishment of the Authority will be subject to a robust business case to ensure best outcomes.
