Written Answers Nos. 293-300
293. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) who worked as a front-line worker in the health sector through the Covid pandemic, will receive their Covid Bonus payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28994/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
I would also like to remind the Deputy that it is against Department policy to comment on individual cases.
294. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the shortage of the pain medication (details supplied); if he is aware that this means that the smaller boxes are being purchased and paid for in full by persons on the drug payment scheme because they cannot purchase the prescribed amount; if there is any way for people to claim back this money; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29005/23]
View answerThe Health Service Executive (HSE) has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicines under the Community Drug Schemes, in accordance with the provisions of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.
Reimbursement is for licensed indications which have been granted market authorisation by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) or the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA).
In line with the 2013 Act and the national framework agreed with industry, a company must submit an application to the HSE to have a new medicine added to the reimbursement list.
The HSE advise that Solpadeine capsules in packs of 32 and Solpadeine Soluble tablets in packs of 60 are currently on the reimbursement list.
Chefaro Ireland DAC, the company responsible for supplying Solpadeine, has notified the following shortages of Solpadeine products which are impacting multiple countries, not just Ireland:
• A shortage in Solpadeine Capsules (12 pack) has been notified with an expected return date of Mid-August 2023.
• A shortage of Solpadeine Capsules (24 pack) has been notified with an expected return date of September 2023.
• A shortage of Solpadeine Capsules (32 pack) has been notified with an expected return date of Mid-July 2023.
• A shortage of Solpadeine Soluble (60 pack) has been notified with an expected return date of October 2023.
There is currently no reported shortage of Solpadeine Soluble (24 pack).
Under the Drugs Payment Scheme (DPS), no individual or family pays more than €80 a month towards the cost of approved prescribed medicines. The DPS is not means tested and is available to anyone ordinarily resident in Ireland. The DPS significantly reduces the cost burden for families and individuals with ongoing expenditure on medicines.
DPS card holders should be able to access Solpadeine capsules in packs of 32 and Solpadeine Soluble tablets in packs of 60 as soon as they become available, provided that these have been prescribed by a clinician. To access other Solpadeine products which are in stock but not on the reimbursement list, they would have to pay.
Unfortunately, medicine shortages are a feature of modern health systems worldwide which have been exacerbated by recent worldwide events. There are a multitude of reasons why a medicine may not be available including: shortages of raw materials; manufacturing difficulties; sudden unexpected increase in demand; or product recalls due to potential quality issues.
Ireland has a multi-stakeholder medicine shortage framework in place, coordinated by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), to prevent, wherever possible, and to manage medicine shortages when they occur. The HPRA maintains regular contact with the Department of Health regarding medicines shortages.
The HPRA publishes a list of medicines currently in short supply on its website with the reason for the shortage and expected dates for the return of supply.
See www.hpra.ie/homepage/medicines/medicines-information/medicines-shortages.
The information is available to assist healthcare professionals in managing medicine shortages when they arise and reduce their impact on patients. The information relating to shortages on the HPRA website is dynamic and changes depending on the current information the HPRA has to hand.
295. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health the status of the roll-out of free GP care for children aged six and seven years, as announced as part of Budget 2023; the timeline for the roll-out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29014/23]
View answerThe expansion of GP care without charges to all children aged 6 and 7, whereby all children aged 6 and 7 will be entitled to a GP visit card based on their age, is intended to commence as early as possible. At present all children under 6 years of age are entitled to a GP visit card.
My officials and the HSE have made preparations for the expansion. Engagements were held by my Department and the HSE with the IMO, representing GPs, throughout last year, and engagement is ongoing in relation to the necessary fee structures for this service.
296. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health his response to a media report (details supplied); when this deficit in the Service Plan was identified by this Department; the action he proposes to take to address the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29024/23]
View answerHSE National Service Plan and Financial Risk in 2023
The HSE's National Service Plan (NSP) for 2023 indicated that the HSE assessed an overall potential financial risk of approximately 10% of its current budget allocation in 2023.
On receipt of the NSP and recognising the quantum of risk within, extensive engagements between the Finance teams in both the Department of Health and the HSE were held to understand the assumptions underpinning the HSE's assessment of the financial risk. The final NSP noted that the Department of Health had a lower assessment of the financial risk in 2023.
HSE expenditure data for the first three months of 2023 indicates a deficit of €178 million to end-March, signalling significant expenditure pressures, albeit these are substantially lower than the HSE flagged in the NSP.
The NSP documented a range of joint Expenditure Management Projects to be progressed by the HSE and the Department of Health. Work is underway by both organisations on a number of these projects. In respect of pay pressures, specific actions have been taken to slow management & administration recruitment for the remainder of 2023. The CEO of the HSE recently announced a temporary pause on recruitment of senior management and administrative grades across the HSE.
It is not, at this stage, possible to give a definitive picture of where the expenditure outturn is likely to land at end-2023. Current indications suggest that the expenditure outturn will be substantially lower than the financial risks signalled in the NSP. The Department of Health and the HSE continue to work proactively to mitigate the financial risks in 2023.
Resignation of Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee
The Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee of the HSE resigned in March 2023. The matter of his resignation was his own personal decision and not one that the Department can comment on. The focus of the HSE and the Department following this resignation was to ensure that the Audit and Risk Committee continued to operate, and that it had suitable personnel with experience in financial matters.
A new Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee, Mr. Brendan Whelan, was recently appointed. Mr. Whelan is CEO of Social Finance Foundation, which provides loan funding to organisations in the not-for-profit sector. Prior to this role, he was part of Senior Management in Bank of Ireland responsible for Operations, IT and HR. He is a graduate in Commerce from University College Dublin, a graduate in Management from Stanford University and a Fellow of the Institute of Bankers in Ireland.
There is an appointment process underway to ensure that at least one member of the external Audit and Risk Committee holds a professional qualification in accounting or auditing.
297. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the progress, if any, in respect of an application for a medical card in case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29057/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
298. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the current position in regard to the payment of a SUSI grant in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29049/23]
View answerUnder the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means.
In order to be eligible for a grant, a student is required to be pursuing an approved course, as defined in Section 8(1) of the Student Support Act 2011. An approved course is one which is undertaken in an approved institution on a full-time basis and has been prescribed as an approved course. Approved courses for the 2022/23 academic year are prescribed in Article 4 of the Student Support Regulations 2022.
The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the centralised student grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) to determine.
If an individual applicant considers that they have been unjustly refused a student grant, or that the rate of grant awarded is not the correct one, they may appeal, in the first instance, to SUSI.
Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down in writing by an appeals officer in SUSI and remains of the view that the scheme has not been interpreted correctly in their case, an appeal may be submitted to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board within the required timeframe (i.e. not later than 30 days after the notification of the determination of the appeals officer to the applicant). Such appeals can be made by the appellant on line via www.studentgrantappeals.ie .
With regard to the specific application, I have been advised by my officials that the student submitted an application to SUSI for grant funding for the 2022/23 academic year. On their original application form, received on 12 September 2022, they had applied for a B.Ed. in Montessori Education (NM801) in St Nicholas Montessori College. On 15 September 2022 SUSI received a course change notification to amend the course to Psychology NM802 in St Nicholas Montessori College. However, the applicant was not approved at any point for any course for the 2022/23 academic year.
A letter issued to the student on the 12 January 2023 advising that his application was refused as his chosen course was not an approved course under the terms of the Student Support Regulations 2022 The student submitted an appeal to SUSI and the Appeals Officer upheld the decision to refuse his application. A letter advising him of this outcome was issued on the 15 March 2023. His appeal was heard by the independent Student Grant Appeals Board on 16th May 2023 and the outcome was issued directly to him. He has now exhausted the appeals process.
Tax relief at the standard rate of tax may be claimed in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education. Further information on this tax relief is available from a student’s local Tax Office or from the Revenue Commissioners website, www.revenue.ie.
299. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development how much funding from her Department has been granted since 2016 to Kerry County Council in respect of a town (details supplied) in County Kerry; if she will provide the category, amount and purpose details of each grant; if she will clarify how much of each grant has been drawn down by Kerry County Council; the timescale involved for the drawdown; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29011/23]
View answerDetails requested by the Deputy regarding funding provided by my Department, since its establishment in July 2017, to the organisation referred to by the deputy are outlined below:
|
Programme/Scheme |
Year |
Amount |
Purpose of grant |
How much has been drawn down by Kerry Co Council |
Timescale for each drawdown |
|
Town and Village Renewal Scheme 2017 |
2017 |
€78,400 |
Refurbishment of the Muintir na Tire Hall |
€78,400 |
Drawn down: €39,200 in 2017 €19,600 in 2018€19,600 in 2019 |
|
ORIS |
2017 |
€86,210.10 |
Milltown Heritage and Recreation Trail |
€0 |
Project was de-committed in 2019 |
|
CLÁR |
2018 |
€6,715 |
Milltown First responders |
€6,715 |
Drawn down in 2018 |
|
CEP |
2018 |
€14,000 |
Milltown Community & Chamber Alliance - Refurbishment of kitchen and meeting room |
€14,000 |
Drawn down in 2019 |
|
Town and Village Renewal Scheme 2020 |
2020 |
€94,500 |
The enhancement of the historic square in the town centre. The production of a scoping study for an innovation space and business hub in the town |
€0 |
Project was decommitted in October 2022 |
|
CLÁR |
2020 |
€32,400 |
Construct an outdoor socialising area with canopy and storage units with toilet facility |
€32,391 |
Drawn down in 2021 |
|
CEP |
2020 |
€1,000 |
Milltown Community Council - Daily running costs |
€1,000 |
Drawn down in 2021 |
|
CEP |
2020 |
€3,000 |
Milltown Community Council - To upgrade of the stage to be more suitable for drama groups, musical group and other cultural groups |
€3,000 |
Drawn down in 2021 |
|
Town Centre First Master plan |
2021 |
€100,000 |
To complete a Town Centre First Plan in Milltown, Co. Kerry |
€75,000 |
Drawn down in 2021 Remaining draw down of €25,000 to be paid in 2023 |
|
CEP |
2021 |
€1,100 |
3rd Kerry Milltown Scout Group - Provide shelving and storage in community hall |
€0 |
Extension to June 2023 |
|
CEP |
2021 |
€2,000 |
Callinafercy Rowing Club - Purchase of equipment, Maintenance of life jackets, Assist with electricity bills and club insurance |
€2,000 |
Drawn down in March 2023 |
|
CEP |
2021 |
€1,600 |
Milltown Community Council - To assist in the payment of operational costs of the hall |
€1,600 |
Drawn down in 2022 |
|
CEP |
2021 |
€800 |
Nagle Rice Community Centre - To assist in the payment of insurance costs |
€0 |
Extension to June 2023 |
Funding under the LEADER programme is not targeted at any particular group, sector or town. It is, rather, focused on a thematic approach to rural development under the headings of Economic Development, Enterprise Development and Job Creation; Social Inclusion; and the Rural Environment. The Department does not, therefore, capture details of the amount of funding approved specifically to Milltown under the LEADER programme.
300. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will clarify how much of a grant from her Department (details supplied) has been drawn down by Kerry County Council; the timescale involved for the drawdown; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29012/23]
View answerThe Town Centre First Policy is a major cross-government policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres.
The Town Centre First National Implementation Office was established last year and will be key to the success of the policy. The Office drives implementation at national level, supports the network of Town Regeneration Officers at a local level and coordinates stakeholder engagement. This structure has been put in place within the Local Government Management Association, and my officials are in ongoing contact with the National Office.
Central to the Town Centre First approach is the range of support funding in place, including my Department’s Rural Regeneration and Development Fund and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme.
Additionally in December 2021 I announced the Town Centre First Plan Initiative where I selected 26 pilot towns, that had been nominated by local authorities, to receive €100,000 in funding to develop a Town Centre First Plan. In an effort to give life to this process and encourage an early start on the process I made an initial payment of 75% of this funding to local authorities.
I can confirm that Milltown in Kerry was selected as the first pilot town and received their initial tranche of funding in December 2021. The first phase of plans are due for completion at the end of June and my officials are continuing to engage with local authorities on this process. The remaining funding can be drawn down upon completion.
I remain committed to ensuring the success of the Town Centre First policy in delivering on the goal of revitalising rural towns and villages as set out in Our Rural Future.
