Written Answers Nos. 1441-1460
1441. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will revise the terms of the mother and baby homes redress scheme for adoptees to include those who were legally adopted before the age of six months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1931/24]
View answerThe Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme will provide financial payments to an estimated 34,000 people, some 19,000 of whom will also benefit from an enhanced medical card or health support payment. These benefits are in recognition of experiences while resident in Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions. The overall cost of the Payment Scheme is estimated at €800 million.
The Government proposals for the Payment Scheme were developed following deliberations on the very complex issues in question. They were informed by a consultation process undertaken with survivors, as well as a report and proposals from an Interdepartmental Group (IDG). Government ultimately decided on proposals which were, in overall terms, significantly broader than those proposed by the IDG and the recommendations from the Commission of Investigation.
Redress comes in many forms and in relation to children who spent less than six months in an institution and who were adopted or otherwise separated from their birth family, the overwhelming priority need which has been expressed, through extensive engagement with those concerned, is access to records.
So, for those children who spent short periods of time in an institution during their infancy, the Government’s Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby and County Homes Institutions provides a response to their needs through the Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 and the investment which has been made available to support implementation of this legislation.
Since the information and tracing services under the Act came into being in October 2022, over 9,345 applications for birth and early life information have been completed, with more people receiving their information every day.
The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme is just one aspect of the overall package of supports and measures set out in the Government’s Action Plan. This Plan seeks to provide an inclusive, comprehensive and enduring response to the priority needs of all survivors. Importantly, this package includes counselling services which are available to all survivors and former residents.
1442. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when crucial supports and interventions will be provided for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1934/24]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible. The Deputy will be aware that due to the ongoing industrial action by FORSA administrative and management grade staff in the HSE (which commenced on 6 October, 2023), delays remain in receiving answers to parliamentary questions and ministerial representations.
1443. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the case of a child (details supplied) will be examined by his Department. [1988/24]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible. The Deputy will be aware that due to the ongoing industrial action by FORSA administrative and management grade staff in the HSE (which commenced on 6 October, 2023), delays remain in receiving answers to parliamentary questions and ministerial representations.
1444. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of vacant posts at Tusla, by role and grade and geographic division on 1 January 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1995/24]
View answerI wish to inform the Deputy that my officials have asked Tusla to respond directly to you on this matter.
1446. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the position in relation to a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2007/24]
View answerI thank the Deputy for his question. This information will be provided directly to the Deputy in the coming days.
1447. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of international protection applicants accommodated in County Longford at 31 December 2023. [2034/24]
View answer1449. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of international protection applicants in County Longford at 31 December 2023, by location, in tabular form. [2036/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1447 and 1449 together.
Ireland is now accommodating over 100,000 people between those fleeing Ukraine and International Protection (IP) applicants.
At 31 December 2023, there were 26,279 people accommodated across the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) system as a whole, of whom 143 were located in Co. Longford.
The Department continues to evaluate all offers of accommodation made to it as quickly as possible and welcomes offers from providers who will accommodate IP applicants.
Please see, in tabular format, the number of IPAS centres in Co. Longford, the location of centres and occupancy on 31 December 2023.
|
Number of IPAS Centres |
Location |
Occupancy |
|
2 |
Longford Town |
143 |
1448. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of Ukrainians provided emergency accommodation in County Longford at 31 December 2023. [2035/24]
View answer1450. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of Ukrainians in emergency accommodation in County Longford at 31 December 2023, by location, in tabular form. [2037/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1448 and 1450 together.
Since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) continues to work as part of the whole-of-Government response with a focus on providing access to emergency temporary accommodation to those fleeing the conflict who request it. To date, over 100,000 beneficiaries of temporary protection (BOTPs) have arrived in Ireland and approximately 75,000 of those have been referred to this Department seeking accommodation from the State.
I have been advised that as of 31 December 2023, there were some 349 BOTPs provided with accommodation by my Department in Co. Longford.
The breakdown of the number of BOTPs by location is set out in the table below. It should be noted that the information provides an overview at a given point in time and is contingent on a number of factors that are subject to change including accommodation availability, providers in contract at any given time, configurations, transfers resulting from contracts ceasing, etc.
|
Town |
BOTP Number |
|
ABBEYSHRULE/ AUGHNACLIFFE/ BALLINAMUCK/ GRANARD |
80 |
|
BALLYMAHON |
148 |
|
LONGFORD TOWN |
121 |
|
Total |
349 |
1451. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of residents at the Richmond Street, DP centre in County Longford as of 31 December 2023. [2038/24]
View answerI thank the Deputy for his question. A response will issue directly to the Deputy in the coming days.
1452. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if a collaborative approach involving stakeholder organisations (details supplied) will be used in planning expenditure under the Action Plan for Disability Services 2024-2026 in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2043/24]
View answerThe Government is committed to the expansion of services for people with disabilities. The Action Plan for Disability Services 2024-2026 was published by Government on 14th December 2023 and represents a strategy, at national level, for capacity increases and service and policy reform in disability services. It was informed by findings from the Disability Capacity Review, published in 2021, in addition to input from Government and an extensive public consultation.
The service areas for investment for 2024 under the Action Plan have already been agreed through the budgetary processes. Specifically, €64m has been allocated for new development measures (as set out below) which will provide greater investment across a range of disability services and contribute to the progressive realisation of the Action Plan.
|
Measure |
Funding |
|
Residential Placements for Children and Adults |
€20.5m |
|
Respite |
€10m |
|
Day Services – School Leavers |
€18.2m |
|
Children’s Services |
€8.5m |
|
Other initiatives including PA Hours and Neurological Community Supports |
€6.9m |
In addition, €18m in non-core funding was provided to address service pressures that arose during the Covid-19 pandemic. A further €10m was provided in the Revised Estimates to fund initiatives in the are of respite and transport / mobility.
The precise level of delivery of services for people with disabilities, based on the funding provided in the Budget, will be set out in the HSE's National Service Plan for 2024.
Structures are being established for the oversight and delivery of the Action Plan. An Action Plan Implementation Group is currently being established, led by DCEDIY, with representation from HSE and other action owning Departments and Agencies as required. At national level, a Monitoring Group, chaired at Ministerial level will give focused strategic attention to the delivery of this Plan.
The Action Plan is a living document and will be reviewed and updated in the light of priorities, policy considerations and the funding available under this and subsequent Budgets.
1453. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health to outline the instructions he gave to the HSE regarding the reimbursement of medicines in 2024 as per the letter of determination, whether patient access to medicines may be delayed pending the identification of efficiencies or if reimbursements budget impact reimbursements will flow continuously throughout 2024 commencing in January; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56337/23]
View answerFollowing the announcement of the budget allocation for my Department, I have issued a Letter of Determination to the HSE outlining my priorities and funding levels for 2024. This will be the basis on which the HSE will draw up its National Service Plan (NSP) for 2024. The HSE is required to prepare and submit an NSP within 21 days of receipt of the letter of determination. Once I have agreed and signed off on it, the NSP will be published in due course.
1454. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health if he is satisfied that an existing premises (details supplied) which is planned to be adapted for use as a primary care centre is sufficient in size to provide adequate range and level of services for the large population area it is meant to serve. [56820/23]
View answerAs 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.
As the Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday 6th October. As a consequence of this industrial action, members in these grades are not engaging with political forums or processes. As a result, the question asked by the Deputy may be delayed in receiving a response directly from the HSE.
1455. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health if assistance is available for a person (details supplied). [56283/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
As the Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday 6th October. As a consequence of this industrial action, members in these grades are not engaging with political forums or processes. As a result, the question asked by the Deputy may be delayed in receiving a response directly from the HSE.
1456. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Health whether there are plans in place to overhaul the dental treatment service scheme to ensure that practitioners continue to remain on the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56288/23]
View answerThe Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) provides dental care, free of charge, to medical card holders aged 16 and over. Since May 1st 2022, there has been additional prevention treatments included and a 40-60% increase in fees paid to dentists across most treatment items. From January to October this year, 142,450 additional treatments have been provided under the DTSS, with over 25,600 extra unique patients treated when compared with the same period last year.
The Government is committed to fundamentally reforming dental services, including the DTSS, through implementation of the National Oral Health Policy, Smile agus Sláinte. The Department is working closely with the HSE to ensure the establishment of focused structures to drive implementation of the Policy. The HSE has now appointed a Strategic Reform Lead to drive Policy implementation across the organisation and to move forward in 2024 with developing new services for both adults and children in line with the Policy. This will include work on planning new services for medical card holders.
While it will take a number of years to bring reform to complete fruition, there will be an early emphasis in implementation on addressing the current issues, including the reform of the provision of services for medical card holders.
1457. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health the total number of fair deal recipients who have availed of the new scheme allowing them to rent out their home. [56289/23]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
As the Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday, 6 October. As a consequence of this industrial action, members in these grades are not engaging with political forums or processes. As a result, the question asked by the Deputy may be delayed in receiving a response directly from the HSE.
1458. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health for an update on his work to resolve the industrial action currently underway by HSE staff who are members of a union (details supplied), including their action to not respond to elected representatives’ Parliamentary Questions and direct HSE representations; when he expects this to be resolved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56293/23]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, Management and Administration staff in the HSE, represented by Fórsa, began a work-to-rule on the 6th of October 2023, in response to a HSE recruitment pause in their category of staff. The work-to-rule instructions, which have been issued to members by Fórsa, includes an instruction to not respond to Parliamentary Questions. I understand that all Parliamentary Questions are being compiled and filed appropriately by HSE officials to be managed, if necessary, at such time as the work-to-rule is lifted.
When Fórsa's Management and Admin work-to-rule began, the recruitment pause applied only to this category of staff. Since then, as the Deputy is aware, the pause has been extended to include most staff categories, excluding Consultant appointments and Graduate Nurses and Midwives and Doctors in formal approved Training Programmes.
Recruitment across the HSE has been very strong in 2023. The Government funded the HSE to recruit to over 6000 new posts in 2023 to support the development of services. The HSE has reached that target before the end of the year, and this is why a temporary pause has been put in place. If this level of growth was allowed to continue uncontrolled, the HSE would be significantly over the targeted and budgeted recruitment figure by year end which will have financial implications for 2023 and following years, and adversely impact on the HSE’s ability to recruit essential patient facing clinical staff. There is agreement to recruit further 2,260 new posts in 2024.
A series of engagements have taken place in the Workplace Relations Commission between the HSE, the Department of Health and Fórsa in an effort to resolve the dispute. Health management remain open to engaging with Fórsa and I urge Fórsa to stand down their industrial action in the interests of the health service.
1459. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of an appointment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56300/23]
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.
As the Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday 6th October. As a consequence of this industrial action, members in these grades are not engaging with political forums or processes. As a result, the question asked by the Deputy may be delayed in receiving a response directly from the HSE.
1460. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health which recommendations from the 2015 Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children Report on the Cost of Medical Indemnity Insurance have been implemented; the plans for those recommendations which have not been implemented yet; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56348/23]
View answerThe cost of health-related claims has increased from €75.3m in 2010 to €481m in 2022. Many of the issues/recommendations highlighted in the Joint Committee on Health and Children's Report on the Cost of Medical Indemnity Insurance, published in June 2015, are also relevant in the context of the increased cost of health-related claims.
A significant body of work has been undertaken and a number of initiatives are currently underway with a view to addressing the cost of health related claims. These include:
• Government's establishment of the 'Expert Group on Tort Reform and the Management of Clinical Negligence Claims' chaired by Mr. Justice Charles Meenan in 2018, which examined tort law as it currently applies to personal injuries arising in the healthcare context and considered options for its reform. The Report of the Group (the Meenan Report) was published in December 2020.
• The enactment of the Patient Safety Act 2023, which provides a legislative framework for a number of important patient safety issues, including the mandatory open disclosure of a list of specified serious patient safety incidents that must be disclosed to the patient and/or their family, and the expansion of HIQA’s remit into private hospital services.
• The publication of the National Open Disclosure Framework, by my Department in October 2023, which complements the Patient Safety Act 2023 and aims to promote a clear and consistent approach to open communication, by health and social care organisations, where appropriate, with patients and service users and their relevant support person, following a patient safety incident or an adverse event.
• Government's establishment of an 'Interdepartmental Working Group to examine the rising cost of health-related claims' in January 2023. The Group is chaired independently by Dr. Rhona Mahony and is comprised of membership from across relevant Government Departments and Agencies. The Group’s considerations include developing a plan to implement risk management and other initiatives to reduce the occurrence of adverse incidents, examining best international practice, receiving updates on the implementation of the Meenan Report along with other civil justice reforms that are currently being undertaken by my colleague, the Minister for Justice and considering the policy and health system’s approach to mass claims. The work of the Group is well underway and it is expected to report early in 2024.
• My colleague, the Minister for Justice has also taken steps to progress the implementation of pre-action protocols in relation to clinical negligence actions and periodic payment orders.
