Wednesday, 17 Oct 2012

Written Answers Nos. 304-314

Legal Matters

Ceisteanna (306)

Mary Lou McDonald

Ceist:

306. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details in tabular form for the years 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and to date in 2012 inclusive, of the arrangements entered into by him, any body under his aegis or State agency for which he has responsibility for the obtaining of advice from a senior or junior counsel and or a firm of solicitors; the subject matter for which advice was sought; the names of the barristers' and solicitors' firms concerned and the fees paid; the nature of the work concerned; if in each case the matter was advertised for competitive tender; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45316/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

The information sought by the Deputy in respect of my Department will be collated and forwarded as soon as it is available. With regard to agencies under my Department's aegis, arrangements for the provision of legal services is an operational matter for the agencies themselves.

Vaccination Programme

Ceisteanna (307)

Regina Doherty

Ceist:

307. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health if he will provide this Deputy with the vaccine history by name type, manufacturer and date of vaccination in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45323/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As this is a service issue the request has been forwarded to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.

Consultancy Contracts Issues

Ceisteanna (308)

Mary Lou McDonald

Ceist:

308. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a list of all companies or persons providing an external professional service to his Department such as ICT, legal advice, advertising, project management and including any other external professional service not listed; the amount invoiced by each company to him over the past 12 months, in tabular form [45333/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

The information requested by the Deputy will be collated and forwarded as soon as it is available.

Maternity Services

Ceisteanna (309)

Olivia Mitchell

Ceist:

309. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Health if he would respond to reports from pregnant women that public hospitals and particularly a hospital (details supplied) in County Wexfrod are still not facilitating the procurement of their cord blood despite him having previously stated that this apparent reluctance among hospitals should be addressed by the Health Service Executive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45344/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

Cord blood is a recognised source of stem cells. However, there are other sources of stem cells including bone marrow. The benefit of stem cells in the treatment of a range of medical conditions is being explored by scientists around the world. In addition, many potential benefits of stem cells are at an early stage of investigation.

When clinically indicated by a consultant overseeing care, collection of cord blood for donation to an identified family member in high risk families (known as "directed" harvesting of cord blood stem cells) is facilitated by HSE hospitals in collaboration with the Irish Blood Transfusion Service. In addition, where an identified clinical need arises, Ireland has access to cord blood stem cells through international stem cell banks and registries and this is also arranged by the Irish Blood Transfusion Service.

"Undirected" harvesting of cord blood may also take place to provide an individual with a personal store of stem cells in case the need arises for these in the future. "Undirected" harvesting of cord blood is not provided publicly in Ireland at present. The HSE does not prohibit "undirected" harvesting of cord blood under contract with private companies. It is open to hospitals wishing to accommodate staff who are directly employed by third party commercial companies to undertake the procurement of cord blood at hospitals operated or funded by the HSE, provided they ensure that a service level agreement is in place between the third party commercial entity and the hospital concerned.

However, staff employed at hospitals operated or funded by the HSE cannot undertake the collection of cord blood on behalf of third party commercial entities, as this activity would not be covered under the Clinical Indemnity Scheme. A number of hospitals have advised their clinical staff about the indemnity issues arising in this regard.

Hospitals and their maternity service teams face significant challenges in ensuring that a safe and high quality maternity care system is provided to mothers and their babies within available resources. The HSE will continue to ensure that evidence-based, safe, effective and high quality care is provided to patients and their families. To this end the HSE and my Department will keep the emergence of the clinical benefits of cord blood banking under review.

Accident and Emergency Services Provision

Ceisteanna (310)

Terence Flanagan

Ceist:

310. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the date on which the new Accident and Emergency Department in the Mater Hospital, Dublin, will be opened; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45357/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Road Safety Issues

Ceisteanna (311)

Terence Flanagan

Ceist:

311. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to introduce measures to promote the safety of motorcycles here. [44994/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport

Under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006 (Conferral of Functions) Order 2006 (S.I. No. 477 of 2006) the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has responsibility for the promotion of public awareness of road safety.

I have referred the Deputy's question to the Road Safety Authority for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days. 

Departmental Expenditure

Ceisteanna (312)

Michael McGrath

Ceist:

312. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide in tabular form, in respect of 2011, the number of payments issued by his Department and each agency within the remit of his Department to suppliers in respect of the supply of goods and services; splitting the payments between those issued within 30 days of receipt of the invoice; between 30 and 60 days of receipt of the invoice; between 60 and 90 days of receipt of the invoice; between 90 and 120 days of receipt of the invoice; and in excess of 120 days of receipt of the invoice. [45025/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (Deputy Leo Varadkar)

Information about the number of payments issued by my Department and its non-commercial agencies more than thirty days after invoice receipts is published every quarter on the Department's website.  The site address is http:/www.dttas.ie  and the information can be found under 'Other Information, supplier payment reports'.

The number of payments made more than 30 days after invoice receipt by my Department during 2011 was 31. For context this was from a total of 17,119 payments with an expenditure value €2.3b.  Information is not to hand to determine the split of these 31 payments between 60 and 90 days, 90 and 120 days or in excess of 120 days of receipt of the invoice.

With regard to payments made by each agency under the remit of the Department, I will ask each Agency to respond directly to the Deputy about invoices paid more than sixty days after receipt. If you do not receive this response within ten working days please contact my private office.    

Taxi Regulations

Ceisteanna (313)

Brian Walsh

Ceist:

313. Deputy Brian Walsh asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if provision will be made to allow for an exception to the three-year rule in relation to the transfer of taxi licences in the case of a transfer between persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45211/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (Deputy Alan Kelly)

Under current regulations, when the ownership of a licence is transferred to another person, it must be associated with a vehicle that is less than three years old at the date of transfer. This condition which promotes the use of newer vehicles in the taxi industry has been in place since the 8th June 2010 and continues to apply to licence transfers in 2012.

Action 14 of the Taxi Regulation Review Report in 2011 proposes that a taxi licence will no longer be allowed to be transferred or sold to another individual but will be unique to the person to whom it was issued.  This is in line with the considered view of the Taxi Review Group that a licence should determine a person's suitability to carry out a function and it should not have monetary value in itself or be traded on the open market.

The National Transport Authority (NTA) is the lead agency with responsibility for the implementation of the recommended actions contained in the Taxi Regulation Review Report 2011 and makes reports quarterly on implementation to the Taxi Advisory Committee.

I understand that the NTA has given notice to the industry concerning the introduction of the prohibition on transferring an SPSV licence from January 2013 and that the NTA is still considering  whether or not, after 2013, the continuation of a taxi business by the next-of-kin can be facilitated following the death of a licence holder.

Road Network

Ceisteanna (314)

Sean Conlan

Ceist:

314. Deputy Seán Conlan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will to confirm that the N2 A5 project does not form part of the St Andrew's Agreement and to also confirm that the only funding that he is committed to providing to this project is 25 million in 2015 and 25 million in 2016 for a section of the A5 situated in Northern Ireland. [45242/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (Deputy Leo Varadkar)

The N2-A5 project does not form part of the St Andrew's Agreement. Following on from the Agreement and in the context of the re-establishment of the Northern Ireland Executive, an investment package including a roads element, was agreed.  The A5 project was part of that package.

At the NSMC Plenary meeting, on 8th November 2011, Ministers noted that the provision of further funding by the Irish Government for the A5 road was being deferred but that the Irish Government will provide £25m per annum in 2015 and 2016 towards the project.  At the subsequent June 2012 NSMC Plenary meeting, it was noted that the N.I. Executive had announced an investment package of major roads including two sections of the A5 project.  In addition, it was noted that the Irish Government remains committed to the completion of the co-funded A5 project which is of strategic importance to the North West Region and the island as a whole but that the Government is not in a position to make funding commitments for the period post-2016 in advance of its consideration of the next capital review framework.  The NSMC plenary approved a funding implementation plan for the A5 project to the end of 2016 which incorporated the £50m committed by the Irish Government.