Written Answers Nos. 218-32
220. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the full cost to the Exchequer in the previous 12 months for her Department staff attending conferences including registration fees and travel. [47144/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe full cost to my Department for staff attending conferences, including registration fees and travel, amounts to €4,690.
221. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of staff members of her Department that have been awarded internal promotions and or additional acting up or temporary allowances to perform more senior roles since 27 March 2009; the details of the grades involved; the pre-promotion temporary acting and post promotion temporaryacting pay scales; the total increase in salary payments to each staff member involved; the duration of assignments; the area to which each person was assigned; the business reasons supporting any such decision; the details of sanction received from the Department of Finance and or Public Expenditure and Reform; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47159/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince the establishment of my Department in June 2011 there have been no internal promotions. However, three members of staff have been awarded acting-up or higher duty allowances on a temporary basis. Each of the allowances were award this year and sanctioned by the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform. The details requested by the Deputy in respect of these acting-up allowances are as follows:
|
Substantive Grade |
Acting Up Grade (Allowance) |
Rate |
Reason |
|
Higher Executive Officer |
Assistant Principal |
€4,715 (for the period 1 June 2012 - 31 July 2013) |
Additional workload attaching to the forthcoming Irish Presidency of the EU |
|
Principal Officer |
Director |
€3,700 (for a 3 month period to end October 2012) |
As a result of a vacancy arising in the Department at Assistant Secretary level a temporary sanction for an acting-up allowance to Director level was received |
|
Assistant Principal Officer |
Principal Officer |
€1,000 (for the 8 week period to end October 2012) |
As a consequence of the filling the temporary Director position. |
222. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of staff members from her Department that have been temporarily and or permanently redeployed to other Government Departments or agencies since 27 March 2009; the details of the grades and pay scales of same; the total amount of savings achieved in salary payments in respect of the persons concerned; the duration of assignments; the business reasons supporting the redeployment of staff; the details of sanction received from the Department of Finance and or Public Expenditure and Reform; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47175/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra223. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of staff members that have been temporarily and or permanently redeployed to her Department from other Government Departments or agencies since 27 March 2009; the details of the grades and pay scales involved; the total increase in salary payments for her Department in respect of the persons concerned; the duration of assignments; the area to which each person was assigned; the business reasons supporting the redeployment of staff; the details of sanction received from the Department of Finance and or Public Expenditure and Reform; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47190/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 222 and 223 together.
The establishment of my Department in June 2011 effectively involved the permanent redeployment of staff from a number of Departments: the Departments of Health; Education and Skills; Justice and Equality and Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs. In addition one member of staff was redeployed from a Non-Commercial Semi-State Body. This process involved considerable co-operation from all staff and the Departments involved.
The following table sets out the numbers, grades and current deployment within the Department of the persons involved. It does not take account of an additional 8 members of staff who were directly recruited to the Department. The payroll allocation for my Department for 2012 is €8.260 million. As a newly established Department, we are currently within our Employment Control limit and there are no other budgetary or business reasons to redeploy staff. Accordingly, no staff from my Department have been temporarily or permanently redeployed to other Government Departments or agencies.
Appendix
Staff members redeployed to the Department of Children & Youth Affairs
|
Section |
Ass Sec/Director |
PO |
AP |
HEO |
AO |
EO |
SO |
CO |
SERV |
|
Minister's Office |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
1.00 |
0.00 |
2.00 |
0.00 |
3.80 |
0.00 |
|
MAC & MAC Support |
1.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
1.00 |
0.00 |
1.00 |
0.00 |
|
Legislation |
0.00 |
2.00 |
3.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
|
Child Welfare & Protection Policy |
0.00 |
3.60 |
3.73 |
3.80 |
3.00 |
2.73 |
0.00 |
1.00 |
0.00 |
|
Policy & Strategy Development & Business & Parliamentary Support |
0.00 |
0.80 |
2.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
2.60 |
0.00 |
|
Press & Communications |
0.00 |
1.00 |
0.00 |
1.00 |
0.00 |
1.00 |
0.00 |
1.00 |
0.00 |
|
Children's Participation |
0.00 |
0.00 |
1.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.50 |
0.00 |
1.00 |
0.00 |
|
Early Childhood Care and Education Policy & Programmes |
0.00 |
1.00 |
1.80 |
4.00 |
0.00 |
7.00 |
1.80 |
5.90 |
0.00 |
|
Educational Welfare |
0.00 |
0.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
0.00 |
1.00 |
0.00 |
1.00 |
0.00 |
|
Youth Affairs |
0.00 |
1.00 |
1.80 |
2.60 |
0.00 |
4.10 |
0.00 |
2.40 |
0.00 |
|
Children and Young People's Strategy |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
|
Children's Research Programme |
0.00 |
0.00 |
1.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
1.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
|
Irish Youth Justice Service |
0.00 |
3.00 |
3.80 |
4.30 |
0.00 |
2.00 |
0.00 |
2.00 |
0.00 |
|
Adoption |
0.00 |
0.00 |
1.00 |
0.60 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
|
Corporate Support (HR, Finance, Organisation) |
0.00 |
1.00 |
2.00 |
3.80 |
0.00 |
6.10 |
0.00 |
2.60 |
3.00 |
|
Internal Audit |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
1.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
224. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide details of all the Gaeltacht allowance payable to civil and public servants; the level of each allowance payable to each category and the monetary level of each allowance together with the total amount payable in 2009, 2010 and 2011. [47471/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Gaeltacht allowance is not payable any member of staff employed by my Department or by any of the agencies under the aegis of my Department.
225. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Health if a person (details supplied) in County Cork suffering with Multiple Sclerosis cannot be considered at this time for the Health Service Executive home care package scheme due to existing budgetary restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46915/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
226. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Health the position regarding hospital appointments in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Offaly. [46848/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health service Executive for direct reply.
227. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a hospital appointment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Offaly. [46849/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
228. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Health the reason Osteole 1500mg has been removed from the medical card scheme; the criteria under which this decision was reached; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46860/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn the current financial environment the Health Service Executive (HSE) is facing a challenge to deliver services in a way that will minimise any adverse impact on patients and continue to protect, as far as possible, the most vulnerable citizens. Unfortunately, it has become necessary for the HSE to suspend certain products from its list of reimbursable items, including glucosamine. Glucosamine (Osteole) is indicated for the management of symptoms of osteoarthritis. The National Centre for Pharmoeconomics (NCPE) has assessed the cost-effectiveness of glucosamine on two occasions and concluded that it did not offer value for money to the HSE. However, glucosamine products are available over the counter without prescriptions.
229. Deputy Michael Conaghan asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 496 of 19 July 2011, and follow up letter from the Health Service Executive on 29 July 2011 regarding the number of inspections, in tabular, that have been undertaken under the national tobacco control inspection programme in 2011 and to date in 2012 to ascertain compliance with smoke-free workplace legislation, sales to minors legislation and prohibitions on display and advertising at the point of sale; the number of compliant inspections; the number of cases brought and the number of convictions as a result of these cases, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46904/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
230. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Health the reason supporting documentation requested by the Client Registration Services and submitted by the applicant is not being received in an ever increasing number of cases; if this is a procedural failure or means of extending the 15 day processing timeline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46908/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Service Executive (HSE) completed the centralisation of the processing of medical/GP visit card applications and reviews at the HSE's Primary Care Reimbursement Service (PCRS) in Dublin in mid-2011. A backlog in applications arose in late 2011, which was cleared by end of April 2012. The HSE has implemented a range of changes to the application procedures, which have improved the process for applicants. As at September 2012, the latest information from the PCRS indicates that 97% of complete medical card applications are processed within 15 working days, which is well ahead of the performance target.
231. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm that the Health Service Executive are unable to provide sufficient day care or residential support services in line with health and safety protocols in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork due to Government imposed efficiencies; the steps he will take to resolve the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46909/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy's question relates to service matters I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy
232. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm that the Health Service Executive has not received any demography funding for new residential places in 2011 or 2012 and that as a result the HSE is not in a position to fund a fulltime residential placement or shared care placements at the present time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46910/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
