Written Answers Nos. 147 to 153.
147. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if all applications from Counties Cavan and Monaghan under his Department's aid scheme towards the costs of transporting fodder have been finalised; if all payments have been made; the number of applications received; the number fully paid to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51270/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn light of the difficulties experienced by farmers in sourcing fodder supplies, earlier this year I announced the allocation of funding for an imported fodder transport scheme, designed to reduce the cost to farmers of imported forage (hay, silage, haylage) from outside the island of Ireland. The aid substantially covered the cost of transport into the country, thus reducing the cost to farmers of a bale of hay by approximately one third. While the Scheme operated through the co-operatives, marts and other approved agencies, the actual beneficiaries are the individual farmers and primary producers who needed urgent supplies of feed. Operating the scheme in this manner was the quickest and most effective way of getting the fodder to those who needed it.
Of the 78 different concerns which participated in the Scheme, to date, 70 have submitted claims, of which 26 have been fully processed and paid in full, with a further 29 having received an advance payment of 75%, the balancing payment will issue to these concerns once all outstanding issues are resolved. These concerns have been contacted directly and are working with my Department to resolve the outstanding issues. Of the remaining 23 cases, 15 are currently in progress, with documentation remaining outstanding from 8 concerns. To date, payments worth some €2.2 million have issued, with total expenditure expected to be in the region of €2.8 million.
148. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if there are plans by the Adoption Authority of Ireland to carry out an extensive audit of its own files and of all accredited body files for evidence of illegal adoptions; if so, the time frame for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51108/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraRecords in relation to adoptions as well as illegal birth registrations are currently held by a number of agencies, including the HSE, the Adoption Authority of Ireland and also by private adoption agencies, maternity hospitals, private individuals and other sources. Information held by the Adoption Authority is primarily in relation to adoptions which took place since the Adoption Act 1952. If no adoption took place the Authority would not have an adoption file. Where no adoption took place, if records exist they may be held by a number of sources including hospitals, GPs, Mother and Baby Homes, religious orders and other sources. A large number of these files are being transferred to the HSE.
The HSE provides an Information and Tracing Service throughout the country to birth mothers, adopted persons and their families. The Adoption Act 2010, requirement that agencies providing Information and Tracing services would gain accreditation resulted in a number of religious orders deciding not to apply for accreditation and transferring files from their Mother and Baby Homes and Adoption Societies to the HSE. Approximately 25,000 files have been transferred to the HSE Regional Adoption Service in Cork, from the Sacred Heart Adoption Society, which had responsibility for Bessboro, Co Cork; Sean Ross Abbey, Roscrea, Co Tipperary; and Castlepollard, Co Westmeath. Work by the HSE on the organising and storage of these files has taken place and the HSE is anxious to preserve the integrity of these records. The HSE has sought the advice of the National Archives in relation to the proper storage of these files, which are of great significance.
The HSE also has records that include those for St. Anne’s Adoption Society; St Mary’s Adoption Society, Kerry; Ard Mhuire, Dunboyne, Co Meath; Limerick Catholic Adoption Society; St Patrick's Mother and Baby Home Navan Road, Dublin; St Louise's Adoption Society Dublin; Dublin Health Authority Board of Assistance; Rotunda Girls Aid Society; the Ossory Kilkenny Adoption Society; St Kevin's and St Johns Adoption Societies. The HSE is also in negotiation regarding files from Holles Street, St Brigid's, and St Patrick Guild. Furthermore PACT, who are an agency accredited under the Act, have records of various Protestant organisations. A comprehensive list of records held, and their locations, is available on the HSE website.
The HSE Information and Tracing Service recognises the importance attached to this area of service provision and has put in place a plan to redistribute records from individual institutions in their entirety, to the various adoption teams around the country, in a concerted effort to reduce waiting times. The HSE is in the process of reorganising the information and tracing system to allocate social work resources country wide in a way that will allow for reduced waiting times across the country. The HSE has advised me that, in the first instance, any person seeking information on adoption, or an illegal registration of a birth, should contact the Adoption Authority of Ireland or the HSE Community Services who will assist in directing them to the personnel dealing with their particular records. The HSE is working to provide a more streamlined service and to ensure that enquiries in regard to information and tracing are handled as quickly as possible.
The National Adoption Contact Register which is operated by the Adoption Authority was established in 2005 to assist adopted people and their natural families to make contact with each other, exchange information or state their contact preferences. They decide, through a range of information and contact options, how they wish to proceed. The Authority, the Health Service Executive and accredited adoption services routinely inform enquirers about the existence of the register and encourage anyone interested in tracing or gaining information to sign up. I am conscious of recent media coverage of the issue of information and tracing and I would hope that this will encourage more birth mothers in particular to access the Contact Preference Register and where possible to consent to the release of information. I have no plans to initiate an audit of all files in this regard.
149. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans for improved children's services in the Clondalkin, Dublin 22 area. [51199/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra150. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans for improved children's services in the Lucan, County Dublin area. [51200/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 149 and 150 together.
The commitment to improve the quality of early childhood care and education nationally for all children has been a key priority for me since becoming Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. This is why my Department and I have been progressing work on Ireland’s first-ever Early Years Strategy and working on a comprehensive Pre-School Quality Agenda which aims to improve quality standards in pre-school services in Ireland. I have identified a number of key areas which I consider to require reform, and legislation to underpin these reforms is expected to be enacted before the end of the year. This legislation will provide a statutory basis for registration of pre-school services and will introduce a range of new enforcement powers for Inspectors at pre-prosecution level. Inspectors will be empowered to specify improvement conditions that a service must comply with and the threat of removal of registration will be available.
The HSE is currently recruiting a number of pre-school inspectors to strengthen the inspection framework and a further €0.5 million in funding will be allocated in 2014 towards the cost of further increasing staffing levels in the pre-school inspectorate. I have decided to increase the minimum qualification requirement of Level 5 for pre-school leaders delivering the pre-school year to Level 6 and to increase the qualification requirement for all other staff working with children in the sector to a minimum qualification at Level 5. These new requirements will apply from September 2014 for new services, and from September 2015 for existing services. During 2014/2015 I will be implementing a new national training programme for which I have secured additional funding of €3m. This programme will support the existing childcare workforce in meeting the new qualifications requirement.
The implementation of the Síolta and Aistear Practice Frameworks, developed to support quality early childhood care and education in Ireland, is an important initiative in the development of quality childcare services. I announced in Budget 2014 the introduction of a new quality support service which will work directly with services to improve quality and support the implementation of the Síolta Framework and Aistear Curriculum. €2.5 million is being made available for this service in 2014.
The Children and Young People's Policy Framework is currently being developed by my Department. The Framework will set out the overall principles, vision and outcomes for children and young people and will guide actions across Government over the period 2014 to 2018. I expect to circulate the Framework to other Ministers in December. Following approval by Government the Framework will be published early in the New Year for discussion at a Government meeting in January.
The Early Years Strategy, which is one of a number of more detailed strategies under the Children and Young People's Policy Framework, is currently being developed by my Department. The Strategy, which is expected to be published early next year, will address a range of issues affecting children in the first years of their life such as child health and well-being, parenting and family support, learning and development, play and recreation and early childhood care and education.
Significant investment totalling in excess of €260 million is provided annually by my Department to provide for the free pre-school provision through the Early Childhood Care and Education programme, and for support for disadvantage and low come families through the Community Childcare Subvention programme. The funding also supports the Childcare Education and Training Support programme which assists Solas trainees and Education and Training Board (ETB) students with the cost of childcare. I have been successful in maintaining these programmes, despite the ongoing need to reduce Government expenditure, and I am pleased that in the region of 100,000 children in the country benefit each year from these supports.
This week I also announced that the Clondalkin Blue Skies Initiative has been selected as one of 13 projects to be funded through the Government's new ABC (Area Based Childhood) Programme.
151. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the position regarding personal files relating to the previous residents of Rath na nÓg high-support unit in Castleblayney since its closure in October; the steps that have been taken to ensure that all documentation containing information pertaining to the children and young persons has been contained in a secure setting; the posts or positions of officials who have access to these documents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51285/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have been advised by the HSE that all documentation pertaining to the young people who were resident in Rath na nOg has been individually coded by HSE staff, signed off and sealed by the Unit Management. These files have been archived and placed in storage in a HSE approved facility. The process has been quality assured by the Centre Manager. There are named and approved management who have access to these documents.
152. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Health the measures being taken by the Health Service Executive and hospital management to improve waiting times for public patients seeking hip and knee operations in hospitals in the midlands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51104/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2013, has been developed to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care. This policy, which has been adopted by the HSE, sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists.
While waiting list numbers tend to increase in the first few months of any year, the increase in 2013 was much greater than expected, with a 16% increase in total numbers waiting. However, through the sustained intervention of the SDU, this trend is now reversed, with a 5% reduction in total numbers waiting and a 42% reduction in number waiting 8+ months. In relation to this particular query raised by the Deputy, I have asked the Health Service Executive to investigate the situation and respond directly to the Deputy in this matter.
153. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health if his Department have received representations on concerns regarding the retrospective application of the public sector sick pay scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51112/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraNo representations have been received to date.
