Written Answers Nos 639-655
639. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health with regard to the review of provision of primary care team services for older persons resident in long-term residential units, the actions and progress that has been made since this report was completed in early January 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54414/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra640. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health with regard to the review of provision of primary care team services for older persons resident in long-term residential units, if he will account for sizable disparity between the PCT services provided throughout the rest of the country as against the poor performance in the west; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54415/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra641. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health with regard to the review of provision of primary care team services for older persons resident in long-term residential units, if it has been a Health Service Executive policy or unauthorised practice to refuse or limit services to medical card patients residing in private residential units as reflected by the respondents in the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54416/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra642. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health with regard to the review of provision of primary care team services for older persons resident in long-term residential units, the way he expects the Health Service Executive given current budgetary constraints and the recruitment embargo to adequately provide services to the elderly in care either private or public through the primary care team system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54417/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra643. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health with regard to the review of provision of primary care team services for older persons resident in long-term residential units and the recommendation for a standard national policy on the development and implementation of a written policy on assessment, referral and or receipt of primary care services on both private and public long-term residential units, the status of this standard national policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54418/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra644. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if the Health Service Executive has developed a national primary care team policy regarding equality of access to services for eligible residents in long term residential units; if so when same will be implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54419/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra645. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health as part of the primary care team services plan for older people in residential care, if this will include on site treatment for the medical card patients; if he will outline the plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54420/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 639, 640, 641, 642, 643, 644 and 645 together.
Under the Nursing Homes Support Scheme, services and supports which are common to the vast majority of nursing home residents are included in the cost of care. These are :
- nursing and personal care appropriate to the level of care needs of the person,
- bed and board,
- basic aids and appliances necessary to assist a person with the activities of daily living, and
- laundry service.
Goods and services that are already available to individuals under another existing scheme are not included in the services covered by the Nursing Homes Support Scheme as this would involve effectively paying twice for the same thing. However, older people in residential settings are entitled to be referred and assessed for HSE Primary Care Teams and Network services in the same way as any other eligible person in the community.
The Care and Welfare Regulations for Nursing Homes provide that nursing homes shall ensure that all appropriate health care is facilitated, including access to services provided by HSE Primary Care Teams.
In 2012, the HSE completed an analysis of the distribution of health professionals who provide various therapies and other supports. This analysis revealed considerable variation across the HSE’s 17 Integrated Service Areas. Accordingly, in 2013, Primary Care funding of €20 million is being invested to support the recruitment of prioritised front-line primary care team posts and to enhance the capacity of the primary care sector.
646. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Health the breakdown of Section 38 funding that was allocated to counties Carlow and Wicklow for 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54421/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have referred this question to the HSE for direct response to the Deputy.
647. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Health the total amount spent on external IT consultants by his Department in 2010, 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013; the estimated spending in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54442/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra649. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Health if his Department has renegotiated external IT consultancy contracts and costs since March 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54474/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 647 and 649 together.
My Department operates a shared ICT service which, in addition to supporting the business of the Department of Health also provides IT support for the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and its agencies. While my Department does engage external contractors for specific services, such as software development and network support, it does not engage external consultants in relation to IT and, consequently, the issue of renegotiating does not arise.
648. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Health the cost of legal action against his Department for the the years 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54458/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraTo end of quarter three 2013, the total spend by my Department on legal action (advice and research) was €20,301. Legal fees for my Department amounted to €94,283 in 2012 and €38,207 for 2011. My Department is aware of the need to minimise legal costs and, in general, avail of legal services and advice from the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the Chief State Solicitor.
Should the Deputy's question also refer to settlements concluded in legal cases brought by, or on behalf of individuals, this information is not readily available. However, I will arrange to have these cost made available on request.
650. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Health if he will provide detail, in tabular form, in respect of his Department or any agency under his remit, of any exemptions granted to the long-standing general principle of pay policy that the payment of additional remuneration to public servants for undertaking additional duties is not permitted; the additional remuneration involved in each case; the date of sanction for such additional remuneration; the rationale behind such sanction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55036/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department does not pay additional remuneration to staff for taking on additional duties.
However, if an officer is required to perform the duties of a higher officer, the pay rate for the higher grade is payable for the duration of appointment to that grade, subject to normal approval requirements. Also, overtime is payable from time to time in respect of extra attendance for certain grades and this is paid in accordance with public sector agreements and DPER circulars.
The information sought by the Deputy in relation to agencies under the aegis of this Department is being collated and will be forwarded directly to the Deputy.
651. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport what the kitchen facilities in Fáilte Ireland, once used for training purposes, are now used for; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53770/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe matter raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for Fáilte Ireland. Accordingly, I have referred the Deputy's questions to Fáilte Ireland for direct reply. Please contact my private office if a response is not received within ten working days.
652. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will consider a home gathering in 2015, a major drive to encourage a year of holidaying at home among Irish residents in an effort to keep some of our spend on foreign holidays in our own economy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53836/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is currently undertaking a review of tourism policy. The review is looking at all aspects of Irish tourism and interested parties have been invited to make submissions to the Department on a range of issues which are set out in the published public consultation document. The level of interest has been such that I extended the deadline for receipt of submissions by three weeks to 22nd November. With my colleague, the Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, I also have hosted a number of consultation seminars across the country.
Following the analysis of the submissions received, I plan to issue a draft tourism policy document and, after a further short period of consultation, to finalise the policy by Easter 2014. Once the final tourism policy has been published, it will provide a robust foundation for a broader tourism strategy and action plan. The question of a Home Gathering can be considered in that context but, for now, I have no such plans. However, I can assure the Deputy, that, as in recent years, Fáilte Ireland will again run a Home Holidays Marketing Campaign in 2014 to foster growth in the domestic market next year and to encourage home holidays. I am, of course, open to any suggestions as to how a "Home Gathering" might work.
653. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding the licensing of electric cars; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53864/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe regulation of the taxi industry, including the categories of vehicles that can be licensed as a small public service vehicle, is a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA) under the provisions of the Public Transport Regulation Act, 2009.
I have referred your question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days.
654. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the criteria that were used in deciding the 20 Dublin Bus routes to be put out to tender in 2016. [53905/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe award of Public Service Obligation (PSO) contracts for the bus market falls under the independent statutory remit of the National Transport Authority (NTA), which has direct responsibility for this area. The decision by the NTA on open market tendering of certain bus routes was recently published and is available on the NTA website.
I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
655. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will outline what offices relevant to his Department are located or have been decentralised outside of Dublin; if he will provide the total number of staff in his Department and the number of staff based outside County Dublin as of 2013; the annual cost incurred in 2012 and 2013 respectively for decentralised staff travelling to meetings in Dublin; the number of times staff travelled to individual meetings in Dublin in each of those years; the costs those staff will be reimbursed for; and if his Department has procedures or mechanisms in place such as video conferencing to reduce the cost of travelling for each unit based outside Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54002/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe total number of full time equivalent staff members (FTE) staff in the Department is 449. The majority of the staff are based in Dublin, while other staff are based in regional locations such as Valentia, Malin Head and Ballyshannon which are not associated with any of the decentralisation programmes. A total of 101.25 (FTE) are based in decentralised locations. These include Killarney (26.1 FTE), Shannon (62.15 FTE) and Loughrea (13 FTE). It is the policy of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport to make use of video conferencing where possible for meetings and all of these locations have such facilities. Where it is necessary for an officer to be present at a meeting it is the policy to use public transport. Private vehicles are allowed in exceptional circumstances.
Data relating to the number of journeys and associated costs are being computed at present. I will arrange to have this sent to the Deputy.
