Written Answers Nos. 379 - 395
379. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to carry out a badger cull in the Annaghdown/Claregalway/Corrandulla area of Galway as a result of an outbreak of bovine TB in the general area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11004/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe TB Eradication Scheme contains a wildlife strategy implemented under licence from and in co-operation with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Where an epidemiological investigation on restricted holdings rules out other immediate causes as the source of TB infection and where evidence of badger activity has been found, they may be captured under license granted by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) in accordance with the terms of the 1976 Wildlife Act (as amended).
A licence for badger removal has been granted in the area referred to and capture of badgers will, where deemed appropriate on the basis of a detailed survey, be undertaken in accordance with established protocols.
380. Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will consider including Springboard courses under the child care and employment training support scheme. [10209/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraFunding is made available by my Department to support a number of childcare programmes which provide a range of supports to parents of pre-school and after-school children, including the Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) programme.
The CETS programme provides funding to support parents, who are participating in SOLAS and the Education Training Boards training and education courses, with the cost of childcare. The eligibility criteria for parents availing of this support is determined by SOLAS and the Education Training Boards, which come under the remit of the Department of Education and Skills. A number of new strands to the programme have been added, including an after-school programme which provides support to social welfare recipients returning to employment and a further strand which provides support to parents participating in Community Employment schemes. Eligibility for support under these strands is determined by the Department of Social Protection.
The function of my Department is to monitor the take-up of childcare places available to those parents approved for support and to administer the relevant funding. Determining which courses will enable parents to qualify for support under the CETS programme is therefore a matter for the Departments of Social Protection and Education and Skills.
381. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will examine correspondence (details supplied); if she will examine alternative means of funding for Comhairlí na nÓg in counties where local authorities are merging including counties Waterford, Tipperary and Limerick; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10615/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraProposed mergers of local authorities will affect a number of Comhairle na nÓg around the country and I understand that my Department will be reviewing the current Comairle na nÓg structural configuration when the local government reform process has been finalised. While my Department has not yet taken a decision in this regard, however, I would expect that any merger of local structures would result in increased efficiencies and better use of resources.
Comhairlí na nÓg are a key national structure for the participation by children and young people in decision-making. On average, 30 young people participate in each Comhiarle na nÓg Committee, giving approximately 1,020 young people across the country the opportunity to actively work on behalf of their peers on an annual basis. I am aware that the young people in the Comhairle na nÓg in Waterford County, Waterford City, Tipperary North, Tipperary South, Limerick County and Limerick City have done excellent work on issues of real importance to young people, including mental health, sexual health, bullying and youth democracy.
As part of the Government's Local Government Reform Programme, a number of local authorities and subsidiary bodies are to be amalgamated. This will include Comhairlí na nÓg. My Department is reviewing the current Comhairlí na nÓg configuration in line with the local government reforms and I have further asked my Department to examine how best to support and facilitate any mergers of Comhairle na nÓg that will arise.
382. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the way she will distribute or allocate the funding for training providers; if private training providers who have specialised in child care training for a number of years will be allowed to tender for same; the criteria used in the tendering process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10711/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn January of this year Part VII of the Child Care Act 1991, which governs the regulation of early years services, was replaced with new legislative provisions brought in as part of the Child and Family Agency Act 2013. The new legislative provisions allow, inter alia, for the imposition of new qualification requirements for staff working in early years services.
I am now introducing a requirement for all staff working directly with children in pre-school services to have a full FETAC Level 5 Award in early childhood care and education, with effect from September 2014 in the case of new services and from September 2015 in the case of existing services. I will also be increasing the existing minimum requirement under the free Pre-school Year Programme for Pre-School Leaders to hold a full FETAC Level 5 award in early childhood care and education to a full FETAC Level 6 award.
My Department is currently putting arrangements in place for a new training programme, the Learner Programme. Planning is underway in association with Pobal to seek expressions of interest from accredited training providers who wish to provide FETAC Level 5 or Level 6 training under this initiative. Funding of €3 million will be available to this Fund during 2014/2015. It is likely that the City and County Childcare Committees will play an important role in identifying qualifying staff and supporting them in accessing suitable training from the panel put in place through the expressions of interest process. I expect the full details, including detailed specifications, selection criteria and operational arrangements for the new initiative, to be finalised and announced shortly.
383. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to introduce a second free pre-school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10856/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Early Childhood Care and Education programme was introduced in January 2010 and provides a free pre-school year to all eligible children before commencing primary school. Approximately 68,000 children availed of the provision in the 2012/2013 academic year, and similar numbers are expected to avail of it during the current academic year.
Despite the challenging budgetary situation, I have succeeded in maintaining the pre-school year as a universal and free programme, ensuring that a significant number of children can avail of quality pre-school services who would not otherwise be in a position to do so.
There is an increasing body of Irish and International evidence which quantify the benefits of early years interventions in terms of improving children’s outcomes and in delivering significant economic and societal return to the state. In this context I believe the introduction of a second year would benefit children’s educational and developmental outcomes. A second free pre-school year would represent €2,500 to €3,000 worth of free childcare to parents and would be likely to generate 4,000-5,000 new jobs, albeit mostly part-time.
However, the introduction of a second pre-school year would require considerable additional funding, broadly in line with the cost of the current one-year provision, which is €175 million per annum. This additional funding is not presently available due to the financial constraints under which the Government is operating. In addition, all of the available evidence indicates that the quality of the pre-school provision is key to good outcomes for children. My Pre-School Quality Agenda, which involves a range of actions in key areas aimed at improving quality within early years services and enhancing the regulatory regime, is a key building block for any further extension of universal childcare provision.
Future developments relating to early years care and education are being considered as part of the preparation of the new National Early Years Strategy. The report of the Expert Advisory Group which I appointed to advise on recommendations for inclusion in the Strategy, ‘Right from the Start’, sets out a wide range of recommendations for consideration and will contribute substantially to the final draft of the Early Years Strategy. One of the recommendations in the Report for consideration in the preparation of the Strategy is to extend the free pre-school provision, but only after achieving higher quality standards, more investment in training and mentoring, and professionalization of the Early Years workforce.
384. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the implications for agencies funded by her Department that fail to comply with consolidated public sector pay scales by continuing to make top-up payments to staff; when she expects this issue to be definitively resolved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10910/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraGovernment pay policy is clear that remuneration rates for public servants must be appropriately approved and sanctioned in advance of payment. Pay policy is underpinned by administrative and legislative requirements. I can confirm to the Deputy that staff employed in public service agencies under the aegis of my Department are paid in line with approved public sector pay scales.
385. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will ensure that the plan announced by the Child and Family Agency of the graduate placement scheme is withdrawn. [10973/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraBudget 2014 included the provision of €6.7m (€12m in a full year) to support the continuing implementation of the reform programme across children and family services. This additional funding will assist the new Child and Family Agency in meeting identified service pressures. This will include the filling of social work vacancies taking account of identified need, with a particular focus this year on the filling of vacancies arising from maternity leave.
The Agency is also finalising proposals at my request, arising from the provision of this additional funding, for the targeted recruitment of graduate social workers. This initiative will involve the introduction of a guaranteed and protected one year induction programme for newly qualified social workers. Discussions with IMPACT and other parties are ongoing and the merits of the scheme will be clear when the details are finalised.
The scheme is not a cost-cutting exercise and is being designed to create a stable and protected initial environment within which newly qualified graduate social workers can hone their skills in practice. The scheme will include protected workload as well as weekly tutorial and mentoring provision.
Full details of the scheme will be published after discussions with the trade unions have been completed.
386. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the current funds collected by the Exchequer in either direct or indirect health charges respectively, including PRSI; if it is planned to abolish such charges on the introduction of universal health insurance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10690/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is embarking on a major reform programme for the health system, the aim of which is to deliver a single-tier health service, supported by universal health insurance, where access is based on need, not income.
Moving to UHI will involve a radical change to the way in which we organise and finance our health system. Under UHI, the State will still be responsible for funding a large part of healthcare, however, for most of the services provided under the UHI standard package, it will be the premiums paid by the citizens to their insurer of choice, that will fund those services. The White Paper on UHI, which I intend to publish very shortly, will provide more detail on how the new financing arrangements will apply.
In terms of statutory charges and whether they will apply under UHI, this is still subject to further analysis and consideration. Decisions on charges are part of the wider issue of the total cost of UHI. Calculating the cost of UHI is a complex matter and is dependent on a number of critical and interdependent variables such as; demand for and utilisation of healthcare, service delivery models, payment systems and regulatory and administrative costs. Decisions on statutory charges for health services will be a matter for Government, and will only be undertaken when full costings on UHI are available.
387. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm that a regulatory impact analysis was conducted by the tobacco policy review group as part of the process leading to the publication of the tobacco free Ireland report. [10782/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra388. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Health if a decision to adopt the tobacco free Ireland report as Government policy at Cabinet on 19 November, 2013, was assisted by having viewed and approved the regulatory impact analysis that accompanied the report. [10783/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra389. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Health if he will agree to publish the regulatory impact analysis from the tobacco policy review group. [10784/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra465. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm that his Department's tobacco policy review group conducted a regulatory impact assessment during their deliberations on various legislative changes that are recommended in the tobacco free Ireland report presented to him on 3 October 2013; if will confirm if he has seen this RIA; if he is satisfied that all the recommendations in the report that require legislation to give effect to such recommendations have been the subject of scrutiny as per RIA guidelines; if he will confirm that he is satisfied that all the recommendations have been the subject of scrutiny as per RIA guidelines; if he will confirm that he provided to each of his Cabinet colleagues copies of the RIA in advance of the adoption as Government policy in November of the TPRG Report Tobacco Free Ireland; if he will publish the RIA costings analysis as conducted by his tobacco policy review group that accompanied the recommendation to introduce the retail licensing of tobacco products, a recommendation that has led to a Bill of the same name and noted within Schedule C of the Government legislative programme. [10785/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 387 to 389, inclusive, and 465 together.
As the Deputy will be aware, there is no requirement to carry out a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) as part of the policy development process, or in order to make policy recommendations. The Revised RIA Guidelines published by the Department of the Taoiseach in 2009 makes it clear that RIA applies only to Policy Review Groups established to bring forward proposals for legislation.
Following on from Towards a Tobacco Free Society, which was adopted as Government policy in 2000, the Department of Health initiated a review to identify what further policy proposals might be introduced to continue to reduce the prevalence and initiation of smoking in Ireland. The review was completed by the Tobacco Policy Review Group in the context of other initiatives already implemented with regard to reducing the prevalence of tobacco use. The terms of reference of the review were:
(a) To examine Irish and international evidence and experience of effective measures and programmes to reduce smoking prevalence; and
(b) To make policy proposals to the Minister aimed at reducing smoking initiation and prevalence.
Following consultation with relevant Government Departments the Report of the Tobacco Policy Review Group, Tobacco Free Ireland was submitted to Government for approval in July 2013 and formally launched in October 2013. There are 63 recommendations contained in Tobacco Free Ireland. Some of these relate to the future development of legislation. Each legislative proposal in the report will require future Government approval.
Tobacco Free Ireland sets out recommendations for the future regulation of the tobacco retail environment. The Government proposes to increase the Retail Register fee during 2014, in the context of legislation to provide for the licensing of the sale of tobacco products as outlined in Tobacco Free Ireland. Work is ongoing in relation to this legislation, and as such details are not yet available. In line with the Regulatory Impact Assessment Guidelines (RIA) published by the Department of the Taoiseach, my Department will undertake a Regulatory Impact Analysis on the proposed legislation in due course.
390. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kildare has not received a reply in relation to a needs assessment application that they submitted on behalf of their daughter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10207/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the particular issue raised by the Deputy relates to an individual case, this is a service matter for the Health Service Executive. Accordingly, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
391. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health the basis on which he will withdraw the drug fampyra from the drug payment scheme from July 2014; the reason the Health Service Executive will not fund fampyra; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10211/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra468. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Health if it is his intention to include a drug (details supplied) on the list to be covered for payment for persons with medical cards [10794/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 391 and 468 together.
The HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicinal products under the community drug schemes in accordance with the provisions of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.
The HSE received an application for the inclusion of Fampridine (Fampyra®) in the GMS and community drugs schemes. The application was considered in line with the procedures and timescales agreed by the Department of Health and the HSE with the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA) for the assessment of new medicines.
In accordance with these procedures, the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE) conducted a pharmacoeconomic evaluation of Fampridine and concluded that, as the manufacturer was unable to demonstrate the cost effectiveness of fampridine in the Irish healthcare setting, it was unable to recommend the reimbursement of the product. The report is available on the NCPE's website (www.ncpe.ie). The NCPE report is an important input to assist the HSE in its decision making process and informs further discussions between the HSE and the manufacturer of the drug. The HSE assessment process is intended to arrive at a decision on the funding of new medicines that is clinically appropriate, fair, consistent and sustainable. In these circumstances, the HSE has not approved the reimbursement of Fampridine under the GMS or other community drug schemes.
392. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if medical cards when issued on the basis of specific medical illness (details supplied) are removed on a return to work strictly where that person returns to work within the 12 month calendar year or if there is discretion on a case-by-case basis [10214/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to medical cards and GP visit cards, which the Deputy may wish to use for an earlier response. Contact information has issued to Oireachtas members.
393. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health if he will supply details of the remuneration package received by a person (details supplied), including salary, pension packages, and any other forms of remuneration [10215/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
394. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health if the incurable condition adiposis dolorosa, also known as Dercum's disease, is covered under the medical card scheme [10257/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Health Act 1970, as amended, eligibility for a medical card or a GP visit card is determined primarily on the basis of an assessment of financial means rather than on the basis of a person's medical condition. If an applicant’s means are above the financial thresholds, as outlined in the National Assessment Guidelines, the HSE routinely considers whether the refusal of eligibility will result in undue financial hardship for the applicant or any dependants. Eligibility may be granted, on a discretionary basis, if the applicant cannot arrange general practitioner, medical and surgical services, for themselves and their dependants, without undue financial hardship.
Medical card applicants or their dependants who submit supporting medical reports with an application for a medical card and who do not qualify for a medical card on means grounds, have the management of their medical condition considered during the assessment process to determine if the refusal of eligibility would result in undue financial hardship for the applicant or any dependants.
395. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 613 of 26 November 2013, and the insufficient information provided in the Health Service Executive response to same, with regard to the €18 million intervention fund announced last May to tackle waiting lists, if any of the €18 million was used to provide private treatment for those on waiting lists; if so, the amount of that €18 million used for such a purpose; the number of procedures privately procured; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10315/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the Deputy's further question in this matter, as this is a service issue, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to him directly.
