Written Answers Nos. 182-191
182. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health the further funding resources he will make available at the 26 Health Service Executive nursing homes identified by the Health Information and Quality Authority as requiring accommodation upgrades; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24191/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has indicated that a number of public units do not fully meet the standards one would expect to find in a modern nursing home. This is not surprising given the age and structure of many of our public nursing homes. Compliance issues are in the main related to physical infrastructure and to issues such as personal space and privacy and access to toilet facilities. It is important to stress that the care provided to residents of these facilities is of a generally high standard.
Discussions are ongoing between the Health Service Executive (HSE) and HIQA in this context. Addressing these issues will require prioritisation across facilities within the overall resources that can be made available.
183. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health the location of each of the four mental health high observation units; the number of staff allocated to each unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24192/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service issue this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply. If you have not received a reply within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
184. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health his plans to submit funding proposals to provide for additional capacity at the accident and emergency department of Beaumont Hospital in Dublin 9 for 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24193/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.
185. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of home help hours that have been allocated but are currently unfilled due to financial constraints, by Health Service Executive local area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24215/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
186. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding the bed crisis in Kerry General Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24220/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.
187. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the progress to date in determining an application for citizenship in the case of a person (details supplied) who made an application on behalf of her son, through the Ottawa Embassy in Canada; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23964/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application for citizenship through Foreign Birth Registration on behalf of the person (details supplied) was received by the Embassy of Ireland in Ottawa on 23 April 2015. The Embassy is currently processing applications received in January. The application has been examined and certain required documentation has not been submitted. The Embassy will advise the applicant regarding the missing documentation and once the application is complete it will be processed in due course.
188. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is aware of the serious claims and mounting evidence that the Sri Lankan military committed war crimes and gross human rights violations in 2009, in the final months of that country's civil war; his views that there should be an independent and international legal inquiry into these claims; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24062/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am aware of allegations of human rights violations in Sri Lanka in 2009. At the UN Human Rights Council session in March 2014 Ireland voted in favour of a resolution promoting reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka. One aspect of that resolution was a request for an investigation by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights into alleged serious violations and abuses of human rights and related crimes by both parties in Sri Lanka. A report of that investigation is due to be presented at the UN Human Rights Council in September 2015.
There has been a change in Government in Sri Lanka following the presidential election in January 2015, and I welcome the stated commitments by the new President, Maithripala, to re-establish democracy, freedom, good governance and respect for human rights.
Our Ambassador to Sri Lanka (who is based in New Delhi) maintains regular contact with the Sri Lankan authorities and regularly visits Sri Lanka for discussions there. Our Embassy in New Delhi monitors developments in Sri Lanka on an ongoing basis. Through the Embassy, we are in regular contact with the EU Delegation in Colombo which reports that the new Government have already taken some positive steps to deal with resettlement issues, including returning some military land (used for commercial purposes), nomination of a civilian governor in the Northern Province, cancelling the foreign travel restrictions in the North and welcoming Tamil refugees from India.
At the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union in Brussels on 9 February 2015, which I attended, the Council agreed a number of conclusions on EU priorities at UN Human Rights Fora in 2015. With regard to Sri Lanka, the Council welcomed the commitments by the new Sri Lankan Government on rule of law and reconciliation, while encouraging the new Government to work with the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights and the UN Human Rights Council to address ongoing human rights concerns and make credible domestic progress on reconciliation.
A meeting of the EU-Sri Lanka Joint Commission took place in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 2 April 2015. The Joint Commission, which oversees the EU-Sri Lanka Cooperation Agreement on Partnership and Development (in place for 20 years) deals with a broad range of bilateral and multilateral issues of mutual interest. At this meeting, it was agreed in principle to establish a new Working Group on Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights, to allow for a dialogue on these issues.
189. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if there is any indication that the European Union will move to recognise the Palestinian state; if such a move, either by Ireland or the European Union, would be helpful in achieving peace; if any consensus is emerging at European Union level as to the way the peace talks could be restarted; the way the Palestinian question could be moved up the international agenda; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24146/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraRecognition of states is a matter for the national governments of the Member States.
Debate continues in the EU, the UN and elsewhere of how best to try to restart and advance the political process to achieve a two state solution, but both the international situation and the domestic position of the parties make this very difficult at present. Since my appointment as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, I have strongly advocated for a stronger EU involvement in the Peace Process. I visited the region myself and urged HRVP Mogherini to do so upon her appointment. She has visited the region on a number of occasions, most recently with the newly appointed EU Special Representative, Fernando Gentilini.
There was some discussion of the Middle East Peace Process at the last Foreign Affairs Council and I expect HRVP Mogherini to brief Ministers on her recent visit with SR Gentilini at this month’s FAC.
I endeavour to use all appropriate opportunities in my international engagements as Minister to press for progress in restarting peace talks in the region. Most recently I have had useful discussions with the Swiss Foreign Minister, Didier Burkhalter, and with UN SG Ban Ki-moon during his visit to Ireland.
190. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the average primary school class size for the 2014-15 school year. [23966/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra191. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the current pupil teacher ratio; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23967/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 190 and 191 together.
Information on average primary school class size and pupil teacher ratio is currently being finalised and will be published as part of my Department's Key Statistics Report 2014/2015. This report will be available on my Department's website at the following link at the end of June: http://www.education.ie/en/Publications/Statistics/Key-Statistics.
