Written Answers Nos. 222-234
223. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the full-year cost of providing ten midwives at entry level in emergency departments in hospitals, ten midwives at the level of five years experience, and ten midwives at the level of ten years experience; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25679/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on the matter. 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.
224. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the full-year cost of the extension of BreastCheck in 2015; the further cost envisaged for 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25680/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe extension of the BreastCheck screening programme to women aged 65 to 69 years, which will commence in Quarter 4, will cost approximately €0.1m in 2015.
The funding requirement for 2016 will be considered in the context of the forthcoming estimates process.
225. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the full-year cost of the reduction of prescription charges for medical card holders by 50 cent per item; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25681/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for the administration of the primary care schemes, including the Medical Card Scheme; therefore the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to you.
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.
226. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the full-year average cost of granting a person a medical card, including the care, services, and medications that it entails, on average; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25682/15]
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. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office who will follow up the matter with them.
227. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the efforts being made to assist the Irish students currently in Canada, who continue to await their summer working visas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25558/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am aware that a number of Irish citizens have made representations to our Embassy in Ottawa and the Honorary Consulate in Vancouver concerning their position in regard to working visas and in particular the bilateral Working Holiday programme. Under this programme, recipients are advised not to travel until the full formalities are completed. The Canadian authorities advise that it normally takes six weeks after an application is lodged for a Port of Entry (POE) Letter of Introduction to be issued. This POE Letter of Introduction allows Irish citizens to work for two years in Canada.
Unfortunately, it appears that not all those citizens who have made these representations had complied with the advice provided by the Canadian authorities. Nevertheless, I am advised that they should receive the POE Letters of Introduction in the normal way, i.e. six weeks after their application, following their conditional acceptance into the programme.
This process also applies to Canadian citizens wishing to avail of the programme in Ireland. My Department is also aware of a least one case where a Canadian citizen has arrived in Ireland ahead of the necessary paperwork being completed.
I would strongly advise all those on working holiday programmes to study and follow the guidance given on this matter by the Canadian and Irish authorities.
The Embassy of Ireland in Ottawa and our Honorary Consulates remain available to advise and assist as appropriate in regard to this programme.
228. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to provide additional humanitarian aid to assist in Gaza, particularly with the needs of children, due to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in that area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25650/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra229. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the proposals he put forward at recent European Union Foreign Affairs Councils, regarding the need to provide additional humanitarian aid to the Gaza region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25651/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 228 and 229 together.
During my visit to Gaza earlier this year, I saw first-hand the devastating humanitarian consequences of last year’s conflict, and the particularly difficult impact on children, which compounded already difficult living conditions. As an immediate response to the Gaza crisis, Ireland provided €500,000 to the Emergency Appeal of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) to help provide urgently needed food, shelter and medical aid to thousands of families many of whom had to flee their homes.
At the International Gaza Reconstruction Conference, which I attended last October, I pledged a further €2.5 million towards both urgent immediate needs as well as long term recovery efforts. €1 million of this has been provided to UNRWA’s Gaza Emergency Appeal. A further €500,000 will be provided to UN partners this year with the remaining €1 million of the pledge to be disbursed in 2016.
The support provided to Gaza is in addition to our broader programme of assistance to the Palestinian people which currently amounts to over €10 million annually, and addresses immediate humanitarian needs, as well as development priorities, education and the promotion of human rights.
Ireland will continue to press, at EU level and elsewhere, to maintain focus on the humanitarian needs in Gaza and for an end to the blockade. The EU has consistently called for the opening of Gaza, and a broad change of Israeli policies there, most recently in the Conclusions of the Foreign Affairs Council in November last. I made these points directly to the Israeli Foreign Minister during my visit to the region earlier this year. Since my appointment as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, I have strongly advocated for a stronger EU involvement in the Peace Process. The Middle East Peace Process was discussed most recently at the May Foreign Affairs Council and HRVP Mogherini briefed Ministers on her recent visit to the region with EU Special Representative, Fernando 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. In the meantime, we will continue to offer the humanitarian support which is essential in addressing the ongoing basic and emergency needs of the Palestinian people.
230. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of reinstating the SOLAS training allowance in 2016. [25529/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe payment of an additional training allowance for the long term unemployed was reduced from €31.80 per week to €20 per week as part of Budget 2011 and as part of Budget 2014 it was decided to cease this payment for all SOLAS participants commencing courses after 1st January 2014. The cost of reinstating this long term bonus payment is estimated at €6.7 million in a full year.
231. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the figure for capitation grants for primary education. [25653/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides capitation funding to all recognised primary schools. The amount of grant paid to an individual primary school for capitation and ancillary services is determined by the school's enrolment, subject to a minimum grant for both capitation and ancillary services in respect of schools with enrolments up to 60, and a maximum ancillary services grant in the case of schools with enrolments of 500 or more. In 2015 the capitation grant is €170 per pupil, and the Ancillary Services Grant is €147 per pupil. The Deputy may wish to note that Circular 40/2009 clarifies issues relating to the allocation of funding for primary schools. The circular states that capitation funding provided for general running costs and funding provided for caretaking and secretarial services may be regarded as a common grant from which the Board of Management can allocate according to its own priorities.
232. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a person (details supplied) in County Kildare will have an entitlement to grant support, in view of the progression the person is making; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25471/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs part of a comprehensive customer service and communications strategy provided by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), to ensure that all necessary avenues are open to applicants to receive the information they need, a dedicated email and phone line service is provided by SUSI for Oireachtas members. This was established to meet an identified need for applicants who choose to engage the assistance of their public representatives in making enquiries about their grant applications. This service compliments the established channels provided by SUSI which include online application tracking, a dedicated website, a telephone helpdesk, email and social media, including Facebook and Twitter. Inquiries may be emailed direct to SUSI at oireachtas@susi.ie. SUSI is responding to email queries within a matter of days. If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a student grant, or that the rate of grant awarded is not the correct one, she/he may appeal, in the first instance, to SUSI. Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down in writing by SUSI and remains of the view that the scheme has not been interpreted correctly in his/her case, an appeal form outlining the position may be submitted by the applicant to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board.
233. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills her Department's estimates for the amount of extra revenue that will accrue to universities, colleges and institutes of technology in 2016, as a result of the increase in the student contribution fees to €3,000 for free-fee students. [25477/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere were some 129,300 students in receipt of free fees funding in the academic year 2013/14. Based on this figure the total additional revenue that will be generated by Higher Education Institutions as a result of the increase in the Student Contribution from €2,750 to €3,000 for the 2015/16 academic year will be some €32m. This additional income is taken into account in the overall level of funding provided to the higher education sector. As the Deputy will be aware the Contribution is paid by the Exchequer in respect of those students who qualify under my Department's Student Grant Scheme - some 50% of students who qualify for free fees funding have the Contribution paid on their behalf.
234. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on the case of a person (details supplied) who wishes to become a grade IV teacher at a school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25489/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand the question relates to an administrative position. The Deputy is familiar with the moratorium which came into effect from 27th March 2009 and which is being implemented following a Government decision which is binding upon all Government departments, non-commercial state bodies and agencies. No public service post, however arising, may be filled by recruitment, promotion or payment of an allowance for performance of duties at a higher grade. Any promotion to a Grade IV administrative position would be a breach of the moratorium. The school to which the Deputy refers is an Education and Training Board (ETB) school. In June 2014, the Department received a request from the relevant ETB seeking sanction to upgrade the school secretarial post from Grade III to Grade Officer IV. This request was not granted, in the context of the moratorium on recruitment. The Department has not been contacted by the ETB in relation to this request since that point in time.
