Niamh Smyth
Ceist:146. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40231/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchools Building Projects Status
Ceisteanna (146)
Freagraí scríofa
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that works commenced on site for the school building project in question in June 2018. The project is expected to take approximately 27 months to complete.
Schools Building Projects Status
Ceisteanna (147)
Niamh Smyth
Ceist:147. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a project (details supplied); when a meeting will take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40264/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to the local Education and Training Board who is Patron of the school.
The Stage 1 stakeholders meeting was scheduled to take place in the Department's offices in December, 2017. This meeting was cancelled at the request of the Patron.
My Department is meeting with the ETB shortly to discuss the progression of a range of projects including the project in question.
School Accommodation Provision
Ceisteanna (148)
Joe Carey
Ceist:148. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding additional funding for a project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40275/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The school to which the Deputy refers was approved funding for an Additional Accommodation Scheme project in April 2018. My Department has not received any subsequent application from the school seeking an increase in the funding approved. The School Authority should submit details of the circumstances giving rise to the increased costs supported by a report from the Design Consultant appointed by the School Authority for the purposes of this project. This should be sent to my Department's Devolved Projects Section along with a request for increased funding as required. This application will then be evaluated and a decision will be communicated directly to the school authority.
Budget 2019
Ceisteanna (149)
Michael Healy-Rae
Ceist:149. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will address matters raised by an organisation (details supplied) in relation to budget 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40128/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
It is not the practice to disclose information of this kind in advance of the Budget Statement and publication of the Estimates of Public Expenditure which will take place next week.
Gambling Sector
Ceisteanna (150)
Jack Chambers
Ceist:150. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when the interdepartmental working group on gambling report will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40151/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Deputy will be aware that the Government, on 10 January 2018, approved a number of proposals from myself to update and modernise the earlier proposals set out in the 2013 General Scheme of the Gambling Control Bill. A significant amount of work has been undertaken within Government to develop revised proposals which better reflect the required extent of the State’s engagement with the modern Irish gambling environment which is operating with both domestic and international aspects.
In particular, the Government approved a proposal to establish an independent regulatory authority for the gambling industry in Ireland. This decision reflected the view that such a body would be best placed to conduct the complex range of licensing, regulating, monitoring, inspecting and enforcement tasks, etc., of the growing gambling industry in all of its facets. The development of an independent regulatory approach would also mirror the approach now taken in most EU Member States and beyond.
I chaired the Interdepartmental Working Group on Gambling, comprising all stakeholder Departments and the Office of the Attorney General that met on 5 occasions between February and June of this year to review all provisions of the 2013 General Scheme of the Gambling Control Bill and to consider other relevant matters. The Group is currently preparing its Report, which it intends to submit to Government as soon as possible.
Criminal Prosecutions Data
Ceisteanna (151)
Mattie McGrath
Ceist:151. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 321 of 10 July 2018, the status of the information sought (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40153/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As I previously advised the Deputy, my Department has already requested a report on this matter from the Garda authorities, however this report has not yet been received.
I can assure the Deputy that my Department is actively following up on this request with An Garda Síochána and as soon as the report is to hand I will contact the Deputy directly with an update.
Immigration Data
Ceisteanna (152)
Mattie McGrath
Ceist:152. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 299 of 10 July 2018, if the information sought is now available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40154/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I have been informed by An Garda Síochána that an examination of relevant records indicates that in the past four years no person has been refused a permission to enter the State on the basis of the provisions of section 4(3)(c) of the Immigration Act 2004, which relates to non-nationals suffering from a condition set out in the First Schedule of the Act.
Immigration Policy
Ceisteanna (153)
Robert Troy
Ceist:153. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when he plans to introduce the new regularisation scheme for persons who came here as international students between January 2005 and December 2010 and are now undocumented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40216/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Officials of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department are currently finalising the details of a response to the matter raised by the Deputy.
I expect to announce details of this response in the next few weeks.
Crime Levels
Ceisteanna (154)
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Ceist:154. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of thefts of vehicles in the Cork city policing division in each of the years 2013 to 2017. [40295/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the national statistical agency, is responsible for the compilation and publication of recorded crime statistics, and the CSO has established a dedicated unit for this purpose. I have asked the CSO to forward the available statistics in relation to the information requested directly to the Deputy.
Garda Overtime
Ceisteanna (155)
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Ceist:155. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of hours of overtime by gardaí in 2017, by division. [40296/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is the Accounting Officer for the Garda Vote and is responsible for the effective and efficient use of the resources at his disposal. Moreover, under the Act, the Commissioner is responsible for directing and controlling and for carrying on and managing generally the administration and business of An Garda Síochána.
Allocation of Garda resources is a matter for the Commissioner, in light of his identified operational demands. The arrangements for Garda overtime are not a matter for which I, as Minister, have responsibility.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that in total, the overtime hours for the organisation in 2017 amounted to 3,682,442. This calculation of hours includes briefing time, in addition to all other types of overtime, including overtime expended on specific operations such as Operation Thor, Organised Crime Operations, Port Security Operations and the visit to Ireland of the Prince of Wales.
I am advised by Garda authorities that for operational reasons, it is not possible to provide the breakdown by Division as requested by the Deputy.
More generally, I can inform the Deputy that I have already discussed the Garda financial position with Commissioner Harris. We are agreed that it is essential that value for money is achieved with the significant resources at his disposal.
I am satisfied that Garda management is acutely aware of the need to utilise the resources being made available to them in the most efficient and effective manner to ensure high visibility policing in our communities. Under the governance and oversight arrangements in place between my Department and An Garda Síochána, the evolution of Garda expenditure is kept under review and there is regular structured engagement in relation to resources, including overtime, between An Garda Síochána and other relevant parties including my Department, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Policing Authority.
Apprenticeship Programmes
Ceisteanna (156)
Éamon Ó Cuív
Ceist:156. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the reason for the delay in apprentices obtaining college places that are an intrinsic part of their courses, particularly in view of the shortage of skilled trade persons; the steps she plans to take to rectify this matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40180/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
My Department does not hold policy responsibility for the Apprenticeship system. Policy responsibility for the system lies with the Department of Education and Skills and the Apprenticeship Council. Operational responsibility in this area lies with Solas, Ireland’s further education and training authority.
My Department supports the development of the apprenticeship system on an ongoing basis as a means of providing for the broad range of skills needed for the growing economy.
IDA Ireland Data
Ceisteanna (157)
Niamh Smyth
Ceist:157. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the most recent occasion on which IDA Ireland visited counties Cavan, Monaghan and Meath; the number of new jobs that have been created by IDA Ireland in the past 12 months; the steps it is taking to attract companies to the counties; the success it has had with the strategy for the counties; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40232/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
IDA Ireland continues to highlight the benefits of expanding or locating in all of our regions, including in Counties Cavan, Monaghan and Meath. There are over 122,000 people employed across 649 firms in IDA client companies located outside of Dublin, with 45% of all new foreign direct investment (FDI) jobs created last year based in regional locations.
Employment numbers for 2018 will not be available until my Department's Annual Employment Survey is carried out in November 2018. Site visits are collated by the IDA on a county-by-county basis only and are released every quarter. Information on the number of site visits on particular dates to specific locations is therefore unavailable. Last year, IDA client companies conducted three site visits to County Meath, two site visits to County Cavan, one site visit to County Monaghan. The trend for site visits this year are positive with four site visits to County Meath, one visit to County Cavan and one site visit to County Monaghan as of the second quarter of 2018. Site visit activity, however, does not necessarily reflect investment potential, as at least 70% of all new FDI comes from existing IDA client companies.
IDA Ireland is working hard to promote Counties Cavan, Monaghan and Meath to potential investors. The Agency has a dedicated regional manager for the North East/North West Region and has an office in the Cavan Innovation and Technology Centre. As part of its strategy to encourage investment to the area, it is focusing on sectors including agri-food, manufacturing, tourism and internationally traded services. County Meath is being actively marketed by the IDA as a location for second sites for multinationals in the Dublin region, with a focus on building clusters in existing sectors like high-value manufacturing and international services.
The IDA also regularly engages with key stakeholders on the ground in Cavan, Monaghan and Meath, including with local authorities, public bodies, the education sector and companies from both its own client base but also from the indigenous sector. IDA Ireland also owns sites in all three counties that are being actively marketed to its clients.
It is important to emphasise that FDI only forms one part of investment in regional locations. Indigenous enterprise is responsible for a significant portion of employment growth, especially outside Dublin. My Department and all its agencies, including Enterprise Ireland and the LEOs, work together constantly and collaboratively to ensure that jobs and investment are spread as fairly as possible across this country.
I am pleased to say that Enterprise Ireland (EI) supported companies employed 5,451 people in Cavan and 5,366 people in Monaghan in 2017. This is an increase of approximately 4% in both counties compared to 2016. Total employment in EI supported companies in County Meath now stands at 7,302, an increase of over 4% compared to the previous year. In May of this year, EI facilitated a meeting of Local Enterprise Office (LEO) and EI engineering companies from Meath and Cavan with a view to creating an engineering cluster in the region.
Companies supported by the Cavan LEO employed a total of 1,252 people in 2017, representing a net increase of 100 jobs over the previous year. The Monaghan LEO employed 1,052 people in 2017, representing a net increase of 142 jobs over the previous year. The Meath LEO employed 1,112 people in 2017, which is a net increase of 162 jobs over the previous year. These numbers clearly reflect the growing domestic industries which are so important to these counties.
We recognise that there is room for improvement in Cavan, Monaghan and Meath and we are working hard, across Government, to further unlock the economic potential of these counties. The Enterprise Agencies under my remit will continue to engage with their clients, and with one another, to create jobs and source new investment for these regions.
Online Safety
Ceisteanna (158)
Clare Daly
Ceist:158. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the steps he will take under the Action Plan for Online Safety to remove harmful material relating to bogus cures for autism and to prevent further material of this nature from being posted online. [40166/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Action Plan on Online Safety, launched by An Taoiseach on 11 July last, recognises that online safety is not the responsibility of any one Department, but that many Departments have a role to play. The Action Plan sets out 25 Actions and Departments responsible for their respective delivery. A Sponsors Group has recently been established to drive implementation of the Action Plan. This is chaired by the Department of Education & Skills and comprise five other key Government Departments; Children and Youth Affairs, Justice and Equality; Communications, Climate Action and Environment; Business, Enterprise and Innovation; and Health.
The removal of harmful content will be considered by each Department in the context of this and future plans.
The position in relation to Autism is that under the Medicinal Products (Control of Placing on the Market) Regulations 2007, as amended, a medicine cannot be placed on the market in Ireland unless it has a marketing authorisation from the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) or a community marketing authorisation from the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Any product which makes a medicinal claim to treat medical conditions such as autism is considered to be a medicine and requires an authorisation under this legislation.
Any manufacture, supply or sale of products without authorisation for the purposes of treating a medical condition is illegal.
The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) is the competent authority for medicines in Ireland. The Authority has an Enforcement section, of which one of its roles is to investigate potential breaches of medicines legislation and, where necessary, to take corrective action including legal proceedings. This can include investigation into complaints regarding products advertised or marketed as medicinal products but which have no marketing authorisation or certificate of traditional-use registration. HPRA investigations are prioritised on the basis of perceived risk to public health.
Penalties for breaches of regulations are provided for by the Irish Medicines Board Acts 1995 and 2006. On summary conviction, a person may face fines not exceeding a class B fine (€4,000) and-or imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year; on conviction on indictment, fines not exceeding £100,000 and-or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years, and in the case of a second or subsequent offence, fines not exceeding £250,000, and-or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years.
The HPRA monitors the Internet and online platforms for the unauthorised promotion of unauthorised medicines. The HPRA continually engages with the social media platforms to remove any advertisements and offerings by individuals using those sites.
The HPRA continues to advise consumers not to seek to purchase or take unauthorised products and I strongly reiterate this advice.
Departmental Funding
Ceisteanna (159)
Robert Troy
Ceist:159. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if funding will be provided for a charity (details supplied). [40256/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose, and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. This commitment is outlined in a Programme for a Partnership Government, which is guided by two principles: equality of opportunity and improving the quality of life for people with disabilities.
As the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Ceisteanna (160)
James Lawless
Ceist:160. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Health the waiting time expected for a cataract operation for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40127/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
The National Waiting List Management Policy, a standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, since January 2014, 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.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
HSE Properties
Ceisteanna (161)
Tony McLoughlin
Ceist:161. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Health if the HSE estates division will agree to sell the old hospital building in Mohill, County Leitrim to the owners of the local primary healthcare centre, who are seeking to renovate the dilapidated unit for the benefit of the local community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40130/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As the Health Service Executive is responsible for the management of the health care property estate, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to you in relation to this matter.
Ambulance Service Response Times
Ceisteanna (162)
Pearse Doherty
Ceist:162. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the average response times taken by ambulance crews to respond to all emergency call-outs in County Donegal during August and September 2018; the number of occasions that the time taken to respond exceeded the average response time; the date on which each exceedance occurred; the reason for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40132/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service issue, I have asked the HSE to reply to you directly.
Blood Donations
Ceisteanna (163)
Louise O'Reilly
Ceist:163. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the MSM one-year deferral period on blood donation; if further examination has or will be sought by his Department or the IBTS on the matter in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40133/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The IBTS lifted its lifelong ban on men who have sex with men (MSM) from donating blood in January 2017, when the deferral policy was reduced to a period of one year following their last sexual encounter with a man.
The IBTS will continue to keep all deferral policies under active review in the light of scientific evidence, emerging infections and international experience.
Commencement of Legislation
Ceisteanna (164)
Louise O'Reilly
Ceist:164. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health when he plans to commence Parts 2 and 3 of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40134/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Children and Family Relationships (Amendment) Bill 2018 was enacted on 24 July 2018. This Act was introduced to correct typographical and technical errors in the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015, which will facilitate the subsequent commencement of Parts 2 & 3 of the Act. It is intended that Parts 2 & 3 of the Act will be commenced as soon as possible.
Health Strategies
Ceisteanna (165)
Louise O'Reilly
Ceist:165. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the progress made on the National Sexual Health Strategy 2015-2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40135/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for their attention and direct reply to the Deputy.