Written Answers Nos. 162-181
162. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 1185 of 26 April 2022, if he has updated information in relation to the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25250/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information sought by the Deputy is currently being compiled by GRETB. I have requested that GRETB forward the information directly to the Deputy when complete.
163. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of CAO applications in 2019, 2020 and 2021, that contained errors which could have resulted in students not receiving an offer of a college place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25290/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraUniversities and Institutes of Technology determine their own procedures for admission. The CAO process applications for undergraduate, and some postgraduate, courses on their behalf.
Decisions on admissions are made by the Higher Education Institutions who then instruct the CAO to make offers to successful candidates. Neither I nor my Department have a role in the operation of the CAO and as such information on errors in applications is held by the CAO, not by my Department.
Where the CAO is notified of an error in an application after Round One offers have issued, they update the account information and ask the higher education institutions to consider them for Round Two. The higher education institutions will then do their best to accommodate applicants with offers on Round Two. A portion of the offers that are issued in Round Two every year are to applicants who need to be accommodated after adjustments have been made due to applicant omissions or errors, or administrative errors caused by the higher education institutions or the CAO.
I appreciate that it can be quite upsetting for an applicant to realise their examination information was incorrect, and it is my understanding that every effort is made by the CAO and the higher education institutions to facilitate such applicants in Round Two.
If the issue is not resolved the applicant’s satisfaction, the option to appeal is available. The CAO has an Independent Appeals Commission, to which recourse may be had by applicants who believe that they have been treated unfairly by the CAO, and whose complaints have not been resolved by the CAO. The function of the Appeals Commission is to ensure that the rules are applied fairly.
It is my understanding that the CAO is emailing all applicants this month to ask them to confirm that the details on their application are correct. I encourage all applicants to complete this check and rectify any errors in advance of the offer season beginning.
164. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when a proposed building project (details supplied) will proceed to the next stage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25303/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing a call for proposals under the FET College of the Future Major Projects Fund, I understand that a Strategic Assesment Report in relation to the Cavan Institute proposal has now been submitted by Cavan Monaghan ETB to SOLAS.
The Deputy will be aware that it was agreed that the Cavan Institute project, previously part of the Department of Education school building programme, would be advanced as part of the new FET capital funding programme.
The outcome of the initial strategic assessment is expected to be communicated to CMETB in July.
165. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans to review the student contribution charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25304/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am committed to the progressive implementation of measures to address costs as a barrier to education, within the overall context of Government policy towards costs of living and other relevant strategies including those related to access and participation in education.
It is important to highlight the very substantial financial support, currently well in excess of half a billion euros, provided by the taxpayer towards tuition fees and the student contribution for students in higher education. This comprises State funding of tuition costs amounting to €357m per annum for 146,000 eligible higher education students and €190m paid by the Exchequer under the Student Grant Scheme in respect of all or some of the €3,000 student contribution which benefits over 65,000 eligible students.
The student contribution costs as shared between the students and the state is a significant element of the overall income of our higher education institutions. In this regard the student contribution rate requires consideration in the context of a sustainable model of funding for higher education.
On May 4th I launched Funding the Future – the Government's policy response to the Cassells and DG Reform Reviews on the future of higher education. Funding the Future settles the question on funding Higher Education. The Government has decided that income contingent loans for fees will not form part of the future funding model. Instead, the Government is committing to a multi-funded model of additional Exchequer investment and employer contributions through the National Training Fund.
The policy sets out the vision and direction of higher education funding, our commitment to addressing legacy issues in higher education and detailing our ambitious plans for investment and reform. This includes:
- planned additional investment of €307 million to address core funding challenges for our institutions, that will be made over a number of years through annual budgetary processes. This does not account for future demographic needs or new policy proposals for higher education.
- Plans to consider options to address cost as a barrier to higher education, and how we will pursue funding measures on these issues through the Estimates process, including in respect of reductions to the student contribution and enhancements to the SUSI grant in line with the Student Grant Review.
As I look towards the next budgetary cycle, I will be examining all the levers I have to address the issue in a way that has impact for students and families and that applies broadly across society.
I intend to publish, during the Summer in advance of each year’s Estimates process, a paper outlining potential options and impacts, to be considered in the Budgetary process, related to the Student Grant scheme and other programmes related to student supports and costs of higher education, including with respect to those priorities identified in the Student Grant Scheme Review.
166. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans to extend supports to students studying part-time pursuant to the independent review of the student grant scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25305/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to eligible students attending an approved full-time course at an approved institution. Part-time courses are not currently eligible for support under the scheme. In 2021 I approved a review of the Student Grant Scheme to ensure that adequate student supports are in place, alongside the sustainable funding model for the sector. One of the recommendations from the DG Reform’s Structural Reform Support Programme is the need for a policy proposal for the re-design of the higher education funding system in Ireland that would provide equity in access, efficiency in the investment of public resources and sustainability in the face of strong demographic growth.
The Student Grant Scheme review raised the issue of flexible learning citing that many socio economically disadvantaged students would have considered part-time if the option had been available to them. This aligns with the findings of the consultation undertaken for the National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education which identified the need for the sector to provide flexible learning options for people disadvantaged by socio-economic barriers, mature students, students with a disability and members of the travelling community.
I officially launched both reports on May 4th and am committed to implementing the recommendations in a phased way, in the context of successive annual Estimates processes. This summer in advance of the Estimates process, I intend to publish a paper outlining potential options and impacts, to be considered in the Budgetary process, related to the Student Grant scheme and other programmes related to student supports and costs of higher education, including with respect to those priorities identified in the Student Grant Scheme Review.
The issue of potentially expanding part-time delivery of tertiary education in Ireland is a complex one and significant planning will need to be conducted at both national and institution level to manage the significant supply-side impacts on educational institutions. An internal working group will be established within my Department to support lifelong learning and explore the extension of financial supports to include part-time students.
Part-time students in third-level institutions experiencing exceptional financial need can apply for support under the Student Assistance Fund. The Student Assistance Fund (SAF) provides financial assistance to students experiencing financial difficulties while attending third level. Students can be assisted towards costs such as rent, childcare costs, transport costs and books/class materials. Students on full or part-time courses leading to a higher education award (NQF level 6-10) in the universities, institutes of technology and other approved colleges can apply for the SAF.
Also, tax relief at the standard rate of tax may be available in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education. Further information on this relief is available from a student’s local Tax Office or from the Revenue Commissioners website, www.revenue.ie.
167. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Justice the status of an application by persons (details supplied) under the Afghan Admission Programme; if all the relevant documentation has been provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24994/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAll applications made under the Afghan Admissions Programme received by the closing date of 11 March 2022 are currently being processed by my officials.
The application for the persons referred to by the Deputy does not appear to have been received by my Department by the closing date. My Department is checking its records and has reached out to the proposer’s legal representative to confirm their registered post reference details, which will facilitate the tracking of the application.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility (inisoireachtasmail@justice.ie) which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
168. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice if she intends to bring forward legislation to address the issue of parental legislation; the timeframe for the delivery of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25022/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand that the Deputy is referring to the issue of parental alienation.
As the Deputy will be aware, among the recommendations made in the Report of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice and Equality on Reform of the Family Law System was that consideration be given to whether laws should be amended to take into account situations where one parent is wrongfully influencing their child or children against the other parent, thereby creating unfair and unwarranted alienation that can be destructive and life lasting.
In that regard and to better inform further discussion on parental alienation, my Department arranged for research to be carried out.
The aims of the research included to:
- Identify the various definitions and characteristics of parental alienation being used internationally.
- Investigate what is known about the prevalence of this issue (in Ireland or internationally) through examination of the literature.
- Identify and outline the various approaches and responses being taken in other jurisdictions to deal with the issue of parental alienation (legislative and otherwise).
- Describe, outline and evaluate any studies which have examined the effectiveness of these various international approaches and assess the relevance of these studies to the Irish context.
I am pleased to say that a draft report was received by my Department at the end of November. This report was reviewed and my officials have engaged with the authors regarding some clarifications on the initial draft. The authors have agreed to undertake some further work on the report.
It is also my intention to commence a public consultation on the topic shortly. Both the research and consultation will, I expect, create a deeper understanding of the issue, and inform my Department’s consideration of policy and law in this area.
The best interests of the child will of course be paramount in any considerations.
169. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice the number of cases by county brought before the courts in respect of coercive control in 2020 and 2021. [25023/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraManagement of the courts, operational matters and logistical functions are the responsibility of the judiciary and Courts Service, which are independent in exercising their functions under the Courts Service Act 1998 and given the separation of powers in the Constitution. The Courts Service has a dedicated email address for the provision of information to members of the Houses of the Oireachtas at: oireachtasenquiries@courts.ie.
I have referred your question to the Courts Service for their direct reply.
170. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the status of a family reunion visa (details supplied) which was made on 4 January 2022; and if she will request her Department to expedite this application given the circumstances.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25078/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person referred to by the Deputy submitted on-line Join Family (Irish national) visa application on 3 January 2022. Processing of this application is ongoing at present. As each application is examined under it's own merits, I am unable to provide an exact timeframe for its completion.
In accordance with the provisions of my Department's Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification, processing of family reunification visa applications such as this may take up to six months to determine from date documentation is received in the relevant Visa Office.The Visa Office endeavours to have applications of this nature processed earlier than this, however, this is not always possible. In order to be fair to all applicants, applications are processed in order by date received in the Office.
The Deputy can be assured that every effort is made to keep processing times to a minimum, and a number of measures have been put in place to deal with the increased demand for visas to come to Ireland. This has included the assignment of additional staff to deal with applications, and, more generally, the streamlining of visa processes, where possible.
171. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Justice the reason that an application for naturalisation by a person (details supplied) is taking so long.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25298/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe application for naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed, with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation, and will be submitted to me for decision in due course.
The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour which confers certain rights and entitlements not only within the State but also at European Union level and it is important that appropriate procedures are in place to preserve the integrity of the process.
It is recognised that all applicants for citizenship would wish to have a decision on their application without delay. However, the nature of the naturalisation process is such that, for a broad range of reasons, some cases will take longer than others to process. In some instances, completing the necessary checks can take a considerable period of time.
In addition, the combined impact of the 2019 High Court judgment in the Jones case and the necessary health restrictions arising from the pandemic, has unfortunately resulted in the processing time for standard applications increasing.
However, my Department is taking a number of steps to speed up the processing of applications and a number of digitisation measures have also been introduced to increase efficiency in the process, including eTax clearance, eVetting and online payments. The end result of the digitisation process will be to free up more staff to focus on processing applications in a timely and efficient manner, to improve service to our customers and reduce waiting times.
In 2021, my Department issued 11,512 citizenship decisions, which is the highest number of decisions made since 2015, and reflects positively the significant changes undertaken to date.
It is open to the applicant to contact the Citizenship Division of my Department at: citizenshipinfo@justice.ie at any time for an update on their application.
172. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health if he anticipates any difficulty or delay in payment of the €1,000 pandemic bonus payment wherein a qualifying individual is now working for a new employer within a qualifying sector; to outline whether two or more employers are expected to split the cost of the pandemic bonus payment in such circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25220/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly.
173. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if he will make available the correspondence that he received from the 52 senior National Maternity Hospital clinicians in February 2022. [25329/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can advise the Deputy that the letter in question has been published by the National Maternity Hospital. It is available at the following link: www.nmh.ie/news/letter-to-government-on-hospital-move-to-elm-park.15110.html.
174. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health if the HSE will provide transport for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24964/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
175. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the proposed cap on hospital car parking charges. [24965/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am aware that hospitals that charge parking fees are very cognisant of the financial implications of parking costs for patients and their families, particularly for those with long-term illnesses.
Consequently, some hospitals have introduced a maximum daily fixed parking charge and reduced rate parking for long-term patients and visitors for whom the payment of the full rate would cause hardship.
The Programme for Government makes a commitment to introduce a cap on the maximum daily charge for patients and visitors at all public hospitals, where possible and to introduce flexible passes in all public hospitals for patients and their families. I am very aware of the financial burden this issue can cause some patients and families. Accordingly, my Department and the HSE are currently examining the issue.
176. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health when the new Children's Hospital to be built on the St. James's Hospital site is expected to open; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24967/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe new Children’s Hospital (NCH) project comprises the main hospital on a shared campus at St James’s, the Outpatient and Urgent Care Centre at Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, and the Outpatient and Emergency Care Centre at Tallaght University Hospital.
The two satellite centres are now open. The Outpatient and Emergency Care Centre at Tallaght University Hospital opened in November 2021 while the Outpatient and Urgent Care Centre at Connolly Hospital opened in July 2019.
Work on the main site is progressing well. While 2021 saw significant progress on the exterior, the major focus in 2022 is continuing the internal fit-out. This ranges from first fix in some areas, while others are much further progressed, with ceilings and joinery being fitted.
The NCH was connected to a permanent supply of power from the ESB network in 2022. Other key milestones expected in 2022 include the completion of the main biome glazed structure encasing the feature stairway and lifts, completion of the rooflights and ward end glazing to the Level 4 Rainbow Garden.
The National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) has advised that the main contractor’s current programme schedule outlines completion can be achieved by December 2023 which would mean the NCH at St James’s could open in the second half of 2024, after the necessary commissioning period. The NPHDB is working to ensure that contractor will meet its own schedule.
177. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health when voretigene neparvovec luxturna will be added to the reimbursement list in line with the Health Act 2013 and the national framework agreed with the pharmaceutical industry under which a company must submit an application to the HSE to have a new medicine approved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24969/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicines under the community drug schemes, in accordance with the provisions of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for reply to the Deputy.
178. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if he will advise on a matter raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24981/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can advise the Deputy that the Department has received correspondence. However, in line with the provisions of the Protected Disclosures Act, 2014, the Department does not comment on individual cases in order to protect the identity of the discloser.
179. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Health the sequence of events in relation to a building (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24987/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the management of the public healthcare property estate, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to you in relation to this matter.
180. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health if his Department plans to make cariban available on the drugs repayment scheme or on the medical card in order that women debilitated by hyperemesis can avail of the medication for the duration of their pregnancy if necessary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24999/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra246. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost to ensure that all women can access medication for hyperemesis gravidarium as needed. [25149/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 180 and 246 together.
Under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for the administration of the community drug schemes; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
181. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who presented to emergency departments with self-harm and or intentional poisoning by CHO area in 2019, 2020 , 2021 and to date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25006/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
