Written Answers Nos. 232-240
232. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Justice if he will provide data, if available, on the qualification levels (details supplied) of civil servants in his Department as of 31 December 2022; how educational attainment levels have evolved in recent years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14633/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra233. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Justice the average number of days training per grade, in his/her Department in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022; how this compares internationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14862/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is committed to building staff skills and capability by ensuring that a wide range of learning and development (L&D) opportunities, aligned to the Department's strategic needs, are available to staff, as appropriate.
As the Deputy will appreciate, the nature and extent of training for staff of my Department in the years 2019 to 2021 has been impacted by significant internal and external events. Over the course of 2019, my Department developed and implemented a major structural reform programme moving away from the existing traditional structures to a functional operational model. Staff were supported through the implementation phase of this transformation by an extensive training programme, targeting staff most impacted by the changes.
The Covid-19 pandemic followed in 2020 and curtailed the training and education options available to staff that year and into 2021. These events compounded data capture challenges, meaning it is not feasible for my Department to provide the average number of training days per grade for 2019, 2020 or much of 2021.
The following table relates to data specific to short term training courses funded and/or administered through my Department's L&D budget.
It is important to note that the information included in the table does not present the full picture of all training undertaken by staff of my Department during 2022. For example, workshops delivered by in-house subject matter experts or open access master classes. Training courses lasting less than half a day have not been factored into the totals included in the following table.
Furthermore, as it would not be practicable to break longitudinal courses down by day, information concerning higher level qualifications such as professional certificates, diplomas, under-graduate or post-graduate degree courses, are not reported in the table.
|
Grade |
Total Number of Staff as at 31 December 2022 |
Total Number of Training Days by Grade for 2022 |
Average Number of Training Days by Grade for 2022 |
|
A. Sec |
18 |
5.5 |
0.3 |
|
PO |
94 |
34.5 |
0.36 |
|
AP |
361 |
119.5 |
0.33 |
|
HEO |
300 |
147 |
0.5 |
|
AO |
371 |
87 |
0.23 |
|
EO |
540 |
200 |
0.37 |
|
CO |
810 |
144 |
0.17 |
It has not been possible to access relevant data in relation to any international benchmarks concerning the average number of training days undertaken by civil servants in other jurisdictions that would be appropriate for comparison purposes.
As the Deputy will appreciate, my Department and indeed the Civil Service more generally, is a beneficiary of wider educational attainment trends, with Ireland recently ranking third in the OECD for the rate of third-level education attainment, at 54% compared to the average of 41%. Third-level qualifications are now an eligibility requirement for a number of civil service grades and specialist roles recruited into the Department of Justice. While there are a number of specific recruitment pathways for graduates within the Civil Service, staff members recruited to roles where no such formal eligibility criterion exist frequently also hold third level qualifications.
At present, civil servants’ education attainment levels are not systematically recorded by my Department following their appointment. It is therefore not possible to provide data on the qualification levels of Department of Justice staff as of December 2022.
Where a strong business need is identified, the Department’s Refund of Fees Scheme provides support to eligible staff to pursue relevant third level, undergraduate, post-graduate and approved professional qualifications, as part of our broader efforts in building appropriate skills and knowledge across our organisation. Under the Refund of Fees Scheme for the academic year 2021/2022, 92 staff members were supported to undertake courses ranging from diploma level qualifications to doctorate degrees.
My Department will continue to support staff L&D to ensure they have the skills, knowledge and capabilities to do their work effectively.
234. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 637 of 5 October 2021, if he will provide an exact breakdown of the service costs of €3.1m for the Owenacurra Centre, Midleton in tabular form during the year 2021; if he will provide the actual spend on the service by the HSE for that year and for a breakdown in tabular form of this figure if it differed from the projected costs provided in the PQ response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13978/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
235. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 127 of 9 February 2022, if he will provide an exact breakdown of the projected total annual service costs of €0.75 million for Glenwood House, Carrigaline in tabular form; if any changes to the projections have applied since the response to that Parliamentary Question in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13979/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
236. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the HSE managers who approved contracts for renovations and other works to Glenwood House, Carrigaline following the purchase of that property in January 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13980/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
237. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the HSE managers who approved security contracts for Millfield House, Blackpool for each of the years 2019 through 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13981/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
238. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health to expedite an appointment (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13990/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder 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.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
239. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will outline what contingency plans are in place to ensure the continuous supply of Ozempic, a medicine for diabetes patients; what measures are in place to distribute the existing stocks of Ozempic to pharmacies and patients who are prescribed this medicine for medical diabetes grounds as opposed to other uses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13992/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraShortages of the diabetes medicine Ozempic are linked to the increased demand which has been attributed to the off-label use of the product to treat obesity. Novo Nordisk, the marketing authorisation holder for Ozempic, has notified the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) of intermittent supply issues with Ozempic products due to increased global demand. The company anticipates that intermittent supply will continue into 2023.
Novo Nordisk has implemented monthly allocations to help ensure continuity of supply and equitable distribution of Ozempic stock to Irish patients. The company has issued letters to relevant stakeholders, including healthcare professionals to ensure they are aware of this supply issue and its management.
Information relating to medicines shortages, including particular information relating to Ozempic, can be found on the HPRA's website (Medicines Shortages (hpra.ie). Information on shortages is dynamic and changes depending on the current information the HPRA has to hand, including removal from the list when a shortage has been resolved.
240. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the last time that each hospital group, excluding the Saolta group (details supplied) conducted a bed capacity analysis for each hospital in the country; the findings of those analyses; the recommendations of those analyses; if he will provide details of any capacity targets that were identified in these processes; if the analyses generated a report or document; and if he will provide a copy of these reports or documents to this Deputy. [13998/23]
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.
