Written Answers Nos. 221-238
221. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health the number of new insulin pump starts done in each of the hospitals within hospital groups (details supplied); and the number of those who are aged 0-18 years and greater than 18 years, for 2022 and 2023, in tabular form. [27550/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
222. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health the number of new insulin pump starts done in each of the hospitals within hospital groups (details supplied); and the number of those who are aged 0-18 years and greater than 18 years, for the years 2022 and 2023, in tabular form. [27551/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
225. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health the number of applications that were received by the HSE LHO and the primary care reimbursement service for continuous glucose monitoring systems (details supplied); and the number of applications that were denied; and the number of denied applications that were for persons over 18 years of age. [27554/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
226. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health the plans to extend the national cancer strategy, which has two years remaining to run; and the measures in place to address the €180 million cumulative funding shortfall in the national cancer strategy as reported by an organisation (details supplied) in its report this week. [27567/24]
View answerSuccessive national cancer strategies have shown the benefit of continued investment in national cancer services. The benefits for Irish cancer patients come from earlier diagnosis, better treatment, and improved rates of survival. This Government's commitment to the implementation of the National Cancer Strategy is evidenced by significant investment in recent years. Progress on implementing the Strategy has been driven by clear, evidence-based policy direction from my Department and strong implementation by the HSE's National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP).
Since 2017, there has been an additional investment of €456 million in cancer services, including €81 million on cancer prevention, screening and treatment; €316 million spent on cancer medicines; and €59 million on cancer research grants through the Health Research Board. I have allocated substantial funding of €50 million for national cancer treatment and screening services over the years 2021 to 2023. In the same period, I have allocated additional €98 million for new medicines, facilitating the introduction of 61 new cancer medicines .
Capital funding of more than €120 million has provided state-of-the-art radiation oncology facilities in Galway and Cork and updated cancer infrastructure in chemotherapy wards and lab facilities for the benefit of patients. A further €20 million has been invested in the new national cervical screening laboratory.
The funding since 2017 has enabled the recruitment of more than 670 staff to our national cancer services. This includes an additional 200 nursing staff, 100 consultants and 180 health and social care professionals in designated cancer centres. Taken as a whole, this represents a significant investment in the implementation of the aims of the national cancer strategy and providing improved access to cancer care for patients in Ireland.
227. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health the plans, if any, in place to address the failure to increase the percentage of participants in the FIT test for the early detection of bowel cancer, which still stands at just 45%, as this failure is being directly linked to a lack of adequate funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27568/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
228. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health the number of home care hours undelivered for the years 2023 and to date in 2024 in CHO7 and nationwide, in tabular form. [27570/24]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
229. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Health the reason a parent with two children (details supplied) and others with type 1 diabetes who are on Medtronic sensors must now replace the sensor at their own expense in the event of failure due to technical difficulties, problems with insertion, or accidently being knocked off the body due to a cutback in monthly supply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27573/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
230. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when all ETB tutors can expect their new contracts to be issued. [27328/24]
View answerA proposal issued to staff representatives last year to establish a new grade of adult educator, with a standardised pay scale aligned with the Youthreach Resource Person scale. A number of issues arose in subsequent negotiations with staff representatives on the implementation of the proposal. These issues have since been resolved and agreement reached on a revised offer to tutors employed by Education and Training Boards in Adult, Community and Further Education settings.
Existing adult education tutors have the option of moving to the new incremental pay scale with effect from 1st April 2023 or remaining on their current terms and conditions. Assimilation to the adult educator scale will be based on the tutors’ current rates of pay and their full-time equivalence will be based on their current contracted hours.
Tutors on fixed term contracts will be issued with adult educator contracts on renewal of their contracts and all newly hired adult educators will be appointed to the new grade and commence on the first point of the scale.
The Education and Training Boards were notified of the implementation arrangements in April. With a view to ensuring implementation takes place this year, the ETBs were requested to issue offer letters to allow sufficient time for tutors to consider their options in order for contract changes to take effect from September 2024.
231. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he can ensure that historic disparities between ETB tutors and teachers in other settings are being addressed in the new contracts, and that ETB tutors are now treated on parity with teachers in other settings. [27329/24]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, a proposal issued to staff representatives last year to establish a new grade of adult educator, with a standardised pay scale aligned with the Youthreach Resource Person scale. A number of issues arose in subsequent negotiations with staff representatives on the implementation of the proposal. These issues have since been resolved and agreement reached on a revised offer to tutors employed by Education and Training Boards in Adult, Community and Further Education settings.
Existing adult education tutors have the option of moving to the new incremental pay scale with effect from 1st April 2023 or remaining on their current terms and conditions. Assimilation to the adult educator scale will be based on the tutors’ current rates of pay and their full-time equivalence will be based on their current contracted hours. The contractual obligations of adult educators will be to deliver 1,044 contact hours and an associated 782 non-contact hours, equating to 1,826 hours for a whole time post.
Tutors on fixed term contracts will be issued with adult educator contracts on renewal of their contracts and all newly hired adult educators will be appointed to the new grade and commence on the first point of the scale.
The Education and Training Boards were notified of the implementation arrangements in April. With a view to ensuring implementation takes place this year, the ETBs were requested to issue offer letters to allow sufficient time for tutors to consider their options in order for contract changes to take effect from September 2024.
232. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of students that applied for a SUSI grant in each of the years 2015 to 2024; the number of students that were granted and refused a grant in each year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27350/24]
View answerThe Student Grant Scheme is the principal support for students in financial terms by my Department. It provides grant assistance to eligible students attending approved full-time courses in approved further or higher educational institutions who meet the prescribed eligibility criteria of the relevant scheme.
The Scheme is administered on behalf of my Department by the national student grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland), a business unit of CDETB. Under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to eligible students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means.
The following table outlines the number of applications that were received, awarded, refused and cancelled from 2015/2016 to 2024/2025 on 24th June 2024.
233. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of letters and emails he has received regarding students that had issues with their SUSI grant applications in each of the past five years, in tabular form. [27351/24]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is not readily available.
My Department receives, on a daily basis, numerous correspondence from students, parents, and politicians on behalf of their constituents on a wide range of issues such as individual SUSI grant applications, information sought on what support is available to students who wish to attend further and higher education in this state and abroad, access related measures, however, these queries are not categorised.
My Department endeavours to ensure that all correspondence is acknowledged and replied to within the required timeframe, with further information and guidance provided as needed.
234. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of persons who sought a SUSI grant on the grounds that they were estranged from their parents in each of the past ten years, in tabular form. [27352/24]
View answerFor student grants purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students.
A student may be assessed as an independent mature student if he or she has attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an approved course or of re-entry following a break in studies of at least three years and is not ordinarily resident with his/her parents from the previous October. Otherwise he or she would continue to be assessed on the basis of parental income.
Only in exceptional cases, where compelling evidence of estrangement from parents/guardians is provided, can candidates who are under 23 be assessed without reference to their parents/guardians income or address, Article 21(3) (b) of the Scheme refers.
The assessment of a case of estrangement is carefully considered to ensure there is sufficient evidence to demonstrate that the exceptional circumstances pertaining in such cases genuinely exists. Cases of genuine estrangement are relatively rare and almost always will involve exceptional circumstances unique to a particular family situation. The scheme does not stipulate precisely how an awarding authority satisfies itself that such circumstances prevail. This is to allow the awarding authority sufficient flexibility to assess the evidence of irrevocable estrangement in each individual case. The type of documentary evidence required is dependent on the applicant's individual circumstances.
Please see below for the number of applicants who applied for a SUSI grant stating estrangement from 2016/17 to 2024/25.
Please note that data from academic years prior to 2016/17 is not available.
235. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his attention has been drawn to an organisation (details supplied) in Kilkenny which is currently not accessible to one of its participants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27408/24]
View answerMy officials have made enquires with SOLAS and Kilkenny and Carlow Education and Training Board (KCETB). Whilst they are not aware of the issue raised, my officials will provide the contact details for the Community Training Officer in KCETB to the Deputy directly who can assist the National Learning Network in question.
SOLAS advised my officials that Education and Training Boards (ETBs) are issued with an annual Devolved Capital Grant allocation which can be used for, inter alia, addressing issues of accessibility. In addition, ETBs may apply to SOLAS for an Emergency Health and Safety Grant should the funding amount required exceed the finance available in the Devolved Capital Grant.
236. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if student contribution fees will be abolished for all incomes under €55,924 from September 2024 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27420/24]
View answerStudents subject to a student contribution charge with a reckonable income under €55,924 under the Student Grant Scheme who fulfil all other eligibility criteria under the Scheme will be eligible to receive a 100% Student Contribution Grant from September 2024, which in effect means that they will not be liable to pay any fees. The Student Grant Scheme 2024 has been published and is available on www.irishstatutebook.ie
Part-Time courses are not subject to a student contribution charge. However, the Deputy may wish to also note that a new part-time fee scheme will be introduced from September 2024. It will provide fee support to eligible part-time students attending specified publicly funded undergraduate courses leading to a major award, and the income threshold for this scheme is intended to also be €55,924. The parameters of the part-time scheme are currently being finalised and I will announce full details in due course.
237. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if local authorities are required to make the local improvement scheme financial contribution for community-amenity LIS roads; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27406/24]
View answerThe Local Improvement Scheme supports improving non-public rural roads and laneways that are not usually maintained by local authorities. I was delighted to announce record funding of €40 million for the Scheme in April of this year, which demonstrates the importance my Department attaches to maximising the impact of the scheme for rural dwellers.
Roads eligible under the Scheme include amenity roads. These are non-public roads leading to essential community amenities such as graveyards, beaches, piers, mountain access points, other tourist/heritage sites, or any other non-public road that, in the opinion of the local authority, is necessary for use by the public.
A component of the scheme's delivery is a local contribution made by the beneficiaries towards the cost of the improvement works on a non-public road deemed eligible by the local authority. This ranges between 10% - 15% and is capped at €1,200 per beneficiary. A 15% local contribution is required in the case of amenity roads and the relevant local authority is responsible for paying this contribution.
However, if there are other beneficiaries on an amenity road, the local authority may seek a portion of their local contribution, subject to a cap of €1,200. This is at the discretion of each local authority as per the terms of the Scheme.
238. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department can assist a committee (details supplied); if she will review a document from the committee; the other funding options that may be available to this committee; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27457/24]
View answerThe LEADER Programme is a key intervention of Our Rural Future, the Government’s Policy for rural development which aims to deliver a range of actions to rural communities over the lifetime of the policy. It supports a broad range of activities which aim to respond to the diversity of the local needs of our rural areas.
It is delivered through Local Action Groups (LAGs) across rural Ireland. A feature of the LEADER programme is that it is based on a community-led, bottom-up approach to rural development.
Funding under the 2023-2027 LEADER programme is not targeted at any particular group or sector in rural communities. It is, rather, focused on a thematic approach to rural development under the headings; Economic Development and Job Creation, Rural Infrastructure and Social Inclusion, Sustainable Development of the Rural Environment and Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation. Funding for activities such as that referenced by the Deputy may be available under one of these themes.
In order for a project to be eligible for LEADER funding, it must be compatible with the actions outlined in the approved Local Development Strategy in the sub-regional area concerned, and it must comply with the Operating Rules and EU Regulations in place for the programme.
Prospective applicants should, in the first instance, contact their relevant LAG, through its Implementing Partner to discuss the eligibility of the project and the funding that may be available. The Implementing Partner in North Tipperary is North Tipperary Development Company CLG (NTDC) and may be contacted by phone at 067 56676 or by emailing info@ntlp.ie.
