Written Answers Nos. 470-491
470. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will make available the total expenditure of the allocated budget spent for each children's disability network team, CDNT, area in County Donegal (details supplied) from 1 January to 31 December 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20686/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
471. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the current staff vacancy rates in each of the CDNT areas in Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20687/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
472. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to increase and expand respite services in Waterford and west Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20745/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
473. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will clarify a matter in regard to the mother and baby institutions payment scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20756/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThese type of decisions are a matter for the Chief Deciding Officer of the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme and it would be inappropriate for me to offer an opinion on what is a precise operational matter.
That said, I will try to be helpful in general terms. The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme provides financial payments and health supports to eligible people who spent time in a Mother and Baby or County Home Institution.
The institutions covered by the Scheme are those identified by the Commission of Investigation as having a main function of providing sheltered and supervised ante and post-natal facilities to single mothers and their children. Ard Mhuire, Dunboyne is one of those institutions and 1991 is the concluding year for benefits relating to this institution as laid out in the underpinning legislation.
Any person who was in an institution for reasons relating to their pregnancy qualifies for the Scheme if they spent more than one night in the institution. I encourages anyone who thinks they may be eligible for the Scheme to apply.
All information on the Scheme, and how to apply, can be found at the dedicated Payment Scheme website - gov.ie/paymentscheme. Resources include an information booklet, questions and answers, and short 'how to' videos on the straightforward application process. A Helpline is also available at +353 1 522 9992. Applicants will be supported throughout the application process with information and advice if they need it.
474. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the amount of fees incurred for transporting beneficiaries of temporary protection to their accommodation centres from March 2022 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20784/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraOwing to the largest conflict on the European continent since World War Two, my Department continues to work as part of the whole-of-Government response with a focus on providing access to emergency temporary accommodation to those fleeing the conflict who request it, in line with Government policy.
To date, over 106,000 beneficiaries of temporary protection (BOTPs) have arrived in Ireland and over 84,000 of those have been referred to my Department seeking accommodation from the State.
After Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection arrived in the State and were assigned to designated temporary accommodation under the Temporary Protection Directive, transport would be required for the vast majority. Transport via coach would have been necessary to move people in larger numbers, especially at the height of the crisis, though other transport options would have been availed of, where required.
A breakdown of the costs incurred by my Department for transporting Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection to their accommodation centres from March 2022 to 1st May 2024 is outlined below:
2022 - €4,116,372.22;
2023 - €4,749,147.82; and
2024 - €1,047,397.53.
476. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will extend the exemption for those people with status and-or leave to remain in direct provision centres who have been issued transfer letters to lone parents and their children, like has been done for those who are over the age of 65 or with significant medical or welfare needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20923/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder The European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018, those who have had their application determined are no longer entitled to Material Reception conditions. However, the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) continues to accommodate those with status, until such time that they progress into the community.
All families granted International Protection (IP) or Leave to remain over eighteen months have been given notice that they will be offered alternative emergency accommodation after July 2024 should they be unable to find alternative accommodation before then.
This allows those still in the International Protection process to be accommodated in IPAS Accommodation centres whilst their application is being determined.
It is IPAS policy that those with status do not remain permanently in IPAS accommodation both to encourage integration into local communities and ensure sufficient capacity remains for incoming IP applicants. Given this, only those over the age of 65 or with a significant medical or welfare vulnerability are eligible for additional consideration.
477. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to report on the cost to ratify the Optional Protocol to the UNCRPD; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20930/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraRatification of the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) is a commitment in the Programme for Government, and I remain committed to ratification at the earliest possible date.
Ireland ratified the UNCRPD on 20 March 2018 and continues to implement the Convention on the basis of the continuous advancement of rights. Ireland has also engaged fully in the monitoring and accountability processes set out in the Convention, having submitted its first state report to the Committee in November of 2021 and we now await a review date before the Committee in Geneva. Ireland has also placed IHREC's role as the national independent monitoring body for the UNCRPD on a statutory basis.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Optional Protocol is an optional and additional international treaty that establishes additional procedures aimed at enhancing the implementation of UNCRPD rights. A scoping exercise on ratification is well advanced to ensure that the implications arising in respect of meeting the obligations under the Optional Protocol are identified.
While careful consideration is being given to the broader cost implications of ratification in the longer term, which may be difficult to quantify given the breadth and depth on the UNCRPD itself, it is my current understanding that there are no substantive direct costs expected to be incurred in terms of the act of ratification itself.
My Department has established an Inter-Departmental Group (IDG) to ensure that a comprehensive, whole-of-Government approach is taken to ensuring that the necessary enabling work to provide for the ratification of the Optional Protocol is completed, and so that ratification can proceed as quickly as possible.
There is a long-standing position of the state in relation to honouring international agreements. As a matter of foreign policy, Ireland does not enter into binding international treaties until we are confident that the obligations set out can be complied with. As such, the ongoing scoping exercise is procedurally necessary.
I intend to provide an update to my cabinet colleagues on the progress of the IDG and it's work on ratification of the Optional Protocol later in the year.
478. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to report on the cost to fully implement, resource and operate the UNCRPD; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20931/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) on 20 March 2018. This marked an important milestone in a process to strengthen the rights of people with disabilities in Ireland that has gathered momentum since Ireland became a signatory to the Convention in 2007. Ireland’s approach to meeting the obligations of the UNCRPD is one of continuous advancement, each year moving forward on key reforms, with the obligations arising from the Convention being ever-strengthened over time.
As such, the process of fully implementing and realising the UNCRPD is one without a defined end, and one which, in alignment with the Convention, State Parties must strive toward in the spirit of ongoing improvement. In line with the UNCRPD, Ireland takes a "mainstream-first" approach to the provision of disability services. This means that services for disabled people should be delivered in the first instance on the basis of mainstream inclusion, as opposed to separate or segregated provision.
As such, it is incumbent upon all public bodies to execute all of their functions in a manner that aligns with the UNCRPD and advances its implementation. In this way, given the breadth and depth of the UNCRPD's scope and is impact across public policy, and the fact that the UNCRPD articulates models of behaviour as much as concrete and definitive end points, it is not possible to quantify the cost of its full implementation.
In order to provide a framework in which strategic direction and budgetary commitments on disability issues can be better coordinated across government, my Department is committed to the delivery in 2024 of Ireland’s next National Disability Strategy. This is in fulfilment of a Programme for Government commitment to develop an implementation plan to advance the delivery of Ireland’s commitments under the Convention. The next National Disability Strategy will take a whole-of-government approach to advancement of the UNCRPD and provide a framework for further and ongoing action to implement the rights set out in the CRPD.
479. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to report on the cost to fully resource the new national disability inclusion strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20933/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Disability Strategy is at an advanced stage of development, and my Department is leading discussions across government for the development of a framework for ambitious and transformative action on disability. At a time when actions to be delivered under the strategy are still in development and have not been finalised, no costings are available for the full implementation of same.
This Government is committed to the delivery in 2024 of Ireland’s next National Disability Strategy. This is in fulfilment of a Programme for Government commitment to develop an implementation plan to coordinate the delivery of Ireland’s commitments under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
In line with the UNCRPD, Ireland takes a mainstream-first approach to the delivery of disability services. This means that services are delivered in the first instance on the basis of mainstream inclusion, rather than separate or segregated provision. As such, it is incumbent upon all public bodies to execute their functions in a fashion that aligns with the UNCRPD and advances its implementation.
The next National Disability Strategy will provide a whole-of-government framework for coordinated and coherent action on disability, that will support people with disabilities to live full lives of their own choosing. In developing and delivering on the actions under this framework, it will be a matter for each department and aegis body to determine associated costs and manage these from within their budgetary allocations.
480. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to report on the cost to maintain a junior ministry for disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20934/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe total annual salary cost associated with my office, which includes staffing, is €548,354.
481. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Health for an update on the home care package (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20107/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
482. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health his views that audiology waiting lists for a first appointment and for a review appointment are too long; his further views that there is a significant postcode lottery involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20109/24]
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.
483. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the current number of audiologist wholetime equivalents, WTEs, in post per 100,000 population in each community healthcare organisation or CHO area; his views that there is a wide variation of audiology staff between CHO areas; and if he accepts that this contributes to inequitable waiting lists between CHO areas. [20110/24]
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.
484. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the current waiting period for children aged over two years attending audiology services to receive a review appointment, by CHO area; his views that in many areas this is well outside recommended guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20111/24]
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.
485. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Health the staffing numbers for the Cashel minor injuries unit for the years 2020 to 2023, inclusive, and to date in 2024, broken down by profession; to confirm whether the recruitment ban is resulting in departing staff not being replaced; if all departing staff are being replaced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20113/24]
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.
486. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the average waiting times for genetic testing services for rare diseases in Ireland; and the measures the HSE is taking to improve access and speed of results for patients in need of genetic testing services. [20153/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
487. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health if the HSE funds daycare centres within CHO 8 for older persons’ services that are opened on the weekends; and if so, the locations of same, in tabular form. [20154/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
488. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health the funding requirements of the seeking safety Ireland programme, a vital and very successful programme that supports women who have experienced trauma and addiction; if a funding request has been received and reviewed; when he expects to sign off the funding to allow the programme to continue to provide the services and expand the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20170/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Seeking Safety Programme is an internationally recognised manual for establishing safety in the lives of women with a dual diagnosis. Seeking Safety Ireland is rolling out the valuable Seeking Safety Programme to women in Ireland who were experiencing the dual diagnosis of mental health difficulties and addiction, in addition to domestic and sexual gender-based violence and associated issues.
I met with Seeking Safety Ireland and the HSE recently to discuss the programme. Seeking Safety Ireland has been allocated €250,000 in recurring funding, to be allocated across 7 organisations. This forms part of a suite of supports funded under the additional €10 million funding allocation for mental health which I announced in January.
This programme previously received pilot funding through the Department of Health Women’s Health Fund in 2022, and the announcement of permanent funding today ensures that this programme can continue its work on a recurring basis.
489. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Kerry should expect to be called for an appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20172/24]
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.
490. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a person in County Donegal (details supplied) can expect to receive a date for an operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20176/24]
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.
491. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the plans he has, if any, to provide immediate funding to an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20178/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Seeking Safety Programme is an internationally recognised manual for establishing safety in the lives of women with a dual diagnosis. Seeking Safety Ireland is rolling out the valuable Seeking Safety Programme to women in Ireland who were experiencing the dual diagnosis of mental health difficulties and addiction, in addition to domestic and sexual gender-based violence and associated issues.
I met with Seeking Safety Ireland and the HSE recently to discuss the programme. Seeking Safety Ireland has been allocated €250,000 in recurring funding, to be allocated across 7 organisations. This forms part of a suite of supports funded under the additional €10 million funding allocation for mental health which I announced in January.
This programme previously received pilot funding through the Department of Health Women’s Health Fund in 2022, and the announcement of permanent funding today ensures that this programme can continue its work on a recurring basis.
