Written Answers Nos. 639-659
639. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Health what nutritional guidelines are in place for the school meals programme; the measures in place to ensure these guidelines are being complied with; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20876/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra640. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Health when provisions of the Public Safety (Notifiable Incidents and Open Disclosure) Act 2023 will be commenced to bring private hospitals into the remit of HIQA for the purpose of investigation of adverse patient events. [20877/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraPart 7 of the Patient Safety (Notifiable Incidents and Open Disclosure) Act 2023 amends the Health Act 2007 and will allow HIQA to monitor the compliance of the private/independent healthcare sector with standards set under the provisions of the Health Act 2007.
In this way private providers of services will, therefore, be subject to the same conditions that apply currently to public providers. HIQA will be able to monitor compliance in the private sector with the National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare. The National Standards will enable HIQA to identify and report on where quality and safety improvements might be made in the delivery of services.
It is planned to commence the Patient Safety (Notifiable Incidents and Open Disclosure) Act 2023 as soon as possible this year.
This timeline has been set as, prior to commencement of the Act, there are a number of preparatory steps required. These are currently being progressed and significant multi-stakeholder engagement is now taking place across the health system.
The Act establishes a mandatory requirement for the notification of certain serious patient safety incidents. To facilitate this notification process, a new module to the existing National Incident Management System (NIMS) must be designed, tested and implemented before this provision can be commenced. Work with key stakeholders, including the HSE, State Claims Agency, HIQA and the Mental Health Commission, has been underway for some time and is approaching completion.
The HSE advise that work is underway to finalise and fully roll out their new open disclosure training policy and communications plan to all staff regarding the new disclosure and notification requirements under the Act before its implementation can be rolled out.
The Patient Safety Act also mandates open disclosure of patient requested review of cancer screening and the implementation of a communications programme regarding such reviews. The HSE and the Screening Services are currently finalising these processes.
641. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Health for an update on the situation around the dental treatment services scheme, including a list in tabular form, of the number of dentists working under the scheme in each county in the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20879/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) provides dental care, free of charge, to medical card holders aged 16 and over. Services available annually and on demand include an examination including preventative elements, two fillings, extractions, and a scale and polish. More complex care, such as dentures, additional fillings and a broader range of treatments for patients with additional needs and high-risk patients, are available subject to the approval of the local HSE Principal Dental Surgeon.
To support practitioners to provide care under the Scheme, I approved a range of measures that were put in place on 1 May 2022 to introduce and reintroduce elements of preventative care and increase the fees paid to dental contractors for most treatment items by 40-60%. In 2023, 154,864 additional treatments were provided under the DTSS, with over 26,700 extra patients treated when compared with 2022.
In the longer term, the Government is committed to reforming dental services, including the DTSS, through the implementation of the National Oral Health Policy (NOHP), Smile agus Sláinte. An implementation plan for the 2024-2026 phase of roll-out is being drafted by my Department and the HSE. The HSE's Strategic Reform Lead is driving policy implementation across the organisation and developing new services. The HSE's National Service Plan (NSP) for 2024 captures a range of priorities that are essential prerequisites to a new contract for care for adult medical card holders:
- Development of a comprehensive phased policy implementation plan for the range of actions identified in the policy, including stakeholder engagement and resource identification; and
- The design of clinical elements for reformed preventative care for adult medical cardholders as referenced in the policy.
(Progression of oral healthcare packages for children aged from birth to seven years of age is also an NSP priority for 2024.)
The National Oral Health Policy also contains a range of strategic workforce planning actions to increase workforce capacity, in support of improving patient's access to care. To support this work, my Department is currently finalising a workforce census for oral healthcare.
I have asked the HSE to forward the requested data on the number of dentists working under the DTSS scheme in each county in the State to the Deputy as soon as possible.
642. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Health the number of children currently awaiting dental treatment, including waiting times, in counties Louth and Meath, under the primary school dental checks scheme, including details of the number of children who have not received checks when they were due and how long overdue these checks are; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20880/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
643. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 863 of 31 March 2021, to outline when children’s eye clinic services will resume in Portlaoise, having been relocated to Athlone during Covid-19 due to the unavailability of facilities (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20895/24]
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.
644. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of long waiting list times for an initial assessment with National Counselling Services; what he is doing to reduce these waiting times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20922/24]
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.
645. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health to report on the cost of reforming and passing the Bill to reform the Mental Health Act 2001; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20936/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraA Mental Health Bill is currently being drafted by the Office of Parliamentary Counsel to replace the existing Mental Health Acts 2001 – 2022 and overhaul our approach to mental health legislation. While the Department expects many of the proposed changes in the new Bill to be dealt with generally within existing resources, some of the planned changes are expected to carry additional costs, such as the enhanced role for Authorised Officers in the involuntary admission process and the expansion of the Mental Health Commission’s regulatory remit to include community residences and services.
Preliminary work on costing the additional resources required by the Mental Health Commission, as the regulator of mental health services, and the HSE, as the main provider of mental health services, has been carried out. A more in-depth exercise to estimate projected costs will be carried out in the context of seeking approval from Cabinet to publish the Bill in the coming months. Following the enactment of the Bill, officials in my Department will work with key stakeholders to ready the sector for the commencement of the new Mental Health Act, and will include the allocation of additional resources through the annual Estimates process.
More broadly, mental health services are moving towards more community-based care for people accessing mental health services, and away from prolonged care in inpatient mental health settings where possible, in line with our national mental health policy, Sharing the Vision, and Sláintecare. Continued investment in mental health services at all levels, including community and inpatient services, will be needed to ensure the continued efficacy and improvement of services and to continue to uphold the rights of people accessing services.
Priority drafting was granted to the Bill in all three legislative sessions in 2023, and the first legislative session in 2024. The Bill was granted priority drafting for publication in the current session and intensive work is ongoing to finalise the drafting of the Bill to ready it for publication later in the current session.
646. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the 2023 and 2024 budget allocation for near zero energy building training centres of excellence; and the amount of that budget that has been spent. [20162/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraNear Zero Energy Building/ Retrofit training is an important step in meeting the Government’s ambitious target to retrofit 500,000 homes to BER B2 standards by 2030 as set out in the National Retrofit Plan.
The development of a national suite of NZEB Centres of Excellence is key to providing workers with the skills and knowledge required to reach this goal. Six centres are currently operated by Education and Training Boards across the country. The number of workers availing of these opportunities has increased steadily since the first centre was opened in 2020. There was a record 4,452 enrolments in 2023.
Capital investment was made in NZEB Centres of Excellence in Cork and Limerick during 2023 to values of €206,489.69 and €225,312.13, respectively.
In 2024, the Sligo centre in Collooney has been approved for capital funding at the level of €1.8m. Tendering is ongoing which may lead to a cost change. No funding has yet been drawn down.
An amount of €850,000 for capital has been allocated for a centre in Ballyfermot for 2024.
No additional capital funding was allocated in the budget to LOETB or WWETB for NZEB in 2023/ 2024.
LOETB has been allocated €4,897,880 under the Strategic Infrastructure Upgrade Fund to deliver a new building to support teaching in the existing NZEB centre and as part of activities associated with the National Construction Campus. No funds have yet been spent but there is an expectation that draw-down will commence towards the end of 2024.
Programme development and delivery costs are managed by each ETB and allocated through the existing funding protocol between them and SOLAS.
647. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department has received the 2023 Annual Report and 2023 Audited Financial Statement from SOLAS; and if not, when his Department expects to receive same. [20163/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraSection 32 of the Further Education and Training Act 2013 requires SOLAS to submit its annual report to me no later than the following 31st May, while section 31 requires it to submit its draft financial statements no later than 1st March to the Comptroller and Auditor General. I can confirm that SOLAS submitted its draft 2023 financial statements to the Comptroller and Auditor General on 27th February. My Department also received a copy of the draft financial statements in line with the 2016 Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies.
Once audited, the 2023 Financial Statements of SOLAS, incorporating the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General, together with the Annual Report will be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas in line with the statutory requirements and the procedures set out in Circular 24 of 2021 on “Timely Production and Submission of Financial Statements/Accounts of State Bodies and Funds audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General and the Laying of Special Reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General before the Houses of the Oireachtas”.
648. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to provide an indication of the composition of the operational guidelines working group operating under the auspices of Education and Training Boards Ireland; if there is sectorial input from staff currently working within ETB Youthreach designated centres and community training centres that provide the Youthreach programme; how the input data are being gathered; if those data are being gathered through the extended Education and Training Boards Ireland-issued follow-up sectoral response survey last month to the 16 ETBs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20197/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Operational Guidelines Working Group is a sub-group of the Directors of Further Education and Training (FET) Forum created under the auspices of Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI). It comprises nominees from the 16 ETBs, ETBI and SOLAS, a project consultant, and is chaired by an ETB FET Director.
The Working Group is developing updated and revised draft guidelines for Community Training Centres [CTCs], Special Training Provision [STPs] and Local Training Initiatives [LTIs], which are operated under grant agreements by ETBs with second providers.
On approval of the draft guidelines by the FET Directors Forum, the Working Group will commence a phase of extensive consultation with stakeholders including my Department, IACTO, and staff working in the CTCs, STPs and LTIs on the draft guidelines.
I understand that the Working Group plans to hold a webinar for stakeholders to allow for open discussion on the Draft Guidelines and interaction with the group members. A dedicated email address is to be established to gather feedback and observations, which will inform the finalised guidelines.
The recent sectoral response survey is separate to the work of this Working Group. ETBI will consider the individual ETB survey responses and prepare a report for SOLAS and my Department on the issues raised and measures taken in relation to Youthreach.
649. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason the pay increase of 2.25% backdated to 1 January 2024 was not paid to employees of University College Cork in the end of April payroll, despite the assurance that he gave in Parliamentary Question No. 265 of 11 April 2024 that his officials had instructed HEIs on 4 April 2024 to apply the revised rates of salary and allowances. [20221/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraUniversity College Cork (UCC) has confirmed that it is implementing the 2.25% pay increase backdated to 1st January 2024 as set out in the circular issued by my Department on 4 April 2024.
UCC has advised that the implementation of a pay increase with a back-dated element must take a number of variables into account over the period in question including salaries, allowances, overtime, changes to work patterns, Temporary Rehabilitation Rate of Pay for staff members on sick leave and hourly pay. Moreover, it requires recalculation of figures for staff who have retired or left their position during the arrears period. Against this backdrop, it was deemed necessary by UCC to wait until May 2024 in order to ensure all staff received their correct revised salary and any back-dated payment due for the period from January 2024.
650. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of employees within his Department and bodies under the aegis of his Department who are currently suspended on full pay pending disciplinary investigations; to outline, in tabular form, the length of time these employees have been under suspension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20316/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are no employees of my Department currently suspended on full pay pending disciplinary investigations.
The information in respect of state bodies, within the scope of the Deputy’s question, is not held by my Department. Contact details for these bodies are set out in the attached document, should the Deputy wish to contact the aegis bodies directly with their query.
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Contact E-Mail Addresses for State Bodies under the Remit of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science |
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- |
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Name of Body |
Dedicated Email address for the Members of the Oireachtas |
Designated Official Responsible for assisting Oireachtas Members |
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Higher Education Authority |
Oireachtas@hea.ie |
Padraic Mellett* |
|
Irish Research Council( Note 1) |
Oireachtas@research.ie |
Padraic Mellett* |
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Grangegorman Development Agency |
Communications@ggda.ie |
nora.rahill@ggda.ie |
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SOLAS |
oireachtasinfo@solas.ie |
Maria Walsh maria.walshe@solas.ie |
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Skillnets Ltd |
oireachtas@skillnets.com |
t.donnery@skillnets.com |
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Quality and Qualifications Ireland |
ceo@qqi.ie |
ceo@qqi.ie |
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Léargas – The Exchange Bureau |
oireachtas@leargas.ie |
fbroughan@leargas.ie |
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Science Foundation Ireland |
ciara.cotter@sfi.ie |
Ciara Cotter |
Note 1 – In regard to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and the Irish Research Council (IRC) as the IRC operates under the auspices of the HEA. Mr Mellett will address Oireachtas queries for both the HEA and IRC. Please use Oireachtas@hea.ie and Oireachtas@research.ie respectively to contact Mr Mellett.
651. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the EU programmes or funds outside of the multiannual financial framework that Ireland has paid into from the year 2014 to date; any receipts from same, by programme or fund, by year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20357/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that the Department of Further and Higher Education; Research; Innovation and Science has not paid into or received funds from EU programmes or funds outside of the multi-annual financial framework for the relevant period, noting this Department was established late 2020.
652. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when he was first made aware that Ireland's national supercomputer, Kay, was due to reach its effective end of life in November 2023; why the State is now without a national supercomputer; and when a new national supercomputer will be in place and ready to use. [20603/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra653. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on the impact of the lack of a national supercomputer and how this impacts the State's ability to attract the next-generation knowledge-intensive FDI. [20604/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra654. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he has concerns that the lack of a national supercomputer, which means Government Departments, State agencies, industry and academia instead have to use Luxembourg's supercomputer, will create delays and backlogs, and instead make organisations dependent on using private big tech, or else miss out on the latest wave of innovation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20605/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 652, 653 and 654 together.
The former national high-performance computer (HPC) - “Kay” - hosted by the Irish Centre for High End Computing (ICHEC) under the auspices of University Galway reached its end of life in November 2023.
In the years leading to this event, my Department worked closely with both University Galway and ICHEC for the continued operation of HPC services and made additional funding available to ICHEC to develop an interim service using an existing EU supercomputer for a fixed period, until a long-term sustainable model of HPC provision in Ireland can be agreed.
As planned, migration of researchers and National HPC Service projects from Kay to the interim service - "meluxina system" - in Luxembourg began on December 2023 and successfully concluded in April this year. Preparations are underway to fully decommission the compute component of "Kay" at the end of June. The feedback from researchers on the experience of using the "Meluxina system" has been positive in terms of the performance and capability of the system.
Irish researchers, assisted by ICHEC, now have dedicated access to MeluXina, one of the most powerful supercomputers in Europe and significantly superior to Kay. In addition, Irish researchers continue to use to a range of other EU supercomputers available to them on a competitive basis, due to Ireland's membership of The European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU).
655. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he has visited DCU since his appointment as Minister. [20637/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have not visited DCU since my appointment as Minister; however, I intend to visit a number of HEIs in the coming weeks.
656. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if changes can be made to ensure that eligibility for a higher education grant is not based on parental income, with particular reference to students who were working but decided to return to education as mature students given that many students in these circumstances cannot afford to live independently but appear to be refused access to higher education funding due to their living with their parents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20696/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy may be aware, the objective of the statutory based student grant scheme is to provide additional assistance where parental income is below a certain threshold or, in the case of independent mature students, where the level of income of the student and his or her spouse warrants additional assistance by way of a grant.For 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 candidate's reckonable income for the purposes of the student grant means test is gross income from all sources and the gross income of his/her parents or guardians, where applicable, with certain specified Department of Social Protection Payments being exempt. Grant assistance may not be awarded in any case where the reckonable income exceeds the prescribed income limits for the award of a grant.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.
In the scenario referenced by the Deputy, given that the student, albeit a mature student, is ordinarily resident with their parents, they would be assessed on the basis of parental income.
In terms of other financial assistance available, students in third-level institutions experiencing exceptional financial need can apply for support under the Student Assistance Fund. This Fund assists students, in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise be unable to continue their third level studies due to their financial circumstances. Details of this fund are available from the Access Office in the third level institution attended.
657. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of places in each postgraduate public health nursing course, in each of the years since 2019, in tabular form; the number of applicants; the number of admissions; and the number of graduates. [20704/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraHigher Education Institutions (HEIs) are autonomous and administer their own admissions criteria. Applicants for post graduate programmes apply directly to the individual HEIs, neither the Minister nor the Department has a role in this process or access to this data.
The following data was sourced from the Student Records System of the Higher Education Authority and is rounded to the nearest 5. This is the most up to date data available.
Postgraduate qualifications in Public Health Nursing:
|
Academic Year |
2018/19 |
2019/20 |
2020/21 |
2021/22 |
2022/23 |
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Enrolments |
105 |
115 |
140 |
165 |
125 |
|
Year |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
|
Graduates |
100 |
105 |
120 |
135 |
658. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to confirm the total number of Youthreach centres that have work experience/placements as a component part of their programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20752/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAll Youthreach centres are required to have a programme plan for work experience in place. Work experience is a central part of the Youthreach programme and the Youthreach Operational Guidelines requires all centres to have a work experience programme plan to enable learners explore possible career paths through preparing and planning for, participating in and then evaluating a specific work placement.
There is no set proportion of the programme that must be dedicated to work experience but it is recommended that no more than 6 weeks per annum per learner is spent on work experience placements.
659. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the legal requirement for centres for education in relation to Garda vetting of workplaces where Youthreach students are placed for work experience, and adherence to the child first legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20753/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraWork experience is a central part of the Youthreach programme. The Youthreach Operational Guidelines provide for all centres to have a programme plan for work experience, to enable learners explore possible career paths through preparing and planning for, participating in and then evaluating a specific work placement.
Youthreach centres undertake a risk assessment before a learner attends work experience. In this risk assessment potential challenges are identified, and appropriate actions are clarified and taken. The Youthreach Co-ordinator works closely with the work experience provider to ensure all child protection requirements are discussed and in place prior to the placement.
In keeping with the statutory requirements, youthreach learners would be Garda vetted if undertaking work experience in creches or children-based activities.
