Seán Ó Fearghaíl
Question:86. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Health his plans to address the overcrowding problems at Naas General Hospital, County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2406/15]
View answerHospital Accommodation Provision
Questions (86)
Written answers
Emergency Department over-crowding is a priority issue for me and for the government. All hospitals, including Naas General Hospital have escalation plans to manage not only patient flow but also patient safety in a responsive, controlled and planned way that supports and ensures the delivery of optimum patient care. These plans include the opening of additional overflow areas, reopening of closed beds, provision of additional diagnostic scans and Consultants doing additional ward rounds to improve the appropriate flow of patients through the hospital system.
The government has provided additional funding of €3 million in 2014 and €25 million in 2015 to address delayed discharges and actions being taken include the provision of additional home care packages, additional transition beds in nursing homes, 300 additional Fair Deal places and an extension in Community Intervention Teams.
I convened the Emergency Department Taskforce last month to find long term solutions to overcrowding by providing additional focus and momentum in dealing with the challenges presented by the current trolley waits. Following a second meeting last week, the HSE is working on an action plan to be finalised by the end of the month to specifically address ED issues with a view to a significant reduction in trolley waits over the course of 2015.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Questions (87)
Seán Ó Fearghaíl
Question:87. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Health the way waiting times for patients seeking diagnostic scans may be improved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2405/15]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Questions (88)
Joan Collins
Question:88. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the waiting lists in Galway University Hospital for spinal surgery for scoliosis patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2362/15]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.
Carer's Allowance Delays
Questions (89)
Mary Lou McDonald
Question:89. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason for the delay in a decision being made in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 3 who has applied for carer's allowance. [2877/15]
View answerWritten answers
I confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 15th August 2014. The application is currently with a social welfare investigative officer for assessment of the level of care being provided, assessment of means and confirmation that all the conditions for receipt of carer’s allowance are satisfied. Once the investigative officer has completed and submitted the report a deciding officer will make a decision on entitlement. The application will be processed as quickly as possible and when a decision is made the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
In the meantime, if the means of the person in question are insufficient to meet her needs she should apply for a means tested supplementary welfare allowance from her local community welfare service.
Social Welfare Benefits Waiting Times
Questions (90)
Mary Lou McDonald
Question:90. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide in tabular form the current waiting time in processing social welfare claims, including the location of the social welfare office where the claim was submitted; and the type of claim concerned. [2878/15]
View answerWritten answers
A breakdown of the number of claims pending and average time, where available, to award claims during 2014 is detailed in the tabular statement.
It should be noted that processing times vary by scheme reflecting the differing requirements to satisfy conditions such as income/means limits and medical eligibility. The processing times provided in the table also incorporate the impact of overall processing times of the appeals process.
Claims Pending and average time to award Claims December 2014
|
Scheme |
Claims Pending |
Average time to Award Claims (Weeks) |
|
Social Welfare Local Offices |
||
|
Jobseekers Benefit |
4,257 |
1 |
|
Jobseekers Allowance |
8,074 |
2 |
|
One-Parent Family Payment |
1,452 |
10 |
|
Sligo Social Welfare Services Office |
||
|
State Pension Contributory (Domestic) |
3,237 |
5 |
|
State Pension Transition (Domestic) |
191 |
63 |
|
Widow(er)'s Contributory Pension |
445 |
2 |
|
Widowed Parent Grant |
16 |
N/a |
|
Living Alone/Island Allowances |
599 |
N/a |
|
State Pension Non-Contributory |
1,552 |
N/a |
|
Household Benefits |
5,197 |
5 |
|
Free Travel |
43 |
2 |
|
Supplementary Welfare Allowance |
3,905 |
1 |
|
Letterkenny Social Welfare Services Office |
||
|
Treatment Benefit |
3,604 |
N/a |
|
Buncrana Social Welfare Services Office |
||
|
Maternity Benefit |
4,365 |
Not Applicable |
|
Longford Social Welfare Services Office |
||
|
Family Income Supplement (New Claims) |
1,780 |
3 |
|
Carer's Allowance* |
4,369 |
N/a |
|
Carer’s Benefit |
477 |
N/a |
|
Disability Allowance* |
6,246 |
N/a |
|
Disablement Benefit |
990 |
N/a |
N/a Not Available
Carer's Allowance Appeals
Questions (91)
Noel Coonan
Question:91. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when a carer's allowance appeal will be finalised in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary. [2884/15]
View answerWritten answers
The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 18 December 2014, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
Rent Supplement Scheme Appeals
Questions (92)
Ruth Coppinger
Question:92. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 70 of 14 January 2015, if she will provide the information on the appeal processing times for rent supplement in 2014. [2892/15]
View answerWritten answers
I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that the average processing times are maintained for the overall scheme type, not for the issue(s) under appeal i.e. in this case rent supplement. The average appeal processing time for supplementary welfare allowance appeals during 2014 was 21 weeks, of which 9.3 weeks is attributable to appeals processing in the Social Welfare Appeals Office and 11.5 weeks in the Department.
Appeal processing times peaked in 2011 when the average time for an oral hearing was 52.5 weeks and for a summary decision was 25.1 weeks. In 2012 the average processing time for an oral hearing dropped to 39.5 weeks and the time for a summary decision increased slightly to 27.8 weeks. Further improvements were achieved in 2013, when the average appeal processing time reduced to 33.9 weeks for an oral hearing and 25.8 weeks for a summary decision. As at December 2014 the average time taken to process an appeal requiring an oral hearing has reduced to 28.7 weeks and for a summary decision to 21.4 weeks.
The reduction in processing time reflects the significant resources which have been invested in the Social Welfare Appeals Office over the last number of years.
In addition to the improvement in processing times, these measures have also led to a significant reduction in the number of appeals on hand from 20,414 at 1 January 2013 to 9,480 at 12 January 2015.
Appeal processing times are calculated from the registration date of the appeal to the date of its finalisation. They include all activities during this period including time spent awaiting any clarification from the appellant, time in the Department for comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal put forward by the appellant, and any further investigation, examination or assessment by the Department’s Inspectors and Medical Assessors that is deemed necessary. While this process carries an inherent delay in terms of finalising an appeal, it also crystalises the flexibility and accessibility of the appeals system. By its nature and because it is a quasi-judicial function, the processing of appeals takes time and reflects the fact that, by definition, the appeal process cannot be a quick one.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
Jobseeker's Allowance Appeals
Questions (93)
Bernard Durkan
Question:93. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will restore the full entitlement of jobseeker's allowance in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin in view of the fact that payment was interrupted by her Department when the family became homeless; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2909/15]
View answerWritten answers
There has been no change in the position since the replies to the Deputy’s previous questions Nos. 142 of 5 November 2014 and 164 of 25 November 2014 regarding this matter.
The person concerned had previously been in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance from 20 May 2011 until 15 July 2014. This claim was closed as the Department became aware that she was no longer at her stated address and her whereabouts at the time were unknown. Consequently, when the person concerned made a new claim for supplementary welfare allowance on 16 October 2014, it fell to be treated as a new claim and was awarded at the correct payment rate appropriate to her age in line with current social welfare legislation. There is no provision in current legislation for the person concerned to be paid supplementary welfare allowance at the rate at which she was previously receiving jobseeker’s allowance.