Written Answers Nos. 241-254
241. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 1049 of 9 April 2024, to clarify when he will publish the material referred to; if it will be before the Dáil summer recess; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20042/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn March 2023, an Interdepartmental Group (IDG) was established to support the development of referendum proposals on family and care.
The group comprised representatives from every Government Department, as well as the Office of the Attorney General. It met 16 times over the course of its work in a period spanning March to November 2023.
My Department published the redacted minutes of all meetings of the IDG on the 16th April. These minutes contain details of the membership of the group and the attendees at each meeting and are available here:www.gov.ie/en/publication/ff411-interdepartmental-group-referendum-proposals-on-family-and-care/.
242. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide an update on an application (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20043/24]
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.
243. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if consideration has been given to reintroducing the mobility allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20047/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government decided to close the Motorised Transport Grant and Mobility Allowance administrative schemes in 2013, on foot of the Ombudsman reports in 2011 and 2012 regarding the legal status of both schemes in the context of the Equal Status Acts. Both schemes remain closed.
Under the National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017-2022, the Action 104 Transport Working Group was established in 2020 to make progress on an important cross-Government action to review transport and mobility supports for people with disabilities and to advance proposals for the enhancement of these supports going forward.
As Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, I chaired meetings of the Transport Working Group from January 2022 up to its conclusion in December 2022. The Group's work has now concluded and the final report was published in February 2023. The Report sets out the contributions made by members for the enhancement of transport and mobility supports for people with disabilities.
Access to transport for people with disabilities is a multifaceted issue that involves work carried out by multiple Government departments and agencies. It is incumbent on all Ministers, Departments and Agencies with responsibility for transport and mobility schemes for people with disabilities to consider the recommendations of the Transport Working Group, as I will be giving due consideration to the recommendations in the context of the schemes outlined above. These considerations will continue in the context of the development of a new National Disability Strategy.
244. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No.538 of 13 February 2024, what progress has been made since that reply by his Department regarding the purchase of a hotel (details supplied) to become a community hotel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20056/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraA whole of government humanitarian response to the war in Ukraine and the increase in those seeking International Protection is ongoing, and a range of measures have been put in place to respond to local need and the potential pressures on services.
At a sectoral level, individual departments have put in place processes to ensure there are systems to allow an appropriately targeted response to increased demands at local level.
There are also a number of supports in place which fall under the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Rural and Community Development. For example, the Community Recognition Fund is currently open for applications, which seeks to support community-led projects in areas that have accommodated significant levels of new arrivals. Roscrea was also funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development (DRCD) to develop a Town Centre First Plan to address the key priorities for the sustainable development of Roscrea. This Plan specifically recognises the importance of the issue of the Grant’s Hotel property, and the DRCD is in ongoing consultation with the local authority in this regard.
In addition, at a local level, I understand that Tipperary County Council has identified a funding source, the EU Just Transition fund (administered by Fáilte Ireland), to progress opportunities for Roscrea.
245. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide an update on the assessment of needs for a child (details supplied), as their parent has been informed that there is a three-year waiting list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20062/24]
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.
246. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department will reimburse a family who have paid €1,600 for a private assessment for their child; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20063/24]
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.
247. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of international protection applicants living in Lisdoonvarna, County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20066/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Integration does not comment on occupancy figures for individual properties given the requirement to maintain the security and right to privacy of International Protection (IP) applicants, and the variability of this data due to the emergency nature of its requirement to provide shelter for IP applicants.
General statistical information may be provided but government policy is to minimise information relating to persons or the location of their place of residence, noting the interests of privacy and security of residents in general.
The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) releases weekly statistics in relation to IP applicants. This includes a per county breakdown of where IP applicants are residing. These statistics are located on the gov.ie website: www.gov.ie/en/publication/07027-ipas-statistics/.
In the case of County Clare, as of 21 April 2024, there are 739 IP applicants resident in the county.
248. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth what steps are being put in place to remove the large encampment from the Mount Street area of Dublin; what supports does she intend to offer residents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20070/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraA joint operation between the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; the Department of Justice; An Garda Síochána; Dublin City Council; the Office of Public Works; and the HSE got underway early yesterday morning on Mount Street, Dublin.
The purpose of the operation was to ensure the safe movement of people seeking international protection from the tents on Mount Street to International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS)-designated accommodation. Those seeking international protection have now been safely moved to Citywest and to Crooksling tented accommodation in County Dublin.
The Crooksling site has robust, weather-proof tents. It has toilets and showers; health services; indoor areas where food is provided; facilities to charge phones and personal devices; access to transport to and from Dublin City Centre; and 24-hour onsite security.
While in Crooksling accommodation, residents will receive the same supports as at other locations. This includes access to medical care via the HSE social inclusion outreach teams and medical card provision; IPAS customer services team clinics; onsite support from the provider’s staff; and psycho-social and integration support from NGO partners.
The encampment at Mount Street has been dismantled and the streets are being cleaned by Dublin City Council.
249. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the percentage of non-registered Fáilte Ireland tourism bed stock that was contracted to the State for the years 2021, 2022 and 2023 through his Department; the up-to-date percentage figure for this year, per county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20072/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI thank for the deputy for her question.
However, as I understand the question, the data requested is not held by the Department. The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media may be better placed to assist with this request.
There are 7 state-owned centres providing accommodation to International Protection (IP) applicants, none of which come under the remit of hotels and tourist amenities.
These centres are currently providing accommodation services to 854 people. This represents 2.9% of the total occupancy within International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) settings.
250. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the current staff vacancies in relation to occupational therapy and speech and language therapy relating to west Limerick children's services; what is being planned to reduce the long wait times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20078/24]
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.
251. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the timeline he is working towards in commencing Report Stage of the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19911/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, Committee Stage in respect of the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022 was completed on 6th March 2024. The text of the Bill as amended by the Select Committee on Health was published on 22nd April 2024 on the Oireachtas website: data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/bill/2022/29/eng/ver_a/b29a22d.pdf.
I can assure the Deputy that finalising the Bill is a priority and intensive work is ongoing to achieve this. I am not in a position to provide definitive timelines. However, I am hopeful that Report Stage can commence this month, subject to the completion of the drafting of any further required amendments and Oireachtas scheduling. I also intend to hold a further technical briefing session for Select Committee members prior to Report Stage.
Finally, I wish to reiterate my commitment to ensuring both that the goal of providing for a route to formal recognition by the State of past surrogacy arrangements or surrogacy arrangements in other jurisdictions is achieved and that a robust regulatory framework for AHR (assisted human reproduction) more broadly is put in place, as quickly as possible.
252. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health to review a case (details supplied); and if he can provide an update on the matter. [19913/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI recognise that hospital waiting lists are too long and that many patients including children, are waiting an unacceptably long time for care. I acknowledge the impact this has on patients and their families, and especially the impact on children.
As the particular case raised by the Deputy relates to service issues, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
253. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health when eye services will resume in UHK (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19918/24]
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.
254. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a specific query related to a personal matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19921/24]
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.
