Results 661-680 of 1,095 for speaker:Jimmy Devins

Written Answers — Departmental Reviews: Departmental Reviews (27 Feb 2008)

Jimmy Devins: The social partnership agreement, Towards 2016, includes a commitment that the issues around the introduction of a cost of disability payment will be considered following the development of a needs assessment system under the Disability Act. This follows an inter-departmental examination of the issue by a working group and research commissioned on its behalf by the National Disability...

Hospital Services. (28 Feb 2008)

Jimmy Devins: I am taking the matter on behalf of my colleague, Deputy Harney, the Minister for Health and Children. I thank Deputy Deenihan for raising this important matter. The appointment of a full-time consultant cardiologist for Kerry General Hospital is a priority for the southern hospitals group of the Health Service Executive, HSE. The management of the hospital itself is committed to providing...

Health Services. (28 Feb 2008)

Jimmy Devins: I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. I thank Deputy Wall for raising this issue and giving me the opportunity to outline the situation regarding the payment of arrears due to home helps for travel expenses in the Kildare and west Wicklow area. I am advised by the HSE that the home helps in Kildare and west Wicklow are employed by Eastern...

Courts Service. (28 Feb 2008)

Jimmy Devins: The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has asked me to thank the Deputy for raising this issue. He welcomes the opportunity afforded today to set out, in some detail, the developments under way in modernising and improving services to court users. The Courts Service was established as an independent body in November 1999. The service was set up to manage the courts, support the...

Courts Service. (28 Feb 2008)

Jimmy Devins: ——and the continuing good case management and careful scheduling of cases have all contributed to the significant reduction in waiting times and the optimum use of the judicial and other resources allocated to the court. The situation in the Circuit Court and the District Court varies according to location. While some venues are in a position to schedule cases for the next sittings,...

Citizenship Applications. (28 Feb 2008)

Jimmy Devins: I speak on behalf of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Brian Lenihan. The existing processing time for applications for certificates of naturalisation is approximately 30 months from the date the application is received until such time as the applicant is informed of the Minister's decision. This is primarily due to the significant increase in the volume of...

Citizenship Applications. (28 Feb 2008)

Jimmy Devins: Should an individual wish to make inquiries, a citizenship helpline operates in the citizenship section of the Department and this is open to public representatives and members of the public. The helpline operates each Tuesday and Thursday between 10 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. In 2007, in excess of 10,000 calls were processed on this helpline. Information can also be obtained via e-mail or...

Citizenship Applications. (28 Feb 2008)

Jimmy Devins: The Minister does not accept the Deputy's contention that the Department fails to provide a customer friendly information and response service. An application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy was received in the citizenship section of the Department on 5 December 2005, rather than 2004 as stated by the Deputy.

Citizenship Applications. (28 Feb 2008)

Jimmy Devins: Officials in the citizenship section are processing applications received in mid-2005 and have approximately 1,000 applications on hand to be dealt with before that of the person concerned. These are generally dealt with in chronological order as this is deemed to be the fairest to all applicants. It is likely therefore that the individual in question might expect to receive a decision in...

Written Answers — Suicide Incidence: Suicide Incidence (28 Feb 2008)

Jimmy Devins: The Northern Ireland Health Committee is currently undertaking an inquiry into the prevention of suicide and self harm in Northern Ireland. As part of that inquiry I met with the Committee on 21 February. The purpose of the meeting was to look at the scope and level of cross border cooperation and learn of progress in implementing 'Reach Out' the National Strategy for Action on Suicide...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (28 Feb 2008)

Jimmy Devins: The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (28 Feb 2008)

Jimmy Devins: I propose to take Questions Nos. 86 and 87 together. The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a...

Written Answers — Suicide Prevention: Suicide Prevention (28 Feb 2008)

Jimmy Devins: "Reach Out", a National Strategy for Action on Suicide Prevention, 2005-2014 provides a policy framework for suicide prevention activities in Ireland. The strategy calls for a multi-sectoral approach to the prevention of suicidal behaviour in order to foster cooperation between health, education, community, voluntary and private sector agencies. The HSE, through the National Office for...

Written Answers — Mental Health Services: Mental Health Services (28 Feb 2008)

Jimmy Devins: Operational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services was assigned to the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004 and funding for all health services has been provided as part of its overall vote. The Executive, therefore, is the appropriate body to consider the particular matter raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the...

Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (28 Feb 2008)

Jimmy Devins: The Disability Act 2005 provides that reports on progress in implementing the Sectoral Plans should be completed at intervals of not more than three years from the date of publication. As the Health Sectoral Plan is the first step in a complex and constantly evolving process which will establish a baseline for access to health services and for service delivery and standards, the Department...

Written Answers — Health Research Funding: Health Research Funding (4 Mar 2008)

Jimmy Devins: I propose to take Questions Nos. 219 and 285 together. I met with Muscular Dystrophy Ireland in October last year. I wish to assure you that I am very aware of the situation for the families with children suffering from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. I am aware also of their hopes regarding a proposed clinical trial led by the MDEX consortium in the UK. The funding of health research being...

Written Answers — Medicinal Products: Medicinal Products (4 Mar 2008)

Jimmy Devins: The Minister met with the Irish Thalidomide Association on 17th January 2008 and she decided to refer the five individuals claiming exposure to thalidomide in Ireland for clinical assessment using the services of an independent international medical examiner. Officials of the Department have been in touch with Dr Peter Kohler, Stockholm, Sweden and I understand that he is willing to undertake...

Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (4 Mar 2008)

Jimmy Devins: As part of the Multi-Annual Investment Programme 2006-2009 under the Disability Strategy, the Government provided the Health Service Executive with an additional €75m in both 2006 and 2007. This funding included monies to provide new and enhanced services for people with disabilities, to implement Part 2 of the Disability Act 2005, which came into effect on June 1st 2007 for the under 5s...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (4 Mar 2008)

Jimmy Devins: As part of the Multi-Annual Investment Programme 2006-2009 under the Disability Strategy, the Government provided the Health Service Executive with an additional €75m in both 2006 and 2007. This funding included monies to provide new and enhanced services for people with disabilities, to implement Part 2 of the Disability Act 2005, which came into effect on June 1st 2007 for the under 5s...

Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (4 Mar 2008)

Jimmy Devins: Throughout the country different approaches have emerged in relation to service delivery for individuals with autism. Early Intervention Services exist in many parts of the country. Some are run by the Health Service Executive and others are run by the non-statutory agencies. At present there are inconsistencies in approach and delivery of early services. The Health Service Executive is...