Results 2,561-2,580 of 22,424 for speaker:Finian McGrath

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Payments (6 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: The Qualified Adult allowance increase for the person concerned has been processed and arrears owing to him for this allowance have been issued. The Illness Benefit claim is medically certified up to the 2nd December 2018 and now fully paid up to the 1st December 2018. If the person concerned remains ill and unfit for work, a further medical certificate should be submitted to the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Applications (6 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: The Illness Benefit claim for the person concerned for the period 7th September 2018 to 11th October 2018 has been processed and all arrears owing to her have been issued. A final certificate was then received and as such the claim is now closed I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Payments (6 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: The Illness Benefit claim for the person concerned has been put back into payment and all arrears owing to her have been issued. The claim is medically certified up to the 13th May 2019 and has been paid up to the 12th December 2018. Illness Benefit payments will continue to automatically issue up to the certified date. If the person concerned remains ill and unfit for work after the 13th...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Allowance Payments (6 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: I can confirm that the person concerned is in receipt of disability allowance (DA) at the maximum personal rate payable for a single person. If the gentleman’s circumstances have changed and he wishes to have his claim reviewed, he may apply in writing to the disability allowance section, Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Ballinalee Road, Longford. DA and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Illness Benefit Applications (6 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: The Department administers the Illness Benefit scheme to those customers who cannot work because they are sick or ill provided they are covered by the appropriate class of social insurance (PRSI) and satisfy the PRSI conditions. Unfortunately no Illness Benefit claim has been received from the person concerned. An application form (IB1) for Illness Benefit has issued to the person concerned...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Respite Care Services (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: I thank Deputy Pringle for raising this very important issue. Again, I stress that this Government's ongoing priority is the safeguarding of vulnerable people in the care of the health service. We are committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives. Earlier this year, the Government provided an extra €10...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Respite Care Services (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: There was a lack of consistency in service provision but there are no plans to transfer the ownership of the facility to a third party.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Respite Care Services (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: I am not directly involved in the day-to-day issues here but there are obviously problems with regard to the delivery of services. The HSE has asked a third party to provide respite services and there are some very good service providers all over this State who provide such services on a regular basis. I am confident, as is the HSE, that the new service, with new efficiencies, will be in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Respite Care Services (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: I assure both Deputies that the HSE, the Department and I, as Minister of State, will keep a very close eye on this situation. According to information provided to me, there were serious challenges in the delivery of services and the HSE came up with a plan to address those challenges. The plan is not about providing cover for the HSE. As I said earlier, we must ensure that high quality...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Services for People with Disabilities (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: The funding for disability services has not been cut. Anybody who says that is misleading people.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Services for People with Disabilities (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: An extra €150 million is being put into disability services in 2019. Respite services are being developed and an additional €10 million has been provided in 2018 for services. I have visited the 12 new houses, the last of which will be completed in the next week or two. They are in each CHO area, with three in the greater Dublin area, and ten new respite centres have been...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Services for People with Disabilities (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: This year the HSE will provide 182,500 overnight and 42,500 day respite sessions throughout the country. CHO 4 has provided 17,000 respite nights and 2,000 respite day services to people with a disability, while in excess of 900 people with a disability have accessed respite services across the CHO. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien's point is very important. We are putting €1.8 billion into...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Services for People with Disabilities (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue. The HSE and I acknowledge that waiting times to access the school age team for children with disabilities in CHO 7 which covers Dublin south, Kildare west and Wicklow are unacceptably long. It is due to high demand for services and challenges in staff recruitment and retention in the area. The Dublin south, Kildare west and Wicklow...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Services for People with Disabilities (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: I accept completely that it is important to intervene as early as possible. I take that point at a personal level. I also accept that the waiting lists are unacceptably long. However, there is difficulty in filling some of the positions. That is the bad news. The good news is that in recent months I have noticed that a lot of occupational and speech and language therapists who emigrated...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Services for People with Disabilities (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: I do not dispute the issue. There are problems in the Deputy's area, as well as in counties Kildare, Kerry, Wexford and Cork. That is the reality. What we must do is try to put the resources in place and fix the problems. I managed to secure an extra €150 million for disability services in budget 2019. I give the House a commitment that we are sitting down to finalise the HSE's...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Services for People with Disabilities (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue regarding the Government's ongoing priority to safeguard vulnerable persons in the care of the health service. This Government’s ongoing priority is the safeguarding of vulnerable people in the care of the health service. We are committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Neuro-Rehabilitation Policy (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: I confirm that I received the framework on 20 September. I accept the Deputy's point. I am informed that the HSE will publish it within weeks. I work very closely with the neuro-rehabilitation services. I visit many of the centres and meet many of the people involved in them. One of the first groups I thought of last Friday when the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, and I announced...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Neuro-Rehabilitation Policy (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: The national policy and strategy for the provision of neuro-rehabilitation services in Ireland, 2011-2015, was published in 2011. Its focus is on achieving best outcomes for people by providing safe, high quality, person-centred care at the lowest appropriate level of complexity. This must be integrated across the care pathway and provided as close to home as possible or in specialist...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Neuro-Rehabilitation Policy (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: I share the Deputy's concerns but it will happen. According to my information, as of yesterday, this plan will be published in the coming weeks. In my diary that is before Christmas. Of course we have to be very careful about ensuring we have a plan and strategy particularly for people in these situations. The main premise underpinning all rehabilitation service delivery is the model of...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disabilities Assessments (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: A standard pathway is in place for all children applying for Assessment of Need. The pathway involves three stages: 1. The Initial Planning Stage: which is often referred to as the desktop assessment. This is carried out by the assessment officer, who will clarify with clinical assessors the specific aim and purpose of assessing the child. The team/assessors will identify what is...