Friday 30 March 2001
Written Answers to Questions

Mr Dallat asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail (a) the number of allegations of harassment made by members of the Northern Ireland Civil Service against other members of the Northern Ireland Civil Service (b) how many of these were upheld (c) how many cases resulted in disciplinary action being taken against the accuser for having made the allegation carelessly, recklessly or for malicious purposes and (d) the range of disciplinary measures taken, in each of the last three calendar years.

(AQW 2334/00)

The Minister of Finance and Personnel (Mr Durkan): The information requested is set out below.

The range of disciplinary measures taken have included:

• Informal (oral) warning
• Formal written warning
• Demotion
• Transfer
• Dismissal
• Loss of increment

Mr Dallat asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel whether he intends to review retirement policy within the Northern Ireland Civil Service in respect of older workers and those with short service records.

(AQW 2342/00)

Mr Durkan: The policy is currently under review and consideration of a range of business and equality issues is ongoing. The independent team reviewing appointment and promotion procedures to the Senior Civil Service will consider, within their terms of reference, the age of retirement as it affects the Senior Civil Service. The way forward will be considered in the light both of the Review Team’s findings and the ongoing review.

Mr Shannon asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to detail (a) the number of civil servants claiming to be bullied at work (b) the relative cost of bullying to Departments and (c) the number of working days lost as a result of bullying.

(AQW 2363/00)

Mr Durkan: Some 12.6% of civil servants who responded to a survey in 1998 reported that they had been bullied in the previous two years. Information on (b) and (c) is not maintained by Departments.

Mr Hussey asked the Minister of Finance and Personnel to outline any representations he has made to HM Treasury for additional funding consequential to the Deputy Prime Minister’s announcement, on 19 February 2001, of an extra £62 million for rural buses and to make a statement.

(AQW 2376/00)

Mr Durkan: Under the Funding Rules for Devolved Administrations, Northern Ireland automatically receives its population share of changes in planned spending on comparable programmes in England through the Barnett Formula. This applies to the Deputy Prime Minister’s recent announcement of extra funding for rural buses.

Northern Ireland’s Barnett share of this additional funding was included in the 2000 Spending Review settlement announced in July last year which set Northern Ireland’s Department Expenditure Limit for the period 2001-02 to 2003-04.

Mr Fee asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail (a) the number of people on waiting lists for the home help service in each Health Trust area and (b) the average waiting time to obtain the home help service in each Health Trust area in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

(AQW 2279/00)

The Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (Ms de Brún): The information requested is not available.

Níl an t-eolas a iarradh ar fáil.

Mr Hilditch asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the number of speech and language tutors currently employed by each Health Trust.

(AQW 2282/00)

Ms de Brún: There is no grade of speech and language tutor within the Health and Personal Social Services. The number of speech and language therapists employed by each Trust is shown in the following table:

Source: Human Resource Information System

Níl aicme ar bith de mhúinteoirí labhartha agus teanga sna Seirbhísí Sláinte agus Sóisialta Pearsanta. Léirítear líon na dteiripithe labhartha agus teanga fostaithe ag gach Iontaobhas sa tábla seo a leanas:

Foinse: Córas Eolais Acmhainní Daonna

Mr Hilditch asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail (a) the number of adults currently assessed in need of speech therapy and (b) the number currently awaiting treatment.

(AQW 2283/00)

Ms de Brún: Information on the number of adults currently assessed in need of speech therapy is not available. Information on the number of adults currently awaiting treatment is shown in the table below for those Trusts which provide such a service.

Níl eolas ar fáil ar líon na ndaoine fásta a measúnaítear faoi láthair teiripe labhartha a bheith de dhíth orthu. Léirítear sa tábla thíos líon na ndaoine fásta ag fanacht ar chóireáil faoi láthair sna hIontaobhais a sholáthraíonn a leithéid den tseirbhís sin.

Mr Hilditch asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail (a) the number of children currently assessed in need of speech therapy and (b) the number currently awaiting treatment.

(AQW 2284/00)

Ms de Brún: Information on the number of children currently assessed in need of speech therapy is not available. Information on the number of children currently awaiting treatment is shown in the table below for those Trusts which provide such a service.

Níl eolas ar fáil ar líon na bpáistí a measúnaítear faoi láthair teiripe labhartha a bheith de dhíth orthu. Léirítear sa tábla thíos líon na bpáistí ag fanacht ar chóireáil faoi láthair sna hIontaobhais a sholáthraíonn a leithéid den tseirbhís sin.

Mr Hilditch asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to give her assessment of the physical condition of ambulance depots in Northern Ireland and to make a statement.

(AQW 2287/00)

Ms de Brún: The Report on the Strategic Review of the Ambulance Service commented on the unsatisfactory state of a number of the 28 locations currently used as ambulance stations. The Ambulance Service is currently carrying out a review of its estate and will produce a priority action plan to address identified problems by summer 2001. In the meantime, developments already under way include new ambulance stations at Coleraine, Ballymoney, Newcastle and Bangor, an outpost station at Carrickfergus and the upgrade of facilities at Larne.

Rinne an Tuairisc ar Athbhreithniú Straitéiseach na Seirbhíse Otharcharr trácht ar riocht míshásúil roinnt de na 28 bhfoirgneamh atá á n-úsáid faoi láthair mar stáisiúin otharcharr. Tá an tSeirbhís Otharcharr ag déanamh athbhreithnithe faoi láthair ar a cuid foirgneamh agus cuirfidh sí gníomhphlean tosaíochta amach le dul i gceann fadhbanna aitheanta faoi shamhradh 2001. Idir an dá linn, i measc na bhforbairtí ar siúl cheana féin, tá stáisiúin nua otharcharr i gCúil Raithin, i mBaile Monaidh, sa Chaisleán Nua agus i mBeannchar, chomh maith le stáisiún for-rochtana i gCarraig Fhearghais agus athchóiriú na n-áiseanna i Latharna.

Mr Hilditch asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the number of incidents of assault on ambulance personnel while on duty in each of the last five years.

(AQW 2288/00)

Ms de Brún: The information available on the numbers of assaults on ambulance personnel is as follows:

Tá an t-eolas atá ar fáil faoi líon na n-ionsaithe ar bhaill fhoirne otharchairr mar a leanas:

Mr Dalton asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, pursuant to AQW 1891/00, to detail (a) the specific areas in which the additional funding of £2.5 million will be spent (b) the amount allocated to children with autism and (c) if this spending will be at her discretion or that of the Boards and Trusts.

(AQW 2294/00)

Ms de Brún: The additional £0.5 million allocated in 2000-01 was designed to assist the Health and Social Services Trusts to deal with the level of demand for mental health and learning disability services in that year. Half of the additional allocation of £2 million in 2001-02 is being made available to the Health and Social Services Boards to use to address the increased level of demand for services for people with a learning disability, including those with autism. It is for the Boards to decide how best to allocate these additional funds, and no specific amount has been allocated for autism. The remaining £1.0 million has been earmarked, as set out in my Priorities for Action, for the resettlement of 35 long-stay hospital patients with a learning disability.

Beartaíodh go n-úsáidfí an £0.5m sa bhreis a dáileadh i 2000-01 le cuidiú leis na hIontaobhais Shláinte agus Sheirbhísí Sóisialta déileáil le leibhéal an éilimh ar sheirbhísí sláinte mheabhrach agus míchumais fhoghlamtha an bhliain sin. Tá leathchuid den liúntas breise de £2m i 2001-02 á cur ar fáil do na Boird Shláinte agus Sheirbhísí Sóisialta le tabhairt faoin éileamh níos airde ar sheirbhísí do dhaoine a bhfuil míchumas foghlamtha orthu, iad siúd leis an uathachas san áireamh. Tá sé faoi na Boird cinneadh a dhéanamh maidir leis an dóigh is fearr leis an airgead breise seo a dháileadh, agus níor dáileadh aon chuid de go sainiúil ar an uathachas. Tá an fuílleach de £1.0m curtha i leataobh, de réir mar a leagadh amach i mo Thosaíochtaí Chun Gnímh, chun na 35 othar cónaitheach fadtéarmach ospidéil a bhfuil míchumas foghlamtha orthu a athlonnú.

Mrs I Robinson asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to (a) detail the ratio of orthopaedic consultants per 100,000 of the population (b) state what reviews she has had with regard to orthopaedic services and (c) outline her future plans to develop these services.

(AQW 2310/00)

Ms de Brún: At present there are 2.08 othopaedic consultants per 100,000 of the population. I have not commisioned any specific reviews with regard to orthopaedic services. The future development of orthopaedic services will be built around an expansion in the number of orthopaedic surgeons. Additional trainees have been funded with a view to substantially increasing the number of surgeons over the next 5 to 6 years. This expansion is crucial to any further development and decentralisation of fracture services

Faoi láthair, tá 2.08 lia comhairleach ortapéideacha de réir 100,000 den daonra. Níor choimisiúnaigh mé athbhreithnithe ar leith ar sheirbhísí ortapéideacha. Déanfar forbairt sheirbhísí ortapéideacha amach anseo ar mhéadú i líon na máinlianna ortapéideacha. Maoiníodh printísigh bhreise le líon na máinlianna a mhéadú go mór thar na 5-6 bliana seo chugainn. Tá an méadú seo fíorthábhachtach do thuilleadh forbartha agus díláraithe seirbhísí briste ar bith.

Mrs I Robinson asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the number of (a) operations cancelled each month since December 2000 for each hospital and (b) elective and routine orthopaedic operations cancelled since January 2000.

(AQW 2322/00)

Ms de Brún: This information is not collected centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Ní chruinnítear an t-eolas seo go lárnach agus níorbh fhéidir é a fháil ach ar chostas díréireach.

Ms Hanna asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to outline when she intends to publish the findings of the review of family planning services.

(AQW 2329/00)

Ms de Brún: The review of family planning services entitled ‘Quality in Family Planning in Northern Ireland’ is expected to be published in summer 2001.

Táthar ag súil go bhfoilseofar an tAthbhreithniú ar Sheirbhísí Pleanála Clainne dar teideal ‘Cáilíocht i bPleanáil Clainne i dTuaisceart Éireann’ i samhradh 2001.

Ms Hanna asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the number of family planning clinics held during the year 2000, broken down by Trust and Health Board area.

(AQW 2330/00)

Ms de Brún: This information is detailed in the table below.

Mionléirítear an t-eolas seo sa tábla thíos.

Ms Hanna asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the number of family planning clinics cancelled during the year 2000, broken down by Trust and Health Board area.

(AQW 2331/00)

Ms de Brún: This information is detailed in the table below.

Mionléirítear an t-eolas seo sa tábla thíos.

Mr Shannon asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail her plans to improve the ambulance fleet.

(AQW 2337/00)

Ms de Brún: Five million pounds has been made available over the past two years to enable the Ambulance Service to modernise its fleet. This money has contributed to the purchase of over 80 new A&E and Patient Care Service Vehicles. The Ambulance Service plan to replace a further 10 A&E vehicles and a further 15 Patient Care Service Vehicles during 2001, bringing to over 100 the total number of new vehicles brought into service since 1999.

Le dhá bhliain anuas tá £5m curtha ar fáil le cur ar a chumas do Sheirbhís na nOtharcharr a feithiclí a thabhairt suas chun dáta. Chuidigh an t-airgead seo leo níos mó ná 80 feithicil nua Seirbhís Chúraim Othair agus Taisme agus Éigeandála a cheannach. Tá plean ag Seirbhís na nOtharcharr 10 bhfeithicil Taisme agus Éigeandála agus 15 Fheithicil Sheirbhís Chúraim Othair eile a fháil le linn 2001 le háit feithiclí atá ann anois a ghlacadh, ag tabhairt líon iomlán na bhfeithiclí nua a cuireadh ag obair ó 1999 go dtí níos mó ná 100.

Mr McGrady asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to give her assessment of the training requirements of those involved in domiciliary care and to make a statement.

(AQW 2361/00)

Ms de Brún: The training requirements of those involved in providing domiciliary care is a matter that is currently being explored within the Personal Social Services Training Strategy 2000-2003 and through the development of National Occupational Standards.

As part of the Training Strategy, employers will be working to agree training targets for domiciliary care. This issue will continue to be given further consideration with the establishment of the NI Social Care Council (NISCC) in October 2001 and subsequent regulation of the social care workforce.

A key priority for the NISCC will be to develop a strategy to ensure the large numbers of staff involved in domiciliary care can obtain an appropriate qualification within an agreed time frame.

Tá riachtanais oiliúna an mhuintir sin a chuireann ar fáil cúram baile á scrúdú i láthair na huaire i Straitéis Oiliúna na Seirbhísí Sóisialta Pearsanta 2000-2003 agus trí fhorbairt na gCaighdeán Náisiúnta Saothair.

Mar chuid den Straitéis Oiliúna, beidh fostóirí ag obair i dtreo aontú ar spriocanna oiliúna sa chúram baile. Beidh an cheist seo á meas tuilleadh nuair a bhunófar Comhairle Chúraim Shóisialta TÉ (CCSTÉ) i nDeireadh Fómhair 2001, agus rialú an líon saothair cúram baile dá bharr sin.

B’eochairthosaíocht ag CCSTÉ straitéis a fhorbairt lena chinnntiú go bhfaighidh an fhoireann mhór oibre a bhaineann le cúram baile cáilíocht oiriúnach taobh istigh de chreatlach aontaithe ama.

Mr Beggs asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the permanent bases of existing air ambulances in neighbouring regions of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland and their distances from Northern Ireland should they be required to provide support for health and public safety matters in Northern Ireland.

(AQW 2366/00)

Ms de Brún: Information on the distances of all the air ambulance locations is not available, but the nearest locations are at Glasgow, which would involve some 45 minutes’ flying time, and Blackpool, which would take around 70 minutes’ flying time. There are at present no air ambulance bases on the island of Ireland.

Níl eolas ar achair láithreán aerothar-ingearán uile ar fáil, ach is i nGlaschú agus i mBlackpool atá na láithreáin is cóngaraí, a bhfuil amanna eitilte 45 agus 70 nóiméad faoi seach i gceist. Níl bunáit aerothar-ingearán ar bith ar oileán na hÉireann.

Mr Beggs asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the dates of any discussions she has had with the Scottish Executive on the shared use of air ambulances.

(AQW 2367/00)

Ms de Brún: I have not had any discussions with the Scottish Executive on the shared use of air ambulances.

Ní raibh caibidlí ar bith agam ar chomhúsáid aerothar- ingearán leis an Fheidhmeannas Albanach.

Mr A Maginness asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to direct that the drug Enbrel be made available on prescription for acute sufferers of chronic arthritis and other severe conditions.

(AQW 2371/00)

Ms de Brún: Enbrel is a new prescription-only drug for adults with active Rheumatoid Arthritis and for children with Juvenile Chronic Arthritis. It is only prescribed for those who have had an inadequate response to other anti-rheumatic drugs. To date those who have received Enbrel here have been carefully selected, managed and monitored in accordance with the British Society for Rheumatology guidelines.

Is druga úr nua é Enbrel nach bhfuil ar fáil, ach tré oideas, do dhaoine fásta a bhfuil Airtríteas Réamatóideach gníomhach orthu, agus do pháistí a bhfuil Airtríteas Ainsealach Aosanach orthu. Ní mholtar é ach do dhaoine nár éirigh drugaí frithréamatóideacha eile go rómhaith leo. Go dtí an lá inniu, toghadh go cúramach iad siúd a fuair Enbrel anseo. Ionramháladh iad agus rinneadh monatóireacht orthu, agus seo uile de réir treoirlínte an Chumainn Shasanaigh Réamaiteolaíochta.

Mr A Maginness asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail her plans to review the funding available to the Speech and Language Therapy section at Rosstulla Special School, Jordanstown.

(AQW 2393/00)

Ms de Brún: I refer the Member to my answer to AQW 2055/00.

Luaim don Bhall an freagra a thug mé ar AQW 2055/00.

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