(AQW 163/02)

Ms de Brún: NHS Direct has been evaluated in England and Officials in my Department have read and analysed the review. The assessment indicates that the NHS Direct project had begun to achieve the policy objectives for which it was designed. One of the objectives for NHS Direct is ‘to help improve quality, increase cost effectiveness and reduce unnecessary demands on other NHS services by providing a more appropriate response to the needs of the public.’

NHS Direct has since merged with GP Out of Hours Services in England to provide a combined service which maximise the benefits of both, it is also linked to the ambulance service and local hospitals.

Rinneadh meastóireacht ar SNS Díreach i Sasana agus tá an léirmheas léite agus anailís déanta air ag Feidhmeannaigh sa Roinn s’agam. Léiríonn an meastóireacht gur thosaigh an tionscadal SNS Díreach ag baint amach cuspóirí an Pholasaí ar a raibh sé leagtha amach. Is é ceann de na cuspóirí atá an SNS Díreach ná ‘cuidiú chun caighdeán a fheabhsú, éifeact chostais a mhéadú agus éilimh nach gá ar seirbhísí eile SNS a laghdú trí fhreagairt níos foirsteanaigh a chur ar fáil do riachtanais an phobail’.

Déanamh comhchuid den SNS Díreach agus na Seirbhísí Gnáth Dhochtúra Seachuaireanta i Sasana ó shin le seirbhís comhcheangailte a chur ar fáil a mhéadaíonn sochar na beirte, tá sé ceangailte leis an tseirbhís otharchairr agus otharlanna áitiúla chomh maith.

(AQW 164/02)

Ms de Brún: The Department of Health has recently merged the NHS Direct and GP Out of Hours Services in England to provide a combined service which maximises the benefits of both, it is also linked to the ambulance service and local hospitals. Scotland is introducing NHS24 along similar lines.

My Department has recognised that such a combined service could offer service users here significant benefits and has sought to introduce a pilot project in the Western Board area to test the system locally. Two bids were made for Executive Programme Funds to support this initiative but these were unsuccessful.

Rinne an Roinn Sláinte comhchuid den SNS Díreach agus na Seirbhísí Gnáth Dhochtúra Seachuaireanta i Sasana le déanaí le seirbhís comhcheangailte a chur ar fáil a mhéadaíonn sochar na beirte, tá sé ceangailte leis an tseirbhís otharchairr agus otharlanna áitiúla chomh maith.

Tá Albain ag tabhairt isteach SNS24 ar bhealaí macasamhail sin.

Thug an Roinn s’agam faoi deara go dtiocfadh le leithéid de sheirbhís comhcheangailte buntaistí ar leith a chur ar fáíl do h-úsáideoirí na seirbhíse anseo agus chuairtí chun treoirthionscadal a thabhairt isteach i mBordcheantair an Iarthar chun an córas a thriail go háitiúil. Fuarthas dhá thairiscint do Chistí Chlár an Fheidhmiúcháin chun an tionscnamh seo a thacú ach níor éirigh leo.

(AQW 169/02)

Ms de Brún: The Belfast Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre have not made application for funding for 2002/03. My Department issued an application form for 2002/03 and associated guidance notes to the organisation in October 2001 and again in June 2002. Should this be returned it will be considered in line with Departmental priorities and criteria for funding voluntary organisations.

Ní dhearna Ionad Éignithe agus Drochíde Gnéasaí Bhéal Feirste iarratas ar mhaoiniú don bhliain 2002/03. D’eisigh an Roinn s’agam foirm iarratais don bhliain 2002/03 agus nótaí treoracha a bhaineann léi chuig an eagraíocht i mí Dheireadh Fómhair 2001 agus arís i mí Meithimh 2002. Má chuirtear seo ar ais measfar í de réir tosaíochtaí Roinne agus na gcritéar i leith eagraíochtaí deonacha a mhaoiniú.

(AQW 183/02)

Ms de Brún: The information requested is not available. However, costs associated with attacks on Fire Service crews has been provided in AQW 184/02.

Níl fáil ar an eolas a iarradh. Níl an t-eolas a iarradh ar fáil. Cuireadh costais a bhí bainteach le hionsaithe ar fhoirne na Seirbhíse Dóiteáin, áfach, ar fáil i AQW 184/02.

(AQW 184/02)

Ms de Brún: From 1 January to 11 September 2002, a total of 14 firefighters were injured attending civil disturbance calls and the cost of the subsequent days lost due to sickness was £6,253.18.

During the same period, 86 fire appliances sustained damage but, at present, costs are not directly attributed to equipment damage resulting from such attacks.

Ón 1 Eanáir go dtí Meán Fómhair 2002, gortaíodh 14 comhraiceoir dóiteáin san iomlán agus iad ag freastal ar scairteanna chuig suaitheadh cathartha agus ba é £6,253.18 an costas ar laethanta caillte mar gheall ar thinneas ina dhiaidh sin.

Le linn na tréimhse céanna, baineadh dochar do 86 gléas dóiteáin ach, faoi láthair, ach, faoi láthair, níl na costais a bhaineann go díreach le damáiste don trealamh mar gheall ar a leithéid d’ionsaithe léirithe mar sin.

(AQW 186/02)

Ms de Brún: A Working Group has been set up to take forward the establishment of an ‘All Island Food and Nutrition Forum’. The Working Group is considering the Terms of Reference of the Forum and it is too early to give an assessment of the expected cost and remit at this stage.

Bunaíodh Grúpa Oibre le bunú ‘Fóram Uile-Oileán Bia agus Cothaithe’ a thabhairt chun tosaigh. Tá an Grúpa Oibre ag déanamh machnaimh ar Choinníollacha Tagartha an Fhóraim agus tá sé i bhfad róluath le measúnú a thabhairt ar an chostas ionchais agus ar fhreagrachtaí ag an phointe seo.

(AQW 189/02)

Ms de Brún: My Department has issued no specific guidelines regarding the employment of doctors, nurses and other health professionals from within the EU.

The free movement of doctors, nurses and other professionals around the EU is underpinned by a complex legislative framework which sets down minimum standards of training and guarantees mutual recognition of formal qualifications.

Níor eisigh an Roinn s’agam treoirlínte sainiúla ar bith maidir le fostaíocht dochtúirí, banaltraí agus gairmithe sláinte eile ó laistigh den AE.

Tugann creatlach choimpléasc reachtaíochta a leagann amach íoschaighdeáin oiliúna agus a chinntíonn comh-aitheantas cáilíochtaí foirmiúla tacaíocht do bhogadh saor dochtúirí, banaltraí agus gairmithe eile thart ar an AE.

(AQW 193/02)

Ms de Brún: Information is not available in the form requested.

Níl an t-eolas ar fáil ar an dóigh iarrtha.

(AQW 200/02)

Ms de Brún: The information is detailed in the tables below.

Léirítear an t-eolas sna táblaí thíos.

(AQW 203/02)

Ms de Brún: My Department’s budget for the 2003-04 financial year will not be finalised until December 2002. In the meantime, the Ambulance Service has no plans to increase the staff complement at Newtownards Station or to expand the size of the existing fleet. Three of the nine ambulances based at Newtownards have been replaced within the past two years and as additional resources become available the Ambulance Service will continue to replace vehicles which are outside the recommended 140,000 miles or 7 years in service.

Ní bheidh buiséad na Roinne s’agam don bhliain airgeadais 2003-04 tugtha chun críche go dtí Nollaig 2002. Idir an dá linn, níl pleananna ar bith ag an tSeirbhís Otharchairr an fhoireann iomlán i Staisiúin Bhaile Nua na hArda a mhéadú nó le méid an chabhlaigh atá ann cheana féin a leathnú. Athsholáthraíodh trí den naoi n-otharcharr atá lonnaithe i mBaile Nua na hArda le dhá bhliain anuas agus de réir mar a thagann acmhainní breise ar fáil leanfaidh an tSeirbhís Otharchairr uirthi ag athsholáthar feithiclí atá lasmuigh den 140,000 míle molta nó den 7 bliain molta i seirbhís.

(AQW 204/02)

Ms de Brún: I have had no discussions with Westminster on the pay review for fire fighters.

Ní raibh caibidlí ar bith agam le Westminster ar an athbhreithniú tuarastail do chomhraiceoirí dóiteáin.

(AQW 205/02)

Ms de Brún: To date I have not had any meetings with representatives of the Fire Brigades Union to discuss fire-fighters pay. However, I have agreed to meet with local representatives of the Union to discuss the pay claim and other current issues.

Go dtí seo ní raibh cruinnithe ar bith agam le hionadaithe ó Cheardchumann na mBriogáidí Dóiteáin le tuarastal comhraiceoirí dóiteáin a phlé. D’aontaigh mé, áfach, go mbuailfinn le hionadaithe áitiúla den Cheardchumann leis an éileamh tuarastail agus ceisteanna reatha eile a phlé.

(AQW 207/02)

Ms de Brún: The table below shows the number of children (a child is defined here as a person aged under 18 years) admitted to hospital with primary or secondary diagnoses of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME) over the last 5 years.

*Data is provisional and may be subject to change

These figures do not refer to individuals because it is possible to be admitted to hospital more than once in the course of the year.

Source: Hospital Inpatients System

Léiríonn an tábla thíos líon na bpáistí (sainmhínítear páiste mar dhuine faoi 18 bliain d’aois) a tugadh isteach chuig an otharlann le príomhdhiagnóisí nó le diagnóisí tánaisteacha d’einceifilimiailíteas miailgeach/siondróm tuirse ainsealach (CSF/ME) le 5 bliain anuas.

*Tá na staitisticí sealadach agus b’fhéidir mar sin go ndéanfadh athruithe orthu.

Ní dhéanann na staitisticí seo tagairt do dhaoine aonair mar is féidir bheith tugtha isteach chuig an otharlann níos mó ná uair amháin le linn na bliana.

Foinse: Córas Otharlainne Othar Cónaitheach

(AQW 208/02)

Ms de Brún: Details of the number of full-time equivalent salaried general dental practitioners in each HSS board area are detailed in the table below.

Tá líon coibhéis lánaimseartha na ngnáthlianna fiaclóireachta atá ar thuarastal i ngach ceantar bord SSS léiríthe sa tábla thíos.