To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on the 
provision of a new secondary school for the Malahide and Portmarnock area of 
County Dublin, as announced in November 2015; and if she will make a statement 
on the matter.
- Darragh O'Brien.

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the provision of a 
new secondary school for the Swords area of County Dublin, as announced in 
November 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
-Darragh O'Brien.



* For WRITTEN answer on Tuesday, 26th April, 2016.
Reference Number: 8254/16, 8255/16

Freagra


Minister Jan O'Sullivan

I propose to take questions 393 and 394 together.

My Department uses a Geographical Information System (GIS) to identify where 
the pressure for school places will arise. The GIS uses data from the Central 
Statistics Office, Ordnance Survey Ireland, the Department of Social Protection 
and information from my Department's own databases.

The outcome of the latest demographic exercises was that in November 2015, I 
announced the establishment of 13 new schools to open nationwide in 2017 and 
2018 to cater for increased demographic needs. One of the new post-primary 
schools will serve the Swords school planning area and one will serve the 
Malahide and Portmarnock school planning areas.  Both new schools are scheduled 
to open in 2017 and both are included in my Department's six year construction 
programme (2016-2021).  Details on the progress of all projects on this 
programme will be published on my Department's website and this will be updated 
regularly.

New school establishment procedures provide that a process is conducted to 
select the patron of a new school.  This process is due to take place shortly 
for the new schools to be established in 2017.  The new school patronage 
process  is open to all patrons (and prospective patrons) who will be required 
to provide evidence of parental demand for their particular type of school. 

 To ask the Minister for Health to fast track the approval of the new drug Orkambi for the treatment of Cystic Fibrosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter.


REPLY.
I am aware that there is a lot of concern and worry among cystic fibrosis (CF) sufferers, and families of children who have CF, about the current debate on the cost and availability of this medicine.

Orkambi (lumacaftor/ivacaftor) is a combination drug for the treatment of CF in patients with two copies of a specific CF gene mutation. The drug was licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in July 2015 and by the European Medicines Agency in November 2015. To date, it has not been approved for reimbursement by any public health service in Europe. 

Each country has its own process for approval. The Irish process is laid down in law in the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. Under this law, the HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicinal products under the community drug schemes in accordance with the provisions of the law. It is appropriate that these should not be political decisions and that a scientific and evidence based approach is taken to determine the extent to which patients would benefit from treatment with expensive new drugs.

Prior to reimbursing any medicine, the HSE considers a range of statutory criteria, including clinical need, cost-effectiveness, and the resources available to the HSE. The process for approval of high-tech new drugs in Ireland involves three steps. The first step involves a Rapid Review, which has been completed. The second involves a full Health Technology Assessment by the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE). This expert assessment is scientific and objective and will evaluate whether the claims being made about the benefits of a new drug are valid, and to what extent, in terms of its impact on life expectancy, quality of life, reducing hospital admissions, reduced need for transplants etc. The NCPE will also consider which patient groups might benefit, how the drug compares with existing treatments and if it is cost-effective at the price being sought by the manufacturer. The Minister for Health has requested that the NCPE expedite this part of the process. The Centre hopes to be in a position to issue its recommendation to the HSE in early June, and the HSE may then engage in price negotiations with the manufacturer. 

The process being followed is the same as that for other CF drugs like Kalydeco (ivacaftor), new drugs to treat cancer and other rare diseases. Orkambi will be treated in the same way as these were, and has to be, under the law. This process is designed to secure the best value for the HSE, and the savings that accrue from this process can be used to fund other health service developments, for example isolation rooms for CF and cancer patients, better ambulance services, home supports for the elderly and safer maternity services.

I hope that it will be possible for Orkambi to be approved for patients who will benefit from it, and at a fair price, but it must go through the normal approval procedure first, like all other high-tech medicines.

​  To ask the Minister for Health when the gratuity payment due to certain Home Help workers will be made in lieu of pensions payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

​REPLY.
I understand the Deputy is referring to those Home Help workers who are employed by voluntary providers of home help services which are funded under section 39 of the Health Act 2004.  As these home help workers are not employed by the HSE, the HSE and the Department has no role in determining the salaries or other terms and conditions applying to these staff including any pension arrangements. 

As the Deputy is aware a joint working group has been established, as agreed as part of the Lansdowne Road talks, to consider a number issues in relation to section 39 organisations.  It is expected that the work of the group should conclude by 31 May 2016.

Chun an Aire Oideachais agus Eolaíoctha
To the Minister for Education and Science

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an urgent update on the 
commencement of the permanent building works that she approved at a school 
(details supplied) in County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the 
matter.
- Darragh O'Brien.

Lusk National school in County Dublin roll number 17961E

​* For WRITTEN answer on Thursday, 14th April, 2016.
Reference Number: 6476/16

Freagra


Minister Jan O'Sullivan

Lusk National School is at an advanced stage of the tender process. The tender 
report for the project has been submitted to the Department and is currently 
being assessed. When the assessment is complete the Department will be in 
contact with the school authorities in relation to the further progression of 
the project.

​Chun an Aire Oideachais agus Eolaíoctha
To the Minister for Education and Science

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the provision of a 
new school for a school (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if she will 
make a statement on the matter.
- Darragh O'Brien.

St Michael's Special School, Skerries, Co Dublin

​* For WRITTEN answer on Thursday, 14th April, 2016.
Reference Number: 6339/16

Freagra


Minister Jan O'Sullivan

The Deputy will be aware that a project for the school to which he refers was 
included in my Department's 6 Year Capital Programme which I announced last 
November.  The project will be progressed with a view to proceeding to tender 
and construction stages in 2018, as outlined in the programme. In that regard, 
I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department met with the school authority in 
recent days to discuss progressing the project in question.