Written Answers. - Departmental Projects.
Bernard Allen
Question:
270
Mr. Allen
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
the working groups, reports, studies and consultancies commissioned by his Department since taking office; the estimated cost of each, where applicable; the date the report of each was received or is scheduled to be received; and whether each has or will be published.
[15765/98]
The information required by the Deputy is set out as follows:
Group Topic — Interdepartmental Working Group on Green Paper on Abortion In December, 1997 the Government established a Cabinet committee to oversee the work of an interdepartmental working group which will prepare a Green Paper on Abortion.
Report date
The objective is to have the Green Paper completed during the summer.
Cost
The principal costs incurred have been in relation to the placing of newspaper advertisements inviting submissions. The cost in this regard is £76,000.
Group Topic — National Committee for Certification of the Eradication of Poliomyelitis
The National Committee for Certification of the Eradication of Poliomyelitis was established in December 1997 to prepare documentation to certify that Ireland is free of wild polio virus. This forms part of the World Health Organisation's programme for certification, by the year 2000, country by country and region by region, that polio has been eradicated worldwide. The national committee will prepare standard documentation as required by the WHO in line with this objective.
Report date
The committee is expected to continue in existence until 2000. The committee is not required to produce a report.
Costs
No costs have been incurred.
Group Topic — Joint Group on Adult Community Ophthalmic Services
A joint working group was established comprising representatives of the Association of Optometrists of Ireland and the health boards, to look at ways that members of the Association of Optometrists of Ireland could have a more structured involvement in the adult community ophthalmic services. The working group is examining how such involvement can best be structured to meet the needs of the General Medical Services population.
Report date
The group first met on 21 January 1998 and considerable progress has been made. It is expected that the group will report during 1998.
Cost
No costs have been incurred.
Group Topic — Management Board of the National Disease Surveillance Unit
Approval for the establishment of the National Disease Surveillance Unit was conveyed to the Eastern Health Board in November 1997. The unit is initially being established on a non-statutory basis for an interim period not exceeding three years. During this time the unit will operate under the aegis of the Eastern Health Board following which it will be established on a statutory basis. A management board has been established to oversee the setting up and the operation of the unit, monitor developments and bring forward recommendations for the next stage of the development.
Report date
The first meeting of the board took place on the 16 February 1998. No report will be produced.
Costs
There are no costs associated with the management board.
Group Topic — Standing Committee on Tuberculosis
A standing committee on tuberculosis has been established with the remit of overseeing the implementation of the report on the working party on tuberculosis. The committee had its first meeting on 6 May 1998.
Report date
It is not possible at this stage to say when it may issue any reports or recommendations.
Costs
There are no cost implications at this stage.
Group Topic — Expenditure Review on Dental Services
Review of expenditure on dental services.
Report date
The review is due to be completed later this year.
Costs
There are no costs arising other than the normal travel and subsistence rates applicable to health board staff attending meetings in the Department.
Group Topic — Steering Group on Contract for Consultancy Support Services
Consultancy support services are required for the planning and evaluation of the dental services. These consultancy support services will also facilitate the development by each health board of a standardised oral health data based information collection system as required under the dental health action plan. A steering group has been set up to oversee the project.
Report date
The project will extend for three years at least.
Costs
There are no costs arising other than the normal travel and subsistence rates applicable to health board staff attending meetings in the Department.
Group Topic — Methadone Prescribing Implementation Committee
In November 1997 the methadone prescribing implementation committee was set up to drive the implementation of the recommendations in the report of the methadone treatment services review group which was circulated to all GPs and pharmacists in January 1998.
Report Date
The present committee will not be producing another report, but implementing the recommendations of the review group's report.
Costs
Costs associated with it are absorbed by the drug treatment centre, which hosts the meetings and provides the secretariat; members of the committee whose time is approved by their parent organisations or, in the case of one member — a pharmacist who provides his time free of charge.
Group Topic — National AIDS Strategy Committee recommendation on routine ante-natal HIV testing
The national AIDS strategy committee in March 1998 recommended that routine ante-natal testing for HIV commence as soon as possible throughout the country because of the improved outcomes for both mother and child if HIV is treated during pregnancy. A committee has been set up to examine the current situation and to implement a programme of testing at the earliest opportunity. The committee has met once since the first meeting which took place on 22 April 1998. A sub-committee was established to address aspects of the testing programme and to prepare a draft protocol for examination by the main committee which will meet in September.
Report date
It is not expected that a formal report will be produced as the remit of the group is to implement a routine ante-natal HIV test programme.
Costs
Costs associated with the committee are absorbed by my Department which provides the venue and secretariat.
Group Topic — Consultative Council on Hepatitis C
The consultative council on hepatitis C, which was established by the Minister for Health in 1996, has commissioned a review of the health services for persons with hepatitis C.
Report date
It is anticipated that the results of the review, which will be carried out by Professor Hannah McGee — Director of the Health Services Research Centre at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland — will be available early in 1999.
Costs
The estimated cost of the review is £54,000.
Group Topic — Expert Group on Hepatitis C
An expert group on hepatitis C was established in September 1997 to examine and make recommendations to me on the clinical and non-clinical management of those women who received infected or potentially infected anti-D, but who have tested negative for hepatitis C.
Report date
It is anticipated that the expert group will report during the coming months.
Costs
A report was commissioned by the group to assist it in its work at a cost of £1,000.
Group Topic — National Lifestyle Survey
The health promotion unit of my Department has commissioned University College Galway to carry out a national lifestyle survey with the objective of developing a comprehensive database to monitor the health status of the population. This database will address general health indicators as well as behavioural and lifestyle information on a range of risk factors.
Report date
It is my intention to make the results publicly available and preliminary results will be available in the autumn.
Costs
The cost of the survey is estimated at approximately £250,000 over four years starting in 1997.
Group Topic — A working group to Review the Child Abuse Guidelines with the following terms of reference was recently established.
Topic
In view of the implementation of the Child Care Act, 1991, changes in the management of health boards and the commitment of the Government to introduce mandatory reporting of child abuse to review the guidelines on procedures for the identification, investigation and management of child abuse; the notification of suspected cases of child abuse between health boards and the Garda and to prepare revised guidelines aimed at improving the identification, investigation and management of child abuse.
Report date
February 1999.
Costs
The costs associated with the group are not yet known.
Group Topic — Review of Waiting List Initiative
The group has the following terms of reference: To examine the underlying factors giving rise to waiting lists and waiting times and to make recommendations on the most appropriate means of addressing the underlying causes of substantial waiting lists and waiting times. The review should have particular regard to the net effect of the current waiting list initiative — WLI — on waiting lists and waiting times; any incentive effects of the WLI on participating hospitals in relation to their activity and treatment schedules; the extent to which hospitals can consistently and accurately validate their waiting lists and the adequacy of existing information systems to permit routine evaluation of the WLI.
Report date
The report is being finalised and will be submitted to me shortly.
Costs
No costs to date. Costs are expected to be modest due to the short timescale of the group's work.
Group Topic — Joint Department of Health and Children/Health Board Working Group on Medical Card Eligibility
A joint Department of Health and Children and health board working group has been established to clarify the guidelines on eligibility for medical cards particularly as they relate to the 1996 budget provision in relation to persons who have been on the live register for 12 months and who take up paid insurable employment and also to participants on approved schemes aimed at the long-term unemployed.
Report date
A report is expected to be submitted within the next two months to health board chief executive officers.
Costs
There are no costs associated with the group.
Group Topic — Review of Medical Card Eligibility
The Government identified as a key priority in its programme, An Action Programme for the Millennium, a review of medical card eligibility for the elderly and large families. The Department has made the necessary arrangements to advance this review with the health boards.
Report Date
Not applicable.
Costs
Not applicable.
Group Topic — Materials Management Implementation Group
The group was established as an interim body to oversee the implementation of the recommendations of the report of materials management advisory group.
Report date
The group is not required to produce a report.
Costs
Each agency meets its own expenses.
Group Topic — Drury Communications Ltd.
Media advice to the Minister and his Department.
Completion date
August 1997.
Report date
Not applicable.
Cost
IR£12,070.00 — actual cost.
Group Topic — Drury Communications Ltd.
(1) Audit of media and internal communications, operating procedures, training and restructuring requirements.
(2) Ongoing media advice to the Minister and his Department.
Completion date
October 1998.
Report date
Not applicable.
Expected cost
£89,540.00
Group Topic — Archer Communications
Media advice to the Minster of State.
Completion date
November 1997.
Publishment date
Not applicable.
Cost
IR£209.00 — actual cost.
Group Topic — Archer Communications.
Media advice to the Minister of State.
Completion date
January 1998.
Publishment date
Not applicable.
Expected cost
IR£726.00 — actual cost.
Group Topic — Gilmore Communications
PR Consultancy, commissioned by the health promotion unit, for the health promotion unit's national healthy eating campaign 1998.
Completion date
October, 1998.
Publishment date
Not applicable.
Expected cost
IR£30,250.00 — actual cost.
Group Topic — Ms Megan Carter
Consultancy advice on Freedom of Information.
Completion date
April 1998.
Publishment date
Not applicable.
Expected cost
IR£5,000.00
Group Topic — Document Strategies Ltd.
Freedom of Information advice in devising a records management strategy, implementation plan and procedures manual.
Completion date
April 1998.
Publishment date
Not applicable.
Expected cost
IR£28,625.06 — actual cost.
Group Topic — Review of the operation of the Health (Amendment) Act, 1991, in relation to hospital services
Review of the operation of the Health (Amendment) Act, 1991, in relation to hospital services.
Completion date
October 1998.
Publishment date
Not applicable.
Expected cost
IR£35,000.000 — actual cost.
Group Topic — Mercer Ltd.
To advise on options for the future corporate status of the Voluntary Health Insurance Board.
Report date
20 March 1998. The report contains commercially sensitive information and will not be published.
Cost
Costs to date are £40,028.
Group — Forum on Medical Manpower
Completion date
12 to 18 months time.
Costs
No costs involved.
Group Topic — A research study of residential provision for adults with intellectual disability in Ireland was commissioned from the Centre for the Study of Developmental Disabilities in University College Dublin.
Report date
It is proposed that the study will be complete in early 1999. The results of the study will be published.
Cost
£66,000.
Group Topic — The Cardiovascular Health Strategy Group
The group will advise on initiatives which can be taken to improve cardiovascular health through health promotion and public education. It will also examine and evaluate the organisation of current services and ongoing research into the causes of and treatment methods of cardiovascular disease. The evaluations to cover all aspects of cardiovascular health including prevention of disease, medical and surgical facilities and rehabilitation services.
Report date
Due to report by end of summer 1998.
Costs
Incidental expenses covered under either travel and subsistence or general administration budget.
