Written Answers Nos. 627 - 638
627. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the safeguards that exist in his Department and its agencies to prevent conflicts of interest on the part of staff responsible for purchasing or spending decisions for property, be that outright purchase, leasing or renting or public private partnerships [44279/12]
View answerThe sourcing of property on behalf of Government Departments is a matter for the Office of Public Works.
In relation to agencies under the aegis of the Department including the HSE, under the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies all agencies are required to have written Codes of Business Conduct for employees under their remit. This Code of Business Conduct also refers to the need for each person holding a designated position of employment within a State body to ensure their compliance with the provisions of the Ethics in Public Office Act, 1995 and the Standards in Public Office Act, 2001.
628. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health if he will estimate the number of new consultant recruits that will be subject to the recently-announced 30% reduction in remuneration for firstly the two months of November/December 2012 and secondly for the 12 months of 2013; if he will estimate the euro saving in each of 2012 and in 2013 resulting from the 30% reduction in remuneration for such new recruits [44280/12]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
629. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health in the interests of protecting vulnerable children, if he will make the necessary funds available to an organisation (details supplied) in County Dublin so that it will not have to reduce its service to the 140 families [44307/12]
View answerAs the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
630. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Health the number of home help hours cut by the Health Service Executive by region until the end of 2012; if he will outline the way it is intended to provide full-time care to all citizens who require help in this context; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44322/12]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
631. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Health if funding is in place for the eight primary care centres nominated by the Health Service Executive for full Exchequer capital funding; when construction is likely to commence in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44324/12]
View answerThe management and delivery of the health capital programme is a service matter. Therefore your question has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
632. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Health if he will publish the advice he stated on 3 July 2012 in reply to a previous Parliamentary Question by this Deputy, that he has received from the Department of Health Bioethics Unit regarding transportation of Directive 2010/63/EU relating to animal experimentation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44327/12]
View answerThe Bioethics Unit and the Environmental Health Unit in my Department are working together on an on-going basis on the transposition of Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes and will continue to do so. As both of these Units are within my Department, this engagement is on an on-going day-to-day basis and this will continue until the transposition is completed. The Directive is required to be transposed into Irish law by November, 2012 and its provisions will take effect from 1 January, 2013.
It would point out to the Deputy that many of the provisions set out in Directive 2010/63/EU are Mandatory. The Directive strongly promotes the principles of the three Rs (replacement of the use of animals to the greatest extent possible with alternative testing methods, refinement of scientific procedures to improve animal welfare and reduction in numbers of animals used). The provisions of the new Directive also strengthen the protection of animals still needed for research and safety testing. Significant changes in this regard are requirements to perform ethical evaluations prior to authorisation of projects using animals and higher standards of care and accommodation.
The European Environment Commissioner Janez Potonik said: "it is vital to improve the situation for animals still needed in scientific research and safety testing, whilst maintaining a high standard of research and improving the focus on finding alternative methods to animal testing”. The Commissioner has also affirmed that the European Union will soon have the highest standards of experimental animal welfare in the world. As indicated by the Commissioner, the transposition of Directive 2010/63/EU will considerably enhance the protection of animals used for scientific purposes.
633. Deputy Seán Kenny asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken to reduce the 24 month waiting list to see the orthopaedic surgeon in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44330/12]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
634. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health the position regarding an appointment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork [44334/12]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
635. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the reason a property has been engaged by the Health Service Executive South at Model Farm Road, County Cork, despite the presence of Áras Sláinte on the Wilton Road, Cork, which is semi empty; if he will provide the cost of the premises at the Model Farm Road; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44341/12]
View answerManagement of the Health Service Executive property portfolio is a service matter. Therefore your question has been referred to the Executive for direct reply.
636. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm that it is the case that consultants who have retired on a generous package and pension are being re-employed by the Health Service Executive South at Cork University Hospital and University College Cork; the numbers and the costs involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44342/12]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
637. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details of consultants employed by the Health Service Executive South who are not partaking in seeing public patients but continue to see patients privately; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44343/12]
View answerMedical Consultants employed in the public health service are contractually obliged to treat public patients.
Consultant Contract 2008 limits private practice for newly-appointed consultants on a Type B or C contract to 20% of activity. The upper limit for consultants who held a contract prior to 2008 is 30%. The HSE has put in place arrangements to measure consultants' private practice and to pursue issues of compliance where necessary. The Contract provides for a series of steps to be taken where a consultant exceeds the level of private practice permitted in his or her contract. The 1997 Consultants Contract also limits the extent to which consultants can engage in private practice.
The Health Service Executive has advised that it recently examined a case where it had been alleged that a consultant in the HSE South was exclusively treating private patients. The HSE is satisfied, having considered the matter, that the consultant in question was on a career break at the time and was not in breach of the terms of the career break scheme.
638. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health the number of cases last year of the need for abortion to save the life of the mother; and if he will provide facts or statistics on this issue. [44346/12]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is not available. While the Hospital Inpatient Enquiry (HIPE) system collects information on procedures delivered to day and inpatients in publicly funded acute hospitals, this information does not reflect the reason why a specific procedure was delivered.
