Tuesday, 13 Nov 2012

Written Answers Nos. 649-670

Medical Aids and Appliances Applications

Questions (649)

Martin Ferris

Question:

649. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Health when a hearing aid will issue to a person (details supplied). [50006/12]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Medical Aids and Appliances Applications

Questions (650)

Martin Ferris

Question:

650. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Health when a hearing aid will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry. [50007/12]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Hospital Staff Issues

Questions (651, 652, 659, 666, 667, 668)

Michael Colreavy

Question:

651. Deputy Michael Colreavy asked the Minister for Health when the podiatry post in Sligo Regional Hospital, sanctioned in April 2012, will be filled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50027/12]

Gerry Adams

Question:

652. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health if it is the case that a promised podiatry post at Our Lady's Hospital, Drogheda, County Louth, sanctioned in April 2012, will now not be filled due to the Health Service Executive recruitment embargo; the effect this decision will have on the National Foot care Programme to tackle the increase in diabetes related foot ulcers and amputations; if promised podiatry posts will be filled in Waterford, Wexford, Kerry, Kilkenny, Mullingar, Drogheda, Cavan, Beaumont and the Mater; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50031/12]

Tom Fleming

Question:

659. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health when the promised podiatry post at Kerry General Hospital that was sanctioned in April 2012 be filled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50080/12]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

666. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if it is the case that promised podiatry posts have not been filled in hospitals at Cavan, Waterford, Wexford, Kerry, Kilkenny, Mullingar, Drogheda, Beaumont and the Mater; the reason this is the case; the date on which these positions will be filled; if he will commit to have all vacant podiatry posts filled within the next three months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50089/12]

Arthur Spring

Question:

667. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Health if the 1.25 WTE podiatrist position at Kerry general hospital Tralee, which was sanctioned in April 2012 as part of the National Footcare Programme, will be filled as envisaged by the Health Service Executive’s National Clinical Programme for Diabetes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50119/12]

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

668. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health his view on correspondence (details supplied) regarding a podiatry post in Kerry General Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50121/12]

Written answers

Minister for Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 651, 652, 659 and 666 to 668, inclusive, together.

As these are service matters, they have been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Orthodontic Services Provision

Questions (653)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

653. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the number of children in County Kerry awaiting orthodontic treatment in tabular form for the 12 month period June 2011 to June 2012 and between the age groups of 8 years and 19 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50035/12]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Hospital Procedures

Questions (654)

John McGuinness

Question:

654. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if an early date for an operation will be arranged in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny and if he will expedite the matter [50061/12]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.

Home Help Service Provision

Questions (655)

Tom Fleming

Question:

655. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health the number of elderly persons in the region of 80 years of age living alone, with serious illness, who had their home help hours reduced by more than two hours per week in the most recent cutbacks in each of the following areas in County Kerry, Tralee, Killarney, Kenmare, Rathmore, Castleisland, Dingle, Listowel and Killorglin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50071/12]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.

Health Services Provision

Questions (656)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

656. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the establishment of a national adult metabolic unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50072/12]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Home Help Service Provision

Questions (657)

Áine Collins

Question:

657. Deputy Áine Collins asked the Minister for Health when a home help takes holidays if there are persons to cover this time. [50073/12]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.

Home Help Service Provision

Questions (658)

Áine Collins

Question:

658. Deputy Áine Collins asked the Minister for Health the number of home help hours in Cork North West that are being delivered and the number that have been cut in the eight million hours reduction. [50074/12]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.

Question No. 659 answered with Question No. 651.

Questions Nos. 660 to 662, inclusive, answered with Question No. 633.

Departmental Funding

Questions (663)

Gerry Adams

Question:

663. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the interactions his Department and the Health Servce Executive have had with the RISE Foundation which supports person suffering with addiction to alcohol and other drugs and their families. [50084/12]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

This organisation is not funded through the Drugs Initiative of my Department. The Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Health Services Provision

Questions (664)

Finian McGrath

Question:

664. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health if he will support survivors of Symphysiotomy in obtaining justice for the suffering the survivors have endured (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50085/12]

Written answers

Minister for Health

My first priority is to ensure that the women who have had this procedure have their health needs comprehensively and professionally met. In this regard, the HSE provides a range of services to women who continue to suffer the effects of having had this procedure. These services include the provision of medical cards, the availability of independent clinical advice and the organisation of individual pathways of care and the arrangement of appropriate follow-up.

In relation to symphysiotomy generally, my Department has commissioned an independent research report in relation to the practice of symphysiotomy in Ireland. The Research included a consultation process involving patient groups (including the Survivors of Symphysiotomy group), health professionals and in particular the women who have experienced symphysiotomy. It is expected that this report will be presented to the Department in the near future. The research report will inform the Department’s overall consideration of this matter, including the consideration of any actions that may be required and possible legal implications. It would be premature for me to make any other comments at this stage on what actions might be taken, prior to giving full consideration to the recommendations of the report.

Health Services Staff Issues

Questions (665)

Gerry Adams

Question:

665. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the number of the 400 additional staff who were to be recruited to strengthen community mental health teams as part of the €35m package announced in Budget 2012 are now in position; when will they be in position; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50088/12]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

Of the 414 posts approved to implement the €35 million package of special measures for mental health 378 are with the National Recruitment Service of the HSE at various stages in the recruitment process, and over 200 of the posts have been accepted and the appointments are proceeding. Most start dates are expected to be in December to allow for the process of checking references, Garda clearance etc. I wish to assure the Deputy that this Government remains committed to engaging these professionals as soon as is feasible and the work of completing the process remains a priority.

Questions Nos. 666 to 668, inclusive, answered with Question No. 651.

Social Workers Register

Questions (669)

Seán Kyne

Question:

669. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the way the proposed fee for the registration of social workers which will be required under the new regulations of the Health and Social Care Professionals Act will be calculated; if it will be in proportion with other such registration fees for other professions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50130/12]

Written answers

Minister for Health

The Health and Social Care Professionals Council (HSCPC) and the 12 registration boards to be established under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 are responsible for protecting the public by regulating health and social care professionals. e Council (also known as CORU) was established in March 2007 and is working to put in place the necessary structures for registration, education and fitness to practise for the 12 health and social care professions designated under the Act.

The first registration board to be established, the Social Workers Registration Board, was established in August 2010, and the associated Social Workers Register opened for receipt and processing of applications on 31st May, 2011. A second registration board, the Radiographers Registration Board, was established on 16th December, 2011 and its register is expected to be established in the near future. Three further registration boards, the Dietitians Registration Board, the Occupational Therapists Registration Board, and the Speech and Language Therapists Registration Board have been established with effect from 1st November 2012. It is also proposed to establish the Physiotherapists Registration Board either before the end of this year, or in early 2013. All of the registration boards for the remaining designated professions should be established and their registers fully operational by 2015. Under the provisions of the 2005 Act, there is a two-year transitional period from the date on which the register of the members of that profession is established, during which existing practitioners may apply for registration.

The Council which is an independent statutory body is responsible for setting the level of fees. The e current fee structure is as follows:

A registration fee of €100 for new graduates, who have obtained recognised professional qualifications within two years of applying for registration;

An annual retention fee of €295 for registrants, including those who paid the lower rate on graduation, is payable on the annual renewal date.

Since the annual renewal fee of €295 is subject to full tax relief it reduces to €174 at the higher level of tax.

All health regulators are self funding by way of annual fee income with operational costs being determined by the complexity and breadth of statutory functions specified in its legislation. e greater the registrant base the lower the annual fee charged. Given the enormous registrant base in teaching and nursing, for example, the annual fee charged amounts to less than €100 per annum. Health regulators are single profession regulators whereas the HSCPC is charged with regulating twelve disparate professions, which can add significantly to operating costs. e twelve designated professions to be registered by the Council range in number from under 50 in the case of Clinical Biochemists to a high of 3,000 approximately for Medical Scientists and 5,550 for Social Care Workers, only amount to about 20,000 registrants in total across all professions. is an extremely low registrant base when compared to a registrant base of well in excess of 60,000 for nurses.

The HSCPC is charged with extensive statutory functions under the 2005 Act, registration being only one, and the annual fee of €295 being charged by the HSCPC is considered the minimum required to enable the Council to operate. The fee charged by the HSCPC, which is mindful of the requirement to become self funding by end 2015, is on a par with that charged by other health regulators and less than some in certain cases. It is calculated approximately on the basis of the overall projected costs of the agency when fully operational divided by the total number of registrants and then further reduced to €295 to take account of the Council's phased establishment. The State is currently funding the HSCPC in its establishment phase (€1.937 million in 2012) to offset the current shortfall in income from registration fees and will continue to do so on a reducing basis for the next 3 years.

In response to concerns about the level of fee, the HSCPC has reviewed the regulatory structure to establish what scope exists for further reductions in registration fees and operational costs and has adopted the following measures:

Where an existing practitioner with the necessary experience and recognised professional qualifications, or equivalent, pays the registration fee of €295 and is granted registration during the transitional period, also known as grandparenting, the application fee will cover them for the remainder of the grandparenting period and one full year of retention of registration after expiration of grandparenting is concession will only apply to existing practitioners availing of the transitional provisions set out in the Act;

The Council has requested the HSE to put in place arrangements for the deduction of the registration fee from monthly salary thereby spreading the cost throughout the year;

Finally, the Council has proposed significant restructuring of the way in which the designated professions will be registered and regulated to provide a more cost-effective operating system is will require the enactment of primary legislation in due course.

EU Directives

Questions (670)

Seán Kyne

Question:

670. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the progress made on the implementation of the EU Directive 2010/63/EU on the use of animals for scientific and medical research purposes; and if he will confirm if the existing primary legislation here, which is in many aspects stronger than the provisions of the EU Directive, will be retained in the process of incorporating the Directive. [50132/12]

Written answers

Minister for Health

I do not accept that existing measures relating to the protection of animals used for scientific purposes set out in the 1876 Cruelty to Animals Act as amended provide a higher level of protection to those set out in Directive 2010/63/EU. Indeed, I am very much of the view that the new Directive will considerably strengthen the protection of animals still needed for such research and safety testing. The Directive needs to be considered in its entirety to appreciate the full scope of the protections afforded to animals. These include mandatory provisions that will minimise the number of animals used and require alternatives to be used wherever possible, while ensuring a level playing field for EU industry and enhancing the quality of research conducted in the EU. The "Three Rs" principle of replacing, reducing, and refining animal testing is firmly anchored in the new legislation and I endorse this development.

The new Directive will be transposed into Irish law during November and will become operational from 1 January 2013. I would also like to advise the Deputy that the Irish Medicines Board is to be designated as the Competent Authority for Directive 2010/63/EU. The transposing regulations will set out enforcement provisions, including penalties, that will apply when the provisions of the Directive are not complied with. These penalties will be effective, proportionate and dissuasive. I would, finally, like to draw the attention of Deputies to the comments of European Environment Commissioner Potocnik who has said that the European Union will, once the Directive is transposed, have the highest standards of experimental animal welfare in the world.