Written Answers Nos. 1106-1123
1106. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the projected accumulated savings for each month of 2013 for each of the savings measures identified under the total 2013 saving of €323 million for the primary care reimbursement service in the 2012 Health Service Executive service plan [1815/13]
View answerThe Estimate agreed for the Health Votes includes ambitious savings targets for the PCRS (medical cards and drug costs), many of which will require legislation to achieve. A reduction in expenditure of €323m is required against the projection in 2013. The HSE Board made a decision to introduce an additional €60m in cost reductions in the community schemes in the National Service Plan. These additional savings are to be achieved through a range of efficiency measures; therefore, the total reduction required in 2013 is €383m.
The HSE's National Service Plan has just been finalised for 2013. The HSE is now working with the relevant programme directors to profile their budgets appropriately. It is not possible at this stage to provide details of how individual savings measures will be profiled across 2013, particularly in light of the fact that legislation is required for some of them.
1107. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact Limerick Maternity Hospital is recruiting new graduates and bypassing nurses and midwives already on the Health Service Executive panel and the actions that he intends to take to address same. [1823/13]
View answerThe health services are facing very significant budgetary challenges. Given the proportion of expenditure that goes on pay, strict control of pay budgets and staff numbers is essential. The Graduate Employment Initiative will support the retention of recently qualified graduate nurses and midwives within the Irish health system and enable them to gain valuable work experience and development opportunities post-graduation. The Initiative will also facilitate a reduction in expenditure on nurse agency staffing and overtime.
The HSE may continue to recruit nurses and midwives from existing panels in exceptional circumstances where it has been established that there is an urgent service requirement and this can be accommodated within the budgetary and staff number limits in place. Such recruitment is separate to and independent of the Graduate Employment Initiative.
1109. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a person (details supplied) in County Dublin has to wait eleven months to a year for an MRI scan at the Mater Hospital, Dublin; and the actions that he intends to take regarding same [1827/13]
View answerIn relation to the specific query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
1110. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Wexford will be admitted to Waterford General Hospital for an operation [1862/13]
View answerThe management of inpatient and daycase waiting lists for patients awaiting public health care is based on the principle that after urgent and cancer patients are treated, then clinically assessed routine patients should be seen in chronological order (i.e. longest waiter first). Should the patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he or she would be in the best position to take the matter up with the consultant and hospital involved.
In relation to the specific query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
1111. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Wexford will be admitted for a heart operation to a Dublin hospital as a matter of urgency. [1867/13]
View answerThe management of inpatient and daycase waiting lists for patients awaiting public health care is based on the principle that after urgent and cancer patients are treated, then clinically assessed routine patients should be seen in chronological order (i.e. longest waiter first). Should the patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he/she would be in the best position to take the matter up with the consultant and hospital involved.
In relation to the specific query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
1112. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 476 of 11 December 2012, when a reply will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1869/13]
View answerThe HSE has been asked to respond to the Deputy, as soon as possible, in relation to this issue.
1113. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if the new local property tax will be a deductible expense for the purposes of determining the net wage of a medical card applicant. [1871/13]
View answerUnder the provisions of the Health Act 1970, medical cards are provided to persons who, in the opinion of the Health Service Executive, are unable without undue hardship to arrange general practitioner medical and surgical services for themselves and their dependants. The assessment for a medical card is determined primarily by reference to the means of the applicant and his/her dependants.
In calculating net income, allowances are given for reasonable expenses incurred in respect of rent/mortgage payments; in respect of childcare costs and in respect of expenses incurred in travel to work. Expenditure in relation to medical costs will be considered. Applicants whose weekly incomes are derived solely from Social Welfare or Health Service Executive allowances/payments, which are in excess of the financial guidelines, will be granted a medical card. However, at present, there are no proposals to include the new property tax as a deductible expense in determining eligibility for medical cards.
1114. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the reason 400,000 home help hours were removed from the Health Service Executive 2012 Service Plan target in a technical adjustment thereby giving a target of 10.3 million hours instead of the 10.7 million hours originally announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1875/13]
View answerI am aware of the issue raised by the Deputy, which came to light in the context of finalising the HSE Service Plan 2013. This however did not contribute to any delay in agreeing the plan.
The original figure of 10.7 million Home Help hours was too high because of problems of data collection which have now been addressed. The figure of 10.3 million hours is in fact the correct one.
1115. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health if the pilot phase for facilitators as part of the new initiative aimed at enhancing team working on community mental health teams will be working (details supplied) in County Meath; if so, when it will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1882/13]
View answerAs this is a service matter this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
1116. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health if the Regional Nursing Metric Project Officers pilot sites have reported yet; if they will be rolled out nationwide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1883/13]
View answerAs this is a service matter this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
1117. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health when the national Counselling in Primary Care Service will be established; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1884/13]
View answerIn 2012 €5m was made available from the special allocation for Mental Health to initiate the provision of psychological and counselling services in primary care, specifically for people with mental health problems who are eligible under the General Medical Services (GMS) Scheme. It is proposed that the counselling model operated by the HSE’s North East Area and managed by the National Counselling Service (NCS) will be replicated nationally.
To implement the model nationally, an additional Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) Counsellor Co-ordinator post was allocated to each of the 10 National Counselling Services. These Counsellors will be responsible for the set up, roll out, management, monitoring and evaluation of the Model, including relationship development with GPs in their areas. They will work within the NCS, managing the referral process, to ensure that an appropriate referral and counselling match is provided to meet the needs of individuals.
Interviews for the Counsellor Co-ordinators were held in late November 2012 and the successful candidates are currently being processed for references and Garda Clearances. Following satisfactory completion of the process, start dates will be agreed with the candidates. The start date for the service in each area will vary depending on the start date of the Counsellor Co-ordinator and the availability of Counsellor Therapists.
A National Steering Group has been working continuously to develop the national guidance to ensure the consistent roll-out of the model and work is ongoing in preparing information packs for primary care teams, potential service users and GPs.
1118. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Galway will expect a decision on the appeal of the refusal of entitlement to a full medical card [1885/13]
View answerThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1119. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Health the position regarding therapeutic needs in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 15. [1888/13]
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.
1120. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a list of the bodies, other than statutory bodies, that were fully funded by his Department in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1907/13]
View answer1126. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a list of the bodies, other than statutory bodies, that were partially funded by his Department in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2038/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1120 and 1126 together.
My Department administers a National Lottery Discretionary Fund from which once-off grants are paid to community and voluntary organisations, providing a range of health related services. A list of the organisations that received lottery funding in 2012 is available on my Departments website at www.doh.ie
The National Lottery is the only source of funding through which non-statutory organisations receive money from my Department.
1121. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding an operation in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1952/13]
View answerThe management of inpatient and daycase waiting lists for patients awaiting public health care is based on the principle that after urgent and cancer patients are treated, then clinically assessed routine patients should be seen in chronological order (i.e. longest waiter first).
Should the patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he/she would be in the best position to take the matter up with the consultant and hospital involved.
In relation to the specific query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
1122. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health with regard to a site (details supplied) in County Kerry, which is now closed and unused, the proposals there are for the building in the future; if he has consulted with Killarney Town Council to see if it would have requirements which this building might fulfil; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1955/13]
View answerAs this is a service matter this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
1123. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Health the reason an organisation (details supplied) in County Wicklow did not receive an official response from his Department to inform it that its application for a national lottery grant had been denied; the reason its application did not meet the criteria; if he is satisfied with the explanation that the funds have been disbursed; if there is an appeals process in place for it to pursue; if so, the way the appeal processes for decisions on lottery funding refusals operates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1958/13]
View answerNational Lottery applications are received by my Department from a range of community and voluntary organisations involved in various health related activities. The relevant Unit in my Department liaises with the appropriate personnel in the Health Service Executive to assess each individual application and consider whether the application should be recommended for funding. When the assessment has been completed and a recommendation has been made, I review each application and prioritise them according to their merits before awarding National Lottery funding.
An application for funding from the 2012 Lottery allocation was received in March from the organisation in question. The application was reviewed by my Department and a decision was made that funding should not be provided on this occasion. My Department informed the organisation of this decision on 2 January 2013. If funding for this project is required in 2013, the organisation may wish to apply for a grant from the 2013 National Lottery allocation.
Detailed procedures, along with the application form are set out on my Department's website - www.doh.ie
