Written Answers Nos. 617-635
617. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the measures being taken to increase the capacity and potential of persons with disabilities to participate in the labour market; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18716/13]
View answerVocational training, including training for people with intellectual, phyiscal or sensory disabilities and mental health issues which prepares people for employment in the open labour market, is the responsibility of the Department of Eduction and Skills and SOLAS (formerly FÁS).
The Department of Social Protection is responsible for delivering income supports, activation and employment services and advice to all unemployed citizens, including people with disabilities, to increase their prospects of securing employment. The Supported Employment Programme / EmployAbility Service is an open labour market initiative providing supports to people with disabilities to help them access the open labour market. It is implemented by sponsor organisations on behalf of the Department of Social Protection who employ Job Coaches to provide a range of supports tailored to the individual needs of a jobseeker. The ultimate outcome is that the employee becomes independent of Job Coach support.
Rehabilitative training, which has no connection with the open labour market, is the responsibility of the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive (HSE). The purpose of rehabilitative training is to develop the individual’s life skills, social skills and basic work skills. Approximately 3,000 people avail of rehabilitative training each year, some of whom then progress to vocational training, other training or employment.
618. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if and when an appointment for a neurosurgical procedure in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Galway will be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18735/13]
View answerThe National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2013, has been developed to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care. This policy, which has recently been adopted by the HSE, sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists. In relation to this particular query raised by the Deputy, I have asked the Health Service Executive to investigate the situation and respond directly to the Deputy in this matter.
619. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the reason the Health Service Executive has now imposed charges of €170 per week for respite care in hospitals; if he will reverse this decision in view of the fact that it places a massive burden on the families who are providing care to loved ones and who require respite; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18737/13]
View answerI wish to make it clear that no new charges have been introduced. In accordance with the Health (Charges for In-Patient Services) Regulations 2005-2011, charges apply for in-patient services other than for acute hospital care and for long-term residential care services supported under the Nursing Home Support Scheme (Fair Deal), both of which are subject to separate charging regimes. Under these Regulations, the HSE must apply charges (subject to certain exemptions) to all those who receive in-patient services for longer than 30 days over a rolling 12 month period. Charges apply whether or not the person has full or limited eligibility.
I understand that directions to ensure the uniform application of the existing legislation on charges for in-patient respite care services across all HSE areas were circulated by the HSE at the end of March 2013 for implementation with immediate effect. This development brought areas that were not charging for in-patient respite care services into line with other areas that were already charging for such services. As a result, and in the interests of fairness and equity, in-patient respite care charges have now been implemented in all areas on a standard and consistent basis in accordance with the legislation in place since 2005.
The level of the charges is based on income and cannot exceed 80% of the weekly non-contributory State pension. The Regulations currently provide for a maximum charge of €175 per week where in-patient care is provided in a setting with 24-hour nursing care or a maximum of €130 per week where in-patient care is provided in other settings. The charging legislation provides that the HSE may reduce or waive charges where necessary to avoid financial hardship, having regard to individual financial circumstances (including whether there are dependants).
622. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health in view of the acknowledgement by the Health Service Executive, as per correspondence dated 10 April 2013, that the most appropriate place for treatment of a person (details supplied) in County Louth is abroad, if he will advise on the way they should proceed to obtain the necessary treatment [18762/13]
View answerThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible. The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to medical cards and GP visit cards, which the Deputy may wish to use for an earlier response. Contact information has recently reissued to Oireachtas members.
623. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of unique visitors to a website (details supplied) on a weekly basis; and if he will outline the top five most visited pages on that website [18767/13]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
624. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the rehabilitation unit of a hospital (details supplied) in County Westmeath; and the progress that has been made [18777/13]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
625. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if he will reinstate the dietician service for families with high risk children in view of the fact that this service is vital for the security and health of many ill children here and removing this service will only cause greater distress to already very difficult circumstances. [18781/13]
View answerI understand the question refers to a service issue in the HSE Dublin Mid Leinster area (Mullingar). Therefore, the HSE has been asked to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.
626. Deputy Tom Barry asked the Minister for Health if there are any plans to provide second cochlear implants for children who have already received one implant; and if he will provide two implants in future cases [18783/13]
View answerSince the national cochlear implant programme commenced seventeen years ago, over 700 patients have received cochlear implants. I am advised that, in 2012, ninety cochlear implants were carried out with 42 children receiving implants and 48 adults. In addition to providing the surgical services, the programme provides a comprehensive assessment service to potential candidates and a rehabilitative service to those actually implanted.
In 2009 a National Review of Audiology Services was carried out by the HSE, to examine the services provided to children and adults nationwide, and to formulate a national plan for the services. The report of the National Audiology Review Group, published by the HSE in 2011, provides the blueprint for the planning, development and delivery of HSE audiology services, from new-born screening to assessment and management of adults and children with hearing problems, including cochlear implantation. Two of the main recommendations in the report include the national rollout of a universal new-born hearing screening programme and the establishment of a bone anchored hearing aid programme. The report also included a recommendation that continued ring-fenced financial support be provided for the cochlear implant programme but at levels which allow for simultaneous bilateral implantation for children.
The HSE is working closely with Beaumont Hospital to progress plans for both simultaneous and sequential bilateral implantation. The development of the service will require additional resources for Beaumont and these plans will be progressed through the HSE 2014 Estimates process.
627. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the current status of a project (details supplied) in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18795/13]
View answer631. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the way in which a person interacts with the Physical and Sensory Disability Services in County Meath; the effect the amalgamation of its services has meant for persons who interact with it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18799/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 627 and 631 together.
As the Deputy's questions relate to service matters the Department has arranged for your questions to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to you.
628. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Health when the Acquired Brain Injury Services Case Manager will resume their work in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18796/13]
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.
629. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Health when the the physiotherapist will return to the Dunboyne Resource Centre, County Meath, for their two day a week clinic; the way the Health Service Executive is catering for people who now cannot attend this clinic who need to be seen by a physiotherapist; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18797/13]
View answer630. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Health when the occupational therapist will return to the Dunboyne Resource Centre, County Meath, for their two day a week clinic; the way the Health Service Executive is catering for people who now cannot attend this clinic who need to be seen by a Occupational Therapist; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18798/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 629 and 630 together.
As the Deputy's questions relate to service matters the Department has arranged for your questions to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to you.
632. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Health the person filling in for the Home Care Manager in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18800/13]
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.
633. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Health if national Health Information Quality Authority standards for residential care in the area of disability services will be implemented this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18810/13]
View answerThis Government is committed to ensuring that vulnerable people with disabilities in residential services are safeguarded and protected, and that their quality of life is enhanced.
The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has prepared and published standards for this sector, which outline what is expected of a provider of services and what a person with a disability, his or her family, and the public can expect to receive from residential care services. The current Programme for Government includes a specific commitment to put these standards on a statutory footing and ensure that the services are inspected by HIQA. The standards have been submitted to my Department for approval and I expect that they will be formally approved shortly with a likely publication and launch of the standards next month.
Work is also underway in the Department on both the ‘Registration and Inspection’ regulations and the ‘Care and Welfare’ regulations required to bring the standards into law. These are being developed taking into account the lessons learned with the introduction three years ago of similar regulations for nursing homes.
It is expected that the new regulatory regime should be up and running by quarter three this year. This timescale, however, is subject to final agreement on the staffing and resources required in addition to the necessity to recruit and train the inspectorate staff in time for the commencement of the regulatory regime. Every effort is being made to ensure that the required staff are in place to commence registration and inspection of this sector later this year.
It is also important to point out that while the HIQA standards have yet to be put on a statutory footing, it is worth noting that compliance with these standards is already included in the Service Level Arrangements between the HSE and service providers in the disability sector.
634. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the progress being made in relation to the reform of ambulance services and the management and delivery of pre hospital care services; if he will outline the way the further €12 million investment in the area will be allocated in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18812/13]
View answerA significant reform programme has been underway in recent years to totally reconfigure the way the HSE manages and delivers pre-hospital care services to ensure a clinically driven, nationally co-ordinated system, supported by improved technology. The National Ambulance Service (NAS) is not a static service. The NAS deploys its emergency resources in a dynamic manner and works on an area and national, rather than a local, basis. The dynamic deployment of ambulance resources ensures that the nearest appropriate resource within a region is mobilised to an incident.
For dynamic deployment of emergency resources within a region to be effective, those resources must be available to be used as efficiently as possible. Following a referral to the Labour Court under the Public Service Agreement, the NAS is progressing a number of efficiencies arising from the Court's ruling, including more efficient rostering and the removal of overtime built in to rosters. New rosters are now in place and are operating successfully.
The National Ambulance Service has been addressing response times through a number of measures, including:
- the Performance Improvement Action Plan, focussing on local issues such as call taking and dispatch, faster crew mobilisation and community first responder schemes;
- the intermediate care service (ICS), for non-emergency ambulance transport, such as inter-hospital transfers, freeing emergency vehicles for emergency calls: nearly 40 ICS staff were appointed last year, with further resources to be deployed in 2013;
- the trial emergency aeromedical service (EAS), which reduces transit times, particularly in the West, and allows emergency vehicles to remain within their regions;
- the national control centre reconfiguration, with one national control system on two sites - Tallaght and Ballyshannon - for improved dispatch and response times, with regional, rather than local, deployment and better use of first responder schemes.
These measures, together with more effective use of existing resources, for example with improved training and better deployment through more efficient rostering, will drive the improvement of response times in every region. This will lead to better services and better outcomes when our citizens need these services.
In relation to the particular query raised by the Deputy regarding the proposal to invest €12m in the ambulance service in 2013, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy in this matter.
635. Deputy Liam Twomey asked the Minister for Health the evidence available in his Department to support the X-Case judgement to provide for abortion on suicide grounds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18817/13]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the law in Ireland in this area is set out in Article 40.3.3 of the Constitution, which states: ‘The State acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother, guarantees in its laws to respect, and, as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate that right.’ The law was further clarified by the judgment of the Supreme Court, in the case of Attorney General v X & Others (the X case) in 1992. This held that if it were established as a matter of probability that there was a real and substantial risk to the life, as distinct from the health, of the mother which could only be averted by the termination of her pregnancy, such a termination was lawful. A termination of pregnancy arising from a risk to life from suicide was deemed lawful under this judgment.
Last December, the Government approved the implementation of the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the A, B and C v Ireland case by way of legislation with regulations, within the parameters of Article 40.3.3 of the Constitution as interpreted by the Supreme Court in the X case. Intensive work is underway in my Department on drafting this legislation and it is the Government’s intention that the Heads of a Bill will be published in April.
