Barry Cowen
Question:532. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Offaly may expect a decision on an application for a medical card. [19862/13]
View answerMedical Card Applications
Questions (532)
Written answers
The 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.
Medical Card Applications
Questions (533)
Barry Cowen
Question:533. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Offaly may expect a decision on an application for a medical card. [19863/13]
View answerWritten answers
The 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.
Public Sector Allowances Payments
Questions (534)
Regina Doherty
Question:534. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health the status of the LRC proposal that the Health Service Executive should immediately communicate with the DATHs to ensure that medical scientist student grant payments from Holles Street Maternity Hospital, Dublin, are made in full and with effect from appropriate date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19877/13]
View answerWritten answers
The HSE has in the past confirmed to all health sector employers that Student Medical Scientists on placement must be paid the monthly training allowance as set out in my Department's consolidated salary scales.
This allowance was approved for continued award to new beneficiaries, following the review of public sector allowances conducted in 2012. The HSE is in communication with the National Maternity Hospital with a view to ensuring that this allowance is paid as soon as possible.
HSE Staff Promotions
Questions (535)
Dominic Hannigan
Question:535. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Health the number of persons with a disability that were promoted within the Health Service Executive in each of the years 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19889/13]
View answerWritten answers
As this is an operational matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
Health Services Issues
Questions (536)
Denis Naughten
Question:536. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health when a decision will issue on an application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon; the reason for the delay in same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19896/13]
View answerWritten answers
As 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.
Accident and Emergency Services Provision
Questions (537)
Michelle Mulherin
Question:537. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Health the reason the emergency department in Mayo General Hospital does not operate doctor training schemes like other similar hospitals around the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19907/13]
View answerWritten answers
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.
Orthodontic Services Provision
Questions (538)
Paul Connaughton
Question:538. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Health the options available to families who have a medical card and need orthodontic treatment for an 18-year-old child; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19909/13]
View answerWritten answers
The HSE provides orthodontic treatment based on clinical need to those who have been assessed and referred for treatment before their 16th birthday. Orthodontic referrals are generally received via the HSE’s Public Dental Service school screening programme. Although adult medical card holders can access a range of dental services and treatments under the Dental Treatment Service Scheme, orthodontics is not among the services available.
Hospital Services
Questions (539, 541)
Pearse Doherty
Question:539. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the outcome of the internal review undertaken by the Health Service Executive in County Donegal regarding X-ray facilities in community hospitals including Dungloe Community Hospital; if he will give an assurance that X-ray facilities will continue to operate in Dungloe throughout the summer months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19915/13]
View answerPearse Doherty
Question:541. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the services available within the campus at Dungloe Community Hospital, County Donegal, at present; and the services he expects to move from the present campus to the proposed new primary health care centre. [19917/13]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 539 and 541 together.
As these are service matters they have been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
Primary Care Centres Provision
Questions (540)
Pearse Doherty
Question:540. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the proposed primary health care centre for Dungloe, County Donegal; if a location has been identified for the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19916/13]
View answerWritten answers
Dungloe is one of the 35 potential locations for primary care centres to be developed by means of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) project as announced in the July 2012 Infrastructure Stimulus Package. Of the 35, approximately 20 will be offered to the market subject to a) agreement between the local GPs and the HSE on active local GP involvement in the centres and b) site suitability and availability.
Question No. 541 answered with Question No. 539.
Hospital Equipment
Questions (542)
Seán Kenny
Question:542. Deputy Seán Kenny asked the Minister for Health if there is available at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9, a laser eye machine to use on patients with vitreo-retinal surgery disease; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19927/13]
View answerWritten answers
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.
Long-Term Illness Scheme Coverage
Questions (543, 544, 545)
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Question:543. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 502 of 5 March 2013, when Health Service Executive policy that persons who have both an LTI card and a medical card should use their medical card to access medicines came into effect; his views on whether this leaves those patients at a financial disadvantage compared to those on the LTI scheme only; the measures he is taking to address this anomaly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19932/13]
View answerCaoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Question:544. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who hold both an LTI card and a full medical card; and the number who hold both an LTI card and a general practitioner only medical card. [19933/13]
View answerCaoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Question:545. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if it is now policy to refuse LTI cards to newly diagnosed diabetes sufferers who already have medical cards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19934/13]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 543 to 545, inclusive, together.
Persons suffering from prescribed conditions, who are not already medical card holders, can get free drugs, medicines and medical and surgical appliances for the treatment of that condition under the Long Term Illness Scheme. Medical card holders are required to pay prescription charges. Prescription charges are not payable in respect of items supplied under the Long Term Illness Scheme.
In the case of persons who have both the medical card and LTI, the HSE policy is that they should use their medical card to access medicines. The main reason for this is that the supply of medicines under the LTI costs the HSE considerably more than under the GMS Scheme. A retail mark-up of 20% is payable to pharmacists for items supplied under the LTI Scheme but there is no retail mark-up for items supplied under the GMS Scheme.
The decision by the previous Government not to extend prescription charges to the Long Term Illness Scheme has given rise to the anomaly identified by the Deputy. This matter is under review. As at 29 April 2013 the number of persons who hold both an LTI card and a full medical card is 19,938. The number of persons who hold both an LTI card and a GP Visit Card is 3,279.
Mobility Allowance Appeals
Questions (546)
Seán Kenny
Question:546. Deputy Seán Kenny asked the Minister for Health when a decision will be made on the appeal against the disallowance of a mobility allowance claim in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 3. [19936/13]
View answerWritten answers
As 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.
Official Engagements
Questions (547)
Andrew Doyle
Question:547. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Health if the Secretary General of his Department, for the purpose of transparency and accountability, will publish their diary on their website on a monthly basis. [19966/13]
View answerWritten answers
My Department will, from June 2013 and on a monthly basis, publish the Secretary General's diary on my Department's website. This will be done retroactively with appropriate redactions for confidentiality and the provisions of the legislation governing Freedom of Information and Data Protection. My Department will also consider other material that could be published on its website.
Water Fluoridation
Questions (548)
Clare Daly
Question:548. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the actions he intends to take in relation to the fluoridation of water in view of the fact that the United States EPA is classifying fluoride as a chemical for which there is substantial evidence of developmental neurotoxicity alongside arsenic, lead, benzine, cocaine, LSD and PCBs. [19974/13]
View answerWritten answers
The United States' Environmental Protection Agency's definition of "substantial evidence" in this regard is given as "reports from more than one laboratory." This does not indicate whether the evidence is good or poor, simply that more than one laboratory researcher has made this finding. The Agency currently accepts a standard of 4 parts per million for naturally fluoridated water in the USA, which is 5 times higher than the levels for fluoridated water in Ireland. It should be noted that among those substances classed by the Agency in the same group as fluoride are common substances such as ethanol, ozone and chlorine dioxide as well as caffeine, which is found in tea and coffee and acrylamide, which is found in well browned toast and roast potatoes.
The Irish Expert Body on Fluorides and Health has reviewed a number of studies over the years in relation to neurological effects. These studies have typically involved dosing laboratory rats with very high levels of fluoride. The EU Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks (SCHER) review in 2011 referred to the Whitford study in which rats were given doses equivalent to 200 times the human exposure without demonstrating any neurological effects.
A number of studies from China, and the systematic review of these by Choi (from the Harvard Medical School) which claim an effect on children's IQ at very high levels of naturally occurring fluoride, were assessed by the Expert Body in 2011 and were found to be of no relevance to Ireland, given our regulated fluoridation levels. The view of the Expert Body is that the overall design of the studies is poor and they do not provide evidence of any effect on children's IQ from either high or low fluoride levels. This view was shared by SCHER in its 2011 Review. It should be noted that the Deans of Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Dental Medicine have recently confirmed their support of water fluoridation as a safe public health measure for people of all ages.
The Expert Body is satisfied that water fluoridation, at its optimal level, causes no ill effects. The effects of fluoridation on health and related matters are kept under constant review.