Denis Naughten
Question:221. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the locations in which 24-7 stroke units currently operate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21996/13]
View answerHealth Screening Programmes
Questions (221)
Written answers
The HSE National Clinical Care Programmes provide a national, strategic and co-ordinated approach to a wide range of clinical services. In relation to the National Stroke Programme, the aim of the programme is to save lives, reduce average length of stay (AvLOS) in hospitals and reduce admission of stroke patients to nursing homes. One of the objectives of the National Stroke Programme was to establish additional stroke units. Stroke units are generally referred to as acute stroke units, rehabilitation stroke units or combined acute and rehabilitation stroke units. The acute, combined and rehabilitation stroke units located in acute hospitals operate on a 24/7 basis. In relation to the Deputy’s query regarding the locations of 24/7 stroke units I have forwarded the question to the HSE who will respond directly to you in this regard.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Questions (222)
Pearse Doherty
Question:222. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health if he will provide in tabular form per department in Letterkenny General Hospital, County Donegal, the current waiting times for public patients; the number of public patients currently on each list; the average number of public patients treated per month; the number of persons waiting more than nine months for either an appointment or procedure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22011/13]
View answerWritten answers
The 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 the particular queries raised by the Deputy, I have asked the Health Service Executive to investigate the situation and respond directly to the Deputy in this matter.
Ambulance Service Provision
Questions (223)
Gerry Adams
Question:223. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on ambulance services in Drogheda, County Louth; if any decision has been taken to reduce the number of ambulances available to the area at night; when that decision will come into effect; the consultation that has been held in relation to that decision; the measures that have been put in place to deal with the pressures and the demands on the ambulance services in County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22019/13]
View answerWritten answers
The National Ambulance Service (NAS) is not a static service. The Service deploys its 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 is mobilised to the location of any incident. The NAS has been taking a number of steps to improve response times. These include development of a Performance Improvement Action Plan, an Intermediate Care Service, the control centre reconfiguration project and a trial emergency aeromedical service. Following a referral to the Labour Court under the Public Service Agreement, the NAS is currently progressing a number of efficiencies arising from LCR 20313, including the issue of removal of overtime built in to rosters. New rosters are now in place and are operating successfully. In relation to the specific queries raised by the Deputy, as these are service matters, they have been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
Tobacco Control Measures
Questions (224)
Nicky McFadden
Question:224. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Health his views on the potential negative impact upon legitimate manufacturing jobs in a tobacco company in Mullingar, County Westmeath; the proposed EU tobacco laws as set forth under the European Union Tobacco Products Directive may have; if these manufacturing jobs will be protected without compromising the EU’s efforts to reduce smoking among young persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22021/13]
View answerWritten answers
The Irish Government supports the overall objective of the proposal for the revised Tobacco Products Directive which is to reduce the numbers of people smoking. In particular the aim of the revised Directive is to reduce the attractiveness of tobacco products to young people. Approximately 700,000 people die every year in the EU from tobacco related illnesses.
Ireland, as one of the Tobacco Control leaders in the EU, supports any efforts at European level to limit the harm to health, society and to the economy caused by tobacco consumption. As Chair of the negotiations on the Directive during the Irish Presidency, we are working to progress the discussions and to build consensus among the Member States to facilitate the adoption of legislation which will ultimately reduce the number of EU citizens who die from tobacco related illnesses. These negotiations are on-going and no conclusion has been reached on the particular Article of the Directive which relates to the industry referred to in your question.
Patient Transport Provision
Questions (225)
Mattie McGrath
Question:225. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the assistance available towards the cost of transport to and from hospital appointments and where the patient is not in a position to pay for a taxi; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22023/13]
View answerWritten answers
Patient transport is the responsibility of the HSE. However, people attending outpatient and hospital appointments are, in general, expected to make their own travel arrangements, using private or scheduled public transport. The exceptions are for dialysis, cancer (radiotherapy and chemotherapy) and post-operative transplant patients, where transport may be provided. In these cases, the patient's appointment should be directly related to the treatment.
Transport may also be provided where, in the clinician's view, the patient would be unable to make the journey without clinical assistance or where the patient must be transported on a stretcher. Following implementation of the HSE's non-ambulance patient transport policy, responsibility for the arrangement and provision of non-ambulance transport has moved from the HSE National Ambulance Service to local health offices in each region. Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department of Social Protection administers a scheme which may help meet essential, once-off, exceptional expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. These payments are known as Exceptional Needs Payments (ENPs). Enquiries relating to this scheme should be addressed to the Department of Social Protection.
Ministerial Expenditure
Questions (226)
John McGuinness
Question:226. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health the amount of travel and subsistence both foreign and domestic claimed by each junior Minister and Secretary General in his Department for the period 2007 to date in 2013; the number of staff appointed by each junior Minister in his Department or constituency office and their relevant cost including travel and subsistence in each case for the period 2007 to date in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22038/13]
View answerWritten answers
The information in respect of travel and subsistence, both foreign and domestic, claimed by each Junior Minister and Secretary General in my Department is set out as follows:
|
Travel and subsistence claimed |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
|
Junior Minister:- |
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
|
Sean Power, TD |
58,724 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Brian Lenihan, TD |
24,926 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Tim O’Malley, TD |
50,664 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Jimmy Devins, TD |
11,022 |
26,098 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Brendan Smith, TD |
0 |
986 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Maire Hoctor, TD |
0 |
46,623 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Pat the Cope Gallagher, TD |
24,806 |
37,402 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Barry Andrews,TD |
0 |
412 |
1,399 |
664 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
John Moloney, TD |
0 |
17,615 |
24,979 |
26,045 |
7,190 |
0 |
0 |
|
Trevor Sargent, TD |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Mary Wallace, TD |
0 |
0 |
43,746 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Aine Brady, TD |
0 |
0 |
11,102 |
17,722 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Kathleen Lynch, TD |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
14,037 |
18,419 |
7,146 |
|
Roisin Shortall, TD |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5,199 |
2,949 |
0 |
|
Alex White, TD |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3,339 |
4,200 |
|
Secretary General:- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Michael Scanlan |
3,012 |
2,213 |
507 |
939 |
0 |
47 |
0 |
|
Dr Ambrose McLoughlin |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3,819 |
3,893 |
The information in respect of the number of staff appointed by each Minister and Junior Minister for the period 2007 to date in 2013 is currently being collated and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.