Written Answers Nos. 266-74
266. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the provision of services at St Vincent's Hospital, Athlone, County Westmeath; if current services will be maintained; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23265/13]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
267. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a hip operation in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23274/13]
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.
268. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath will receive a hospital appointment for a hip replacement operation at Tullamore General Hospital [23277/13]
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 the particular query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.
269. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the target month he is working to for the completion of the health impact assessment in relation to the minimum pricing of alcohol [23280/13]
View answerI anticipate that the assessment in question will be available in the first quarter of next year.
270. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Health if he will provide in tabular form a breakdown on a yearly basis of the legal and travel costs his Department has incurred as a result of litigation in the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg, the General Court in Luxembourg and the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg from the years 2005 to 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23315/13]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is being collated and will be forwarded to him as soon as it is available.
271. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the range of capital costs for installing a fluoridation system for a large, medium and small scale water treatment plant; if he will provide a breakdown of the costs for installation including all necessary equipment, monitoring systems, contractor expenses, design and installation; if the figure quoted in a previous Parliamentary Question includes costs for auditing water treatment fluoridation plans; and when these were independently audited last since 2006 [23321/13]
View answerCapital costs for fluoridation plants and equipment depend on a range of factors, including the size, volume and population served by the plant and whether the claimed capital costs relate to a new build, upgrade or retrofit. Consequently, there is no standard cost of installing fluoridation systems in water treatment plants. The most recent capital reimbursments made by the HSE to local authorities were €4,426, €14,450 and €25,286 in respect of 3 medium sized plants and €621,192 for a larger plant serving a population of over 170,000. The main types of equipment purchased include bulk tank, bulk tank bund, day tank, day tank bund, weighing scales, dosing pump, dead man's handle and shower unit but this list is not exhaustive. Local authorities have been requested to ensure, as far as practicable, that provision for fluoridation equipment is included in the tendering process for the procurement of new water treatment infrastructure or the upgrading of existing facilities. Procurement in this manner should ensure a more cost effective outcome compared to tendering separately for such equipment.
The most recent independent national audit of the fluoridation process at water treatment plants was commissioned by the Irish Expert Body on Fluorides and Health and conducted in 2008-2009. The cost of the project was €232,000. Figures given in a previous Parliamentary Question for operational costs, capital costs and the supply of hydrofluorosilicic acid do not include the cost of the audit.
272. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Health if he will publish a detailed timetable for the introduction of free general practitioner care for all as contained within the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23330/13]
View answerThe Government is committed to introducing, on a phased basis, a universal GP service without fees within its first term of office, as set out in the Programme for Government and the Future Health strategy framework. This policy constitutes a fundamental element in the Government’s health reform programme. There has been no change to the Government’s over-arching commitment to this goal. This Government is the first in the history of this State to have committed itself to implementing a universal GP service for the entire population.
Having examined the progress made in the universal GP care plan, it became clear to me that the legal and administrative framework required to provide a robust basis for eligibility for a GP service based on having a particular medical condition is likely to be overly complex and bureaucratic for a short-term arrangement. Relatively complex primary legislation would be required in order to provide a GP service to a person on the basis of their having a particular illness. The assessment system for such an approach would have to be robust, objective and auditable in order to have the confidence of this House as well as the general public. This legislation would have to address how a person could be certified as having such an illness, and who could do this, and how to select the diagnostic basis for medical conditions. As well as primary legislation, there would be a need for secondary legislation to give full effect to this approach for each condition. While it would not be impossible to achieve this, it would take several months more to finalise the primary legislation, followed then by the preparation of statutory instruments. In my view, this would entail putting in place a cumbersome legal and administrative infrastructure to deal with what is only a temporary first phase on the way to universal GP service to the entire population.
The Cabinet Committee on Health has discussed the issues relating to the delay in the initial step of the roll-out of the universal GP service. In doing so, it has considered the importance of weighing the balance between, on the one hand, resolving the legal issues but with a further delay and, on the other hand, the need to bring forward an important Programme for Government commitment with the minimum of further delay. No decision has been taken by the Cabinet Committee or by Government on changing the first step of the plan to extend GP care without fees to persons with chronic illnesses. Instead, it has been agreed that we should prepare and set out a number of alternative options with regard to the phased implementation of a universal GP service without fees. Minister Reilly and I expect to report back to the Cabinet Committee in the near future. As part of this work, consideration will be given to the approaches, timing and financial implications of the phased implementation this universal health service.
The Government has already made clear its commitment to delivering on the implementation of a GP service for the entire population by providing additional financial resources in the two most recent Budgets. The HSE Vote now contains funding of €30 million for this year for an initial phase of the provision of GP services as part of this Programme for Government commitment.
273. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Health if he will publish in tabular form for the years 2008 to 2012 inclusive the number of new applications for medical cards that were received; the number of these applications that were refused and of these refusals the number granted on appeal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23331/13]
View answerThe information sought by the Deputy is not readily available. However, I have asked the Health Service Executive to supply this information to me and I will forward it to the Deputy as soon as possible.
274. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure the medical needs are addressed in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 7. [23338/13]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
