Written Answers Nos. 208-215
208. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Minister for Health the waiting times for orthodontic treatment for patients in Nenagh, County Tipperary; if extra staff have been allocated to date; the other action he proposes to take to reduce waiting times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24870/13]
View answerThe HSE has commissioned an independent review of orthodontic services. The outcome of this review will give guidance as to what changes will be desirable to provide the best possible model of care delivery, given the current resources available and future demand for services. It is anticipated that a report for consideration by the HSE and the Department of Health will be ready by the end of the 2nd Quarter of 2013. The HSE has been asked to reply directly to the Deputy regarding the provision of orthodontic services in Nenagh, County Tipperary.
209. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the name of the company that undertook the national audit of the fluoridation process at water treatment plants commissioned by the Irish expert group on fluorides and health in 2008/2009; and the full operational and labour costs, excluding chemicals, associated with the 250 water fluoridation plants nationally [24878/13]
View answerThe name of the company that undertook the national audit of the fluoridation process at water treatment plants commissioned by the Irish Expert Group on Fluorides and Health in 2008/2009 is Tobin Consultancy Engineers. The annual budget for the full operational and labour costs excluding chemicals associated with the 250 water fluoridation plants nationally is €2.2 million.
210. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 271 of 15 May 2013, the exact nature of the capital costs specified for the small-sized plants; and if the figure given for the larger plant related to the cost of a complete new facility or the replacement of equipment [24879/13]
View answerThe costs of €4,426 relate to the installation of dosing pipe work. The costs of €14,450 relate to the installation of the bulk tank, bulk tank bund, bulk tank seal, bulk tank level indicator, bulk tank security, day tank, day tank bund, day tank bund seal, weighing scales, dosing pump, transfer pump, dead man's handle, transfer pipe work, transfer pipe work security, dosing pipe work, coupling point, coupling point bund, ventilation of day tank, ventilation of bulk tank, light fittings and shower unit available adjacent to day tank room.
The costs of €25,286 relate to the installation of bulk tank, bulk tank bund, bulk tank level indicator and alarm, day tank, day tank bund, day tank electronic measurement, dosing pump, dosing pump bund, transfer pump, transfer pump bund, dead man’s handle, civil costs for kiosk, electrical control system, ventilation of bulk tank, ventilation of day tank, mechanical installation costs, electrical installation costs, control system costs and fluoride residual monitor. The figure given for the larger plant (€621,192) relates to the cost of a total refurbishment of the existing water treatment plant which included the installation of a completely new fluoride dosing system.
211. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health in view of the enactment of legislation to promote generic substitution of medicines, if he supports the introduction of prescribing supports such as the ScriptSwitch system used by the NHS in the UK to ensure that the usage of generic medicines is increased and that greater savings for that Exchequer are realised; if so, when he expects such systems to be introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24889/13]
View answerThe HSE has been working with General Practitioners over many years to encourage better quality prescribing of drugs in Ireland. In 2012, the HSE’s Medicines Management Programme (MMP) was established to further this agenda and to communicate with prescribers regarding best practice. Over the coming weeks the MMP plans to attend a number of regional GP meetings to convey programme preferred prescribing in key areas.
A further initiative underway to assist with GP prescribing is the launch of the HSE’s Prescribing Guidance System (PGS). This system supports prescribers with integrated 'point of prescribing' information making it easier for GPs to make decisions in line with MMP prescribing guidance. In turn, the system also gives assurance regarding the effectiveness of prescribing guidance interventions.
The HSE is writing to GP system vendors alerting them to this new integration opportunity. Most GPs are already integrated with the HSE for the purpose of medical card eligibility confirmation. This system is one of the most widely used messaging systems operating in Ireland with over 300,000 messages consumed nationally each day across primary care software systems.
GPs will be aware that their integrated system will highlight when an individual’s medical card eligibility period has expired, i.e. messaging is on an exceptional basis only. The same model has been adopted for the Prescribing Guidance System meaning that GPs prescribing in line with MMP prescribing guidance will not be seeing messages at all.
It is anticipated that this prescribing guidance system will be a critical assistance to the GP community and significantly important to the wider health system.
212. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the national targets for generic substitution of medicines; when these targets will be set; the way it is intended that such targets will be realised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24890/13]
View answerThe Department is committed to establishing high-level annual targets by the end of September for the share of generic penetration over the medium-term. These targets will be informed by the findings of a report currently being completed by the ESRI which is examining the usage of generics in Ireland and comparable EU jurisdictions.
213. Deputy Noel Harrington asked the Minister for Health his proposal relating to a minimum price for alcohol in view of the ruling by the Scottish Supreme Court in favour of the legality of the Scottish Government's plans to introduce minimum pricing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24895/13]
View answerI am pleased to inform the Deputy that real and tangible proposals are currently being finalised on foot of the recommendations in the National Substance Misuse Strategy report. These proposals cover all of the areas mentioned in the report, including legislation on minimum unit pricing which is about setting a statutory floor price per gram of alcohol.
The Cabinet Committee on Social Policy has considered these proposals and I intend to bring forward specific proposals for consideration by Government as soon as possible.
In the meantime, work on developing a framework for the necessary Department of Health legislation is continuing. For example, in conjunction with Northern Ireland, a health impact assessment is being commissioned as part of the process of developing a legislative basis for minimum unit pricing. The health impact assessment will study the impact of different minimum prices on a range of areas such as health, crime and likely economic impact.
214. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the fair deal application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24921/13]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
215. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if it is the case that there is no ambulance cover in Dunshaughlin, County Meath, on Tuesdays due to recent rostering changes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24922/13]
View answerA significant reform programme has been underway in recent years in pre-hospital care services, to ensure a clinically driven, nationally co-ordinated system, supported by improved technology. The programme involves a number of measures, including the Performance Improvement Action Plan, development of the intermediate care service (ICS), the trial emergency aeromedical service (EAS), and the NAS Control Centre Reconfiguration Project.
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.
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 currently 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, including in the greater Dublin area, and are operating successfully.
In relation to the particular query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy in this matter.
