Health Services Provision

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 September 2013

Wednesday, 18 September 2013

Questions (1480)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

1480. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the reason the pilot project providing a GP service for persons with no medical cards is only being provided to the Roma community at Tallaght Hospital, Dublin 24; the amount this service is costing per week; the amount it cost initially to set up; the justification of providing a service to one ethnic community, for instance the reason persons from Bangladesh are not being provided with the same service; the reason persons from Poland are not being provided with the same service; the reason members of our own travelling community not being provided with the same service; his views on whether this not active discrimination of the worst type to pick out one group of persons above everybody else and provide them with a service that absolutely no one else is entitled to, that is, people with no medical cards, being able to walk in and avail of every health service at absolutely no charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38108/13]

Written answers

Minister for Health

The Deputy may be aware that the Roma have been recognised as the most disadvantaged group in Europe. SafetyNet is funded by the HSE to provide a basic GP service for the most vulnerable Roma, including Roma children, who would otherwise not have access to GP services. Following a successful pilot phase of the SafetyNet Roma GP mobile clinic between September and December 2012, which welcomed more than 100 members of the Roma community, funding has been provided by the HSE Social Inclusion Department to implement the primary healthcare initiative for another year on the grounds of Tallaght hospital.

This service is viewed as a first step in a process of supporting vulnerable service users to access health care and alleviating some of the health inequalities experienced by the Roma population in Ireland. This initiative is viewed as a short term measure whilst a longer term solution to this matter is found nationally. The establishment of the service is also in response to the Council of the European Union requesting that all EU countries address the care of the Roma medical needs for those residents in their respective EU countries. It also ties in with recommendations under the National Intercultural Health Strategy 2007-2012.

The annual service costs approximately €23,000 for medical care and a further €11,000.00 towards costs of interpreting, translations and supporting links to community services for Roma who need assistance to apply for social welfare etc.

In relation to the other cultural group mentioned by the Deputy, i.e. Irish Travellers, the provision of a GP mobile clinic is not required because most Travellers can avail of GP services through the medical card scheme. All other groups mentioned by the Deputy are nationalities and all individuals can avail of medical services in Ireland in line with agreed eligibility requirements regardless of nationality.