Written Answers Nos. 418-434
418. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Health if any assessment has ever been undertaken by his Department to assess the indirect cost to the Exchequer arising from some or all of the 240,000 persons who disposed of their private health insurance since 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48290/13]
View answer488. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Health if his Department or the Health Service Executive has conducted an economic assessment on the additional cost to the public health system, or his Department's budget, arising from the 240,000 persons who no longer have private health insurance; if he will provide an estimate of the cost of those who no longer have private health insurance and now rely solely on the public health system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48289/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 418 and 488 together.
Under the Health Act 1970, everyone who is ordinarily resident in Ireland qualifies for public hospital care. Notwithstanding this, 44.6% of the Irish population have private health insurance and many people opt to be treated privately. The Irish hospital system contains a mix of public and private hospitals, with public hospitals treating both public and private patients. On admittance to a public hospital, patients make a choice to be treated on a public or private basis by their medical consultant.
My Department has no plans to carry out an economic assessment into the financial impact of patients presenting in public hospitals who previously held private health insurance. It is not known how many persons who previously held private health insurance will subsequently present for medical treatment in a public hospital setting over a future period of time, nor is it possible to predict with any certainty how many people currently holding private health insurance will instead choose to be treated as a public patient, as they are fully entitled to do. Given the above, it is not possible to quantify the direct impact any reduction in numbers of persons holding private health insurance might have on the public hospital system.
My Department will continue to oversee the maintenance of a competitive and sustainable private health insurance market, under the provisions of the Health Insurance Acts 1994 to 2012, and to monitor developments on an ongoing basis, to ensure that the market is regulated appropriately in the transition to a market-based Universal Health Insurance system.
419. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if children between the ages of ten and 17 years who have presented at accident and emergency for treatment arising from attempted self-harm, some on more than one occasion, have been further investigated with a view to determination of the underlying cause of their individual situations, the extent to which specific reasons have been identified as the most commonly occurring in such cases over the past four years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48292/13]
View answer421. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the extent to which his Department continues to assess the causes of depression among young persons or teenagers, having particular regard to the number of referrals for hospitalisation or care in such circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48306/13]
View answer422. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the number of children between the ages of ten and 17, the majority of whom are girls, who have reported to emergency departments with suspected self-harm in the past number of years; the extent to which provision for early intervention in such circumstances by his Department exists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48307/13]
View answer423. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the extent to which his Department has responsibility for issues where children are at risk arising from tendencies to self-harm; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48308/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 419 and 421 to 423, inclusive, together.
As these are service matters these questions have been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
420. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if his Department is the appropriate body to address issues of self-harm in children or teenagers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48298/13]
View answerGovernment policy on deliberate self-harm and suicide prevention is guided by our national strategy Reach Out. Reach Out makes a number of recommendations in relation to fast track referrals to community-based mental health services, effective response to deliberate self-harm, training, reducing stigma and promoting positive mental health, initiatives aimed at helping young men and research. The HSE’s National Office for Suicide Prevention has primary responsibility for the implementation of Reach Out and the Department of Health oversees its implementation.
I would like to assure the Deputy that dealing with the current high levels of suicide and deliberate self harm is a priority for this Government, and this is reflected in the significant investment in suicide prevention and mental health services generally in recent years.
424. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive approval for funding under the fair deal nursing home scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47645/13]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
425. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive a decision on their home help application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47724/13]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
426. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health his views on availability of a hospital bed in respect of a child (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47744/13]
View answerAs 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.
427. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide the number of pharmacies dispensing methadone which have been inspected by the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland in the years 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013; and the number of those pharmacies inspected which had an incorrect register balance or no running balance. [47750/13]
View answerThe Misuse of Drugs Regulations 1988 (S.I. No 328 of 1988) requires pharmacies to maintain a controlled drugs (CD) Register in respect of all drugs listed in Schedule 2, including methadone. All entries must be recorded in a chronological sequence and in a manner which shows a running balance.
Inspections are carried out by the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) under Section 67 of the Pharmacy Act 2007 to review compliance with the Act, regulations made thereunder and medicines legislation. The sale and supply of all Schedule 2 controlled drugs and the manner in which the CD Register is maintained are checked as part of these inspections. The Register is reviewed to see if running balances are properly maintained. The physical inventory of three controlled drug preparations is counted during each inspection. The physical tally is then checked against the balance indicated in the CD Register to see if they match. The manner in which the findings are reported does not differentiate the record keeping requirements observed for methadone from other Schedule 2 controlled drugs.
As part of the registration process for retail pharmacy businesses, pharmacy owners and Superintendent Pharmacists are required to notify the PSI if the pharmacy concerned is engaged in the sale or supply of methadone. As at 7 November 2013 records indicate that 753 Pharmacies are engaged in the sale and supply of methadone.
To date in 2013, the results of 364 pharmacy systems inspections were recorded in the PSI inspection database. These show that 37 pharmacies failed to record or properly record the running balance in respect of one or more Schedule 2 controlled drugs in the CD Register, and in 104 cases the physical inventory did not agree with the balance specified in the Registers.
In 2012, 75 pharmacy systems inspections were carried out, of which 59 were recorded in the inspection database when it went live during the year. The results show that 4 pharmacies failed to record or properly record the running balance in respect of one or more Schedule 2 controlled drugs in the CD Register, and in 8 cases the physical inventory did not agree with the balance specified in the Registers. The records of those pharmacies notified to the PSI as selling or supplying methadone for 2011 and 2012 are held in paper copy only and a review of all 1,600 paper files would be required to establish the number of pharmacies that supplied Methadone at that time. The data obtained during inspections in 2011 was not recorded on a computer database, and accordingly detailed information regarding regulatory compliance with the requirement to maintain the CD Register is not readily available for 2011.
428. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite surgery for removal of a cataract in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47768/13]
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 been adopted by the Health Service Executive, 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 HSE to respond directly to the Deputy in this matter.
429. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Health if the chief executive officers of individual hospitals or areas of the health service are responsible to Oireachtas committees for their performance regarding budgeting and so on. [47784/13]
View answerInterpretation of Standing Orders and terms of reference for Oireachtas Committees is not a matter for the Minister for Health.
430. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Health if those who receive a UK pension but are living here are automatically entitled to a medical card. [47788/13]
View answerRegulation (EC) 883/04 and Implementing Regulation 987/09 provide for the coordination of social security systems, including healthcare, within the EU/EEA and Switzerland, with the aim of ensuring the free movement of persons. This objective of the Regulation is to ensure that persons exercising their right to move and to stay freely within the EU/EEA and Switzerland do not suffer disadvantage.
In Ireland, a Medical Card may be issued to EU\EEA citizens under EU Regulation 883/04 if the person is in receipt of a qualifying payment from one, or more, of the Member States, provided they are not subject to Irish social insurance legislation. It is the person with the qualifying payment who is assessed for a medical card. Family members of persons with an entitlement under the EU Regulations may also be entitled to a medical card provided they (the family member(s)) are not subject to Irish social security legislation.
431. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Health the reason there is a 16 to 20 week delay in registration with CORU, the umbrella body for the statutory regulation of health and social care professionals; the steps he is taking to reduce this to a more practical period in view of the fact that graduates cannot get a job interview without being registered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47808/13]
View answerThe Health and Social Care Professionals Council and the 12 registration boards (known collectively as CORU) to be established under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 are responsible for protecting the public by regulating health and social care professionals.
The first registration board to be established, the Social Workers Registration Board, was appointed in August 2010, and the associated Social Workers Register opened for receipt and processing of applications for registration on 31st May, 2011.
Under the provisions of the 2005 Act, there is a two-year transitional period from the date on which the register of the members of that profession is established, during which existing practitioners may apply for registration. This transitional period closed on the 31 May 2013.Thereafter, any social worker wishing to use the title is required to be registered.
The registration process requires that graduates, new entrants to the profession in Ireland or those who have been practising abroad hold approved qualifications, complete their application form, provide their supporting documentation and demonstrate they are fit and proper to practise the profession.
The verification process is thorough so as to ensure that the necessary checks are carried out on each application, ultimately ensuring that the public can have confidence that the professional providing the service to them is properly qualified, competent and of good standing. It is, by necessity, a detailed engagement that includes Garda vetting, a process which can take up to 12 weeks but is again considered necessary to satisfy the Registration Board that all applicants meet the criteria for registration.
It should be noted, that in the case of Social Worker registration, even though existing practitioners had a two year period during which to register, May 2011 to May 2013, the majority of Social Workers chose to register in late May 2013. This, along with incomplete documentation provided by many applicants has meant that the average processing period is currently 16-20 weeks.
I am advised that any applicant who is concerned around employment opportunities should make contact with CORU directly. These applications are being prioritised.
432. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Health if he will arrange for an urgent surgical procedure in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47813/13]
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 been adopted by the Health Service Executive, 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 HSE to respond directly to the Deputy in this matter.
433. Deputy Seán Kenny asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a residential placement in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 13. [47816/13]
View answerAs 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.
434. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health his plans to provide a special hospice care unit for the population of south Kerry and preferably located in Killarney; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47854/13]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
