Written Answers Nos. 168-174
168. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a detailed report outlining the dental check-up services provided to children in each Health Service Executive clinic here; and the efforts he will make to ensure an improved and consistent service across all centres. [51217/13]
View answerThe Public Dental Service of the HSE provides dental services for children up to 16 years of age and persons with special needs through its dental clinics. All HSE dental clinics prioritise emergency care for children up to 16 years of age, treatment for special needs patients and screening of children aged from 11 to 13 years, including referral for orthodontic services where necessary. Other services, including screening of children 6 to 8 years, are provided but may be deferred in clinics where there is pressure on resources. The HSE Public Dental Service has recently been re-structured. It is intended that the new arrangements will facilitate standardisation of services available nationally.
169. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding the illicit trade in cigarettes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51221/13]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, Government approval was received on 19 November, 2013 for the publication of the General Scheme of a new Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2013 and to proceed with the drafting of the legislation based on this General Scheme. While I am not in a position to comment on the Australian report referred to by the Deputy, I can assure him that tackling the illicit trade in cigarettes and tobacco products is a high priority for the Office of the Revenue Commissioners, which is responsible for the area. Revenue’s work in recent years has been guided in recent years by its Strategy on Combating the Illicit Tobacco Trade 2011-2013. The intention is that a further strategy will be put in place when the current one comes to an end, to act as the strategic focus for the ongoing extensive work against the smuggling and sale of illicit products.
With regard to tobacco packaging, it is important to note that the Revenue Commissioners have advised that the tax stamp, which contains a range of sophisticated security features, is a key means for them to distinguish between legal and illegal products, irrespective of the way in which the cigarettes are packaged. In addition, Ireland is party to legally binding agreements between the EU and three major tobacco companies which aim to strengthen anti-smuggling measures. The Protocol to Eliminate the Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products was agreed at the FCTC Conference of the Parties in November 2012, and Ireland will sign and ratify that protocol.
170. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51223/13]
View answerThe Government is fully committed to ensuring the on-going delivery of vital services and supports to people with disabilities within available resources. The Health Service Executive (HSE) has been provided with funding in the order of €1.4 billion this year to fund its 2013 disability services programme for children and adults with disabilities. This represents approximately 11.5% of overall health expenditure this year. The majority of this funding is distributed through non-statutory agencies who deliver over 80% of all disability services. There are in the region of 300 such agencies at present across the country that provide a significant and broad range of services for children and adults with disabilities in partnership with and on behalf of the HSE. It is important to note that many children and adults with a disability can be very effectively supported within mainstream child and adult health services.
Dyspraxia is a developmental co-ordination disorder that affects movement and co-ordination. For some children, dyspraxia can affect their learning capacity. For this reason they may require additional supports in the school setting to keep up with their classmates. A comprehensive range of supports is in place in our school system to supports these children.
From a health perspective, there are a number of therapies that can make it easier for people with dyspraxia to cope. These include speech and language therapy, to improve speech and communication skills, and occupational therapy to find ways to remain independent and complete everyday tasks. Such therapy services do not necessarily have to be delivered through specialist disability providers and are frequently accessed through Primary Care Teams and community therapy services.
The Dyspraxia Association is just one of a range of organisations around the country at present providing supports to specific diagnostic groups who do not receive HSE funding. Funding of these types of organisations is an issue that is under active and on-going consideration by the HSE. Pending approval of the HSE's National Service Plan for 2014, it is not possible to predict the service levels and funding to be provided next year for the disability sector.
171. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details of the level of funding that has been provided to the Gheel service in each of the past five years; and if he will commit to funding the necessary staff to enable the new facility in Fairview to be opened in view of the long waiting list for residential places. [51233/13]
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.
172. Deputy Anthony Lawlor asked the Minister for Health when the cross-border health care directive will be transposed into Irish law, taking into account that it should have entered into force throughout the EU on 25 October; the reasons for the delay in transposing this EU directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51240/13]
View answerThe Directive on Patients’ Rights in Cross Border Healthcare provides rules for the reimbursement to patients’ of the cost of receiving treatment abroad, where the patient would be entitled to such treatment in their home Member State (Member State of Affiliation) and supplements the rights that patients already have at EU level through the legislation on the coordination of social security schemes (regulation 883/04). The Directive seeks to ensure a clear and transparent framework for the provision of cross-border healthcare within the EU, for those occasions where the care patients seek is provided in another Member State rather than in their home country. However, it should be emphasised that the vast majority of EU patients receive healthcare in their own country and prefer to do so.
The Department of Health is continuing to work on the necessary statutory provisions to fully implement the Directive. Nevertheless, there are arrangements in place in respect of the key provision of the Directive in relation to a national contact point (NCP), which has been set up within the HSE – the email address is crossborderdirective@hse.ie.
The principal function of the NCP is to facilitate exchange of information for patients concerning their rights and entitlements relating to receiving healthcare in another Member State, in particular the terms and conditions for reimbursement of cost, the procedures for accessing and determining those entitlements. The NCP also has a responsibility to ensure that all enquirers are informed of the rights, if any, that they may have through the legislation on the coordination of social security schemes (regulation 883/04) and which may be more beneficial to them. The NCP will be able to inform patients what the cost of their treatments would be in Ireland to allow them make a comparison with the costs they are being quoted for comparable treatment in another Member State.
While it has been possible to have these aspects of the NCP up and running by 25 October on an administrative basis, it has not been possible to have prior authorisation or reimbursement operating on a statutory basis. The Department is working on the legal arrangements to put in place the statutory provisions for these systems and will be implementing them as soon as possible. Further information on the Ireland's implementation of the Directive is available on the NCP's webpage: http://hse.ie/eng/services/list/1/schemes/cbd/CBD.html.
173. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Health if he will take steps to expedite a cataract operation in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51246/13]
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.
174. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if and when a full review-appeal will be concluded in respect of an application for a medical card in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51259/13]
View answerThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible. The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to medical cards and GP visit cards, which the Deputy may wish to use for an earlier response. Contact information has issued to Oireachtas members.
