Robert Troy
Question:605. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a hospital appointment in respect of a person (details supplied). [54156/13]
View answerHospital Appointment Status
Questions (605)
Written answers
The 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.
Psychological Services
Questions (606)
Sandra McLellan
Question:606. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health if it is normal routine practice that an 11 year old child who has attempted suicide would not be seen by a child and adolescent psychiatrist months after the attempt; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54176/13]
View answerWritten answers
Specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) work directly with children and adolescents to provide treatment and care for those with the most severe and complex problems and with other services engaged with children and young people experiencing mental health problems. Community Child & Adolescent Mental Health Teams are the first line of specialist mental health services for young people up to the age of 18 years. All community CAMHS teams screen referrals received and those deemed to be urgent are seen as a priority.
Having regard to the particular circumstances in this sensitive case I have referred the question to the HSE for urgent investigation and direct reply to the Deputy.
Irish Blood Transfusion Service
Questions (607)
Clare Daly
Question:607. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the policy of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service Board relating to donor acceptance criteria where third party information is received; and the way this policy is communicated to the donor. [54181/13]
View answerWritten answers
I have been informed by the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) that they have a comprehensive policy relating to donor acceptance criteria where third party information is received. This information is available from the IBTS and is due to be placed on their website shortly.
Question No. 608 answered with Question No. 549.
Medical Card Applications
Questions (609)
Patrick Nulty
Question:609. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Health if an application for a medical card will be expedited in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 15; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54202/13]
View answerWritten answers
The 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.
Dental Services Provision
Questions (610)
Patrick Nulty
Question:610. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Health if dental surgery will be performed in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 15; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54203/13]
View answerWritten answers
The Dental Treatment Service Scheme (DTSS) provides access to dental treatment for adult medical card holders. The HSE prioritises for treatment patients with special needs, high risk patients and those who have greater clinical needs. A free oral examination every calendar year and free emergency dental treatment with a focus on relief of pain and sepsis are available to all eligible patients.
The HSE has been asked to examine the individual case referred to by the Deputy and reply to him as soon as possible.
Services for People with Disabilities
Questions (611)
Patrick Nulty
Question:611. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure disability services will be provided to a child (details supplied) in Dublin 15 as a matter of urgency; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54204/13]
View answerWritten answers
As the particular issue raised by the Deputy relates to an individual case, this is a service matter for the Health Service Executive. Accordingly, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
Departmental Funding
Questions (612)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:612. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if he will put funding in place for an outreach rape crisis centre in Navan, County Meath to service the whole county of Meath. [54212/13]
View answerWritten answers
The HSE funds 42 frontline domestic violence service providers under its policy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence. This includes 20 crisis refuges, 27 domestic violence support services and 16 rape crisis centres. There is at least one refuge providing crisis/emergency accommodation in every HSE region and most are accessible on a 24 hour basis. As this question relates to a specific and local issue, I am referring it to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
By way of background, in 2007, the National Office for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence – COSC - was established by the government as an executive office of the Department of Justice and Equality. As such, I have no direct policy responsibility in this area.
Health Services Provision
Questions (613)
Michael McGrath
Question:613. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health if he will provide the facilities available free of charge to primary school children for dental, ophthalmic and aural treatments. [54216/13]
View answerWritten answers
The 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.
The HSE provides a sight testing service as part of the school health screening programme for children of primary school age. The screening service is provided by public health nurses and area medical officers. Children who are identified as requiring treatment or intervention are referred to the HSE ophthalmic service for follow up. Urgent cases are given priority and less urgent cases are dealt with as quickly as possible.
The HSE provides audiology services for children, including screening, assessment, investigations, treatment, rehabilitation and devices. Speech and language therapy is also provided as well as referral of children with a hearing loss to the Visiting Teacher of the Deaf services, provided by the Department of Education and Skills.
Medicinal Products Availability
Questions (614)
Billy Kelleher
Question:614. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will reassess the necessity to ban over the counter sales of L-trypophan here considering the reversal of a similar ban in the United States in recent times and the fact that the product is also currently available for sale in countries such as the United Kingdom, Japan and the Netherlands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54222/13]
View answerWritten answers
I have been advised by both the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and the Irish Medicines Board (IMB) that there is no legal prohibition on the sale of L-Tryptophan in Ireland either as a food or as a medicine. L-tryptophan is an essential amino acid, which can be found naturally along with a variety of other amino acids in whey protein, hydrolysed whey protein and hydrolysed casein products, which are sold freely on the European market as foods including in Ireland.
I have been informed by the IMB that no product containing L-tryptophan is currently authorised as a medicine in Ireland and that the IMB is not in receipt of any application to license any such product. Products containing L-tryptophan have been made available in Ireland by way of the exempt medicinal product scheme which allows unauthorised medicines to be supplied on foot of a prescription to a named patient.
Hospital Appointment Status
Questions (615)
Tom Fleming
Question:615. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will examine a referral to Cork University Hospital regarding cataract treatment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54242/13]
View answerWritten answers
The 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.
National Lottery Funding Applications
Questions (616)
Seán Ó Fearghaíl
Question:616. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Health the position regarding an application from the lottery grant scheme in respect of a facility (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54246/13]
View answerWritten answers
I am pleased to inform you that I have approved a grant of €58,500 from my Department's 2013 allocation of National Lottery funds for this organisation.
Medical Card Applications
Questions (617)
Damien English
Question:617. Deputy Damien English asked the Minister for Health when a review will be completed in relation to a medical card application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Meath; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54249/13]
View answerWritten answers
The 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.
Prescription Charges
Questions (618)
Dessie Ellis
Question:618. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health if there is legislation in place to stop a pharmacy absorbing the cost of the prescription charge instead of passing it on to customers. [54256/13]
View answerWritten answers
Medical card holders are required to pay a €2.50 charge per item for medicines and other prescription items supplied to them by community pharmacists, subject to a cap of €25 per month for each person or family with effect from 1 December 2013. Prescription charges do not apply to children in the care of the HSE or to methadone supplied to patients participating in the Methadone Treatment Scheme.
If a medical card holder takes a prescription to the pharmacist, the pharmacist is obliged by the provisions of section 59 (as amended by section 1 of the Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 2010) of the Health Act 1970 to charge that person €2.50 for each item dispensed. The charge collected will be retained by the pharmacist and payments made to the pharmacist by the HSE will be reduced by an equivalent amount. Therefore, it is a matter for individual pharmacies to decide whether or not they want to absorb the prescription charge.
Capital Programme Expenditure
Questions (619)
Patrick Nulty
Question:619. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Health if the €50 million transferred from the Health Service Executive capital budget to current expenditure will have any impact on projects already agreed by the HSE and in particular primary care centres. [54261/13]
View answerWritten answers
The HSE has advised that all capital projects including Primary Care Centres approved in the Capital Plan 2013 have been progressed in the current year.
However, the HSE's expected capital savings to year-end are due to a number of factors:
- Major projects such as the Children's Hospital are at an early stage in their lifecycles.
- The procurement of design teams and contractors is taking much longer than expected due to the level of challenges being experienced.
- There are also delays in site commencement by contractors.
- Savings on the equipment replacement programme and minor capital tenders.
- The disposal of surplus assets is proving difficult in terms of achieving the €8m target. Success in disposing of surplus properties is primarily dependent on the market.
The capital savings, in the region of €50m will be used as part of measures to address the revenue deficit on a once-off basis.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Questions (620)
Robert Troy
Question:620. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a hip operation in respect of a person (details supplied). [54280/13]
View answerWritten answers
The 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.
Vaccination Programme
Questions (621)
Brendan Griffin
Question:621. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if he will consider including a vaccine for meningococcal group B on the national immunisation programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54281/13]
View answerWritten answers
The National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) has not made any recommendation in relation to the use of Bexsero in the primary childhood immunisation programme in Ireland. However, NIAC has issued guidance in relation to the use of Bexsero in the control of clusters or outbreaks of Meningococcal B disease.