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Wednesday, 30 Apr 2014

Written Answers Nos. 821-841

Medical Card Reviews

Questions (821)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

821. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if he will review the recent refusal of medical card review in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19094/14]

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Written 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.

Disability Support Services

Questions (822, 823, 824)

David Stanton

Question:

822. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 209 of 12 March 2014, relating to assessments of need and service statements under the Disability Act 2005, if he will provide figures for the average amount of time taken from receipt of application until an assessment is commenced; the average amount of time taken from commencement of assessment to the completion of an assessment report; the average amount of time taken from the completion of an assessment report to the provision of a service statement in each of the Health Service Executive areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19104/14]

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David Stanton

Question:

823. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 208 of 12 March 2014, relating to complaints under the Disability Act 2005, if he will provide a breakdown of the reasons for complaints under the Act; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19105/14]

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David Stanton

Question:

824. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 207, 208 and 209 of 12 March 2014, relating to assessments of need, service statements and complaints under the Disability Act 2005 if he will provide a breakdown of the number of applications for assessments of need; the number of assessments completed and reports issued; the number of service statements issued and the number of complaints received and, of those, the number upheld in the different regions of the Cork area of the Health Service Executive south; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19106/14]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 822 to 824, inclusive, together.

As these questions concerning Part 2 of the Disability Act 2005 relate to detailed operational matters, my Department has asked the Health Service Executive to reply directly to the Deputy on the matters raised.

Ambulance Service Response Times

Questions (825)

Paul Connaughton

Question:

825. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Health the reason the ambulance service took a person (details supplied) to Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe as opposed to University Hospital Galway when the medical care required was only available in UHG; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19110/14]

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Written answers

In relation to the detailed patient query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to him directly.

Medical Card Reviews

Questions (826)

Brendan Griffin

Question:

826. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if a medical card will be reinstated in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19114/14]

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Written 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.

Medical Card Applications

Questions (827)

Micheál Martin

Question:

827. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a medical card application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19166/14]

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Written 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.

Medical Card Reviews

Questions (828)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

828. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a medical card in receipt of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19175/14]

View answer

Written 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.

Mental Health Services Provision

Questions (829)

Michael Lowry

Question:

829. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health the total number of places available in long-term care/support facilities for those with mental health issues in the mid-west region; the total number of these places available in County Tipperary; his views on whether this number is sufficient in view of the information (details supplied); if he will immediately sanction funding to create more places for those requiring assistance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19177/14]

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Written answers

As this is a service matter this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Medical Card Reviews

Questions (830)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

830. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a medical card in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19178/14]

View answer

Written 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.

Charities Regulation

Questions (831, 832)

Anne Ferris

Question:

831. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Health the specific health and safety standards, other employment protections and the hourly rate of payment offered to employees/trainees of Rehab who have been engaged in commercial activities for the organisation including the outfitting of coffins, the processing of recyclable waste materials and retail enterprises; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19180/14]

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Anne Ferris

Question:

832. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Health the extent of oversight and audit arrangements that are in place for Rehab to ensure that employees/trainees receive a fair industrial wage, appropriate career development opportunities and health and safety and other workplace protections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19181/14]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 831 and 832 together.

The Rehab Group receives funding from the Health Service Executive (HSE) under Section 39 of the Health Act 2004. Employees of Section 39 organisations, including Rehab, are not public servants, are not subject to the standard salary scales for the health sector and are not counted in public service employment numbers. However, Rehab employees, like all employees, are covered by the national framework of statutory and regulatory protections afforded to all employees in the State, including labour laws, minimum wage and health and safety.

The HSE has a service level agreement with Rehabcare and the National Learning Network (NLN) (subsidiaries of the Rehab Group) to provide day services and rehabilitative training services to people with a disability. The agreement covers the nature and levels of services to be provided by Rehabcare and NLN for the people with a disability within the funding provided on an annual basis. This agreement framework provides governance which links funding provided to a quantum of service and provides for these services to be linked to quality standards, with continuous monitoring to ensure equity, efficiency and effective use of available resources. A critical element of the agreement is the use of standard documentation to formalise the funding arrangements.

As part of this process, all agencies including Rehabcare, are monitored via regular review meetings with HSE Management at Area and Regional level. These review meetings address financial reports, human resources, activity data, planning, review of agreed performance indicators and compliance with quality and standards etc. There are also operational service planning meetings held regularly in relation to individual service users. There is an increasing focus on the use of internal audit in monitoring the operation of Section 39 agencies where warranted and this process will increase in line with the 2014 National Service Plan.

The issues raised in the Deputy's questions, regarding Rehab employees, can be best answered directly by the Rehab Group.

Dental Services Provision

Questions (833)

Colm Keaveney

Question:

833. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details, in tabular form, of the waiting lists for children with a disability for dental services for each Health Service Executive region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19182/14]

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Written 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. The information on waiting lists is currently being collated by the HSE and will be forwarded directly to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

Departmental Budgets

Questions (834)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

834. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the amount of over-spend in his budget that the Department of Health will have in this financial year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19189/14]

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Written answers

The total net budget for my Department (Vote 38) for 2014 is almost €202m comprising €186m Revenue and €16m Capital. This funding is for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Health and certain other services administered by that Office, including grants to research, consultative and advisory bodies. The April issues, submitted to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform five days before month end, shows net expenditure for my Department at €1 million under profile. 2014 will be another challenging year for my Department; however, with astute financial planning and management I am confident that my Office will operate within budget and I do not anticipate any expenditure overruns on the Vote.

Health Services Provision

Questions (835)

Micheál Martin

Question:

835. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Health if implementation of the national diabetic retinal screening programme has been contracted out to different organisations/providers; if so the details of those organisations/providers and the catchment area for each; the funding allocated to each; the basis on which the organisations/providers were awarded the contracts; if other organisations/providers sought to provide the service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19192/14]

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Written answers

As this is a service issue the matter has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.

Health Services Provision

Questions (836)

Micheál Martin

Question:

836. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Health when the national diabetic retinal screening programme began screening; the targets for numbers to be screened; the number of persons who have been screened to date by each screening organisation; the number of appointments made for screening at each screening organisation that did not subsequently take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19193/14]

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Written answers

Diabetic RetinaScreen, the national diabetic retinopathy screening programme, commenced screening at the end of February 2013. The HSE National Clinical Programme on Diabetes estimate there are 190,000 diabetics in Ireland. The Diabetic RetinaScreen register currently has 147,000 people. The programme is firmly on target to meet its HSE Service Plan commitment that all clients on the Diabetic RetinaScreen register will be invited by the end of 2014. At the end of March 2014, over 72,000 have been invited to participate. Those who have been invited are currently dispersed at the various steps of the screening pathway, including consent, appointment, screening, results and possible treatment. As with all call, re-call population-based screening programmes in Ireland and in other jurisdictions, statistical data cannot be accurately calculated until after the end of the screening round. This is to ensure that all those invited and at the various stages of their screening journey have been accounted for with a final outcome, which will include those who did not attend.

Health Services Provision

Questions (837)

Micheál Martin

Question:

837. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Health the reason general practitioners making referrals to the national diabetic retinal screening programme can only make individual referrals and cannot simply submit a patient list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19194/14]

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Written answers

Diabetic RetinaScreen, the national diabetic retinopathy screening programme, operates a national call, re-call population screening programme. No referrals are required. This mirrors the approach taken with other population based screening programmes, BreastCheck, CervicalCheck and BowelScreen. Diabetic RetinaScreen provides a facility to all GPs whereby they can register their patient with the programme once a diagnosis of diabetes has been confirmed and also obtained their patient’s consent to register with the programme. Health professionals can also check if their existing diabetic patients are on the diabetic retinopathy register. Registration is currently undertaken by calling Freephone 1800 45 45 55. This will shortly be supplemented by an on-line registration facility.

Hospital Appointments Administration

Questions (838)

Brendan Ryan

Question:

838. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Health the length of waiting list is for a procedure (details supplied). [19197/14]

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Written answers

As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.

Hospital Appointments Administration

Questions (839)

Michael McGrath

Question:

839. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will receive an appointment for surgery. [19200/14]

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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 the particular query raised by the Deputy, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to him on this matter.

Medical Card Reviews

Questions (840)

Robert Troy

Question:

840. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a medical card in respect of a person (details supplied). [19205/14]

View answer

Written 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.

Medical Card Data

Questions (841)

Billy Kelleher

Question:

841. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the total number of medical cards as of 1 April 2014; the total number of GP cards on the same date; and the total number for each type of card issued on a discretionary basis on that date. [19218/14]

View answer

Written answers

The table below provides the card types and numbers at 1 April 2014, as requested by the Deputy.

Card Type

No. of Cards

Medical cards

1,799,103

of which granted on the basis of discretion

49,596

GP Visit cards

120,981

of which granted on the basis of discretion

29,080

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