Written Answers Nos. 142-147
142. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Health when a decision on a medical card application will be reached in respect of persons (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37481/14]
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.
143. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if he will provide in tabular form the percentage of vacant positions on State boards under the aegis of his Department that were filled from the panels created through open application by the Public Appointments Service by year from 2011 to date in 2014. [37491/14]
View answerThe nomination and appointment process for boards of bodies under the aegis of the Department of Health is set out in legislation. In line with Government Decision S180/20/10/1424 of 2011, relating to the advertising for expressions of interest in vacancies on State Boards, my Department currently advertises for board vacancies as they arise, where I, as Minister for Health, have nominating rights under relevant legislation. I also appoint members on the nomination of various bodies, again in accordance with the relevant legislation.
There were some exceptions to the advertising process in 2012 and 2013. In 2012, the members of the Hepatitis C Compensation Tribunal were appointed, on the advice of the Attorney General, as these members carry out a very specific role in relation to assessing the quantum of awards under the Hepatitis C Compensation Tribunal Act. Another exception was in the case of some hospital boards, e.g. Beaumont and St James’s, where the term of existing members was extended as a prudent provisional measure, to allow time for appropriate competencies required in members of these boards to be set out, given the Health Reform Programme and its impact on hospital configuration. Appointments of the new board members were subsequently advertised.
In 2012 existing board members of the National Paediatric Hospital Board were re-appointed for a 3 month period to allow time to consider the competencies required by board members into the future. In January 2013 four Departmental officials and two HSE nominated officials were appointed for a number of months for the same reason. In July 2013, the Chairperson and 3 other members for which the Minister had nominating rights were also appointed.
The table below sets out the number of appointments to State Boards under the remit of the Department, where the Minister has nominating rights since March 2011 to 2014 (to date), including the number that were publicly advertised and the percentage of appointments filled from the advertising process. It should be noted that there were no advertising campaigns in 2011, but 34 appointments were made where the Minister had nominating rights.
|
Year |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 (to date) |
|
Total Number of Board Appointments |
50 |
144 |
205 |
95 |
|
Appointments made where Minister has nominating rights |
34 |
100 |
140 |
61 |
|
Number of Positions Advertised |
N\A |
98 |
115 |
61 |
|
% of Appointments made drawn directly from the public advertisement process |
N\A |
31(32)% |
41(36%) |
44(72%) |
144. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the budget provided to Health Information and Quality Authority for the past five years; if it has sufficient resources; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37518/14]
View answerThe published estimate and the outturn for the Health Information and Quality Authority for the past 5 years is as follows:
|
- |
Published Estimate - (€m) |
Out-turn - (€m) |
|
2009 |
13.571 |
11.10 |
|
2010 |
14.757 |
9.50 |
|
2011 |
11.700 |
8.80 |
|
2012 |
13.000 |
9.00 |
|
2013 |
12.740 |
10.00 |
While sufficient financial resources have been made available to HIQA to perform its regulatory and monitoring functions HIQA, like all State Bodies, must operate within the overall Government employment control framework.
145. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health if the Health Information and Quality Authority has investigated Beaumont Hospital's accident and emergency department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37519/14]
View answerMy Department has been informed by the Health Information and Quality Authority that it has not carried out an investigation of the Emergency Department at Beaumont Hospital.
146. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health his plans to prevent young general practitioners from emigrating or changing profession; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37520/14]
View answerThe GP plays a central role in the health service and, in most cases, he/she is the first medical practitioner whose advice a patient seeks. The majority of GPs in Ireland are private contractors who provide services to the public health system under the General Medical Services (GMS) Scheme. As of 30 April 2014, 2,416 GPs were contracted to provide services under the GMS Scheme. GP co-operatives also provide out-of-hours services to circa 90% of the population.
The recruitment and retention of doctors, including GPs, in the public health system is a priority for me as Minister for Health. That is why I am committed to the implementation of the recommendations of the Strategic Review of Medical Training and Career Structure completed earlier this year.
In July 2013, a Working Group, chaired by Professor Brian MacCraith, President of DCU, was established to carry out the Strategic Review. The Working Group was tasked with examining and making high-level recommendations relating to training and career pathways for doctors with a view to:
- improving graduate retention in the public health system;
- planning for future service needs;
- and realising maximum benefit from investment in medical education and training.
In the course of its work, the Group considered issues including:
- the pathway for training at every level from Intern to Specialist;
- mentoring practices and career planning supports for medical graduates;
- measures to improve the quality of the training experience;
- career structures for doctors on completion of training.
The Strategic Review reports address a range of barriers and issues relating to the recruitment and retention of doctors in the Irish public health service, including general practice, and offer solutions and recommendations that will enable us to build a sustainable medical workforce for the future.
147. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health his views on a judge's recommendation (details supplied) that Magdalen women should have access to the full range of services currently enjoyed by holders of the Health (Amendment) Act 1996 card and therefore this will be covered in forthcoming legislation, particularly as the women signed waivers of their legal rights against the State in the expectation that the judge's recommendations would be complied with in full. [37530/14]
View answerOfficials in the Department of Justice and Equality, the Department of Health and the Office of the Attorney General are currently working to draft, as a priority, legislation which will provide for a range of health and personal social services to be made available to former residents of Magdalen laundries. It is the intention that the legislation will encompass the comprehensive range of services identified by Judge Quirke in his report as being required to address the health concerns of the Magdalen women. Subject to drafting being completed and to the agreement of Government, it is expected that the Bill will be published later in 2014.
