Written Answers Nos. 394-408
394. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 176 of 25 September 2014, the reason this question has not been answered and when will a reply be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43122/14]
View answerI have issued a reminder to the HSE regarding the Deputy's question of 25 September 2014. On receipt of the information from the HSE, I will forward it to the Deputy directly.
395. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the provision of a primary care centre for Laytown-Bettystown, County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43126/14]
View answerDelivery of healthcare facilities is a service matter. Therefore your question has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
396. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath will receive a hospital appointment. [43128/14]
View answerThe scheduling of appointments for patients is a matter for the hospital to which the patient has been referred. Should a patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he or she would be in the best position to take the matter up with the consultant and hospital involved. As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
397. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding waiting times for appointments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43133/14]
View answerIn relation to the particular patient query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
398. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health the current status of the proposal in the National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016 to have drugs intervention programmes, incorporating a treatment referral option, in place by 2012 for persons who come to the attention of An Garda Síochána and the probation service due to behaviour caused by substance misuse. [43138/14]
View answerAn Garda Síochána is the lead agency with regard to Action 38 of the National Drugs Strategy 2009 – 2016. The Garda National Drugs Unit, with the assistance of the Health Service Executive and a representative from a Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Force, has developed a ‘Pathways to Support Programme’ framework incorporating a treatment referral option for people, primarily youth and young adults, who have been arrested by gardaí due to behaviour caused by substance misuse. An Garda Síochána will offer these persons an option of referral to drug and alcohol services providing free and confidential support.
In line with the overall strategic aims of the National Drugs Strategy to provide appropriate and timely substance treatment and rehabilitation services tailored to individual needs, the proposed framework is intended to provide vital referral information with the aim of reducing harm to individuals and society by the misuse of drugs and alcohol.
The Garda National Drugs Unit is currently liaising with the Health Service Executive and the Drug & Alcohol Task Forces in relation to the arrangements for the roll out of this initiative.
399. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health if the stated aim of developing a national integrated treatment and rehabilitation service that provides drug-free and harm-reduction approaches for problem substance users as identified in the National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016 has been achieved; the way an integrated service model within the Health Service Executive for treatment and rehabilitation may be created with the support of his Department. [43139/14]
View answer400. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health if the target of increasing residential rehabilitation places by 25% in 2012 compared with 2008 levels as contained in the National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016 was reached; and the total number of residential rehabilitation places available on an annual basis since 2008 for citizens with significant drug addiction problems. [43140/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 399 and 400 together.
The HSE is the lead agency with responsibility for the development of a national integrated treatment and rehabilitation service in line with Action 32 of the National Drugs Strategy. Over the course of the current Strategy, the focus of the national addiction services has been broadened to provide a comprehensive substance treatment service capable of dealing with all substances. Opiate treatment services are now widely available outside the greater Dublin area and overall waiting times for opioid substitution treatment have been reduced. More generally, there have been improvements in access to substance misuse treatment. The latest figures available from the HSE at the end of September 2014 indicate that 97% of substance misusers over 18 years accessed treatment within one calendar month of assessment and 97% of those under 18 accessed treatment within 1 week. In addition, through the Pharmacy Needle Exchange Programme, accessible harm reduction services have been expanded outside Dublin and 130 community pharmacies have been recruited and trained to provide needle exchange services.
A National Drugs Rehabilitation Implementation Committee (NDRIC), chaired by the HSE and including representation from relevant Government departments and agencies and the community and voluntary sectors, is overseeing the roll out of a national integrated model of care. This model is based on an interagency approach to the delivery of rehabilitation and shared care planning to ensure that service users access the range of supports required to assist them in their recovery. This model has been piloted in 10 sites across the country and following evaluation is being rolled out nationally.
The Report of the HSE Working Group on Residential Treatment & Rehabilitation (Substance Misuse) published in 2007, provided a detailed analysis and overview of known residential treatment services at the time and advised on the future residential requirements of those affected by drug and alcohol use. The report indicated that current provision was 672.5 beds comprising 38 residential detoxification beds and 634.5 residential rehabilitation beds. The most recent figures available from the HSE indicate that there are now 804 residential beds, comprising 23 inpatient unit detoxification beds, 117 community-based residential detoxification beds, 4 adolescent residential detoxification beds, 642 residential rehabilitation beds and 18 adolescent residential rehabilitation beds. This represents a substantial increase of almost 20% on the 2007 figure.
401. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the radiology IT system in Letterkenny General Hospital, County Donegal, that was replaced at considerable cost and effort after the recent fold is now to be replaced with a similar national solution (details supplied); the reason a new system is being replaced so soon and at what cost to the taxpayer; the number of other hospitals having similar working systems replaced rather than integrated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43147/14]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
402. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health if he will support the application for a 15-bed unit in a nursing home (details supplied) in order to care for young persons with specific disabilities needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43156/14]
View answerAs the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, he can contact my Private Office and they will follow the matter up with the HSE.
403. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health the reason staff, patients and their families are being treated in a manner in a hospital (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43157/14]
View answerThe specific issues raised by the deputy are a matter for the HSE. I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
At present under the Public Health (Tobacco) Acts smoking is prohibited within indoor workplaces and in vehicles that are considered a workplace e.g. a bus or a taxi. The introduction of smoke free campuses is a matter for the HSE.
One of the principles outlined in Tobacco Free Ireland, is the denormalisation of tobacco use. Making smoking less attractive to children and young people, and increasing its social unacceptability are essential elements of this policy. The development of further smoke-free areas as recommended in Tobacco Free Ireland, including tobacco free playgrounds, education campuses, child care and health care facilities, will play a part in this regard. The Department of Health is in the process of preparing legislation which will prohibit smoking in cars where children are present.
404. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) has not received their medical scientist training allowance considering that the Health Service Executive has in the past confirmed to all health sector employers that student medical scientists on placement must be paid the monthly training allowance as set out in the Department of Health's consolidated salary scales; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43160/14]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
405. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Health when a child (details supplied) in County Cork will receive a date for their operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43165/14]
View answerIn relation to the particular patient query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
406. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in processing a discretionary medical card in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43166/14]
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. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office who will follow up the matter with them.
407. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the introduction of measures to prevent the below-cost selling of alcohol here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43174/14]
View answer408. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Health if consideration is being given to a series of measures to reduce the practice of the below-cost selling of alcohol; if restrictions on the advertising of alcohol offers and the introduction of structural separation for alcohol purchase are being considered as part of such a response to this practice. [43175/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 407 and 408 together.
Addressing the price of alcohol is an important component of any long-term strategic approach to tackling alcohol misuse. There is a link between consumption and harm and evidence that affordability is one of the drivers of increased consumption. The Government has approved an extensive package of measures to deal with alcohol misuse, to be incorporated in a Public Health (Alcohol) Bill. These measures are based on the recommendations contained in the Steering Group Report on a National Substance Misuse Strategy, 2012. The package of measures to be implemented will include provision for minimum unit pricing, regulation of the marketing and advertising of alcohol, regulation of sports sponsorship, structural separation of alcohol from other products in mixed trading outlets and labelling of alcohol products.
The Government has decided that minimum unit pricing is the most effective policy measure to deal with the sale of alcohol at cheap prices. Minimum unit pricing is a mechanism of imposing a statutory floor in price levels per gram of alcohol that must be legally observed by retailers in both the on and off trade sector. This is a targeted measure, designed to prevent the sale of alcohol at very cheap prices. It is mainly aimed at those who are higher risk, such as adolescents and people who have a harmful and hazardous alcohol consumption pattern. It should therefore only have a marginal effect on moderate drinkers. It is not expected that minimum unit pricing will affect the price of alcohol in the on-trade sector or the majority of alcohol products sold in the off-trade sector. Work on developing a framework for the necessary Department of Health legislation is continuing and it is hoped to publish a General Scheme of a Bill shortly.
My colleague, Frances Fitzgerald, Minister for Justice and Equality has responsibility for the Licensing Acts 1833 - 2011. A 3-step approach to provide for the structured separation of alcohol from other products in mixed trading outlets has been agreed between our Departments. This involves replacing the current Responsible Retailers of Alcohol in Ireland voluntary code of practice on the sale and display of alcohol in mixed trading premises with a statutory code under Section 17 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2011 and after 2 years both the Department of Health and the Department of Justice and Equality will review its effectiveness in achieving the policy objectives of Section 9 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2008. I understand that Minister Fitzgerald hopes to be in a position to launch a consultation process of the draft statutory code of practice shortly.
