Written Answers Nos. 345-359
345. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Health when funding will be made available in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Carlow who is on a waiting list in Waterford University Hospital and St. Vincent's hospital for hip replacement surgery [45062/14]
View answerThe National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2014, 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 case you raise, 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 my officials will follow the matter up.
346. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Health when a radiographer will be appointed to the X-ray department in St Dymphna's Hospital, County Carlow, in view of the fact that it is almost eleven months since the incumbent retired [45064/14]
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.
347. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on paediatric physiotherapy services available in County Carlow [45065/14]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy. 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.
348. Deputy Seamus Kirk asked the Minister for Health if the proposal on cigarette packaging has been assessed to determine its impact on black market sales; if he will make the conclusions of the assessment available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45066/14]
View answerI would like to assure the Deputy that I am confident that the Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2014 will have a positive impact on health and is a proportionate measure. As the Deputy may be aware, the tobacco industry has argued that standardised or plain packs would be easier to forge and would lead to growth in illicit trade of tobacco products. However, the Revenue Commissioners have advised me that they are satisfied that the standardised packaging legislation will not have a significant impact on their work in relation to illicit trade in tobacco products. Revenue relies on the tax stamp as a key means for them to distinguish between legal and illegal products, irrespective of the way in which the cigarettes are packaged. Tax stamps will remain a fixture on tobacco products following the introduction of standardised packaging, and contain all features possible to minimise the risk of counterfeiting.
Combating the illegal tobacco trade is, and will continue to be, a high priority for the Revenue Commissioners. They have extensive cooperation with An Garda Síochána in combating the illicit trade, and in addition, cooperation takes place with other revenue administrations and with the European Anti-Fraud office, OLAF, in the ongoing programmes at international level to tackle the illicit trade.
The 2014 EU Tobacco Products Directive sets out further measures to be adopted by Member States in order to tackle illicit trade; in particular, it includes provisions relating to traceability and security features of tobacco products. Tobacco products will be marked with a unique identifier and security features. This will allow for their movements to be recorded and for such products to be tracked and traced throughout the EU. This will also facilitate the verification of whether or not tobacco products are authentic.
Following Government approval, Ireland’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations signed the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, adopted by the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), in New York on 20 December 2013. The new international treaty is aimed at combating illegal trade in tobacco products through control of the supply chain and international cooperation. As a key measure, Parties commit to establishing a global tracking and tracing system to reduce and eventually eradicate illicit trade.
In view of the above, it is anticipated that there will not be a significant impact on illicit trade of tobacco as a result of the introduction of standardised packaging.
349. Deputy Brian Walsh asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that in October 2014 the Health Service Executive notified a service provider (details supplied) in County Galway of a €156,600 cut in funding for 2014; his views that it is reasonable that such a reduction should be imposed so late in the year; and his further views that this will impact directly on frontline services and vulnerable service users [45071/14]
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) is currently in the process of preparing its 2015 National Service Plan including its disability services programme for children and adults with disabilities.
In relation to the specific query raised by the Deputy on Ability West, Galway, as this is a service issue, it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply. 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 up the matter with the HSE.
350. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health if he will provide information on the average waiting time for those awaiting physiotherapy appointments in the Community Hospital of the Assumption in Thurles, County Tipperary; if his attention has been drawn to the staff in the physiotherapy Department who are under severe pressure in the hospital and cannot cope with the volume of work in place; if he will personally intervene to ensure that steps are taken to assist the hardworking staff and to ensure that the current waiting lists are reduced [45077/14]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply. 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.
353. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health if all persons over the age of 70 are entitled to a general practitioner visit card; if there has been changes made recently in relation to the entitlement/criteria for medical cards and G.P. visit cards for persons aged over 70; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45082/14]
View answerCurrently, entitlement to a General Practitioner Visit Card is subject to a means test. No recent changes to the relevant legislation have been made. However, the Government is committed to the introduction of a universal GP service for the entire population in line with the Programme for Government. As announced, the Government has decided to prioritise the over 70s in the next phase of the roll-out of universal GP care. The Government has approved the drafting of a Bill to provide a GP service without fees for all persons aged 70 years and over. Drafting of the Bill is the subject on ongoing interaction between the Department and the Attorney-General’s Office. The expectation is that the Health (General Practitioner Service) (No. 2) Bill 2014 will be published shortly. The aim is to have the over 70s phase implemented early next year, subject to the conclusion of discussions between the Department of Health, the HSE and the IMO.
354. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if orthodontic treatment will be arranged as a matter of urgency in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny in view of the fact that they were examined in the counts clinic on 1 October 2013 and deemed an urgent case and if he will expedite the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45105/14]
View answerThe HSE provides orthodontic treatment to patients based on their level of clinical need. An individual's access to orthodontic treatment is determined against a set of clinical guidelines and priority is given to patients with greatest needs. The HSE has been asked to examine the specific query raised by the Deputy and to reply to him as soon as possible. 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.
355. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the progress to date in the determination 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. [45125/14]
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.
356. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the medical card application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Longford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45128/14]
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.
357. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health when a contract (details supplied) to install critical quality and safety patient software in State hospitals in the west and northwest was awarded [45192/14]
View answer358. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the value of a contract (details supplied) to install critical quality and safety patient software in State hospitals in hospitals in the west and northwest [45136/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 357 and 358 together.
As these are service matters, 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 my officials will follow the matter up.
359. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of contracts currently in place between the Health Service Executive or agency thereof and Northgate Public Services; the date any such contracts were contract and the value of each [45137/14]
View answer379. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if his Department, or any agency of his Department, have awarded any contracts to a company (details supplied) since 9 March 2011. [45348/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 359 and 379 together.
The Department has not made any payments to the company named by the Deputy since 9 March 2011. Officials are checking if there are any contracts in place with the company under which there are no payments to be made and I will revert to the Deputy as soon as possible on that.
The Deputy should contact the relevant Director, CEO or Registrar of bodies under the aegis of my Department for the information requested because they hold such details.
I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly in respect of any contracts it might have with the company.
