Written Answers Nos. 144-150
144. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if Tusla has notified Offaly Domestic Violence Support Service of its funding for 2015 yet; if the funding will be increased; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47631/14]
View answerResponsibility for the funding of the Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence services previously funded by the HSE became the responsibility of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, upon its establishment on 1 January, 2014.
In 2014, the Agency is providing over €17 million in funding to support the provision of Domestic and Sexual Violence services.
This includes the funding of 60 services throughout the country comprising:
- €10m for 20 Crisis Refuges and support services;
- Over €4 million for 16 Rape Crisis Centres;
- Almost €3.5 million for 24 Domestic Violence Support Services.
The Agency has undertaken a review of services in this area and has engaged with funded organisations in the course of the review of services. Representatives of all those involved in the delivery of services were invited to consultations during the review process. This review has now concluded and a roadmap for the future of service delivery has been prepared and approved by Agency’s Board. A structure for the national oversight of Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence services is currently being put in place by the Agency.
The Agency's budgetary arrangements for 2015 are currently being finalised, and the Agency will liaise with funded Domestic Violence services regarding services required in 2015. Domestic Violence services are being accorded high priority by the Agency in the context of its budgetary allocation and frontline services will be prioritised.
I will communicate further with the Deputy with regard to Offaly Domestic Violence Support Service when the Agency has advised me of the position with regard to 2015 funding.
145. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the position regarding apprenticeships (details supplied) under the aegis of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48200/14]
View answerMy Department does not employ staff in roles in respect of which the types of apprenticeship referred to by the Deputy are required.
The information required to respond in respect of agencies under the remit of my Department is not normally held by the Department. I have asked my officials to arrange for the agencies concerned to supply this information directly to the Deputy.
146. Deputy Anthony Lawlor asked the Minister for Health if funding will be made available for the endoscopic unit of Naas General Hospital, County Kildare, under the supplementary budget for his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47516/14]
View answerIn view of the escalation of waiting lists for certain scheduled care procedures, and the number of patients breaching government targets for scheduled care provision, the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) was requested by the Department to work with the HSE to develop an initiative to address waiting list breaches. GI endoscopes were identified as the clinical area where intervention could be most effectively targeted.
€1 million in funding has been allocated to allow for up to 2,000 extra Gastrointestinal scopes to be conducted before the end of the year in five hospitals across Ireland. Naas General Hospital is one of these hospitals. The national target for a person waiting for GI Endoscopy scopes is 13 weeks. The funding provided will treat some of those waiting the longest for these procedures and is expected to reduce the numbers waiting in excess of the waiting target.
Furthermore, given that the through-put of endoscopy patients in Naas was being constrained by the physical layout of the unit, a submission for a new endoscopy unit for Naas General Hospital, as a component of a larger development was recommended for inclusion in the Capital Plan 2015-2019. The estimated cost of the development is in the region of €8.5 million and the HSE has advised that planning permission has recently been received for this new development.
In relation funding to be made available to the endoscopic unit at Naas General Hospital, 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.
147. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47523/14]
View answerEmergency Department overcrowding is a very serious issue for patients and staff, as it is extremely difficult to deliver optimal care in an overcrowded department. The issue is being actively addressed by the Health Service Executive, through the work of the Special Delivery Unit. Specific measures to address pressures on access to acute hospital care have been put in place. These include observation of the National Waiting List Protocol, adherence to relevant HSE National Clinical Programme guidelines, and the implementation of new patient care pathways, such as medical assessment, minor and local injury units and urgent care centres to provide a spectrum of care which supports the efficient use of hospital resources.
However, it is also important to recognise that for over-crowding to be successfully addressed, the wider hospital and the local community services must all respond appropriately. The current and future challenge to sustaining a reduction in the number of patients waiting on trolleys will require a focus on additional use of Acute Medical Units and early referral to a senior medical doctor, specific care pathways for frail older persons and appropriate National Clinical Programme Models of Care to manage older persons and those with chronic illnesses in the home and community care settings.
One of the most significant issues with regard to access to acute hospital care is delayed discharges. There are over 800 patients in hospitals whose discharge from hospital has been delayed due to lack of funding to enable them to return home or to move into long term care. The Government has provided additional funding of €25 million in 2015 to address delayed discharges. This funding will be targeted at hospital and community services which can demonstrate initiatives to address specific needs of delayed discharge patients most positively and therefore improve timeliness for admissions from Emergency Departments and waiting lists. An extra €3 million was allocated in this year's Supplementary Budget for Health to allow the delayed discharge initiative to start this year, rather than next year as originally intended. This initiative will enable many of these patients to move from acute or transitional care into long term care or to return home with appropriate supports and will help to alleviate pressures on acute hospital bed capacity.
The Department and HSE Divisions of Acute Hospitals, Primary Care and Social Care will work collaboratively to ensure that any funding provided will target delayed discharges and encourage Acute Hospitals and Community Healthcare Organisations to work together to resolve the issue. I am also re-establishing the Emergency Department Forum, which will meet monthly in order to develop solutions to problems being experienced by Emergency Departments, with the emphasis on those which are experiencing the greatest levels of difficulty.
148. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will have their eye operation carried out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47526/14]
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 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 my officials will follow the matter up with them.
149. Deputy Brian Walsh asked the Minister for Health when a decision will be made on a medical card application in respect of persons (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47527/14]
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.
150. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health when a cancelled eye operation in respect of a person (details supplied) will be rescheduled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47528/14]
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 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 my officials will follow the matter up with them.
