Written Answers Nos. 142 - 150
142. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of patients currently waiting for the sanctioning of Eculizumab for their treatment; the length of time each patient has been waiting for a decision; when the Health Service Executive will be making a decision on these cases for this life saving treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3111/15]
View answerAs 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.
143. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will examine the referral for cataract treatment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; if he will expedite the procedure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3114/15]
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. In relation to the specific case 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.
144. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will provide in tabular form, the maternity units that have and do not have a dedicated smoking cessation service for pregnant women; the number of women who have availed of that service in the years 2009 to 2014, inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3116/15]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the Department of Health’s policy on smoking is to promote and subsequently move toward a tobacco free society. Ireland’s current policy document, Tobacco Free Ireland, sets a target for Ireland to be tobacco free (i.e. with a prevalence rate of less than 5%) by 2025. Smoking cessation is a key goal if we are to meet that target. The appropriate management of tobacco addiction can significantly reduce the burden of chronic disease on individuals, their families and the health-care services.
The provision of smoking cessation services is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive and as such, I have referred this question to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply. 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.
145. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a proposed project (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3117/15]
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.
146. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if discretionary medical cards will be further extended beyond July 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3119/15]
View answerPersons with a serious medical condition or disability, who had the renewal of their discretionary card refused by the HSE, having completed an eligibility review during the period from 1 July 2011 to 31 May 2014, had their cards reissued to July 2015. These persons can be reassured that they will retain their card pending implementation of the actions to improve the operation of the scheme.
The Deputy will be aware of the publication of the Report of the Expert Panel on Medical Need for Medical Card Eligibility and the Medical Card Process Review in November 2014. A key recommendation of the Expert Panel was that a person’s means should remain the main qualifier for a medical card.
Building on the conclusions of the two reports, a suite of actions has been identified to improve the operation of the medical card system, particularly for people with significant medical needs. Under one of the actions, the HSE is taking steps to establish a clinical advisory group to develop a methodology and guidance for the assessment of applications involving significant medical conditions so as to take account of the burden involved and the needs arising from the condition and to ensure that appropriate services are provided to people who need them.
147. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health in view of the cost benefit analysis being carried out by the Health Service Executive regarding the provision of Eculizumab on the community drugs scheme, the supports that are currently being offered to patients with this life threatening illness who are not in receipt of the treatment; if one of these patients goes into organ or multi-organ failure while waiting for this treatment, his plans to respond to this emergency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3122/15]
View answerAs the HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicinal products under the community drug schemes in accordance with the provisions of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, and is responsible for service matters this has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to you. 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.
148. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the reason the transfer of a person (details supplied) in County Galway from a hospital in England to the Central Mental Hospital in Dublin has not taken place; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3124/15]
View answerAs this is a service issue this question has been referred to the HSE 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 you.
149. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of children currently covered by a medical card; the number of those children who have a medical card on a discretionary basis; and the expenditure on same in 2014. [3129/15]
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 Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 165 and 166 of 13 November 2014, and Parliamentary Question No. 545 of 14 January 2015, if he will provide the information requested; if his attention has been drawn to fact that this is the third time this Deputy is asking this question and to date no answer has been provided to the exact questions raised; if he will secure the information requested from the Health Service Executive in view of the fact that it has now had two months to prepare the information; and his views on whether this unreasonable delay and refusal to answer the questions is acceptable. [3137/15]
View answerI understand that on 11 December 2014 the HSE replied to the Deputy's original question. I also understand that the Deputy was not satisfied with the HSE response and submitted a further Parliamentary Question last week. The matter was forwarded to the HSE for direct reply on 14 January 2015 and the Deputy was advised that he should expect a reply within 15 working days, i.e. by 4 February. If the Deputy has not received a reply by this date please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.
