Written Answers Nos. 421-437
421. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if a date for a cataract operation will be provided in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry, following a further referral from that person's ophthalmologist; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7831/15]
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 a reply is 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.
422. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on a medical card application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7832/15]
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.
423. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health when he last chaired a meeting of the Oversight Forum on Drugs; the number of times it has met in 2015; the number of times it met in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7844/15]
View answerAs Minister for Health, I have overall responsibility for the National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016. The Oversight Forum on Drugs (OFD) which I chair, is responsible for the high-level monitoring of progress being achieved across the Strategy and meets on a quarterly basis.
The OFD met on four occasions in 2014 in January, May, July and October. I chaired the October meeting of the OFD, shortly after I assumed responsibility for the Strategy. The OFD has so far met once this year, on 29 January. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend this meeting due to other pressing Government business. However, I am committed to attending future meetings on a regular basis.
424. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health if the Health Service Executive has any function, or role, from a public health point of view, regarding rats, rodents and infestation in persons' houses, which enter the property from adjoining properties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7849/15]
View answerI have been advised by the HSE that their Environmental Health Services main involvement with pest control is in dealing with complaints from members of the public and advising on remedial measures to be taken to protect public health.
The responsibility for keeping land or property rodent free under the Rats and Mice (Destruction) Act 1919 lies with the owner or the occupier of the land. Section 1 of the Act states that: "Any person who shall fail to take such steps as may from time to time be necessary and reasonably practicable for the destruction of rats and mice on or in any land of which he is the occupier, or for preventing such land from becoming infested with rats or mice, shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine”.
Where an authorised officer of the HSE is of the opinion that the occupier of any land or property has failed to comply with the legislation, a notice may be served. This notice will require the occupier to take the remedial steps necessary as set out in the notice within a specified timeframe. If the occupier fails to take the necessary steps the authorised officer may enter the land or property and take such steps as are necessary and reasonably practicable for the purpose of destroying the rats and mice or of preventing the land from becoming infested with rats and mice. The HSE may recover any reasonable expenses incurred from the occupier of the land or property summarily as a civil debt.
425. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the treatment abroad scheme in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7852/15]
View answerThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible. 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.
426. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, an update on the implementation of each of the 63 actions in the 2009 to 2016 National Drugs Strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7858/15]
View answerThe National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016 is a cross cutting area of public policy and service delivery. It is based on a co-ordinated approach across many Government Departments and Agencies in conjunction with the Community and Voluntary sectors and I intend that this approach will continue.
Periodic reviews of progress across the five pillars of the Strategy are carried out through the Oversight Forum on Drugs which I chair.
A progress report on each of the 63 Actions of the National Drugs Strategy is prepared each year and posted on my Department's website at www.health.gov.ie. The draft report for 2014 is still under consideration by the Oversight Forum on Drugs. I will arrange for a copy of the report to be sent to the Deputy when it has been agreed by the Forum.
427. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, the funding provided each year, since 2010, by the Health Service Executive, to support implementation of the National Drugs Strategy. [7861/15]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table.
|
2010 Expenditure €m |
2011 Expenditure €m |
2012 Expenditure €m |
2013 Expenditure €m |
2014 Expenditure €m |
|
105,400 |
92,878 |
90,752 |
90,392 |
114,777 |
The decrease in expenditure in 2011 compared to 2010 arose due to savings, which were achieved as a result of the public service pay cut, HSE staffing redundancies and a reduction in funding to Voluntary and Community Agencies funded under service arrangements. The increase in the 2014 allocation is due to a transfer of €21.57m in funding from my Department's Vote to the HSE Vote in respect of Drug and Alcohol Task Force projects.
In addition, a range of other services in the HSE provide frontline interventions to clients with addiction issues. These include the Health & Wellbeing, Mental Health and Acute Hospital Services Divisions as well as the Emergency Departments, Primary Care Services and General Practitioners.
428. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, the funding provided each year since 2010 to each of the local and regional drugs task forces. [7862/15]
View answerIn line with the National Drugs Strategy, my Department administers a Drugs Initiative which primarily funds community based drugs initiatives supported by Local and Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Forces. The budget allocation for the twenty four Local and Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Forces for each of the years referred to by the Deputy is set out in the following table.
|
LDATFs |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
Ballyfermot |
1,533,826 |
1,492,413 |
1,569,489 |
1,522,404 |
461,150 |
255,466 |
|
Ballymun |
1,243,552 |
1,209,976 |
1,180,695 |
1,145,274 |
632,817 |
422,958 |
|
Blanchardstown |
1,184,200 |
1,152,227 |
1,124,343 |
1,090,613 |
179,305 |
179,305 |
|
Bray |
1,656,849 |
1,612,114 |
1,573,101 |
1,525,908 |
573,860 |
573,860 |
|
Canal Communities |
1,645,413 |
1,600,987 |
1,562,243 |
1,515,376 |
338,605 |
338,605 |
|
Clondalkin |
1,495,408 |
1,455,032 |
1,421,577 |
1,428,930 |
388,114 |
388,114 |
|
Cork |
1,622,621 |
1,617,730 |
1,578,581 |
1,531,224 |
411,988 |
411,988 |
|
Dublin 12 |
1,180,005 |
1,148,145 |
1,120,360 |
1,086,749 |
74,013 |
70,997 |
|
Dublin North East |
1,294,199 |
1,259,256 |
1,228,782 |
988,234 |
422,251 |
422,251 |
|
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown |
975,475 |
949,137 |
926,167 |
898,382 |
94,676 |
94,676 |
|
Finglas Cabra |
986,452 |
959,818 |
936,590 |
908,492 |
263,277 |
263,277 |
|
North Inner City |
2,495,777 |
2,428,391 |
2,369,624 |
2,298,535 |
576,956 |
494,856 |
|
South Inner City |
2,276,911 |
2,215,434 |
2,161,821 |
2,096,966 |
255,720 |
176,043 |
|
Tallaght |
1,316,913 |
1,281,356 |
1,250,347 |
1,262,837 |
452,712 |
341,438 |
|
RDATFs |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
East Coast |
896,933 |
872,716 |
851,596 |
584,227 |
58,200 |
58,200 |
|
Midlands |
1,576,095 |
870,581 |
849,513 |
824,028 |
307,810 |
136,816 |
|
Mid-West |
894,739 |
1,533,540 |
1,496,428 |
1,451,535 |
147,982 |
147,982 |
|
North East |
1,038,588 |
1,010,546 |
986,091 |
956,508 |
0 |
0 |
|
North West |
806,369 |
784,597 |
765,610 |
742,642 |
272,485 |
258,633 |
|
North Dublin |
870,066 |
846,574 |
826,087 |
801,304 |
456,080 |
309,778 |
|
South East |
1,193,005 |
1,160,794 |
1,132,703 |
1,098,722 |
0 |
0 |
|
South West |
894,750 |
870,592 |
849,524 |
824,038 |
102,820 |
102,820 |
|
Southern |
1,089,369 |
1,059,956 |
1,034,305 |
1,003,276 |
0 |
0 |
|
Western |
740,085 |
720,104 |
702,677 |
681,597 |
136,994 |
136,994 |
The reduction in the allocation in 2014 and 2015 respectively reflects the fact that my Department transferred €21.04m in funding relating to Drug and Alcohol Task Force projects to the HSE on 1st January 2014, with a further €1.02m transferring on 1 January 2015.
429. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will take immediate action and amend legislation to allow the Health Information Quality Authority to investigate individual complaints within residential care and nursing homes, as these persons are the most vulnerable citizens; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7874/15]
View answerThe Health Information and Quality Authority is the independent authority established under the Health Act 2007 to drive continuous improvement and to monitor safety and quality in Ireland’s health and personal social care services.
Since 2009 all nursing homes - public, voluntary and private have been registered and inspected by HIQA. During the course of this Government HIQA’s function has been extended to residential services for those with disabilities and child protection services.
As regulator, HIQA’s remit operates at the level of facilities rather than that of individual complaints, but the requirements at facility level impact very directly on how individual cases are dealt with.
All nursing homes are required to have an accessible and effective complaints procedure, including an appeals process. They must investigate all complaints promptly, and following investigation put in place any measures required for improvement. Records of complaints made are required to be kept. These are available for inspection, thus enabling the HIQA inspector to determine whether the complaints system is sufficiently robust.
HIQA takes into account and uses all information received to inform and plan its regulatory activity, and information on individual cases can provide useful pointers in this context. HIQA’s programme of both scheduled and unannounced inspections helps to ensure that standards are maintained and where issues of non-compliance arise, that these are addressed and rectified. If a nursing home is found not to be in compliance with the Regulations it may either fail to achieve or lose its registration status. HIQA also has wide discretion in deciding whether to impose conditions of registration on nursing homes.
My Department, in consultation with both HIQA and the service providers, is working on an ongoing basis to improve and update the requirements that apply to nursing home care. Any request from HIQA for an extension of their remit on the lines suggested by the Deputy will be carefully considered.
430. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the number of general practitioners in practice in each of the counties - Cavan, Monaghan, Louth and Meath; the number of these, by county, that are locum appointments; the number of posts, by county, that are unfilled entirely; the steps being taken to secure permanent appointments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7877/15]
View answerAs this is a service matter and the information requested by the Deputy is not readily available to my Department, I have referred the Deputy's query to the HSE for direct reply. If the Deputy has not 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.
431. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health the level of funding approved for a centre (details supplied) in County Kilkenny, in each of the past five years; the amount of funding allocated; the way this funding is accounted for by his Department; if his attention has been drawn to the issues raised by the parents of clients of the service and if so, the action he has taken; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7882/15]
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, please contact my Private Office and they will follow the matter up with the HSE.
432. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details of removal of dental services in Carrick-on-Suir Health Centre, County Tipperary; if alternative local facilities will be secured to offer these services, rather than adding further difficulty to accessing this service by requiring travel to Clonmel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7884/15]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.
433. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to a project (details supplied) which is currently being delivered by Saint Colmcille's Gaelic Athletic Association Club, Bettystown, County Meath; if his attention has been further drawn to the huge success of the project and its proven mental health benefits to participants; if he will commit to the future funding of the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7891/15]
View answerMy priority as Minister of State with responsibility for Mental Health is to further advance the implementation of A Vision for Change, our national mental health policy and Reach Out, our national strategy for action on suicide prevention. Both strategies clearly identify the need to build resilience and support the development of services and programmes to reduce the risk of engaging in suicidal behaviour. Through these policies we aim to provide services which build on the strength and potential of our most vulnerable.
I met with the group in question only last week and they outlined for me the various supports and services they are providing which are aimed at maintaining and developing the mental wellbeing and physical fitness of those isolated and in need in their community. Decisions on the funding of such service initiatives would be a matter for the HSE and I recommended to the group that they contact their local HSE to discuss the future funding arrangements for programme.
434. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the progress to date in assessment of recently submitted documentation, in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare in respect of a pending application for a medical card; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7905/15]
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.
435. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the progress to date in determination of an application for a medical card in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7907/15]
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.
436. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the progress made, to date, in determination of a medical card renewal in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7908/15]
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.
437. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the progress made to date in determination of application for a medical card in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7909/15]
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.
