Written Answers Nos. 51 - 70
51. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the introduction of free general practitioner care; when the scheme will commence for children under six years of age; the way he will address the concerns that extremely sick children, who are older, will not see any benefit from this; if he will widen medical card eligibility to help these children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8030/15]
View answerThe Government is committed to introducing, on a phased basis, a universal GP service without fees, as set out in the Programme for Government. The Government has commenced this process in respect of all children under 6 years. The Health (General Practitioner Service) Act 2014, which provides an entitlement for all children aged under 6 to a GP service without fees, was enacted on 25th July 2014. Under a Framework Agreement, the Department of Health, the HSE and the IMO are engaged intensively on the introduction of GP services without fees for children aged under 6. The aim is to have the under-6s phase implemented by Quarter 2, 2015, subject to the conclusion of those discussions and the conclusion of the fee-setting process.
The medical card system is fundamentally based on means and this position has obtained for more than 40 years. However the Government recognises that the health service needs to be responsive to the circumstances of people, including children, with significant medical needs. In November 2014 the Minister for Health and I announced a series of measures to enhance the operation of the medical card scheme and make it more sensitive to people’s needs, especially where serious illness is involved. Where deemed appropriate in particular circumstances, the HSE may exercise discretion and grant a medical card even though an applicant's means exceed the prescribed threshold. Where a person does not qualify for a medical card, they may be provided with a GP Visit Card, appropriate therapy or other community supports or drugs and appliances under the Long Term Illness scheme, where the qualification criteria are met.
The HSE has recently established a Clinical Advisory Group for Medical Card Eligibility. The Group will provide oversight and guidance to the operation of a more compassionate medical card system and will focus initially on the development of a framework for assessment and measurement of the burden of disease in this context.
52. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Health when follow-up funding will be provided for the patients of Letterkenny General Hospital, County Donegal, who were outsourced under the 2013 outpatients initiative, and who are still awaiting their follow-up treatment; if these patients will have their treatment continued in the hospital to which they were referred under the initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7899/15]
View answerThe HSE has advised that all patients from the 2013 waiting list initiative who have not been seen, diagnosed, treated and discharged back to their GP have all been accepted back to Letterkenny General Hospital on their appropriate waiting list. This includes the surgical pre assessment, day surgery and in-patient surgical waiting lists. These patients will be treated within the hospital's service and budget for 2015.
For some outsourced patients, the treating consultant required further review to either verify their clinical requirements or perform further diagnostic tests. Patients requiring review were reinstated on the public waiting list to have them scheduled for treatment in chronological order. All paediatric patients concerned have already received treatment.
Improving waiting lists for inpatient and day case treatment is a key priority for me and for the Government. The HSE has already put in place specific measures to address waiting lists more efficiently in collaboration with acute hospitals. These include observation of the national waiting list protocol (2014), adherence to relevant HSE National Clinical Programme guidelines and prioritising day of surgery admission where clinically appropriate.
My Department is working with the HSE to put in place a plan to eliminate very long waiters by the end of the year. This will involve both operational improvements and better waiting list management.
53. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Health the excessive length of time considered for a person to be on methadone treatment; his views that more than 1,300 persons have been on methadone treatment since the year 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8039/15]
View answerMethadone maintenance treatment is a critical stabilising treatment that enables the individuals involved to counter their drug problem use and to rebuild their lives. This treatment, in conjunction with other services and supports, such as counselling, training, rehabilitation and after-care, provides a pathway to recovery for the individual affected by substance misuse.
Retention in methadone treatment is generally regarded as a positive goal in drug treatment. A report from the European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drug Addiction on Substitution Treatment - Treatment Regimes indicates that no country surveyed, including Ireland, imposes a limit on the amount of time a person can be on methadone. A report from the UK Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs warned that time limiting opiate substitution therapy would lead to high rates of relapse and could trigger more drug-related crime and increase the number of new cases of hepatitis C and HIV infection among drug users.
Government policy in relation to drugs emphasises the need to provide opportunities for people to move on from illicit drug use to a drug-free life where that is achievable. The National Drugs Rehabilitation Committee, chaired by the HSE, is overseeing the national roll-out of an integrated model of service provision based on shared care planning so that people in treatment can access the services needed to support their recovery. The HSE Operational Plan for 2015 also contains new performance measures which are designed to ensure that all substance misusers for whom treatment has commenced have a written care plan and an assigned key worker.
54. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health the measures being taken to address the crisis in the provision of nursing home places under the fair deal scheme; and if measures will be taken to increase the number of publicly funded nursing home places. [8050/15]
View answerThe budget for the Scheme in 2015 is €948.8m and is expected to fund 22,361 throughout the year. The budget for 2015 reflects an increase of €10m from the 2014 position. This increase of €10m is part of the initiative to tackle delayed discharges and has provided for an additional 300 long stay care places under the NHSS as well as reducing the wait time under the Scheme from 15 weeks to 11 weeks.
The review of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme which is currently in progress will include consideration of the balance between community and residential services as well as the future financing and sustainability of the Scheme. It is expected that the review will be completed by the end of this quarter after which it will be made publicly available.
55. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No.166 of 14 May 2014, if he will provide a breakdown, in terms of speciality and special interest; if he will confirm the actual cost associated with this outsourcing; if he will further confirm if it is accurate that the money ring-fenced to facilitate this outsourcing has run out, forcing the patients to be re-introduced to the already over-stretched lists in University Hospital Waterford; in view of the 6,456 patients outsourced and the 2,896 that were seen, if these patients' files were expedited as a result of the outsourcing, or if they were at the same level of treatment when responsibility for their care was returned to University Hospital Waterford, essentially resulting in a vast waste of money and resources; the number of the remaining 3,560 outsourced patients due to be seen by the end of June 2014 that have been seen and have had their complement of care sufficiently progressed; if University Hospital Waterford has now completely taken over responsibility for the ongoing care of these patients; his views that this was a fruitful exercise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8045/15]
View answerAs 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.
56. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health his plans to increase the number of consultant psychiatrists, who are urgently needed for the support of young persons in this State; the measures in place for tackling the shortage; and if there are alternative plans to provide those in need with some method of support in the absence of a consultant psychiatrist. [7771/15]
View answerI expect the new pay scales for new entrant consultants agreed between Management and the IMO at the LRC on 7th January 2015 will help us to keep more of our medical graduates at home and persuade consultants who are working overseas to return to Ireland. I want this new package to send a strong message to Irish medical graduates that pay and also working conditions are improving again and that they can be part of the health recovery in Ireland. The recruitment of additional consultants is a priority and arrangements are in train to recruit consultants. A joint HSE/Public Service Appointment project team has been appointed to progress the recruitment process for consultants.
I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on the specific details sought. 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.
57. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason those whose only social welfare payment is child benefit, paid directly into a bank account, must attend to obtain a public services card; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8320/15]
View answerThe conditions for receipt of social welfare benefits, including Child Benefit, are provided for in social welfare legislation. These include a requirement to authenticate one’s identity on request and in the manner prescribed. The registration process to authenticate identity usually involves the capture of an individual’s photograph and signature and the verification of identity data including the presentation of supporting documentation. A Public Services Card (PSC) is currently issued following such registration.
58. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when a carer's allowance appeal will be finalised in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8324/15]
View answerI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an oral hearing of the appeal of the person concerned took place on 18 February 2015 and that the Appeals Officer is now considering the appeal in the light of all of the evidence submitted, including that adduced at the oral hearing. The person concerned will be notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision when the appeal has been determined.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
59. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will examine an application for a disability allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8328/15]
View answerThe application, based upon the evidence submitted, was refused on medical grounds and the person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 20 February 2015.
In that decision notification the applicant was given the option of seeking a review or appealing our decision directly to the Social Welfare Appeals Office, within 21 days.
60. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection in respect of a person who has changed their name by deed poll, the documentation that is required by such a person for the purposes of her Department issuing a new personal public service number card, and changing the person's name on their social welfare file; if this requirement is based on legislation, regulations, departmental circulars or other policy sources; and if she will indicate, and provide, a copy of same, in her reply to this question. [8330/15]
View answerThe Public Services Card (PSC) has been introduced to enable individuals gain access to public services more efficiently and with a minimum of duplication of effort, while at the same time preserving their privacy to the maximum extent possible. The PSC is designed to replace other cards within the public sector such as the Free Travel Pass and the Social Services Card (SSC) of this Department and to make it easy for providers of public services to verify the identity of customers.
A PSC is currently issued following a registration process. This involves the capture of an individual’s photograph and signature and the verification of identity data including the presentation of supporting documentation.
Part of the registration process involves the establishment of the person’s usage name. The usage name is normally taken from the photographic identity document presented at the time of registration. Where no acceptable photographic identity document is presented, the usage name is taken from the birth registration record.
However, where a person has changed his or her name by deed poll, and the deed poll has been subsequently registered with the Irish High Court, that name will be taken as the usage name. Alternatively, where a person can prove usage of a name dating back at least two years, then that name will be taken as the usage name.
The staff instructions on usage name will be provided to the Deputy.
62. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if applications are accepted for a travel pass/companion pass from persons not in receipt of invalidity pension or qualifying payment, but who require such support on the basis of health grounds and who undertake rehabilitative employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8344/15]
View answerThere are currently approximately 800,000 people in Ireland in receipt of free travel at an annual cost of €77 million per annum.
The free travel scheme is available to all people aged over 66 living permanently in the State. The Department does not accept applications from people under 66 who are not in receipt of a qualifying payment.
The qualifying payments for those aged under 66 are invalidity pension, blind pension, disability allowance, carer’s allowance or an equivalent social security payment from a country covered by EC Regulations or one with which Ireland has a Bilateral Social Security Agreement.
Any decision to extend the free travel scheme to persons who are not in receipt of a primary qualifying payment would have budgetary consequences and would have to be considered in the context of budget negotiations.
65. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will address a matter (details supplied) regarding employers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8354/15]
View answerJobsPlus provides a direct monthly financial incentive to employers who recruit employees from those who are long-term on the live register. JobsPlus is biased in favour of those who are longer term unemployed. It provides employers with two levels of payment: €7,500 over two years where a jobseeker who is 12-24 months on the live register is recruited and €10,000 for each person recruited who has been unemployed for more than 24 months.
Since January 2015, eligibility for the lower level of subsidy has been broadened to include young jobseekers (aged 18-24) unemployed for four months or more and persons in a jobseekers allowance transitional payment. The subsidy is paid in monthly instalments over a two year period provided the employment is maintained. At the end of January 2015, the Department provided 3,010 employers with cash payments valued at some €1.53 million in respect of 4,047 employees. Sixty-two per cent of those employees supported had previously been on the live register for at least 24 months.
An employer may be eligible to receive the incentive payment where employment is offered for at least 30 hours per week over four working days. Seasonal employment is not eligible for support under the incentive scheme.
66. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when the Intreo office will be fully operational, and fitted out, at a social welfare office (details supplied) in Dublin 5. [8366/15]
View answerThe Intreo Office in Kilbarrack is fully operational and fitted out and was opened in January 2014.
69. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on a matter (details supplied) regarding rent increases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8398/15]
View answerThe rent supplement scheme provides support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. There are approximately 70,700 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €298 million for 2015.
I am acutely aware of the difficulties people are experiencing in maintaining affordable rented accommodation in areas of high demand in the current market. The Department has undertook a review of the maximum rent limits and raising rent limits may not be the solution to the problem as it is likely to add to further rental inflation and could impact, not alone on rent supplement recipients, but also on many lower income workers, their families and students. The matter remains under close review.
The Department has put measures in place to ensure that the housing needs of rent supplement customers throughout the country who are at risk of homelessness are addressed by providing for increased flexibility within the administration of the rent supplement scheme. Notices circulated to all Community Welfare Service staff reminding them of their discretionary power to award, on a case by case basis, a supplement for rental purposes in such circumstances in July and December 2014. A National Framework has also been developed to ensure that appropriate supports continue to be provided throughout the country in a consistent manner.
The Interim Tenancy Sustainment Protocol, introduced in the Dublin region during 2014, was further extended to include non-family households effective from 16th February 2015. Over 375 families in Dublin have been supported through increased rent limits to date. The Interim Tenancy Sustainment Protocol was also extended to Cork city in January 2015.
I would advise the Deputy that he should advise any person in receipt of rent supplement who is at risk of losing their tenancy in the Dublin area to contact the Tenancy Protection Service provided by Threshold at 1800 454 454.
