Written Answers Nos. 656-670
656. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health his plans following the Health Information and Quality Authority report into Redwood in Stamullen; if he has concerns that there are persons with disabilities residing there; and the safeguards in place to protect them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11730/15]
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, she can contact my Private Office and they will follow the matter up with the HSE.
657. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 110 of 11 November 2014, if he will provide a copy of the literature review to which he referred which has been commissioned by his Department in preparation for the National Maternity Strategy. [11731/15]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware my Department, in conjunction with the HSE, is developing a new National Maternity Strategy. This will provide the strategic direction for the optimal development of our maternity services to ensure that women have access to safe, high quality maternity care, in a setting most appropriate to their needs.
A review of national and international literature on maternity services across selected jurisdictions was commissioned to inform the Strategy. That literature review is under consideration at present. It is my intention to publish the literature review alongside the Strategy, which I expect, will be finalised later this year.
658. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if a copy of a file will be made available in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11733/15]
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.
659. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Health his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding the introduction of the lifetime community rating from May 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11734/15]
View answer669. Deputy Noel Harrington asked the Minister for Health his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding community rating for health insurance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11772/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 659 and 669 together.
The Health Act 1970 (as amended) provides for two categories of eligibility for all persons ordinarily resident in the country, i.e. full eligibility or limited eligibility for health services. Persons with full eligibility (medical card holders) are entitled to a range of services including general practitioner services, prescribed drugs and medicines, all in-patient public hospital services in public wards including consultant services, all out-patient public hospital services including consultant services, dental, ophthalmic and aural services and appliances and maternity and infant care services. People with limited eligibility (non-medical card holders) are entitled, subject to certain charges, to all in-patient public hospital services in public wards including consultant services and out-patient pubic hospital services including consultant services.
Separate to the public health system, my Department oversees the maintenance of a competitive and sustainable private health insurance market, under the provisions of the Health Insurance Acts 1994 to 2014, and monitors developments on an ongoing basis to ensure that the market is regulated appropriately. The policy objective of introducing Lifetime Community Rating (LCR) to the health insurance market is to encourage people to purchase health insurance at a younger age, as community-rated markets depend on a continuing influx of younger people to help spread the costs of older and less healthy people across the market and helping to support affordable community-rated premiums for everyone who wishes to purchase insurance.
It is important to note that the purchase of private health insurance is optional. The regulatory framework governing health insurance, such as late entry loadings under LCR and the application of waiting periods for new health insurance customers, applies to all persons choosing to purchase health insurance and is not related to a person's eligibility, or previous eligibility, for public health services. Therefore, I do not consider there to be any anomaly in treatment.
On the issue of waiting periods specifically, I recently signed amending Regulations to standardise the waiting periods for everyone taking out private health insurance. The revised maximum waiting periods to be served for all persons, irrespective of age, will be 26 weeks for the initial waiting period and 5 years for pre-existing conditions. The Regulations will apply to all health insurance contracts entered into on or after 1 May 2015 and will include contracts that are 'renewed' after this date.
660. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding medical treatment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11758/15]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive 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.
661. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health his plans to ensure that children who spend time on a waiting list for speech and language therapy in one area, can have that waiting time counted on a different waiting list when they move location, in order to ensure they are not placed at the bottom of the queue. [11759/15]
View answerThe particular issue raised by the Deputy is a service matter for the Health Service Executive. Accordingly I have arranged for the question to be referred to the 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.
662. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Health the number of physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy positions in each hospital in the years 2000 to 2014 and to date in 2015; the number of whole-time equivalents on a permanent and temporary basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11762/15]
View answer663. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Health the number of physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy positions in each community care area in the years 2000 to 2014 and in 2015 to date; the number of whole-time equivalents on a permanent and temporary basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11763/15]
View answer664. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Health the ratio of physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy staff to medical and nursing staff in the acute hospitals in the years 2000 to 2014 and to date in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11764/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 662 to 664, inclusive, together.
I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on the 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.
665. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Health his strategy for the provision of physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy services in cancer care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11765/15]
View answerThe Deputy's question relates to service delivery matters and accordingly I have asked the HSE to respond directly to her.
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.
666. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Health his strategy for the provision of physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy services in cardiac care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11766/15]
View answerAs the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive 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.
667. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Health his strategy for the provision of physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy services in orthopaedic care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11767/15]
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.
668. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Health his strategy for the provision of physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy services in neurological care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11768/15]
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.
670. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a medical card in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11773/15]
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.
