Written Answers Nos. 321-338
321. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of home help hours provided in County Kerry for the past five years; if he will ensure there will be no reduction in home help hours in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16653/15]
View answerAs these are service matters they have 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.
323. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health if he will support the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16682/15]
View answerUnder the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
In relation to the specific case raised, 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.
324. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding an insulin pump in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16700/15]
View answerAs the particular issue raised by you relates to an individual case, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE for 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.
325. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 133 of 25 March 2015, the reason the Health Service Executive proposes awarding a contract for services to a company (details supplied) in County Kildare, where the cost of the service proposed is more expensive than the cost of the service already provided to the hospital by a company over a period of 15 years; if he will explain the justification for such waste of taxpayers' money; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16732/15]
View answer326. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Health if he will require the Health Service Executive to desist from awarding a contract for service to a company (details supplied) in County Kildare if that company is costing more to provide a service which has been satisfactorily provided by the current operator; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16733/15]
View answer327. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Health if a company (details supplied) was notified in writing that its services were no longer to be used by a hospital which has contracted its service for a period of 15 years; if at the time of notification the company was advised in writing of the opportunity to appeal the decision affecting its provision of service; if he will describe the appeals system that applies in such circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16734/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 325 to 327, inclusive together.
All Government Departments and Agencies funded from the Exchequer must comply with EU Directives and national guidelines on procurement. Procurement in the health care sector is a service matter. Therefore your 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 who will follow up.
328. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health the staffing levels for the child and adolescent mental health services; and if he will confirm if this figure meets the required target. [16741/15]
View answerAs this is a service issue this question has been sent 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 them.
329. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will retain St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin 4, as the national liver transplant centre of excellence and continue the utilisation of expertise by the specialist team in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16758/15]
View answerI advise the Deputy that St Vincent's University Hospital will remain as the national liver transplant centre.
330. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health if he will instruct each hospital group to stagger consultant and key staff holidays during the summer months, to maximise the capacity of hospitals to perform elective surgery during a relatively quiet period in emergency departments here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16764/15]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this 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.
331. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Health the status of the application received by the Health Service Executive for the inclusion of Fampridine on the community drugs scheme; when it is envisaged a decision will be made; and if he will confirm that the effectiveness of the medication on the lives of persons with multiple sclerosis is central to the decision-making process. [16788/15]
View answerThe Health Service Executive (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. Prior to reimbursing any medicine, the HSE considers of a range of statutory criteria including clinical need, cost-effectiveness and the resources available to the HSE.
The decisions on which medicines are reimbursed by the taxpayer are made on objective, scientific and economic grounds by the HSE on the advice of the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics. They are not political or Ministerial decisions.
The HSE received an application for the inclusion of Fampridine in the GMS and community drugs schemes. The application was considered in line with the procedures and timescales agreed by the Department of Health and the HSE with the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association for the assessment of new medicines.
In accordance with these procedures, the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics conducted a pharmacoeconomic evaluation of Fampridine and concluded that, as the manufacturer was unable to demonstrate sufficient effectiveness and a fair price for Fampridine in the Irish healthcare setting, it was unable to recommend the reimbursement of the product.
On foot of this, the HSE decided that it was not in a position to add the drug to the List of Reimbursable Items supplied under the GMS and other community drug schemes.
It is open to the supplier, at any time, to submit a new application to the HSE for the inclusion of Fampridine on the community drugs schemes incorporating new evidence which demonstrates the cost-effectiveness of the drug, by offering a reduced price or both. A revised application was received by the HSE on 25 July 2014. The HSE has since been engaging with the company seeking an improved commercial offering and these engagements have been completed. It is not possible to say when a decision on the funding of this medication will be made as the HSE is considering the outcome of those commercial engagements as well as the outcome of discussions which the HSE has had with clinical experts regarding this drug.
332. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Health the current legal position on the sale of cigarettes in packets greater than 20, such as 25, which are available at a price of just 10% more than 20; his plans to standardise quantities permitted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16789/15]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, under Section 38 (1) of the Public Health (Tobacco) Acts 2002 to 2013 it is an offence for a person to sell cigarettes by retail in packets of less than twenty cigarettes. This provision was introduced as a method of maintaining a high price level for tobacco products in order to make them less accessible to children. The majority of smokers become addicted in their childhood and teenage years and research has clearly shown that price is an important factor in young people deciding not to smoke. By increasing the minimum number of units which may be bought, the price barrier is raised higher for children at the experimental stage. The maintenance of a high level of prices for tobacco products is an important factor in preventing people, particularly children, from experimenting with tobacco.
There is currently no provision in legislation setting a maximum amount of cigarettes which may be sold per packet. However, the Public Health (Tobacco)(Amendment) Act 2013 introduced section 38 (10A), which prohibits certain types of sales promotions, including the sale or promotion of any tobacco product at a reduced price or free of charge.
333. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health if the Health Service Executive has plans to extend and improve the services available at a certain facility for elderly persons (details supplied) in County Cork; if he is aware that it is currently only open three days per week and there is a waiting list for persons seeking access to the service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16791/15]
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.
334. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details of psychiatric services available in County Waterford, including the availability of community psychiatric services; if he will provide a breakdown of the provision of counselling in primary care and suicide crisis assessment nurses in emergency departments, in the community and in out-of-hours crisis services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16792/15]
View answer335. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if he will provide the details of waiting lists for psychiatric services available in County Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16793/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 334 and 335 together.
Since coming into office, this Government has prioritised the reform and resourcing of our mental health services in line with the recommendations in A Vision for Change. Additional funding totalling €125 million has been provided primarily to strengthen Community Mental Health Teams for both adults and children and to enhance specialist community mental health services for older people with a mental illness, those with an intellectual disability and mental illness, and forensic mental health services.
The Government, in keeping with its commitment in the Programme for Government to increase access to counselling and psychotherapy, has provided funding totalling €7.5 million to develop the Counselling in Primary Care (CIPC) service, which works closely with the HSE Mental Health Service, under whose aegis this funding is provided.
The Suicide Crisis Assessment Nursing Service (SCAN) provides a skilled mental health nursing service to Primary Care that provides an accessible and quick response to GP requests for a timely assessment of those in suicide/self harm distress. At present there are 12 nurses working in the service in Wexford, Galway, Waterford, Cork North Lee, Dublin North, Tallaght/Dublin West/South West, Sligo, Donegal, and Laois. It is envisaged that 8 additional assignments will be made to support the current service.
As part of the investment in mental health in 2013, 35 posts were identified to provide for the implementation of the Clinical Programme to address self-harm presentations in emergency departments. Currently 23 of these posts are in place and the remainder are in the recruitment process.
Acute mental health services are delivered on a 24/7 basis. A Vision for Change recommends that, as part of community secondary care provision, there should be a crisis house available in each catchment area. A number of mental health services have provided crisis houses as part of their community residential provision and, as the mental health services move away from the provision of low and medium support community residences, opportunities to provide the crisis house model will be explored. In other areas, respite arrangements are in place to address the emergency needs of service users. In the Service Plan this year the HSE Mental Health Division has committed to developing weekend services for existing vulnerable patients attending the mental health services who would benefit from contact over the weekend.
In relation to details of the specific services which are available in Waterford and the numbers on waiting lists, as these are service issues the question has been referred for the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy. If you have not received a reply within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
336. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a disability service (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16797/15]
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 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.
337. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health the length of time medical card reviews are currently taking to be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16800/15]
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.
338. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health if he will approve and expedite a medical card review in respect of a family (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16809/15]
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.
