John Browne
Question:585. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Health when the position for a consultant dermatologist will be filled in Waterford University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23292/15]
View answerHospital Staff Recruitment
Questions (585)
Written answers
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.
Medical Aids and Appliances Provision
Questions (586)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:586. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a hearing aid in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23295/15]
View answerWritten answers
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.
Ambulance Service Provision
Questions (587)
Michael Fitzmaurice
Question:587. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health his views on the recent withdrawal, for cost saving reasons, of the essential emergency cardiac drugs Ephedrine and Epinephrine from ambulances, save those minority of ambulances that are crewed by an advanced paramedic; his further views on the inevitability that this latest cost saving measure will result in unnecessary loss of life; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23296/15]
View answerWritten answers
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.
Ambulance Service Staff
Questions (588)
Michael Fitzmaurice
Question:588. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health his views on the recent withdrawal of stand-by ambulance crews under the new rostering regime; his further views on the potential impact this will have in County Roscommon, where the enhanced ambulance service promised following the closure of the newly constructed accident and emergency unit at Roscommon Hospital has not yet been delivered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23299/15]
View answerWritten answers
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.
Medical Card Data
Questions (589)
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Question:589. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the number of medical card holders from six years of age to 17 years of age. [23301/15]
View answerWritten answers
The 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.
Hospital Services
Questions (590)
Michael Fitzmaurice
Question:590. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health his views on the case of a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23307/15]
View answerWritten answers
In relation to the particular patient query 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.
Medical Card Eligibility
Questions (591)
Bernard Durkan
Question:591. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if he will review eligibility for a medical card in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23308/15]
View answerWritten answers
The 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.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Questions (592)
Ruth Coppinger
Question:592. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health the measures his Department has taken to ensure that the over 480,000 patients who are on a waiting list across the State's hospitals awaiting treatment receive such treatment as a matter of urgency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23311/15]
View answerWritten answers
In order to comply with the commitment which I announced in January, of a maximum permissible waiting time of 18 months by the end of June and 15 months by year end, the HSE has put in place specific measures to address waiting lists more efficiently. This will be done in collaboration with acute hospitals, the Special Delivery Unit and the National Treatment Purchase Fund.
The HSE, in conjunction with Hospital Groups, is focused on delivering on this requirement through maximising the use of internal capacity within and across Hospital Groups in the first instance. However, there are key limiting factors, primarily in terms of theatre nursing staff and consultant manpower in particular specialties. Consequently, it is recognised that judicious outsourcing is also required, and this is being managed through a public tendering process. The elimination of the longest waiting periods for treatment is a key performance objective for 2015 and its achievement will allow for progressive improvement in access to treatments throughout the year.
Positive Ageing Strategy Implementation
Questions (593)
Ruth Coppinger
Question:593. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health if his Department will act on the National Positive Ageing Strategy 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23312/15]
View answerWritten answers
The 2011-2016 Programme for Government committed to completing and implementing the National Positive Aging Strategy (NPAS) so that older people are recognised, supported and enabled to live independent full lives. In our statement of Health priorities for 2015, the Minister for Health and I have reiterated our commitment to implementing the Strategy.
The National Positive Aging Strategy provides a vision for an age-friendly society and includes four National Goals and underpinning Objectives to provide direction on the issues that need to be addressed to promote positive aging. As Minister of State with responsibility for older people, I am driving implementation at the political level. The Strategy is a cross-Departmental one and my Department has an overall coordinating and collating role and a more direct role for the health-related objectives.
A key objective of this Strategy is to change the mindsets of decision makers across Government agencies and to raise the priority that is given to the concerns of older people. The first step in doing this is to establish a system of regular reporting on actions and initiatives that impact on older people, and these reports are regularly sought and collated by my Department. The fact that such reports are already and will continue to be required will in itself increase the focus that is given to older persons' issues, and these reports will be submitted for consideration by the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Sector Reform chaired by An Taoiseach. Implementation is accordingly an ongoing process.
It is important to point out the many initiatives already in train which contribute to the Strategy's goals. For example, in the health sector, in the area of older people’s services and supports, the Review of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme will be completed shortly. The Single Assessment Tool, which will allow for a systematic assessment of need and allocation of services to older people, is being developed by the HSE; measures are being taken to ensure integrated care for older patients, and palliative care services are being improved. The Deputy will also be aware that €25m was allocated in Budget 2015 to support services that provide alternatives to, and relieve pressures on acute hospitals. In April 2015, an additional €74m was allocated to further tackle the ongoing issue of delayed discharges in acute hospitals. The majority of these patients are older people, and these funds are being applied across both long term and short term residential services and at community level. As a result the waiting time for funding of approved patients under the Nursing Home Support scheme has fallen to four weeks now from eleven weeks in March.
A Healthy and Positive Aging Initiative (HaPAI) has also been established to implement the research objective of the National Positive Aging Strategy. It is a joint initiative between the Department of Health, the HSE’s Health and Well-being Programme and the Atlantic Philanthropies and will run from October 2014 to December 2017, with a commitment to Department of Health funding for a further two years. The Initiative will monitor changes in older people’s health and well-being linked to the Goals and Objectives of the Positive Aging Strategy. This will be done primarily through the development of positive aging indicators to be published every two years. A preliminary positive aging report will be published shortly. The HSE will also develop a physical activity communications campaign under the Initiative.
Nursing Homes Support Scheme Data
Questions (594)
Robert Troy
Question:594. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health the number of persons seeking placement approval under the fair deal scheme in counties Longford and Westmeath; the average duration of wait; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23319/15]
View answerWritten answers
As 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.
Mental Health Services Report
Questions (595)
Derek Nolan
Question:595. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Health when the review of the A Vision for Change document will be complete; the time frame for release of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23321/15]
View answerWritten answers
A Vision for Change, which was published in 2006, provides a seven-to-ten year framework for the development of our mental health services. 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.
Implementation of Vision is ongoing and work will be undertaken during 2015 to prioritise outstanding actions informing the identification of any gaps in service. The additional €35 million provided for mental health in Budget 2015 will be directed towards the continued prioritised development and reconfiguration of Community Mental Health teams. In addition, the funding will also permit urgent specialist needs to be addressed, including psychiatric intensive care, forensic mental health, mental health intellectual disability care, and psychiatric liaison services.
A Vision for Change contained a commitment that it would be reviewed after 7 years. It was decided to give priority to the review of the Mental Health Act 2001, after which consideration would again be given to reviewing Vision. The Expert Group which I set up to review the Mental Health Act 2001 has now completed its work and I plan to shortly seek Government approval for the drafting of a General Scheme of a Mental Health (Amendment) Bill to incorporate the recommendations of the review in revised legislation.
Preliminary work on the development of a successor policy to A Vision for Change is underway and the parameters of a review will be agreed as soon as possible.
Medical Aids and Appliances Provision
Questions (596)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:596. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the provision of a Mygo chair in respect of a child (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23339/15]
View answerWritten answers
As 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, he can contact my Private Office and they will follow the matter up with the HSE.
Nursing Home Services
Questions (597)
Colm Keaveney
Question:597. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details of all payments, by type of payment, made to a nursing home (details supplied) in County Galway for each of the years from 2011 to 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23359/15]
View answerWritten answers
As 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.
Medical Card Applications
Questions (598)
Michael McCarthy
Question:598. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Health when a decision is expected on an application for a medical card for a person (details supplied) in County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23361/15]
View answerWritten answers
The 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.
International Agreements
Questions (599)
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Question:599. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the potential changes that may be brought about in the health sector by the introduction of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23363/15]
View answerWritten answers
The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is a comprehensive free trade and investment treaty currently being negotiated between the European Union and the USA. The negotiations cover three main areas: Market access; Cooperation between the EU and US regulators; and Trade Rules.
Objectives of the agreement include promoting closer collaboration between regulatory authorities, harmonising requirements, promoting information sharing and mutual reliance for some regulatory procedures. In relation to the health sector, particularly in the areas of medical devices, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, a greater understanding of regulatory requirements and in some cases, harmonised requirements between the EU and US are envisaged.
The EU’s mandate to negotiate the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) states that services supplied in the exercise of governmental authority as defined by Article I.3 of General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) shall be excluded from these negotiations. Article 1.3 states that: “In fulfilling its obligations and commitments under the Agreement, each Member shall take such reasonable measures as may be available to it to ensure their observance by regional and local governments and authorities and non-governmental bodies within its territory;
- “services” includes any service in any sector except services supplied in the exercise of governmental authority;
- “a service supplied in the exercise of governmental authority” means any service which is supplied neither on a commercial basis, nor in competition with one or more service suppliers.”
Both chief negotiators confirmed after the 7th Round of negotiations that no commitments will be taken on public services.
The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation (DJEI) is leading on negotiations for Ireland. It commissioned Copenhagen Economics to prepare a report on TTIP impact in Ireland. This report is available on the Department's website http://www.djei.ie/trade/tradepolicy/news.htm.
As negotiations are ongoing this Department will continue to liaise with DJEI to consider potential impacts for the health sector.
National Children's Hospital Status
Questions (600)
Dara Calleary
Question:600. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a progress report on the development of the new national paediatric hospital; his views on the current planning and budgetary situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23384/15]
View answerWritten answers
The National Paediatric Hospital Development Board is the statutory body responsible for planning, designing, building and equipping the new children's hospital. The new hospital, as you are aware, will be co-located with St James's Hospital, and ultimately tri-located with a maternity hospital to be developed on campus. In addition to the main hospital, the project includes two satellite centres at the campuses of Tallaght and Connolly Hospitals. Design development is ongoing and a planning submission is to be made in the coming weeks. Subject to planning, work is scheduled to commence at the main site at St. James's, and at satellite centre sites at Connolly and Tallaght, in early 2016.
Minister Howlin has committed to making €200m available from the sale of the National Lottery for the new children's hospital, adding to the existing €450m Exchequer funding and underlining the Government's commitment to the project. Current estimates are that the core hospital, including both satellite centres, will be delivered within this envelope. This includes provision for inflation, VAT and contingencies; it does not include equipment or ICT which can be purchased, licensed or leased separately. Philanthropic and commercial funding streams will be targeted as appropriate for supporting elements of the project to include car parking, academic and research facilities, and estimates will continue to be reviewed and refined at each stage of the project.
I hope this answers the question for the Deputy.