Terence Flanagan
Question:182. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding mental health; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26447/15]
View answerMental Health Services Funding
Questions (182)
Written answers
The overall gross non-capital mental health budget for 2011- 2015 is as follows:
|
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
€920 million |
€711 million |
€737 million |
€766 million |
€792 million |
Included in the above figures is a total of €125 million in new ring-fenced funding which this Government has provided for mental health services since 2012, to develop and modernise services in line with 'A Vision for Change'. The new funding is aimed primarily at strengthening Community Mental Health Teams for both adults and children and enhancing specialist community mental health services for older people with a mental illness, those with an intellectual disability and mental illness, and for forensic mental health services, resulting in an additional 1,150 new posts to be recruited by the end of 2015. These new posts will facilitate the policy of moving away from traditional institutional based care to a more flexible patient-centred mental health service.
Recruitment of new posts is ongoing. A total of 397.5 or 95.5% of the 416 posts approved in 2012 and 405.5 or 85% of the 477 posts approved in 2013 have now been filled. Of the 251 posts allocated in 2014, 52 have been hired of which 31 had started by 31st March 2015 and a further 70.5 are at various stages of the recruitment process. Allocations for new service developments in 2015 are also due to be finalised in the very near future.
International Agreements
Questions (183)
Eamonn Maloney
Question:183. Deputy Eamonn Maloney asked the Minister for Health if Ireland will ratify the World Health Organization illicit trade protocol; the status of the negotiations on this issue; the Departments involved in the negotiations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26449/15]
View answerWritten answers
The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) treaty was ratified by the State in November 2005. Ireland is a strong advocate of the FCTC and is fully committed to its implementation. The Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products was adopted in November 2012 and is the first protocol to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC). The Protocol was signed by Ireland’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York on 20 December 2013 and it is the intention to ratify the Protocol.
The objective of the Protocol is to eliminate all forms of illicit trade in tobacco products. The Protocol requires Parties to take measures to control the supply chain of tobacco products effectively and to co-operate internationally on a wide range of matters, including information sharing, administrative and legal assistance and extradition. Given the mixed competencies outlined in the Protocol, discussions at national and European levels are in process in order to progress to the formal ratification of the Protocol.
Health Services Staff Recruitment
Questions (184)
Richard Boyd Barrett
Question:184. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health if chronic obstructive pulmonary disease support will be made available in Tralee, County Kerry, Tullamore, County Offaly and County Wexford, through the appointment of respiratory physicians; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26453/15]
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.
Disease Management
Questions (185, 186)
Richard Boyd Barrett
Question:185. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health his plans to target early diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the fourth leading cause of death; the specific investment to tackle the scale of the problem; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26454/15]
View answerRichard Boyd Barrett
Question:186. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health if he will give a commitment to roll out the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease outreach programme to manage patients at home and reduce hospitalisation from the current 12 acute hospitals to all acute hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26455/15]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 185 and 186 together.
As these are service matters, 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.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Questions (187)
Richard Boyd Barrett
Question:187. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health his plans to reduce waiting times and to ensure every respiratory unit operates an ongoing pulmonary rehabilitation programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26456/15]
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.
Long-Term Illness Scheme Coverage
Questions (188)
Richard Boyd Barrett
Question:188. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health if he will consider including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the long-term illness scheme, in order that patients with this disease may avail of medical treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26457/15]
View answerWritten answers
The Long Term Illness (LTI) Scheme was established under Section 59(3) of the Health Act, 1970 (as amended). Regulations were made in 1971, 1973 and 1975 specifying the conditions covered by the LTI Scheme, which are as follows: Acute Leukaemia; Mental handicap; Cerebral Palsy; Mental Illness (in a person under 16); Cystic Fibrosis; Multiple Sclerosis; Diabetes Insipidus; Muscular Dystrophies; Diabetes Mellitus; Parkinsonism; Epilepsy; Phenylketonuria; Haemophilia; Spina Bifida; Hydrocephalus; and conditions arising from the use of Thalidomide. There are no plans to extend the list of conditions covered by the LTI Scheme.
Services for People with Disabilities
Questions (189)
Terence Flanagan
Question:189. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding the New Directions programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26461/15]
View answerWritten answers
The reconfiguration of adult day services as outlined in New Directions - the report of the National Working Group for the Review of HSE-funded Adult Day Services sets out an approach to the provision of day services for adults with disabilities which is based on the principles of person-centredness, community inclusion, active citizenship and high quality service provision.
New Directions proposes that day services should take the form of individualised and personally chosen outcome-focused supports, underpinned by good governance, quality assurance, monitoring and service-provider guidelines.
This year, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is progressing the implementation of this person-centred approach to day services demonstrating the HSE's commitment to providing services in a more individualised and person-centred way to all people availing of day services whose service should in future take the form of individualised and personally chosen outcome-focused supports.
With regard to the specific issue raised by the Deputy concerning an individual case, as this relates to a service matter, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the 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.
Questions Nos. 190 and 191 answered with Question No. 178.