Written Answers Nos. 106-112
106. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health the total amount of investment funding received by the Health Service Executive from the European Investment Bank in the years 2012, 2013, 2014 and to date in 2015; and the detail of the projects for which this funding was sought [32387/15]
View answerNo EIB investment funding was received by the HSE in 2012, 2013, 2014 or to date in 2015. The National Development Finance Agency sought EIB funding for the primary care centre PPP project. In April 2015, the EIB announced that it had approved, in principle, a loan of up to €70m for this project.
107. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if and when an CT colonography procedure will be facilitated in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32414/15]
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.
The scheduling of appointments for patients is a matter for the hospital to which the patient has been referred. Should a patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he or she should take the matter up with the consultant and the hospital involved. 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.
108. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the number of critical incidents in the University Hospital Galway maternity unit in each year to date in 2015 since the death of a person (details supplied); the steps taken to address each incident; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32418/15]
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.
109. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure that personal assistant hours will be increased in budget 2016 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32433/15]
View answerWork is currently underway in the Department of Health in relation to the preparation of budget estimates for 2016. As part of this process, the Health Service Executive (HSE) has submitted an estimate of its proposed expenditure for 2016, including health and personal social services for people with a disability. As discussions on budgetary issues are ongoing within the Department of Health, with the HSE and with the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform, I am not in a position to comment on the outcome of the process at this stage.
110. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will review the use of the anti-cervical cancer vaccine, Gardasil; if he will investigate the cases of the several school-going children experiencing health problems after receiving the vaccine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32474/15]
View answerImmunisation is regarded as one of the safest and most cost-effective of health care interventions. International studies and scientific assessments suggest that the best way to prevent most disease due to human papillomavirus (HPV) is to vaccinate as many girls and women as possible. The HPV vaccine protects girls from developing cervical cancer when they are adults. It is available free of charge from the HSE for all girls in 1st year of secondary school. This is in accordance with the recommendation received from the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) which indicated that the HPV vaccine should be offered on an annual basis to all girls aged 12. The advice, based on public health considerations and supported by the cost-effectiveness analysis, is that HPV vaccines confer maximum benefit both individually and on a population basis if administered prior to HPV exposure.
In Ireland, the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) is the regulatory authority for medicines in Ireland. Gardasil® is a medicinal product which has been authorised for use across the European Union since September 2006 following a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) at the European Medicines Agency (EMA). With this authorisation, the vaccine can be marketed in all EU Member States. Since first authorisation the HPRA has continuously monitored the safety of Gardasil®. This monitoring includes a review of global safety data in addition to national experience with use of the vaccine. The EMA is responsible for the scientific evaluation of medicines developed by pharmaceutical companies for use in the European Union.
While no medicine (including vaccines) is entirely without risk, the safety profile of Gardasil® has been continuously monitored since it was first authorised both nationally and at EU level. This is done by both monitoring of individual adverse reaction reports received by competent authorities across Europe (including the HPRA) and Periodic Safety Update Reports (PSURs) submitted by the Marketing Authorisation Holder (i.e. license holder) for the vaccine on a regular basis. The most recent EU review of cumulative global safety update data completed in December 2014 concluded that the benefit/risk profile for Gardasil® remains positive and concluded that no updates to the product information (Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) and Package Leaflet (PL)) were considered necessary.
Up to the 15 July 2015, the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) has received 901 reports of suspected adverse reactions/events notified in association with the use of HPV vaccines (Gardasil® 899 and Cervarix® 2). National monitoring experience has been consistent with the expected pattern of adverse effects known to occur with the vaccine, as outlined in the approved product information (Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) and Package Leaflet (PL)) for Gardasil®. The majority of the reports received to date involved events/reactions related to injection site reactions, malaise, headache, myalgia, fatigue, gastrointestinal symptoms and skin reactions. Vaccination related events such as dizziness and syncope (fainting) was also reported and would not be unexpected in this patient population.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is to evaluate data from a new epidemiological study on the safety of human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccines, Gardasil® and Cervarix®. The study conducted jointly by the French medicines agency (ANSM) and the French national health insurance fund (CNAMTS) compared the incidence of autoimmune conditions in girls given HPV vaccines with the incidence in girls not given the vaccines. In the meantime, the EMA have advised healthcare professionals that available data does not warrant any change to the use of these vaccines. Healthcare professionals should therefore continue using Gardasil® and Cervarix® in accordance with the current product information.
111. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the reason a mother's passport cannot be taken into account in the case of an application for a passport by person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32362/15]
View answerThe Passports Act, 2008 (the Act) provides, among other things, that only Irish citizens are entitled to be issued with Irish passports. Each application received by the Passport Service must, therefore, demonstrate that person’s entitlement to Irish citizenship before a passport can issue to him/her. The child in question was born in the State in 2008. Her entitlement to Irish citizenship is, therefore, subject to the terms of section 6A of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1956 as amended (the 1956 Act). This provides that a person, born in the State on or after 1 January 2005, where neither parent is an Irish or British citizen or otherwise entitled to reside in the State or Northern Ireland without restriction at the time of that person’s birth, may claim citizenship by birth in the State (and thereby establish eligibility for an Irish passport) only where a parent has been lawfully resident in the State for three years of the four years preceding that person’s birth. Two previous passport applications for this child have been refused under the Act by the Department on the grounds that her mother’s lawful residence was insufficient to demonstrate her entitlement to Irish citizenship.
The current and third application includes an Irish passport for the child’s mother. This passport was issued on 21 May, 2015 after she was naturalized on 10 April, 2015. This establishes that she was not an Irish citizen in 2008 when her daughter was born and means that the child’s entitlement to Irish citizenship is still subject to section 6A of the 1956 Act.
However, in view of the child’s lawful residence in the State since 2008 and given that her mother is now an Irish citizen, her parents can seek to establish their daughter’s eligibility under the naturalization category of Irish citizenship. To do this, they should contact the Department of Justice and Equality for information on applying. If the child’s application is successful, she will be issued with a certificate of naturalization. This certificate would serve to demonstrate her entitlement to Irish citizenship in any future passport application.
112. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he or his officials have discussed the refugee crisis in Hungary with the Hungarian authorities. [32396/15]
View answerThe plight of refugees fleeing conflict and upheaval in the EU’s southern and eastern neighbourhoods is of deep concern to us all, and one demanding a comprehensive and coordinated response from the EU. Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Ministers have primary responsibility for matters related to immigration/asylum and refugees, into and within the EU.
In April this year, the Foreign Affairs’ Council and the Justice and Home Affairs Council met in joint session to discuss the situation facing migrants, particularly those trying to cross the Mediterranean. Ministers confirmed a strong commitment to act so as to prevent further tragedies.
I meet my Hungarian counterpart at the regular Foreign Affairs Council meetings, the last one of which took place in July. My officials also meet their Hungarian opposite numbers regularly in different fora. The next Foreign Ministers’ meeting is scheduled for 12 October. While the agenda has not yet been agreed, I expect there will be ample opportunity for an exchange of views on the events of recent days and weeks which demand a comprehensive and united EU approach.
