Written Answers Nos. 440 - 458
440. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the status of the current vacant post of clinical psychologist within the Inspector of Mental Health Services; the date this post fell vacant; when it will be filled in order that the inspection team has the full complement of professional disciplines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32993/15]
View answerThe post of Assistant Inspector (Clinical Psychology) 0.4 WTE within the Office of the Inspector of Mental Health Services has been vacant since December, 2013 when the then post holder resigned from the position.
The Department of Health conveyed approval to the filling of this post on 25 October 2013, on the basis that it be filled through the redeployment panels operated by the Public Appointment Service. When this process yielded no suitable applicant, the Mental Health Commission sought approval to go to open competition to fill the vacancy.
In examining the proposed draft contract for the post a number of issues were raised which had to be addressed and which unfortunately delayed the sanctioning of the post. I am pleased to inform the Deputy, however, that these issues have now been resolved and the post has been approved. The Mental Health Commission has been advised accordingly, and I understand that arrangements are being made to advertise the post later this week.
It should be noted that, with effect from 18 February 2014, the commitment of two other part-time Assistant Inspectors was increased from 0.75 WTE to 0.95 WTE to address the temporary shortfall in staffing levels and to allow the Office of the Inspector to fulfil its statutory obligations.
441. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health if he will make provision for the accreditation of school nurses to deliver training in the use of adrenaline auto-injectors to teachers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33097/15]
View answerEarlier this year I launched a review to explore how we might make certain prescription only medicines more available for use in emergency situations. More recently I have signalled my intention to make legislative changes to allow for suitably trained non-medical persons to supply a range of prescription only medicines in very specific circumstances. These medicines include adrenaline (epinephrine) autoinjectors, salbutamol, glyceryl trinitrate, glucagon and naloxone.
Any measures increasing accessibility to emergency medicines will require persons administering such products to have satisfactorily completed a course of training which has been accredited and approved.
The Statutory Instrument on access to emergency medicines, which I expect to sign shortly, will address these training requirements.
442. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health the position regarding an appointment for surgery for a person (details supplied) in County Donegal. [33101/15]
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 National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2014, has been developed to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care. This policy, which has been adopted by the Health Service Executive, sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists.
In relation to the particular 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.
443. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the reason costs associated with a medical procedure in the Czech Republic have been refused to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33106/15]
View answerThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible. 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.
444. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if a European health insurance card can be renewed by a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33107/15]
View answerThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible. 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.
445. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health when the ambulance bases at Tuam in County Galway and at Mulranny in County Mayo will be fully operational; the number of the additional 50 paramedics for the west that have been rostered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33128/15]
View answerIn relation to the queries raised by the Deputy, 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.
446. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 403 of 27 January 2015, the number of community first responder groups linked to the national ambulance service's control centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33129/15]
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.
447. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health the position regarding an operation for a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath. [33152/15]
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 National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2014, has been developed to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care. This policy, which has been adopted by the Health Service Executive, sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists.
In relation to the particular 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.
448. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details of the waiting list for orthodontic treatment in counties Longford and Westmeath, differentiating between school-going children and adults; what steps are being taken to deal with the long waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33171/15]
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.
449. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health to provide a detailed breakdown of the specific measures, for example, the number of new nurses or therapists to be employed in 2016, to be provided for in the health sector as part of the demographic provision in budget 2016. [33190/15]
View answerThe level of funding available for my Department is being considered as part of the national Estimates and budgetary process for 2016 which is currently underway. Pending completion of this process it is not appropriate for me to comment further at this stage.
450. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Minister for Health when an application for national lottery funding will be finalised for a group in County Tipperary (details supplied); the current status of the application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33193/15]
View answerMy Department has received an application for funding from the 2015 National Lottery allocation from the organisation in question. This is one of a large number of applications currently being assessed by my Department. The organisation will be informed of the outcome of the application as soon as a decision has been made.
I hope to be in a position to award the second round of National Lottery Grants at the end of October 2015.
451. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Health the position in relation to an application for the renewal of a medical card by a person (details supplied) in County Longford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33204/15]
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.
452. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the number of times the ambulance service has been deployed in 2015 to date to deal with incidents at night clubs in Letterkenny in County Donegal. [33210/15]
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.
453. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health when the report into flooding at Letterkenny General Hospital in County Donegal by the Letterkenny hospital flood investigation group will be published; and his views that the seriousness of these flooding incidents, in terms of the cost to the State and their impact on the health services of the people of County Donegal, merit an independent inquiry. [33211/15]
View answerIn relation to the particular 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.
454. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health if he will review the repayments made on a nursing home loan in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33214/15]
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.
455. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health the hospitals that have been closed in the past five years; the difference between the number of available public hospital beds currently, and five years ago; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33220/15]
View answerIn relation to the particular 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.
456. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he has received any reports into a matter (details supplied) regarding the safety of ambulances; if the national ambulance service has undertaken any investigations into this matter. [33233/15]
View answerI have not received any specific reports regarding the safety of ambulances. I am however aware that, following a recent incident where the rear wheels of an ambulance dislodged, two separate investigations were conducted. I understand that the reports have now been received by the National Ambulance Service and are being implemented.
457. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Health the steps he will take to enable a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath, who qualified as a nurse in the United Kingdom, to secure a personal identification number or registration number with An Bord Altranais, for which the person applied in February 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33255/15]
View answerI wish to thank the Deputy for the matter raised.
Given that this is an operational matter, it is appropriate that it should be dealt with by the NMBI. I have referred the Deputy's question to the NMBI for attention and direct reply.
If you have not received a reply from the NMBI within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
458. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a hospital transfer procedure for a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33273/15]
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 National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2014, has been developed to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care. This policy, which has been adopted by the Health Service Executive, sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists.
In relation to the particular 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.
