Written Answers Nos. 469-489
469. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that while 120 jobs have been promised in the area of speech and language therapy, approximately 120 therapists qualify annually from Irish universities in this area; and, given this, his plans to redress this issue. [36295/15]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on the matter. If he has 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.
470. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Health to outline developments in the involvement of the Health Information and Quality Authority in the inspection of mental health services since the signing of a memorandum of understanding of working together with the Mental Health Commission; and if he will provide details of reports on inspections completed since the signing of the memorandum. [36301/15]
View answerHIQA and the Mental Health Commission signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 23 September 2013. This MOU has underpinned cooperation between the two bodies since then.
HIQA recognises the Mental Health Commission's role in helping to drive improvements in the quality and safety of social care services that are provided for people being cared for in the mental health services. In fulfilling its statutory responsibilities, since September 2013 HIQA has used the MOU to ensure that its work is consistent with its statutory remit and with the terms of the MOU.
HIQA has also used the MOU to inform its regulatory work when that work relates to care settings for which the Mental Health Commission also has a regulatory duty. This results in a complementary approach which ultimately serves the best interests of people who use social care services. HIQA has a strong and positive working relationship with the Commission in this regard. HIQA and the Mental Health Commission also interact through the work of Ireland's Health and Social Care Regulatory Forum.
HIQA has no role in the inspection of mental health services, which is a matter for the Inspector of Mental Health Services. Copies of the Inspector's reports are regularly published on the Mental Health Commission website and reports published since the signing of the memorandum can be found there.
471. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the reason contributions made by a person (details supplied) in County Cork are not being recognised in calculating a pension. [36310/15]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on the matter. If he has 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.
472. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Clare, who has been on a waiting list for more than five years, will have knee surgery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36311/15]
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 particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly. If he has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.
473. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of a hip operation in Kerry General Hospital for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; when this operation will be carried out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36318/15]
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 the Deputy directly. If he has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.
474. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health for an update on the plain packaging Bill; if there are serious legal issues in respect of this legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36330/15]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Act, 2015 was enacted on 10 March 2015. The Act currently provides for a number of elements to be prescribed by the Minister by way of regulations. While developing these regulations a number of other necessary and practical matters were identified as being required, some of which are in the interests of consumer information.
These other matters include inter alia, text in a prescribed form to indicate the type and weight or number of tobacco products contained in the packet, the inclusion of a tab to allow consumers to reseal the pack and the inclusion of a calibration mark which may be necessary for the automated production of the packaging.
Amendments will be made to the 2015 Act to provide for regulation making powers for these matters. It is proposed that these technical amendments will be included in the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) No.2 Bill.
475. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of an application for a medical card by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36347/15]
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.
476. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Health the guidelines, inspections and audits in place to ensure home help services provided through agencies on behalf of the Health Service Executive are of an appropriate standard and are carried out for the full period of time for which they are paid; his views on concerns expressed regarding audits carried out on these services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36355/15]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply. If the Deputy has 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.
477. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if there is only one bone marrow nurse in the country with responsibility for recruiting potential donors; if so, his views on whether this is adequate given the size of the country and the time sensitivity involved in this type of potential donation; if he has plans to increase the number of nurses travelling the country; if so, the timeline within which they will be in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36357/15]
View answerBone marrow transplants can be an option for patients suffering from certain types of leukaemia or other fatal blood disorders, where the patient's own marrow stops producing blood cells. The most suitable donors are fully matched family members. If a suitable donor is not available within the family, it is necessary to seek an unrelated donor.
The Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) maintains a register of people who are willing to donate their bone marrow if they are found to match a patient who needs such a transplant. This Irish Unrelated Bone Marrow Registry is part of a worldwide network of unrelated donor registries.
One bone marrow donor recruitment nurse is currently employed by the IBTS and this person attends blood donation clinics throughout the country with the aim of recruiting bone marrow donors. This model of recruitment is currently under review by the IBTS.
478. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the establishment of a regulation board of psychotherapy and counselling under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005; and the planned date for the introduction of the board. [36359/15]
View answerPsychotherapists and counsellors are not currently regulated under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005. However, the Act provides that the Minister for Health may, under section 4(2), designate a health and social care profession not already designated they consider that it is in the public interest to do so and if specified criteria have been met.
In accordance with the Act, the Health and Social Care Professionals Council has been consulted on the question of regulating counsellors and psychotherapists. Its detailed report on the matter is being examined carefully in my Department with a view to deciding the next steps before the end of the year. These steps will, I envisage, include a wider round of consultation involving the various professional bodies and other interested parties.
479. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health the recourse a person (details supplied) in Dublin 13 has to query a diagnosis and medication. [36375/15]
View answerAs this is a service issue this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply. If the Deputy has not received a reply within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
480. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health the allocations made to organisations (details supplied) over the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36382/15]
View answerThe Deputy's question has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply. If he has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office who will follow up on the matter.
481. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health his views on the recognition of the month of September as childhood cancer awareness month; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36385/15]
View answerI am aware that September was Childhood Cancer Awareness month. This is part of an international campaign to raise awareness of the many issues affecting children with cancer. Cancer prevention is a key part of our efforts in cancer control and I welcome initiatives that help to create awareness of cancer and that support patients who are dealing with cancer.
482. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding respite care for persons (details supplied) in County Kerry who have a child with special needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36391/15]
View answerAs 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.
483. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) in County Carlow was charged for respite care; and the way this overcharge will be refunded. [36392/15]
View answerAs this query relates to a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive with a request that they reply directly to the Deputy as soon as possible. If he has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow up the matter with them.
484. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding the cost of prescription drugs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36397/15]
View answerPrescription charges are part of a set of measures introduced by Government in recent years to reduce pharmaceutical drugs expenditure. Medical card holders are required to pay a prescription charge of €2.50 per item for medicines and other prescription items supplied to them by community pharmacists, subject to a cap of €25 per month for each person or family. Prescription charges do not apply to children in the care of the Health Service Executive, asylum seekers living in direct provision, or to methadone supplied to patients participating in the Methadone Treatment Scheme.
There are no plans to amend the prescription charge; however, the charge remains frozen at the level set in 2014.
485. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health the number of children who are waiting for an appointment with the Waterford child and adolescent mental health services; the composition of the services team; if all the positions are covered; if the services are taking new referrals; the number of children who were admitted to adult mental health services in County Waterford in 2014 and in 2015 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36398/15]
View answer486. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health the number of referrals or re-referrals to the Waterford child and adolescent mental health services who were offered a first appointment and seen within three months in 2014 and in 2015 to date, in tabular form; the number who were waiting six months, nine months and 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36399/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 485 and 486 together.
As this question is a service issue these questions have been referred to the HSE for direct reply. If the Deputy has not received a reply within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
487. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health the number of operations and procedures cancelled at University Hospital Waterford in the first six months of 2015; the number of these that were for inpatients and outpatients, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36400/15]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly. If he has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.
488. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding rehabilitation care of persons with brain injuries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36406/15]
View answerBrain injury health services are provided across a range of health settings, by different organisations and by many health professionals and carers. The HSE Clinical Strategy and Programmes Directorate have a number of clinical programmes that are working in the area of brain injury, including neurology, epilepsy, stroke and rehabilitation medicine. The clinical programmes are focusing on reducing waiting times/lists, addressing disease specific pathways and models of care with a view to developing a national framework for the management of long-term neurological conditions. The HSE also provide services for those with acquired brain injury through Primary Care Teams with community based therapy services and personal social services, often funded through partner agencies in the non-statutory sector.
Currently, a steering group led by the HSE Social Care Division with representation from the National Clinical Programmes for Rehabilitation Medicine and Neurology, Department of Health, Primary Care, Therapy Professions & Neurological Alliance of Ireland has been assigned the task of developing an implementation framework for the National Strategy & Policy for Neuro-Rehabilitation services. This group is working on finalising an implementation framework which will be released for consultation later this year.
489. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if a multidisciplinary team will be put in place to assist the recovery of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; if the services will engage in a more meaningful way with the person's family in outlining their actions and plans to assist the person to full recovery; if the professionals required are available at St. Luke's Hospital in County Kilkenny or if the person needs to be referred; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36407/15]
View answerAs this is a service issue this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply. If the Deputy has not received a reply within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
