Written Answers Nos. 265-277
265. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting for an endoscopy in Tallaght hospital in Dublin 24; the current waiting time for such a procedure; and if there are interim or long-term proposals to shorten the delivery of the same procedure in this hospital. [36910/15]
View answerWith regard to the specific query raised by the Deputy, 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.
266. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the subsistence and below minimum wage salary that fourth year student nurses currently experience, as they work 39 hours per week for nine months and receive €6.95 per hour; and his plans to address this issue. [36911/15]
View answer283. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health if he will increase the rate of pay for student nurses, given the valuable work they carry out in patient care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37068/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 266 and 283 together.
Fourth year undergraduate student nurses undertake a 36 week rostered placement as a part of their degree programme. When doing so, they are not qualified nurses and require supervision. The replacement ratio for student nurses replacing staff nurses is 2:1.
Student nurses participating in the 4th year rostered clinical placement are paid in accordance with the trainee rates specified in the National Minimum Wage Act. They are paid €6.49 for the first 12 weeks of the placement, €6.92 for the second 12 weeks and €7.79 for the third 12 weeks, excluding premium payments. This equates to approximately 53% of the 1st point of the staff nurse scale. Mental health student nurses are paid 2.3% more, reflecting existing relativities between general and psychiatric staff nurse pay scales.
These rates will be increasing shortly in line with the increase in the minimum wage announced in Budget 2016. Pursuant to the Lansdowne Road Agreement, the Department of Health and the HSE are to consider the issues of pay for student nurses during the fourth year 36 week placement with the nursing unions. This process has commenced.
267. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the status of the capital application of a community nursing unit for older persons in Tuam in County Galway; if this is one of the 129 projects to be included in the health capital programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36934/15]
View answerInvestment in health care infrastructure must be a continuous process of improvement if accommodation standards are to be enhanced and maintained. Therefore all community nursing homes will require capital funding - ranging from a few hundred euro to total replacement costs.
Following the announcement last month of the health capital allocation of €3 billion for the multi-annual period 2016-2021 the HSE is working on the next Capital Plan for that period. This Plan requires the approval of the Minister for Health together with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. The overall plan will include provision of additional funding towards the later years of the period for the development of Community Nursing Units. The additional funding will, building upon the existing projects, enable an enhanced programme to replace, upgrade and refurbish long term care facilities and will significantly improve the standard of residential facilities and facilitate person centred care. The Department is working with the HSE to prioritise the available funding.
268. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure that a person (details supplied) is given a retinopathy screening in the Mater Private Hospital in Dublin, without further delay. [36940/15]
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.
269. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Health for information on the services available to persons living in Dundalk in County Louth who are seeking out-of-hours doctor services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36960/15]
View answer270. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Health for an update on when out-of-hours doctor services will be provided to persons living in Dundalk in County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36961/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 269 and 270 together.
As these are service issues, they have 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.
271. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health the position regarding additional beds at a community hospital (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36977/15]
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.
272. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health the position regarding additional beds at a community hospital (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36978/15]
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.
273. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health his views on, and the steps he will take to investigate, reports of toxic waste from developer and fixer tanks in the radiography department at Naas General Hospital in County Kildare being drained directly into public drains during servicing, a practice noted in a letter dated 31 August 1988 from the then acting superintendent radiographer to the then hospital administrator. [37006/15]
View answer274. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health his views on, and the steps he will take to investigate, repeated complaints from staff in the radiography department at Naas General Hospital in County Kildare of toxic fumes from developer and fixer tanks permeating the department, as noted in a letter to the then hospital administrator from the superintendent radiographer, dated 10 December 1991, and again in a letter from the staff of the radiography department to the then hospital administrator, dated 9 November 1995. [37007/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 273 and 274 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.
275. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health his views on concerns raised by a national organisation (details supplied) regarding access to services in County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37019/15]
View answerAs the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive 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.
276. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health his plans to address the ongoing need for a full-time resident general practitioner in Rathmore in County Kerry to replace the retired GP, many patients of whose practice have had to seek a GP in other towns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37026/15]
View answerAs this is a service issue, 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 the Executive.
277. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) in County Limerick had to wait for over three hours for an ambulance to arrive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37027/15]
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.
