Written Answers Nos. 844-860
844. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Health to outline if an overall target for the reduction of suicide rates was set out by the then Government on the advice of the Minister for Health and Children, as recommended in Reach Out, the National Strategy for Action on Suicide Prevention 2005-2014; and if so the target set. [38296/15]
View answerDealing with the current high levels of suicide and self-harm is a priority for this Government. Suicide prevention in Ireland up to 2014 was guided by Reach Out, the first National suicide prevention strategy. The National Office for Suicide Prevention was established in 2005 within the HSE to oversee the implementation, monitoring and coordination of the strategy.
Between the years 2007 and 2011, particularly since the onset of the economic downturn in 2008, there was an increase in the suicide rate, specifically among men. The overall increase in suicide in Ireland between these years can be wholly attributed to an increase in the male rate of suicide. According to official CSO data there were 541 deaths by suicide in 2012. This represents a 2.35% decrease on the 2011 figures. Provisional data for 2013 and 2014 suggest a further decreasing trend in the rate of suicide.
The setting of targets in this area is difficult, however, an interim target to achieve a 10% reduction in suicide by 2010 was agreed around 2009, using the 2005 suicide figure as the baseline. However, this target was set against the backdrop of an upward trend in suicide from mid-2000. No further targets were set under the Reach Out strategy.
We recognise that the number of deaths by suicide is far too high. In June, as part of our effort to address this issue, the Government published Connecting for Life – our new National Strategy to Reduce Suicide 2015–2020. The new Strategy, which has a strong focus on implementation and outcomes to reflect national and international best practice, aims to reduce the level of suicide and achieve a reduced rate of self-harm presentations over its lifetime. The World Health Organisation target of a 10% reduction in the rates of suicide by 2020, has been adopted as a minimum for the Strategy.
845. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the closure of the laboratories at the Irish Blood Transfusion Service in St. Finbarr's Hospital, Cork; the number of persons affected by the closure; the steps that have been taken to identify alternative positions for these persons within the Health Service Executive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38299/15]
View answerThe new Irish Blood Transfusion Service centre planned for the grounds of Cork University Hospital campus will deliver a cross-matching service for hospitals in Cork and a reference serology service for hospitals in Munster. It will also continue to provide a donation clinic for whole blood, platelet apheresis and a service to Haemochromatosis patients. A therapeutic apheresis service will be provided for patients in Cork hospitals and blood and platelets will continue to be stored and distributed through the Cork Centre.
The IBTS has reviewed all aspects of their operations with a view to delivering better value for money, while at the same time ensuring that services are delivered to the highest standards of quality. This resulted in changes to collection teams, administrative services and laboratory services. The changes include the closure of the processing laboratory in the Cork Centre on 23 October 2015.
The closure of laboratories in Cork will impact directly on a relatively small number of employees. The options available to these employees include redeployment to other areas in the IBTS, redeployment to the HSE and voluntary redundancy.
846. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Health the investment that has taken place in dementia services in each Health Service Executive area for each of the past six years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38304/15]
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 it will follow up the matter with the HSE.
847. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Health if he will review the position regarding the centralising and processing of all medical cards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38312/15]
View answerThe Health Service Executive (HSE) decided to move the processing of medical cards from local services i.e. Local Health Offices into a single centralised national service at the Primary Care Reimbursement Service Office (PCRS) from July 2011. The rationale for this decision was to ensure medical card applications are assessed in a single uniform and consistent manner, regardless of their geographic location and to make sure the same rule set is applied to every applicant, including the application of discretion.
I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this issue.
848. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite an application for a Medical Card by a person (details supplied) in County Longford. [38313/15]
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 which will follow up the matter with it.
849. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health if his Department entered into discussions with the Department of Defence before the mass issuing of mefloquine-Lariam by the Defence Forces in 2001; and if his Department provided the Department of Defence with any guidelines regarding possible side effects in relation to mefloquine-Lariam. [38338/15]
View answer850. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health if the Health Service Executive or the Health Products Regulatory Authority or both have entered into discussions with the Department of Defence before the mass issuing of mefloquine-Lariam by the Defence Forces in 2001; and if the executive or the authority or both have provided the Department of Defence with guidelines regarding possible side effects from mefloquine-Lariam. [38339/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 849 and 850 together.
I am advised that there is no record of discussions between my Department or the Health Service Executive (HSE) with the Department of Defence prior to the decision to use Mefloquine/Lariam. The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), the statutory authority with responsibility for the quality, safety and efficacy of medicines in Ireland, has advised that they are not aware of any specific discussions with the Department of Defence in this regard but cannot provide a definitive reply at short notice as there may be correspondence in archived files.
In addition, no guidelines for clinical use were provided by my Department, the HSE or the HPRA to the Department of Defence.
When any medicine is authorised it is issued with specific approved product information. This consists of the summary of product characteristics (SmPC), which is the legal licence for that medicine, a package leaflet (PL) and the labelling (outer carton). An SmPC is a document for healthcare professionals which contains all the known information available about a particular medicine at a given time, including information on how to use that medicine safely. It is updated on an ongoing basis and at any stage of the life cycle of a medicine whenever new information becomes available about it. The corresponding document for patients is the package leaflet (PL). The PL is required to be presented in patient-friendly language and is subject to user testing. The SmPC and PL for Mefloquine/Lariam are available on the HPRA website.
My Department is advised that a medical risk assessment is carried out on an individual basis and there has been no mass issuing of Mefloquine/Lariam by the Defence Forces. The question of the prescribing procedures followed in the Defence Forces is a matter which should be addressed to the Minister for Defence and I understand that the Minster for Defence addressed this question from the Deputy in responding to parliamentary questions on the 8 October, 2015.
851. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding the ambulance service in the Louth-east Meath constituency. [38350/15]
View answerI understand that the National Ambulance Service is undertaking an internal review of this particular incident. I have therefore 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.
852. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health if he will report on the availability of specialist feed for new-born children in maternity and paediatric hospitals at weekends and bank holidays; the steps that are being taken to resolve the supply problems; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38353/15]
View answerFannin Compounding Limited (FCL) is authorised by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) for the compounding of a number of medicines that are mainly patient specific. These include parenteral nutrition (intravenous feed) for babies. My Department, the HPRA and HSE are aware that, for parenteral nutrition, FCL has made a business decision to change from a 7 day working week to a 5 day working week based on available resources. This commenced over the weekend of Saturday 24/ Sunday 25 October. The company provided a compounding service on bank holiday Monday 26 October. I understand that the company liaised with the HSE in advance of this change and that the HSE is working with FCL to ensure that paediatric and neonatal nutritional requirements are met. A clinical group was established to review the planned reduction of TPN to determine the impact on the services and establish a contingency plan for hospitals. Contingency plans will remain in place to ensure the demand is met.
FCL continues to provide an amount of these products that are required for weekends by compounding those on Thursday and Friday of each week. Additional requirements can be sourced by the HSE from authorised manufacturers in other member states of the EU.
In relation to the specific query 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.
853. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Health the consent procedures afforded to parents of schoolgirls who are offered the human papilloma virus vaccine; the extent to which the consent procedures currently and previously included access to information on known side effects of the drugs in question; his views on the matter of consent procedures connected to the human papilloma virus vaccine; and the extent to which the Health Service Executive may be considered to be seeking fully informed parental and guardian consent. [38361/15]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and 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 it will follow up the matter with the HSE.
854. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Health the extent and content of any interaction between his Department and the European Medicines Agency, regarding the review of human papilloma virus vaccines announced in July 2015; the interaction between the agency and any other State body on this review; the likely duration and scope of the review; his plans to publicise the review by the agency more widely, in order to invite comments from parents and vaccinated girls and women; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38362/15]
View answerIn Ireland, the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) is the regulatory authority for medicines in Ireland. There are 2 licensed HPV vaccines available in Ireland (Gardasil® and Cervarix®). Gardasil® is the vaccine used by the HSE in the School Immunisation Programme. The vaccine protects against two high risk types of HPV (16 & 18) that cause 73% of all cervical cancers. Vaccinated women and girls will still be at risk from other high risk types of HPV that can cause cervical cancer and will therefore need to continue to have regular cervical smear tests.
While no medicine, including vaccines, is entirely without risk, the safety profile of Gardasil® has been continuously monitored since it was first authorised nationally and at EU level. This is done by monitoring both individual adverse reaction reports received by competent authorities across Europe and Periodic Safety Update Reports submitted by the Marketing Authorisation Holder for the vaccine on a regular basis.
As part of its monitoring of the safety of medicines, the HPRA operates an adverse reaction reporting system, where healthcare professionals and patients are encouraged to report adverse reactions they consider may be associated with their treatment, through the range of options in place for reporting. All reports received are evaluated and considered in the context of the safety profile of the product concerned, with reports followed up as necessary for further information, that may assist in the assessment of the case.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has commenced a review of the HPV vaccine "to further clarify aspects of their safety profile," although the agency points out that this review "does not question that the benefits of HPV vaccines outweigh their risks."
The HPRA is participating in the Pharmacovigilance and Risk Assessment Committee's (PRAC) review of HPV vaccines to clarify aspects of their safety profile. As for all licensed medicines, the safety of these vaccines is monitored by the PRAC (an EU level drug safety committee) where the HPRA is actively represented and contributes.
The current review will look at available data with a focus on rare reports of two conditions: complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS, a chronic pain condition affecting the limbs) and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS, a condition where the heart rate increases abnormally after sitting or standing up, causing symptoms such as dizziness and fainting, as well as headache, chest pain and weakness). Reports of these conditions in young women who have received a HPV vaccine have been previously considered during routine safety monitoring by the PRAC but a causal link between them and the vaccines was not established. Both conditions can occur in non vaccinated individuals and it is considered important to further review if the number of cases reported with HPV vaccine is greater than would be expected. The outcome of the PRAC review is anticipated before the end of this year.
While the review is ongoing the EMA has advised healthcare professionals that available data does not warrant any change to the use of HPV vaccines. Healthcare professionals should therefore continue using Gardasil® and Cervarix® in accordance with the current product information.
855. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Health the national lottery grants his Department has allocated to Cork-based organisations in each of the years 2011 to 2014 and in 2015 to date; the amount awarded to each organisation; the purpose of the grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38363/15]
View answerMy Department administers a National Lottery Discretionary Fund from which once-off grants are paid to community and voluntary organisations providing a range of health related services. Details of the organisations that received lottery funding in each of the years referred to by the Deputy are available on my Department's website at www.health.gov.ie.
856. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health the spend-to-date and projected spend on introducing the individual health identifier system; and the breakdown for same. [38364/15]
View answerThe Health Identifiers Act 2014 sets out the legislative basis to support an identifiers framework for patients and providers for the health service in Ireland. The estimated ICT related costs to date i.e. 2015, for the initial stages of implementing the individual health identifier register is approximately €550,000. Costs to date have included some system design work, hardware and a privacy impact assessment and only relate to the ICT elements of the individual health identifier register. Estimates of known ICT related costs to end 2018 are around €1.7m. Further ICT costs will arise particularly in linking with major healthcare systems but estimates of these costs are not yet available.
The HSE is currently examining the additional staffing and business supports that will be required to operate and maintain a health identifier service into the future and these are being examined in the context of service planning for 2016.
857. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Health the status of an application for a medical card by a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny, which was input on the Health Service Executive's system on 3 August 2015, as confirmed by the executive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38367/15]
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 which will follow up the matter with it.
858. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Health the position regarding transport services to hospital for persons with limited transport means or with transport that is unsuitable for use with equipment such as wheelchairs, etc; and if the level of service available differs across hospital groups, particularly given the greater challenges facing patients who reside in rural areas, away from acute hospitals. [38381/15]
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.
859. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Health the steps he will take to enable a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath to be immediately admitted for a hip replacement procedure at Cappagh hospital in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38393/15]
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.
860. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Health when the Health Service Executive will honour its commitment to ensure that the appropriate investment in palliative and end-of-life care services is provided in counties Laois, Offaly, Longford and Westmeath, which currently have no level 3 hospice, have been allocated the lowest level of regional State investment in palliative care nationally over the past number of years, are catering for 300,000 persons and are denied the same services as those available in other parts of Ireland to support patients in living well until the end; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38417/15]
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 it will follow up the matter with the HSE.
