Written Answers Nos. 180-190
180. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Health when a decision will be made on an application for a medical card review for a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38844/15]
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.
181. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a hospital appointment for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38853/15]
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.
182. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding respite care for a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38854/15]
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.
183. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Carlow will have a procedure carried out, given that their situation has been ongoing for a number of years. [38873/15]
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.
184. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Carlow will receive a consultation in Waterford University Hospital. [38874/15]
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.
187. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Health the provisions being made for those who need assistance to travel for hospital appointments (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38886/15]
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.
188. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health the proposals, if any, he has to provide additional home help hours for counties Cavan and Monaghan, given the very substantial reduction in such supports since 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38889/15]
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.
189. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Health the cost of bed days lost to alcohol-related illness in each of the past ten years; the overall economic cost to the health system of alcohol-related illness; the number and cost of emergency department attendances for alcohol-related illness; when he will introduce minimum unit pricing legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38890/15]
View answerThe provision of services to treat alcohol-related illness is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive and as such, I have referred this element of the question to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply. 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.
The Report of the National Substance Misuse Steering Group, 2012 reported that alcohol is associated with 2,000 beds being occupied every night in Irish acute hospitals, one quarter of injuries presenting to emergency departments and over half of attendances to specialised addition centres. The report further noted that the harms caused by the misuse of alcohol were estimated to cost the Exchequer €3.7 billion euros in 2007, with alcohol-related illness costing the healthcare system €1.2 billion. The figure is taken from the report, "Costs to Society of Problem Alcohol Use in Ireland", 2011. The estimate is based on the methods used in similar reports from other developed countries including the United Kingdom and used data from surveys and surveillance systems. The costs are broken down as follows:
|
- |
€ million |
% of Total Cost |
|
Cost to the healthcare system of alcohol-related illnesses |
1,200 |
32 |
|
Cost of alcohol-related crime |
1,189 |
32 |
|
Cost of alcohol-related road accidents |
526 |
14 |
|
Cost of output lost due to alcohol-related absence from work |
330 |
9 |
|
Cost of alcohol-related accidents at work |
197 |
5 |
|
Cost of alcohol-related suicides |
167 |
5 |
|
Cost of alcohol-related premature mortality |
110 |
3 |
|
Total |
3,719 |
100 |
I hope the above clarifies the cost of financial resources spent.
The General Scheme of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill was approved by Government on the 3 February 2015. The Scheme includes provisions for minimum unit pricing, health labelling on products that contain alcohol, restrictions on the advertising and marketing of alcohol and the regulation of sports sponsorship. The Public Health (Alcohol) Bill will also provide for the making of regulations to restrict promotions including price based promotions. As part of the pre-legislative scrutiny process, the measures were debated in detail by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children. The JOCH report was published in June 2015. The Department of Health is continuing to work on the preparation of the legislation. The Bill is due to be published shortly.
190. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health the home care supports provided by the Health Service Executive to a person (details supplied) in County Cork; when an application for a home care package and an application for home help hours was received by the executive; the current position regarding this case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38895/15]
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.
