Written Answers Nos. 161-181
161. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the status of the Saolta Hospital Group review of accident and emergency services at Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway, including its purpose and its completion date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44541/15]
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 he should contact my Private Office and my officials will follow up the matter.
162. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the status of the maternity review at Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway, including its completion date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44542/15]
View answerIn relation to the specific query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to him directly. If he has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days he should contact my Private Office and my officials will follow up the matter.
163. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the consultant vacancies at Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway; the steps the Saolta Hospital Group is taking, through its group structure, to mitigate the impact of these vacancies; the status of the recruitment process in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44543/15]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter. If he has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days he should contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
164. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in publishing the Lightfoot Capacity review of the ambulance service; when it will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44544/15]
View answerThe review in question was commissioned by the HSE and, as such, the question of publication is a matter for the Executive. Accordingly, 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 he should contact my Private Office and my officials will follow up the matter.
165. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the location of the emergency response vehicles in the north-east region in the context of an emergency call for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44545/15]
View answerIn relation to the specific query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to him directly. If he has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days he should contact my Private Office and my officials will follow up the matter.
166. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the status of an application for a medical card by a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44547/15]
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 he should contact my Private Office who will follow up the matter with them.
167. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who require chemotherapy, who have a medical card or who obtained a medical card following diagnosis, and who have to pay €75 per treatment for up to ten treatments per year in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44549/15]
View answerAs part of the assessment of Medical Card eligibility, the HSE's National Medical Card Unit (NMCU) does not specifically seek to establish if a person is undergoing chemotherapy treatment; nor does the NMCU collate data routinely on the number of people with a diagnosis of cancer who are granted Medical Card eligibility.
The Health Act 1970 (as amended) provides that all people ordinarily resident in the country are entitled, subject to certain charges, to public in-patient hospital services including consultant services and to public out-patient hospital services. As provided for by the Health (In-Patient Charges) Regulations (S.I. No. 543 of 2008), the current public hospital statutory in-patient charge for public in-patient and day case services is €75 per day, subject to a maximum of €750 in any twelve consecutive months. Currently, in excess of 1.7 million people qualify for a medical card. Under the Health (In-Patient Charges) Regulations, 1987 (S.I. No. 116/1987), medical card holders are exempt from this statutory charge.
168. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Health in the context of the additional €66 million out of the additional €600 million that is being allocated to the Health Service Executive West in the supplementary budget, if he will eliminate the deficit of an organisation (details supplied) in County Galway which has effectively arisen from the implementation of a Health Service Executive's reduction in funding in 2010, which has been acknowledged was incorrectly applied; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44550/15]
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. 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.
169. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health the number of applications for reinstatement, following retirement on grounds of ill health, with prior notice granted since 2004; the legislation, rules and procedures under which they were granted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44560/15]
View answerNo applications for reinstatement following retirement on grounds of ill-health were received by my Department since 2004.
170. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if dental treatment through a person's medical card, or otherwise, is available to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 15; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44587/15]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy. If he has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days he should contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
171. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if an application for a medical card will be reconsidered for a person (details supplied) in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44590/15]
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 he should contact my Private Office who will follow up the matter with them.
172. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health if he will request Westdoc to re-establish a fully staffed cell in Roscommon town, in line with the commitment given to the public following the closure of the accident and emergency department at Roscommon County Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44613/15]
View answerAs this is a service issue, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy. If he has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days he should contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with the Executive.
173. Deputy Frank Feighan asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the serious concerns of service users about physiotherapy services within the early intervention service in County Roscommon, as service users have been unable to secure regular necessary physiotherapy sessions for the past number of months; and his plans to improve services with immediate effect in County Roscommon. [44614/15]
View answerThe particular issue raised by the Deputy is a service matter for the Health Service Executive. Accordingly I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply. If he has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days he should contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
174. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of operations and procedures that have been cancelled or postponed by public hospitals in 2015 to date in tabular form. [44617/15]
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 he should contact my Private Office and my officials will follow up the matter.
175. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of operations and procedures that have been cancelled or postponed by voluntary hospital in 2015 to date in tabular form. [44618/15]
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 he should contact my Private Office and my officials will follow up the matter.
176. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of procedures procured from and the amount spent on these procedures in private and independent hospitals by the Health Service Executive by hospital and payment in 2015 to date in tabular form. [44619/15]
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 he should contact my Private Office and my officials will follow up the matter.
177. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of health care professionals working in primary care as of 1 December 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44620/15]
View answerAs this is a service issue, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy. If he has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days he should contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with the Executive.
178. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the amount paid to each agency staff provider by the Health Service Executive in 2015 to date in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44621/15]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter. If he has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days he should contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
179. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the amount collected in prescription charges for medical card prescriptions in each of the years 2011 to 2014 and the projection for 2015. [44622/15]
View answerUnder the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the Health Service Executive (HSE) has statutory responsibility for the administration of the primary care schemes; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
If he has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days he should contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
180. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who sought drug treatment and rehabilitation services by county or local health area for each of the past five years and in 2015 to date in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter [44623/15]
View answer181. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who accessed drug treatment and rehabilitation services by county or local health area for each of the past five years and in 2015 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44624/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 180 and 181 together.
As these are service matters, they have been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days he should contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
