Written Answers Nos. 638-652
638. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Health the status of a person (details supplied) in County Longford who has been on a waiting list for an operation; if this case will be reviewed given its urgency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1077/16]
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 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, he should contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.
639. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health why the fee to register in pharmacy and the fee to remain registered, as a person and as a business, is a multiple of many European averages; when he will reduce the fee in line with same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1086/16]
View answerThe Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) is an independent self-funded statutory body established under the Pharmacy Act 2007 (the Act). It is responsible for the regulation of pharmacy services in Ireland and regulates the professional practice of approximately 5,615 pharmacists, 1,880 pharmacies and 424 pharmaceutical assistants, in the interest of the health, safety and welfare of patients and the public.
The PSI’s statutory functions and duties are specified in the Act and include:
- registering pharmacists, pharmaceutical assistants and pharmacies, and maintaining the registers;
- improving the profession of pharmacy including ensuring that all pharmacists are undertaking appropriate continuing professional development (CPD);
- setting of standards for pharmacy education and training;
- accreditation of educational programmes for the pharmacy profession at different levels;
- quality assurance of standards, and the development of pharmacy practice;
- inspection and enforcement, including the taking of prosecutions; and
- handling complaints and disciplinary matters, including the imposition of sanctions.
The PSI is funded by registrant fees which are set out in Rules made by the PSI Council, following Ministerial consent. Following an extensive review of the PSI functions and related costs, and consultation with national stakeholders, the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (Fees) Rules 2008 were made setting out the quantum of fees. These were reduced by 10% in 2010 and most of them by a further 5% in 2014. The Council of the PSI has processes in place to review the level of fees on an annual basis and has committed to doing so in 2016.
It is important to note that the regulatory functions delivered by other regulators in Ireland and by pharmacy regulators in other jurisdictions differ considerably in scope and range from those provided by the PSI. For example, in Northern Ireland the investigative and enforcement activity is carried out by the Northern Ireland Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety rather than the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland. In Great Britain, the General Pharmaceutical Council is responsible for regulatory functions including inspection and enforcement and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain is the professional body which provides professional guidance, networks and resources, with registration fees levied separately by both organisations. The PSI performs significant inspection and enforcement activities in respect of pharmacies which are not replicated by regulators in other jurisdictions. Therefore it is difficult to directly compare the regulatory registration fees applicable in differing jurisdictions and by other regulators in Ireland on a like-for-like basis.
There is a particular cost associated with the delivery of a regulatory system and associated services. Economies of scale apply when a larger proportion of registrants fund the model. The principle of the PSI application of fees is to recover costs based on who causes the cost or who benefits and is subject to the activities undertaken.
640. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Health the expected reduction in the number of medical cards over the coming years as a result of the reduction in the numbers on the live register and rising incomes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1088/16]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the medical card scheme is a demand-led scheme and the number of cards at any given time reflects those persons who have met the eligibility criteria governing the scheme. It is challenging to project precisely the potential changes in numbers eligible as persons who currently do not hold a medical card could become eligible due a change in circumstances, either on a means or a discretionary basis. Furthermore, existing medical cards, save where granted following discretionary consideration, are subject to a periodic review of eligibility which can result in renewal, change or removal of eligibility as particular to the cardholders’ circumstances, such as positive changes in income.
The HSE National Service Plan for 2016 assumes that the number of medical cards will continue to decline such that the number of persons covered will fall by some 50,000 from the end of 2015 to the end of 2016. This reduction takes account of variables such as demographic and economic growth.
While the number of persons on the Live Register may have reduced, many people who took up employment may have continued to qualify for a medical card on basis of being below the income guidelines in the means test.
The Deputy may be aware that people who have been unemployed for a minimum of 12 months can retain their medical card for a period of three years (without a means test) if they commence employment. Persons who take up approved training/work schemes retain their medical card for the duration of the scheme.
641. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of the Killarney cardiac response unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1089/16]
View answerKillarney Cardiac Response Unit is part of a growing network of Community First Responder (CFR) schemes. The establishment of this network has been a very welcome development in recent years. The HIQA report on our pre-hospital emergency care services, which was published last year, recognised the challenges faced by our ambulance service in responding to emergencies in rural communities. The report recommended the expansion of the CFR scheme and additional funding was provided for this in 2015 and 2016. There are 131 CFR schemes active around the country, with 20 of these becoming active since January 2015. I look forward to further expansion of the scheme in 2016.
The Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council is the independent statutory agency with responsibility for standards, education and training in the field of pre-hospital emergency care. Issues around the availability and use of Automated External Defibrillator units are currently under consideration by the Council.
642. 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; the documentation still outstanding in this instance, if any; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1090/16]
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 please contact my Private Office who will follow up the matter with them.
643. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Health why the Irish Nursing Board has not issued a reply to an application for registration (details supplied); the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1091/16]
View answer649. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Health to investigate why the Irish Nursing Board is not issuing replies to public representatives when making inquires on behalf of constituents regarding their applications for registration, his plans to remedy this, given that the Health Service Executive is anxious to bring nurses back here (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1120/16]
View answer650. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Health why a reply has not issued from the Irish Nursing Board in response to an application for registration from a person (details supplied) in County Mayo; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1121/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 643, 649 and 650 together.
I understand the NMBI responded to the Deputy on 5 January 2016 in relation to the question he raised in the Dáil late last year. The delay in responding to him is regretted. However, the reply which issued took account of developments up and including the date of issue of the reply. In this regard, the Deputy will note that the NMBI confirmed that the applicant's name was entered in the Psychiatric Division of the Register on 5 January 2016 and certificates issued on that day to the applicant's home address.
With regard to the other question the Deputy raised during January in relation to a specific application, the NMBI has advised that this applicant has applied for consideration of registration with the NMBI in the general nurse division of the Register on 29 October 2015 having undertaken her nurse training in the United Kingdom. As part of the application process, the applicant was requested to furnish to the NMBI's office, a completed application form, identity documents and passport sized photographs. The NMBI also requires a verification of registration completed by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) in the United Kingdom prior to a review being undertaken on her application. To date, this verification remains outstanding. A total of 12 queries have been raised via the NMBI's overseas call centre regarding the progress of this file, the most recent query being raised on 8 January 2015 whereby the applicant was informed of the outstanding document. Unfortunately, as this document is crucial to the final review on the applicant's application, the NMBI is not in a position to progress this application until same is received directly from the applicant or directly from the NMC in the United Kingdom.
The NMBI has noted that the Deputy has not provided any details relating to correspondence received from public representatives that were made to the NMBI during 2015. The Acting Director of Registry will immediately investigate same if the Deputy wishes to provide such details.
The NMBI has put a number of contact channels in place for applicants following up on the progress of their applications. One such measure, which was introduced in October 2015, is the opening of a dedicated call centre line for overseas applicants. This call centre is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. The call centre can provide regular updates to overseas applicants on the current status of their application. To date, this call centre has taken over 4,500 calls. The NMBI is imminently launching a new website which will have additional features for overseas applicants to include a facility to “Track their Application” on-line.
The NMBI is acutely aware of the severe pressures on employers throughout the HSE, the Nursing Home sector and other employers to progress applications through the system as efficiently and as quickly as possible. The NMBI continues to have monthly engagement with representatives from the above organisations and also holds weekly meetings with individual stakeholders as required. This engagement has led to very positive working relationships with these Stakeholders.
The central tenet of the NMBI is the protection of the public. Therefore, we must be satisfied that all documentation required to progress an application to decision stage meets all the necessary requirements. The NMBI has referred to its guide document for overseas applicants on its website, which provides a detailed breakdown of the overseas process if the Deputy needs to gain more specific information on the NMBI's processes and requirements.
644. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health the number of new applications for home help that were approved but not allocated due to financial constraints in the south Lee area and in the north Lee area in County Cork, in each of the past six months, in tabular form. [1094/16]
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, he should contact my Private Office, which will follow up the matter with them.
645. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry who is awaiting a hospital appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1106/16]
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. If a patient's general practitioner considers 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 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 the matter up.
646. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Health why the HSE is not providing the recommended medication to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and why he has not provided a comprehensive reply to Question No. 135 of 18 November 2015. [1113/16]
View answerIn relation to the Deputy's further query in this 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 the matter up.
647. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will receive the recommended treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1114/16]
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, which will follow up the matter with them.
648. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Offaly will receive an appointment with the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital in Dublin [1115/16]
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. If 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 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 the matter up.
651. Deputy Seamus Kirk asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the serious funding shortfall for the Louth and Meath branch of Down Syndrome Ireland and its early intervention home teacher programme; if he will re-examine the allocation position; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1128/16]
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 HSE 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, which will follow up the matter with them.
652. 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. [1129/16]
View answerThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
The HSE 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 Members of the Oireachtas.
If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, he should contact my Private Office, which will follow up the matter with them.
