Written Answers Nos. 667-679
667. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Health the revenue generated from car parking services in each public hospital here; the purposes for which this money is used; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1277/16]
View answerYour question regarding revenue raised from individual hospitals has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
Income raised from car parking fees and other sources, such as canteen fees, go towards the gross running costs of the hospital.
If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office who will follow up.
668. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health his views on the plans by the management in St. James's Hospital, Dublin 8, to introduce car park fees for staff. [1278/16]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up on the matter with them.
669. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health his views on Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation members working in emergency departments in hospitals having rejected the proposals put forward by the Workplace Relations Commission to address overcrowding, staffing and patient safety. [1279/16]
View answerI am pleased that the Workplace Relations Commission was in a position to issue additional revised proposals on 11 January following intensive engagement with the INMO and HSE management. These proposals have now been accepted by the INMO National Executive and it will be recommending them for acceptance in a ballot of Emergency Department nurses.
The interests of patients are always best served through negotiation and by avoiding industrial action. I particularly welcome the fact that the proposals contain specific measures to enhance patient safety and delivery of care.
I hope that Emergency Department nurses will regard the proposals as sufficiently detailed and robust to address their concerns around activation of the escalation policy, health and safety and full implementation of the agreement itself. I expect a deeper level of trust between hospital management and nursing staff will result from the active implementation and monitoring of the proposals.
670. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 3 of 22 October 2015, if he will confirm that the planning application has been submitted; and if so, the proposed starting date of this project. [1283/16]
View answerThe new 100 bed en-suite replacement community nursing unit is a priority project. The following is the current position as regards the lodging of the planning application. This is a major development on a campus with listed / protected buildings. Therefore HSE has had extensive consultations with the planning authorities about the new facility and the treatment of the listed / protected buildings. The purpose of the consultation process is to ensure a successful planning application in so far as is possible. Following its most recent meeting with the relevant local authority mainly on conservation issues the HSE expects that the planning application can be lodged in Q1 2016. Subject to a smooth planning process and no onerous planning conditions construction could commence late this year. However in advance of receipt of the award of planning it is not possible to indicate with any certainty when construction could commence.
The HSE has recently submitted its draft Capital Plan for the multi-annual period 2016-2021. This is being reviewed. It requires my approval together with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. When approved the HSE will publish the schedule of projects on its website.
671. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if an operation will be facilitated for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry following a further urgent referral; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1291/16]
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 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.
672. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health to support a matter (details supplied) regarding a medical card refusal. [1301/16]
View answerUnder the legislation, determination of eligibility for a medical card is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive (HSE) and, as the Minister has no role in this process, it would be inappropriate for him to interfere.
The HSE 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 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.
673. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Health following his visit to six hospitals on 4 January 2016, his plans to visit Tallaght Hospital, Dublin 24; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1302/16]
View answerThe Deputy may be aware that I visited Tallaght hospital in recent months including the Emergency Department. I also intend to make another visit at short notice or unannounced within the next few weeks.
I want to acknowledge the progress made by Tallaght in recruiting nurses and in opening 12 additional beds which I funded for the winter period and also the completion of the extension to the Emergency Department. While many hospitals experience overcrowding, it should be noted that Tallaght was one of the best performers over the Christmas and New Year period.
674. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Health if he will discuss with the Health Service Executive the need to take all necessary action to ensure that the new emergency department at Tallaght hospital is fully operational and properly staffed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1303/16]
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.
675. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health for a breakdown of the €703.3 million available funding for older persons as outlined in the Health Service Executive's service plan, by the amount allocated for home care packages, by the number of these packages, by the number of persons who will benefit from these packages, by the amount allocated for home help, by the number of home help hours provided, by the number of persons who will be provided with home help, by the amount allocated for intensive home care packages, by the number of these packages and by the number of persons who will benefit from these packages. [1315/16]
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.
676. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry who is awaiting occupational therapy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1332/16]
View answerAs the particular issue raised by the Deputy relates to an individual case, this 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 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.
677. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the status of an appeal for a medical card by persons (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1341/16]
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, please contact my Private Office who will follow up the matter with them.
678. Deputy Ciara M. Conway asked the Minister for Health the status of the tuberculosis, BCG, vaccination for new infants; if supplies have been replenished; when will infants begin to receive them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1360/16]
View answerThere is currently a worldwide shortage of BCG and Ireland is not the only country affected by this. The BCG vaccine has not been available in Ireland since the end of April 2015. BCG vaccination clinics in HSE Clinics and Maternity hospitals have been postponed until new stock arrives.
There has been a number of issues that have delayed the production, release and delivery of BCG vaccine in recent months. Consequently, supplies of the vaccine are not expected to be received until February at the earliest. When the vaccine is delivered there will be sufficient quantity to vaccinate all babies who have not received the vaccine.
The HSE will arrange appointments for vaccination clinics when the BCG vaccine supply is received.
679. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the funding provided to each local and regional drugs task force in each of the years 2011 to 2015, the projection for 2016 and the combined total from his Department and the Health Service Executive in 2014 to date in tabular form. [1361/16]
View answerThe budget allocation for the twenty four Local and Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Forces from the Drugs Initiative of the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive in each of the years referred to by the Deputy is set out in the table hereunder:
|
LDATFs |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 DOH |
2014 HSE |
2015 DOH |
2015 HSE |
2016 DOH |
2016 HSE |
|
Ballyfermot |
1,492,413 |
1,569,489 |
1,522,404 |
461,150 |
1,025,582 |
255,446 |
1,231,286 |
255,446 |
1,231,286 |
|
Ballymun |
1,209,976 |
1,180,695 |
1,145,274 |
632,817 |
488,098 |
422,958 |
697,957 |
422,958 |
697,957 |
|
Blanchardstown |
1,152,227 |
1,124,343 |
1,090,613 |
179,305 |
913,589 |
179,305 |
913,589 |
179,305 |
913,589 |
|
Bray |
1,612,114 |
1,573,101 |
1,525,908 |
573,860 |
916,271 |
573,860 |
916,271 |
573,860 |
916,271 |
|
Canal Communities |
1,600,987 |
1,562,243 |
1,515,376 |
338,605 |
1,141,309 |
338,605 |
1,141,309 |
338,605 |
1,141,309 |
|
Clondalkin |
1,455,032 |
1,421,577 |
1,428,930 |
388,114 |
1,007,948 |
388,114 |
1,007,948 |
388,114 |
1,007,948 |
|
Cork |
1,617,730 |
1,578,581 |
1,531,224 |
411,988 |
1,108,299 |
411,988 |
1,108,299 |
411,988 |
1,108,299 |
|
Dublin 12 |
1,148,145 |
1,120,360 |
1,086,749 |
74,013 |
990,134 |
70,997 |
993,150 |
70,397 |
993,750 |
|
Dublin North East |
1,259,256 |
1,228,782 |
988,234 |
422,251 |
594,836 |
422,251 |
594,836 |
239,971.00 |
777,116 |
|
Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown |
949,137 |
926,167 |
898,382 |
94,676 |
786,755 |
94,676 |
786,755 |
94,676 |
786,755 |
|
Finglas Cabra |
959,818 |
936,590 |
908,492 |
263,277 |
627,960 |
263,277 |
627,960 |
263,277 |
627,960 |
|
North Inner City |
2,428,391 |
2,369,624 |
2,298,535 |
576,956 |
1,652,623 |
494,856 |
1,734,723 |
394,856 |
1,834,723 |
|
South Inner City |
2,215,434 |
2,161,821 |
2,096,966 |
255,720 |
1,788,337 |
176,043 |
1,868,014 |
176,043 |
1,868,014 |
|
Tallaght |
1,281,356 |
1,250,347 |
1,262,837 |
452,712 |
782,240 |
341,438 |
893,514 |
336,022 |
898,930 |
|
Total LDATF |
20,382,016 |
20,003,720 |
19,299,924 |
5,125,444 |
13,823,981 |
4,433,814 |
14,515,611 |
4,145,518 |
14,803,907 |
|
RDATFs |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 DOH |
2014 HSE |
2015 DOH |
2015 HSE |
2016 DOH |
2016 HSE |
|
East Coast |
872,716 |
851,596 |
584,227 |
58,200 |
508,500 |
58,200 |
508,500 |
58,200 |
508,500 |
|
Midlands |
870,581 |
849,513 |
824,028 |
307,810 |
491,497 |
136,816 |
662,491 |
136,816 |
662,491 |
|
Mid-West |
1,533,540 |
1,496,428 |
1,451,535 |
147,982 |
1,260,007 |
147,982 |
1,260,007 |
147,982 |
1,260,007 |
|
North East |
1,010,546 |
986,091 |
956,508 |
0 |
927,813 |
0 |
927,813 |
0 |
927,813 |
|
North West |
784,597 |
765,610 |
742,642 |
272,485 |
447,878 |
258,633 |
461,730 |
258,633 |
461,730 |
|
North Dublin |
846,574 |
826,087 |
801,304 |
456,080 |
321,184 |
309,778 |
467,486 |
266,245 |
511,019 |
|
South East |
1,160,794 |
1,132,703 |
1,098,722 |
0 |
1,065,760 |
0 |
1,065,760 |
0 |
1,065,760 |
|
South West |
870,592 |
849,524 |
824,038 |
102,820 |
696,497 |
102,820 |
696,497 |
102,820 |
696,497 |
|
Southern |
1,059,956 |
1,034,305 |
1,003,276 |
0 |
973,178 |
0 |
973,178 |
0 |
973,178 |
|
Western |
720,104 |
702,677 |
681,597 |
136,994 |
524,155 |
136,994 |
524,155 |
136,994 |
524,155 |
|
Total RDATF |
9,730,000 |
9,494,534 |
8,967,877 |
1,482,371 |
7,216,469 |
1,151,223 |
7,547,617 |
1,107,690 |
7,591,150 |
|
Overall Total |
30,112,016 |
29,498,254 |
28,267,801 |
27,648,265 |
27,648,265 |
27,648,265 |
