Written Answers Nos. 680 - 695
680. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health the discussions his Department has had with suppliers or service contractors to his Department or to agencies of his Department to ensure that employees of such suppliers and contractors are paid the living wage of €11.50 per hour; the cost of implementing this wage for these employees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1374/16]
View answerMy Department has no direct responsibility in this matter. However, I can inform you that the Living Wage is a voluntary societal initiative centred on the social, business and economic case to ensure that, wherever it can be afforded, employers will pay a rate of pay that provides an income that is sufficient to meet an individual’s basic needs, such as housing, food, clothing, transport and healthcare. The Living Wage is voluntary and has no legislative basis and is therefore not a statutory entitlement and cannot be imposed on suppliers or contractors. It is different to the National Minimum Wage which is a statutory entitlement and has a legislative basis.
681. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the waiting time for a public patient (details supplied) in County Kerry for an operation in Cork University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1383/16]
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.
682. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of an appointment for treatment for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1390/16]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive 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.
683. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the amount of spent on agency staff at Letterkenny University Hospital, County Donegal, in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1403/16]
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.
684. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health if an overall review of ante-natal and gynaecology services at Dungloe Community Hospital, County Donegal, has been formally completed; the dates on which this review was initiated and completed; the outcome of this review including its key recommendations; when he will reinstate the clinic which has been suspended since November 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1404/16]
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.
685. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on waiting lists for inpatient and day case treatment at Letterkenny University Hospital, County Donegal, per specialty, who have been waiting for six, nine, 12, 15 months and 15 plus months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1405/16]
View answerThe latest NTPF Waiting List data, which was published on Friday 8 January, shows that clear progress has been made to reduce the numbers of patients on waiting lists by end December 2015. For In-patient and Day Case waiting lists, overall performance equates to 95% achievement of the 15 month maximum permissible wait time. For outpatient waiting lists, overall performance equates to 93% achievement of the 15 month maximum permissible wait time. It should also be noted that a number of patients who have not yet had appointments have been scheduled for treatments or appointments in the coming weeks.
My Department and the HSE recognise that there are personnel and structural challenges which impact on individual specialties and hospital sites. Therefore, it is vital to effectively manage waiting lists so that those patients waiting longest are scheduled within the available capacity, once emergency and urgent cases have been dealt with. The HSE has been addressing the maximum waiting times with Hospital Groups as part of the regular performance and accountability process.
The specific information requested by the Deputy is included in the material published by the NTPF on 8 January 2016 and may be found at: http://www.ntpf.ie/home/pdf//2015/12/hospitals/in-patient/0500.pdf.
686. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the bed capacity of all nursing homes, by public, by private, by county, in tabular form; the current vacancy rates with respect to each; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1406/16]
View answer687. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the projected total need for nursing home beds, by public, by private, by county, over the next five year period in tabular form; how he will address this need and the action being taken to ensure that any additional beds required, based on these projections, come on stream within this time frame; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1407/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 686 and 687 together.
The Health Information and Quality Authority is an independent authority established under the Health Act 2007. Since 2009 all designated centres for older people (nursing homes) whether public, private or voluntary have been registered and inspected by HIQA. Under Section 49 of the Act the Chief Inspector must establish and maintain a register of designated centres. Details entered into the register include the name and address of the centre, date of registration and the number of people that can be accommodated. This information is available on a county basis and is published and can be accessed at the Authority’s website www.hiqa.ie.
During 2015 the Department commissioned a consultancy to provide an analysis of potential measures to encourage the provision of nursing home and Community Nursing Unit facilities. This report was published in December and is available at www.doh.ie. The report forecasts the demand for long stay and short stay beds from 2016 to 2036, arising from CSO based population projections. The information is broken down at HSE Local Office Level. The report notes that the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Occupancy report for May 2015 indicates that at a national level public long stay units had an occupancy rate of 92%. It further notes that according to Nursing Homes Ireland the average occupancy rate nationally in private nursing homes during 2014 was 90%. In his budget speech, Mr Michael Noonan T.D., Minister for Finance announced changes to the Employment and Investment Incentive Scheme (EIIS) to allow for investment in the extension, management and operation of nursing homes. The inclusion of nursing home expansion works in the EIIS was influenced by this analysis.
It is important to both consolidate our existing stock, particularly of public beds, and to ensure that sufficient capacity is provided across the public and private sectors to meet future demand. I recently announced an additional €300m capital allocation for refurbishment or replacement of social care facilities for older persons’ units and disability units to allow such facilities to comply with relevant National Standards by 2021. The Review of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme included a general examination of the operation of the Scheme, as well as the balance between residential care and care in the community and a number of key issues have been identified for more detailed considerations across Departments and Agencies. Arising from the Review, further work will be undertaken by the National Treatment Purchase Fund to examine their current pricing arrangements with a view to ensuring adequate residential capacity for those with complex care needs, providing value and increasing transparency, and to submit future pricing proposals to the Minister.
688. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the action being taken to reduce current waiting times for outpatient appointments at Letterkenny University Hospital, County Donegal; if he is aware that there are currently 1,736 patients waiting for a year or more for such appointments at the hospital, 331 of whom have now been waiting for longer than the current maximum permissible waiting time of 15 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1408/16]
View answerThe latest NTPF Waiting List data, which was published on Friday 8 January, shows that clear progress has been made to reduce the numbers of patients on waiting lists by end December 2015. For In-patient and Day Case waiting lists, overall performance equates to 95% achievement of the 15 month maximum permissible wait time. For outpatient waiting lists, overall performance equates to 93% achievement of the 15 month maximum permissible wait time. It should also be noted that a number of patients who have not yet had appointments have been scheduled for treatments or appointments in the coming weeks.
My Department and the HSE recognise that there are personnel and structural challenges which impact on individual specialties and hospital sites. Therefore, it is vital to effectively manage waiting lists so that those patients waiting longest are scheduled within the available capacity, once emergency and urgent cases have been dealt with. The HSE has been addressing the maximum waiting times with Hospital Groups as part of the regular performance and accountability process.
As the specific question asked by the Deputy 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.
689. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the status of progress on the endoscopy unit at Naas General Hospital, County Kildare, including when the project will go to tender; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1409/16]
View answerIn addition to the endoscopy accommodation the project under way at Naas General Hospital also includes accommodation for the oncology and physical medicine departments. It is expected that the project will be offered for tender in early 2016. Its status has not changed since the HSE wrote to you on 17 December 2015.
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.
690. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Health to investigate why the Health Service Executive is providing conflicting replies in relation to a matter (details supplied). [1423/16]
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.
691. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding smoking in community health services' facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1428/16]
View answerA key recommendation from Tobacco Free Ireland is to promote tobacco free campuses for all health care facilities in consultation with key stakeholders. As the Deputy refers to Health Service Executive services and institutions I am referring the matter to the HSE for direct reply.
692. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health when elective surgeries will take place in Limerick Hospital (details supplied). [1429/16]
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.
694. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health the status of pending surgery in University College Hospital, Galway (details supplied). [1432/16]
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.
695. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health the cost of providing an additional 130,000 personal assistant hours; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1442/16]
View answerThe Health Service Executive is committed to protecting the level of Personal Assistant (PA) services available to people with disabilities. In their 2016 National Service Plan, the HSE's priority it to provide 1.3 million hours of personal assistance to more than 2,000 people with a disability. This is the same activity level that was funded in 2014 and 2015. The HSE has confirmed that in excess of €30 million is spent annually on the provision of PA Services. I have also arranged for the Deputy's question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for a more detailed response to be supplied directly to the Deputy. 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.
