Written Answers Nos. 307-322
307. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs under the Civil Service reform programme, the number of clerical officers who have been promoted to higher executive officer and the number of executive officers who have been promoted to assistant principal officer in his Department through internal competitions after the significant change in eligibility rules; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2571/16]
View answerSince January 2014, eligibility for promotion within the Civil Service is no longer generally based on a defined period of service in the grade immediately below that of the post being filled. As my Department has held no internal competitions since 2013, no Clerical Officers or Executive Officers have been promoted after the significant change in eligibility rules.
308. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Health if he will increase funding for Clarecastle day care centre's dementia unit in County Clare from €35,000 per annum in view of the average of 53 patients per day, five days per week that use the services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46359/15]
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.
309. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Health the status of an appointment for a person (details supplied) in County Kildare at Naas General Hospital in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1835/16]
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. 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.
310. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the status of his review of evidence on the impact of water fluoridation on the health of the population; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1846/16]
View answerThe Department of Health keeps the policy of water fluoridation under constant review. As part of this ongoing work, a review of evidence on the impact of water fluoridation at its current level on the health of the population was conducted by the Health Research Board (HRB) on behalf of the Department. This review was published by the HRB in June 2015. The HRB found no definitive evidence that community water fluoridation is associated with negative health effects.
311. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Health the status of the review of the emergency department at Mayo General Hospital; when the recommendations will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1857/16]
View answerI convened the ED Taskforce in December 2014 to provide focus and momentum in dealing with the challenges presented by ED overcrowding. Last April, the HSE published the ED Taskforce Action Plan, with a range of time-defined actions to: (i) optimise existing hospital and community capacity; (ii) develop internal capability and process improvement and (iii) improve leadership, governance, planning and oversight. Significant progress has been made to date on implementing the ED Taskforce Plan. The ED Taskforce Implementation Group has been overseeing implementation of hospitals’ winter resilience plans in order to ensure that an integrated approach is adopted by Hospital Groups, with Community Healthcare Organisations, to managing winter pressures. During this peak period, my Department is engaging in a weekly meeting/teleconference with the HSE to oversee ED challenges.
With regard to the specific issue raised by the Deputy, this is a matter for the Health Service Executive; therefore 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.
312. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 802 of 3 November 2015, why the number of procedures carried out in May 2015 was significantly lower than in other months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1863/16]
View answer313. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 802 of 3 November 2015, the number of persons currently awaiting initial assessment to be placed on a waiting list for cataract surgery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1864/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 312 and 313 together.
As these are service matters, 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.
314. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Health the current number of patients waiting to see a consultant neurologist in County Donegal; how long these patients have been waiting; if a second neurologist has been appointed and how an appointment will impact on waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1866/16]
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.
315. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health how many occupational therapists there are in University College Hospital Galway dealing specifically with rheumatology patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1870/16]
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.
316. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health the make up of the rheumatology team at Mayo General Hospital in Castlebar, including physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nurses and support staff. [1871/16]
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.
317. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health the status of the infusion service and if it will be introduced in Mayo General Hospital. [1872/16]
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.
318. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health why a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan has had an application for renewal of a medical card rejected. [1874/16]
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.
319. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the status of the roll-out of BreastCheck for women of 65 to 69 years of age; how many women availed of this service in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1875/16]
View answerThe implementation of the age extension of BreastCheck to 65-69 year olds commenced in Quarter 4 of 2015. BreastCheck invited 1,000 women in this age category for screening in 2015 and approximately 500 of these were screened before the end of the year.
The age extension is being implemented on an incremental basis, in line with the capacity of the system to manage the additional screening and follow up workload. The additional eligible population is approximately 100,000 and, when fully implemented, 540,000 women will be included in the BreastCheck Programme.
Women of any age who have concerns about breast cancer should seek the advice of their GP who will, if appropriate, refer them to the symptomatic breast services in one of the eight designated cancer centres.
320. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health to expedite a date for surgery for a person (details supplied) in County Longford. [1894/16]
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.
321. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the current vacancy at Cré House in Roscrea in County Tipperary for a speech and language therapist, due to maternity leave; if he has put measures in place to fill this position for the maternity leave period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1904/16]
View answerAs this is a service issue, 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 the Executive.
322. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Health if he will reply to this Deputy on a matter (details supplied) regarding hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1909/16]
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.
