Written Answers Nos. 739-759
739. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health the allocation on a monthly or yearly basis of diabetic blood test strips to a person with a long-term illness card; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13503/16]
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.
740. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Health the grants available to support arts and disability projects that are associated and assisting with mental health recovery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13507/16]
View answerAs this is a service issue, this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply. If you have not received a reply within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
741. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health the status of the continued use of the Lourdes laundry attached to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, County Louth; the Health Service Executive's plans for keeping it open; the reassurances that can be offered by the Health Service Executive to the staff employed there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13508/16]
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.
742. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Health to urgently expedite a hospital appointment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13515/16]
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.
743. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health the status of a primary care centre (details supplied); if a site has been purchased; if so, when it is anticipated that a primary care centre will be available to this area and the surrounding region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13519/16]
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.
744. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for Health when he will appoint a senior dietician to support those with diabetes in Dublin North-West constituency as dictated in the 2016 Health Service Executive service plan, which sanctioned the support of the implementation of the type 2 diabetes cycle of care initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13521/16]
View answerAs the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be 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.
745. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for Health the status of a hospital appointment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13522/16]
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 HSE, 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.
746. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Health if scheduled consultant appointments at Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway, will occur; the timeframe for their appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13524/16]
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.
747. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Health when the endoscopy unit in Roscommon County Hospital will open; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13525/16]
View answerThe new endoscopy unit at Roscommon Hospital is scheduled to open on Wednesday 1st June 2016. The unit will have 2 procedure rooms and when fully operational, up to 30 endoscopy procedures per day can be facilitated. The facility includes a decontamination unit.
Recruitment for the 19 staff to run the Endoscopy Unit has commenced and is ongoing, these include a Clinical Nurse Manager, 11 Staff Nurses, 4 CSSD operatives, 2 Clerical Officers and 1 Assistant Clerical Officer.
The endoscopy unit will be opened on a phased basis, as not all of the staff will be in place immediately. Roscommon Hospital will open one procedure room (2 sessions per day: am & pm) initially over 4 days. As the staff being processed for appointment commence duty, the opening of the 2nd procedure room will commence, again on a phased basis.
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.
748. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Health when the 75-bed extension to University Hospital Galway will commence; the timeframe for its completion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13526/16]
View answerThere are two major developments currently underway in Galway. Construction work is ongoing on the new 75 bed ward block which will provide single room in-patient accommodation. Construction work commenced July 2015, is currently on schedule and it is envisaged that work will be completed by the end of Q4, 2016, after which equipping and commissioning would take place in Q1, 2017.
Also, a new acute mental health department is underway and is expected to be completed early in 2017. Following the transfer of mental health services to the new acute department work will begin on the construction of the National Plan for Radiation Oncology project for which the HSE has already obtained planning permission.
The Programme for a Partnership Government has also committed to progressing a new ED facility for University Hospital Galway. The HSE Capital Plan 2016 includes funding for a full option appraisal and Cost Benefit Analysis to inform planning and funding requirements for a new ED at GUH. A cost benefit analysis in relation to a new ED is in its final stages and it is anticipated that this will be completed shortly. If favourable, this will go to design phase in 2016.
Pending the development of a new ED in GUH, in order to alleviate pressures and to ensure that patient experience in the existing GUH ED is improved, 30 additional beds opened at the hospital in early 2016.
Future investment in individual hospitals must be considered within the overall acute hospital infrastructure programme and establishment of hospital groups.
750. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health the status of the development of a new national drug strategy. [13540/16]
View answer751. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health if his Department has examined the potential decriminalisation of small amounts of drugs for personal use as a harm-reduction approach to take a public health approach to chronic or recreational drug use. [13541/16]
View answer758. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health the persons who are advising his Department on a new national drug strategy; and the number of times they have met during 2015 and 2016 [13548/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 750, 751 and 758 together.
Government policy on tackling the drug problem is set out in the National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016. The overall objective of the Strategy is to continue to tackle the harm caused to individuals and society by the misuse of drugs through a concerted focus on the five pillars of supply reduction, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and research. A Steering Committee, chaired by former General Secretary of the INTO John Carr and with representatives from the Statutory, Community and Voluntary Sectors, has been established to advise on the development of a new National Drugs Strategy, which will cover the period from 2017 onwards. The Steering Committee has met 5 times this year and on one occasion in December 2015.
A high level review of the current drugs policy has been undertaken by a panel of international experts, which will highlight the key issues that need to be addressed under the new Strategy. The Committee will also consider the approach to drug policy in other jurisdictions and a review of international evidence on interventions to tackle the drug problem. Supply Reduction, Continuum of Care, Education and Prevention and Evidence and Best Practice Focus Groups have been established to advise the Steering Committee on the relevance of the Strategy in tackling problem drug use in Ireland and to identify any gaps arising. I will shortly be announcing details of the consultation process on the new Strategy, which I intend to be as broad, comprehensive and inclusive as possible.
The Programme for Government contains a commitment to a health-led rather than a criminal justice approach to drugs use. It is envisaged that this approach will be among a range of issues that will be considered by the Steering Committee in the course of developing a new Strategy.
752. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health the number of needle exchange services in current operation; and the number of these services that cater to the needs of under 18s. [13542/16]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has 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.
753. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health the estimated number of injecting drug users aged under 18. [13543/16]
View answer754. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health if he will conduct a rapid assessment to quickly estimate the situation and service needs of drug users who are under 18 years of age. [13544/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 753 and 754 together.
As the issues raised by the Deputy 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.
755. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health if he includes under-18s in bio-behavioural surveillance and studies conducted by his Department. [13545/16]
View answerMy Department has not conducted any recent bio-behavioural surveillance or studies.
756. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health the funding available for independent research and mapping on drug-related harms among children and young persons under the age of 18 including those who are homeless. [13546/16]
View answerThe National Advisory Committee on Drugs and Alcohol (NACDA) is the research arm of the National Drugs Strategy. Its main function is to advise Government on the prevalence, prevention, treatment and consequences of the use and misuse of drugs and alcohol in Ireland. It has been allocated €388,000 by my Department for research projects in 2016.
In line with the National Drugs Strategy, the NACDA has carried out a number of studies which focus on the impact of substance use on children and young people. A 2011 study highlighted the need for precise, accurate and timely prevalence estimates to inform policy and the planning of services to meet the needs of children affected by substance misuse. Knowledge of the overall number of children with parents misusing substances in a particular geographic area is important for quantifying the scale of the issue.
In 2014, the NACDA commissioned research to estimate the prevalence of children of, or living with, substance misusing parents. It is anticipated that the results will be published this year. These estimates will help to assess the potential burden of parental substance misuse on health, social care services and family members in Ireland and hence are of relevance to a variety of policy arenas.
As the Deputy may be aware, a Steering Committee has been established to develop a new National Drugs Strategy, which will commence in 2017. Areas for future research will be determined in the course of the development of the new Strategy.
757. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health if there are legal restrictions on under 18s in accessing harm reduction drug services. [13547/16]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has 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.
