Written Answers Nos. 220-228
220. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Health to set out the average waiting time to see a consultant for a referral for cataract surgery for persons from counties Cork and Kerry; to receive the surgery for persons from counties Cork and Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21899/16]
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.
221. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health if he has commissioned a trauma steering group to examine the 29 emergency departments here, and if this group is now recommending the closure of the emergency departments in Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise in County Laois and in Naas General Hospital in County Kildare. [21901/16]
View answerI would like to reassure the Deputy that the work underway in developing a policy on a national trauma policy is about getting the best outcomes for a particular, small category of patients who sustain traumatic injuries. It is not about closing Emergency Departments or diminishing services. There are currently no plans to close or remove trauma services from any hospital.
A trauma patient needs access to the best service that has the right resources to match their often multiple and critical needs in the shortest time possible. The aim of developing national policy on trauma networks is to ensure that trauma patients are brought to the right place at the right time for the right care so they can make the best recovery possible. It is about building on the strengths of pre-hospital care, all of our acute hospitals and post-acute services to provide an optimal configuration of trauma services. The implementation of Hospital Groups provides an opportunity for hospitals to work together to enhance trauma services for patients.
The need for a national trauma system has been recognised for many years. In June 2015 the National Clinical Programme for Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery published the Model of Care for trauma and orthopaedic surgery and strongly recommended that a national approach to trauma services should be taken. The RCSI (the professional body representing all surgeons and emergency medicine specialists) also called for its establishment at their annual scientific meeting last year. Last year, the then Minister for Health appointed a National Steering Group to develop policy on a major trauma system for Ireland. This is a joint initiative from the Department of Health and the HSE, developed in recognition that we do not have a coordinated trauma network structure in Ireland.
The Steering Group has been working with the Department of Health, the HSE and all relevant HSE National Clinical Leads including Surgery, Pre-Hospital Emergency Care, Critical Care, Orthopaedics and Trauma on the development of the policy. The group has not yet reported, I have not seen any output from this group and the Group's recommendations are not expected until later this year.
222. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health to confirm that there will be no change to the status of the emergency department in Cavan General Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21903/16]
View answerI would like to reassure the Deputy that the work underway in developing a policy on a national trauma policy is about getting the best outcomes for a particular, small category of patients who sustain traumatic injuries. It is not about closing Emergency Departments or diminishing services. There are currently no plans to close or remove trauma services from any hospital.
A trauma patient needs access to the best service that has the right resources to match their often multiple and critical needs in the shortest time possible. The aim of developing national policy on trauma networks is to ensure that trauma patients are brought to the right place at the right time for the right care so they can make the best recovery possible. It is about building on the strengths of pre-hospital care, all of our acute hospitals and post-acute services to provide an optimal configuration of trauma services. The implementation of Hospital Groups provides an opportunity for hospitals to work together to enhance trauma services for patients.
The need for a national trauma system has been recognised for many years. In June 2015 the National Clinical Programme for Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery published the Model of Care for trauma and orthopaedic surgery and strongly recommended that a national approach to trauma services should be taken. The RCSI (the professional body representing all surgeons and emergency medicine specialists) also called for its establishment at their annual scientific meeting last year.
Last year, the then Minister for Health appointed a National Steering Group to develop policy on a major trauma system for Ireland. This is a joint initiative from the Department of Health and the HSE, developed in recognition that we do not have a coordinated trauma network structure in Ireland.
The Steering Group has been working with the Department of Health, the HSE and all relevant HSE National Clinical Leads including Surgery, Pre-Hospital Emergency Care, Critical Care, Orthopaedics and Trauma on the development of the policy. The group has not yet reported, I have not seen any output from this group and the Group's recommendations are not expected until later this year.
223. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Health if the reconfiguration of services and moving the ophthalmic surgical service from Cork University Hospital to South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital has resulted in an increase or a decrease in the waiting time for cataract operations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21913/16]
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.
224. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Health to outline the provisions in place to cope with the increase in civil registrations, in particular in County Kerry, where there is only one civil registrar, given the likely increase in demand, especially following the same-sex marriage referendum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21914/16]
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 the matter with them.
225. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health to ensure that residents of St. Joseph's learning disability service in Portrane, County Dublin, are accompanied by a qualified staff member from the service who is familiar with their needs when they admitted to Beaumont Hospital, and to make contact with St. Joseph's Parents and Friends Association on this issue. [21915/16]
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 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.
227. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will sanction the dredging of Howth fishery harbour centre given that the silting problem is becoming serious; the issues to be considered and the process to be followed in respect of this application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21730/16]
View answerHowth Fishery Harbour Centre is one of the six designated Fishery Harbour Centres which are owned, managed and maintained by my Department under Statute.
I am happy to advise the Deputy that, notwithstanding the prevailing economic environment in which we operate, in excess of €5.9 million has been invested in maintenance, development and upgrading works at Howth FHC as part of my Department’s Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme from 2011 to 2015.
With regard to a possible dredging project in Howth Fishery Harbour Centre I would advise the Deputy that a draft report from a site investigation project which was commissioned in 2015 was received in March 2016. The draft report has been assessed by the Department’s engineers. This report includes vital information on the nature of the material to be dredged in any future dredging project. In this context €100,000 has been allocated this year for the preparation of a Dumping at Sea Licence.
My Department has also recently appointed a Consulting Engineer to examine the various options for dredging and disposal of dredged material based on the information in the Site Investigation Report.
Depending on the outcome of this process, and as is the case for all developments in the six Fishery Harbour Centres, a possible future dredging project at Howth Fishery Harbour Centre will be considered under future Capital Programmes on the basis of available exchequer funding and competing priorities.
228. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to set down the numbers of farmers in County Sligo who were levied for over-supply of milk in 2014 and 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21735/16]
View answerThree milk suppliers from County Sligo incurred a super levy fine bill in the 2014/2015 milk quota year. No suppliers from County Sligo incurred a levy in the previous milk quota year.
