Written Answers Nos. 207-221
207. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the funding allocated to the National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF, for each year since its inception; the money spent by the NTPF for each of those years; if he will provide a breakdown of categories of surgery and treatment availed of for each of those years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36775/16]
View answerThe NTPF was established on a statutory basis in 2004 and previously arranged for the provision of hospital treatment to classes of persons determined by the Minister. Since 2011 this function has been suspended. Currently, in accordance with Reg 4(1) of the NTPF Board (Establishment) Order 2004, the NTPF carries out activities in respect of data and analytics, audit and quality assurance of waiting lists and pricing under the Nursing Home Support Scheme.
The NTPF supports the management of in-patient, day-case and outpatient waiting lists, by working with the HSE to assist hospitals in developing local demand and capacity planning and providing technical guidance materials to ensure the highest standard of data quality and practice. The expertise amassed by the NTPF in respect of waiting lists has proven invaluable in assisting the HSE to administer previous waiting list initiatives and in carrying out smaller-scale targeted initiatives in areas such as the Endoscopy Initiative in 2016. Its annual budget allocation has been aligned with these functions.
A tabular statement setting out details of the annual budget of the NTPF and the number of patients treated per annum is enclosed with this response.
Finally, the Budget 2017 provides for the treatment of our longest-waiting patients. €20m is being allocated to the NTPF, rising to €55m in 2018. Planning of this initiative is at an advanced stage by the NTPF, my Department and the HSE.
|
Year |
Total Patient Numbers |
NTPF Care Expenditure (€m) |
Revenue Grant from Department of Health (€m) |
|
2016 (Forecast) |
3,000 |
2.0 |
5.1 |
|
2015 |
1,092 |
1.0 |
5.1 |
|
2014 |
1,002 |
0.5 |
5.1 |
|
2013 |
1,950 |
4.8 |
17.4 |
|
2012 |
2,012 |
41.9 |
40.6 |
|
2011 |
19,217 |
57 |
85.6 |
|
2010 |
33,639 |
84 |
90.1 |
|
2009 |
28,758 |
90 |
90.4 |
|
2008 |
36,269 |
94 |
104.6 |
|
2007 |
32,638 |
95 |
91.7 |
|
2006 |
24,411 |
75 |
78.6 |
|
2005 |
18,994 |
60 |
64.0 |
|
2004 |
13,627 |
42 |
44.0 |
208. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Health the number of women aged 65 to 69 years of age who availed of BreastCheck for each local health office area in 2015 and to date in 2016, in tabular form. [36776/16]
View answer209. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Health the status of the roll-out of BreastCheck for women aged 65 to 69 years of age; the number of women in that age cohort who availed of the service in 2015 and to date in 2016; the number of women aged 69 years of age who availed of the service in 2015 and to date in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36777/16]
View answer215. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the status of the roll-out of BreastCheck for women aged 65 to 69 years of age; the number of women in that age cohort who availed of the service in 2015; the number who have availed to date in 2016; the number of women aged 69 years of age who availed of the service in 2015 and to date in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36828/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 208, 209 and 215 together.
The Deputies' questions relate to service delivery matters and accordingly I have asked the HSE to respond directly to them.
210. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the total proposed capital investment in health service information technology in each year from 2016 to 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36798/16]
View answerThe following table sets out the planned ICT capital envelope for health for the period 2016 to 2021. It is proposed that there will be a mid-term review of the State’s capital envelope, which will assess progress, review emerging pressures and demands. It is expected that this mid-term review will be completed in 2017. My Department published an eHealth strategy in 2013 which highlighted the opportunity for providing for a digital infrastructure to support health and social care to improve health delivery efficiency and underpin patient safety. The strategy also recognised the need for further investment in healthcare Information and Communications Technology and while significant improvement in the capital spending for ICT in health since 2012 has taken place, further investment will be required into the future and this is recognised in the Programme for Government. In recent months the HSE has submitted a business case for a national electronic health care record for Ireland which will provide for a digital platform across the acute, community and primary care areas allowing the connectivity necessary to support models of integrated care. It is envisaged that the first acute hospital setting for an electronic health record will be the New Children's Hospital. In the coming months I hope to being proposals to Government on how to move this agenda forward.
|
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
Total |
|
€m |
€m |
€m |
€m |
€m |
€m |
€m |
|
55 |
55 |
60 |
70 |
85 |
87 |
412 |
211. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of beds and wards in all public and voluntary acute hospitals, in tabular form; the number of those beds and wards that are currently closed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36824/16]
View answerThe Department of Health has been overseeing a range of measures to reduce the pressure of overcrowding in our hospital system.
There are a number of initiatives which have been directed towards increasing hospital capacity. As part of the 'Winter Beds Initiative, 2015-16', over 300 additional hospital beds were added to the system; these remain open.
Also a number of capital projects will contribute to hospital capacity and reduce overcrowding. These include the 75 bed ward block currently under construction at University Hospital Galway, an extension under construction at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda and the new ED, which will open in Limerick University Hospital towards the end of 2017.
The Programme for a Partnership Government commits to conducting a bed capacity review. This review will be comprehensive, assessing current and necessary future bed capacity in hospitals as well as psychiatric, community, nursing home, long stay and rehabilitation beds.
Further, the ‘Winter Initiative Plan 2016-2017’, which has provided €40 million of additional funding for winter preparedness, became operational in October, 2016. The Initiative sets out a comprehensive range of actions, across primary, community and hospital services, to increase hospital avoidance measures, facilitate timely discharge from hospital and increase hospital capacity.
As part of the Winter Initiative, 18 step-down beds have opened in the Mercy Hospital in Cork. The HSE have advised that 28 of 55 additional acute hospital beds are expected to open in November/December.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
212. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of medical cards as of 1 November 2016; the number of general practitioner cards on 1 November 2016; and the number for each type of card issued on a discretionary basis on 1 November 2016. [36825/16]
View answerThe following are Medical Card and General Practitioner Visit Card figures as of 1 November 2016, as requested by the Deputy:
|
Card Type |
Total Cards |
|
Medical cards |
1,700,803 |
|
of which granted involving discretion |
113,210 |
|
GP Visit cards |
467,001 |
|
of which granted involving discretion |
44,600 |
213. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of home help hours provided to date in 2016, by local health area, in tabular form. [36826/16]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
214. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the distances that have been travelled by emergency ambulances currently in service by HSE region and subdivided by every 80,000 km, in tabular form; the distances that have been travelled by intermediate care ambulances currently in service; the distances that have been travelled by rapid response vehicles currently in service in such a capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36827/16]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
217. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will investigate a breach of the nitrates regulation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36626/16]
View answerArticle 17 (16) of the European Union (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) regulations 2014 states that silage bales shall not be stored outside of farmyards within 20m of waters or a drinking water abstraction point in the absence of adequate facilities for the collection and storage of any effluent arising.
The Department of Housing Planning Community and Local Government is the lead Department for these regulations otherwise known as the nitrates regulations. Any breach of these regulations is ultimately an issue for that Department.
218. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number and value of basic payment scheme entitlements paid in 2016 by the headings sale without land, sale with land, inheritance or change of registration details, lease without land and lease with land. [36635/16]
View answerThe information sought is not readily available. It is currently being compiled by my Department and it will be forwarded directly to the Deputy at the earliest opportunity.
219. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 636 of 15 November 2016, if he will clarify the records over reports of the felling of sequoias in an ancient woodland in County Longford (details supplied); and the steps he will take to ensure that the contractor and other contractors cannot ignore commitments made to the Forest Service. [36638/16]
View answerFollowing concerns raised in March 2016, the Department requested that operations would cease onsite, pending investigation. Operations subsequently recommenced based on an e-mail from the Department to the Contractor on 12 April 2016. This included an instruction regarding the retention of sequoia onsite, unless overriding health and safety concerns arose, in which case, the Department was to be contacted.
The Department was not subsequently contacted by the Contractor regarding the felling of sequoia trees.
A report from the Friends of the Irish Environment, dated 9 November 2016, was received by the Department, stating that sequoia were felled on 13 May 2016. An inspection by the Department on 9 November 2016 found the stumps of three sequoia trees, which appeared to have been felled in spring or very early summer.
Following contact from the Department, the Contractor stated that these three sequoia were felled for the following reasons:
- they were suppressed by the dominant sequoia overhead and therefore had little or no living crown remaining;
- they were either dead or dying;
- they represented a health and safety risk.
The instruction regarding the retention of sequoia does not form part of the conditions of any of the issued felling licences. However, the matter concerning the breach of this instruction is being raised with the Contractor.
220. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 636 of 15 November 2016, if he will clarify his reply on which he based his statement that the Forest Service had not received any complaint regarding the felling of oak on this site (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36639/16]
View answerI received a letter from Friends of the Irish Environment on 16 May 2016. This letter was brought to the attention of the relevant Department officials and I issued a reply to this letter on 18 May 2016. I can confirm that at the time the Department staff did not view this letter as a report of Alleged Illegal Felling. This matter, of oak trees felled, is now being investigated.
221. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of vacancies on boards or agencies within his Department's remit that currently exist; the number that have been filled since 8 May 2016; the number of these that were filled through the Public Appointments Service; the timeline for filling remaining vacancies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36640/16]
View answer239. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of vacancies on State boards in his Department; the number filled since he took office; the number filled through the Public Appointments Service; the timelines to fill vacancies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36832/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 221 and 239 together.
Since my appointment as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, I have appointed a total of 21 persons to the Boards of State Bodies under the aegis of my Department. In the case of a number of State Bodies, while appointments are made by me, they are on the basis of nominations from various organisations as specified in the relevant statutes. Details of the appointments are outlined in the following table.
|
Name of State Board |
Number of Vacancies Currently on State Boards |
Timeline to fill Current Vacancies |
Name of Appointee |
Positions filled since 8 May 2016 |
Numbers filled through Public Appointments Service (PAS) |
Timeline to fill Vacancies |
|
|
3 |
0 |
||||||
|
Brendan Brice |
Nomination from Engineers Ireland received - 02/09/2015. Appointed by Minister Creed - 17/06/2016 |
||||||
|
Prof. Owen McIntyre |
Nomination received from TAISC - 24/01/2013 Re-appointed by Minister Creed -17/06/2016. |
||||||
|
Aquaculture Licensing Appeals Board (ALAB) |
1 |
As soon as possible as nomination for appointment comes from a nominating body. |
Jim Power |
Nomination from IBEC received - 24/03/2016. Re-appointed by Minister Creed - 17/06/2016 |
|||
|
2 |
0 |
||||||
|
John Comer |
Nomination from ICMSA received - 06/04/2016. Appointed by Minister Creed - 12/05/2016 |
||||||
|
Bord Bia |
0 |
Not Applicable |
Joe Healy |
Nomination from IFA received - 10/05/2016. Appointed by Minister Creed - 12/05/2016 |
|||
|
1 |
1 |
||||||
|
Bord Iascaigh Mhara |
0 |
Not Applicable |
Lisa Vaughan |
Nomination from PAS received - 15/03/2016. Appointed by Minister Creed -16/06/2016 |
|||
|
Coillte |
3 |
By end of Quarter 1 2017 |
0 |
0 |
Not Applicable |
||
|
9 |
2 |
||||||
|
Peter G Nolan |
Nomination from PAS received - 29/08/2016 Appointed by Minister Creed -10/11/2016 |
||||||
|
Elizabeth Headon |
Nomination from PAS received – 29/08/2016 Appointed by Minister Creed – 10/11/2016 |
||||||
|
Bernard Caldwell |
Nomination received from The Betting Committee, Industry Services and ICTU - 30/06/2016 & 15/09/2016 Appointed by Minister Creed on 14/07/2016 and re-appointed on 31/10/2016 |
||||||
|
Noel Cloake |
Nomination received from The Betting Committee, Industry Services and ICTU - 30/06/2016 & 15/09/2016 Appointed by Minister Creed on 14/07/2016 and re-appointed on 31/10/2016 |
||||||
|
Horse Racing Ireland |
0 |
Not Applicable |
Francis Hyland |
Nomination received from Betting Committee, Industry Services and ICTU on 30/06/2016 & 15/09/2016 Appointed by Minister Creed on 14/07/2016 and re-appointed on 31/10/2016 |
|||
|
Robert Nixon |
Nomination from HRI Northern Ireland received - 21/08/2016. Appointed by Minister Creed on 31/08/2016 |
||||||
|
Michael Halford |
Nomination received from Irish Racehorse Trainers Association received - 15/03/2016 Appointed by Minister Creed - 26/06/2016 |
||||||
|
John Moloney |
Nomination from Association of Irish Racehorse Trainers Owners received – 11/01/2014 Reappointed by Minister Creed -26/05/2016 |
||||||
|
John Powell |
Nomination received from Turf Club - 9/05/2016 Appointed by Minister Creed -26/05/2016 |
||||||
|
Irish National Stud |
2 |
Vacancies to be advertised on Stateboards.ie shortly. Members of Board will remain in situ until new members appointed |
Darine Walsh Mark Weld Dr. Sean Brady Jessica Harrington |
4 |
4 |
Nominations from PAS received - 28/04/2016 . Appointed by Minister Creed - 6/07/2016 |
|
|
2 |
0 |
||||||
|
Thomas Cooke |
Nomination from ICMSA received - 28/09/ 2016. Appointed by Minister Creed - 5/10/2016. |
||||||
|
Teagasc |
0 |
Not Applicable |
Richard Kennedy |
Nomination from IFA received - 3/05/2016. Appointed by Minister Creed - 25/05/2016. |
