Written Answers Nos. 613-626
613. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Health the number of 24 hour care centres currently available for adults that cannot live independently and are in need constant supervision due to mental health issues. [37645/16]
View answerAs this is a service issue, this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
614. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Health the amount the State has invested in cancer research in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37647/16]
View answerThe Health Research Board, a statutory agency under the aegis of my Department, has invested approximately €21.8 million through Cancer Trials Ireland in the development of a network of cancer clinical trials in hospitals across Ireland over the past five years. The breakdown of the funding is as follows:
|
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
Total |
|
€4.7m |
€4.2m |
€4.3m |
€4.3m |
€4.3m |
€21.8m |
Meanwhile, the National Cancer Registry, another statutory agency under the aegis of my Department, has invested approximately €4.8 million in research relating to cancer statistics in Ireland over the same period. While some of this amount came from non-statutory bodies , the majority was state-funded. The breakdown of the funding is as follows:
|
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
Total |
|
€1.1m |
€1.0m |
€1.0m |
€0.8m |
€0.9m |
€4.8m |
Science Foundation Ireland has also invested in cancer research during the past five years.
615. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Health the amount the State has invested in Alzheimer's disease research in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37648/16]
View answerThe Health Research Board (HRB) is the lead agency in Ireland responsible for supporting and funding health research, information and evidence, with a mission to improve people’s health and to enhance healthcare delivery. Between 2011 and 2015 the HRB has made investments totalling almost €9.2 million in research focused on many aspects of dementia/Alzheimer’s. These awards have been funded either through HRB competitive open calls, which do not ring-fence funding for any one disease area, but are open to all disease areas, or in collaboration with Atlantic Philanthropies, the Irish Alzheimer’s Society, the Medical Research Charities Group or European Joint Programming initiatives. A list of dementia related projects to which the HRB made funding commitments between 2011 and 2015 is set out in the tables.
|
HRB new dementia funding commitment (€) in year |
||||||
|
Area of focus for dementia research |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
Grand Total |
|
Link to cardiovascular disease |
572,222 |
572,222 |
||||
|
Delirium, Dementia & Alzheimer's Disease |
1,575,970 |
193,935 |
315,338 |
543,637 |
4,217,611 |
6,846,491 |
|
Disabilities and dementia |
599,992 |
599,992 |
||||
|
Lifecourse studies in dementia |
794,681 |
794,681 |
||||
|
Mental health and dementia |
59,848 |
59,848 |
||||
|
Palliative care and dementia |
528,714 |
528,714 |
||||
|
Grand Total |
2,370,651 |
193,935 |
315,338 |
873,637 |
5,406,165 |
9,159,726 |
|
HRB new dementia funding commitment (€) in year |
||||||
|
Dementia projects by Research Field |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
Grand Total |
|
Ageing and related disease |
1,301,155 |
330,000 |
209,848 |
1,841,003 |
||
|
Cardiovascular physiology and disease |
572,222 |
572,222 |
||||
|
Evaluation of treatments and interventions |
46,806 |
56,162 |
916,512 |
1,019,480 |
||
|
Health services organisation and delivery |
286,135 |
199,812 |
2,453,155 |
2,939,102 |
||
|
Healthcare resources and infrastructure |
264,748 |
264,748 |
||||
|
Mental health |
147,129 |
29,730 |
176,859 |
|||
|
Neuroscience |
783,360 |
543,637 |
359,958 |
1,686,955 |
||
|
Palliative care/medicine |
59,364 |
59,364 |
||||
|
Population screening and preventive medicine |
599,992 |
599,992 |
||||
|
Grand Total |
2,370,651 |
193,935 |
315,338 |
873,637 |
5,406,165 |
9,159,726 |
616. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Health the cost to the State of cancer care in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37649/16]
View answerThe Deputy's questions relate to service delivery matters and accordingly I have asked the HSE to respond directly to him.
617. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Health the cost to the State of Alzheimer's care in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37650/16]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
618. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Health the number of deaths from cancer in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37651/16]
View answerThe number of deaths from cancer in Ireland in each of the past five years is as follows:
|
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
8,666 |
8,571 |
8,725 |
9,022 |
8,783* |
*Data for 2015 is subject to change.
619. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Health the number of deaths from Alzheimer's disease in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37652/16]
View answerThe Central Statistics Office has provided the following information on deaths attributable to dementia:
|
Year |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
2011 |
276 |
515 |
791 |
|
2012 |
535 |
978 |
1513 |
|
2013 |
573 |
1212 |
1785 |
|
2014 |
662 |
1282 |
1944 |
|
2015* |
734 |
1425 |
2159 |
|
*Note 2015 is provisional data only and is subject to revision. Source Vital Statistics CSO. |
|||
620. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health the number of children on waiting lists and the timescale involved for the treatment of scoliosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37661/16]
View answerScoliosis affects approximately 1% of children and adolescents in Ireland. The management of scoliosis is complex and is determined by the severity of the curvature and skeletal maturity.
Long waiting times for scoliosis surgery are not acceptable and my Department has been working closely with the HSE to address service pressures, with most recently additional funding of €2 million provided under the HSE winter initiative specifically for scoliosis patients. The Department will continue to work with the HSE and the relevant hospitals to ensure improvements in access to spinal surgery are achieved. I recently met a number of scoliosis advocacy groups to discuss their concerns, following which the Children’s Hospital Group has begun a process of engagement with the advocacy groups on developing a partnership approach with the hospitals and consultants to the design and planning of services for children with scoliosis.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
621. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 429 of 25 October 2016, the length of time patients are waiting for dental surgery in County Louth; the length of time the 152 children on the paediatric list are waiting, for example, three months, six months, nine months and so on; if the surgery needed by these children can be provided elsewhere as a matter of urgency; if not, the reason therefor; the reason only three adults with special needs have received treatment in the past three years while six adults with special needs are awaiting surgery; if the surgery needed by these adults can be provided elsewhere as a matter of urgency; if not, the reason therefor; the reason there are 17 children with special needs still awaiting dental surgery; if the surgery needed by these children can be provided elsewhere as a matter of urgency; if not, the reason therefor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37664/16]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for reply to the Deputy.
622. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if he will address an issue with regard to building dementia-friendly communities (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37668/16]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
623. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the HIQA report of the Mercy University Hospital unannounced inspections of 7 June 2016 and 20 July 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37670/16]
View answerEach year, HIQA carries out a number of unannounced inspections in public acute hospitals to monitor compliance with the National Standards for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections. The aim of such unannounced inspections is to assess hygiene in the hospital, as observed by the inspection team and experienced by patients, at any given time.
In response to HIQA's findings, each hospital is expected to develop a Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) that prioritises the improvements necessary to comply with the National Standards. These plans must be published, and made accessible on the websites of the individual hospitals, within six weeks of publication of the Authority's report.
HIQA's work in this field is to be commended, and is something I place a high value on as Minister for Health. It is vital that all elements of the health service strive to reach best practice standards in all areas of their work, and the inspection regime put in place by HIQA, is playing a major role in driving improvements across the health service.
As the updating of the QIP is an operational matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly on this point.
624. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Health the current duration on a waiting list for a child to see a urologist at Temple Street children's hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37675/16]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
625. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health the cost of the nursing home support scheme to the State for each of the years 2010 to 2015 and the expected cost in 2016; the projected cost for each year to 2030 based on known demographics and on the assumption that the terms of the scheme do not change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37677/16]
View answerThe Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS) is a system of financial support for those in need of long-term nursing home care. Participants contribute to the cost of their care according to their income and assets while the State pays the balance of the cost. The Scheme aims to ensure that long-term nursing home care is accessible and affordable for everyone and that people are cared for in the most appropriate settings.
The gross funding, which includes client contributions under the Scheme, for the years 2010 to 2015 is as follows:
|
Year |
Gross Budget (millions) |
|
2010 |
€979 |
|
2011 |
€963 |
|
2012 |
€994.7 |
|
2013 |
€974 |
|
2014 |
€939 |
|
2015 |
€993 |
The gross budget for the Scheme in 2016 is €1,004.9 million, with a net budget (excluding income from clients) of €940 million. Expenditure of €921.5 million of the net budget is anticipated for 2016.
A number of factors may impact on future cost and demand for long-term residential care services, including social changes, possible new models of care for older people, and changes in population health status. Accurate long-term forecasts are accordingly difficult. However, high-level projections are possible, and as part of the review of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme, an analysis of the current NHSS population by age cohort, projected forward in line with CSO demographic projections, indicates that approximately 33,000 people will require support under the scheme by 2024. At present cost levels, this would imply a total annual net cost of approximately €1.3 billion by 2024.
626. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Health when a new contract was last agreed by the HSE for the provision of taxi services for the Cork city and county area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37678/16]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
