Written Answers Nos. 653 - 667
653. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health if his Department has carried or will consider carrying out a review of mental health services and supports for children and young persons in view of the fact that Ireland has the fourth highest rate of child and adolescent suicide in the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7036/17]
View answerIn 2015 the Government launched ‘Connecting for Life’, our national strategy to reduce suicide for the period 2015 – 2020. A large part of the Strategy is focused on youth mental health, and sets out a vision where fewer lives are lost through suicide, and where communities and individuals are empowered to improve their mental health and well-being. The National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP) oversees the implementation of this strategy. The Strategy assigns specific responsibility to NOSP as a statutory agency to fulfil a number of tasks, including the development and provision of suicide prevention training and education programmes, increasing national awareness about suicide prevention and setting out a national suicide research and prevention programme. In this way there is on-going oversight of the supports that are in place across the country for children and young people.
The Department of Health is currently leading the review of A Vision for Change with a view to the development of a successor policy which will complete the process of modernising mental health services and effectively promoting mental health, for both adults and children. In the first instance, an expert review and analysis of international evidence and best practice in the development of mental health services, including a review of current delivery of services in Ireland, has recently been completed. This expert review will provide evidence to determine the policy direction for a revision of 'A Vision for Change'. An Oversight Committee will also be established within three months of completion of the expert review to oversee the development of a new policy, informed by the expert review.
In addition, I have convened and Chair the National Taskforce on Youth Mental Health. This group is considering how best to introduce and teach resilience and coping mechanisms to children and young people. The aim of the Taskforce is to provide national leadership on youth mental health and wellbeing in order to enhance how the public, private and voluntary and community sectors work together to improve; emotional literacy in the population; awareness of services and supports; accessibility to services and supports at different times and in different areas; and alignment of services and supports across different providers (public organisations, private organisations, community organisations, voluntary organisations, etc.).
The Taskforce is a small, diverse group of 18 leading national figures who represent a number of different sectors. It is an action-focused group, has met monthly since September 2016 and will work for 12-18 months. It has visited frontline services, and met with service users, parents and staff. As part of my commitment to ensuring that the voices of children and young people are at the core of the work of the Taskforce, a series of consultations with young people has commenced.
654. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Health the advice he has received from the Chief Medical Officer, as referred to in Dáil Éireann on 28 February 2017, with regard to compassionate access to cannabis-based medicine; if he will publish this advice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12071/17]
View answerUnder the Misuse of Drugs Acts and the Regulations made thereunder, the manufacture, production, preparation, sale, supply, distribution and possession of cannabis is currently unlawful except under licence.
Following the recent publication of the Health Products Regulatory Authority’s report Cannabis for Medical Use – A Scientific Review, a process is currently underway to establish an access programme for cannabis-based treatments in Ireland.
For the period during which this access programme is being established, it remains open to me as the Minister for Health to provide a licence for access to cannabis for medical purposes in individual cases. The granting of such a licence must, however, be premised on an appropriate application being submitted to the Department of Health by a Consultant who is responsible for the management of the patient and who makes the clinical decision to prescribe the treatment and monitor its effects over time.
I have been advised that the granting of an individual licence for the use of cannabis for medical purposes by the Department of Health sets aside the usual regulatory processes which are in place to protect the public. These processes are in place in order to ensure that only those medications which have been found to be both effective and safe are made available to the public. Therefore, it is crucial that the granting of any such licence takes due care and consideration of the potential unintended consequences associated with the prescription of cannabis for medical purposes, and that its use is endorsed by a Consultant who is familiar with and responsible for the care of the individual for whom the licence application is being made.
As I noted in the Dáil on the 31 January, the appropriateness of any particular treatment is a matter between the patient and their doctor. I, as Minister for Health, can have no role in the patient-doctor relationship and any involvement or interference in that regard by myself or my Department would be wholly inappropriate.
The professional role of doctors and pharmacists is integral to the safe and effective use of all drugs which are prescribed. In establishing an access programme for medical cannabis, it is therefore critical that the expert views of these professionals, through their professional bodies, are considered. Efforts are underway to ensure that, prior to its establishment, the planned access programme reflects this expert input in order to assure clarity of the roles and responsibilities of doctors and pharmacists in prescribing and dispensing cannabis for medical purposes in the interests of safe and effective practice.
655. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health his views on whether the deadline regarding action 1.15 of Rebuilding Ireland, which commits to providing mental health services to those in homeless services by Q4 2016, has been attained; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8950/17]
View answerIn line with Action 1.15 of Rebuilding Ireland, €2m in funding was made available in 2016 from the mental health budget for enhanced care and case management programmes to link homeless people with complex needs within the Dublin region into mental health and addiction services. This allocation will continue in 2017.
In addition, the HSE Service Plan 2017 has earmarked a further €1.5m to expand services introduced in 2016 and to provide additional health care supports to improve the ability of those in homeless services to sustain a normal tenancy, in line with the Housing First approach. These services will be phased in during 2017 resulting in a full year cost of €4m, but actual expenditure of €1.5m.
It is envisaged that the total package of services and supports for this vulnerable group will result in expenditure of €6m in 2018, thus fulfilling the commitment in Action 1.15.
656. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Health the progress of the commitments he made in respect of reducing surgery waiting times for children suffering from scoliosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12066/17]
View answer657. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Health if he has received an action plan on scoliosis from the HSE. [12106/17]
View answer658. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Health if he has received an action plan on scoliosis from the HSE. [12107/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 656 to 658, inclusive, together.
A draft Waiting List Action Plan for Scoliosis has been submitted by the HSE to my Department. The draft action plan for Scoliosis includes both measures to increase capacity for scoliosis treatments in the children's hospitals and proposals for the outsourcing of procedures. Officials are currently reviewing and evaluating the plan and engagement is ongoing with the HSE and the NTPF towards its finalisation. I expect to make known the details of the HSE's Waiting List Action Plan including the Action Plan for Scoliosis in the coming weeks.
In addition to the action plan, efforts have been made to improve access to scoliosis services. Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin has undertaken an aggressive recruitment drive to attract new theatre nurses with the necessary paediatric training. As a result, four new nurses will be in place by April, and a further 16 international nurses have been offered posts and have commenced the registration process.
The recruitment of these nurses means that the new theatre will be used to provide the additional capacity for scoliosis procedures in Crumlin from April. This will allow an additional day of procedures to be carried out in the medium term.
In addition I am advised by the hospital that an orthopaedic surgeon post in Crumlin Hospital will be filled by June. This means that from July, the hospital expects that the theatre use will be further increased.
659. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Health the action that will be taken to reduce waiting times for orthopaedic appointments in University Hospital Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12090/17]
View answerIn relation to this particular query, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
660. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Health the number of intensive home care packages provided for persons with dementia in 2015, 2016 and the number currently in place in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12091/17]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
661. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the action that will be taken to address the delays in ophthalmology appointments in Cork University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12120/17]
View answer662. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the action that will be taken to address the delays in ophthalmology appointments in Cork University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12121/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 661 and 662 together.
In relation to this particular query, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
663. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Health his plans to increase the acute bed capacity of Sligo University Hospital. [12087/17]
View answerIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
664. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Health the procedures in place for transporting private and non-private nursing home residents by ambulance for emergency and non-emergency treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12042/17]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
665. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he will provide additional acute psychiatric beds in Roscommon University Hospital, in view of the fact it is operating at maximum capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11835/17]
View answerAs this is a service issue, this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
666. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Health when full-time psychiatrist posts will be made available in County Roscommon, in view of the fact there are currently only locum psychiatrists providing a disjointed service, which is impacting negatively on patients and staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11834/17]
View answerAs this is a service issue, this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
667. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the ban on a product (details supplied) in the US state of Wisconsin; his further views on whether this could have wider implications for beef and dairy exports to the US; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11874/17]
View answerI am aware of this issue which relates to the implementation of local laws in the state of Wisconsin. Officials in my Department, including our Agricultural Attaché at the Irish Embassy in Washington, have kept in close contact with the company concerned on the matter and I understand that a solution to the problem is now close to finalisation.
Once the technical steps are completed it should see the resumption of the sale of the product concerned again. I do not envisage this issue having wider ramifications for Irish beef and dairy exports to the US.
