Michael Healy-Rae
Question:169. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of speech and language therapy for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25069/17]
View answerSpeech and Language Therapy Provision
Questions (169)
Written answers
As this question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply.
Hospital Staff Recruitment
Questions (170)
Timmy Dooley
Question:170. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Health when additional orthopaedic surgeons will be recruited to Croom Hospital, County Limerick, in view of the required number in place and the fact that half the procedures for joint replacements appropriate to the catchment area are being carried out. [25070/17]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
Hospital Appointments Status
Questions (171)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:171. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae 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. [25075/17]
View answerWritten answers
Under 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.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
Treatment Abroad Scheme
Questions (172)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:172. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of a treatment abroad scheme application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25084/17]
View answerWritten answers
The HSE operates a Treatment Abroad Scheme (TAS), for persons entitled to treatment in another EU/EEA Member State or Switzerland under EU Regulation 883/04, as per the procedures set out in EU Regulation 987/09, and in accordance with Department of Health Guidelines. Patients apply to the HSE TAS seeking access to public healthcare outside the State through model form E112. The application requires the patient's Irish-based public referring hospital consultant, following clinical assessment, to certify, among other things, that the treatment is medically necessary and will meet the patient’s needs. The treatment must not be available within the State or not available within a time normally necessary for obtaining it.
The HSE has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Hospital Appointments Status
Questions (173)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:173. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae 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. [25085/17]
View answerWritten answers
Under 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.
Hospital Appointments Status
Questions (174)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:174. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae 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. [25092/17]
View answerWritten answers
Under 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.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
Hospital Appointments Status
Questions (175)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:175. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae 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. [25095/17]
View answerWritten answers
Under 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.
Hospital Consultant Recruitment
Questions (176)
Brendan Smith
Question:176. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the concerns expressed by a group (details supplied) regarding an appointment at consultant level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25101/17]
View answerWritten answers
The Deputy's question relates to service delivery matters and accordingly I have asked the HSE to respond directly to him.
Hospital Appointments Status
Questions (177)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:177. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae 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. [25107/17]
View answerWritten answers
Under 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.
National Lottery Funding Data
Questions (178)
Pat the Cope Gallagher
Question:178. Deputy Pat The Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Health the funding that was provided to community and voluntary groups from his Department's national lottery discretionary fund in each of the years 2008 to 2016 in tabular form; the allocation to be provided in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25117/17]
View answerWritten answers
My Department administered a National Lottery Discretionary Fund during the years 2008 to 2016 from which once-off grants were paid to community and voluntary organisations providing a range of health related services. The funding provided amounted to €3.985m per year in 2008 and 2009, €3.786m in 2010, and €3.286m in each of the years 2011 to 2016. A list, in tabular form, of all the organisations that received lottery funding in each of these years is available on my Department's website at:
http://health.gov.ie/about-us/lottery-funding-2008-2016/.
My Department no longer operates a National Lottery Fund. However, the HSE operates a similar scheme and continues to provide grants to health agencies and other organisations from National Lottery funds.
Hospital Equipment
Questions (179)
Timmy Dooley
Question:179. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Health when the nuclear imaging equipment at University Hospital Limerick will be functioning (details supplied) again in order to save the round trip cost for treatment for those concerned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25118/17]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
Medicinal Products
Questions (180)
James Browne
Question:180. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health if the drug translarna was reviewed at the last drugs committee meeting on 18 May 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25125/17]
View answerWritten answers
The HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicines under the community drug schemes, in accordance with the provisions of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for reply to the Deputy.
Medical Aids and Appliances Applications Data
Questions (181)
Tom Neville
Question:181. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting for aids and appliances in County Limerick; the amount of time they have been waiting; the details of the waiting lists for each of the items that come under aids and appliances such as orthopaedic footwear and referrals for self-propelling wheelchairs with back rest; and the reason for the long delays. [25193/17]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for reply to the Deputy.
Medical Card Applications
Questions (182)
Pearse Doherty
Question:182. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the status of a medical card application by a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25195/17]
View answerWritten answers
Under 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 Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to medical cards and GP visit cards, which the Deputy may wish to use for an earlier response. Contact information was issued to Oireachtas members.
Tobacco Control Measures
Questions (183)
Billy Kelleher
Question:183. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the steps he will take to address the use of disposable tins by tobacco companies to bypass upcoming plain packaging laws; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25202/17]
View answerWritten answers
The Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Act 2015 provides that cigarette packets must be made of carton or soft material. This particular provision is transposed from the EU Tobacco Products Directive (2014/40/EU) and was commenced on 20th May 2016. The legislation permitted non-compliant packages to be sold until 20 May 2017. Therefore, cigarette packs for retail sale since 20 May 2017 must be made from carton or soft material.
The remaining provisions of the Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Act 2015 will commence in September, 2017. From that time all retail packaging for tobacco products manufactured for retail sale must comply with the Act, for example, all packaging will have the same colour and the use of images, logos or text on packs, except health warnings and brand names, will be prohibited.
The Deputy raises the issue of the possible reuse of non-compliant tins by smokers to hide or disguise the standardised packaging and the newly increased sized health warnings. Research has shown that where smokers displayed such behaviours in terms of efforts to hide the warnings using a case, these smokers were just as likely as others to subsequently attempt to quit smoking and report benefits from health warnings. The study goes on the state that " avoidance behaviour might be more reasonably interpreted as a measure of effectiveness: if the warnings were ineffective in communicating the threatening consequences of smoking there would be no reason to avoid them".
Specifically in relation to standardised packaging, a study in Australia found that after the introduction of standardised or plain packaging, there was a slight increase in the use of external cigarette cases for a short period of time before returning to pre-standardised packaging levels.
Tobacco Control Measures
Questions (184)
Billy Kelleher
Question:184. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the steps he will take to address tobacco companies rapidly increasing the production of products affected by plain packaging laws prior to the 30 September 2017 deadline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25203/17]
View answerWritten answers
As the Deputy has stated, all the provisions of the Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Act 2015 and the regulations made under the Act will commence on 30 September 2017. Tobacco products manufactured and placed for sale prior to this date can continue to be sold until 30 September 2018 . Therefore, from the 1 October 2018 all tobacco products on sale in Ireland must be in standardised packaging as set out in the legislation. Tobacco products in older, non-compliant packaging cannot be sold from 1 October 2018 regardless of any increased production of tobacco products which may take place prior to September, 2017.
In relation to tobacco manufacturers stocking up on tobacco products prior to the commencement of the standardised packaging legislation, the Department of Finance via the Revenue Commissioners has an overview of such activities and as such I have brought the Deputy's question to their attention.
Departmental Communications
Questions (185)
Jack Chambers
Question:185. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Health the number of media notifications issued by his Department's press office since 6 May 2016; and the number issued in the year to 5 May 2017. [25215/17]
View answerWritten answers
I am taking the question to refer to the number of press releases issued and published on my Department's website. The number issued since 6 May 2016 to 5 May 2017 is 265 press releases. The number issued this year to 5 May 2017 is 79 press releases.
Obesity Strategy
Questions (186, 187, 188, 189)
Louise O'Reilly
Question:186. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health further to comments made at an event (details supplied) the detail of the commitments made for the reduction of sugar in still and carbonated soft drinks by 10% over the next five years; if data is available for the way in which this will be achieved in terms of the volumes of drink and reformulation targets; if details are available by country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25220/17]
View answerLouise O'Reilly
Question:187. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health further to comments made at an event (details supplied), his views on whether the pace of sugar reduction in soft drinks is sufficient; the actions his Department is advocating to increase and broaden efforts of reformulation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25221/17]
View answerLouise O'Reilly
Question:188. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health further to comments made at an event (details supplied), if his attention has been drawn to data from the Cork children’s lifestyle study presented to the European Congress on Obesity which found that sugar sweetened drinks contributed to an average 6% total calorie intake and almost a quarter of total sugar intake; if he has satisfied himself that sugar reduction and reformation efforts by the soft drinks industry are sufficient to tackle consumption and obesity issues in view of the fact that the study found that sugar sweetened drinks contributed to 5.8% and 7.6% of total daily calories for normal and overweight and obese children respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25222/17]
View answerLouise O'Reilly
Question:189. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health further to comments made at an event (details supplied), the details of the national reformulation technical working group to be set up to agree targets for reducing fat, sugar and salt; the persons or bodies that will sit on this group; if he will invite representatives from health organisations to sit on same in addition to seeking engagement with industry; if there will be a consultation process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25223/17]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 186 to 189, inclusive, together.
The World Health Organisation recommends that the total energy intake from free sugars should be less than 5%. In Ireland sugar-sweetened drinks alone contribute 5% of the total energy intake in the diet of children. In high consumers, this can be as much as 13-14% of the energy intake.
In order to help halt and prevent obesity, last September on behalf of the Government, Minister Harris and I launched The Healthy Weight for Ireland: Obesity Policy and Action Plan 2016-2025. This Policy sets a short-term target for a sustained downward trend in levels of excess weight in children and a reduction in the gap in obesity levels between the highest and lowest socio-economic groups by 10%.
The launch of the Healthy Food For Life programme in December was one of the early actions achieved in the Obesity Action Plan. My Department uses the Food Pyramid as our nutrition education tool and this programme particularly addresses foods and drinks on the Top Shelf of the Food Pyramid. Sugar sweetened drinks are included with other foods high in fat, sugar and salt on the Top Shelf of the Food Pyramid. The key message is that these foods and drinks are not needed for good health and we advise having smaller portion sizes and not having these everyday - only a maximum of once or twice a week. The Healthy Food For Life programme has a suite of 23 resources to facilitate adults and children over 5 years make healthy food choices.
The European soft drinks sector has committed to reduce added sugars by a further 10% thereby tripling the pace of sugar reduction by 2020. The commitment will be rolled out across Europe. This initiative responds to changing consumer preferences regarding sugar and calorie intake and calls from the European Commission for a coordinated approach to reformulation and sugar reduction across the food industry.
The commitment supports the EU Roadmap for Action on Food Product Improvement and the Annex on Voluntary Reduction of Added Sugars with its 10% sugar reduction target agreed between Member States and the European Commission. Ireland is playing a lead role in the EU discussions on the reduction of added sugars in sugar-sweetened drinks.
The industry will achieve its target through increasing its efforts on reformulation and new product innovation - including by using low and no calorie sweeteners - and increasing the availability of smaller pack sizes to allow portion control and moderation. In addition, soft drinks producers will invest in the promotion of beverages with reduced or no sugar to actively encourage consumer choice towards low and no calorie products. Independent third party research will monitor progress, which will be shared with stakeholders.
My Department is requesting that the industry broaden and deepen their efforts on reformulation, now, as time is of the essence in the fight against childhood obesity. A National Reformulation Technical Working Group to agree Irish targets for reducing fat, sugar and salt is being established and will publish a roadmap for action at the end of the year. Once targets are agreed, the industry will be invited to engage fully with the process.