Tuesday, 20 Feb 2018

Home Care Packages Data

Questions (282)

Eugene Murphy

Question:

282. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting for a home care support package, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8083/18]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Medical Aids and Appliances Provision

Questions (283)

Tom Neville

Question:

283. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Health if correspondence from a person (details supplied) regarding a continuous glucose monitoring system will be examined; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8086/18]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

Under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for the administration of the community drug schemes; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.

Health Care Professionals

Questions (284)

Michael McGrath

Question:

284. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health his plans to introduce a regulatory regime for chiropractors (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8089/18]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

There are no plans at present to regulate chiropractors under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005. Section 4 of the Act provides that the Minister for Health may, following a consultation process and with the approval of the Houses of the Oireachtas, make regulations designating a health or social care profession not already designated if the Minister considers it in the public interest to do so.

It is envisaged that the registration boards of all of the existing designated professions will be established by the end of 2018. Following my recent decision to designate the professions of counsellor and psychotherapist, CORU soon will be responsible for the regulation of 16 health and social care professions.

Later this year I intend to ask CORU to undertake a risk assessment, in terms of public protection, of the principal health and social care professions seeking designation under the Act and to make recommendations concerning options for their possible future regulation. The question of designating other professions, including the profession of chiropractor, will be considered as part of that process.

Services for People with Disabilities

Questions (285)

Dara Calleary

Question:

285. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in procuring a new service provider for a person (details supplied); the actions taken after meeting the person's family; if he is satisfied that all safeguarding issues have been managed appropriately; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8091/18]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

The Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose, and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. This commitment is outlined in the Programme for Partnership Government, which is guided by two principles: equality of opportunity and improving the quality of life for people with disabilities.

As the Deputy's question relates to service issues, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy.

Vaccination Programme

Questions (286)

Tom Neville

Question:

286. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8094/18]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

This matter is the subject of litigation in which plaintiffs allege personal injury in which they claim the development of narcolepsy (cataplexy) resulted from the administration of the H1N1 pandemic vaccine. As Deputies would be aware, it would be inappropriate for me to comment on individual cases or matters that are the subject of ongoing litigation. However, I can provide background information on this litigation and clarify matters that are already in the public domain.

In October 2013, the Government approved (S180/46/01/0005B) the delegation to the State Claims Agency (SCA) of the management of claims in relation to individuals alleging the development of narcolepsy resulting from the administration of the pandemic vaccine. The management of the cases transferred to the SCA when the National Treasury Management Agency (Delegation of Claims Management Functions) (Amendment) Order 2013 (S.I. no. 405 of 2013) was signed by the Taoiseach on 15 October 2013. This reflects the greater experience and expertise that the State Claims Agency has in the area of medical litigation.

An Order requiring the defendants to make Discovery was made in the High Court on 28 November 2016 in the most advanced case. Discovery is a legal process which must be carried out in accordance with Orders made by the Courts. There have been a number of High Court Motion hearings concerning this matter since then and the Department of Health and the HSE continue to comply with all Orders made by the Courts.

The Department of Health is working assiduously to complete its Discovery and has kept the Court fully appraised as to its progress in that regard. However, the sheer size and complexity of the Discovery which requires to be made means that this is not a trivial or quick process. The Department undertook a full access review of the entire email, database and shared network drive which serves the whole Department of Health with a dedicated team undertaking the appropriate searches against vast sources of data supported by both internal and external IT experts. The Department has identified over 680,000 records, all which must be examined and scheduled by the State’s legal team. To that end, the Department put in place a dedicated team of 8 discovery personnel to carry out this work with support from solicitors, to ensure that the terms of any Orders are fully complied with.

Hospital Services

Home Help Service Provision

Questions (292)

James Browne

Question:

292. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the status of an application for home help by a person (details supplied) in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8102/18]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Nursing Homes Support Scheme Data

Questions (293)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

293. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of persons supported by the fair deal scheme and residing in a nursing home by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8103/18]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Mental Health Services Data

Questions (294)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

294. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, hours of service available by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8107/18]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Vaccination Programme

Questions (295)

Tony McLoughlin

Question:

295. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Health if the enrolment forms for the childhood immunisation programme in the CHO 1 region will be digitised in order to enable persons to apply online (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8123/18]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.