Written Answers Nos. 845-864
845. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the status of the extension and refurbishment works at Kanturk and Millstreet community hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36338/18]
View answerAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond directly you in relation to this matter.
846. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health if the position of HSE home help has been changed to community home care assistants; when this commenced; the payments that should be paid to persons in a region (details supplied); the retrospective payments that were due; if all such retrospective payments have been made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36347/18]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond to you directly on this matter.
847. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health when Parts 2 and 3, sections 20 to 23, inclusive, of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015, will be commenced and resources provided to ensure these sections are fully operational on the ground; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36348/18]
View answerThe Children and Family Relationships (Amendment) Bill 2018 was enacted on 24 July 2018. This Act was introduced to correct typographical and technical errors in the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015, which will facilitate the subsequent commencement of Parts 2 & 3 of the Act. It is intended that Parts 2 & 3 of the Act will be commenced in the autumn of 2018.
Sections 20-23 of the Act of 2015 make provisions for retrospective declarations of parentage provided specific conditions are met. Once these conditions are satisfied the mother of the child and the intending parent may, jointly (in the District Court) or separately (in the Circuit Court), apply to the relevant Court to make a declaration under section 21 (District Court) or section 22 (Circuit Court) that the intending parent is a parent of the relevant child. Rules of Court to facilitate the operation of Part 2 of the Act have been approved by the Circuit Court Rules Committee and the District Court Rules Committee, respectively, for concurrence by the Minister for Justice and Equality on the commencement of that Part.
848. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive an appointment for a psychology assessment in Nenagh, County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36356/18]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
849. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will be called for an appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36357/18]
View answerUnder 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, since 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 the Deputy directly.
850. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding a tender; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36365/18]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
851. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health when respite care will be provided to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36371/18]
View answerThe 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.
The Programme for Partnership Government states that the Government wishes to provide more accessible respite care to facilitate full support for people with a disability.
As the Deputy's question relates to an individual case, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy.
852. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health when approval will be given to a person (details supplied) to attend a specialist; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36375/18]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
853. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Health when funds will be available for a person (details supplied) to receive a mobility scooter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36376/18]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
854. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the number of hours of respite care provided at a facility (details supplied) in County Donegal each week to date in 2018; the number of service users these hours were delivered to for each of these weeks in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36380/18]
View answerThe 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.
The Programme for Partnership Government states that the Government wishes to provide more accessible respite care to facilitate full support for people with a disability.
As the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy.
855. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health the position in his Department and the organisations under its aegis that have arrangements in place for lo-call numbers or 1800, 1850 and 1890 phone numbers for members of the public to contact them; the number of these numbers that are completely free to call to persons who use mobile phones and may incur major bills phoning such organisations; if the situation will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36401/18]
View answerIn response to the Deputy's question, my Department has one 1890 number which is available to any member of the public who needs or wishes to contact the Department. We also offer our landline and email address for the public as an alternative to Lo-Call numbers. Lo-Call numbers were introduced before there was major competition in the telephone market in Ireland. Initially a call to a 1890 number would have cost the same as calling a local number. Now calls to 1890 numbers can vary widely – from 5c per minute to 45c per minute on some mobiles.
I have also forwarded your question to the HSE for direct reply. Details for other bodies under the aegis of the Department are operational matters for the bodies concerned.
856. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Health the budget per CHO area for emergency respite bed applications for 2017 and 2018; the allocations by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36414/18]
View answerThe 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.
The Programme for Partnership Government states that the Government wishes to provide more accessible respite care to facilitate full support for people with a disability.
As the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy.
857. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health if the decision to disband a service (details supplied) in County Cork will be reviewed. [36415/18]
View answerAs this is a service issue, I have asked the HSE to reply to you directly.
858. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health the number of HSE staff employed in each laboratory for the analysis of biochemistry and haematology blood tests in each of the years 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36422/18]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this question.
860. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health if an investment of €12 million will be included in budget 2019 towards community supports for persons with dementia (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36429/18]
View answerThe National Dementia Strategy was launched in December 2014 to meet the challenges faced by the 55,000 people living with dementia in Ireland and to provide services to meet growing demand in future years. The Strategy contains 35 priority and additional actions and its implementation is being led by the National Dementia Office in the HSE. The office has made substantial progress towards developing evidence-based care pathways for people with dementia and progress to date, as well as future plans, are recorded in the mid-term review of the Strategy's implementation, which was published in May this year.
In 2016 and 2017, the National Dementia Office partnered with the Alzheimer Society of Ireland on a project to map dementia-specific community-based services and supports. It provides a useful snapshot and baseline study into what, where and when dementia services are being offered. The study has also been used to inform a service finder hosted on the National Dementia Office’s website. This allows people to search for dementia-specific community services in their area. There are gaps in access to services and a large variance in what services are provided across the country. The National Dementia Office has met with senior HSE officials in each Community Healthcare Organisation region to highlight gaps in each area and to develop local action plans to improve service provision.
The National Dementia Strategy calls for the HSE to consider the provision of dementia advisers, based on the experience of demonstrator sites. In order to fully capture the experience of demonstrator sites and inform the future development of this service, the National Dementia Office commissioned an external evaluation of the service. The evaluation, by University College Cork, began in November 2017 and is expected to be finalised by September 2018. Initial results indicate that a majority of people with dementia are satisfied with the information, advice, support and signposting provided by dementia advisers. The service has brought normality to their lives, provided understanding about dementia and given people with dementia the confidence to ask questions. The appointment of additional dementia advisers will be considered when the results of this evaluation are available.
A priority action in the National Dementia Strategy is the appointment of key workers to coordinate each patient's care and promote continuity, and ensure that the patient knows who to access for information and advice. It is proposed that the key worker will be responsible for the coordinated planning and delivery of individually tailored care plans, developed in consultation with the person, their family carers and a range of health and social care practitioners. The key worker will also provide expert knowledge and leadership in dementia.
The Department of Health has secured funding through the 2018 Dormant Accounts Action Plan to continue funding in 2019 for the Dementia Community Activation Coordinator post which has been co-funded through a partnership between the Alzheimer Society of Ireland and the HSE during 2018. The Community Activation Coordinator is working with national organisations and key community stakeholders to support community dementia champions across Ireland. The Coordinator will seek to grow the number of champions and people within communities to take action to create sustainable dementia inclusive communities.
In terms of the specific requests for funding set out in the ASI pre-budget submission, the level of funding available for the Department of Health in 2019 and the quantum of services to be provided by the HSE will be considered as part of the national Estimates and budgetary process and National Service Planning.
862. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health the annual rental cost of buildings rented by his Department or organisations under its aegis at a location (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36434/18]
View answerAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the management of the healthcare property estate, I have asked the HSE to respond directly you in relation to this matter.
863. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health the waiting period for persons to be given a replacement guide dog in circumstances in which their guide dogs are retired; and the procedure in such cases. [36437/18]
View answerThis matter does not fall within my remit as Minister. I would suggest to the Deputy that he contact The Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind regarding his request.
864. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the community supports for persons with dementia here; his plans to expand the support levels for persons with dementia; his further plans to meet dementia advocacy groups to discuss increases in funding in the context of budget 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36449/18]
View answerThe National Dementia Strategy was launched in December 2014 to meet the challenges faced by the 55,000 people living with dementia in Ireland and to provide services to meet growing demand in future years. The Strategy contains 35 priority and additional actions and its implementation is being led by the National Dementia Office in the HSE. The office has made substantial progress towards developing evidence-based care pathways for people with dementia and progress to date, as well as future plans, is recorded in the mid-term review of the Strategy's implementation, which was published in May this year. The Strategy emphasises the need for a "whole community response" to dementia, as the majority of people with dementia live in their own communities and wish to avail of services in their local area.
In 2016 and 2017, the National Dementia Office partnered with the Alzheimer Society of Ireland on a project to map dementia-specific community-based services and supports. The project showed that the average number of community-based services in each Community Health Organisation was 35. Services provided in the community include dementia day care centres, a large proportion of which operate five days a week; dementia-specific homecare delivered by fully trained staff who are familiar with and understand the different symptoms and stages of dementia; dementia-friendly activities such as choirs and art gallery visits; dementia social clubs and Alzheimer Cafés; carer support groups; and dementia advisers. These services are provided by voluntary organisations and the HSE and partner organisations.
It is acknowledged that there are gaps in access to services and a large variance in what services are provided across the country. The National Dementia Office has met with senior HSE officials in each Community Healthcare Organisation region to highlight gaps in each area and to develop local action plans to improve service provision.
In addition to these community supports, in 2014 the HSE introduced Dementia-Specific Intensive Homecare Packages (Dementia-IHCPs) to test the feasibility of providing a high level of support to people with dementia with complex needs to facilitate them to remain living at home. These were initially co-funded by the HSE and the Atlantic Philanthropies and now fully funded by the HSE, which has committed to continue to provide approximately 120 packages at any one time. In addition to the IHCPs, people with dementia are also able to avail of standard home care services on the basis of need and within the resources available
The Department of Health secured €6.26 million through the 2016, 2017 and 2018 Dormant Accounts Fund Action Plans to develop a number of projects which are designed to expand public awareness of dementia and to improve care for people with dementia. Projects receiving funding include the delivery of post-diagnostic supports; a dementia diagnostic service for people with intellectual disability; a national network of memory technology resource rooms; the development of a national dementia registry; the national rollout of a Dementia Training Programme for HSE homecare staff; the development of Dementia Resource Centres; funding for a dementia community activation coordinator; and community support projects for people with dementia.
In terms of plans to expand support levels for people with dementia, the level of funding available for the Department of Health in 2019 and the quantum of services to be provided by the HSE will be considered as part of the national Estimates and budgetary process and National Service Planning.
In July, I met with the Alzheimer Society of Ireland and discussed dementia issues, and have offered to meet with them again soon. I have also met Senator Colette Kelleher, a former CEO and advocate of the ASI, to specifically discuss the needs of people with dementia. I remain willing to engage with advocacy groups on dementia issues, and am committed to maintaining the warm relationships the Department has with them as we continue to work towards the greater provision of services and care to people with dementia, their carers and families.
