Written Answers Nos. 382-397
382. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will be transferred to the National Rehabilitation Hospital, Dún Laoghaire, in view of the fact that the planned transfer has been delayed on numerous occasions. [43286/18]
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.
As the Deputy's question relates to a service issue, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy.
383. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Health the status of an application by a person (details supplied) for a rural practice allowance; if consideration is being given to grant half the allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43291/18]
View answerAs this question relates to a service matter, I have arranged for it to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
384. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Health his plans to create a centre of excellence in diabetes care in the north west in view of the fact that there is no centre of excellence in diabetes care above the Dublin and Limerick line; his further plans to increase the level of staffing in the diabetes team in Letterkenny University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43303/18]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
385. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he has considered allocating additional resources in order to provide residential respite care spaces in the community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43328/18]
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.
386. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Health his plans for maintenance works in a hospital (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43336/18]
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.
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.
387. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Health the outlay of funding dedicated specifically for the upgrading of Beaumont Hospital emergency department with regard to the budgetary provision; when the upgrade of Beaumont Hospital will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43338/18]
View answerAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
388. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if a matter raised in correspondence by a person (details supplied) will be clarified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43346/18]
View answerIn support of Government policy in promoting employment/training, applicants for a medical card who are in receipt of certain allowances/benefits, including Job Seekers Allowance, for a period of 12 months or more, can retain their medical card for 3 years on taking up employment. Furthermore, applicants who participate in certain Government schemes, including those in receipt of the 'Back to Education Allowance', retain their eligibility for a medical card for the duration of the scheme.
Based on the limited details provided the Deputy's constituent should be advised to contact the HSE's Primary Care Reimbursement Service (PCRS) regarding their eligibility for a medical card under the 3 year retention of a medical card on return to work provision in the HSE's Medical Card Guidelines.
If you are returning to work, you may be able to keep your card for 3 years. This can be from when you start employment to when your benefits end.
You must have been receiving a full social protection payment or government employment scheme payment for 12 consecutive months.
You will need to submit a new medical card application stating you are applying on this basis.
389. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Health the status of the implementation of Sláintecare. [43347/18]
View answerThis Government is fully committed to improving and transforming our health services to provide high quality, fair and accessible care to the population. It has approved the Sláintecare Implementation Strategy as Government policy and the vehicle to achieve this transformational reform. I am conscious of the cross party support for Sláintecare and will work to maintain this throughout implementation. I would like to assure the Deputy that Sláintecare implementation is a key priority for me and the Government.
The Sláintecare Implementation Strategy was published in August. The Strategy provides the framework within which a system-wide reform programme will be advanced to deliver the Committee's vision of a health system in which care is provided in the right place, at the right time, by the right person and is always provided on the basis of need and not ability to pay. The Implementation Strategy contains 106 linked actions to be delivered over the first 3 years of implementation.
In tandem, a dedicated Sláintecare Programme Office has been established in the Department of Health. This office is tasked with leading the implementation of the Strategy. An experienced Executive Director has been appointed to lead the Sláintecare Programme Office and recruitment of staff is currently under way.
Other Sláintecare implementation structures are also being established. The Sláintecare Implementation Advisory Council will hold its inaugural meeting on 24th October. Dr. Tom Keane has been appointed as Chair of the Council.
The Programme Office has commenced the preparation of a detailed action plan for 2019 which will be published before the end of this year. This will include detailed milestones and timelines for year one and the assignment of responsibility for each action.
The Programme Office is also designing an inclusive consultation and communication process for the public and staff in the health sector. Communication and consultation was identified as a critical requirement in implementation by the Committee on the Future of Healthcare.
A number of specific actions in the Implementation Strategy are already under way. The independent review of the impacts of the removal of private practice from public hospitals is ongoing and expected to report before the end of 2018.
Renegotiation of the GP contract has commenced with GP representatives on a package of measures including service improvements and reforms to the GMS contract.
Government approval has been secured for the establishment of an independent board for the HSE. The Bill has passed committee stage in the Seanad and it is hoped that it will be enacted this year.
A public consultation on the geo-alignment of Hospital Groups and Community Healthcare Organisations has been completed. This is the first step in a process of broader health service structural reform.
Finally, budget 2019 features over €200m additional funding which will directly support a range of additional services including initiatives proposed in the Sláintecare Report and committed to in the Sláintecare Implementation Strategy including:
- Ringfenced funding for the Sláintecare Programme Office;
- €20m for the establishment of a new ringfenced Sláintecare Integration Fund to drive improvements in the way we deliver care across the system;
- Funding for a new GP contract;
- Expansion of free GP care, by an increase in the weekly income threshold for GP Visit card by €25 which could benefit up to 100,000 people;
- Additional funding for 100 new therapy posts to address assessment of need waiting lists for children with disabilities and funding to ensure that the needs of all those leaving school in 2019 will be addressed;
- €55m in new development funding aimed at further enhancing community mental health teams for adults and children;
- Reducing user charges and out of pocket payments by further reductions in prescription charges - 50 cent reduction in prescription charges from €2.00 to €1.50 for all medical card holders over the age of 70 and by a €10 reduction in the monthly Drugs Payment Scheme threshold from €134 to €124;
- Increased investment of €20m in the National Treatment Purchase Fund. This funding will be used to treat 70,000 patients on waiting lists in 2019; and
- Additional funding for care redesign and the National Children's Hospital.
390. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Health if access under the long term illness scheme will be expanded to include all persons with type 1 diabetes on that scheme for a monitoring system and associated devices (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43348/18]
View answerUnder 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.
391. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Health if the case of a child (details supplied) that has received no supports to date will be examined. [43366/18]
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.
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.
392. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Health if a person over 70 years of age is entitled to a medical card once they reach the age of 70 regardless of income; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43367/18]
View answerPersons over 70 years of age do not have automatic eligibility for a medical card but they do have automatic eligibility for a GP visit card regardless of income. However, under the Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Act 2013, when a person attains the age of 70, the medical card income limits are €500 gross income per week for a single person and €900 gross income per week for a couple.
Also, persons aged 70 or older, who are assessed as ineligible under the gross income thresholds, may also have their eligibility assessed under the means-tested medical card scheme if they so wish, for example in the event that they face particularly high expenses, e.g. nursing home or medication costs. This scheme is open to all persons, irrespective of their age and assessment is based on net income and assessable outgoing expenses. The general scheme, although having lower income thresholds, provides for income disregards and relevant outgoings to be taken into account in the assessment process. Furthermore, persons, including those aged over 70 years, may be deemed eligible for a medical card on a discretionary basis, if they are judged to face undue hardship in arranging General Practitioner medical and surgical services as a result of medical or social circumstances.
There are no proposals at present to amend the current income limits for the granting of eligibility for medical cards for persons aged 70 and over. However, it should be noted that the gross income limits are reviewed annually.
393. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 675 of 7 September 2018, when the new mental health unit will commence in Naas Hospital; the expected completion date of the unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43372/18]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
394. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Health his plans to reduce the long waiting times experienced by children in counties Laois and Offaly that are in need of an assessment for occupational therapy. [43373/18]
View answer395. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Health his plans to reduce the long waiting times being experienced by children in County Kildare that are in need of an assessment for occupational therapy. [43374/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 394 and 395 together.
As these questions relate to service matters, I have arranged for them to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply.
396. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Health the amount of spending on mental health initiatives or services for each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43381/18]
View answerThe amount of funding allocated to mental health services for the last five years was:
2018 €910.6m,
2017 €852.1m,
2016 €826.6m,
2015 €791.8m,
2014 €766m.
HSE Mental Health Division spent the following amounts over this period:
2018 €910.6m (projected),
2017 €860.2m,
2016 €825m,
2015 €785.4m,
2014 €735.8m.
These figures do not include funding for mental health services provided by other Departments such as the Department of Justice, Equality & Law Reform. This funding has enabled improvements and enhancements of mental health services, which continue to be a priority for the Government. Examples include:
- Improvements to mental health service infrastructure.
- The enhancement of Community Teams for CAMHS, General Adult and Psychiatry of Later Life.
- The new Children’s Hospital and the National Forensic Hospital will see an additional 30 beds bringing the total number of inpatient beds for CAMHS to 106 in 2021.
- The addition of 20 psychologists, 114 assistant psychologists, 10 ANPs and 130 psychiatric undergraduate nurse places. These will help to alleviate waiting lists and improve the delivery of children’s mental health services nationally.
- Development of clinical programmes on self-harm, eating disorders, and perinatal with a further three models of care being designed on dual diagnosis, ADHD in adults and early intervention in psychosis.
- The continued development of counselling services across both primary and secondary care, including the provision of Jigsaw youth mental health services in 13 locations nationwide.
- Continued roll out of a seven-day-a-week service for all CHOs, The further development of 24-hour Mental Health Service is being considered in light of the evidence coming from the implementation of the seven-day-a-week service in relation to demand for out-of-hours services and staffing needs for this. It is envisaged that all CHOs will have some level of seven-day-a-week cover by Quarter 1, 2019.
397. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the details of engagements, meetings or correspondence that he has had with a person (details supplied) in the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43395/18]
View answerThere has been no correspondence, engagements or meetings with me or my office with the individual concerned in the past three years.
