Written Answers Nos. 414-431
414. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health if an access programme will be established for the drug Spinraza for children with spinal muscular atrophy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46979/18]
View answerAs this is a clinical and operational matter, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this issue.
415. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health the way in which he plans to maintain the commitment to support the continuation of community action on alcohol projects; the funding plans for the continued work of the alcohol development worker in the Tallaght area after January 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46983/18]
View answerThe remit of the Drugs Task Forces was extended to include the problem of alcohol misuse in 2014, in view of the central role they play in coordinating the response to substance misuse at local level. The 2014-2016 Dormant Accounts Action Plan provided a budget of approximately €1m to support the Task Forces in undertaking work at local and regional level to address the alcohol problem.
The Community Action on Alcohol Project (CAAP) was set up in 2014 to assist Task Forces to develop strategies to change behaviour around alcohol and to raise awareness of alcohol related harm. CAAP training for Task Forces is funded by the HSE and is delivered by the Alcohol Forum. A Steering Group chaired by the Drugs Policy Unit in the Department of Health oversees the work of CAAP. By the end of 2017, 16 of the 24 Task Forces had participated on the training programme.
The national drugs strategy, Reducing Harm Supporting Recovery, commits to the establishment of an initiative to deliver an integrated public health approach to drugs and alcohol including the promotion of evidence based approaches to mobilising community action on alcohol.
In June, I announced funding of €1 million to support and enhance services addressing drug and alcohol misuse. This money will be allocated in quarter four of 2018.
Implementing the health-led national drugs strategy continues to be a Government priority. Within the increased envelope of resources available in Budget 2019 for health services, my intention is to prioritise funding for community drug and alcohol projects in task force areas of greatest need, additional drug and alcohol midwives working with vulnerable mothers-to-be and enhanced treatment services to address existing and emerging needs.
The Department of Health is working with the Health Service Executive to finalise the 2019 National Service Plan. Drug and Alcohol Task Forces will be notified of their 2019 funding allocations once the service plan has been approved by the Minister for Health.
416. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health his plans to expedite the availability of new medicines to persons with multiple sclerosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46985/18]
View answerThe HSE has statutory responsibility for medicine pricing and reimbursement decisions, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. The Act specifies the criteria for decisions on the reimbursement of medicines. As Minister for Health, I do not have any statutory power or function in relation to the reimbursement of medicines.
In line with the 2013 Act, if a company would like a medicine to be reimbursed by the HSE through the community drugs schemes, it must first submit an application to the HSE to have the new medicine added to the reimbursement list.
As outlined in the 2016 Framework Agreement with the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA), and in line with the 2013 Act, the HSE will decide, within 180 days of receiving the application (or a longer period if further information is sought from the company), whether to add the medicine to the reimbursement list, agree to reimburse it as a hospital medicine, or refuse to reimburse it.
HSE decisions on which medicines are reimbursed by the taxpayer are made on objective, scientific and economic grounds, on the advice of the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE).
The NCPE conducts health technology assessments (HTAs) for the HSE, and makes recommendations on reimbursement to assist HSE decisions. The NCPE uses a decision framework to systematically assess whether a drug is cost-effective as a health intervention.
The HSE strives to reach a decision in as timely a manner as possible. However, because of the significant monies involved, it must ensure that the best price is achieved, as these commitments are often multi-million euro investments on an on-going basis. This can lead to a protracted deliberation process.
417. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the number of senior positions held by men and women, respectively, in his Department. [47002/18]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the table following.
|
GRADE |
MALE Whole-time equivalents |
FEMALE Whole-time equivalents |
|
Secretary General |
1 |
0 |
|
Deputy Secretary |
3 |
1 |
|
Assistant Secretary |
3 |
3 |
|
Director |
1 |
0 |
|
Adviser |
3 |
3 |
|
Principal Officer |
19 |
29.36 |
|
TOTAL |
30 |
36.36 |
418. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will be admitted to Letterkenny University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47010/18]
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.
419. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Health when the post of consultant in pain management at the South Infirmary Victoria Hospital, Cork, which has been vacant since the end of August 2018, will be filled either on a permanent or temporary basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47012/18]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly as soon as possible.
420. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health his plans to introduce free nicotine patches for persons with nicotine addiction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47018/18]
View answerTobacco consumption is the largest avoidable health threat in Ireland; 1 in 2 smokers will die from a tobacco related disease. The Tobacco Free Ireland (2013) policy document contains a number of recommendations to assist smokers in quitting tobacco use. In relation to Nicotine Replacement Therapy (‘NRT’) the recommendation is that NRT should be more widely available, including in outlets where tobacco products are sold. In 2014 the Health Products Regulatory Authority announced that they have licensed some Nicotine Replacement Therapies to be sold in non-pharmacy outlets.
Nicotine replacement therapies are already available free of charge to medical card holders. This approach has been taken on the basis of evidence showing that those in lower income groups have a higher prevalence of smoking than those in higher income groups. There are no plans at present to make NRT available free of charge to the general population.
421. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Health when a new thrombectomy machine will be in place at Beaumont Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47021/18]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly as soon as possible.
422. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health the numbers on child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, waiting lists by county for specific periods (details supplied), in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47030/18]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
423. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health the number of children in State care on child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, waiting lists by county for specific periods (details supplied), in tabular form; the other mental health supports available to children in the care of the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47031/18]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
424. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the recommended number of healthcare professionals, by category, operating in community-based services, per 1,000 of user based population. [47033/18]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.
425. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of staff working in the health service in each of the years 2008 to 2017 and to date in 2018, by occupation. [47038/18]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.
426. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of assaults that have been recorded against front-line staff, including nurses, doctors, social workers, ambulance staff and other health professionals, in each of the years 2008 to 2017 and to date in 2018, by hospital, geographic location and profession, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47039/18]
View answer427. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of work days that have been lost as a result of assaults on staff in the health service; the cost of such enforced absences; the number of staff that have not returned to duties as a result in each of the years 2008 to 2017 and to date in 2018, by hospital and profession, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47040/18]
View answer429. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of assaults on healthcare staff in hospitals in each of the years 2008 to 2017, by number of assaults and the hospital in which the assault took place, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47042/18]
View answerI propose to answer Questions Nos. 426, 427 and 429 together.
I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.
428. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the spend on agency staff in the health service in each of the years 2010 to 2017 and to date in 2018, by occupation and hospital, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47041/18]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.
430. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of agency locum staff working in the health service or that are employed directly or indirectly by the HSE; the locations in which they are based, that is, hospital, health facility and so on; the profession and speciality of each, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47043/18]
View answer431. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of agency and locum consultants in the health service; the locations in which they are based; the speciality of each, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47044/18]
View answerI propose to answer Questions Nos. 430 and 431 together.
I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.
