Written Answers Nos. 216-226
219. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of theatres operational at Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan in each of the years 2011 to 2017 and to date in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47328/18]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly, as soon as possible.
220. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the capital projects agreed and funded at Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan in each of the years 2011 to 2017 and to date in 2018; the details and overview of each project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47329/18]
View answer221. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the cost of each capital project funded by the HSE, his Department or both at Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan in each of the years 2009 to 2017 and to date in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47330/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 220 and 221 together.
As the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of capital projects in the health services, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to you.
222. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of times the full capacity protocol was initiated at Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan in each of the years 2011 to 2017 and to date in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47331/18]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly, as soon as possible.
223. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of times the full capacity protocol was initiated at Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan in each of the years 2011 to 2017 and to date in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47332/18]
View answerThe HSE National Escalation Framework, issued to the system in late 2015, consists of a tiered and incremental suite of actions to be adapted and implemented in hospitals with an ED during times when such hospitals are challenged in matching capacity and demand for acute inpatient care.
The full capacity protocol is the last escalation step in the HSE National Escalation Framework.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
224. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of hospitals that do not collect inpatient and outpatient cancellation data; the reason these data are not being collected; if there are plans to commence the collection of these data; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47333/18]
View answerAs the issue raised by the Deputy is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
225. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Health when he plans to commence the Children and Families Relationships (Amendment) Act 2018 (details supplied). [47343/18]
View answerCommencement of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 requires the completion of a number of interrelated tasks in order to ensure the new legislative framework is coherent at all stages for individuals.
The 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. Parts 2 & 3 of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 contain provisions relating to the regulation of donor-assisted human reproduction (DAHR) procedures carried out in the State, including dealing with the rights of children born as a result of those procedures. There are important administrative and operational arrangements to be put in place to facilitate the implementation of Parts 2 & 3, including the establishment of the National Donor-Conceived Person Register and the appointment of authorised persons under the Act. It is my intention that Parts 2 & 3 of the Act will be commenced as soon as possible.
A number of sections of Part 9 of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 provide for the registration and re-registration of the birth of a donor-conceived child. Commencement of Part 9 of the Act is the responsibility of the Minister for Justice and Equality in consultation with the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection. However, a number of these sections have to be amended and have yet to be commenced. Commencement of these provisions is also dependent on commencement of Parts 2 & 3 of the Act.
Officials from the General Register Office, the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, the Department of Justice and Equality, and the Department of Health are working together to ensure that the appropriate regulatory and operational mechanisms are in place to allow for the earliest possible commencement of all of the relevant legislation that will allow for birth registration of donor-conceived children.
226. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the provisions being put in place for hospitals (details supplied) as part of the winter 2018 acute hospital plans; if extra beds are being provided; if so, the locations in which they are being provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47349/18]
View answerMy Department is working closely with the HSE to ensure the most effective response to this winter within current capacity and resources. As part of this process, the HSE requested singular integrated winter plans from Hospital Groups and Community Health Organisations in June 2018.
€10 million in additional funding has been allocated in 2018 primarily for provision of supports to get patients home from hospital, where appropriate, before the end of the year. My Department sanctioned the release of €5 million of this additional funding to support the deployment of social and primary care measures to support this transition in October.
Increasing capacity is a priority for this Government. My Department is currently in discussion with the HSE, in the context of the National Service Plan 2019, to identify the sites for investment and the associated number of beds, as part of an agreed capacity programme for 2019.
The selection and opening of beds on specific sites in 2019 and future years will be considered as part of the annual estimates and service planning process, and subject to financial, operation, human resource and policy considerations and priorities.
