Darren O'Rourke
Question:1366. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Meath will receive a surgery appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22422/20]
View answerHospital Appointments Status
Questions (1366)
Written answers
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic the HSE had to take measures to pause most elective scheduled care activity with effect from the end March 2020. This was to ensure patient safety and that all appropriate resources were made available for Covid-19 related activity and time-critical essential work. This decision was in line with the advice issued by National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) and in accordance with World Health Organisation guidelines, and the National Action Plan.
To ensure services are re-introduced in a safe, clinically aligned and prioritised way, the HSE launched its Strategic Framework for ‘Service Continuity in a Covid Environment’ on 24 June. Its implementation will ensure service resumption is done in an integrated way. This will involve a phased approach to ensure community services are strengthened. The Framework will also consolidate new ways of working and build on international knowledge. Further detail regarding the phases of service resumption are contained in the HSE’s ‘A Safe Return to Health Services’ document, published on their website on 22 July.
Under 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 is a standardised approach used by the HSE to manage scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures. It sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists and was developed in 2014 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.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Departmental Correspondence
Questions (1367)
Niall Collins
Question:1367. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Health his views on correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22440/20]
View answerWritten answers
As the issues raised in the correspondence referred to by the Deputy relate to a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Disabilities Assessments
Questions (1368, 1369)
Johnny Mythen
Question:1368. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Health his plans and the timeline for the plans to deal with the delays in assessing children for autism spectrum disorder by the HSE in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22450/20]
View answerJohnny Mythen
Question:1369. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Health the number of children waiting more than 3, 6 and 12 months respectively in tabular form for an assessment for autism spectrum disorder in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22451/20]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1368 and 1369 together.
The Programme for Government, Our Shared Future, recognises the need to improve services for both children and adults with disabilities through better implementation and by working together across Government in a better way.
The Government commits to prioritising early diagnosis and access to services for children and ensuring that the most effective interventions are provided for each child, to guarantee the best outcomes.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Health Services Provision
Questions (1370)
Johnny Mythen
Question:1370. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Health his plans to expand neuropsychology services for the CHO5 area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22452/20]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Charitable and Voluntary Organisations
Questions (1371)
Mairéad Farrell
Question:1371. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health the number of applications for the resilience fund from charities operating within the community and charitable sector; and the number of applications processed by the HSE. [22456/20]
View answerWritten answers
Organisations providing health and social care services are eligible to apply for the Community and Voluntary Sector €35m Stability Fund. This scheme is intended to be a targeted once-off cash injection for organisations and groups delivering front-line services to the most at need in our society and in danger of imminent closure due to lost fundraised or traded income as a direct result of restrictions to counter the spread of COVID-19.
Applications to the fund are managed by Pobal on behalf of Department of Community and Rural Affairs. The HSE does not process applications in relation to this fund. All applications are submitted directly by the charity to Pobal.
179 organisations benefited from funding under Tranche One of the funding. Applications for Tranche Two closed on 17 August.
Covid-19 Pandemic
Questions (1372)
Mairéad Farrell
Question:1372. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health the number of persons that applied for Ireland’s call; and the number that were offered full-time positions versus agency positions in tabular form. [22457/20]
View answerWritten answers
I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly in relation to their Be on Call for Ireland campaign.
Covid-19 Pandemic
Questions (1373)
Mairéad Farrell
Question:1373. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health his plans to build extra capacity for those that applied for Ireland’s call. [22458/20]
View answerWritten answers
I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy in relation to their Be on Call for Ireland campaign.
Covid-19 Pandemic
Questions (1374)
Mairéad Farrell
Question:1374. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health the number of non-Irish full-time staff that have left since the onset of Covid-19; and the number that were replaced with agency staff. [22459/20]
View answerWritten answers
I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this operational matter.
Health Services Provision
Questions (1375)
John McGuinness
Question:1375. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health the supports available for trachi-vented children; if rehabilitation care is available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22464/20]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Question No. 1376 answered with Question No. 976.
Departmental Offices
Questions (1377)
Denis Naughten
Question:1377. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the number of vacant desk spaces available in accommodation allocated to his Department in civil service accommodation outside Dublin city; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22483/20]
View answerWritten answers
My Department has no allocated civil service accommodation outside Dublin city.
Disease Management
Questions (1378)
Neasa Hourigan
Question:1378. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the timeline of the review of the epidemiology of tuberculosis here considering the public health impact of having no BCG vaccination since April 2015; when this review will be complete; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22492/20]
View answerWritten answers
The BCG vaccine is given to protect babies against tuberculosis (TB). It is important to note that the number of cases of TB in Ireland is low. A total of ten cases were reported in the 0-14 age group in 2019.
As of 2015, most European countries did not give the BCG vaccine routinely to all babies (Dierig et al, Vaccine, 2015).
In April 2015, due to a lack of vaccine from the sole EU supplier, the BCG vaccine became unavailable in Ireland. In 2015, the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) recommended that the BCG vaccine does not need to be given to all children in Ireland. The Heath Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) published a Health Technology Assessment of BCG vaccine in Ireland in December 2015. This also concluded that BCG vaccination does not need to be given to all children in Ireland.
The HSE were requested, in 2019, to undertake an updated review of the epidemiology of TB in Ireland, considering the public health impact of having no BCG vaccination since April 2015. The review was completed and the National TB Advisory Committee (NTBAC) met to consider its findings on 16 December 2019.
My Department has been informed that the view of the Committee was that universal BCG vaccination should not be implemented at this time. The Committee agreed that the decision on whether a selective BCG vaccination programme targeting at risk groups or no BCG vaccination programme should be recommended, was outside the scope of the NTBAC and should be considered by the NIAC.
The NIAC has been asked to make recommendations to the HSE about the BCG immunisation programme. This work by the Committee was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They have now recommenced their considerations on this issue and hope to report to the HSE before the end of the year.
The outcome of these processes, once finalised, will guide my Department regarding the future provision of BCG vaccination in Ireland.
Drugs Payment Scheme
Questions (1379)
Fergus O'Dowd
Question:1379. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health the reason for the withdrawal of the widely used ozempic weight control medication from the drugs payment scheme; if the decision can be overturned, and if not, the alternatives for persons that cannot afford the monthly cost and are not applicable for medical cards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22493/20]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible
Covid-19 Pandemic
Questions (1380)
Rose Conway-Walsh
Question:1380. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health if he will provide the report on the management of Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 cases at Mayo University that was produced between June and July, 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22497/20]
View answerWritten answers
A report provided by the HSE on 19 June 2020, on the Covid-19 measures taken at Mayo University Hospital and Mayo District Hospitals is attached in the link below.
Nursing Staff
Questions (1381)
Robert Troy
Question:1381. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health when a diabetic nurse will be appointed to Mullingar General Hospital (details supplied). [22498/20]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Disabilities Assessments
Questions (1382)
Éamon Ó Cuív
Question:1382. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health when an appointment will issue to the parents of a child (details supplied) who is availing of early intervention services in County Galway; the reason for the delay in issuing an appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22499/20]
View answerWritten answers
The Programme for Government, Our Shared Future, recognises the need to improve services for both children and adults with disabilities through better implementation and by working together across Government in a better way.
The Government commits to prioritising early diagnosis and access to services for children and ensuring that the most effective interventions are provided for each child, to guarantee the best outcomes.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Abortion Services Provision
Questions (1383)
Brendan Griffin
Question:1383. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter in relation to abortion (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22504/20]
View answerWritten answers
As part of the Government’s ongoing efforts to protect public health and limit the spread of COVID-19, the Department of Health and the HSE worked together to put new arrangements in place to temporarily allow termination of pregnancy services in early pregnancy to be provided remotely.
For the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency, where the need for social distancing, reducing personal contacts and reducing the burden on medical practitioners are paramount, it will be possible for a woman to access a termination under section 12 of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 (i.e. before 12 weeks) from her medical practitioner by telephone or video conference consultation.
The arrangement enabling remote consultation will be reviewed once the public health emergency is declared over.
Question No. 1384 answered with Question No. 1167.
Covid-19 Pandemic
Questions (1385)
Seán Sherlock
Question:1385. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the regulations that apply in respect of opticians and optometrists in the interpretation of section 31A Temporary Restrictions (COVID-19) (Face Coverings in Certain Premises and Business) Regulations 2020. [22511/20]
View answerWritten answers
S.I. No. 296 of 2020 (Health Act 1947 (Section 31A – Temporary Restrictions) (Covid-19) (Face Coverings in Certain Premises and Businesses) Regulations 2020) sets out requirements for the wearing of face coverings in relevant premises. Under Regulation 3, “relevant premises” includes optician and optometrist outlets. Regulation 4(1) provides that a person shall not, without reasonable excuse, enter or remain in a relevant premises without wearing a face covering. Under Regulation 5(g), reasonable excuse includes where a person removes the face covering at the request of a responsible person, or of a worker, (both defined in the Regulations) in order to assist the responsible person or worker to provide him or her with healthcare or healthcare advice.