Written Answers Nos. 1226-1241
1226. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Health if access to paediatric audiology services will be maintained during the level 5 restrictions and beyond; if audiologists may be redeployed for contact tracing purposes, which would take them out of the audiology system and reduce capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32717/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1227. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Health if staff of the national self harm registry will be classified as essential workers in this lockdown, which they were not during the last lockdown resulting in the inability to collect and collate data to date pertaining to the last lockdown; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32721/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1228. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Health if the period during the last lockdown and the period of the current lockdown will be prioritised in the way in which data pertaining to suicide is collected, collated and disseminated by the CSO or other State agency; if his Department has data on suicides pertaining to the last lockdown at its disposal; if so, if he will share any such data; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32722/20]
View answerAs this is a service, matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1229. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the way in which the R number is calculated; and if this is in line with international best practice for the validation of computer systems [32723/20]
View answerTechnical notes on the approaches used to estimate effective reproduction number (Re) or time-dependent reproduction number (Rt) are published on the Department of Health website (https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/dc5711-irish-epidemiology-modelling-advisory-group-to-nphet-technical-notes/ ).
The Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group use several different techniques to calculate the effective reproduction number for the COVID-19 epidemic. The techniques are based on mathematical and statistical models of COVID-19;
a. Inferred from SEIR model
b. Fitting Bayesian epidemiological models similar to that introduced by Flaxman, S., Mishra, S., Gandy, A. et al. Nature 2020, using R package Epidemia.
c. Time-dependent R (method of Wallinga and Teunis (https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwh255)
d. GAM-Generalised Additive Models, which infers R from multiple data sources and is our most reliable estimate at present.
These are in line with best practice and associated references are available in the above mentioned published technical notes.
1230. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Health the long-term Covid-19 plan for persons with disabilities in residential care facilities. [32724/20]
View answerIn the context of the Governments Resilience & Recovery Framework (2020 – 2021), the HSE regards the provision of disability services, including residential care and support, as essential to maintaining a response to the needs of people with a disability.
Throughout the pandemic, the HSE has worked closely with service providers to ensure that residential care is provided in accordance with public health guidance. The HSE has also worked with service providers to facilitate emergency residential placements during the public health emergency in response to the needs of service users and their families.
Approximately 8,400 people with disabilities live in Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) registered disability centres ranging from single apartments to group homes in the community to campus-based facilities. Long term residential care settings for people with a disability are the home environment of the residents. HIQA has played an important role in providing advice and support to residential centres as they tackle COVID-19 and ensuring they are maintaining compliance with HIQA standards and engaging in appropriate contingency planning with a view to winter preparedness.
As of midnight October 31st 2020, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) has confirmed:
- There has been no outbreak of COVID 19 (two or more cases) in over 80% of centres. Outbreaks have, however, been recorded to date in 143 residential disability centres.
- 73% (or 104) of these have now been declared closed after 28 days with no new cases while 39 remain open.
- 709 people are laboratory confirmed being Covid-19 positive.
- It is estimated that around 54% of those affected were staff, and 46% were residents.
- Unfortunately, 13 people have died, all of them residents
My Department secured €100m in additional funding in Budget 2021, which will significantly increase the disability services budget to around €2.2 billion next year and build the capacity of these services in the context of ongoing challenges presented by COVID-19. This additional investment includes provision for increasing capacity within our residential services and supporting people with a disability to move out of congregated settings into residential settings in the community in line with key Programme for Government commitments.
1231. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the number of palliative care patients who required access to a palliative care bed in south County Tipperary since March 2020; the number of palliative care patients who were refused a bed in a palliative care facility in County Tipperary since March 2020 due to the of lack of beds; the number of patients who required convalescent care in south County Tipperary since March 2020; the number of patients who have been refused convalescent care due to the closure of St. Brigid's Hospital; the number of patients who have been refused respite due to the closure of St. Brigid’s Hospital since March 2020; the breakdown of the number of all patients who would normally use the St. Brigid’s Hospital facility for respite care who have been accommodated since March 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32725/20]
View answerAs these are operational matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1233. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if, under current restrictions, outdoor swimming is allowed as a fitness activity for a person who lives more than 5 km from the coast; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32730/20]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, ‘Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19’ outlines Ireland's strategy for dealing with COVID-19 over the next 6-9 months. It sets out a Framework of 5 Levels which outlines the broad measures which will apply depending on the level of the virus at any given time. The Plan is designed to help everyone – individuals, organisations and sectors – to better understand, anticipate and prepare for the measures that might be introduced to contain transmission of the virus.
Restrictions on domestic travel apply at Levels 3, 4 and 5 of the Plan.
As the Deputy will recall, Ireland is now at Level 5 of the Plan. Under Level 5, people are asked to stay at home and to exercise within 5 km of home. A number of exemptions are provided, including travel to and from work, where work involves providing an essential service; to attend education; to attend medical appointments and collect medicines and other health products; to travel to attend disability day services; to travel to attend a court; for food shopping; to take school aged children to permitted training; for vital family reasons, such as providing care to children, elderly or vulnerable people; for farming purposes; to attend a wedding or funeral and to visit a grave. Accordingly, the particular activity referenced by the Deputy would not appear to be encompassed within the exemptions provided for under the regulations.
Details of public health measures in place at Level 5, including domestic travel are available at https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/2dc71-level-5/
SI 448 of 2020 the Health Act 1947 (Section31A(6A)) (Covid-19) (No. 4) Regulations 2020 gives further clarification on the restrictions of movement under Level 5. The Regulation can be viewed at https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/1f150-view-statutory-instruments-related-to-the-covid-19-pandemic/
The public health advice relating to Covid-19 is kept under continuing review by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), and it provides advice to Government in line with the current epidemiological position.
1234. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of staff available on the first day of each month for the months of May to October 2020, by testers, tracers and other categories; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32738/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1235. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if the Covid-19 test centre can be reopened in Athlone in view of the rise in cases and the increase in testing persons that cannot drive and will have to resort to travel on public transport to their nearest test centre. [32745/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1236. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Health if additional investment has been made in the past six months on testing and tracing and on acute hospitals; and his plans for investment going forward. [32746/20]
View answerBudget 2021 saw an extra €4 billion added to the health budget. This unprecedented additional amount of money signals our determination in government to fund an expansion of, and improvements in, our health and social care services. Included in the extra money is €650m for testing and tracing and €650m for provision of PPE. And in the coming year, a robust and comprehensive testing and tracing system will be critical to the effective functioning of our health services and the broader economy.
These additional resources will provide capacity for over 100,000 tests per week, supply PPE where needed and continue into 2021 all of the necessary Covid-19 action plan measures that have been put in place since March.
Testing and contact tracing continues to be a key component of the Government’s response to the pandemic, and to ensure we have a comprehensive, reliable and responsive testing and tracing operation, central to our public health strategy for containing and slowing the spread of COVID-19, a provision of €650m has been made in Budget 2021. This relates to all associated costs – swabbing, laboratory tests, contact tracing and relevant logistics. Some of this funding is held centrally by Government in the contingency fund.
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a worldwide shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and the health service responded quickly and developed guaranteed supply lines to ensure adequate PPE was available in 2020, along with ensuring the stock levels were increased.
Recognising the unprecedented uncertainty faced by policy-makers in planning for the progression of COVID-19, a PPE Estimation Model was developed to provide for a transparent, dynamic, evidence-based estimate of required PPE for the Irish healthcare system. €650m has been provided in 2021 to meet the costs associated with maintaining appropriate levels of PPE stock to ensure all healthcare professionals have the protection they need. In addition, investment in indigenous manufacturing and supply will have wider economic benefits for the country.
1238. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the status of the roll-out of the FreeStyle Libre device for adults (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32750/20]
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.
1239. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Health his plans to increase contact tracing for Covid-19; and if he has considered asking volunteers to carry out the process. [32751/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1240. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Health if he will categorise teachers as front-line workers for the purpose of Covid-19 testing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32752/20]
View answerHSE Public Health Doctors recently met with education stakeholders including the teacher unions. The HSE acknowledged the incredible effort made in all school communities throughout the country to operate in a Covid-19 safe manner. The measures that are in place are robust, and the safety of staff and children is of paramount concern.
Evidence shows that those efforts have proven very successful. Clearly the increase of Covid-19 cases in the community does pose a challenge as there will be more cases in schools as a result, but it is important to note that schools are not amplification settings for cases of Covid-19. Testing data from schools is reassuring, with a positivity rate of 2.3% of close contacts across all school sectors.
The HSE is aiming to have processes strengthened by the time schools return after the midterm break. Support teams are being put in place across the HSE's Departments of Public Health with this in mind.
Although the transmission of COVID-19 in the school setting is widely discussed, the data has shown that there where an index case has been identified as associated with a school setting and public health testing is carried out thereafter, to date, there has been a low detected rate of this type of testing. At present the detected rate is at 2.9%. Post Primary is lower at 2%.
The HSE has worked intensively over the last number of months to put in place a comprehensive testing and tracing operation. Enhancements made to the test and trace system has resulted in improved turnaround times. Sufficient capacity now exists to ensure that testing of teachers is conducted in a timely fashion. The HSE's Departments of Public Health continue to conduct risk assessments in response to detected cases linked to schools. We will continue to monitor and evaluate the measures that are in place to ensure the safety of children and students and the evolving requirements around testing and tracing and the prioritisation criteria.
1241. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Health if he will carry out a review of contact tracing in schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32753/20]
View answer1247. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Health his plans for expert school public health teams to deal with outbreaks in a school setting. [32769/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1241 and 1247 together.
Following the return of students to primary schools, secondary schools and various after school services at the end of August there is now a demand for testing of groups of students where a detected case has been linked to a school setting. To cater for this new testing pathway both a working and steering group were set up to define a clear and concise process for schools testing. This group has developed a testing pathway, templates for data collection and communication materials with the Department of Education and Skills.
As of October 27th, 731 schools have had/are having some testing completed based on a Public Health Risk Assessment. From the 731 schools that had mass tests, an additional 531 detected cases have been identified over and above original cases. 17,603 students and teachers have been involved in mass testing.
HSE Public Health Doctors recently met with education stakeholders including the teacher unions. The HSE acknowledged the incredible effort made in all school communities throughout the country to operate in a Covid-19 safe manner. The measures that are in place are robust, and the safety of staff and children is of paramount concern.
Evidence shows that those efforts have proven very successful. Clearly the increase of Covid-19 cases in the community does pose a challenge as there will be more cases in schools as a result, but it is important to note that schools are not amplification settings for cases of Covid-19. Testing data from schools is reassuring, with a positivity rate of 2.3% of close contacts across all school sectors.
The rise in cases overall in the community and in the positivity rate has challenged the HSE and Public Health Departments considerably over the last weeks, and this has had an impact on response times in schools. The HSE is aiming to have processes strengthened by the time schools return after the midterm break. Support teams are being put in place across the HSE's Departments of Public Health with this in mind.
