Written Answers Nos. 170-189
170. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the steps taken by his Department to ensure the necessary logistical supports are being put in place to ensure a potential Covid-19 vaccine will be distributed appropriately; the steps taken to further ensure the necessary supply of C02 and dry ice that may be required to both store and transport a potential Covid-19 vaccine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37217/20]
View answerIreland is currently involved in an EU Procurement Exercise being operated by the European Commission on behalf of member states to procure a portfolio of suitable, safe and effective vaccines, in sufficient quantities, to combat COVID-19.
I can assure the Deputy of the Government's commitment to the timely implementation of a COVID-19 immunisation programme, as soon as one or more vaccines in the portfolio are approved for use.
In this regard, a cross-Government High-Level Taskforce has been established to support and oversee the development and implementation of the programme. Logistics arrangements are amongst the range of matters which will be addressed in the context of the work of the Task Force and the State agencies and other stakeholders with which it will work.
171. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the number of orthopaedic surgeons practising throughout the hospital and private healthcare system here. [37219/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
172. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if and when provision can be made to refer a person (details supplied) to the appropriate hospital setting to cater for a specific condition; if consideration will be given to referring the person to the United Kingdom in view that a suitable programme has been identified there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37235/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
173. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if a person (details supplied) will be provided with an appropriate hospital bed at home for end of life care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37237/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
174. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Health if a medical appointment can be secured for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37238/20]
View answerIt is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been impacted as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic the HSE had to take measures to defer most scheduled care activity in March, April, and May of this year. 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 the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) in accordance with the advice of the World Health Organisation.
Patient safety remains at the centre of all hospital activity and elective care scheduling. To ensure services are provided in a safe, clinically-aligned and prioritised way, hospitals are following HSE clinical guidelines and protocols.
The HSE continues to optimise productivity through alternative work practices such the use of alternative settings including private hospitals, community facilities and alternative outpatient settings.
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.
175. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if her Department and the HSE will ensure that workers' rights and decent pay and conditions are adhered to in circumstances in which they spend public money on externally contracted services, specifically relating to private ambulances, in which it is alleged that paramedics working for HSE contracted private ambulance services are being paid low wages with no protections such as sick pay. [37244/20]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to reply to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
176. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if reflexologists and other personal health and well-being therapists are allowed to operate under level 5 restrictions. [37248/20]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the situation regarding COVID-19 has been, and continues to be, an evolving situation. COVID-19 is still having a major impact both here in Ireland and elsewhere.
On Tuesday 15 September the Government published ‘Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19’. This Plan outlines our medium-term strategy for COVID-19 and sets out a Framework of 5 Levels which outline the broad measures which will apply depending on the level of the virus at any given time. It will be possible for different regions and counties to be at different levels, depending on prevailing epidemiological situation. 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. The intention is that Departments and sectors will provide guidance for specific sectors and activities in line with the 5 level framework.
At Level 5 of the Plan, only essential retail outlets and essential services are allowed to open to the public. The list of essential services that can remain open during Level 5 includes therapy services provided by a member of a designated profession within the meaning of section 3 of the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (No. 27 of 2005). There are seventeen professions designated under the 2005 Act, which are encompassed in the list of essential services. These are: Dietitians, Dispensing Opticians, Medical Scientists, Occupational Therapists, Optometrists, Physiotherapists (which includes Physical Therapists), Radiographers, Radiation Therapists, Social Workers, Speech and Language Therapists, Clinical Biochemists, Counsellors, Orthoptists, Podiatrists, Psychologists, Psychotherapists and Social Care Workers.
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. The latest public health advice on these matters is available at the links below and is updated on a regular basis:
https://www.gov.ie/en/organisation/department-of-health/
https://www2.hse.ie/coronavirus/
https://www.gov.ie/en/
177. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if plans and guidelines are being drafted regarding the selling of Christmas trees under the different public health restriction levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37252/20]
View answerFirstly, I would like to assure you that the Government is committed to ensuring a balanced and proportionate response to COVID-19 by finding ways to implement public health measures in response to the pandemic in a way that is fair, reasonable and proportionate.
As you will be aware, in response to the rapidly deteriorating epidemiological situation across the country, Ireland has moved to level 5 of the Government’s medium-term strategy for dealing with COVID-19, Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19
This 5 level Framework reflects a careful consideration of the impact of the introduction of restrictions on employment and livelihoods, keeping as many businesses open as possible at different stages, while acknowledging that some businesses and services are critical.
Any measures introduced at any level of the Plan are aimed at limiting the spread and damage of COVID-19, and are necessary to protect our key priorities of supporting and maintaining health and social care services, keeping education and childcare services open and protecting the most vulnerable members of our communities.
As I'm sure you can appreciate, COVID-19 spreads when individuals and groups come into close contact with one another, enabling the virus to move from one person to another. COVID-19 is infectious in a person with no symptoms, or for the period of time before they develop symptoms. The number of people allowed to gather in different scenarios in the Government's Framework are based on a review of international practice and the judgment of public health experts. It seeks to balance the risks of different types of gatherings against the desire to allow normal activities to proceed in so far as possible.
At level 5 of the Plan, unfortunately, this means closing many businesses and amenities to reduce the person-to-person contacts which allow the virus to spread. At Level 5 essential retail and essential services will remain open. Further information on essential retail and essential services at Level 5 can be found at:https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/2dc71-level-5/#retail-and-services-for-example-hairdressers-beauticians-barbers
Level 5 does not restrict people from purchasing any products. It does however, restrict people from physically going into non-essential stores. This is to stop people travelling out of their homes unnecessarily and so to limit the spread of the virus.
While Christmas trees cannot be purchased physically in stores, customers can continue to purchase them via online or phone ordering and collection and delivery.
Further information on all levels of Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19 is available at: https://www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/resilience-recovery-2020-2021-plan-for-living-with-covid-19/.
The Deputy may wish to note that the cultivation of Christmas trees is a matter that comes under the remit of the Minister for Agriculture Food and Marine.
178. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 280 of 15 October 2020, if he will publish each plan in respect of each CHO area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37253/20]
View answer179. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 280 of 15 October 2020, the amount of extra funding that has been allocated to CHO4; if he will provide a breakdown for north Cork, north Lee, south Lee, west Cork, Kerry in tabular form; the staffing required to implement the plan; if moneys have been spent for that allocation; if so, the way that money has been spent and the areas that it has been spent. [37254/20]
View answer180. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 280 of 15 October 2020, the amount of extra funding that has been allocated to CHO1; if he will provide a breakdown for Donegal, Sligo/Leitrim/West Cavan, and Cavan/Monaghan in tabular form; the staffing required to implement the plan; if moneys have been spent for that allocation; if so, the way that money has been spent and the areas that it has been spent. [37255/20]
View answer181. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 280 of 15 October 2020, the amount of extra funding that has been allocated to CHO2; if he will provide a breakdown for Galway, Roscommon, and Mayo in tabular form; the staffing required to implement the plan; if moneys have been spent for that allocation; if so, the way that money has been spent and the areas that it has been spent. [37256/20]
View answer182. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 280 of 15 October 2020, the amount of extra funding that has been allocated to CHO3; if he will provide a breakdown for Clare, Limerick, and north Tipperary/east Limerick in tabular form; the staffing required to implement the plan; if moneys have been spent for that allocation; if so, the way that money has been spent and the areas that it has been spent. [37257/20]
View answer183. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 280 of 15 October 2020, the amount of extra funding that has been allocated to CHO5; if he will provide a breakdown for south Tipperary, Carlow/Kilkenny, Waterford, and Wexford in tabular form; the staffing required to implement the plan; if moneys have been spent for that allocation; if so, the way that money has been spent and the areas that it has been spent. [37258/20]
View answer184. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 280 of 15 October 2020, the amount of extra funding that has been allocated to CHO6; if he will provide a breakdown for Wicklow, Dún Laoghaire, and Dublin south east in tabular form; the staffing required to implement the plan; if moneys have been spent for that allocation; if so, the way that money has been spent and the areas that it has been spent. [37259/20]
View answer185. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 280 of 15 October 2020, the amount of extra funding that has been allocated to CHO7; if he will provide a breakdown for Kildare/west Wicklow, Dublin west, Dublin south city, and Dublin south west in tabular form; the staffing required to implement the plan; if moneys have been spent for that allocation; if so, the way that money has been spent and the areas that it has been spent. [37260/20]
View answer186. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 280 of 15 October 2020, the amount of extra funding that has been allocated to CHO8; if he will provide a breakdown for Laois/Offaly, Longford/Westmeath, Louth, and Meath in tabular form; the staffing required to implement the plan; if moneys have been spent for that allocation; if so, the way that money has been spent and the areas that it has been spent. [37261/20]
View answer187. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 280 of 15 October 2020, the amount of extra funding that has been allocated to CHO9; if he will provide a breakdown for Dublin north, Dublin north central, and Dublin north west in tabular form; the staffing required to implement the plan; if moneys have been spent for that allocation; if so, the way that money has been spent and the areas that it has been spent. [37262/20]
View answer188. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 280 of 15 October 2020, the amount that has been allocated in each CHO area to spend on external providers of assessment of needs and therapies and the amount paid to each provider by CHO in tabular form. [37263/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 178 to 188, inclusive, 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 these questions relate to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
