Written Answers Nos. 767-794
767. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health the status of the roll-out of the multidisciplinary teams for diabetic foot; the number of staff employed in each team by region in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5550/21]
View answer769. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health when a national diabetes register will be created and available to those across the health service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5552/21]
View answer775. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the extent to which a comprehensive public information campaign will be launched to focus on the incidents and causes of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, the simple procedures that might be followed and the seriousness of the particular condition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5568/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 767, 769 and 775 together.
As the issues raised by the Deputy are operational matters, I have asked the HSE to reply directly to him in this regard.
768. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health the annual statistics in relation to the diabetes cycle of care since 2015. [5551/21]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond to the deputy directly.
770. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if a plan exists for dealing with residents in nursing homes who were away from their nursing home on the day the other residents received their first dose of the vaccine. [5555/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
771. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if hospital staff who have been deemed close contacts of those who have tested positive for Covid-19 are being tested; the number of hospital staff nationwide who are close contacts currently awaiting tests; and the average wait time for same. [5556/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible
772. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health if matters raised in correspondence (details supplied) will be examined. [5561/21]
View answerThe COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation Strategy sets out a provisional list of groups for vaccination. The Strategy was developed by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) and my Department, endorsed by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), and approved by Government on 8 December 2020.
Vaccine allocation is a matter for my Department and further information is available here: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/39038-provisional-vaccine-allocation-groups/.
The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is the responsibility of the HSE.
The aim of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is to ensure, over time, that vaccine will become available to vaccinate all of those for whom the vaccine is indicated. Given that there will be initially limited vaccines available, it will take some time for all to receive those vaccines and that has necessitated an allocation strategy to ensure that those most at risk of death and serious illness receive the vaccine first.
The priority is to first vaccinate and protect directly the most vulnerable amongst us, that is, those most likely to have a poor outcome if they contract the virus.
The priority is to directly use vaccines to save lives and reduce serious illness, hence the focus on the over 65 year old cohort in long term residential care facilities, and healthcare workers in frontline services often caring for the most vulnerable.
The next group to be vaccinated are those aged 70 and older in the following order: 85 and older, 80-84, 75-79, and 70-74. Vaccination of this group will begin in February (subject to regulatory approval of the AstraZeneca vaccine).
All of the groups will be covered as further vaccine supplies become available and the immunisation programme is rolled out nationally.
The evidence will be kept under review and the allocation groups may be updated, where necessary, in light of new evidence.
773. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 568 of 20 January 2021, if his Department has a list of the locations of the animal testing laboratories; and if the list will be published. [5565/21]
View answer774. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health the body with responsibility for the inspection of laboratories involved in animal testing and the treatment and condition of animals within those laboratories; and the regime of inspection. [5566/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 773 and 774 together.
My Department does not maintain a list of establishments that are authorised to perform research and testing under the scientific animal protection legislation. As the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) is the competent authority in Ireland for S.I. No. 543 of 2012 (as amended) the HPRA maintains a list of all authorised establishments. However, in order to protect the welfare of animals held in these establishments, as well as the safety of the staff working in them, the HPRA is not in a position to share this list publicly.
The HPRA conducts inspections of authorised establishments in accordance with a risk assessment policy that has been elaborated based on European Commission guidelines on inspections and enforcement within the framework of the scientific animal protection legislation. The HPRA advises that the treatment and condition of animals in the relevant establishments are properly looked after, in accordance with the standards specified in Directive 2010/63/EU.
776. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if he will consider the launching of a major campaign to identify and treat type 1 and type 2 diabetes throughout the country with a view to eradication much in the same way tuberculosis was eradicated notwithstanding the stress of Covid-19 on the system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5569/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible
777. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health if agency healthcare workers will receive the Covid-19 vaccine with HSE healthcare workers; if not, when they can expect to receive the vaccine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5570/21]
View answerThe COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation Strategy sets out a provisional list of groups for vaccination. The Strategy was developed by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) and my Department, endorsed by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), and approved by Government on 8 December 2020.
Vaccine allocation is a matter for my Department and further information is available here: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/39038-provisional-vaccine-allocation-groups/.
The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is the responsibility of the HSE.
The aim of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is to ensure, over time, that vaccine will become available to vaccinate all of those for whom the vaccine is indicated. Given that there will be initially limited vaccines available, it will take some time for all to receive those vaccines and that has necessitated an allocation strategy to ensure that those most at risk of death and serious illness receive the vaccine first.
The priority is to first vaccinate and protect directly the most vulnerable amongst us, that is, those most likely to have a poor outcome if they contract the virus. The priority is to directly use vaccines to save lives and reduce serious illness, hence the focus on the over 65 year old cohort in long term residential care facilities, and healthcare workers in frontline services often caring for the most vulnerable.
All of the groups will be covered as further vaccine supplies become available and the immunisation programme is rolled out nationally.
The evidence will be kept under review and the allocation groups may be updated, where necessary, in light of new evidence.
Frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) in direct patient contact roles will be vaccinated in Group 2. This includes HCWs working in public, private, and voluntary settings. Other HCWs, not in direct patient contact, will be vaccinated in Group 4.
778. Deputy Kieran O'Donnell asked the Minister for Health the measures he will take to ensure persons with cystic fibrosis (details supplied) are better prioritised on the vaccination allocation sequencing schedule, currently group seven; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5572/21]
View answerThe COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation Strategy sets out a provisional list of groups for vaccination. The Strategy was developed by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) and my Department, endorsed by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), and approved by Government on 8 December 2020.
Vaccine allocation is a matter for my Department and further information is available here: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/39038-provisional-vaccine-allocation-groups/.
The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is the responsibility of the HSE.
The aim of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is to ensure, over time, that vaccine will become available to vaccinate all of those for whom the vaccine is indicated. Given that there will be initially limited vaccines available, it will take some time for all to receive those vaccines and that has necessitated an allocation strategy to ensure that those most at risk of death and serious illness receive the vaccine first.
The priority is to first vaccinate and protect directly the most vulnerable amongst us, that is, those most likely to have a poor outcome if they contract the virus.
The priority is to directly use vaccines to save lives and reduce serious illness, hence the focus on the over 65 year old cohort in long term residential care facilities, and healthcare workers in frontline services often caring for the most vulnerable.
The next group to be vaccinated are those aged 70 and older in the following order: 85 and older, 80-84, 75-79, and 70-74. Vaccination of this group will begin in February (subject to regulatory approval of the AstraZeneca vaccine).
All of the groups will be covered as further vaccine supplies become available and the immunisation programme is rolled out nationally.
The evidence will be kept under review and the allocation groups may be updated, where necessary, in light of new evidence.
779. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if an application has been made for the participation of a company (details supplied) in the cannabis access programme, CAP, scheme; if so, the status of the application; and if not, if an indication has been given that an application will be made in future. [5576/21]
View answerA prospective supplier of cannabis-based products can apply to the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), on behalf of the Minister, to have a product considered for inclusion in the Medicinal Cannabis Access Programme.
Cannabis products that can be used in the Medicinal Cannabis Access Programme are defined as ‘specified controlled drugs’ in legislation (SI 262/2019) and the definition outlines the specific requirements for those products.
The criteria that cannabis-based products must meet in order to be considered by the Minister for inclusion on the schedule are set out in the legislation and can be found in the operator guidance issued by the HPRA.
The manufacturers of the prescribed cannabis-based products availed of by patients (whose clinicians are licenced under the Misuse of Drugs Acts 1977-2016) from a pharmacy in the Netherlands have not sought to have their products included in the Medicinal Cannabis Access Programme.
Due to current Netherlands government policy, the prescribed cannabis-based oil formulations are not permitted to be commercially exported from the Netherlands but are only supplied in the Netherlands to Irish patients on an individual basis on foot of a valid medical prescription when presented to the appropriate pharmacy.
780. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the action that will be taken to ensure patients who are currently being prescribed products produced by a company (details supplied) will be able to continue to receive same and not incur further additional expenses, for example, couriering or personal collection of prescribed products; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5581/21]
View answerOn the 14th December 2020, the Minister for Health announced that patients who are prescribed cannabis-based products from a pharmacy in the Netherlands will no longer need to travel there to collect their prescriptions. The temporary delivery service that was announced in April 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, has now been made permanent.
781. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if all patients who were receiving reimbursement for their cannabis product prescription costs prior to 21 January 2021 will continue to be reimbursed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5582/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
782. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to expanding the permissible products list of the Medical Cannabis Access Programme to include cannabis flower (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5583/21]
View answerA prospective supplier of cannabis-based products can apply to the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), on behalf of the Minister, to have a product considered for inclusion in the Medicinal Cannabis Access Programme.
Cannabis products that can be used in the Medical Cannabis Access Programme are defined as ‘specified controlled drugs’ in legislation (SI 262/2019) and the definition outlines the specific requirements for those products.
The criteria that cannabis products must meet in order to be considered by the Minister for inclusion on the schedule are set out in the legislation and can be found in the operator guidance issued by the HPRA.
783. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if the qualifying list of conditions of the medical cannabis access programme will be expanded to include chronic pain, migraines, arthritis, endometriosis, anxiety, dementia and depression; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5584/21]
View answerIn the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) report “Cannabis for Medical Use – A Scientific Review”, the HPRA advised that if access to cannabis is to be permitted for medical purposes that it should only be made available for the treatment of patients with specified medical conditions which have failed to respond to all other previous treatments, and where there is at least modest evidence that cannabis may be effective.
The specified medical conditions (medical indications) are:
1. Spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis resistant to all standard therapies and interventions whilst under expert medical supervision;
2. Intractable nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy, despite the use of standard anti-emetic regimes whilst under expert medical supervision;
3. Severe, refractory (treatment-resistant) epilepsy that has failed to respond to standard anticonvulsant medications whilst under expert medical supervision.
The HPRA did not consider that the available evidence supported the use of cannabis in other medical conditions.
The MCAP has been included in the HSE Service Plan 2021 and is a five year pilot programme for the treatment of the three specified conditions.
784. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to the implementation of an online cannabis education programme for clinicians; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5585/21]
View answerOn foot of the conclusions from the Health Products Regulatory Authority’s report ‘Cannabis for Medical Use – A Scientific Review’, the Minister for Health established an Expert Reference Group to advise on the development of a Medical Cannabis Access Programme (MCAP).
The Expert Reference Group also developed detailed clinical guidelines for the MCAP which are available on the Department's website.
785. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken in order to ensure that cannabis patients who have had to emigrate (details supplied) can return to Ireland and legally and affordably access their medicine here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5586/21]
View answerThe Department does not comment on individual cases.
There are two separate pathways for accessing cannabis for medical use in Ireland.
Medical Cannabis Access Programme (MCAP)
In June 2019, the Minister for Health signed legislation to underpin the operation of the Medical Cannabis Access Programme (MCAP). This is a 5-year pilot programme, restricted to prescribing of cannabis-based products by medical consultants, for patients with certain medical conditions who have exhausted all other available medical treatment options.
For more information relating to the MCAP, including FAQs, please see the Department of Health’s website at the following link.
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/90ece9-medical-cannabis-access-programme/
The MCAP is not currently operational and is in the HSE Service Plan 2021. The HSE will be responsible for the operation of the programme.
Ministerial Licence under Section 14 of the Misuse of Drugs Acts 1977-2016
Pending full operation of the MCAP and for medical indications not included in the MCAP, doctors may continue to utilise the Ministerial licencing route to prescribe medical cannabis for their patients, should they wish to do so.
In line with the Chief Medical Officer's advice, the granting of a licence for cannabis for medical purposes must be premised on an appropriate application being submitted to the Department of Health, which is endorsed by a consultant who is responsible for the management of the patient and who is prepared to monitor the effects of the treatment over time.
This information can be found at the following links:
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/1a5c4e-applying-to-the-minister-for-health-for-a-medical-cannabis-licence/
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/e35cb4-ministerial-licence-application-process/
It is important to note that the medical decision to prescribe or not prescribe any treatment, including cannabis treatment, for an individual patient is strictly a decision for the treating clinician, in consultation with their patient. The Minister for Health has no role in this clinical decision-making process.
The HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicines under the community drugs schemes, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.
The Minister for Health has no role in this clinical decision-making process and 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.
786. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health the number and location of palliative care beds in County Tipperary; if palliative care services in the county are being expanded in 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5590/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
788. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the status and timeline for the construction of an acute hospital in Cork as promised in the national development plan. [5592/21]
View answer789. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if the ambulatory elective hospital intended for Cork and promised in the national development plan will include an emergency department; and if an updated timeline on delivery of the hospital will be provided. [5593/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 788 and 789 together.
The National Development Plan stated that, “New dedicated ambulatory elective only hospital facilities will be introduced in Dublin Galway and Cork. These facilities will provide high volume, low complexity procedures on a day and outpatient basis, together with a range of ambulatory diagnostic services. The high volume of demand for such services in these major urban centres is sufficient to justify the construction of dedicated ambulatory centres.” The NDP does not make specific provision for a new acute hospital in Cork.
The introduction of these dedicated elective/ambulatory sites is also in line with the recommendations of the 2018 Health Service Capacity Review and the Sláintecare Implementation Strategy (August 2018).
In 2019 the Sláintecare Programme Implementation Office (SPIO) established an Elective Hospitals Oversight Group, under the joint governance of the Health Service Executive, Department of Health and Sláintecare, to guide the development of the elective/ambulatory sites, as outlined in the National Development Plan (February 2018).
The Elective Hospitals Oversight Group has the following terms of reference:
To develop the elective hospital capacity with a ten-year horizon of need, which facilitates the separation of scheduled and unscheduled care.
To provide quicker, higher quality, safer care for selected, elective patients.
To create capacity for acute hospital sites and reduce/eliminate outlier boarding (trolleys).
To drive down waiting lists, both outpatient and inpatient/day case.
To reduce cancellations.
To reduce acute hospital footfall.
The provision of accident and emergency services is not within its terms of reference.
The Oversight Group is following the process outlined in the Public Spending Code. As required under the Code, a Strategic Assessment Report has been drafted for the development of Elective Hospital facilities. This sets out the rationale for investment, the alignment of the programme with strategic requirements of Government, some initial options and potential costs, and the governance of the programme. This document is complete and is currently going through the approval channels.
A high-level facilities spatial brief, including costs, a functional description and process flow, a site options appraisal and a Preliminary Business Case (PBC) in accordance with the public spending code is also under preparation. The site option appraisal was carried out to explore indicative sites and was not a site selection process.
790. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Health the position in relation to a national requirement that high-standard FFP2 masks be used in all healthcare settings, not just basic surgical masks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5599/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy.
791. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Health if an increased number of FFP2 masks have been provided to hospital staff given the high level of Covid-19 in hospital settings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5600/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
792. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the amount of funding made available for the provision of eating disorder services within the HSE in each of the years 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively; the amount of the allocated funding used in each year, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5602/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
793. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Health the steps he has taken to ensure that there is adequate general practitioner cover for all residents in County Wexford; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that many persons find it impossible to be accepted on a general practitioner’s list in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5595/21]
View answerWhere a GMS patient experiences difficulty in finding a GP to accept him/her as a patient, the person concerned having unsuccessfully applied to at least three GPs in the area can apply to the HSE National Medical Card Unit which has the power to assign that person to a GP's GMS patient list.
People who do not hold a medical card or GP visit card access GP services on a private basis and can make enquiries directly to any GP practice they wish to register with. As private contractors, it is a matter for each individual GP to decide whether to accept additional private patients.
The Government is aware of the workforce issues currently facing general practice, including the limited access to GP services in certain areas, and has implemented a number of measures to improve recruitment and retention in general practice.
These measures include an increase in investment in general practice by approximately 40% (€210 million) between 2019 and 2023 under the terms of the 2019 GMS GP Agreement GP. The Agreement provides for increased support for GPs working in rural practices and for those in disadvantaged urban areas, and for improvements to maternity and paternity leave arrangements. In addition, the number of GPs entering training has been increased steadily over the past ten years, rising from 120 in 2009 to 214 in 2020, with a further increase foreseen in 2021. The ICGP noted a record number of applications for the 2021 GP training programme.
These measures will see an increase in the number of GPs working in the State, improving access to GP services for patients throughout the country.
794. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in County Tipperary who have been admitted to the department of psychiatry services in St. Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny since 2012; if all recommendations made by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment report 2020 will be implemented at St. Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5603/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Heath Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
