Written Answers Nos. 857-882
857. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health the number of persons awaiting a speech and language appointment in each community healthcare organisation, CHO, area; the number who have been waiting less than three, three to six, six to 12 and more than 12 months, respectively, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8580/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
858. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health the number of respite hours provided to families in each county over each of the past 12 months, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8581/21]
View answerThe Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose, and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
859. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on the waiting list for ophthalmology in each county; the average waiting time for appointment, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8582/21]
View answerIt is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been impacted in the last year as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The HSE is currently recommending that only critical time dependent elective procedures are undertaken at this time due to the on-going and significant increased demand for bed capacity related to Covid-19. This decision was made arising from the rapid increase in Covid-19 admissions and to ensure patient safety and that all appropriate resources are made available for Covid-19 related activity and time-critical essential work.
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 as the use of alternative settings including private hospitals, community facilities and alternative outpatient settings.
In recent years, my Department has worked with the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) to improve access for patients waiting for high volume procedures, including cataracts. Ophthalmology services are provided throughout all hospital groups in the country, with cataract removal one of the key procedures carried out as part of this specialty.
A key development in improving access to Ophthalmology services was the opening of a stand-alone high-volume consultant-led cataract theatre by the University of Limerick Hospital Group in Nenagh Hospital in 2018, with the intention that it would facilitate patients from surrounding geographical areas to avail of their treatment there. The impact of such initiatives can be seen in the reduction in the waiting times to access cataract procedures since 2019. At the end of January 2021 there were 4,634 patients waiting for a cataract procedure compared to 6,437 in January 2019.
An additional €240 million has been provided in Budget 2021 for an Access to Care Fund, €210m of which has been allocated to the HSE and €30m to the NTPF for the provision of treatment as required in both private and public hospitals in order to address capacity issues in acute hospitals and waiting lists.
My Department, the HSE and the NTPF are continuously reviewing waiting lists with a view to ensuring that services for scheduled care are resumed as soon as it is deemed safe to do so in line with HSE clinical guidelines.
The attached document shows the number of persons on the outpatient and inpatient & daycase (IPDC) waiting lists for ophthalmology in each county and the average waiting time for an appointment at the end of January 2021.
860. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in each county who are currently waiting for an appointment for early intervention, by therapy; the number who are waiting less than six, six to 12 and more than 12 months, respectively, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8583/21]
View answerThe 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.
863. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health when the HSPC will resume publishing underlying conditions in Covid-19 cases data; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8588/21]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond to the deputy directly.
867. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the location of all testing centres and vaccination centres proposed, by county, in tabular form. [8597/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
868. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the cost of a contract (details supplied). [8601/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
869. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the number of children awaiting an assessment of need in CHO9; and the number waiting more than six, 12, 18 and 24 months, respectively, in tabular form. [8618/21]
View answerThe 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.
870. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health the amount of capital funding that has been allocated to the National Forensic Mental Health Service Hospital in 2019, 2020 and 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8623/21]
View answerAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
871. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health if he will engage with a group (details supplied) regarding the Covid-19 vaccine plan; his views on the skills, assets and local presence the group can bring to the roll-out of the vaccine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8627/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
872. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health the sources of funding available within his Department for voluntary response groups to assist in the purchase of assets such as ambulances and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8628/21]
View answerThe Department of Health is not responsible for administering funding to voluntary response groups to assist in the purchase of assets. The Health Service Executive distributes National Lottery funding to community groups and voluntary organisations and so I have referred this to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
873. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Health the details of the establishment and locations of facilities (details supplied) in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8643/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
874. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Health the steps his Department and the HSE are taking to introduce a cost-effective flexible car parking plan for all public hospitals groups for patients and visitors to cap the maximum daily charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8644/21]
View answerThe Programme for Government makes a commitment to introduce a cap on the maximum daily charge for patients and visitors at all public hospitals, where possible and to introduce flexible passes in all public hospitals for patients and their families. My Department and the HSE are currently engaging on this issue in order to achieve this new Programme for Government commitment.
877. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health if a strategy has been announced regarding the roll-out of Covid-19 vaccinations on the offshore islands; if on-island vaccination clinics will be set up to ensure the protection of vulnerable persons within these communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8651/21]
View answer960. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health if all those living on offshore islands who normally receive their general practitioner services on the islands will receive the Covid-19 vaccine on the islands in view of the difficulty for islanders accessing clinics on the mainland; if all islanders over 65 years of age will be vaccinated at the same time rather than by five-year age cohorts, given the relatively small population and the logistical difficulties in providing the vaccines for over-65 year olds on the islands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8927/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 877 and 960 together.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
878. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a list of the categories of essential inward travel into the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8663/21]
View answerThe Government continues to advise against non-essential international travel.
Under the current public health measures relating to overseas travel, all travellers arriving to Ireland from overseas are required to present a COVID-19 passenger locator form and evidence of a negative pre-departure RT-PCR test taken within 72 hours of travel upon arrival and shown at boarding and to border officials upon entry to Ireland.
Arriving passengers (with a limited list of exemptions) are required to quarantine for 14 days at the address given on their Passenger Locator Form. A second ‘non-detected’ PCR test result taken no less than 5 days after arrival can end the quarantine period.
Under the current regulations those travellers from overseas who are deemed exempt from mandatory quarantine are categories of workers travelling in the course of preforming their duties (international transport workers, gardai, defence forces, diplomats, journalists, essential repair workers for critical infrastructure, international organisation staff and officials pursing an arrest warrant and those certified by Sports Ireland), transit passengers, and patients travelling to Ireland for urgent medical reasons.
879. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide assurances that a health centre (details supplied) is not being closed and that existing services are not being transferred; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8665/21]
View answerAs the HSE has responsibility for the provision, along with the maintenance and operation of Primary Care Centres and other Primary Care facilities, the Executive has been asked to reply directly to the Deputy.
880. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the supports and multidisciplinary gender-identity service the HSE has in place for persons needing assessment for gender-identity related issues; his plans to put in place the necessary services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8666/21]
View answer881. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if referrals are continuing to the gender-identity development services in the UK (details supplied); if the service is referring persons back to the HSE; if the service will be in place to deal with persons caught on waiting lists for the UK service, which is not accepting new referrals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8667/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 880 and 881 together.
The issues raised by the Deputy are service matters. I have asked the HSE to reply directly to the Deputy on the issues.
882. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of approved consultant posts by hospital group and hospital, respectively, filled by tenure, permanent, temporary, locum, agency and vacant consultant posts by discipline and specialty, in tabular form; the length of time the vacant posts have remained vacant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8669/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy, as soon as possible.
