Written Answers Nos. 832-856
834. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health when the minimum unit pricing for alcohol under the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 will be implemented in view of the pressing need to tackle alcohol abuse and dependence and the growing nature of binge drinking in the home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12864/21]
View answerThe 2013 Government Decision which approved the introduction of minimum unit pricing in Ireland agreed to its implementation on that basis that it would be introduced here and in Northern Ireland simultaneously. This was to allay concerns that its introduction in one jurisdiction only would impact negatively on cross-border trade. Northern Ireland Health Minister Robin Swann has committed to a public consultation on the introduction of minimum pricing for alcohol in Northern Ireland.
835. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a report on his meeting with EU Health Ministers on 1 March 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12870/21]
View answerI met with my EU counterparts via videoconference on the morning of 1 March 2021 for an informal meeting of EU Health Ministers, convened by the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
The meeting was chaired from Lisbon by Portuguese Minister for Health Marta Temido. I led the Irish delegation. The European Commission was represented by Commission Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life, Margaritis Schinas, and Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides. Director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) Andrea Ammon and Executive Director of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) Emer Cooke also attended the meeting and made presentations before EU and EFTA Member States each made an intervention.
The discussion focussed on the impact of variants on Member States, national testing strategies, and the need for information sharing on the national rollout of COVID-19 vaccination plans.
During my intervention, I shared Ireland’s experience of its testing strategy and exploration of advanced technologies which when guided by scientific evidence will inform the future testing service. I voiced Ireland's support for the objectives of the proposed HERA Incubator, the precursor to the establishment of the European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), as well as efforts to increase information-sharing on vaccination rollout and lessons learnt across Member States.
836. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health if the necessary resources will be provided to reduce unacceptable waiting times for paediatric occupational therapy in counties Cavan and Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12871/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
837. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health the most recent figure for the number of persons waiting for motorised wheelchairs in community healthcare organisation area 4. [12872/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
838. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health the breakdown of annual funding for the provision of motorised wheelchairs; the model for the allocation of same; and his plans for future funding. [12873/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
839. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health the average waiting times for the assessment and approval of provision of motorised wheelchairs; and the average length of time it takes to deliver a wheelchair to the applicant. [12874/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
840. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Health the oversight and complaint mechanism available to families for reporting non-compliance with nursing home visiting guidelines during the Covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12879/21]
View answerI would like to thank the Deputy for highlighting this issue.
Nursing home providers are ultimately responsible for the safe care of their residents. Under Regulation 11 of the Health Act 2007 (Care and Welfare of Residents in Designated Centres for Older People) Regulations 2013 it is the legal responsibility of each registered provider to make arrangements for a resident to receive visitors, having regard to any risks that may present for the resident or other residents. Public health guidance has been developed in order to assist and support providers in this regard.
Registered providers, (public, voluntary and private) are obliged to provide an accessible and effective complaints procedure. The Office of the Ombudsman can examine complaints about the actions of a range of public bodies and, from 24 August 2015, complaints relating to the administrative actions of private nursing homes. The Office of the Ombudsman normally only deals with a complaint once the individual has already gone through the complaint’s procedure of the private nursing home concerned.
The Ombudsman may be contacted at:
Office of the Ombudsman, 18 Lower Leeson Street, Dublin 2, Tel. (01) 639 5600 / Lo-call (1890) 22 30 30 and via e-mail at ombudsman@ombudsman.gov.ie (website is www.ombudsman.ie).
Separately, the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) welcomes information about designated centres for dependent persons, reviews all information about services received and evaluates it against the regulations and standards.
Concerns can be communicated to:
Phone: 021 240 9646
E-mail: concerns@hiqa.ie
Postal Address: HIQA, George’s Court, Smithfield, Dublin 7, D07 E98Y
As a regulator HIQA has no legal role in examining individual complaints, however, the Authority does take into account all information it receives, including complaints from the public, when carrying out inspections and this range of information informs a risk-based approach to regulation.
841. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Health the measures he is taking to ensure organisation of times for vaccinations for front-line healthcare workers and the communication of these details to workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12880/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
842. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health the reason Covid-19 vaccinations for persons over 85 years of age in north County Kildare are being cancelled, in some instances twice; when the vaccine will be available to this cohort in the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12882/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
843. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details of the evidence or data to support conclusions by a person (details supplied) that the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumad does nothing for seven out of eight women with cervical cancer, in view of a recent newspaper article (details supplied). [12884/21]
View answerThe HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicines under the community drug schemes, in accordance with the provisions of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for reply to the Deputy.
844. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of the national survey on drug and alcohol use in Ireland conducted by the Health Research Board. [12935/21]
View answerThe national survey on drug and alcohol use is a general population survey of households in Ireland to measure the extent and pattern of drug use (including alcohol and tobacco) among a representative sample of those aged 15 and over in Ireland.
The survey is carried out according to standards set by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. The target sample size is c 7,000 people. Details of the methodology can be found in the technical report.
The Health Research Board (HRB) is responsible for conducting the 2019/2020 survey. It has engaged a third party survey company to perform tasks including the sampling and recruitment of survey respondents, data collection (interviews with the respondents in their own home) and an initial analysis of the dataset. The fee paid to the third party is €706,850 (including VAT).
The final dataset was supplied to the HRB in September 2020, and it is expected that the report on the survey will be published in the 2nd quarter of 2021.
845. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health the reason for the change in the target for vaccination of the over 85s within his daily update to Deputies (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12936/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
846. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the reason two members of the same family (details supplied), both in their 80s, are receiving vaccinations at different times; if his attention has been drawn to the immense sacrifice and stringent compliance with public health advice older persons have made; the steps he will take to rectify the inconsistent and irregular delivery of vaccines within localities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12938/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
847. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health his views on a report by a group (details supplied) in relation to recovery from eating disorders Ireland that states that lack of proper treatment for persons with eating disorders is leaving sufferers misunderstood, abandoned, isolated and lost; and if a comprehensive eating disorder service will be delivered. [12939/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the deputy as soon as possible.
848. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive a date for surgery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12941/21]
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 were 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.
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.
849. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health if the new package of increased supports and respite for a child (details supplied) has been completed; if so, if it has been shared with him and the family of the child; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12944/21]
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.
850. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the reason the medical card issued to a person (details supplied) was revoked without notification; if the card will be restored at least until there is sufficient time to reapply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12946/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
851. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of students who undertook work experience or internships with State and semi-State agencies under his aegis in 2019; the cost in terms of wages and allowances; and the estimated numerical capacity of State and semi-State agencies to provide work experience and internships on an annual basis. [12957/21]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter. In relation to the Non-Commercial State Agencies under the aegis of my Department, this information has been sought, and once collated, will be provided to the Deputy by way of separate letter.
852. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health if he will consider amending Covid-19 regulations to designate the monumental masonry sector which deals with the provision and maintenance of headstones in cemeteries (details supplied); if the sector can operate under existing regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12967/21]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the public health restrictions at level 5 of the Government's Framework Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19 will remain in place until 5th April 2021, when a further review will be conducted. The Framework continues to provide an appropriate mechanism to guide decision-making, and it will continue to be supplemented by more detailed sectoral guidance in relation to measures that apply at each level of the Framework.
On 23rd February, 2021, the Government published the revised plan: Covid 19 Resilience & Recovery 2021: The Path Ahead. This three part plan reviews the learnings from our experience to date, considers the enormous impacts our efforts to manage and suppress the disease have had on our economy and on our society and sets out a cautious and measured approach to the easing of restrictions over the coming months.
Information on the revised plan is available here: www.gov.ie/en/publication/c4876-covid-19-resilience-and-recovery-2021-the-path-ahead/?referrer=http://www.gov.ie/ThePathAhead/.
The public health measures recognise the need to reduce congregation and interactions between people to reduce the transmission of Covid-19. The number of people allowed to gather in different scenarios in the plan is 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. The measures in place for each level reflect the prevailing disease situation and recognise that we can and must prioritise some activities over others.
At level 5, all non-essential retail, and all non-essential services must remain closed. Information in relation to the current public health measures in place for essential retail and essential services at level 5 is available at: www.gov.ie/en/publication/2dc71-level-5/ and www.gov.ie/en/publication/c9158-essential-services/ Funeral and burial services are listed as essential under 'Administrative and Support Activities'.
The Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19) (NO. 10) Regulations 2020 Regulation (S.I. 701 of 2020), sets out the relevant businesses or services under the current public health measures. Statutory Instruments related to the Covid-19 pandemic are available here: www.gov.ie/en/collection/1f150-view-statutory-instruments-related-to-the-covid-19-pandemic/ .
853. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health if he will request the HSE to provide contact information and details regarding its vaccination service for persons who are housebound; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12968/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
854. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health the reason ozempic, also known as semaglutide, was taken off the drug payment scheme for all non-type 2 diabetic patients in July 2020 in circular 022/20; his plans to reinstate it on the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12969/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
855. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health the sequence of dentists and dental staff in the national vaccine programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12970/21]
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: 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.
Vaccination of those aged 70 and older (in the following order: 85 and older, 80-84, 75-79, and 70-74) began in February.
On the 23rd of February, I announced an update to Ireland’s COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation Strategy.
In comprising the initial Vaccine Allocation Strategy, the NIAC listed several conditions associated with increased risk of severe disease and death. In the intervening period, national and international evidence has become available which has enabled a more detailed analysis of underlying conditions that may increase the risk of developing severe disease or death.
The NIAC has now been able to more comprehensively identify those medical conditions and to distinguish between those which place a person at very high or high risk of severe disease if they contract the virus. Medical conditions and the magnitude of the risk they pose will continue to be monitored and periodically reviewed.
The NIAC continues to monitor data around this disease and indeed emerging data on effectiveness of vaccines on a rolling basis.
Further details are available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/press-release/b44b2-minister-donnelly-announces-update-to-vaccine-allocation-strategy/.
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 now be vaccinated in Group 6.
856. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health if he will include dentists and hygienists in the Be on Call for Ireland initiative, given that they deal with medical emergencies and have the required training to deal with such emergencies including the administration of adrenaline for anaphylaxis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12971/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter, as soon as possible.
