Thomas Gould
Question:1454. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the date for publication of the mid-term review of the national drugs strategy. [14280/21]
View answerNational Drugs Strategy
Questions (1454, 1455)
Thomas Gould
Question:1455. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the status of the mid-term review of the national drugs strategy. [14281/21]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1454 and 1455 together.
The national drug strategy, Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery, sets out government policy on drug and alcohol use for the period 2017 to 2025. The strategy provides an integrated public health approach to drug and alcohol use, focused on reducing the harms for individuals, families and communities and promoting rehabilitation and recovery. The strategy is a dynamic strategy, monitored through a national oversight structure and contains 50 actions which are to be delivered over the period 2017-2020.
The Department has commenced a mid-term review of the 50 actions in the strategy, in consultation with stakeholders. The review will provide an opportunity to reflect on progress in implementing the strategy from 2017 to 2020, progress achieved to-date under the action plan, any new issues that have arisen including the impact of Covid-19 and to consider the development of new actions to address emerging needs and challenges. It will also reflect commitments in the Programme for Government as part of a health-led approach to drug use and misuse and the EU drugs strategy 2021-2025.
An update on the progress on the review was provided at the National Oversight Committee (NOC) in March. The final report of the review will be considered at the next NOC meeting in May.
I am committed to working in partnership with all stakeholders to ensure that the actions in the national drugs strategy are relevant and appropriate to address the societal challenges arising from the use of drugs, especially for children and young people and for those at greatest risk of harm.
National Drugs Strategy
Questions (1456, 1457)
Thomas Gould
Question:1456. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if he will publish the analysis of supports available to service users by the drug related intimidation training co-ordinator. [14282/21]
View answerThomas Gould
Question:1457. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if he will publish the analysis of the prevalence of drug related intimidation as conducted under the DRIVE programme. [14283/21]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1456 and 1457 together.
Criminal activity and an active illicit drug market can create an intimidating and frightening environment for families and communities. The National Drug-Related Intimidation Reporting Programme, developed by the National Family Support Network and An Garda Siochana, provides a framework to allow reporting of an incident of intimidation to a nominated inspector. An action of the National Drugs Strategy is to strengthen the effectiveness of the Drug-Related Intimidation Reporting Programme.
To support the work of An Garda Síochána in addressing drug-related violence and intimidation, the Department of Health is funding two initiatives to raise public awareness of the problem and to support victims, their families and their communities.
One initiative led by the National Family Support Network is to employ a Drug Related Intimidation Training Coordinator. The Training Coordinator was appointed in October 2020 and has since commenced an initial mapping exercise to identify training needs relating to the Drug-Related Intimidation Reporting Programme. This analysis will be broadened to include non-addiction specific services after this initial mapping is completed. This will then be applied to further inform and enhance the previously developed training for professionals who are working with individuals who are experiencing drug-related intimidation.
The other initiative led by the Drug and Alcohol Task Forces and the HSE is the Drug Related Intimidation & Violence Project (DRIVE). The DRIVE project is developing an evidence informed Intervention model to support communities to respond to drug-related intimidation and violence.
The model will include mechanisms for capturing prevalence; informed by work completed by the HRB and other evidenced sources. It is currently at the early development stage which will be followed by a staged implementation plan to accompany the articulated model. This will include: actions, roles/responsibilities, named lead agencies; and outcome measurement processes.
I welcome the involvement and cooperation of statutory, voluntary and community organisations in addressing drug-related violence and intimidation and I look forward to receiving reports on the two initiatives in due course.
Question No. 1458 answered with Question No. 1389.
Mental Health Services
Questions (1459)
Neasa Hourigan
Question:1459. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the spend on CAMHS in 2020; and the proportion of the mental health budget that this represented. [14287/21]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Community Care
Questions (1460)
Cormac Devlin
Question:1460. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health if the status will be reviewed of day centres for older persons and persons living with dementia (details supplied) given the majority of staff and clients have been or are about to be vaccinated; when a plan to reopen these centres will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14296/21]
View answerWritten answers
As this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Dental Services
Questions (1461)
Cormac Devlin
Question:1461. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health the status of an appointment for a child (details supplied); the position of the child on the orthodontist waiting list at Loughlinstown Hospital, County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14297/21]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Eating Disorders
Questions (1462)
Cormac Devlin
Question:1462. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health the practical and financial supports provided by his Department to the organisations engaged in and promoting the Eating Disorders Awareness Week; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14298/21]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Health Services
Questions (1463)
Cormac Devlin
Question:1463. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health the number of the 16 specialist hubs nationwide which were to be opened between 2018 and 2023 that are fully operational with specialist multidisciplinary teams of clinicians; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14299/21]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Nursing Homes Support Scheme
Questions (1464)
Éamon Ó Cuív
Question:1464. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the way the valuation of property is assessed in respect of the nursing home subvention scheme in cases in which the house in question was legally disposed of four years ago; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14302/21]
View answerWritten answers
The Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS), commonly referred to as Fair Deal, is a system of financial support for people who require long-term residential care. Participants contribute to the cost of their care according to their means while the State pays the balance of the cost. The Scheme aims to ensure that long-term nursing home care is accessible and affordable for everyone and that people are cared for in the most appropriate settings.
In accordance with the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act 2009, a person’s income and assets (including transferred assets) are financially assessed in order to calculate his/her contribution to care.
The financial assessment is based on 80% of assessable income and 7.5% of the value of the applicant’s cash assets and property assets.
In a situation where a person sold a property four years before applying for the scheme, the remaining proceeds of the sale will be assessed as cash assets as part of the person’s financial assessment.
Where a person transferred a property four years prior to first making an application for the scheme, the estimated market value of the transferred property at date of transfer will be included in the financial assessment.
A transferred asset is defined as an asset that was transferred for no consideration, for nominal consideration or for consideration which is less than 75% of its market value at the date of transfer.
It is important to note that where a transferred asset qualifies as a person’s principal residence, this asset is included in the financial assessment for the first three years that the person receives care services in a nursing home.
In addition to the preceding points, it should be noted that the financial assessment of means under the Nursing Homes Support Scheme is based on complex, primary legislation and therefore a number of individual considerations need to be taken into account for each application, depending on the applicant's specific circumstances.
Hospital Staff
Questions (1465)
Maurice Quinlivan
Question:1465. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Health his plans to renew the policy of offering all eligible Irish trained graduates newly qualified doctors an interim post in 2021 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14303/21]
View answerWritten answers
Over the past number of weeks, my Department and the HSE have been reviewing the option to increase the number of medical intern places for July 2021.
I have announced an increase of 120 medical intern posts for July 2021. The increase in the number of intern places will be supported with accompanying increases in postgraduate training places, to ensure these doctors can avail of the next step in the training pathway following completion of an internship.
Over the next number of months, the HSE will be undertaking a formal review of the number of intern posts and postgraduate training positions to ensure the number of intern places are in line with future medical workforce planning requirements of the health service. As part of this review the clinical sites where additional intern posts are most needed will be considered to ensure that the current configuration provides the most efficient and educationally appropriate model.
Drugs Payment Scheme
Questions (1466)
Eoin Ó Broin
Question:1466. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health if he plans to add cariban, xonvea and navalem to the approved drugs list under the drugs payment scheme; and the treatments available under the drugs payment scheme to treat hyperemesis gravidarum. [14304/21]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Question No. 1467 answered with Question No. 1367.
Domestic Violence Services
Questions (1468)
Holly Cairns
Question:1468. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to provide general practitioners and community social workers with specialised training in responding to the survivors and victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14335/21]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Medicinal Products
Questions (1469)
Holly Cairns
Question:1469. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to address the high cost of long-acting contraception which is even more challenging to overcome economic uncertainty and limited freedom of movement during the Covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14336/21]
View answerWritten answers
Eligibility for access to contraceptive products is currently governed by the same eligibility framework as applies more broadly in the Irish healthcare system, and the supports available to individuals in terms of mitigating the cost of LARCs are also the same.
Those who hold a medical card can access contraception, including LARCs, free of charge except for a €1.50 per item prescription charge levied at the pharmacy. In addition, those who possess GP visit cards can see their doctor without charge, effectively removing the clinical cost associated with LARCs, although the individual would still have to pay for the product itself.
For those not in possession of either a medical card or GP visit card, contraception is considered as an out-of-pocket expense. However, the Drug Payment Scheme covers in full the cost of prescribed medication in excess of €114 a month for an individual or family which can serve to limit this cost.
I would also stress that, despite the delay caused by the need to focus on and prioritise the response to the current pandemic, it remains a commitment of this Government to expand access to free contraception for women aged 17-25, including LARCs.
Disability Services Provision
Questions (1470)
David Cullinane
Question:1470. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if responsibilities and functions for disability services remain under his remit; if not, if these have been transferred to the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; if these services are to be transferred, when this will occur; if, for budget purposes, disability spending remains under the health vote; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14343/21]
View answerWritten answers
Following the Government's announcement regarding the establishment of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability and Integration, arrangements are underway for the transfer of disability services to the new Department.
There are a number of factors to be taken into consideration in planning for this transfer of functions. Given the scale of the functions being transferred and the significant budget involved (c. €2.2bn in 2021), there are multiple financial, HR, policy, legal and governance workstreams underway within my Department to sequence the range of tasks necessary to effectively complete the transfer of responsibility between both Departments.
Since the Taoiseach’s announcement in June 2020, both Departments have worked together to provide effective oversight and co-ordination of the various tasks involved in the transfer of policy and budgetary responsibility. While significant progress has already been made in advancing the transfer, work to-date has emphasised the complexity and interconnected nature of the service and financial arrangements currently in place. Due to the complex nature of these current arrangements, it will be necessary to draft and enact primary legislation to establish the arrangements for the new Department in a legally robust manner. To that end, it is intended to bring the General Scheme of a Bill to Government in the first half of this year.
Vaccination Programme
Questions (1471)
Bernard Durkan
Question:1471. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health when the Covid-19 vaccine will be provided to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14344/21]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Vaccination Programme
Questions (1472)
Robert Troy
Question:1472. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if the HSE is delivering vaccines on Saturday and Sunday. [14348/21]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Occupational Therapy
Questions (1473)
Niamh Smyth
Question:1473. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the reason a child (details supplied) is waiting so long for an occupational therapy appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14351/21]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
National Public Health Emergency Team
Questions (1474)
Thomas Gould
Question:1474. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the date of the last meeting of the NPHET vulnerable people subgroup. [14352/21]
View answerWritten answers
The NPHET Sub-group on Vulnerable Persons met on the following dates:
6th, 11th, 18th, 25th March 2020;
1st, 15th, 29th April;
7th, 20th May;
3rd, 24th June (final meeting).
The agendas and minutes of these meetings are published on the Department of Health website:
https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/301f5e-the-national-public-health-emergency-team-nphet-subgroup-vulnerable-/
Central to the evolution of NPHET processes is the recognition that health and social care services, and indeed the wider cross-government COVID-19 response, have to become embedded and ‘mainstreamed’ in the usual operational response of organisations, as society adapts to the reality of living for the foreseeable future in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In July 2020, as part of a process examining the work of all the subgroups of the NPHET, it was deemed that the Subgroup on Vulnerable Persons had met its Terms of Reference regarding preparedness plans being in place across government for vulnerable groups, and accordingly, it was stood down. The associated ongoing work was realigned into the appropriate policy and operational functions of the Department of Health or other relevant Departments, organisations, or bodies.
Recognising that vulnerable groups can be disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and as set out in Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19, the Department of the Taoiseach has convened a Senior Official Group and sub-groups as needed, to drive implementation of the Plan. This includes a Sub-group on higher risk groups to monitor the spectrum of issues that need to be addressed in relation to groups at higher risk of COVID-19. These groups support the COVID-19 Oversight Group and the Cabinet Committee on the Government Response to COVID-19. The Subgroup on higher risk groups meets as required.
I trust that the above information addresses the Deputy’s question satisfactorily.
Hospice Services
Questions (1475)
Michael Fitzmaurice
Question:1475. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 84 of 10 February 2021, when a decision will be made by the Saolta University Health Care Group in relation to the application made by Roscommon University Hospital in July 2020 for its revenue funding application for the Roscommon Hospice under construction on the grounds of Roscommon University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14353/21]
View answerWritten answers
As the Deputy may be aware, SAOLTA Hospital Group has submitted a proposal to the HSE to manage the Roscommon Palliative Care Support Unit as an extension of Roscommon University Hospital. This means that all existing governance arrangements and responsibilities associated with roles in Roscommon University Hospital would from the date of commencement extend to the 8-bed Palliative Care Support Unit.
I understand that the HSE has indicated that it will now commence engaging with my Department to determine the revenue allocation for the opening of the Palliative Care Support Unit following completion of capital works and equipment outfitting. Given the current COVID situation, issues with staff recruitment and other related operational issues, the Unit will likely open on a phased basis over 2021, subject to revenue sanction from my Department.
Counselling Services
Questions (1476)
Michael Collins
Question:1476. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Health if the various unplanned pregnancy counselling services recognised by the sexual health and crisis pregnancy programme and in receipt of State funding are seeing clients face-to-face during the Covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14362/21]
View answerWritten answers
As the Deputy's question relates to a service matter, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for a direct reply to the Deputy.