Written Answers Nos. 1778-1802
1778. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the measures being put in place to provide for the healthcare of transgender young persons in Ireland given the exit of a UK-based clinic (details supplied) from Children's Health Ireland at Crumlin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15427/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1779. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health when the multidisciplinary team will be in place as per the final report of the steering committee on the development of HSE transgender identity services of February 2020. [15428/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1780. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the resources that have been made available to ensure the HSE service development model of care is implemented and accessible to support transgender young persons, and to include the provision of appropriate mental health services at primary and specialist services in line with objective 13 of the LGBTI+ National Youth Strategy 2018-2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15429/21]
View answer1781. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health if a policy has been developed to ensure all health programmes take account of young persons who have transitioned, for example, immunisation programmes and HPV, as recommended by an association (details supplied) or other appropriate professional transgender health guidelines in line with objective 13 of the LGBTI+ National Youth Strategy 2018-2020.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15430/21]
View answer1782. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health if clear guidelines have been furnished to health practitioners on referral pathways for transgender young persons and their families to specialised services in line with objective 13 of the LGBTI+ National Youth Strategy 2018-2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15431/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1780 to 1782, inclusive, together.
My colleague, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth leads on the LGBTI+ Strategies. The National LGBTI strategy aims to improve the lives of the LGBTI+ citizens of Ireland through the promotion of inclusion, protection of rights and the improvement of the quality of life and wellbeing for LGBTI+ people, enabling them to participate fully in Ireland's social, economic, cultural, and political life. The LGBTI+ National Youth Strategy aims to ensure all LGBTI+ young people are visible, valued and included.
These Strategies plays an important part to achieve the Government's broader commitment to continue to strive for the full inclusion of LGBTI+ people in Irish society.
As the issues raised by the Deputies are service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1783. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the work that has been undertaken with parents and young persons seeking to access healthcare outside the State under the provisions of the EU cross-border healthcare directive and treatment abroad scheme to ensure the available options for access to care are communicated effectively in line with objective 13 of the LGBTI+ National Youth Strategy 2018-2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15432/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1784. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the additional specialised staff who have been recruited in line with action 19.1 of the National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy 2018-2020, including endocrinologists, social workers, speech and language therapists, senior psychologists, clinical nurse specialists and administrative support officers. [15433/21]
View answerIn 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.
1785. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the steps that have been taken to develop transgender health services for children and adults with a clear transition pathway from child to adult services in line with action 19.2 of the National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy 2018-2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15434/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1788. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Health the waiting list for children seeking new appointments and repeat appointments at a paediatric chronic pain clinic; if the waiting list is open or closed to new referrals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15437/21]
View answerI recognise that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been impacted in the last year as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic and acknowledge the distress and inconvenience for patients and their families.
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.
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.
1789. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Health if family carers will be added as a priority group on the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15438/21]
View answerOn the 23rd of February 2021, 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:
https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/b44b2-minister-donnelly-announces-update-to-vaccine-allocation-strategy/
The next cohort to be vaccinated (Cohort 4) are those aged 16-69 and at very high risk of severe illness and death. Vaccination of this group began in March.
The ongoing review process will continue to look at the other priority groups yet to be vaccinated, along with the competing needs of those working or living in high-risk situations, carers who deliver essential services to highly dependent individuals in the home setting, and those who are socially vulnerable/disadvantaged.
It is important to emphasise that vaccination is only one part of our response to the prevention of COVID-19 infection. People who are vaccinated need to continue with all the public health measures that have been proven to reduce the risk of infection, i.e., limiting our social contacts, physical distancing, wearing a mask, hand hygiene, cough etiquette and avoiding non-essential travel until a sufficiently large proportion of the population are immune.
1790. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of special schools whose staff have been vaccinated and their relationship with the HSE, HSE site or a group (details supplied) which is HSE funded; the reason staff at some special schools have been vaccinated but not others despite the staff facing the same behavioural challenges in students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15446/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1791. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if staff at special schools are considered as part of group 10 or group 11 for the purposes of the vaccine roll-out, given the particularly difficult challenges they face at work with an inability to maintain physical distancing and other protective measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15449/21]
View answerOn the 23rd of February 2021, 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:
https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/b44b2-minister-donnelly-announces-update-to-vaccine-allocation-strategy/
The next cohort to be vaccinated (Cohort 4) are those aged 16-69 and at very high risk of severe illness and death. Vaccination of this group began in March.
The ongoing review process will continue to look at the other priority groups yet to be vaccinated, along with the competing needs of those working or living in high-risk situations, carers who deliver essential services to highly dependent individuals in the home setting, and those who are socially vulnerable/disadvantaged.
It is important to emphasise that vaccination is only one part of our response to the prevention of COVID-19 infection. People who are vaccinated need to continue with all the public health measures that have been proven to reduce the risk of infection, i.e., limiting our social contacts, physical distancing, wearing a mask, hand hygiene, cough etiquette and avoiding non-essential travel until a sufficiently large proportion of the population are immune.
1792. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health the financial and other supports given to pharmacies that have provided a service throughout the pandemic; if the staff providing the service will be prioritised for the Covid-19 vaccine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15453/21]
View answerOngoing engagement between my Department, the HSE and the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) has resulted in a significant number of contingency measures being put in place to support community pharmacies since the start of the pandemic:
- Community Pharmacists have been recognised as ‘key workers’ during the pandemic to ensure access to priority testing for the COVID-19 virus.
- A patient’s previous GMS prescriptions was deemed sufficient for additional months;
- For pharmacies submitting their claims for reimbursement electronically, supporting documentation need not be submitted;
- The validity of a hospital prescription was increased from 7 days to one month;
- Where a high-tech prescription had expired, a GP prescription was sufficient for repeat dispensing purposes.
- The Medicinal Products (Prescription and Control of Supply) (Amendment) Regulations of 3 April facilitated the electronic transfer of prescriptions to a pharmacy via the HSE’s Healthmail system and brought into effect changes to the length of prescription validity periods and repeat prescriptions rulesets.
Such contingency measures have reduced the burden on the health system as a whole and some of these measures have in fact been long standing asks on the part of the Irish Pharmacy Union in the context of maximising clinical expertise.
There is no doubt that there have been impacts on the business model of many community pharmacies over the course of the pandemic. The IPU and their members have been directed to the comprehensive suite of measures introduced by Government to support the commercial viability and sustainability of all businesses which are administered by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
With regards to the prioritisation of pharmacists for the Covid-19 vaccine, the HSE has requested that all Hospital Groups who are undertaking Healthcare Worker vaccinations ensure that retail/community pharmacists who register for vaccination were accommodated for dose one vaccination by the end of February.
There are currently almost 1,900 pharmacies employing approximately 2,300 pharmacists on a regular basis. As of week ending 21 March, the HSE have advised that the number of pharmacists who have yet to receive dose one vaccination is less than 60. However, these have been renotified to HSE vaccine leads and the HSE advise that all remaining pharmacists will receive their vaccination shortly.
1793. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the status of the provision of €5 million funding for nine additional respite houses announced on 23 February 2021; the location of each respite house; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15455/21]
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.
In Budget 2021, I committed to provide funding to the HSE to develop nine additional respite services across the country. Last month, I was delighted to announce St Gabriel’s Children’s Respite Service, in Limerick, as the first of these services.
€5m funding has been provided to the HSE to develop and open the additional 9 dedicated centre-based respite services across all Community Healthcare Areas this year. I am engaging with the HSE on this matter on an ongoing basis and have requested the HSE to give the utmost priority to putting these new facilities and services in place without delay. The aim is to provide me with regular reports so I can ensure this additional funding is directly targeted at the people who need it most.
I will update my Oireachtas colleagues on the location of these services as they become known.
1794. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the breakdown of the recurring funding for each hospice (details supplied) announced on 17 January 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15456/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1795. Deputy Malcolm Noonan asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the delays facing children awaiting pain management assessment and treatment as raised by a group (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15457/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1796. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if he will give consideration to having cardiac patients recategorised to level 7 of the national roll-out plan for Covid-19 vaccinations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15460/21]
View answerOn the 23rd of February 2021, 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:
https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/b44b2-minister-donnelly-announces-update-to-vaccine-allocation-strategy/
The next cohort to be vaccinated (Cohort 4) are those aged 16-69 and at very high risk of severe illness and death. Vaccination of this group began in March.
It is important to emphasise that vaccination is only one part of our response to the prevention of COVID-19 infection. People who are vaccinated need to continue with all the public health measures that have been proven to reduce the risk of infection, i.e., limiting our social contacts, physical distancing, wearing a mask, hand hygiene, cough etiquette and avoiding non-essential travel until a sufficiently large proportion of the population are immune.
1797. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health the public and voluntary hospitals that have repair clinics for prosthetic limbs, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15464/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1798. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health the number of approved psychiatric nursing posts, by speciality, as per A Vision for Change recommendations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15465/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1799. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Health the position regarding assessment of needs waiting times (details supplied). [15474/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly.
1800. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if he is reviewing the Memorandum of Understanding with his colleague in the Northern Ireland Executive; the status of the performance of same; the extent to which information and data on testing, tracing and inbound travellers has been shared under the Memorandum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15479/21]
View answerThere has been, and continues to be, significant engagement and cooperation between the Ministers for Health, the Chief Medical Officers, and the Departments of Health in Ireland and Northern Ireland throughout this pandemic. Both administrations are seeking to adopt similar approaches, where it is appropriate to do so and on the advice of respective Chief Medical Officers. This approach is underpinned a Memorandum of Understanding agreed by the Chief Medical Officers of the Department of Health and the Department of Health in Northern Ireland in April 2020 to strengthen North South co-operation on the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Within this framework, the respective CMOs and their teams hold a weekly technical meeting regarding cooperation in the public health response. These meetings typically involve information sharing on the epidemiological situation in the respective jurisdictions, trends in case numbers and the profile of the disease, updates on respective vaccination programmes, and international travel. In November, this overarching agreement was supplemented with a further Memorandum of Understanding in relation to a framework for mutual support for the provision of critical care.
Discussions between my Department and the Public Health Agency in relation to a Data Sharing Agreement for transferring data from Irish PLFs to Northern Ireland to assist in their public health efforts are at an advanced stage.
There is also an established process in place for sharing of necessary details between the Public Health Agency NI and HSE in respect of people who may have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive in either jurisdiction.
Through the Memorandum of Understanding, there has been pragmatic and constructive engagement between the respective Chief Medical Officers and their teams. We recognise the benefit and necessity in continuing this close cooperation between the Northern Ireland Executive and the Irish Government in order to best manage the increasingly serious pressures facing healthcare.
1801. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health the number of children with complex medical conditions availing of paediatric homecare following discharge from hospital in the past six months. [15480/21]
View answerAs this is as service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1802. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken to ensure adequate step down and rehabilitation services for persons who suffer from stroke upon discharge from inpatient hospital care. [15481/21]
View answerThe Programme for Government – Our Shared Future’, includes a commitment for advancing neuro-rehabilitation services in the community.
The Health Service Executive is leading on the implementation framework in respect of the recommendations of the National Policy and Strategy for the provision of Neuro-Rehabilitation Services in Ireland 2011-2015. The focus of the Neuro-Rehabilitation Strategy is on achieving best outcomes for people, by providing safe, high quality, person-centred care at the lowest appropriate level of complexity. This must be integrated across the care pathway and provided as close to home as possible or in specialist centres, where necessary.
The framework will guide the reconfiguration and development of neuro-rehabilitation structures and services at national and local level, through a 10-step Framework. It proposes the formation of Managed Clinical Rehabilitation Networks (MCRNs), with the set-up of one demonstration MCRN suggested as the first step. The ultimate goal of this approach is to put in place a national framework of acute, inpatient and specialist community services.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
