Written Answers Nos. 1915-1932
1915. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Health if he will prioritise the return of all maternity services including the return of cancelled antenatal classes and access to support during all stages of pregnancy and birth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19290/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1916. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Health if CHO7 vaccinated the staff in schools (details supplied). [19293/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1917. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Health if CHO6 vaccinated the staff in schools (details supplied). [19294/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1918. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Health if community health organisations have facilitated the vaccination of school staff; and if special school staff were officially registered through the HSE portal for essential frontline workers. [19295/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1919. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Health if any criteria has been used to differentiate between different schools to facilitate vaccinations for staff in special schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19296/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1920. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health if the Ireland East Hospital Group has rejected a locally approved business case for a clinical psychologist, an integral part of the multidisciplinary team for the paediatric diabetes service in the Regional Hospital, Mullingar which earlier in 2021 closed due to unsafe staffing levels; and his views on this urgent matter in addition to referring to the HSE for a reply. [19297/21]
View answerI understand the concern and stress that the temporary suspension of services at the Paediatric Diabetes Service in Regional Hospital Mullingar is causing to patients and their families. The Health Service Executive has assured me that it is doing everything possible to have the Paediatric Diabetic Services operational as soon as possible.
The HSE has advised me that a new campaign to fill the vacancy for a Paediatric Diabetes Clinical Nurse Specialist went live on Wednesday 24th March 2021. The HSE has also advised that, in order to have the service re-opened, the Ireland East Hospital Group was granted funding for an Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) for the Paediatric Diabetes Service and that a further competition is now active. Assuming a successful outcome to this recruitment campaign, the HSE has advised the service will reopen by the end of April.
In relation to the specific query raised in relation to a business case for a clinical psychologist for the service, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
1922. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health the status of the primary care centre at Boot Road, Clondalkin, Dublin 22. [19299/21]
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.
1925. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health when normal services of an organisation (details supplied) such as day centres will resume. [19305/21]
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.
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted service provision in all areas of the health service, including disability services. Here is the current situation with regard to day, respite, personal assistance and home support services.
All day service locations with the exception of those being utilised as COVID-19 isolation or testing centres have reopened since August. Service users that usually received their supports from these locations are now either receiving supports at another location or receiving outreach or home-based supports.
Day services re-opened at 39% capacity at service locations throughout August and early September of 2020, and by end of January 2021 this had increased to 51%. The combination of supports in the location, outreach supports, and remote supports provides an overall quantum of support to service users of over 60% at the end of January. For the duration of the COVID-19 emergency day service capacity is reduced, this is due to the physical limitations of the buildings available, the lack of mainstream community activities, and the continued restrictions imposed by social distancing guidance. Many people with disabilities have underlying health conditions, and as the threat of COVID-19 remains, unfortunately so too does the need for these restrictions.
Guidance published by the HSE on 6 January 2021 confirms that day services continue to be prioritised and delivered subject to a revised Risk Assessment, Public Health Guidance and direction. People with complex medical/ clinical related needs are to remain at home and where possible, to receive the same number of hours support in the home as they had been in receipt of pre-Christmas in day service locations. Providers have been asked to reduce contacts via hubs/bubbles, with dedicated staff for dedicated service users, where possible. Where families are uncomfortable with allowing their family member to return to a day service location, a package of support within available resources will be agreed with the service user and family.
Additional funding of €30 million has been provided in Budget 2021 for day services to increase capacity in buildings and provide extra staff. This will provide an increase in day services by an average of one day a week for 14,940 people against September 2020 service levels.
The delivery of Respite Services continued to operate during the pandemic, albeit at a reduced capacity; some centres remained open, while others were temporarily re-purposed as isolation facilities.
At present, centre-based respite facilities are generally providing services at 40 to 60 percent occupancy levels due to necessary precautions to maintain physical distancing and to adhere to infection prevention and control requirements. The majority of centres are open on a reduced capacity basis due to physical distancing requirements. In a very small number of cases, certain centres remain closed or continue to be used for isolation purposes, subject to the prevailing local incidence of infection.
The use of targeted 1:1 Home Support Hours are being offered in lieu of respite in certain circumstances, subject to appropriate risk assessment and in line with prevailing Infection, Prevention and Control guidelines.
The number of people in receipt of PA and Home Support services remained steady throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of PA hours exceeded the 2020 National Service Plan target by 6.7%, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, mainly because of additional PA hours being provided in lieu of other services. Home Support Services were 4.6% below target at year end, mainly due to the complexity involved in the provision of services due to COVID-19.
In order to support Personal Assistants (PAs) during the pandemic, the HSE Disability Operations Quality Improvement Office developed infection, prevention and control bespoke guidance for PAs. This was developed in collaboration with Leaders, Personal Assistants and Service Providers and was agreed with the Health Surveillance Protection Centre (HSPC) and was published on the HSE’s website.
The HSE’s priority is to continue to deliver high quality PA and Home Support Services to 10,000 people with disabilities including 1.71 million PA hours and over 3 million Home Support Hours. This includes the allocation of an additional 40,000 PA hours under Budget 2021.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly with respect to the specific service provider mentioned, as soon as possible.
1926. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if he will review the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19309/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1927. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the average wait time for persons to access gambling addiction counselling by quarter in each of the years 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021; and the number of persons who accessed the service in tabular form. [19312/21]
View answer1928. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the average wait time for persons to access gambling addiction residential treatment by quarter in each of the years 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021 including the number of persons who accessed the service in tabular form. [19313/21]
View answer1929. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who presented to the HSE with a gambling addiction in each of the years 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021, by month. [19314/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1927 to 1929, inclusive, together.
As these are service matters, I have asked the HSE to investigate the issues raised by the Deputy and to reply to him directly.
1930. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if additional supports are put in place for established high-risk gambling times, for example, the Cheltenham festival. [19315/21]
View answerAs previously advised, the Health Service Executive (HSE) has responsibility for the provision of addiction treatment services. It is often the case that gambling addiction is one of a number of addictions and or issues faced by an individual.
The HSE Addiction and Section 39 funded Services have been traditionally funded to treat problematic Drug and Alcohol use. Some cases of problematic gambling have been provided with treatment. Interventions including one to one counselling, financial advice and onward referral to other voluntary groups including Gamblers Anonymous.
Services have not been funded to develop a programme of interventions for problematic gambling. To provide additional services for gambling addiction would result in significant capacity issues and lengthening of existing waiting lists for people with drug and alcohol problems.
While I am supportive of drug and alcohol services that assist people with problem gambling, the Department has no funding available to it to support organisations that deal only with gambling addiction or problem gamblers.
1931. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health the initiatives being taken to improve dental and orthodontic services in the south-east especially in County Carlow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19321/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1932. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the status of the implementation plan for the National Neurorehabilitation Strategy, including clear timelines for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19332/21]
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 Neuro-Rehabilitation Strategy Implementation Framework (IF) was launched in February 2019. The overarching aim of the Strategy is the development of neuro-rehabilitation services to improve patient outcomes by providing safe, high quality, person -centred neuro-rehabilitation 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.
These services should be configured into population based managed clinical rehabilitation networks (MCRNs). The MCRN, while an effective model in a number of European countries, is a new concept in Ireland. MCRNs are recognised as having the potential to bring together an appropriate range of primary, secondary and tertiary services to ensure equitable provision of high quality and clinically effective services.
Funding has been sought and approved to support the introduction of a managed clinical rehabilitation network demonstrator project. The focus of the demonstrator project is the development of post-acute and community neuro-rehabilitation services across CHO 6 & 7. In terms of service provision, this is where the gap is most evident in terms of demonstrating a Network model.
Funding became available from Q4 2020, with full year funding of €2.29m available for 2021.The learning from the demonstrator project will inform implementation of the Neuro-rehabilitation Strategy across each CHO and implementation of strategy will roll-out from 2022.
As the issue raised is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to reply directly to the Deputy.
