Written Answers Nos. 2104-2122
2104. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health when access to required health services including urgently required investigative procedures can be facilitated in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19858/21]
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.
On 23 March the HSE published the “Safe Return to Health Services Plan”. This plan outlines a three phased approach for the proposed restoration of services across Community Services, Acute Hospital Operations, Cancer Services and Screening Services. It sets target times for their safe return and details the conditions and challenges that will have to be met.
Every phase of the plan has been informed by clinical guidance and putting patient and staff safety first.
Decisions in relation to the type and volume of activity will be made at site level based on local COVID-19 numbers, available capacity and guidance from national clinical leads.
The schedule outlined in the plan for resumption of services will be regularly monitored by the HSE and updated as appropriate, dependant on public health advice and healthcare capacity.
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.
2105. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health if persons who have to travel abroad for medical treatment under the treatment abroad scheme every six to eight weeks to a country with which Ireland has mandatory hotel quarantine in place on return, will have to go into mandatory quarantine each time they return to Ireland; if so, if their ongoing medical treatment can be provided in the hotel in Ireland for them by the HSE on their return; if the treatment abroad scheme covers the cost of the quarantine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19861/21]
View answerMandatory hotel quarantine has been introduced as one element of Ireland’s public health measures to combat the transmission of COVID-19 variants of concern.
The Health Act 1947, as amended, provides that all persons arriving in Ireland from a designated state, or having travelled through a designated state in the previous 14 days, are required to undergo mandatory quarantine in a designated facility unless they are an exempted traveller under the Act. All applicable travellers must reserve and pay for a place in mandatory hotel quarantine.
Mandatory hotel quarantine is also necessary in circumstances where passengers coming from non-designated states do not provide evidence that they have a negative or ‘not detected’ result from a COVID-19 Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test carried out no more than 72 hours before arrival into Ireland.
The provisions of the Act allow for travellers to request a review of decisions relating to their quarantine in a designated facility; however, this can only be undertaken once quarantine has begun.The Act identifies those who are exempt from mandatory hotel quarantine, and a full list of exemptions can be accessed on gov.ie/quarantine.
Exemptions for medical reasons pertain to a person who travels to the State for an unavoidable, imperative and time sensitive medical reason and that reason is certified by a person who is a registered medical practitioner or a person holding an equivalent qualification outside the State. Applicable travellers must produce all relevant documentation on arrival to qualify for an exemption.
The safety, wellbeing and comfort of all guests quarantining in a designated facility is a priority of the mandatory quarantine system, along with protecting people living in Ireland from COVID-19 variants of concern.
All guests undergoing mandatory hotel quarantine have access to a 24/7 on-site healthcare team during their stay. Guests requiring any specific, urgent or emergency care which cannot be provided on-site may also be referred to a dedicated medical facility by the on-site healthcare team.
A procedure is in place with the Department of Foreign Affairs Missions for deferrals of prepayment for Irish citizens and residents abroad in exceptional hardship circumstances. Irish citizens and residents who wish to make an application for deferral of fees relating to mandatory hotel quarantine should contact their local Irish Embassy or Consulate.
2106. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Health if any person can apply for a position (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19872/21]
View answerThe nomination and appointment process for boards of bodies under the aegis of my Department is set out in legislation. In line with Government Decision S180/20/10/1617 of 2014 and Guidelines set out by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform relating to the advertising for expressions of interest in vacancies on State Boards, my Department in conjunction with the Public Appointments Service currently advertises for board vacancies as they arise, where I, as Minister for Health, have nominating rights under relevant legislation.
The specific competencies required for board membership are set out in the vacancy advertisement on www.stateboards.ie and it is open to anyone who consider themselves meeting the criteria to apply.
2107. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of an application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19881/21]
View answerUnder the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for the administration of the community drug schemes; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
2108. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health if he plans to provide additional funding through the HSE to an organisation (details supplied) in 2021 in view of the demand for its services and the extra cost associated with providing them due to Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19882/21]
View answerThe organisation to which the Deputy refers receives funding from the HSE, and CHO West has a Service Level Agreement with the organisation. It provides a range of services, including homeless services, domestic abuse services and senior support services.
Homeless services fall within my responsibility as Minister of State. The Department of Health provided an additional €11m to meet the health needs of people who are homeless during Covid-19 in Budget 2021. The details of this additional funding are set out in the HSE national service plan 2021. The additional funding includes the following:
- continue the protective public health measures that were developed during COVID-19 for the medically vulnerable homeless population.
- expand GP services for people who living in emergency accommodation in Dublin and regional centres.
- provide continuity of care for people who are homeless who may require emergency hospital treatment during the winter months.
CHO 2 is receiving additional funding of €130,000 to increase GP capacity at low threshold GP clinics and to provide temporary emergency accommodation. How this additional funding is allocated to local service providers is a matter for CHO 2.
Budget 2021 is a giant step in delivering on the commitment in the Programme for Government to increase HSE funding for targeted interventions for people who are homeless. I will consider the provision of additional resources to meet the health needs of people who are homeless in the context of the 2022 estimates process. I will engage with the HSE as part of this process.
2110. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1097 of 31 March 2021, the status of the roll-out of phase one of the model of care for infertility at secondary level; the number of regional fertility hubs that are fully operational to date; the locations of same; when the final two regional fertility hubs in counties Galway and Limerick will be fully operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19885/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have referred this question to the HSE for direct reply.
2113. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Health the in-hospital and community supports available to women who miscarry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19890/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
2114. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the examination he has undertaken on the possibility of exemptions from the mandatory hotel quarantine system for Irish students studying abroad as a result of the fact that they were unaware of this situation prior to their departure and the enormous financial hardship that it would impose on them given that many would not be in a position to sustain same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19895/21]
View answerThe Health Act 1947, as amended, provides that all persons arriving in Ireland from a designated state, or having travelled through a designated state in the previous 14 days, are required to undergo mandatory quarantine in a designated facility unless they are an exempted traveller under the Act. All applicable travellers must reserve and pay for a place in mandatory hotel quarantine.
Mandatory hotel quarantine is also necessary in circumstances where passengers coming from non-designated states do not provide evidence that they have a negative or ‘not detected’ result from a COVID-19 Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test carried out no more than 72 hours before arrival into Ireland.
The Act identifies those who are exempt from mandatory hotel quarantine and a full list of exemptions can be accessed on gov.ie/quarantine.
As of 17th April, travellers who are fully vaccinated and have documents to prove their vaccination are exempt from completing mandatory hotel quarantine. Fully vaccinated travellers are still required to have a negative pre-departure RT-PCR test and complete a period of self-quarantine at home or wherever specified in their passenger locator form.
The following table outlines the definition of ‘fully vaccinated’ in order to qualify for an exemption.
|
Type of vaccine |
You are regarded as fully vaccinated after |
|
Pfizer-BioNtech |
7 days after 2nd dose |
|
Moderna |
14 days after 2nd dose |
|
Oxford-AstraZeneca |
15 days after 2nd dose |
|
Johnson & Johnson/Janssen |
14 days after single dose |
The Government continues to evaluate wider policy on international travel as informed by the epidemiological situation and public health advice, including the possibility of future exemptions.
The provisions of the Act also allows for travellers to request a review of decisions relating to their quarantine; however this can only be undertaken once quarantine has begun.
All guests are responsible for the full cost of their stay in a quarantine facility, including their initial booking as well as any additional costs which might be incurred.
It should be noted that in some limited and exceptional cases, such as emergency repatriation of a citizen, a deferral on the requirement to pre-pay for quarantine while booking may be granted by the Department of Foreign Affairs. This deferral does not remove the responsibility of such guests to pay for the full cost of their quarantine in a designated facility.
Additionally, I understand that my colleague the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science is establishing a refund mechanism for students returning from Erasmus programmes who are required to undergo mandatory quarantine in a designated facility.
Neither I as Minister for Health nor my Department have a role in decisions relating to whether individual persons must enter mandatory quarantine or whether individual persons are exempted travellers.
2115. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if an operation will be expedited in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19896/21]
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.
On 23 March the HSE published the “Safe Return to Health Services Plan”. This plan outlines a three phased approach for the proposed restoration of services across Community Services, Acute Hospital Operations, Cancer Services and Screening Services. It sets target times for their safe return and details the conditions and challenges that will have to be met.
Every phase of the plan has been informed by clinical guidance and putting patient and staff safety first.
Decisions in relation to the type and volume of activity will be made at site level based on local COVID-19 numbers, available capacity and guidance from national clinical leads.
The schedule outlined in the plan for resumption of services will be regularly monitored by the HSE and updated as appropriate, dependant on public health advice and healthcare capacity.
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.
2117. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the way in which the appeals process operates in relation to mandatory hotel quarantine; the appeals officer in this regard; if a further appeal is possible in the event a person is not satisfied with an appeal outcome; the grounds on which an appeal will be allowed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19898/21]
View answerThe provisions of the Health Act 1947, as amended, allows for travellers to request a review of decisions relating to their quarantine (independent appeals process); however this can only be undertaken once quarantine has begun and on a limited number of grounds. Public health will remain a paramount consideration.
The Department of Justice is supporting the Department of Health in relation to the review process and has put in place a procedure which provides a seven day a week service.
Decisions must be returned within 24 hours of receipt of the request for review. Requests for review are based on the specific grounds established in the law. Appeals officers have been selected from a group of barristers who have also provided a service in relation to the International Protection Appeals Tribunal. It is possible for a person to submit a new appeal if they are not satisfied with the outcome.
The State Liaison Officer (Irish Defence Forces) in the hotel provides passengers with information on how to apply.
2118. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding access to dentistry in nursing homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19900/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
2119. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Health the process by which the policy of mandatory hotel quarantine will end; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19903/21]
View answerMandatory hotel quarantine has been introduced as one element of Ireland’s public health measures to combat the transmission of COVID-19 variants of concern.
The Health Act 1947, as amended, provides that all persons arriving in Ireland from a designated state, or having travelled through a designated state in the previous 14 days, are required to undergo mandatory quarantine in a designated facility unless they are an exempted traveller under the Act.
The mandatory quarantine system is under regular review by all facilitating stakeholders to ensure that it continues to serve its purpose in preventing the emergence of variants of concern in the state.
The Government continues to evaluate wider policy on international travel as informed by the epidemiological situation and public health advice. It is on this basis that steps to end the mandatory quarantine system will be considered, when appropriate and in when line with wider policy on international travel restrictions.
2120. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health when the 1,700 NDI approved driving instructors will receive a Covid-19 vaccination (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19905/21]
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.
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.
On the 30th of March, the Government approved a further update to the COVID-19 Vaccination Allocation Strategy. Based on clinical, scientific and ethical frameworks produced by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee and my Department, following the vaccination of those most at risk, future groups will be vaccinated by age, in cohorts of 10 years (i.e., 64-55; 54-45, etc.).
The move to an age-based model better supports the programme objectives by:
- protecting those at highest risk of severe disease first, which benefits everyone most;
- facilitating planning and execution of the programme across the entire country;
- improving transparency and fairness.
Further details are available here: https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/93f8f-minister-donnelly-announces-update-to-irelands-vaccination-prioritisation-list/
2121. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if he will respond to correspondence from an institute (details supplied) regarding adding radiographers and radiation therapists to the list of authorised persons for delivering the Covid-19 vaccine. [19910/21]
View answer2126. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if he has engaged with an institute (details supplied) regarding the addition of professionals in radiography and radiation therapy to those who can be trained to and administer Covid-19 vaccines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19920/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 2121 and 2126 together.
The HSE are building and deploying its workforce in order to be prepared for the requirements associated with rolling out the COVID-19 vaccine programme.
GPs, Pharmacists, doctors, nurses, paramedics, and many healthcare professionals, will have a role to play in the vaccination programme.
In addition, on Tuesday 23 February 2021, the Minister for Health signed the Medicinal Products (Prescription and Control of Supply) (Amendment) (No. 4) Regulations 2021. The purpose of these amending Regulations is to add registered optometrists and registered dentists to the list of professionals who may supply and administer Covid-19 vaccinations.
The vaccine rollout is being conducted on a 7-day week basis and to date, 12,000 staff have received training to operate as vaccinators. To support the expanded immunisation programme the HSE launched a vaccinator recruitment campaign at the end of February.
Additional professions will be considered to participate as vaccinators in the programme as required subject to suitability.
2122. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health when the revised terms of reference of the national implementation and monitoring committee, NIMC, as signed off at the meeting of the NIMC steering committee on 12 February 2021 will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19912/21]
View answerThe revised terms of reference of the National Implementation and Monitoring Committee have been published and are available on the Department of Health website at https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/8f821-national-implementation-and-monitoring-committee-steering-committee/. A copy is available at the link.
