Written Answers Nos. 2313-2331
2313. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Health if he will consider changes to the mandatory Covid-19 detention system to facilitate returning students from Erasmus programmes, other student exchanges and graduate internship programmes in EU states and non-EU states to quarantine at home upon arrival; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20560/21]
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.
The Health (Amendment) Act 2021 identifies those who are exempt from mandatory hotel quarantine and a full list of exemptions can be accessed on gov.ie/quarantine.
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.
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.
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.
2315. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Health when a public MRI facility will be provided on a permanent basis at Wexford General Hospital as was announced in the 2019 Health Capital Plan; if he will publish the terms of agreement between the HSE and an organisation (details supplied) for the private facility currently in place there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20566/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
2317. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Health when the announced capital works for a 75-bed unit at Wexford General Hospital will commence; the allocated funding for this unit for 2021 and 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20568/21]
View answerAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
2318. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Health if it is planned to provide acute psychiatric beds at Wexford General Hospital; the arrangements for acute psychiatric treatment currently available for the persons in each area of County Wexford; if these arrangements are in acceptance with the A Vision for Change plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20570/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
2320. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the number of clamping fines paid in each hospital in each month in 2020 and to date in 2021; and the number of appeals allowed in each case in tabular form. [20583/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
2321. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health if a person returning to Ireland from one of the designated mandatory hotel quarantine countries who was receiving essential medical treatment abroad and will require immediate follow-up medical treatment in Ireland upon returning will have to undergo mandatory hotel quarantine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20584/21]
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.
Neither I as Minister for Health nor my Department have any role in decisions relating to whether individual persons must enter mandatory quarantine or whether individual persons are exempted travellers. All such decisions are to be determined in accordance with the provisions of the Act.
2322. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Health the number of legal firms corresponded with by his Department arising from a recent television programme (details supplied); the number of files identified in his Department impacted by the activity uncovered in the television programme; the timeline for the investigation into this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20586/21]
View answer2323. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Health the details of the independent liaison officer appointed to investigate and report on matters raised in a recent television programme (details supplied); the timeline for the investigation and report; if the report will be published; if he will give assurances as to the independence of the inquiry; if he will publish the terms of reference for the inquiry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20587/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 2322 and 2323 together.
I take the allegations made in recent media reports including the RTÉ Investigates broadcast of 25 March extremely seriously. I know that the headlines generated will have caused distress for some families.
The Report of the Department of Health team set up to establish the facts in respect of specific allegations by RTÉ Primetime Investigates Programme was published this morning. This report deals with each of the allegations made in the programme and related articles on the website.
This Report is clear that the Department of Health has never gathered sensitive medical and educational information on children involved in court cases in the manner portrayed in recent media reports.
There is no evidence that the Department of Health was secretly compiling dossiers on children with autism involved in Special Educational Needs litigation as alleged.
I welcome an inquiry by the Data Protection Commission (DPC), which is currently investigating data collection practices regarding the cases. My Department looks forward to the findings of this review and, where necessary, will make improvements based on their recommendations?.
The Department of Health has appointed an Independent Support Liaison Officer to engage directly with the 29 families involved in open Special Educational Needs litigation related to these allegations. These families are being contacted through the solicitor on file offering the opportunity to engage directly with the Independent Support Liaison Officer.
2324. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health if he plans to seek an extension in relation to those provisions of Part 3 of the Health Act 2020 that are due to expire in June 2021; the factors that will be considered in relation to such an extension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20588/21]
View answerMy Department is currently giving consideration to the extension of the provisions referred to by the Deputy. Key considerations will relate to the evolving national and international epidemiological situation and an assessment of the ongoing public health risk in Ireland.
2325. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the status of the CervicalCheck Tribunal; if there has been further engagement with a group (details supplied); the actions taken to address the concerns of the group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20589/21]
View answerThe CervicalCheck Tribunal was established on 27 October 2020 under the CervicalCheck Tribunal Act 2019. Establishment of the Tribunal was finalised with the appointment of the nominated members to the Tribunal with effect from 1 December 2020 and the Tribunal has now begun to receive claims.
I have had a significant level of engagement with the 221+ Patient Representative Group, working with them to progress issues they had raised in respect of the Tribunal and CervicalCheck cases more generally. This engagement which took place largely during the period between establishment of the Tribunal and the appointment of the Tribunal members, included a number of meetings as well as detailed constructive correspondence on the issues raised. Significant progress was made through this engagement; however, it was not possible to resolve all of the issues raised by the group in the way that they wanted them to be addressed.
I will continue to work with my Department to address the concerns the group have raised where possible and while there is no ongoing engagement with the group in respect of the Tribunal, engagement continues through other mechanisms such as the CervicalCheck Steering Committee, which has held three meetings this year, the most recent of which was on Wednesday 14 April.
2326. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health the rationale for his recent decision relating to vaccine prioritisation by age as distinct from societal cohort; the reason essential workers in populated settings such as classrooms will be treated the same as persons working from home; his views on whether there is a higher risk of contracting Covid-19 for workers in populated settings; if he will address the concerns of a teacher expressed in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20591/21]
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/
There is no evidence to show a significantly increased risk of severe COVID-19 disease, independent of age and other comorbidities, in any occupational group to prioritise them for vaccination above their age-cohort.
2327. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in each LHO area waiting for a podiatry appointment in primary care as of 1 April 2021 or the latest date available; and the number waiting zero to 12, 12 to 26, 26 to 52 and more than 52 weeks, respectively. [20592/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
2328. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in each LHO area waiting for an ophthalmology appointment in primary care as of 1 April 2021 or the latest date available; and the number waiting zero to 12, 12 to 26, 26 to 52 and more than 52 weeks, respectively. [20593/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
2329. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in each LHO area waiting for an audiology appointment in primary care as of 1 April 2021 or the latest date available; and the number waiting zero to 12, 12 to 26, 26 to 52 and more than 52 weeks, respectively. [20594/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
2330. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in each LHO area waiting for a dietetics appointment in primary care as of 1 April 2021 or the latest date available; and the number waiting zero to 12, 12 to 26, 26 to 52 and more than 52 weeks, respectively. [20595/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
2331. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in each LHO area waiting for a psychology appointment in primary care as of 1 April 2021 or the latest date available; and the number waiting zero to 12, 12 to 26, 26 to 52 and more than 52 weeks, respectively. [20596/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
