Written Answers Nos. 187-202
187. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Justice the number of cases Limerick divisional protection services have dealt with since they came into effect; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35210/21]
View answerUnder the Garda Síochána Act 2005 as amended, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for carrying out and managing and controlling generally the administration and business of an Garda Síochána, including operational matters and the distribution of resources.
I have been informed by the Commissioner that the Limerick DPSU (Divisional Protective Services Unit) has dealt with slightly in excess of 1600 incidents, including TUSLA referrals, since 2017. It is understood that these matters are at various stages of investigation.
The roll-out of these DPSUs meets a key commitment in A Policing Service for the Future, the four-year implementation plan giving effect to the recommendations of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland.
I am pleased that the rollout of DPSUs is now complete and there are units available in every Garda division. These units deliver a consistent and professional approach to the investigation of specialised crime types, including sexual crime, child abuse and domestic abuse and will ensure that when vulnerable victims present to Gardaí they are met with professional, sensitive and expert assistance.
190. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health the number of stillbirths in women with Covid-19 in the period since the onset of the pandemic to date; the percentage of those stillbirths compared to the number of births overall in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26840/21]
View answerAs this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.
191. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 164 of 29 April 2021, the details of the orthodontic waiting list initiative referenced in the response; the details of the specific timeframe for the delivery of these initiatives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26865/21]
View answerAs this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.
192. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the details of the nature, value and duration of contracts with a company (details supplied) to provide services in relation to contact tracing. [26869/21]
View answerAs this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.
193. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health the process in place for exemption from mandatory hotel quarantine in respect of persons travelling for unavoidable, imperative and time sensitive treatments; the way this exemption is determined; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26902/21]
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 Act identifies those who are exempt from mandatory hotel quarantine, and a full list of exemptions can be accessed on www.gov.ie/quarantine.
With effect from 8th May, if a person has travelled abroad for unavoidable, imperative and time-sensitive medical reasons they will not be required to undergo mandatory hotel quarantine on their return to Ireland. They will be required to present a medical certificate from a registered medical practitioner or from a person holding an equivalent qualification outside the State to the effect that they had an unavoidable, imperative and time-sensitive reason for so travelling. In addition, any carer or dependent travelling with this person will also be exempted from the requirement to undergo mandatory hotel quarantine.
A person whose medical situation is not deemed to be unavoidable, imperative and time-sensitive or who does not have appropriate medical certification is not exempt from mandatory hotel quarantine. For a person to qualify for this exemption, the medical reason for travel to the State must be all of the following:
- unavoidable: that is, not elective
- imperative: that is, urgent and essential
- time sensitive: that is, the medical condition or medical need which is the reason for travel is such that a delay in treatment would cause irreparable or very significant harm
A registered medical practitioner or person with equivalent qualifications outside the State must assess and certify the medical reasons claimed. Practitioners should bear in mind that all three conditions must be met – the reason must be unavoidable, imperative and time-sensitive. Not all medical needs or treatments will meet these conditions, so it is important to consult a doctor before travelling to confirm that he or she will be able to provide the appropriate certification.
A person whose medical situation does not meet this test or who does not have appropriate medical certification is not exempt from mandatory hotel quarantine. Travellers wishing to avail of this exemption must note that both elements must be satisfied – they must have medical certification and must also be able to satisfy border control staff that their treatment was ‘unavoidable, imperative and time-sensitive’; cosmetic procedures, for example, are very unlikely to meet this standard. However, they can still, after entering mandatory hotel quarantine, request a review of their quarantine on grounds of their medical needs. Further information on the review (appeals) procedure is set out below.
As of 17th April, passengers who are 'fully vaccinated' and have the documents to confirm this are no longer required to complete mandatory hotel quarantine on arrival in Ireland. Dependents, including children, will also be exempted from the requirement to complete mandatory hotel quarantine in this instance. Please note that the 4 EMA approved vaccines currently accepted have specific definitions for when a person would be considered 'fully vaccinated'.
Passengers who are fully vaccinated and exempt from hotel quarantine are still subject to other travel restrictions, such as the need to provide a negative pre-departure PCR test and complete a period of self-quarantine at home or wherever specified in their passenger locator form.
It is important to note that the list of designated states will be subject to change at short notice and passengers are required to check the list before travelling to Ireland, to be sure of their obligations.
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.
194. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a child (details supplied) in County Donegal who has been diagnosed with autism, will have a speech and language and an occupational therapy appointment for the purposes of assessment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27022/21]
View answerAs this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.
195. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if an appointment will be expedited for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27049/21]
View answerAs this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.
196. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health if persons who are vaccinated who donate blood have the brand of vaccine recorded on the donation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27061/21]
View answerThe Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) is the national organisation responsible for collecting, processing, testing and distributing blood and blood products in Ireland.
The IBTS has advised that there is no evidence that the Covid-19 vaccine (either the viral vector or nucleic acid types) is passively transferred to patients that are transfused with blood donated from vaccinated donors.
The IBTS has further advised that it does not record the vaccinated status of blood donors and therefore the vaccine brand is not recorded on the donation.
197. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the impact the ransomware attack on the health service will have on data storage, records, appointment scheduling and other operations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27070/21]
View answerAs this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.
198. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Health the plans in place to reduce the waiting lists for speech and language services, CAMHS, physiotherapy and occupational therapy in counties Sligo and Leitrim; the plans in place to address the vacancy rates for these services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27074/21]
View answerAs this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.
199. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the basis for the use of the figure of €3.69 billion in the headline in relation to his press statement launching the Sláintecare implementation and action plan on 12 May 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27081/21]
View answerThe new Sláintecare Implementation Strategy & Action Plan 2021-2023 was approved by Government on 12 May 2021. The figure of €3.69 billion referred to at the time of the launch relates to the continued funding of the Strategy and Action Plan through 2022 and 2023 at the same level of 2021 where Budget 2021 allocated €1.23 billion to the implementation of Sláintecare.
200. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Health if the Cabra HSE dental clinic is to be closed for a duration of time; the dates of the closure; and the other HSE dental clinics that are due to close for considerable amounts of time. [27116/21]
View answerAs this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.
201. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health the current qualifications by which a country is added to the mandatory hotel quarantine list and also removed from the list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26691/21]
View answerStates are designated under the Health Act 1947 by the Minister for Health following consultation with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and across Government as necessary.
Each designation and revocation is informed by a detailed and individualised risk assessment on a country basis by public health experts and senior officials. Recommendations arising from these assessments are considered by both the CMO and Minister for Health prior to designation.
202. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Health the provisions that are being made to immediately increase specialist eating disorder treatment beds within the health service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26699/21]
View answerEnhancement of specialist services for eating disorders, including improved access and shorter waiting lists, remains a key priority for me, Government as a whole and the HSE.
In response to the growth in cases presenting to mental health services, €5.7 million has been allocated for the Eating Disorders National Clinical Programme since 2016. The Eating Disorders Model of Care was launched in 2018 and was developed in partnership with the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland and BodyWhys, the national support group for people with eating disorders.
€1.77 million has been invested to date in eating disorder specialist posts, with 21.8 WTEs now in place. In addition, I secured the balance of 3.94M for 2021 and this will enable further investment in specialist posts throughout this year. More specifically, it will allow for the establishment of three new specialist eating disorder teams and the completion of the three existing specialist teams. Premises are already under development for the new community team at the Mount Carmel site, and is expected to be completed by the end 2021. Recruitment is progressing well for all teams.
The funding allocated to date has seen significant growth and improvement in our services. Despite the significant increase in referrals in 2020, there was a 43% increase in the number of eating disorder assessments completed, compared to 2019, with twice as many people starting treatment.
As of last year, there are three specialist eating disorder teams in place. This means that we can treat over 90% of people with eating disorders in the community, avoiding more serious inpatient treatment.
Specialist outpatient treatment has been found to be the most effective and fastest way for most people with eating disorders to recover. Although there is good evidence that inpatient psychiatric care is not required for most people with eating disorders, it is recognised that a small number of people, mainly with restrictive eating disorders, require inpatient care for short periods, for structured refeeding and/or stabilisation.
In circumstances where in-patient care is required, children and adolescents care is provided in one of the 4 Regional CAMHS Units across the country. Linn Dara (8) and Merlin Park (6) have dedicated a number of specialist eating disorder beds, and while there are no dedicated beds in the remaining two CAMHS units, all beds are available to eating disorder admissions. A further 8 beds are planned for an Eating Disorder Unit in the National Children’s Hospital.
For adults, people who require in-patient care are admitted to local general adult approved centres and attend generic inpatient treatment programmes. CHO6 has 3 dedicated beds for eating disorders based in St. Vincent’s University Hospital. The number of adult beds will increase, in line with the National Clinical Programme, including an additional 3 beds in St. Vincent's, 5 beds in North Dublin, 5 beds in Galway and 5 beds in Cork. Timeframes for new beds will have to be established. These beds will be linked to eating disorder hubs. The funding available for 2021 will allow for the creation of two new adult eating disorder hubs in CHO4 and CHO9.
Importantly, with the right support and intervention, people can and do recover from eating disorders. The Government and the Department, along with the HSE and its partners, are committed to providing and expanding high-quality treatment and support for all those affected by eating disorders.
