Written Answers Nos. 122-141
122. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Health the number of persons with diabetes over the age of 18 years who are attending University of Limerick Hospital groups' adult diabetes service who are using insulin pump therapy to manage their condition. [30257/21]
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.
123. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Health the number of persons with diabetes who are waiting on a first appointment for the outpatients diabetes clinic in University of Limerick hospitals group; and the number waiting over 12, 24 months, 36 months, 4 years and over 5 years, respectively in tabular form. [30258/21]
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.
124. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Health his plans for a hospital (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30259/21]
View answerThe development of elective hospital facilities is proposed for Dublin, Cork and Galway. This is in line with the National Development Plan 2018, the 2018 Health Service Capacity Review, the Programme for Government 2020 and was recommitted to in the Sláintecare Implementation Strategy & Action Plan 2021-2023 (May 2021). The development of other elective hospital facilities is not under consideration at this time.
125. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health if he will address an issue (details supplied) in relation to Covid-19 regulations. [30260/21]
View answerThe Government has applied more stringent measures applying to international travel in order to mitigate against the risk of new variants being imported through travel and to protect the progress we are making in suppressing transmission domestically. As such, the Government continues to advise against non-essential international travel.
Travel measures are kept under continuous review based on public health advice and the international epidemiological situation.
126. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health when Portiuncula Hospital will take delivery of a new CT scanner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30261/21]
View answerThe CT scanner in Portiuncula Hospital is included for replacement under the National Equipment Replacement Programme. Provision of the scanner will form part of a larger construction project which is currently being considered by the HSE.
We are advised that, due in part to the impacts of Covid-19 and the recent ransomware attack, the HSE is not in a position to give an expected date for completion of the Portiuncula Hospital project, including the replacement of the CT scanner, at this point.
127. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health when the contract will be signed for the new 50-bed ward block a Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30262/21]
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.
128. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the additional capital and capacity measures provided for in the HSE winter plan 2020-2021 to address the additional demands placed on the acute hospital system as a result of Covid-19; the planned completion date as set out in the plan for each project; the current estimated delivery time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30263/21]
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.
129. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Health the status of the appointment of a general practitioner for a rural town (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30264/21]
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.
130. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Health the engagement he has had with the nursing home sector regarding the temporary assistance payment scheme which has provided financial assistance to nursing homes for infection prevention control; the way his Department will fund this ongoing requirement after 30 June 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30439/21]
View answer173. Deputy Malcolm Noonan asked the Minister for Health her views on whether the temporary assistance payment scheme for nursing homes will continue beyond June 2021 in view of the fact that the COVID-19 Nursing Homes Expert Panel: Final Report requires the nursing home sector to implement considerablere source-intensive recommendations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30511/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 130 and 173 together.
The Temporary Assistance Payment Scheme (TAPS) was established in April 2020 as a temporary administrative measure in response to the challenges faced by the nursing home sector at the start of the pandemic. As the pandemic continued, additional support measures for private and voluntary nursing homes have been delivered through the Health Service Executive (HSE).
As of 11th June 2021, 7,148 claims had been submitted as part of the Scheme. In total, €134.5 million has been made available under TAPS between 2020 and 2021.
Due to the ongoing high level of risk associated with COVID-19 during this period, the Department of Health responded by extending the scheme twice, far beyond the originally planned timescale of three months. The further extension of the scheme was outlined in the Government’s Plan 'Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19', published in September 2020. This provided reassurance of the Scheme’s availability and a planned timeframe of operation to the end of June 2021.
The cessation of TAPS at the end of June, as planned and previously announced was communicated with all relevant stakeholders, including Nursing Homes Ireland – the national representative body for the private and voluntary nursing home sector.
There has been a marked improvement in the status of the virus in the community and in nursing homes due to the rollout of the National Vaccination Programme – COVID-19 cases and outbreaks in nursing homes are now at a very low level compared with the first quarter of the year and, overall, the epidemiological situation is very positive. It is the Department’s understanding that currently there is one open outbreak in a nursing home.
(Please note that the cyber-attack on the HSE on 14 May 2021 has prevented the routine notification of cases, associated deaths and outbreaks of COVID-19 to the Computerised Infectious Disease Reporting (CIDR) system. As an interim measure, provisional epidemiological reports are being prepared but have not undergone the data validation procedures undertaken through CIDR. For this reason, data continues to be provisional at this time.)
The Scheme has fulfilled its temporary purpose of providing financial support to nursing homes to address COVID-19. Although the risk is greatly reduced, it has not been completely eliminated, therefore the outbreak assistance element of the Scheme will continue to be available to nursing homes until the end of 2021. Availability of outbreak assistance is subject to the overall sanctioned amount of €42m for 2021.
The substantial package of non-financial supports outlined below will continue to be provided for the time being:
- Provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The continued supply of PPE is a key support mechanism and will be provided in line with clinical and public health recommendations;
- The COVID-19 Response Teams established to support Public Health Outbreak teams covering all residential services as well as home support settings. All stakeholders, including the COVID-19 Nursing Homes Expert Panel, have highlighted the significant contribution these new teams have made to supporting nursing homes throughout the pandemic;
- The HSE Temporary Accommodation Scheme;
- HSE training and development resources, including the opening up of HSeLanD to private and voluntary providers.
- IPC support and advice;
- The substantial suite of publicly available guidance developed to support the sector.
These measures and supports reflect a significant investment by the State to support nursing homes and other services and measures, such as the COVID-19 Response Teams, and are a clear signal of the work that is ongoing to integrate the wider health system.
Nursing homes, like all other service providers, should continue to follow and apply enhanced public health advice and guidance as required in line with the pandemic risk. All nursing homes, as registered providers with HIQA, have well established obligations under the legal framework in terms of the delivery of safe care to residents. Nursing homes are required, by law, to comply with current infection, prevention and control standards - these standards have been in operation since 2018. Good and effective IPC procedures should be in place across the entire health and social care service as a matter of course
In February 2021, a revised plan 'Resilience and Recovery 2021 Plan: The Path Ahead' was published by the Government. This plan recognises the need for longer-term reform of both older persons and nursing home care, broadly reflecting the lessons learned from the COVID-19 Nursing Homes Expert Panel and the pandemic. However, these structural reforms, including the policy and regulatory framework, extend beyond the scope of a temporary financial support scheme aimed at a specific, time-limited public health objective.
131. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if clarity will be provided on the roll-out of Covid-19 vaccine for those in cohort 7 such as in the case of a person (details supplied); and the way patients are referred for allocated slots for the vaccine. [30440/21]
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.
132. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health his plans in relation to persons who have received one dose of a vaccine (details supplied) but are only 30% protected against the Indian variant and are not due to receive their second dose for a number of weeks making them vulnerable to infection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30441/21]
View answer134. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health if he has considered reducing the gap between the first and second doses of a vaccine (details supplied) to ensure recipients are protected against the B16172 variant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30443/21]
View answer154. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health his plans to accelerate the administration of a second vaccine (details supplied) to the 60 to 70 age group who have to wait 12-weeks for their second vaccine given the low level of protection that one dose of the vaccine is providing against the newer variants of Covid-19 specifically the Indian and the Thai variants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30463/21]
View answer155. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to further reducing the intervals between the first and second dose of a Covid-19 vaccine (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30464/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 132, 134, 154 and 155 together.
On June 4 I announced a shorter interval between doses for the Vaxzevria® (AstraZeneca) vaccine. This follows updated recommendations from the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC), which have been endorsed by the Chief Medical Officer. NIAC has concluded that those of any age (without any previous COVID-19 infection), who have received their first dose of Vaxzevria® should receive their second dose 8-12 weeks later.
The HSE recently received updated advice from NIAC in relation to reducing the dosing interval for the administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine from 12 weeks to 8. Extensive planning has been required to put in place a programme that will now see the remaining, approximately 450,000 people, in receipt of the AZ vaccine fully immunised through the administration of this second dose by the middle to end of July.
133. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he plans to act on the recommendations of the Special Oireachtas Committee on Covid-19 Response and commission an inquiry into the deaths that occurred in long-term residential nursing homes from Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30442/21]
View answerThe Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA, is the statutory independent regulator in place for the nursing home sector, whether a HSE managed or a private nursing home. The Authority, established under the Health Act 2007, has significant and wide-ranging powers up to and including withdrawing the registration of a nursing home facility, which means that it can no longer operate as a service provider. This responsibility is underpinned by a comprehensive quality framework comprising of Registration Regulations, Care and Welfare Regulations and National Quality Standards.
HIQA, in discharging its duties determines, through examination of all information available to it, including site inspections, whether a nursing homes meets the regulations in order to achieve and maintain its registration status. Should a nursing home be deemed to be non-compliant with the Regulations and the National Quality Standards, it may either fail to achieve or lose its registration status. In addition, the Chief Inspector has wide discretion in deciding whether to impose conditions of Registration on nursing homes.
The Deputy will be aware that the Nursing Homes Expert was established, on foot of a NPHET recommendation, to examine the complex issues surrounding the management of COVID-19 among this particularly vulnerable cohort. This Expert Panel report has added further to our knowledge and learning. This report clearly outlines the key protective measures that we must ensure are in place across our nursing homes. These actions are based on learning from our own and the international experience of COVID-19 to date. The report also recommends additional analysis and examination of the relevant public health and other data sets in order that further causal and protective factors for COVID-19 clusters are identified. HIQA and the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) recently jointly published an “Analysis of factors associated with outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 in nursing homes in Ireland”, delivering on recommendation 6.7 of the Expert Panel report, to further the learning from the pandemic. Further data analysis work and learning will also continue, in line with other recommendations of the Expert Panel, but unfortunately have been impacted by the recent cyberattack on the health system.
Work to progress the recommendations of the Expert Panel report, particularly those recommendations requiring a priority focus in the response to COVID-19, is ongoing across all of the health agencies and stakeholders. Many of the short to medium term recommendations of the Expert Panel report have now been implemented. Continued learning and understanding of progression of the disease in Ireland is an integral part of those recommendations.
At a broader level, there has been significant and ongoing consideration of this impact since the start of the pandemic, with various examinations and development of reports with a focus on COVID-19, its impact on nursing homes and the pandemic learnings that can inform future policy, regulation and the model of care for older persons. There has been a very clear national commitment to continue to learn from the pandemic as the national and international understanding of the virus evolves, and where necessary to ensure that the public health-led approach evolves, as evidence and learning materialises. Findings of these reports confirm that the very infectious nature of COVID-19 makes it difficult to prevent and control the virus in residential care settings. The reports produced nationally identify findings consistent with international evidence, which have highlighted that the probability of COVID-19 introduction into nursing home depends on the levels of the disease circulating in the community, with a higher risk associated with higher incidence rates in the community.
While significant progress has being made in relation to the roll-out of the vaccination programme and the current situation in nursing homes is broadly stable, the prevalence of the more transmissible Delta variant is rapidly increasing in Ireland and this poses a significant risk, in particular to those who are not yet fully protected though vaccination. It must be recognised that the pandemic has not concluded and at this time a priority focus of Government remains on the ongoing management of the COVID-19 response, to ensure that the positive gains now been experienced are preserved, and that those most vulnerable to the virus continue to be safeguarded, having regard to the residual risk.
I am very aware that listening to families can bring great learning to many situations. While we are still dealing with a level of risk in nursing homes, we are continuing to look at options which may be available to the State in relation to listening to the voices of those who have lost a loved one.
135. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health if those who require the vaccine for essential reasons such as travelling for education will be considered for vaccination outside of their age cohort; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30444/21]
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 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.).
Further details are available here: www.gov.ie/en/press-release/93f8f-minister-donnelly-announces-update-to-irelands-vaccination-prioritisation-list.
I am pleased to inform you that this week will see the vaccine rollout at participating pharmacies expanded to encompass an opt-in model for the vaccination of younger age groups. The amendment to the programme follows updated advice from the NIAC regarding the use of adenoviral vaccines (AstraZeneca and Janssen) in those aged under 50 years of age.
Younger age groups who do not wish to receive an adenoviral vaccine will be offered an mRNA vaccination in due course. The HSE will put in place consent mechanisms to ensure that anyone under 35 years of age who chooses to avail of an earlier vaccination is adequately informed of the extremely rare side-effects associated with the adenoviral vector vaccines. People in this age group will also be advised about the probable timing of the availability of mRNA vaccine for their age group when considering this accelerated option.
The administration of the single-dose Janssen vaccine to those aged 18-34 will begin the week commencing 5 July at participating pharmacies across the country. The rollout is being implemented by the HSE in conjunction with the Irish Pharmacy Union and will see more than 700 pharmacies participating nationwide. From the week commencing 12 July the HSE registrations portal will open for those aged 18-34 who choose to opt into an early vaccination with either AstraZeneca or Janssen at a Vaccination Centre.
136. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health if he plans to establish an inquiry into the prescribing of sodium valproate also known as epilim particularly its effects for women of child-bearing age and children in utero; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30445/21]
View answerDetails of the proposed inquiry into the historical licensing and use of sodium valproate in Ireland are currently being considered by officials within the Department of Health.
137. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health when four additional epilepsy nurse specialists will be recruited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30446/21]
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.
138. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Health if he plans to cease the temporary assistance payment scheme (details supplied). [30447/21]
View answer141. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if a mechanism will be introduced post-30 June 2021 in lieu of the temporary assistance payment scheme to support nursing homes in continuing to implement infection prevention measures. [30450/21]
View answer164. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health if he will extend the temporary assistance payment scheme to include further supports for July, August and September 2021 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30473/21]
View answer183. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health if he plans to continue with the temporary assistance payment after 30 June 2021; if not, the measure that will be introduced to replace the scheme to ensure that no cliff edge will present in regard to Covid-19 supports for nursing homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30593/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 138, 141, 164 and 183 together.
The Temporary Assistance Payment Scheme (TAPS) was established in April 2020 as a temporary administrative measure in response to the challenges faced by the nursing home sector at the start of the pandemic. As the pandemic continued, additional support measures for private and voluntary nursing homes have been delivered through the Health Service Executive (HSE).
As of 11th June 2021, 7,148 claims had been submitted as part of the Scheme. In total, €134.5 million has been made available under TAPS between 2020 and 2021.
Due to the ongoing high level of risk associated with COVID-19 during this period, the Department of Health responded by extending the scheme twice, far beyond the originally planned timescale of three months. The further extension of the scheme was outlined in the Government’s Plan 'Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19', published in September 2020. This provided reassurance of the Scheme’s availability and a planned timeframe of operation to the end of June 2021.
The cessation of TAPS at the end of June, as planned and previously announced was communicated with all relevant stakeholders, including Nursing Homes Ireland – the national representative body for the private and voluntary nursing home sector.
There has been a marked improvement in the status of the virus in the community and in nursing homes due to the rollout of the National Vaccination Programme – COVID-19 cases and outbreaks in nursing homes are now at a very low level compared with the first quarter of the year and, overall, the epidemiological situation is very positive. It is the Department’s understanding that currently there is one open outbreak in a nursing home.
(Please note that the cyber-attack on the HSE on 14 May 2021 has prevented the routine notification of cases, associated deaths and outbreaks of COVID-19 to the Computerised Infectious Disease Reporting (CIDR) system. As an interim measure, provisional epidemiological reports are being prepared but have not undergone the data validation procedures undertaken through CIDR. For this reason, data continues to be provisional at this time.)
The Scheme has fulfilled its temporary purpose of providing financial support to nursing homes to address COVID-19. Although the risk is greatly reduced, it has not been completely eliminated, therefore the outbreak assistance element of the Scheme will continue to be available to nursing homes until the end of 2021. Availability of outbreak assistance is subject to the overall sanctioned amount of €42m for 2021.
The substantial package of non-financial supports outlined below will continue to be provided for the time being:
- Provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The continued supply of PPE is a key support mechanism and will be provided in line with clinical and public health recommendations;
- The COVID-19 Response Teams established to support Public Health Outbreak teams covering all residential services as well as home support settings. All stakeholders, including the COVID-19 Nursing Homes Expert Panel, have highlighted the significant contribution these new teams have made to supporting nursing homes throughout the pandemic;
- The HSE Temporary Accommodation Scheme;
- HSE training and development resources, including the opening up of HSeLanD to private and voluntary providers.
- IPC support and advice;
- The substantial suite of publicly available guidance developed to support the sector.
These measures and supports reflect a significant investment by the State to support nursing homes and other services and measures, such as the COVID-19 Response Teams, and are a clear signal of the work that is ongoing to integrate the wider health system.
Nursing homes, like all other service providers, should continue to follow and apply enhanced public health advice and guidance as required in line with the pandemic risk. All nursing homes, as registered providers with HIQA, have well established obligations under the legal framework in terms of the delivery of safe care to residents. Nursing homes are required, by law, to comply with current infection, prevention and control standards - these standards have been in operation since 2018. Good and effective IPC procedures should be in place across the entire health and social care service as a matter of course.
In February 2021, a revised plan 'Resilience and Recovery 2021 Plan: The Path Ahead' was published by the Government. This plan recognises the need for longer-term reform of both older persons and nursing home care, broadly reflecting the lessons learned from the COVID-19 Nursing Homes Expert Panel and the pandemic. However, these structural reforms, including the policy and regulatory framework, extend beyond the scope of a temporary financial support scheme aimed at a specific, time-limited public health objective.
139. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the reason for delays for vaccination appointments at the vaccination centre Punchestown, County Kildare; the actions being taken to address same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30448/21]
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.
140. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) has been refused a referral to CAMHS in Cherry Orchard. [30449/21]
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.
