Written Answers Nos. 1469-1493
1469. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the specific grounds identified by his Department and the HSE including but not exclusive to the Covid-19 pandemic on which a maternity unit is justified in implementing partner restrictions for maternity service users; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33485/21]
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.
1470. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health if the right of women to have a partner present with them during antenatal appointments and birth in hospitals may continue to be restricted on the basis that there has been a failure to invest in expanding services and infrastructure (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33486/21]
View answerThe National Maternity Strategy, published in 2016, aims to ensure that appropriate care pathways are in place in order that mothers, babies, and families get the right care, at the right time, from the right team and in the right place. €9.65m in new development funding was allocated to the Strategy during the period 2016-2020, with further very significant investment of €7.317m provided in Budget 2021 to ensure a renewed impetus to the Strategy's implementation.
In relation to capital funding, the 2020 HIQA report “Overview report of HIQA’s monitoring programme against the National Standards for Safer Better Maternity Services” recommended that the HSE conduct a review of the infrastructural deficits of each of our maternity services. The HSE has advised that it is preparing a plan in response to the recommendations of the HIQA report, including that related to hospital infrastructure. However, it should be noted that this process has been very significantly delayed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the recent cyber-attack on the HSE IT systems.
With regard to Covid related restrictions in maternity services, as this is 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.
1471. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health if the rights of women to a partner may continue to be restricted on the basis that the national maternity strategy has not been implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33498/21]
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.
1472. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health if restrictions to partners of pregnant women visiting them in hospital will continue given that a unit is understaffed or for other non-Covid-19 related reasons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33499/21]
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.
1473. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of practitioners offering termination of pregnancy services by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33526/21]
View answerAs of 28 July 2021, 401 GPs have signed a contract to provide termination of pregnancy services. There is good geographic spread of GPs throughout the country providing the service. It is open to all GPs to sign up to a contract to provide this service. A breakdown of GP providers on a county basis is not available.
Under section 20 (1) of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018, a notification of each termination of pregnancy carried out under the legislation must be notified to the Minister for Health within 28 days of it being carried out. The following information is notified to the Minister:
- Medical Council registration number of the medical practitioner who carried out the termination of pregnancy;
- The section of the Act under which the termination was carried out, i.e., section 9, 10, 11 or 12;
- Medical Council registration number(s) of the medical practitioner(s) who made the certification concerned;
- The county of residence, or place of residence (where the woman resides outside of the State) of the woman concerned;
- The date on which the termination of pregnancy was carried out.
No other information is notified to the Minister.
Section 20 of the Act also requires the Minister for Health to prepare a report on the notifications received during the immediately preceding year not later than 30 June in each year and to lay it before the Houses of the Oireachtas. The Annual Report on terminations of pregnancy carried out in 2020 is available on the Department of Health’s website.
1474. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if he has considered the addition of chronic pain to the medicinal cannabis access programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33527/21]
View answerThe Health Products Regulatory Authority’s “Cannabis for Medical Review Use – A Scientific Review” advised that treatment with cannabis is only permitted under a controlled access programme for the treatment of patients with;
a. Spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis resistant to all standard therapies and interventions whilst under expert medical supervision;
b. Intractable nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy, despite the use of standard anti-emetic regimes whilst under expert medical supervision;
c. Severe, refractory (treatment-resistant) epilepsy that has failed to respond to standard anticonvulsant medications whilst under expert medical supervision.
The HPRA did not consider that the available evidence supported the use of cannabis in other medical conditions.
Subsequently the Minister for Health established an Expert Reference Group to advise on the development of a Medical Cannabis Access Programme. This Group developed detailed Clinical Guidelines for the MCAP to be followed by clinicians, which contained inter alia guidance on ingredient combinations that are recommended for each of the three indications included in the MCAP
On 15th July I announced that the MCAP was now open for medical consultants to make an application for themselves and their patients to be registered for the programme. The programme will operate on a five-year pilot basis with a centralised data collection point and regular reports to the Department of Health. This information will provide data on the medical use of cannabis and the supply needs in Ireland.
1475. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of claims which have been made to the CervicalCheck tribunal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33528/21]
View answer2270. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of claims submitted to the CervicalCheck tribunal; the number from the High Court; the number of new claims; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37200/21]
View answer2278. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of claims currently before the CervicalCheck tribunal. [37222/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1475, 2270 and 2278 together.
The 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.
The Tribunal has indicated to my Department that it has received eight claims. The claims received are a combination of new claims i.e. claims that were not the subject of proceedings before the High Court, and claims transferred from the High Court. I am advised that there has been further interest expressed in using the Tribunal, and it is anticipated that additional claims will be received.
The Tribunal is the most appropriate venue to hear and determine CervicalCheck claims. It has been specifically designed for that purpose. It is, of course, entirely up to eligible women as to whether or not they use it.
1476. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of pregnancy terminations for each year since the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 was commenced by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33529/21]
View answer1477. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of pregnancy terminations sought and their status for each year since the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 was commenced in tabular form; the number of terminations for which the patient had to seek services beyond their county by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33530/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1476 and 1477 together.
Under section 20 (1) of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018, a notification of each termination of pregnancy carried out under the legislation must be notified to the Minister for Health within 28 days of it being carried out.
The notifications are recorded on the form entitled “Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 (Notifications) Regulations 2018” (Statutory Instrument No. 597 of 2018). The following information is included in the form:
- Medical Council registration number of the medical practitioner who carried out the termination of pregnancy;
- The section of the Act under which the termination was carried out, i.e., section 9, 10, 11 or 12;
- Medical Council registration number(s) of the medical practitioner(s) who made the certification concerned;
- The county of residence, or place of residence (where the woman resides outside of the State) of the woman concerned;
- The date on which the termination of pregnancy was carried out.
No other information is notified to the Minister.
Section 20 of the Act also requires the Minister to prepare a report on the notifications received during the immediately preceding year not later than 30 June in each year and to lay it before the Houses of the Oireachtas. The Annual Reports on terminations of pregnancy carried out in 2019 and 2020 are available on the Department of Health’s website.
1478. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health when the review of the National Rare Disease Plan 2014-2018 will be published; if a successor policy will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33531/21]
View answerA National Rare Disease Plan for Ireland (2014 – 2018) was launched by the Minister for Health in July 2014. This is a generic policy framework for rare diseases. The scope of the plan is broad given that there are approximately 8,000 rare diseases affecting millions of EU citizens; and consequently, there can be a dearth of expertise and knowledge about some rare diseases, simply because they are so rare.
Many of the major recommendations of the plan have already been implemented including the establishment of a HSE National Clinical Programme for Rare Diseases and a Rare Disease Office. Building on this progress, themes for inclusion in a roadmap for the coming period were agreed, with the Rare Disease Task Force, which comprises the main rare disease advocacy groups; Rare Disease Ireland (RDI), the Medical Research Charities Group (MRCP), and the Irish Platform for Patient Organisations, Science and Industry (IPPPOSI).
In late 2020, the National Clinical Programme for Rare Diseases was operationalised and incorporated into the National Rare Disease Office. So, from 01 September 2020, the NRDO became the main contact point and driver for national HSE rare disease projects and initiatives. The work of the NRDO is overseen and governed by HSE Acute Operations under the governance of the Office of the Chief Clinical Officer, where the National Rare Disease Plan is firmly embedded.
Meetings to ensure that the input and the voice of the patient is represented in the ongoing work in relation to Rare Diseases, took place at regular intervals with the Rare Disease Task Force, the HSE National Clinical Programme for Rare Diseases and the Rare Disease Office. Continuing this practice, earlier this year (2021) I met with the HSE, The NRDO and The Rare Disease Taskforce and a very fruitful discussion was held regarding priority areas for the future in order to build on the significant progress made to date in implementing the Rare Disease Plan. A number, of key themes for inclusion in a roadmap for the coming period have been agreed.
1479. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health when the review of the HSE drug reimbursement process will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33532/21]
View answerFollowing a tender by the Office of Government Procurement, Mazars conducted a review of the governance structures around the HSE's drug reimbursement process. The report was submitted to my Department in January 2020.
The review made recommendations in respect of the HSE’s systems, structures, processes, governance arrangements and use of specialist resources in respect of the drug reimbursement process.
The report was under consideration by officials earlier last year, however the focus of the Department of Health changed to the immediate public health considerations of the COVID-19 pandemic and the preservation of life. This meant that this work stream was temporarily suspended to reallocate resources to support essential services.
My Department aims to complete its consideration of the report’s recommendations in the near future.
1480. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if access for nursing homes to the temporary assistance payment scheme will be extended; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33533/21]
View answerThe 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 26 July 2021, 7,956 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 extended 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 assurance 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 nursing homes due to the roll-out 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 such as the COVID-19 Response Teams, and are a clear signal of the work that is ongoing to integrate the wider health system.
It is also important to reflect that 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 ensure that procedures consistent with the standards for the prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections published by HIQA are implemented by staff. The current infection prevention and control 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.
1481. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of additional community beds delivered in 2021 of the 1,250 promised in budget 2021; the split between public and private; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33534/21]
View answerA key aim of our health services is to support older people to live independently in the community, for as long as possible. This includes minimising referrals and admissions to acute settings or, when admitted, facilitating discharge through a designated pathway in order to maximise the potential for remaining at home and in turn reducing the requirement for long-term residential care.
Priority areas for the HSE are focused on development of this integrated care model and include the commitment to funding an additional 1,250 rehabilitation and short stay / intermediate care beds in 2021, bringing the total capacity of public short stay beds to just under 3,500. The aim is that the balance of public / private provision will be maintained with a view to enhancing direct HSE provision nationally over time.
The expansion is intended to be achieved through the addition of:
- 617 rehabilitation beds in public facilities
- 185 repurposed public Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS) beds
- 448 privately purchased bed capacity for transitional care.
The provision of these beds to date is an operational issue and as such 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.
1482. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the average capital cost of a community bed by type of community bed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33535/21]
View answer1763. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the average all in capital cost of an acute inpatient bed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35471/21]
View answer1765. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the all in cost of a critical bed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35473/21]
View answer1778. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the all-in capital cost for delivering each type of public community bed on average; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35486/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1482, 1763, 1765 and 1778 together.
Several factors determine the capital cost of a bed. These include the nature of the bed (day case, long-term stay, etc.), and the bed’s location (within an existing facility, within a new extension to an existing facility, etc.) As such, there is no one capital cost for providing an additional bed.
A recent review of bed costings determined an average capital cost per bed to be in the region of:
Non Acute Bed - €0.35m to €0.45m
Acute Bed - €0.50m - €0.8m
Critical Care Bed - €1.40m to €1.80m
The estimates exclude any significant enabling works e.g. decant costs as well as other accommodation that may be required to support this additional capacity e.g. diagnostics, theatre space etc. Capital costs are naturally subject to variations with some sites requiring more investment depending on location, project scale, complexity of the site, existing infrastructure, site conditions, design etc. Costs per bed will vary depending on the size of the proposed development. Economies of scale would impact on the per bed cost.
1483. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the average revenue cost of a community bed by type of community bed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33536/21]
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 shutdown of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is ongoing, 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.
1484. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 111 of 29 April 2021, if any of the four products referenced as accepted for use in the MCAP no longer meet the definition of a specified controlled drug post-Brexit; if, this will have any bearing on their supply in this State given they have already been accepted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33537/21]
View answerEach of the four products that have been previously accepted for use in the Medical Cannabis Access Programme (MCAP) were available in an EU member state at the time of receipt of the applications.
When applying to be accepted for use in the MCAP, two of these products, Cannepil Oral Solution and Aurora High CBD Oil Drops, cited the UK as the EU member state in which the product was available. However, it is not envisaged that Brexit will impact the supply of these two products, given that the products met the criteria of a ‘specified controlled drug’ when the applications were received.
1485. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the status of the sodium valproate inquiry and terms of reference; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33538/21]
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.
1486. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1789 of 24 March 2021, if the RCSI hospital group has followed up directly with the family; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33539/21]
View answerThe Department of Health has been in contact with the RCSI Hospital Group and they have confirmed that correspondence was issued directly to the family on 26th April 2021.
1487. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the advice he received and the recommendations made regarding the location of the major trauma centre in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33540/21]
View answer1489. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if he will publish in full the report of the independent assessment panel and the scoring of the hospitals which bid for the major trauma centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33542/21]
View answer1490. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if he will publish in full the recommendations of the HSE board regarding the location of major trauma centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33543/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1487, 1489 and 1490 together.
The process to designate the Major Trauma Centre for the Central Trauma Network commenced with the HSE establishing a Trauma Review Implementation Group (TRIG), comprising senior clinical and managerial representation. The TRIG then prepared a designation framework of detailed and specific guidance against which hospitals could be assessed. This framework was subject to an eight-week formal public consultation.
The HSE then appointed an Independent Assessment Panel, comprised of national and international experts, to provide advice on the preferred location of the Major Trauma Centre for the Central Trauma Network using the agreed designation framework.
The Panel advised the HSE that the Mater Hospital be designated as the Major Trauma Centre for the Central Trauma Network, and the HSE Board affirmed this recommendation, following which it was approved by Government in April 2021.
Any further detail in respect of this process should be provided the HSE in the first instance. 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.
1488. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the investments and capital projects which must be made to upgrade the Mater Hospital to a major trauma centre; his plans for same over the next five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33541/21]
View answer1756. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the outstanding measures in the National Trauma Strategy; the estimated additional funding this requires for full implementation; the basis on which this funding must be made available that is, one-off or recurring; the revenue and capital split of this funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35464/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1488 and 1756 together.
The National Trauma Strategy recommended the introduction of an inclusive trauma system delivered by two regional networks, to be implemented in a multiannual programme comprising three phases.
Phase one focusses on the fundamentals of the trauma system and the development of the Central Trauma Network, whereby the most severely injured patients will access the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital either directly or via secondary transfer. The total revenue costs for this first phase are estimated to be €8.2m, and the cost of capital developments for this first phase is estimated at €6.8m.
Phase two will see the continued establishment of services at the Mater. When fully established as a Major Trauma Centre, the Mater will be equipped and organised to manage all severely injured patients, including those with time-critical injuries. Other elements of the second phase will include the development of major trauma services at Cork University Hospital (the Major Trauma Centre for the South Trauma Network) and at the Trauma Unit with Specialist Services (TUSS) at University Hospital Galway, as well as the establishment of trauma services at the first of several Trauma Units nationwide.
Phase three will see the maturation of the trauma system towards its final state with the continued development of all services established in phases one and two.
€6m in development funding has been made available in Budget 2021 to support the implementation of the National Trauma Strategy, and funding for the continued implementation of the Strategy will be sought through the annual estimates, service planning and capital planning processes.
1491. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated additional cost for the school immunisation programme if uptake was to be 100% every year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33544/21]
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.
1492. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated additional cost for the school immunisation programme if those who did not get the HPV vaccine in their year of eligibility were to receive it during a subsequent school year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33545/21]
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.
1493. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the support services available from his Department for home support services for persons with autism; his plans to provide additional services and supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33546/21]
View answerThe HSE provides a range of assisted living services including Home Support Services to support individuals to maximise their capacity to live full and independent lives.
Home Support Services are provided either directly by the HSE or through a range of voluntary service providers. The majority of specialised disability provision (80%) is delivered through non-statutory sector service providers.
Services are accessed through an application process or through referrals from public health nurses or other community based staff. Individuals’ needs are evaluated against the criteria for prioritisation for the particular services and then decisions are made in relation to the allocation of resources. Resource allocation is determined by the needs of the individual, compliance with prioritisation criteria, and the level of resources available. As with every service there is not a limitless resource available for the provision of home support services and while the resources available are substantial they are finite. In this context, services are discretionary and the number of hours granted is determined by other support services already provided to the person/family.
In the 2021 National Service Plan (NSP), the HSE’s priority is to continue to deliver high quality Personal Assistance 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 in accordance with the NSP 2021.
