Written Answers Nos. 1799-1824
1799. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated additional cost required on top of budget 2021 commitments for the National Office for Home Support in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35539/21]
View answerEnabling people with care needs to continue to live independently at home for as long as possible is a priority for the Government. To advance this, the Government is committed to establishing a new, statutory scheme for the financing and regulation of home-support services, which the Department of Health is currently developing. It is envisaged that the new scheme will provide equitable access to high-quality services based on a person’s assessed care-needs.
Work is on-going within the Department to determine the optimal approach to the development of the new scheme within the broader context of the Sláintecare reforms. This work encompasses the development of the regulatory framework for the new scheme; the examination of the options for the financing model for the scheme; and the development of a reformed model of service-delivery to underpin the scheme.
Funding was provided in 2021 for the HSE to progress the development of a reformed model of service delivery. This includes the roll-out of interRAI as the standard assessment for care-needs in the community; the testing of a reformed model of service-delivery for home-support; and the establishment of a National Home Support Office.
Within this context, funding of €1m was allocated in 2021 to establish the National Home Support Office to support the testing of the reformed model of service delivery and to work with the Department on the development of all aspects of the scheme. 2022 funding requirements will be considered in the context of this year's estimates process.
1800. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health if respite care will be made available for a child (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35540/21]
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.
1801. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a CORU application will be processed for a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35541/21]
View answer3052. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a CORU application will be processed for a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40108/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1801 and 3052 together.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is an operational matter, I have asked CORU (the Health and Social Care Professionals Council) to respond to the Deputy directly.
1802. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health when he plans to introduce spending measures related to ending direct provision; and the breakdown of the way they compare to existing spending for international protection applicants. [35542/21]
View answerOverall responsibility for the Direct Provision system rests with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, while the Department of Health and the HSE are responsible for the policy and provision of health care service for persons in the protection system.
Primary care services are currently provided to persons living in Direct Provision on the same basis as Irish nationals. A person seeking international protection can apply for and be assessed for a medical card. Services provided include access to a GP, medical prescriptions, dental care, optician care, pregnancy services and children’s health.
Minister O’Gorman published A White Paper to End Direct Provision and to establish a New International Protection Support Service on 26 February 2021. As part of the white paper, the Department of Health and the HSE have proposed an enhanced model of health care for international protection applicants. It responds to the main issues facing this population group, covering public health, mental health and physical health. The model is in line with the HSE intercultural health strategy and the Sláintecare reform programme.
As a initial step, I secured an additional €750,000 in Budget 2021 to enhance healthcare services for applicants for international protection and other people living in direct provision. This funding will enable the HSE to meet Government commitments to improve health provision to residents in IPAS. The funding is intended to provide for improved health provision and the development of an enhanced model of health care (primary care and mental health) for Applicants for International Protection as outlined in the White Paper.
I am committed to working with the HSE to meet the health needs of people seeking international protection, in collaboration with IPAS and other service providers.
1803. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if the case of a person (details supplied) will be examined; if funding will be granted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35543/21]
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.
1804. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost to restore pay for section 39 workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35545/21]
View answerSection 39 agencies are agencies under Section 39 of the Health Act 2004 where the HSE provides a grant to allow the agency to provide services similar or ancillary to the HSE. Staff in these section 39 organisations were not subject to the provisions of FEMPI legislation and therefore did not receive those cuts that were applied to the pay of public servants. They were not and are not party to the Public Service Agreements and are therefore not covered by the pay restoration provided for in these Agreements. While it is understood that pay savings were made by the organisations, the precise mix of pay cuts or other savings measures will have varied.
In October 2018, an agreement was reached by the parties at the Workplace Relations Commission in relation to a process of pay restoration for staff employed in a pilot group of 50 section 39 organisations who are funded by way of a Service Level Agreement (SLA). A further WRC engagement followed in December 2020 in relation to a final phase of 250 SLA funded organisations who were identified as part of the earlier agreement.
Pay restoration was applicable to Section 39 organisations who met certain criteria, rather than types of individual workers that are employed in them. The list of section 39 organisations that was compiled, included only agencies that had service arrangements in place back in 2013 and that were still under service arrangements in 2019. Only organisations who received in excess of an agreed, specified amount from the HSE by way of the SLA process were included.
It must be acknowledged that Section 39 organisations are privately owned and run and that their terms and conditions of employment, once in line with employment legislation, are strictly between the employer and the employee and lie beyond the remit of the Department of Health. Consequently, it would not be appropriate to comment on the amount of funding allocated to private employers under the pay restoration agreement.
Pay restoration is absolutely limited and only applicable to those included in the initial WRC agreement. I can also confirm that there is no scope to revisit the eligibility criteria for the process and that the process has reached a final resolution.
1805. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost to increase the general practitioner trainee intake to 250; the number of places provided for each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35546/21]
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.
1806. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of 100 community defibrillators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35547/21]
View answerThis matter relates to the work of the Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) Steering Group. In 2019, this Group finalised an Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest Strategy for Ireland, “Putting Survival at the Heart of the Community” and submitted it to the Health Service Executive (HSE) Commissioners, who have accepted the recommendation of the Steering Group. With regards to the issue of cost, this is a procurement matter.
As 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.
1807. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated first-year and full-year cost of introducing a universal contraception scheme for 17 to 25-year-old women; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35548/21]
View answerFollowing the recommendations of the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution, a Working Group on Contraception was established in April 2019 to consider the range of policy, regulatory and legislative issues arising in relation to improving access to contraception in Ireland.
The Group’s high-level report, published in October 2019, identified the barriers that exist to accessing contraception and the mechanisms available to overcome those barriers, noting that any policy proposal must focus on accessibility, education, workforce capacity as well as cost. The report estimated the cost of providing free contraception to women aged 17-24 at €18-22m.
A sizable body of work remains to be addressed in order to develop and finalise the policy approach, bring forward the necessary legislative proposals and ensure the implementation of service delivery arrangements. Progress on these issues has unfortunately been delayed due to the need to focus on and prioritise the response to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
It is however important to stress that my Department and this Government remain committed to providing free contraception over a phased basis, starting with women aged 17 – 25, as set out in the Programme for Government. The Department is currently assembling a Contraception Implementation Group, which will commence work imminently.
Some access to free contraception is already enabled, through the National Condom Distribution Service (NCDS), which was established by the HSE Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy Programme (SHCPP) in October 2015.The NCDS functions as a central point for distributing free condoms and lubricant sachets to HSE services and other organisations working with individuals and groups at increased risk of negative sexual health outcomes.
These include migrants; young people; gay, bisexual and other MSM; sex workers; people living with addiction issues and people living with HIV. From 2017 to the end of 2019, the number of organisations ordering from the NCDS has doubled.
The service was extended to 3rd level institutions in late 2019. Third-level institutions can now order condom dispensers from the HSE, which enable the provision of free condoms and sexual health information to students on campuses nationwide. The SHCPP advises that 3rd level institutions will be contacted, prior to the commencement of on-campus attendance in September, with regard to their engagement with the NCDS.
Information leaflets are provided with the condom dispensers, which outline to students how to use condoms correctly, and emphasise the importance of using condoms consistently and every time sex happens. The information leaflets direct students to HSE - led and HSE-funded websites for further information about sexual health and wellbeing; www.sexualwellbeing.ie and www.man2man.ie.
It should be noted that, while oral contraception and various forms of long-acting reversible contraception can be more effective at preventing pregnancy, condoms provide protection against STIs that is not provided by non-barrier forms of contraception.
It is envisaged that continued expansion of the NCDS will be facilitated in line with demand, in order to support the STI prevention and sexual health promotion needs of people living in Ireland.
1808. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated first-year and full-year cost of introducing a universal sanitary products scheme for girls and women up to 25 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35549/21]
View answerPeriod poverty refers to inadequate access to menstrual hygiene, including period products (e.g. sanitary towels and tampons), washing and waste management facilities and education. The potential adverse consequences of period poverty for women, girls and others who identify as non-binary or transgender who have periods are widely accepted internationally. These include recurrent exclusion from educational, employment and social settings during menstruation and health impacts resulting from exclusion and the use of unsuitable period products.
Period poverty in Ireland was initially brought into focus by the publication, in late 2018, of a Plan International Survey of 1,100 teenage girls, aged 12-19. The Survey identified 50% of girls as having occasionally experienced period poverty, and 10% as having used unsuitable products as a result. 61% had missed school on occasion because of their period.
Following the publication of the Survey, the Parliamentary Women’s Caucus proposed motions in the Seanad and in the Dáil in early 2019, which were passed. Following the Oireachtas motions, the National Strategy for Women and Girls (NSWG) Strategy Committee, now led by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, established a sub-committee on period poverty in 2019, chaired by the Department of Health.
In line with the recommendations of the Oireachtas motions, Sub-Committee’s remit included establishing the extent of period poverty in Ireland and population cohorts most at risk. The Terms of Reference also included giving due consideration to the circumstances of young people under the age of 25, targeting of high-risk groups, stigma reduction and mainstreaming period poverty mitigation measures across all relevant Government Departments and public bodies.
In addition, the Programme for Government 2020, makes the following specific commitment under ‘Better Opportunities through Education and Research’ - “Provide a range of free, adequate, safe, and suitable period products in all educational publicly-funded settings (including schools, colleges and HEIs), to ensure that no students are disadvantaged in their education by period poverty.”
The NSWG Sub-Committee on Period Poverty published its report on 8th February, 2021; the full Report and accompanying press release are available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/264f4-period-poverty-in-ireland-discussion-paper-period-poverty-sub-committee-national-strategy-for-women-and-girls-20172020-february-2021/
Moreover, Government has supported a Private Members Bill on Period Poverty; the Free Provision of Period Products Bill 2021 (Bill 4), proposed by Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee and sponsored by Senators Catherine Ardagh and Mary Fitzpatrick, which seeks to make period products freely available to all those who need them. A debate on the matter was held in Seanad Éireann on 8th February, 2021; the Bill has now passed to Committee stage.
Government has further agreed that the recommendations of the Period Poverty in Ireland Discussion Paper be taken into account in terms of further development of the Bill and that cross-Government, inter-Departmental, interagency and societal support for the Bill and related implementation measures should be sought, including from voluntary and private sector organisations that provide services funded by the State, as well as from public service providers. The recommendations of the Report include, but are not limited to, consideration of the provision of free period products in public buildings and in the context of education.
The Department of Health has established an Implementation Group, with representation from all Government Departments, to achieve cross sectoral input and to co-ordinate oversight of both the Bill and implementation measures recommended in the Discussion Paper. It is envisaged that the work of the Group will address the indignity experienced by those who may need period products every month, but cannot afford them. It is not possible to provide precise costs at present for period poverty implementation as this work is ongoing.
Key priorities for a pilot scheme include provision in public buildings, through publicly funded services and reaching the most needy.
1809. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost to reduce prescription charges by 50 cent and to abolish prescription charges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35550/21]
View answerThe full year cost of reducing prescription charges by €0.50c for those over 70 is estimated at €12.5m.
The full year cost of reducing prescription charges by €0.50c for those under 70 is estimated at €12.1m.
Therefore the total full year cost of reducing prescription charges for both cohorts is estimated at €24.6m.
The cost to the State of abolishing prescription charges is estimated at €61.2m.
1810. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost to abolish hospital car parking charges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35551/21]
View answerThe Programme for Government makes a commitment to introduce a cap on the maximum daily charge for patients and visitors at all public hospitals, where possible and to introduce flexible passes in all public hospitals for patients and their families. My Department and the HSE are currently examining the issue.
As 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.
1811. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of reducing the drugs payment scheme threshold to €100; the estimated cost of reducing same in increments of €15; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35552/21]
View answerAs this Parliamentary Question relates to data only available through completion of a detailed analytical exercise, the Deputy is advised that the HSE is currently not in a position to provide such data by closing date for the Parliamentary Question. I am advised that due to the recent cyber-attack, 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.
1812. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated additional cost of a 100% uptake each year of the HPV vaccine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35553/21]
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.
1813. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of establishing a permanent Covid-19 testing and tracing unit with the capacity to manage 500 cases a day; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35554/21]
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.
1814. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated additional revenue and capital cost for public health departments in 2022 of commitments made regarding consultant contracts and in the Sláintecare Implementation Strategy and Action Plan 2021-2023 for each item; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35555/21]
View answerThe new Sláintecare Implementation Strategy & Action Plan 2021-2023 was approved by Government on 12 May 2021. €1.235 billion was allocated in Budget 2021 to the allocation of Sláintecare. The allocation of resources for 2022 will be determined in the course of the annual estimates process.
1815. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if he will advise on a matter raised in correspondence (details supplied) in relation to long Covid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35556/21]
View answerCovid-19 is a new disease so information on it, its features and its course are still emerging. Scientific and clinical evidence is evolving on the long-term effects of COVID-19. An increasing number of reports and studies are now being published on the topic, however, at present there is no agreement on the definition or the terminology.
Scientific and clinical evidence is evolving on the long-term effects of COVID-19. It is recognised that persistent and prolonged symptoms can occur after acute COVID-19 infection in a proportion of patients, including in some patients who did not develop symptoms severe enough to require hospitalisation. My Department, through the Health Research Board, continues to fund research into the clinical impacts of COVID-19.
Patients with persistent symptoms following Covid-19 infection may be followed up by their GP or in hospital settings as clinically appropriate. People in the community who are concerned about persistent symptoms following Covid-19 should contact their GP in the first instance. Treatment is currently focused on management of specific symptoms. In line with Sláintecare, we need to ensure that as much reablement and rehabilitation care as possible is delivered in the community, as close to people’s homes as possible. General practice plays a key part in the delivery of a national post-acute (Long) COVID-19 service.
Specific guidance on the treatment of Long Covid is presently under development both here and internationally.
The HSE is assessing need and the best way to care for those impacted by Long COVID. I can advise the Deputy that the HSE as part of its work on post-Covid care, is now looking at how it can model the possible numbers that will be affected, noting that this will take time as more evidence emerges. I understand that the HSE has been in touch with a group of people who are suffering post-Covid symptoms to inform understanding. Guidance is being developed to align needs with care provision and to develop criteria and strategies for the ongoing evaluation of patients.
The Department of Health will continue to develop an understanding of the implications of Long Covid to inform policy as appropriate.
Under the Health Act 1970 (as amended), eligibility for a medical card is based primarily on means. The Act obliges the HSE to assess whether a person is unable, without undue hardship, to arrange general practitioner services for himself or herself and his or her family, having regard to his or her overall financial position and reasonable expenditure. The issue of granting medical cards based on having a particular disease or illness was previously examined in 2014 by the HSE Expert Panel on Medical Need and Medical Card Eligibility. The Group concluded that it was not feasible, desirable, nor ethically justifiable to list medical conditions in priority order for medical card eligibility. In following the Expert Group’s advice, a person’s means remains the main qualifier for a medical card.
However, every effort is made by the HSE, within the framework of the legislation, to support applicants in applying for a medical card and, in particular, to take full account of the difficult circumstances in the case of applicants who may be in excess of the income guidelines. The HSE may exercise discretion and grant a medical card, even though an applicant exceeds the income threshold where they face difficult financial circumstances, such as extra costs arising from, the social and medical impacts of an illness.
The Disability Allowance and Illness Benefit Schemes do not fall under the remit of my Department, however information on the scheme and how to apply can be found at www.gov.ie/en/service/df6811-disability-allowance/ and www.gov.ie/en/service/ddf6e3-illness-benefit/.
1816. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the procedures that will be put in place for persons who travel to Ireland and who have clear evidence that they have received a Covid-19 vaccine (details supplied); and if there has been any communication with the European Medicines Agency regarding the approval of this vaccine. [35557/21]
View answerUnder current travel regulations 'Vaccinated Person' means a person vaccinated with an EMA approved vaccine, with recommended number of days after the final dose. The following table sets out timelines for the four different vaccinations being used.
|
2 doses of Pfizer-BioNtech Vaccine: BNT162b2 (Comirnaty®) |
Plus 7 days |
|
2 doses of Moderna Vaccine: CX-024414 (Moderna®) |
Plus 14 days |
|
2 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca Vaccine: ChAdOx1-SARS-COV-2 (Vaxzevria® or Covishield) |
Plus 15 days |
|
1 dose of Johnson & Johnson/Janssen Vaccine: Ad26.COV2-S [recombinant] (Janssen®) |
Plus 14 days |
Travellers into Ireland can provide proof of vaccination with EMA approved vaccines, proof of recovery, or a valid negative PCR-RT test result under the current travel measures.
There is comprehensive information on international travel on gov.ie/travel and www.dfa/travel
1817. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health his plans to help tackle the extensive waiting lists for primary care psychological services and mental health services for children and adolescents in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35558/21]
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.
1818. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the reflective practices that are in place to deal with medicolegal events; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35559/21]
View answerReflective practice is an established part of the curriculum and training experience of clinicians in Ireland. Reflective Practice and the skills required are also a key feature of the continuous professional development of medical staff.
Because of the time delay between an incident and any ensuing legal action, it is generally not appropriate to wait until legal proceedings are advanced before engaging in reflective practice or taking any other necessary actions arising out of an incident. Serious patient safety incidents come to the attention of the National Patient Safety Office (NPSO) of the Department of Health through the HSE/Department of Health Patient Safety Communications Protocol. When a serious patient safety incident occurs in the HSE, the HSE notify the NPSO of the incident through the protocol.
This protocol activates a pathway of communications in relation to the serious patient safety incident and issues of concern. Through the protocol the NPSO ensures that the Minister for Health is kept appropriately informed of significant developments around patient safety incidents and that feedback is sought on how learning from patient safety incidents have helped improve quality and safety in the health service or across the health sector.
The HSE's Incident Management Framework 2020 sets out a person-centred response to the management of patient safety incidents. The approach in the Framework is to align the response with the HSE's values of Care, Compassion, Trust and Learning. The Framework indicates that focusing on learning promotes reflective practice while outlining a case for change.
1819. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the way the health system plans to deal with the predicted higher hospital admissions from long-Covid-19 symptoms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35560/21]
View answerCovid-19 is a new disease so information on it, its features and its course are still emerging. Scientific and clinical evidence is evolving on the long-term effects of COVID-19. An increasing number of reports and studies are now being published on the topic, however, at present there is no agreement on the definition or the terminology.
Scientific and clinical evidence is evolving on the long-term effects of COVID-19. It is recognised that persistent and prolonged symptoms can occur after acute COVID-19 infection in a proportion of patients, including in some patients who did not develop symptoms severe enough to require hospitalisation. My Department, through the Health Research Board, continues to fund research into the clinical impacts of COVID-19.
Patients with persistent symptoms following Covid-19 infection may be followed up by their GP or in hospital settings as clinically appropriate. People in the community who are concerned about persistent symptoms following Covid-19 should contact their GP in the first instance. Treatment is currently focused on management of specific symptoms. In line with Sláintecare, we need to ensure that as much reablement and rehabilitation care as possible is delivered in the community, as close to people’s homes as possible. General practice plays a key part in the delivery of a national post-acute (Long) COVID-19 service.
Specific guidance on the treatment of Long Covid is presently under development both here and internationally.
The HSE is assessing need and the best way to care for those impacted by Long COVID. I can advise the Deputies that the HSE as part of its work on post-Covid care, is now looking at how it can model the possible numbers that will be affected, noting that this will take time as more evidence emerges. I understand that the HSE has been in touch with a group of people who are suffering post-Covid symptoms to inform understanding. Guidance is being developed to align needs with care provision and to develop criteria and strategies for the ongoing evaluation of patients.
The Department of Health will continue to develop an understanding of the implications of Long Covid to inform policy as appropriate.
1820. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health the status of the preparation of the Sláintecare multiannual waiting list plan; the timeline for the completion and publication of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35561/21]
View answerWaiting lists have grown to historically high levels due to the cessation of services during periods of the pandemic and more recently have been further impacted by the cyber-attack on the HSE. The numbers of people now waiting for diagnostics and treatment far exceed Sláintecare waiting time targets.
The Sláintecare Implementation Strategy & Action Plan 2021-2023 committed to the development of a Multi-Annual Waiting Lists Reduction Plan. Following consultation between the Department of Health (DoH), the Health Service Executive (HSE), and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) and other stakeholders, the draft plan has been finalised and is expected to be submitted to Government after the summer recess.
1821. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 437 of 13 May 2021, the status of the site identification exercise in Galway currently being undertaken as part of the preliminary business case process for the development of elective hospitals; the number of site submissions received to-date by the Elective Hospitals Oversight Group in respect of Galway; the timeline for the evaluation process; the timeline for when a site option will be formally approved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35562/21]
View answerA call for submissions of suitable sites for elective hospital facilities was published on 12 May with a closing date for submissions of 4 June. The purpose of the call was to identify and assess suitable sites in private or public ownership in each of the three locations with a view to the Preliminary Business Case recommending a single preferred site option in each of the three locations. The process is coming to a conclusion and the Preliminary Business Case is nearing completion. Once finalised, the PBC will be submitted to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for review and thereafter will be submitted to Government for its consideration. The deliberative process is ongoing but details of compliant sites submitted for assessment will be published as part of the Preliminary Business Case.
1822. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of providing an additional 180 expand medical intern training places in 2022; the requirements for such an expansion in terms of supervising posts and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35563/21]
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.
1823. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of setting up a new HSE security operation centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35564/21]
View answerI have been advised that the information requested by the Deputy in relation to the new HSE security operation centre is commercially sensitive, as it is subject to an ongoing procurement process. The HSE have put in place a temporary service to support ICT security in the interim.
1824. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the annual spend on the dental treatment services scheme in 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35565/21]
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.
