Written Answers Nos. 3216-3238
3219. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Health the number of mental health professionals working with patients under 16 years of age in non-specific wards receiving treatment for mental health issues by each hospital in tabular form; and the staff-patient ratio for same. [40862/21]
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.
3220. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if a lease (details supplied) includes a condition that a licence be granted to the group to operate the new facility for the entire duration of the term of the lease. [40870/21]
View answer3221. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if he has sought to secure the transfer of the freehold ownership of the site of the new maternity hospital to the State from a group (details supplied); and the progress that has been made in relation to this issue. [40871/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 3220 and 3221 together.
As the Deputy is aware, a draft legal framework has been developed which aims to address the ownership and governance arrangements at the new National Maternity Hospital (NMH). The draft legal framework provides for the new hospital to be built on a site leased by the State from the St Vincent’s Healthcare Group (SVHG) for a period of 99 years, with the potential to extend for a further 50 years. The framework also provides for an Operating Licence to be issued by the HSE to NMH at Elm Park DAC and SVHG to facilitate the provision of health services in the new building.
As I have previously emphasised, I will not bring any proposal to Government unless it provides assurances around all legally permissible services being provided in the new NMH as well as ensuring that the State’s investment in the new hospital is safeguarded. In that context, and as previously stated, there has been further engagement with the stakeholders in relation to these matters. However, I have been very clear that I will not be making any further comment on the nature of this engagement until it concludes.
3222. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health his views on whether the new build for the new maternity hospital is bound by the EU energy directives now in force given that planning permission was granted to the HSE by An Bord Pleanála on 31 August 2017 under the terms of the building regulations then in force; if so, the steps the HSE has taken or plans to take to comply with the new NZEB standard; the extent to which the building has to be redesigned to so comply; if this redesign will increase the cost of the new build; and if so, the amount. [40872/21]
View answerIn 2017, the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government signed into Irish Law the requirement to meet Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB) as part of Building Regulations (Part L Amendment) Regulations 2017. In order to comply with the Statutory requirements set out in the updated regulations, and to achieve enhanced energy performance and necessary carbon reduction, the design of the New Maternity Hospital (NMH) required significant amendments to the buildings fabric and mechanical & electrical systems. These included;
- The introduction of two-stage air source heat pumps (ASHPs) to meet the primary heating needs of the building
- A move away from reliance on gas fired boilers
- The decoupling of the existing boiler plant serving the remainder of the SVUH campus
- The decoupling of the electrical distribution serving the remainder of the SVUH campus
- An increase in the number & capacity of the electrical transformers & standby generators
- An increase in the size of service risers and ducts to accommodate the increased size of the air handling plant.
The introduction of these design amendments to comply with the updated building regulations resulted in changes to both the internal layout & the external envelope of the proposed new NMH building.
The new NMH to SVUH project was granted Planning Permission by An Bord Pleanála (ABP) in 2017. As noted above, that same year, an update to Part L of the Building Regulations was introduced by Government. Transitional arrangements were put in place for projects already at design or construction stage. The new NMH project fell within this category of projects which had achieved planning grant before the end of 2018. However, due to the delays the updated regulations now apply in full.
The redesign required to comply with the updated regulations has now been fully incorporated. From a planning perspective it is proposed to address these amendments via a submission to An Bord Pleanála for approval under Section 146b of the Planning Regulations. It is normal for a project of this size and complexity to go through design development and refinement post planning grant. This can be for a number of reasons, including response to evolving clinical operational policies, internal environmental requirements, co-ordination and buildability issues. Or as is the case here, compliance with updated building regulations. The redesign required to comply with the new regulations is now complete & ready for submission to An Bord Pleanála.
The cost of compliance with the updated regulation, Part L 2017, is estimated at €18.3M exclusive of VAT.
3223. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the price of the single contract awarded for the construction of a new pharmacy at St. Vincent's University Hospital and the extension of the multi-storey car park on the Elm Park site; the nature of the tendering process for same; and the proportion of the overall price that relates to the pharmacy; and the proportion that relates to the car park extension. [40873/21]
View answerThe value of the contract awarded for the Pharmacy and extension to existing multi storey carpark works is €25,472,302.00 excluding VAT (€28,911,062.80 including VAT). The works were awarded as a single construction contract and are not apportioned separately.
The Pharmacy and extension to existing multi storey carpark works were procured in accordance with Capital Works Management Framework guidance for public works contracts and all relevant Irish and EU procurement rules and guidelines. The tender was advertised both on e-tenders and OJEU. It was a 2-stage tender process and the Pharmacy/Car-park works was advertised and awarded as single tender/contract.
The works undertaken to date on the site to facilitate the move of the National Maternity Hospital from Holles Street to the St Vincent’s University Hospital campus also consist of
- Aspergillus protection and prevention works,
- Enabling works / site preparation works;
- Demolition works;
- Junction upgrades to the entrances at Nutley Lane and Merrion Road in line with Planning Conditions; and
- Infrastructural works, including diversions of life critical mechanical and electrical systems supporting the adult hospital
3224. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if the State has any security, either legal or equitable, over the property at the Elm Park campus upon which public monies have been expended on enabling works to do with the new maternity hospital; and in the event that the State has at present no such security, the way the State is protecting its investment. [40874/21]
View answerThe HSE ensures that robust legal arrangements are put in place to protect the State’s interests with respect to capital investment on voluntary hospital sites. As the HSE is responsible for the delivery of this public healthcare infrastructure project, they would be in a better position to provide additional information in relation to the specific query raised by the Deputy. 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.
As the Deputy will be aware, a draft legal framework has been developed which aims to address the ownership and governance arrangements at the new National Maternity Hospital (NMH) on the Elm Park campus. As I have already stated, I will not bring any proposal to Government unless it provides assurances around all legally permissible services being provided in the new NMH as well as ensuring that the State’s investment in the new hospital is safeguarded. As such, these legal arrangements would build upon the existing mechanisms to protect the State’s Interest on the Elm Park campus.
3226. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Health the number of persons employed in July 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021 in community psychiatry, community psychology and community CAMHS areas in County Cork by area; and the positions recruited since January 2021 in County Cork in these sectors. [40877/21]
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.
3227. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Health the current waiting list for CAMHS services in County Cork by area; the average waiting time; and his plans to address this. [40878/21]
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.
3228. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Health the number of young persons on the CAMHS waiting list in Cork city for less than 3, 3 to 6, 6 to 9, 9 to 12, 12 to 18, 18 to 24 and over 24 months, respectively in tabular form. [40879/21]
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.
3230. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting for gynaecology appointments by hospital in tabular form; and the average waiting time. [40913/21]
View answerIt is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been impacted in the last sixteen months as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic and more recently as a result of the ransomware attack.
While significant progress was made in reducing waiting times from June 2020 onwards, the surge in Covid-19 cases in the first quarter of 2021, and the resultant curtailment of acute hospital services, is reflected in the most recently available waiting list figures to 13th May 2021.
On 23 March 2021 the HSE published the “Safe Return to Health Services Plan”, outlining a three phased approach for the proposed restoration of services across Community Services, Acute Hospital Operations, Cancer Services and Screening Services. It sets target times for their safe return and details the conditions and challenges that will have to be met. However, the implementation of this plan has been suspended pending the resolution of the recent ransomware attack, which had a significant impact on acute hospitals.
The HSE has been working since 14th May last to recover the effects of the cyber attack on its systems. The HSE advise that at present most systems are operational and services are returning to normal activity. There is a challenge in back entering data and there are still a number of areas of ongoing concern. The HSE was already seeking to recover from the Covid peak in the first quarter of this year and the ransomware attack has delayed this and had the effect of increasing access delays for services. My Department does not have full access to information on the impact of this ransomware attack on elective waiting lists but will provide an update as soon as one is available.
My Department, the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) are focusing on improving access to elective care in order to reduce waiting times for patients. These plans include increased use of private hospitals, funding weekend and evening work in public hospitals, funding “see and treat” services where minor procedures are provided at the same time as outpatient consultations, providing virtual clinics and increasing capacity in the public hospital system.
An additional €240 million has been provided in Budget 2021 for an access to care fund, €210m of which has been allocated to the HSE and a further €30m to the NTPF. This is to be used to fund additional capacity to address the shortfall arising as a result of infection control measures taken in the context of COVID-19, as well as addressing backlogs in waiting lists.
My Department, the HSE and the NTPF are currently developing a Multiannual Waiting List Plan to address waiting lists and bring them in line with Sláintecare targets over the coming years.
The information requested by the Deputy concerning the number of persons waiting for gynaecology appointments by hospital in tabular form; and the average waiting time is outlined in the attached document. This information is based on the latest available data provided by the NTPF. The NTPF have further advised my Department that Holles Street does not currently submit outpatient data as yet, but have engaged extensively with the NTPF to progress steps to allow data to be submitted to the NTPF. This includes the resolution of data protection and technical issues. The Department continues to closely monitor the progress of this project through established Governance structures.
In relation to average waiting times, the NTPF has advised that the health system does not collect the data necessary to calculate average wait times. In particular, the time to treatment of patients who have already received their care is not collected. The NTPF collects data on patients currently on the waiting list and the average time that these patients have been waiting is provided here.
3233. Deputy Joe O'Brien asked the Minister for Health the status of plans to legislate for surrogacy in Ireland in particular in relation to formal recognition of mothers on birth certificates, retrospective declarations of parentage and access to surrogacy internationally. [40937/21]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, drafting of a bill on assisted human reproduction (AHR) and associated areas of research is ongoing by officials in my Department, in conjunction with the Office of the Attorney General. This comprehensive piece of legislation will encompass the regulation, for the first time in Ireland, of a very wide range of practices, including domestic altruistic surrogacy.
The surrogacy provisions include a requirement for all surrogacy agreements to be pre-authorised by the AHR Regulatory Authority, the establishment of which the Bill will provide for. The legislation also sets out a court-based mechanism through which the parentage of a child born through surrogacy may be transferred from the surrogate (and her husband, if applicable) to the intending parent(s).
The draft Bill does not contain provisions to regulate surrogacy arrangements undertaken in other jurisdictions. As issues relating to international surrogacy concern areas of law that intersect across the remits of several Government Departments, my Department is engaging with the Department of Justice and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in respect of this policy area.
In addition, the Department of Justice has published a guidance document on citizenship, parentage, guardianship and travel document issues in relation to children born as a result of surrogacy arrangements entered into outside the State. The purpose of this document is to provide information to prospective intending parents on the steps necessary to ensure that a child born abroad through a surrogacy arrangement may enter and reside in the State and to secure the best interests of the child and should address the query on the legal position of children born through surrogacy outside the State. This guidance document is available here:
www.justice.ie/en/JELR/20120221%20Guidance%20Document.pdf/Files/20120221%20Guidance%20Document.pdf
3234. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive a date for a knee operation in Galway University Hospital taking into account the circumstances of the case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40959/21]
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.
3235. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health the full number of children and adolescents that are being reviewed by the HSE as part of the couth Kerry CAMHS review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40966/21]
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.
3236. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that children and adolescents under care of south Kerry CAMHS are having appointments cancelled at short notice with no clarity on when their replacement appointment will be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40967/21]
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.
3237. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health if he will provide additional consultants to address the backlog of appointments for CAMHS in south Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40968/21]
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.
