Written Answers Nos. 547-571
547. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health when it is intended to legislate in the area of assisted human reproduction; and if he will be doing so in line with the recently published report of the Special Rapporteur on Child Protection which recommends that the Government introduce a legislative framework including recognition of international surrogacy and parenting arrangements. [44553/21]
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. I can assure the Deputy that publication of this legislation is a priority for my Department and the Government, and a commitment to enact this legislation is included in the Programme for Government, “Our Shared Future”. Officials in my Department and the Office of the Attorney General continue to prioritise the drafting of this complex legislation and will engage intensively over the next few months to finalise the Bill.
The published report of the Special Rapporteur on Child Protection comprises issues relating to parentage and the right to identity in donor-assisted human reproduction and surrogacy in this jurisdiction and abroad.
As issues relating to international surrogacy raised in the report of the Special Rapporteur 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 regard to this issue.
548. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the status of the primary health care centre in Finglas, Dublin 11; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44556/21]
View answerAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
549. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health the longest time that a child who is classified as urgent, semi-urgent and non-urgent is waiting for a MRI scan in UHG; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44561/21]
View answerIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
550. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health if pre-employment checks have been completed and if a start date has been agreed for a vacant dentist position for the school dentistry service based in Tuam, County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44564/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
551. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health his plans to allocate funding in budget 2022 to voluntary mental health and suicide prevention charities not already in receipt of funding from his Department given the increased demand for such services due to the Covid-19 pandemic. [44566/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
552. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of children and young adults currently attending University Hospital Waterford with type 1 diabetes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44573/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
553. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of children and young adults attending University Hospital Waterford with type 1 diabetes using insulin pump therapy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44574/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
554. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of persons with diabetes who are waiting on a first appointment to the outpatients diabetes clinic in University Hospital Waterford; the number who are waiting over 12, 24 and 36 months, 4 and 5 years, respectively, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44575/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
555. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of persons that required in-hospital treatment for diabetes related foot complications and lower limb loss in each of the years 2014 to 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form by CHO and hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44576/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
556. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the steps he will take to ensure a child (details supplied) is assigned to a liaison officer and gets the services they urgently need; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44582/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
557. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the status of an EU digital Covid certificate for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44583/21]
View answerThe HSE have advised my officials that this issue has been resolved and that the Digital Covid Certificate (DCC) for Mr. Kennedy will issue by close of business today, 15th September 2021.
Typically these issues arise where the complete dataset, which extends beyond the information provided, is not recorded on the national Covid vaccination system (COVAX) and hence the data is not available for the creation of a DCC.
558. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Health if it is permitted for general practitioners to decline to see a patient in person on the basis that they have not been vaccinated for Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44588/21]
View answerGeneral practice has continued to operate during the public health emergency and GPs are still seeing patients where necessary, albeit with infection-control measures in place. In response to the pandemic, it has been necessary to curtail patient in-person contact with GP surgeries as much as possible to help prevent the spread of the virus and for the protection of patients and staff.
Neither the Department of Health nor the HSE has issued guidance to general practitioners in relation to the provision of medical services to patients on the basis of their Covid vaccination status
It is expected that normal clinical practice should be accessible to all patients, in line with normal risk assessment procedures.
559. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will address a matter raised in correspondence (details supplied). [44603/21]
View answerThe EU Digital COVID Certificate Regulation (2021/953) allows Member States the option to issue vaccination certificates to EU citizens and family members vaccinated in third countries. Such persons do not have a right to receive a Digital COVID Certificate and it is up to each individual member state to decide if and how to provide such certificates.
Following the successful rollout of the initial implementation phase of the EU Digital COVID Certificate in Ireland, the Government has decided to create a specific portal to enable Irish citizens vaccinated outside of the EU, with vaccines authorised for use in Ireland, to obtain a COVID certificate valid in Ireland and across the EU.
This portal is currently being advanced on a cross departmental basis involving technical and process development, and resource management. It is expected that an announcement on the launch of this portal will be made shortly.
Under the EU regulation persons are entitled to request a Digital COVID Certificate stating they have received a single dose of vaccination in an EU Member State. Such requests can be made through the helpline.
560. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health the projected cost savings from the HSE medicines management programme’s recent restructuring of the preferred blood glucose strips for adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes; and if the HSE will make those projected savings available to fund the expansion of the FreeStyle Libre glucose monitor to persons with diabetes over the age of 21 years. [44604/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
561. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health if the HSE PCRS has made a request for funding to provide the FreeStyle Libre flash glucose monitoring system to persons with diabetes over 21 years of age based on clinical need; and if the HSE PCRS will include a funding request in its national service plan budget estimates for either 2021 or 2022. [44605/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
562. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health when the current application process for HSE insulin pumps tendering contract will be completed; when the new list of insulin pumps will be sent to the community drug schemes; the estimated timeline of the process from product review to inclusion on the PCRS; the expert group that will review the insulin pumps; and if the patient is involved in this process. [44606/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
563. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health if funding for BERGER, the type 1 diabetes education programme for adults which is run in certain diabetes centres has been suspended or discontinued; if suspended, when this funding will resume; and if funding has been discontinued, the plans being considered to provide alternative type 1 diabetes education for adults attending these clinics. [44607/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
564. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health the number of dose adjustment for normal eating training courses that were run by the HSE in 2018, 2019 and 2020, in-person or virtually, for persons with type 1 diabetes by hospital group in tabular form; and the number of persons with diabetes waiting to complete a course by hospital group in tabular form. [44608/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
565. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health when the University of Limerick Hospitals' adult diabetes service will have the level of staffing required to initiate the dose adjustment for normal eating course which are a diabetes specialist nurse and advanced nurse practitioner, one diabetes specialist dietitian and one diabetes consultant diabetologist and specialist registrar; and when courses will commence in University Hospital Limerick for adults with type 1 diabetes. [44609/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
566. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health when the three whole-time equivalent dietitian posts announced in January 2021 will be recruited as part of winter plan and commence their posts in University Hospital Limerick adult diabetes services; and the portion of the three whole-time equivalent posts that are assigned to adult diabetes care in the acute services in Limerick, Ennis and Nenagh diabetes clinics. [44610/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
567. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health the number of persons with diabetes over the age of 18 years attending University Limerick Hospitals Groups' adult diabetes service that are using insulin pump therapy to manage their condition. [44611/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
568. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health the number of persons with diabetes that are waiting on a first appointment to the outpatients diabetes clinic in University of Limerick Hospitals group; and the number of those persons that are waiting over 12, 24, 36 months, 4 years and over 5 years, in tabular form. [44612/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
569. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health the number of funding applications that were received for the long-term illness scheme and the primary care reimbursement service for the FreeStyle Libre glucose monitoring system; the number of applications received for persons over 21 years of age; the number of applications approved; the number of applications approved for persons over 21 years of age; the number of applications that were rejected; and the number of applications that were rejected for persons over 21 years of age in each of the years 2018 to 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form. [44613/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
570. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health the number of ambulances available to each county from the National Ambulance Service in each of the years 2016 to 2020, in tabular form. [44621/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
571. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health if he will report on the lack of rheumatology consultants for the west of Ireland given that there are only two consultants for the region which is having devastating delays for access to treatment for persons in County Clare; and if a commitment will be made to provide more consultants to address this issue. [44622/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
