Claire Kerrane
Question:338. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health if a medication (details supplied) will be made available again under the medical card; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45840/21]
View answerMedical Cards
Questions (338)
Written answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Home Care Packages
Questions (339)
Róisín Shortall
Question:339. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a home care package for a person (details supplied) in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45849/21]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Questions (340)
Mary Lou McDonald
Question:340. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who are currently awaiting inpatient eye care procedures in the community healthcare organisation Dublin north city and county area; the average waiting time for an inpatient appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45850/21]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Questions (341)
Mary Lou McDonald
Question:341. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who are currently awaiting outpatient eye care treatment in the community healthcare organisation Dublin north city and county area; the average waiting time for an outpatient appointment; the average waiting time for a procedure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45851/21]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Questions (342)
Mary Lou McDonald
Question:342. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in the community healthcare organisation Dublin north city and county area who have been waiting six, 12, 18 and more than 18 months to access outpatient eye care. [45852/21]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Disabilities Assessments
Questions (343)
Niamh Smyth
Question:343. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) has been waiting so long for an assessment of need appointment. [45857/21]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Health Services
Questions (344)
Mary Lou McDonald
Question:344. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health if he will facilitate the appointment of the new chairperson of the North Inner City Drug and Alcohol Taskforce as agreed by consensus at the taskforce minuted meeting of 16 March 2021, in full adherence to the Local and Regional Drugs Task Forces Handbook. [45860/21]
View answerWritten answers
Drug and Alcohol Task Forces play a key role in the implementation of the national drugs strategy, Reducing Harm Supporting Recovery 2017-2015. To improve accountability across the statutory, community and voluntary sectors and to strengthen the task force model, task forces are required have proper arrangements in place for the selection and renewal of the chairperson and members of the task forces and have proper procedures in place for addressing conflicts of interest.
The North Inner City Drug and Alcohol Task Force has an annual allocation of €2.2 million in funds from the Department of Health. The Department has worked very cooperatively with the task force in recent years to enhance its contribution to the North East Inner City Initiative.
I support the autonomy of the task force to appoint its chairperson and believe the collective membership is the appropriate entity to appoint a chairperson, on a consensual basis. I have made known my concerns about the procedures for the selection and appointment of a new chairperson to the membership. The membership should have the opportunity to consider these concerns and to decide how it wishes to proceed on the appointment of a chairperson.
I have written to the outgoing chair asking him to engage with all members of the task force - community, voluntary and statutory – to consider this matter and have requested an update on his engagement with members as soon as is possible.
Hospital Appointments Status
Questions (345)
Bernard Durkan
Question:345. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health when a tonsillectomy can be arranged for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45908/21]
View answerWritten answers
Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
In 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.
Assisted Decision-Making
Questions (346)
Michael Fitzmaurice
Question:346. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 163 of 7 July 2021, if he will provide a list of all other interdependencies (details supplied) which must be addressed before Part 8 of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 can be commenced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45910/21]
View answerWritten answers
As the Deputy is aware, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has overall policy responsibility for the Assisted Decision-Making Capacity Act with the exception of Part 8, which is the responsibility of my Department. Work is underway in that Department on the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill with a view to full commencement of the Act.
Some of the provisions in other Parts of the Act of 2015 interconnect with Part 8, and work is continuing in respect of all other outstanding matters which need to be addressed before Part 8 can be commenced.
The work under Part 8 of the Act, which provides a legislative framework for Advanced Healthcare Directives (AHDs), has been progressing through the AHD multidisciplinary working group established by the Minister in 2016. The codes of practice for Part 8 were developed and submitted it to the Director of Decision Support Services in December 2018 for consideration. There is a requirement under the Act of 2015 for the Director to put the codes out to consultation before being finalised and my Department will be informed of the timeline for these consultations shortly.
As soon as we are notified of this we will respond to the Deputy directly in this regard.
Covid-19 Tests
Questions (347)
Róisín Shortall
Question:347. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if his Department has engaged with universities and colleges on the use of Covid-19 antigen testing in third-level institutions; the plans that are in place for the roll-out of antigen testing on college campuses; the timeline for any such roll-out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45912/21]
View answerWritten answers
Considerable work has been undertaken to date to evaluate the potential use of rapid antigen detection tests (RADTs) in an Irish context and this will continue on an ongoing basis.
Rapid antigen testing pilot schemes began on June 14th in four universities including NUI Galway, Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, and University College Cork. Three additional third level education institutes have signed up for the programme and are currently preparing to begin testing. The HSE has established an online portal to facilitate reporting of antigen test results, with those in receipt of a ‘detected’ result subsequently referred for a confirmatory PCR test.
Given the evidence currently available, the programme of antigen detection testing in third level institutions is currently operating as a pilot programme and subject to fuller evaluation, with particular regard to its effectiveness, feasibility and avoidance of any unintended consequences.
Given uncertainty surrounding the clinical- and cost-effectiveness of RADT-based screening programmes in asymptomatic individuals to limit the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, such as would be the case in these institutions, it would be appropriate to await the results of the pilot to provide more real-world evidence required to inform policy on the widespread use of RADTs in asymptomatic individuals.
Vaccination Programme
Questions (348)
Róisín Shortall
Question:348. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if plans are in place to give a third Covid-19 vaccine dose to those who would be identified as being at high-risk from Covid-19 or who are immunocompromised; if so, the timeline for any such roll-out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45927/21]
View answerWritten answers
On 1 September, I announced an update to the Covid-19 vaccination programme following updated recommendations from the NIAC. The recommendations involved extending the primary vaccination course with an mRNA dose for immunocompromised individuals aged 12 years and older irrespective of whether the initial doses were an mRNA or adenoviral vector vaccine.
The third dose of an mRNA vaccine should be given a minimum of two months after the second dose of the extended vaccination schedule.
It is currently anticipated that the administration of the third dose extension programme for immunocompromised will commence the week of 27 September and will take approximately 5-6 weeks to complete.
It is important to note that the NIAC has made a distinction between an additional vaccine for those who have mounted a sub-optimal immune response to the primary vaccination course and booster vaccine doses which may be required by some, or all, of the population as a result of waning immunity and vaccine effectiveness over time.
On 8 September, I announced a further update to the Covid-19 vaccination programme following additional advice from the NIAC. The Committee has recommended a booster dose of an mRNA vaccine (irrespective of whether the primary vaccination course was of an mRNA or adenoviral vector) for residents aged 65 years and older living in Long Term Residential Care Facilities and for those aged 80 years and older living in the community.
I have accepted this advice and the HSE has been requested to make the necessary arrangements to operationalise the recommendations. The NIAC continues to examine emerging evidence regarding booster vaccines for those with waning immunity and reduced effectiveness in other groups.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Questions (349)
Denis Naughten
Question:349. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the waiting times for cataract surgery in each hospital in which such surgery takes place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45933/21]
View answerWritten answers
It is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been impacted in the last eighteen 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 associated curtailment of acute hospital services, coupled with the ransomware attack of May 2021, has impacted waiting times. However, the HSE advise that acute services are now almost all fully restored to pre-cyber-attack levels, and are operating in line with relevant Covid protocols.
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.
In recent years, my Department has worked with the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) to improve access for patients waiting for high volume procedures, including cataracts. Ophthalmology services are provided throughout all hospital groups in the country, with cataract removal one of the key procedures carried out as part of this specialty.
A key development in improving access to Ophthalmology services was the opening of a stand-alone high-volume consultant-led cataract theatre by the University of Limerick Hospital Group in Nenagh Hospital in 2018, with the intention that it would facilitate patients from surrounding geographical areas to avail of their treatment there. The impact of such initiatives can be seen in the reduction in the waiting times to access cataract procedures since 2019. At the end of August 2021 there were 4,511 patients waiting for a cataract procedure compared to 5,528 in August 2019.
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 National Treatment Purchase Fund are currently working on 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 waiting times for cataract surgery in each hospital, is outlined in the table below.
Total Active IPDC Waiters for Cataract Surgery by Hospital by Wait Time Band as at 26/08/2021
|
Sum of Total |
Column Labels |
|||||
|
Row Labels |
0-6 Months |
6-12 Months |
12-18 Months |
18+ Months |
Small Volume Time Bands |
Grand Total |
|
CHI |
5 |
5 |
||||
|
Galway University Hospitals |
326 |
24 |
6 |
356 |
||
|
Letterkenny University Hospital |
17 |
7 |
8 |
32 |
||
|
Mater Misericordiae University Hospital |
1315 |
193 |
42 |
65 |
1615 |
|
|
Nenagh Hospital |
114 |
75 |
13 |
12 |
214 |
|
|
Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital |
820 |
107 |
27 |
52 |
1006 |
|
|
Sligo University Hospital |
259 |
26 |
39 |
78 |
402 |
|
|
Small Volume Hospitals |
7 |
5 |
2 |
14 |
||
|
South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital |
162 |
24 |
5 |
5 |
196 |
|
|
St. Vincent's University Hospital |
156 |
6 |
162 |
|||
|
University Hospital Limerick |
72 |
40 |
6 |
47 |
165 |
|
|
University Hospital Waterford |
180 |
29 |
14 |
121 |
344 |
|
|
Grand Total |
3421 |
536 |
153 |
399 |
2 |
4511 |
Health Services
Questions (350)
Denis Naughten
Question:350. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health his plans to roll-out the Sligo model of eye care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45934/21]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Agriculture Schemes
Questions (351)
Michael Ring
Question:351. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a decision will be reached on an appeal by a person (details supplied) in County Mayo. [45765/21]
View answerWritten answers
The above named made an application to Young Farmers Capital Investment (YFCIS) of TAMS II on 7th January 2020. A payment claim was subsequently submitted on 1st March 2021.
During the processing of the claim documents, the applicant was chosen for inspection which was carried out on 4th May 2021. On inspection, it was found that there was a difference between the number of multi place feeders and meal troughs found and claimed for.
A pre-payment penalty letter dated 17th June 2021 issued to the applicant informing them that a 100% penalty would apply to the In-parlour feeding system investment.
The applicant's have sought a review of this penalty which is currently being processed. Once the review is complete, the applicants will be notified of the outcome.
Grant Payments
Questions (352)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:352. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a grant application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45770/21]
View answerWritten answers
The person named made an application to the Young Farmers Capital Investment Scheme (YFCIS) of TAMS II on 9th January 2020.
A claim for payment was submitted on 25th June 2021. Queries raised with the applicants agent on the application are outstanding since 17th August 2021. As soon as the Agent responds, the Department will be in a better position to process the claim.