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Tuesday, 28 Sep 2021

Written Answers Nos. 652-672

Hospital Waiting Lists

Questions (653)

Holly Cairns

Question:

653. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to address the outpatient eye care waiting list. [46143/21]

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Written 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.

The NTPF have advised my department that they have approved 7 Outpatient ophthalmology initiatives and 1 See & Treat initiative for funding so far in 2021, which will facilitate treatment for 11,749 patients on ophthalmology waiting lists.

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.

In order to address waiting lists in the immediate-short term the Department of Health, HSE, and National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) are finalising a waiting list Action Plan which will be in operation until the end of 2021. The Action plan will focus on addressing the backlog arising from the Covid-19 pandemic and the HSE cyber-attack. A longer term Multi-Annual Waiting List Plan, which is an essential part of the Sláintecare Implementation Strategy and Action Plan approved by Government in May the year, is also currently being finalised.

Health Services

Questions (654)

Holly Cairns

Question:

654. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health when the HSE will resume in-person breastfeeding support groups. [46144/21]

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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.

Hospital Services

Questions (655)

Pa Daly

Question:

655. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that elective surgeries have been cancelled at University Hospital Kerry since 9 September 2021 with no plan to resume them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46147/21]

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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.

Hospital Overcrowding

Questions (656)

Pa Daly

Question:

656. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health if he will report on the plan to address overcrowding at University Hospital Kerry, which has led to the cancellation of elective surgeries for an extended period of time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46148/21]

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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.

Hospital Procedures

Questions (657)

Pa Daly

Question:

657. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health if he will report on the details of the plan to ensure that elective surgeries can resume at University Hospital Kerry, even if at a limited capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46149/21]

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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.

Hospital Staff

Questions (658)

Pa Daly

Question:

658. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health if he will report on the details of the plan to address the shortage of consultants and nursing staff at University Hospital Kerry given these staff shortages have been publicly cited as the reason that elective surgeries have been cancelled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46150/21]

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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.

Hospital Staff

Questions (659)

Pa Daly

Question:

659. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health the timeline by which his Department and the HSE will deliver a plan to address staff shortages, cancelled surgeries and staff retention issues at University Hospital Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46151/21]

View answer

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.

Hospital Services

Questions (660)

Pa Daly

Question:

660. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health if the decision has been made to downgrade University Hospital Kerry from a model 3 hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46152/21]

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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.

Health Services

Questions (661)

Cormac Devlin

Question:

661. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health the estimated prevalence of type 1 diabetes here; the number of continuous glucose monitoring systems and insulin pumps, respectively, in use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46154/21]

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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.

Budget 2022

Questions (662)

Cormac Devlin

Question:

662. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health if the pre-budget submission for an organisation (details supplied) has been brought to his attention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46155/21]

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Written answers

I received a pre-budget submission from Alzheimer's Society of Ireland on September 9th 2021 which my Department and I have considered ahead of Budget 2022.

As Minister of State with Responsibility for Mental Health and Older People I am committed to the implementation of the Irish National Dementia Strategy, which aims to improve how we provide care for people living with dementia. The National Dementia Office, established within the HSE, oversees implementation of the Strategy.

As the Deputy will be aware in Budget 2021, the Government allocated €12.9 million for a number of dementia specific measures. This allocation comprised of €7m for an additional 250,000 hours of home support for people living with dementia, €0.9m to expand the dementia advisor service operated by the Alzheimer Society of Ireland and €5m for implementation of the National Dementia Strategy.

With regards to allocation of funding for 2022, as the Deputy will appreciate, I cannot comment at this stage on the outcome of the estimates process, or matters which will be the subject of national service planning in 2022.

Home Care Packages

Questions (663)

Pearse Doherty

Question:

663. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a decision will be made for a home support application for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46159/21]

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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.

Vaccination Programme

Questions (664)

Pearse Doherty

Question:

664. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health if second-dose Covid-19 vaccines can be accessed at local vaccination centres if first dose Covid-19 vaccines were received in a hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46160/21]

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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.

Vaccination Programme

Questions (665)

Pearse Doherty

Question:

665. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health if it is planned that Covid-19 booster vaccines will be available at local vaccination centres for those who received Covid-19 vaccines in hospital settings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46161/21]

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Written answers

More than seven million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have now been administered since the programme began in December last year. As the current phase of vaccination is nearing completion, the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) has been examining evidence regarding booster vaccines.

On 8 September, I announced a further update to the Covid-19 vaccination programme following additional advice from the NIAC. The NIAC has now recommended that 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.

The booster dose can be given after a minimal interval of six months following completion of the primary vaccination schedule. 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.

Community Care

Questions (666)

Pearse Doherty

Question:

666. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when he plans to reopen the respite services at Drumboe House, County Donegal for children and young adults; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46162/21]

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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.

Disability Services

Questions (667)

Pearse Doherty

Question:

667. 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. [46163/21]

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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.

Hospital Appointments Status

Questions (668)

Pearse Doherty

Question:

668. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal will receive an appointment for an eye operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46165/21]

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Written 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.

Disability Services

Questions (669)

Pearse Doherty

Question:

669. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a child (details supplied) in County Donegal who has been diagnosed with autism will have a speech and language and an occupational therapy appointment for the purposes of assessment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46166/21]

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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.

Medicinal Products

Questions (670)

Pearse Doherty

Question:

670. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the status of the reimbursement process for the drug Zolgensma for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy; the progress made to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46167/21]

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Written answers

The HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicines under the community drugs schemes, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.

In line with the 2013 Health Act and the national framework agreed with industry, if a company would like a medicine to be reimbursed by the HSE, the company must submit an application to the HSE to have the new medicine added to the reimbursement list.

Reimbursement is for licensed indications which have been granted market authorisation by the European Medicines Agency or the Health Products Regulatory Authority.

In making a relevant reimbursement decision, the HSE is required under the Act to have regard to a number of criteria, including efficacy, the health needs of the public, cost effectiveness and potential or actual budget impact.

HSE decisions on which medicines are reimbursed by the taxpayer are made on objective, scientific and economic grounds, on the advice of the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE).

I am advised by the HSE that, in April 2020, the NCPE received a reimbursement application dossier for Onasemnogene abeparvovec (Zolgensma) for the treatment of patients with 5q spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) with a bi-allelic mutation in the SMN1 gene and a clinical diagnosis of SMA type 1, or patients with 5q SMA with a bi-allelic mutation in the SMN1 gene and up to 3 copies of the SMN2 gene.

On 13 May 2020, the NCPE completed a rapid review with respect to this application and recommended a full Health Technology Assessment (HTA) to assess the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of Zolgensma compared with the current standard of care.

The HTA was undertaken as a part of the Beneluxa collaboration between Ireland, the Netherlands and Belgium, with Austria acting as a reviewer in the Belgian procedure.

The HTA was completed in May 2021. The NCPE recommended that Zolgensma not be considered for reimbursement unless cost-effectiveness could be improved relative to existing treatments.

Pricing/reimbursement negotiations are currently underway, having commenced in July 2021.

A final decision on the pricing/reimbursement application for Zolgensma will be made in accordance with the 2013 Health Act.

Hospital Appointments Status

Questions (671)

Pearse Doherty

Question:

671. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive an appointment for ophthalmic surgery in Galway University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46168/21]

View answer

Written 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.

Health Services

Questions (672)

Pearse Doherty

Question:

672. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the reason physiotherapy appointment frequency have changed for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46169/21]

View answer

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.

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