Written Answers Nos. 126-145
126. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the number of persons with disabilities in receipt of home support hours in each LHO area as of 30 September 2021 or the latest date available; the number of persons currently on the waiting list for same in each LHO area; and the number waiting 0 to 3, 3 to 6, 6 to 12 and 12 months plus, respectively in tabular form. [48475/21]
View answerAs the issue raised by the Deputy is a service matter, I have referred the question to the Health Service Executive for a direct reply to the Deputy.
127. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the number of persons with disabilities in receipt of personal assistance hours in each LHO area as of 30 September 2021 or the latest date available; the number of persons currently on the waiting list for same in each LHO area; and the number waiting 0 to 3, 3 to 6, 6 to 12 and 12 months plus, respectively in tabular form. [48476/21]
View answerAs these are service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
128. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the number of residential places for persons with a disability currently being provided as of 30 September or the latest date available; and if he will provide a breakdown by CHO area of same in tabular form. [48477/21]
View answerAs the Deputy's question relates to a service matter, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
129. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the number of new emergency places provided to persons with a disability as of 30 September 2021; and if he will provide a breakdown by local health office area of same in tabular form. [48478/21]
View answerAs the Deputy's question relates to a service matter, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
130. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the number of children as of 30 September 2021 or the latest date available that were awaiting a first assessment from the HSE under the Disability Act 2005 by LHO area in tabular form. [48479/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
131. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on the physiotherapy waiting list by local health area as of 30 September or the latest date available; the number waiting less than 4 4 to 12 and more than 12 months, respectively; and the number waiting aged 0 to 4, 5 to 17, 18 to 64 and 65 years of age plus, respectively in tabular form. [48480/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
132. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on the speech and language therapy assessment waiting list by local health area as of 30 September or the latest date available; the number waiting less than 4, 4 to 12 and more than 12 months, respectively; and the number waiting aged 0 to 17 and those 18 and above years of age, respectively in tabular form. [48481/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
133. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on the speech and language therapy initial treatment waiting list by local health area as of 30 September or the latest date available; the number waiting less than 4, 4 to 12 and more than 12 months, respectively; and the number waiting aged 0 to 17 and those 18 and above years of age, respectively in tabular form. [48482/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
134. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on the speech and language therapy further treatment waiting list by local health area as of 30 September or the latest date available; the number waiting less than 4, 4 to 12 and more than 12 months, respectively; and the number waiting aged 0 to 17 and those 18 and above years of age, respectively in tabular form. [48483/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
135. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on the occupational therapy first-time assessment waiting list by local health area as of 30 September or the latest date available; the number waiting less than 4, 4 to 12 and more than 12 months, respectively; and the number waiting aged 0 to 4, 5 to 17, 18 to 64 and 65 years of age plus, respectively in tabular form. [48484/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
136. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if there is a standard process for selecting candidates to panels for the position of healthcare assistants within HSE hospitals; if so, the details of the process; if the case of a person (details supplied) will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48488/21]
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.
137. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if he will meet with members of a campaign (details supplied) to discuss the HSE plan to close the accident and emergency department in a hospital overnight. [48489/21]
View answerOur Lady’s Hospital Navan is included in the list of designated Model 2 Hospitals under the Smaller Hospitals Framework, which was approved by Government in 2013. It will be the last of those hospitals to transition to Model 2. The HSE has advised that changes to the services at Navan, in line with the Government Decision, are necessary to support safe service delivery on a sustained basis. However, they can only take place on completion of the necessary planning, which is still ongoing. I am assured that communication with stakeholders will of course be a core part of planning, and also that the vast majority of current footfall at the hospital will continue.
Any changes to the services at Navan will be about ensuring patient safety and quality on the one hand, and that people have care as close to home as possible on the other. The HSE has said clearly there is a patient safety rationale for the change and we need to be mindful of that.
I understand that it is intended that there will be engagement with all interested parties to ensure that the needs of patients, staff, the local and wider community are addressed. The HSE has affirmed this communication is part of the ongoing planning in relation to Navan.
138. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when the HSE will process an application to assign a general practitioner to a family (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48491/21]
View answerWhere a GMS patient experiences difficulty in finding a GP to accept him/her as a patient, the person concerned having unsuccessfully applied to at least three GPs in the area can apply to the HSE National Medical Card Unit which has the power to assign that person to a GP's GMS patient list.
People who do not hold a medical card or GP visit card access GP services on a private basis and can make enquiries directly to any GP practice they wish to register with. As private contractors, it is a matter for each individual GP to decide whether to accept additional private patients.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
139. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health the number of staff in the HSE with training or experience in universal design. [48495/21]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.
140. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if he will address a matter raised in correspondence (details supplied) in relation to diabetes care at the University Hospital Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48502/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
141. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1120 of 9 September 2021, the status of the single integrated financial and procurement management system; when it will be rolled out; the benefits of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48504/21]
View answerThe Integrated Financial management Systems (IFMS) is a single national finance and procurement system for the entire health sector. It has been developed under the HSE Finance Reform Programme – a significant transformation programme for the health sector in terms of scale and complexity. The financial reform programme is well advanced with much work done across the HSE at a tactical level to align existing, processes and upgrade legacy regional financial systems where this is possible. IFMS will provide better reporting, management, governance, compliance and transparency, and a better overall financial control environment, commensurate with the scale and complexity of the HSE and the funding provided for health services in Ireland. IFMS will also provide a single standardised financial and procurement system to voluntary organisations will, for the first time, provide quality standardised financial and procurement information across both statutory and voluntary services.
Building on the success of the work done to date, a detailed design for configuration of the SAP systems underpinning IFMS was completed in July of this year. The next phase of the programme is the build, configuration and test phase. This will be followed by a phased rollout of over a 4 year period. The deployment plan will ensure that sites that manage the majority of expenditure will be deployed first, followed by smaller sites in year 4.
142. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health if he will publish the November 2019 recommendations prepared by the HSE relating to hospital car parking charges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48525/21]
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. Accordingly, my Department and the HSE are currently examining the issue.
143. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health if he will take steps to bring the cost of xalacom eyedrops here in line with other countries, such as Spain in which the over-the-counter cost is between a quarter and a third of the cost in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48527/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
144. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if he will urgently reassess an application for emergency funding for a person (details supplied) in County Cork given the urgency of the medical requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48528/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
145. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Health the way he plans to expand dementia day care services in County Mayo; the engagement his Department has had with organisations (details supplied) on increasing the delivery of services in the county through capital investment and nursing supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48530/21]
View answerIt is a matter for the Health Service Executive to identify the need for dementia specific daycare services and to make appropriate service arrangements for the delivery of such services to meet identified needs. In this context, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly on the question of any planned expansion of dementia specific daycare services in Co.Mayo.
I received a pre-budget submission from the Alzheimer's Society of Ireland on September 9th 2021 which the Department and I have considered ahead of Budget 2022. As Minister of State with responsibility for Mental Health and Older People, I regularly engage with representative groups including Western Alzheimer’s and the Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland. I have met with Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland along with Department of Health officials to discuss their pre-budget submission. I am committed to supporting the continued development of dementia services, including the expansion of day centres.
I am also committed to the implementation of the Irish National Dementia Strategy, which works towards improving how we provide care for people living with dementia across the country. As the Deputy may 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.
One of the measures funded through the €5m for the implementation of the National Dementia Strategy is the development of four new Memory Assessment and Support Services in Mayo, Sligo, Waterford and Wexford. These new services will improve access to assessment and diagnostic services.
More broadly, the provision of funding to respond to the ongoing need for dementia specific services is a matter for consideration in the forthcoming Estimates process.
