Robert Troy
Question:466. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if the supply of test results for a person (details supplied) will be expedited. [49094/21]
View answerHealth Services
Questions (466)
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 (467)
Robert Troy
Question:467. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if an appointment for a person (details supplied) will be expedited. [49095/21]
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.
Health Services Staff
Questions (468)
Catherine Connolly
Question:468. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health the number of whole-time equivalent cardiac physiologists employed in Ireland; the number of whole-time equivalent cardiac physiologist roles currently vacant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49096/21]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy, as soon as possible.
Health Services
Questions (469)
Catherine Connolly
Question:469. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health the number of echocardiogram machines in Ireland, including in acute hospitals and primary care; the location of these machines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49097/21]
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 (470)
Catherine Connolly
Question:470. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health the number of patients on waiting lists for echocardiography services; the number of these patients waiting 3, 6, 9, 12 and 18 months and 2, 3 and 4 plus years, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49098/21]
View answerWritten answers
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.
Medical Aids and Appliances
Questions (471)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:471. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if an application by a person (details supplied) was successful; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49112/21]
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 Staff
Questions (472)
Mattie McGrath
Question:472. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health if he will support the call by an organisation (details supplied) for an additional eight neurology nurses for University Hospital Limerick. [49125/21]
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 (473)
Brendan Griffin
Question:473. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if advice will be provided to a person (details supplied); if the matter will be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49126/21]
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.
Medical Cards
Questions (474)
Richard Boyd Barrett
Question:474. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health if a grant or assistance is available to a medical card holder towards the cost of electricity for a COPD machine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49128/21]
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 Appointments Status
Questions (475)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:475. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if an appointment will be expedited for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49132/21]
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 Human Reproduction
Questions (476)
Martin Browne
Question:476. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Health if he plans to amend the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 to address the current barriers to both parents in families who have children via surrogacy to have an equal legal relationship with their children as those enjoyed by families who do not need to use surrogacy; and the status of the ongoing work on preparing the Assisted Human Reproduction Bill 2017. [49139/21]
View answerWritten answers
The Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 (the Act of 2015) reforms and updates family law to address the needs of children living in diverse family types. The Minister for Health is responsible for Parts 2 & 3 of the Act of 2015 and these Parts commenced on 4 May 2020. Parts 2 & 3 deal with the issue of donor-assisted human reproduction.
Subject to certain conditions, the provisions of Parts 2 & 3 of the Act of 2015 provide for the parentage of donor-conceived children born after the commencement of Parts 2 & 3 and retrospective declarations of parentage for donor-conceived children born prior to the commencement of Parts 2 & 3.
The Act of 2015 does not make provisions in relation to the regulation of surrogacy. Provisions relating to domestic altruistic surrogacy are included in the forthcoming assisted human reproduction (AHR) legislation. The surrogacy provisions outline a court-based mechanism through which the parentage of a child born through surrogacy may be transferred from the surrogate to the intending parent(s).
Drafting of the bill on AHR and associated areas of research is ongoing by officials in my Department, in conjunction with the Office of the Attorney General. 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”. 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.
Healthcare Infrastructure Provision
Questions (477)
Thomas Gould
Question:477. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the status of the planned children’s hospital for Cork; and the timeline for same. [49140/21]
View answerWritten answers
As 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.
Community Care
Questions (478)
Seán Canney
Question:478. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health the arrangement his Department will put in place to deliver day centre services to older persons in the Loughrea, County Galway catchment area given that St. Brendan’s community nursing unit is unable to restore its daycare service due to ongoing Covid-19 restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49145/21]
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.
Vaccination Programme
Questions (479)
Brendan Griffin
Question:479. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health the reason HPV vaccines are not being administered in schools; the details of the changes that have been made to the vaccination programme; the reason persons in County Kerry have been offered vaccination in a HSE facility and not in the secondary school setting; if this is widespread practice; if he is concerned that vaccinations are not being administered in the school will inevitably lead to a lower uptake rate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49150/21]
View answerWritten answers
The HPV vaccination programme is a schools-based immunisation programme. The roll-out of the programme is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Medical Aids and Appliances
Questions (480)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:480. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of an assistive device for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49154/21]
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.
General Practitioner Services
Questions (481)
Réada Cronin
Question:481. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health the initiatives his Department is undertaking to tackle the crisis in primary care whereby general practitioners' practices in north County Kildare and elsewhere are full and cannot accept new patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49160/21]
View answerWritten answers
Where 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. Where a GP practice has a full list of patients and cannot take on new patients, patients should contact other GP practices in the surrounding areas.
The Government is aware of the workforce issues currently facing general practice, including the limited access to GP services in certain areas, and has implemented a number of measures to improve recruitment and retention in general practice.
These include changes to the entry provisions to the GMS scheme to accommodate more flexible/shared GMS GP contracts, and to the retirement provisions for GPs under the GMS scheme, allowing GPs to hold GMS contracts until their 72nd birthday. Enhanced supports for rural GP practices have also been introduced.
The 2019 Agreement on GP contractual reforms will see the Government increase investment in general practice by approximately 40% (€210 million) between 2019 and 2023. The Agreement provides for increased support for GPs working in rural practices and for those in disadvantaged urban areas, and for improvements to maternity and paternity leave arrangements. In addition, the number of GPs entering training has been increased steadily over the past number of years, rising from 120 in 2009 to 233 in 2021.
These measures will see an increase in the number of GPs working in the State, improving access to GP services for patients throughout the country.
Departmental Data
Questions (482)
Réada Cronin
Question:482. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in County Kildare on waiting lists in each of the past five years in tabular form (details supplied).; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49161/21]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Departmental Data
Questions (483)
Réada Cronin
Question:483. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health the number of scripts for anti-anxiety medication and separately anti-depressant medication written and dispensed in County Kildare in each of the past five years in tabular form; the number of patients involved; the cost to the Exchequer of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49162/21]
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.
Departmental Data
Questions (484)
Réada Cronin
Question:484. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health the number of scripts for anti-anxiety and separately anti-depressant medication written in Ireland in each of the past five years in tabular form; the number of patients involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49163/21]
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.
Departmental Data
Questions (485)
Réada Cronin
Question:485. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health the annual cost to the Exchequer of anti-anxiety and separately anti-depressant medication in each of the past five years in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49164/21]
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.