Written Answers Nos. 566-585
566. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Health when sections 13 and 19 of the Public Health Alcohol Act 2018 will be commenced in view of the findings of a recent research study (details supplied) which highlights children's exposure to alcohol marketing in sport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49524/21]
View answerResearch evidence consistently shows that exposure to alcohol advertising is associated with an increased likelihood that children will start to drink alcohol or will drink greater quantities if they already do. This is why our Public Health (Alcohol) Act contains strong measures to limit the exposure of our children to alcohol marketing.
Section 15 and 16 of the Act will come into force on 12 November. These provisions restrict alcohol advertising and sponsorship promoting alcohol products, and include a ban on alcohol advertising and sponsorship at events aimed particularly at children or at which the majority of participants or competitors are children. These measures will help to ensure that children can grow up in circumstances where they are not regularly exposed to alcohol products and alcohol advertising.
Section 13 of the Act deals with the content of advertisements for alcohol products. This section cannot be commenced until regulations under it have been made. Draft regulations under section 13 are currently being developed by my Department; upon finalisation they must be submitted to the European Commission for assessment as to whether they are in alignment with Single Market principles.
Section 19 restricts the hours permitted for advertising alcohol products on television and radio. Further consultation with the Broadcasting Authority and the Department of Communications, Climate Change and Environment and the HSE is necessary before the section can be commenced.
567. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health the reason women attending antenatal appointments in Cavan General Hospital are being instructed to attend appointments alone in the case of appointments scheduled after 22 October 2021 (details supplied); when the majority of restrictions are being lifted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49529/21]
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 Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if he in consultation with the HSE will accede to a request to increase the number of neurology nurse specialists at University Hospital Limerick in view of the shortage there (details supplied). [49532/21]
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 Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Health if PIN numbers will be expedited for nurses from abroad (details supplied) who have completed their application to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland, completed examinations via the RCSI and have made a payment to the NMBI to register; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49546/21]
View answerAs this matter involves the register of nurses and midwives that is maintained by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI), my Department contacted the NMBI for an update on these overseas registration applications.
As outlined in my Department's correspondence with the Deputy, the NMBI will require further necessary details on these applicants. When these details are received , my Department will enquire into the status of these applications with the NMBI.
570. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health when a decision will be made on the compensation for front-line workers (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49547/21]
View answerI wish to convey my sincere gratitude to front line workers in relation to their continuing efforts in the delivery of health services during this very challenging pandemic period.
I note that this important matter as it relates to the health service was recently before the Labour Court, and the resulting recommendation is being given careful consideration by Health Service Management.
In the meantime, I wish to reassure the Deputy that the Department and the HSE acknowledge frontline workers' critical and significant response to this pandemic, and are working to appropriately recognise those efforts.
571. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health the number of persons with diabetes aged 18 years and over who are waiting on a first appointment to the outpatients diabetes clinic in any of the UHL groups; the number of those persons who are waiting six to 12, 12 to 18 and 18 to 24 months, two to four and over five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49549/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
572. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the number of State boards under the remit of his Department or its agencies in tabular form; the number of members of each board; the number of women on each board; and the percentage of each board that is made up of women. [49562/21]
View answerIn line with the Code of Practice for Governance of State Bodies, and the 2020 Annex on Gender Balance, Diversity and Inclusion, my Department endeavours to achieve the government target of a minimum of 40% representation of each gender in the membership of state boards.
The nomination and appointment process for boards of bodies under the aegis of my Department is set out in legislation. In line with Government Decision S180/20/10/1617 of 2014 and Guidelines set out by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, my Department, in conjunction with the Public Appointments Service currently advertises for board vacancies as they arise, where I, as Minister for Health, have nominating rights under relevant legislation. I also appoint members on the nomination of various bodies, again in accordance with the relevant legislation. In considering applications made through the Public Appointments Service for state board membership under the aegis of my Department, due regard is given to Government policy on gender balance. In relation to nominations from external bodies, the body is requested, where practical, to nominate both a male and female nominee, and in so far as possible when making appointments to State Boards, I endeavour to ensure an appropriate balance between men and women.
Please see the following table.
|
Board |
Total serving membership @12th Oct |
Number of women |
% of total serving as women |
|
Beaumont Hospital Board |
11 |
5 |
46% |
|
Children’s Health Ireland |
12 |
5 |
42% |
|
Consultative Council on Hepatitis C |
8 |
5 |
63% |
|
Counsellors and Psychotherapists Registration Board |
12 |
8 |
67% |
|
Dental Council |
16 |
6 |
38% |
|
Dietitians Registration Board |
12 |
8 |
67% |
|
Dublin Dental Hospital Board |
14 |
7 |
50% |
|
Food Safety Authority of Ireland |
8 |
3 |
38% |
|
Health and Social Care Professionals Council |
28 |
17 |
61% |
|
Health Information and Quality Authority |
12 |
5 |
42% |
|
Health Insurance Authority |
7 |
3 |
43% |
|
Health Products Regulatory Authority |
9 |
3 |
33% |
|
Health Research Board |
10 |
5 |
50% |
|
Health Service Executive |
11 |
4 |
36% |
|
Irish Blood Transfusion Service |
11 |
7 |
64% |
|
Leopardstown Park Hospital Board |
7 |
4 |
57% |
|
Medical Council |
25 |
12 |
48% |
|
Medical Scientists Registration Board |
12 |
8 |
67% |
|
Mental Health Commission |
13 |
5 |
39% |
|
National Cancer Registry Board |
7 |
3 |
43% |
|
National Haemophilia Council |
11 |
7 |
64% |
|
National Paediatric Hospital Development Board |
10 |
2 |
20% |
|
National Treatment Purchase Fund Board |
9 |
4 |
44% |
|
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland |
23 |
14 |
61% |
|
Occupational Therapists Registration Board |
13 |
10 |
77% |
|
Optical Registration Board |
13 |
3 |
23% |
|
Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland Council |
20 |
9 |
45% |
|
Physiotherapists Registration Board |
13 |
9 |
69% |
|
Podiatrists Registration Board |
13 |
7 |
54% |
|
Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council |
16 |
4 |
25% |
|
Psychologists Registration Board |
12 |
7 |
58% |
|
Radiographers Registration Board |
12 |
8 |
67% |
|
Social Care Workers Registration Board |
13 |
7 |
54% |
|
Social Worker's Registration Board |
13 |
7 |
54% |
|
Speech and Language Therapists Registration Board |
11 |
8 |
73% |
|
St. James's Hospital Board |
10 |
5 |
50% |
|
Tallaght Hospital Board |
11 |
5 |
46% |
|
Voluntary Health Insurance Board |
11 |
3 |
27% |
573. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health when funding will be provided for the provision of a meaningful respite service attached to a centre (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49572/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
574. 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. [49575/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
575. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if consideration is being given to providing additional funding for new medicines specifically orphan medicinal products in the context of budget 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49577/21]
View answer578. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if he has given consideration to changes to Ireland's reimbursement process specifically for orphan medicinal products given that Ireland continually lags behind other European countries for delivery of therapies to persons living with rare diseases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49581/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 575 and 578 together.
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.
Reimbursement is for licenced 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).
"League tables" comparing speed of reimbursement in Ireland with that of other countries are often misleading, as several countries have quite different and often less rigorous statutory assessment arrangements than Ireland. Furthermore, new products being licenced can fall well short of cost-effectiveness thresholds, with limited clinical benefits.
While the 2013 Health Act does not include provision for a different ruleset when assessing orphan drugs, the criteria that apply to the evaluation process allow sufficient scope for the HSE to take on board the particular circumstances that pertain to orphan drugs and rare diseases, and this can be observed in the profile of pricing/reimbursement approvals in recent years.
The allocation of €50m for new medicines in Budget 2021 has enabled the HSE to approve 43 new medicines/expanded uses of existing medicines to date this year, as of 7 October. Approximately 15 of these approvals are for the treatment of rare diseases.
The HSE have provided the following summary in relation to orphan drugs recommendations from July 2016 to May 2021:
- 34% (46/134) of drugs had orphan designation at the time of Drugs Group review.
- 78% (36/46) of these orphan-designated drugs received a positive Drugs Group recommendation.
Therefore, such products continue to be approved for reimbursement when applications are accompanied by robust clinical evidence that an unmet need would be addressed, in accordance with the 2013 Act.
Any funding allocation for new medicines in 2022 will be considered in the context of Budget 2022.
576. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health the date or timeline his Department will publish the report by an organisation (details supplied) on the HSE drug reimbursement process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49578/21]
View answer577. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health the key recommendations of a review (details supplied) of the HSE drug reimbursement process as they relate to orphan medicinal products; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49580/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 576 and 577 together.
Following a tender by the Office of Government Procurement, Mazars conducted a review of the governance structures around the HSE's drug reimbursement process. The report was submitted to my Department in January 2020.
The review made recommendations in respect of the HSE’s systems, structures, processes, governance arrangements and use of specialist resources in respect of the drug reimbursement process.
The report was under consideration by officials, however the focus of the Department of Health changed to the immediate public health considerations of the COVID-19 pandemic and the preservation of life. This meant that this work stream was suspended to reallocate resources to support essential services.
My Department aims to complete its consideration of the report’s recommendations in the near future.
579. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health his views on the rejection of payments by the primary care reimbursement services for general practitioners under the maternity and infant care scheme relating to additional payments for hypertension, gestational diabetes and urinary tract infections. [49592/21]
View answer580. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if he will put in place an appeals system for general practitioners who are refused payments by the primary care reimbursement services under the maternity and infant care scheme. [49593/21]
View answer649. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if he will require the primary care reimbursement services to provide a rationale in each case for the rejection of maternity and infant care scheme payments to general practitioners. [49867/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 579, 580 and 649 together.
The Maternity and Infant Care Scheme provides an agreed programme of care, free of charge, to an expectant mother arising out of her pregnancy and to her new-born baby for six weeks after birth. All expectant mothers who are ordinarily resident in Ireland are eligible to avail of services under the scheme. Women who choose to avail of these services are under the care of both a general practitioner of their choice and a hospital obstetrician. Care can be obtained from any general practitioner who has a contract for the provision of services under the scheme.
The scheme provides for a number of scheduled visits for which GPs are reimbursed. Care in respect of illnesses which are co-incidental with but not related to pregnancy do not form part of the scheme. Where additional visits are required by patients suffering from major conditions e.g. diabetes, hypertension, a fee of €27.67 per visit, subject to a maximum of 5 visits, will be paid.
From 1st July 2019, the Maternity and Infant Care Scheme was centralised to the Primary Care Reimbursement Service for online claiming through the GP Application Suite. The new functionality enables GPs to register and submit claims online for expeditious processing. A manual process for claiming is also provided. Details on how to submit claims are outlined in the document entitled “HSE Primary Care Reimbursement Service Information and Administrative Arrangements for General Practitioners – V1.0” which is available on the HSE website.
In relation to the specific issues raised, as these are service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
581. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the number of payments made annually to general practitioners under the maternity and infant care scheme; the number of applications; the number of payments made to general practitioner practices; and the tally number of rejected applications for payments. [49594/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
582. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if all student nurses and midwives on placement are receiving the announced €100 allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49595/21]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, I directed that a longer-term independent review of clinical placement allowances for student nurses and student midwives take place. The Terms of Reference for this Independent Review included consideration of the Pandemic Placement Grant for the academic year 2020/21 as specified in Professor Collins’ Report.
The independent review was conducted by Mr Sean McHugh and submitted to me in August 2021. I am currently reviewing Mr McHugh's Report and recommendations, along with my officials. I hope to outline my plans in this regard shortly.
The existing allowances, set out in the 2004 Circular (DOHC Circular 09/2004) were available concurrently to the Pandemic Placement Grant. This Circular provides for student nurses and midwives, attending supernumerary clinical placements, to receive a weekly accommodation allowance, currently of up to €50.79 per week should their placement be away from their normal place of residence. It also entitles students to have travel costs (to supernumerary clinical placements) refunded on the basis of receipts being provided. Payment of these allowances has been continuing during the pandemic and remain available for this academic year
583. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the status of the Bantry Hospital dental and orthodontic services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49596/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
584. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of operations and medical treatments that have been postponed for each of the past 20 months due to Covid-19. [49602/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
585. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health if he will provide the resources necessary to employ an additional 100 neurology nurses across the health service in Ireland including nine additional nurses at University College Hospital, Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49605/21]
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.
