Written Answers Nos. 598-617
598. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if a child (details supplied) who is a patient in University Hospital Kerry will be urgently transferred to Children’s Health Ireland, Crumlin for treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57057/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
599. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Health when a booster programme will be available for those who have received a single vaccination jab and who need to travel within the European Union given that the Austrian authorities have now stated that a single vaccination with a vaccine (details supplied) will only be recognised until 3 January 2022 and after that date a booster is required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57061/21]
View answerThe immunisation programme in Ireland is based on the advice of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC). The NIAC makes recommendations on vaccination policy to my Department based on the prevalence of the relevant disease in Ireland and international best practices in relation to immunisation.
On 15 November the NIAC recommended that a booster of an mRNA vaccine be offered to persons aged 16-59 years with underlying conditions, all residents in Long Term Healthcare Facilities and persons aged 50-59 years. The Chief Medical Officer has endorsed the latest NIAC recommendations and written to the HSE to request that the recommendations be operationalised as soon as possible.
The NIAC has previously recommended that a booster dose of an mRNA vaccine (irrespective of whether the primary vaccination course was of an mRNA or adenoviral vector) be offered to those aged 60 years and older and healthcare workers. The booster dose should be given after an interval of six months (or at least five months) following the last dose of any authorised Covid-19 vaccine. I have accepted this advice and the HSE has made the necessary arrangements to operationalise these recommendations with the booster rollout now underway.
The NIAC will continue to examine emerging evidence regarding booster vaccines for others in the population where there is evidence of waning immunity and reduced effectiveness and will make further recommendations if required.
600. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal will receive an appointment from the early intervention team; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57062/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
601. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the reason there is no active haematology department in University Hospital Kerry; his plans to have this department fully operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57083/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
602. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if he will provide resources to increase the number of palliative care beds in the Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar by four beds and increase a second hospice bed at St. Joseph’s, Longford (details supplied). [57096/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
603. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding medical centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57115/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
604. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Health the number of incidents of needle spiking that have been treated in Irish hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57116/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
605. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Health the breakdown of vaccination type of patients currently hospitalised with Covid-19 who have previously been vaccinated against the virus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57118/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
606. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Health the level of subsidy on antigen tests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57119/21]
View answer635. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health if provision has been built into the plan for rapid antigen testing to provide for persons who hold a medical card or a long-term illness card who are deemed medically vulnerable and or who are experiencing financial hardship. [57359/21]
View answer636. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health when the plan to subsidise rapid antigen testing will be operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57360/21]
View answer644. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health when antigen test subsidies will be introduced; the level of subsidy that will be in place; when there will be a public information campaign on antigen testing and on its application; if there will be a roll-out of a central system to record results; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57377/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 606, 635, 636 and 644 together.
The role of testing and contact tracing, as part of the wider public health response, has been under ongoing review throughout the pandemic and will continue to be reviewed and amended in line with the epidemiological profile of the disease, its impact on healthcare utilisation and outcomes, the vaccination status of the population and ECDC guidance. This includes reviewing the role, availability and usage of antigen testing on an ongoing basis. The HSE already has information relating to antigen testing published on its website and a central system for recording of results from antigen testing as part of the programmes already underway.
Antigen testing is already being used widely across the State, supported by the health service, including for testing of asymptomatic, vaccinated close contacts of a confirmed case, and in pilot programmes involving staff in early childcare facilities, staff and students in further and higher education, staff in food production facilities and in residential Care Facilities (RCFs) for Older Persons. In addition, the HSE is in the process of rolling out a programme to provide antigen tests to parents of children in a pod in primary school where another child in the pod has had a positive PCR test. Antigen tests will be offered to a full class when two or more confirmed cases arise outside of a single pod in a class within a seven-day period.
It should be noted that it is important that anyone who has any respiratory symptoms should self-isolate at home and get a Covid-19 PCR test when indicated.
607. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Health if he is engaging with private hospitals in the context of rising Covid-19 hospitalisations and ICU capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57122/21]
View answerA safety net arrangement with private hospitals is in place which can be triggered depending on certain metrics regarding the level of Covid infection in the community or levels of hospitalisation, including ICU occupancy due to Covid. The agreement runs to the end of January 2022. The arrangement allows the HSE to invoke the agreement to access guaranteed levels of between 15% and 30% of the private hospitals' capacity, depending on the metrics, to treat those in need of time dependent urgent care.
An arrangement along similar lines was put in place in response to the ransomware cyber-attack.
The HSE has advised that the 18 private hospitals have an overall capacity of 2,146 beds. The volume available to the public sector with access to 15% of private hospital capacity would therefore be 322 beds and 644 beds at 30%.
The additional capacity provided by the private hospitals is critical to enabling the public health system cope with large scale surges in the incidences of the disease. It is intended to use the capacity of the private hospitals for urgent, time-dependant and complex care.
The HSE also has a separate procurement arrangement with private hospitals to provide acute services and diagnostics. This is required to address some of the anticipated shortfalls in capacity arising from Covid-19 measures over the next couple of years.
Private hospital facilities are regularly used by the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) to provide extra capacity for public patients for elective care.
608. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Health the level of Covid-19 vaccine stockpiles currently available to Ireland for each vaccine in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57123/21]
View answerIreland has entered into seven Advance Purchase Agreements (APAs), subject to regulatory approval, for the purchase of Covid-19 vaccine from a range of manufacturers. Four vaccines have been authorised by the European Medicines Agency to date; Comirnaty (Pfizer/BioNTech), Spikevax (Moderna), Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca) and Janssen.
More than 7.9 million doses of the four approved vaccines have been administered since the programme commenced in December, including more than 580,000 booster and immunocompromised doses administered to date.
The table beneath provides an overview of the number of vaccines by manufacturer administered in the vaccination programme.
Overview of Covid-19 Vaccine Administered by Supplier (In Millions) as of 22 November.
|
Vaccine |
Doses Administered |
|
Pfizer/BioNTech |
5.9 |
|
Moderna |
0.57 |
|
AstraZeneca |
1.2 |
|
Janssen |
.23 |
|
Total |
7.9 |
Ireland's existing contractual commitments for currently authorised vaccines are being used and will underpin the continued rollout of the booster programme over the coming months.
609. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of the provision of devices for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57128/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
610. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if Beaumont Hospital is short five neurology nurse specialists (details supplied); the efforts that are being made to fill these posts; when the posts will be filled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57150/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
611. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health if he will address the FEMPI and PPE supply related issues following the release of figures (details supplied) which show that two thirds of dentists have left the medical card scheme in Counties Louth and Meath since 2019, that are referred to as a major stumbling block in the process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57152/21]
View answerA new National Oral Health Policy was launched in April 2019. That Policy set out the roadmap for the future provision of oral healthcare to the eligible population. It has two key goals; first, to provide the supports to enable every individual to achieve their best oral health, and second, to reduce oral health inequalities across the population, by enabling vulnerable groups to access oral healthcare and improve their oral health.
The Dental Treatment Services Scheme, which dates from the 1990s is available to medical card holders aged 16 and over. The dental care is provided by independent dental practitioners who have a contract with the HSE. Patients may choose to have their treatment undertaken by any dentist who participates in the scheme. The Scheme covers a dental examination, two fillings in each calendar year, prescriptions, denture repairs and extractions as necessary. Other more complex treatments such as the provision of dentures require the approval of the HSE before the dentist can proceed and in this case the dentist applies directly to the HSE.
There is a need to align the DTSS with best international evidence and practice, and legislation, as outlined in Smile agus Sláinte, the National Oral Health Policy. Regretfully, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the roll-out of the Policy to be delayed and the proposed review of the DTSS contract to be deferred.
Nevertheless, there has been continued engagement between my officials, the HSE and the dental community throughout the pandemic on infection control measures, guidelines for safe dental practice, and ensuring that dental professionals were included in the high-risk group for early vaccination. This sustained engagement was with a view to ensuring that a safe satisfactory service could be continued for the eligible population.
It is regrettable that a significant number of dentists chose to leave the Scheme that provides care for medical card patients during the pandemic, which has led to difficulties for medical card patients in accessing dental care in some parts of the country . In such circumstances, I have been assured that the HSE Public Dental Service is seeking to provide emergency cover for any medical card patients who are experiencing such problems.
I have given a commitment to a substantive review of the DTSS, which will include fees paid to dentists. I have also acknowledged the immediate issues of concern with current arrangements under the Scheme.
I instructed my officials to hold talks with the Irish Dental Association to address both of these issues. I am aware that preliminary talks were held in June this year and that it is proposed to hold further talks in the coming weeks.
I would also wish to point out that I secured additional funding of €10 million in Budget 2022 to address immediate issues with the DTSS, which is on top of the annual allocation of €56 million for 2022.
612. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health if a Covid-19 test centre will be opened for the Drogheda urban, rural and east County Meath local electoral areas in view of the increasing and very significant level of Covid-19 positive cases reported in one of the largest population densities in the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57159/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
613. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if he will provide weekly statistical updates to Deputies on the Covid-19 virus (details supplied). [57163/21]
View answerA range of COVID-19 epidemiological data are published regularly on the HPSC website including as follows:
- The epidemiology of COVID-19 (14-day) report is currently published daily Monday to Friday. This includes a range of data on characteristics of confirmed COVID-19 cases notified in Ireland including symptom status of confirmed cases at time of test, the number of confirmed cases that were healthcare workers, and the number of confirmed cases admitted to hospital and ICU.
- The epidemiology of COVID-19 in Ireland report is published weekly and provides an overview of cases notified in the previous week, as well as describing weekly trends in cases by; age-group, county, disease severity, sentinel GP referral, as well as testing patterns, positivity rates and additional information on deaths.
- The epidemiology of COVID-19 outbreaks/clusters in Ireland weekly report which includes data on outbreaks (and linked cases) notified across a range of settings including nursing homes, hospitals and residential care facilities.
- Reports on vaccination status of COVID-19 deaths and COVID-19 cases admitted to ICU.
- COVID-19 Vaccination Uptake in Ireland Weekly Report (including booster vaccination administration data).
In addition, a range of data are published regularly on the COVID-19 Data Hub including data on booster vaccination.
614. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) is waiting for an orthodontic appointment. [57167/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
615. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of additional permanent critical care ICU beds that will be delivered as part of the winter planning within the Covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57169/21]
View answer616. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health his plans to increase permanent critical care ICU bed capacity from the current level of 6.5 beds per 100,000 persons to a minimum of the European Union average of 11.5 beds per 100,000 persons on a yearly basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57170/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 615 and 616 together.
The Health Service Capacity Review, which was noted by Government in 2018, recommended that an additional 190 critical care beds should be in place by 2031, bringing the total to 430. Accordingly, the Strategic Plan for Critical Care, which was noted by Government in December 2020, aims to increase capacity from the 2020 baseline of 255 critical care beds, to 446 over time, to fully address, and in fact surpass, the Capacity Review’s recommendations in regard to critical care.
Funding to increase critical care capacity is provided through the annual Estimates and service planning process, and in line with the Strategic Plan for Critical Care.
Very significant funding of €52m was provided by Government in Budget 2021 to commence implementation of Phase 1 of the Plan. This provides for the permanent retention of 40 additional critical care beds which were funded temporarily in 2020 as part of the Covid response, and for the opening of a further 26 beds in new build capacity. The HSE has advised that 42 of these beds are now open, bringing baseline capacity to 297 although the number of beds open on any given day fluctuates as a result of a variety of factors.
An additional €10.5m is being provided in 2022. This will bring the number of permanent critical care beds from 255 in 2020 to 340 by the end of 2022/early 2023. This represents a 33% increase, or an additional 85 beds funded since 2020. Phase Two of the Plan will see further beds added through the development of new build capacity at five prioritised sites, subject to necessary approval processes.
Minister Donnelly published the HSE Winter Preparedness Plan for Winter 21/22 on the 15th November. The Plan centres on three core objectives: ED avoidance, patient flow and hospital egress to mitigate the expected challenges in providing emergency care this winter while also continuing to respond to Covid 19. The Winter Plan contains a number of initiatives to deliver its core objectives of ED avoidance by treating people at home or in the community and by allowing them to return home following hospitalisation quickly, such GP Liaison nurses, various community teams, the expansions of the NAS PathFinder programme and additional home support hours. This year’s Winter Plan recognises that a whole system response is required and outlines how the HSE proposes to manage these challenges across primary, community and acute care including measures to allow the public system to access private healthcare capacity.
617. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the action he is taking to provide 100 additional neurology nurse specialists across Ireland; his plans to add eight extra nurses for the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital in which the numbers fall short of current international guidelines of 14 and patients are waiting longer for diagnosis and treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57177/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
