Written Answers Nos. 549-570
549. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who are currently overdue their annual BreastHealth mammogram post-treatment for breast cancer; and the number of those who have waited longer than six months. [62614/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
550. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who are overdue for cervical screening; and the number of those who have waited for longer than six months. [62615/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
551. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who are overdue for bowel screening; and the number of those who have been waited longer than six months. [62616/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
552. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who are overdue BreastCheck screening; and the number of those who have been waiting for longer than six months. [62617/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
553. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Health when counselling, psychology services, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy will be provided to address the complex needs of a child (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62618/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
554. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health his plans to resource West Kerry Community Hospital with additional staff to secure the retention of existing short and long-stay beds, and open the eight long-stay and eight short stay-beds that are needed to avoid older persons from the Dingle peninsula being moved long distances from their homes to avail of residential care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62627/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
555. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Health the current waiting list for child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, in County Cork, by area; the average waiting time; and his plans to address same. [62628/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
556. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Health the number of young persons on the CAMHS waiting list in Cork city for fewer than 3, 3 to 6, 6 to 9, 9 to 12, 12 to 18, 18 to 24 and over 24 months, in tabular form. [62629/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
557. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Health the number of staff employed in each children's disability network team across the State; and the waiting list by service in each. [62630/21]
View answer558. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Health the number of children awaiting an assessment of needs in Cork city and county, by area. [62631/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 557 and 558 together.
As these are service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
560. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health , further to Parliamentary Question No. 187 of 3 December, if a reply will issue from him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62634/21]
View answerDue to the current spread of COVID 19, it would not be appropriate for me to visit University Hospital Kerry at this time.
The HSE has advised that they are engaging closely with the hospital with a view to developing an action plan to address current issues at University Hospital Kerry and my Department will be kept apprised of developments in this regard.
561. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health the status of the personalised budget pilot; when the findings will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62653/21]
View answerThe report of the Task Force on Personalised Budgets (Towards Personalised Budgets for People with a Disability in Ireland) was published in 2018. The Task Force Report recommended that Personalised Budgets would be piloted and evaluated in an Irish context over a two year period. The HSE established the Personalised Budget Demonstration Projects in 2019. The Department of Health requested the National Disability Authority (NDA) to manage the evaluation of the Demonstration Project. Given the number of factors that the Task Force Report suggested should be tested in the Demonstration Project, the Department of Health, HSE and NDA recommended that a sample size of 180 Personalised Budget participants would be required to allow for a robust evaluation.
There are currently 92 participants in the various stages on the Pilot Personalised Budget Demonstration Project. This means that the Demonstration Projects are running behind schedule. This is due primarily to the COVID-19 pandemic, but also due to other factors such as challenges in recruiting HSE staff and the cyber-attack on the HSE.
The NDA has tendered for and selected an evaluation team to conduct the evaluation. The NDA has secured research ethics approval from some of the service providers supporting people who have engaged with the Personalised Budget Demonstration Project process and is actively engaged in seeking ethical approval from other service providers.
The evaluation is designed to capture the experiences and outcomes of all the participants (who have consented to be part of the evaluation) regardless of what their primary disability might be. However, the evaluation team have taken the needs of participants with intellectual disabilities into consideration and have developed Plain English and Easy to Read evaluation materials. Those conducting the evaluation fieldwork have extensive experience of working directly with people with disabilities, including people with intellectual disabilities.
A key output of the evaluation process will be a report capturing learning about the experiences and outcomes for persons with disabilities participating in the Demonstration Project, as well as consideration of the costs of administering the system. This will inform Department of Health considerations with regard to any future programme of Personalised Budgets
562. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to a policy of requiring patients presenting at some hospitals or HSE Covid-19 testing facilities to wear a surgical mask rather than higher grade masks such as FFP2 and N95, which they arrived with and the requirement to replace the latter with a surgical mask should a patient present with one; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62679/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
563. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health his plans to provide adequate ventilation systems or air sanitisers for care home settings; his plans to provide funding for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62686/21]
View answerThe Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) of the HSE has developed, published and regularly reviews a comprehensive package of public health and infection prevention and control guidance for long-term residential care facilities. This includes the comprehensive “Public Health & Infection Prevention & Control Guidelines on the Prevention and Management of Cases and Outbreaks of COVID-19, Influenza & other Respiratory Infections in Residential Care Facilities”, most recently updated on 30th November 2021. This guidance also refers to ventilation, providing advice on circumstances where ventilation may be improved. Additionally, there are well established regulations and standards, including HIQA’s National Standards for infection prevention and control (IPC) in community services which provide a comprehensive package of IPC measures.
Regulation 17 of the Health Act 2007 (Care and Welfare of Residents in Designated Centres for Older People) Regulations 2013 also requires registered providers to provide premises that conform to specific matters set out in the regulations, which includes “ventilation, heating and lighting suitable for residents in all parts of the designated centre which are used by resident ”. As such, registered providers may make a determination on any appropriate interventions having regard to their individual circumstances.
564. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health the respite supports that are available to families of children with autism, by type of service and CHO area, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62726/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
565. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health the strategies in place to support persons with intellectual disabilities to access mental health supports if needed. [62727/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
566. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health the mental health supports that are available specifically for persons with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62728/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
567. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health if he will provide the planned visits by the HSE to maternity hospitals in terms of compliance and management of maternity restrictions as was committed to in quarter 3 of 2021 to ensure uniformity across all maternity units. [62756/21]
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 Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health if birth partner presence has resumed to pre-pandemic levels across all 19 maternity units. [62757/21]
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 Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health when the proposed long-stay unit in St. Joseph's Hospital in Ennis, County Clare will become operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62758/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
570. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health when the local injuries unit will open in Ennis General Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62759/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
