Written Answers Nos. 641-662
641. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of intensive care and high dependency unit beds in Letterkenny University Hospital and Sligo University Hospital as of 24 January 2022, in tabular form. [6056/22]
View answerThe Government is committed to addressing the long-standing deficit in critical care capacity. Very significant funding of €77 million has been provided by Government across 2021 and 2022, to increase national capacity to 340 critical care beds by 2023. The HSE has advised that 42 of these beds are now open, bringing permanent adult critical care capacity to 297 beds, from a baseline of 255 beds in early 2020.
The Strategic Plan for Critical Care, which I brought to Government in December 2020, will when implemented fully address the recommendation of the 2018 Health Service Capacity Review for 430 critical care beds by 2031. In fact, it surpasses that recommendation, delivering an increase in capacity to 446 over time.
With regard to the specific data requested, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
642. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of patients that have visited the foot protection clinic at Tallaght University Hospital in each of the years 2019, 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [6057/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
643. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of whole-time equivalent clinical nurse specialists in Down syndrome in both CHI Temple Street and CHI Crumlin in each the years of the years 2019, 2020 and 2021, in tabular form; and if this number will be further increased. [6058/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
644. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of whole-time equivalent vacant consultant paediatric neurologists at University Hospital Limerick; and when these vacancies will be filled on a permanent basis. [6059/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
645. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of full-time child psychologists for CAMHS in County Leitrim in each of the past three years in tabular form [6060/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
646. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of vacancies by job title in the accident and emergency department of Beaumont Hospital; the estimated cost of filling each of the vacancies; and when each of the vacancies will be filled on a permanent basis in tabular form. [6061/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
647. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if funding will be provided for recruitment of two additional whole-time equivalent autism spectrum disorder therapist posts for the Sligo-South Donegal children's disability network team. [6062/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
648. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of full-time senior dental surgeons for special needs in CHO area 9 in each of the past three years in tabular form. [6063/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
649. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of full-time paediatric diabetic nurses based at Mullingar Regional Hospital in each of the years 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form; and if this number will be further increased. [6064/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
650. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of persons that presented at the eye emergency department at the Mater Hospital in each of the years 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [6065/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
651. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of patients that were admitted to the national burns unit at St. James's Hospital in each of the years 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [6066/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
652. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of full-time consultant urologists attached to Bantry General Hospital in each of the past three years in tabular form. [6067/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
653. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of cataract procedures carried out at Letterkenny University Hospital in 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [6068/22]
View answerIn relation to the particular query raised by the Deputy, concerning the number of cataract procedures carried out at Letterkenny University Hospital in 2021 and to date in 2022, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
654. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of full-time radiographers working in St. Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny in 2021. [6069/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
655. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of HSE ambulances, rapid response vehicles and motorcycles allocated to County Wexford and available to attend emergency calls in each of the years 2019, 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [6070/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
656. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of whole-time equivalent consultant paediatric orthopaedic surgeons employed by the HSE in each of the years 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022; and the hospitals in which these consultants are located in tabular form. [6071/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
657. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if Covid-19 vaccinations will be included in the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6075/22]
View answerMy Department has supported the development and issuance of the EU Digital COVID Certificate as an internationally recognised, standardised vaccination certificate. Each individual person vaccinated against COVID-19 in Ireland is entitled to a standardised Digital COVID Certificate recording that vaccination.
The Digital COVID Certificate is recognised and interoperable across all participating countries. By 31 January 2022, the DCC was recognised in all EU Member States and 33 other which have received EU equivalence decisions. The COVID certificates issued in those 33 countries are also accepted in the EU under the same conditions as the EU Digital COVID Certificate.
In relation to the International Certificate referred to by the Deputy, the information requested is not readily available and a response will be sent to the Deputy as soon as possible.
658. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Health the current out of hours mental health services for children and adults in County Wexford; the current plans to expand the services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6080/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
659. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1827 of 19 January 2022, if the review of the home support services in County Wexford that was completed in November 2021 will be published; if resources have been allocated for the recommendations of this review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6081/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
661. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if social care workers who have provided essential frontline care at considerable risk to their own health during the pandemic to children, persons with disabilities and those at risk (details supplied) will be included in the recently announced €1,000 bonus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6094/22]
View answerFirstly I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all healthcare workers for their efforts during this most challenging period.
In recognition of the efforts of the general public, volunteers and all workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and in remembrance of people who lost their lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic, on Wednesday 19 January, the Government announced a once-off public holiday will take place on Friday 18 March 2022.
The Government also announced COVID-19 recognition payment for frontline public sector healthcare workers, to recognise their unique role during the pandemic. The payment of €1,000 will not be subject to income tax, USC, or PRSI. The measure will be ring fenced to staff ordinarily onsite in COVID-19 exposed healthcare environments within the period between 1 March 2020 and 30 June 2021.
Those public sector frontline healthcare workers eligible for the payment will be directly employed public health sector staff working in clinical settings. A pro-rata arrangement will apply for eligible part time staff / equivalents and supernumerary students who were required to perform training in clinical sites.
The Department of Health will also introduce a measure for making a similar payment to staff in private sector nursing homes and hospices that were affected by Covid-19.
I would like to assure the Deputy that work is underway to ensure fairness in the application of this measure as the Government intended.
The cost of providing a recognition payment of €1,000 to all eligible public servants working in the health and ambulance services depends on the number of staff who are eligible for the payment. If there were 100,000 WTE deemed eligible, the estimated cost would be approximately €100 million. This figure of 100,000 WTE represents approximately 75% of the HSE/Section 38 workforce and would be the minimum expected to be eligible for this recognition payment.
Similarly, the cost of providing an equivalent recognition payment to relevant staff in private sector nursing homes and hospices affected by Covid-19 depends on the number of staff deemed eligible for the payment. The estimated cost set out above does not include the cost in respect of nursing homes and Defence Forces staff. This measure will exclude all private sector health workers except those working in nursing homes and hospices affected by Covid-19. This measure, including costings, will be progressed by the Department of Health.
The Department and the HSE are currently engaging in finalising arrangements to give effect to the Government announcement concerning the Recognition Payment. Full particulars, eligibility and terms and conditions that apply to this payment shall be made available shortly. It is important that this measure is applied fairly as intended and I welcome the work that is ongoing to ensure this is so.
662. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health the status of the memorandum of understanding, cooperation and information sharing signed in June 2015 between HIQA and the Office of the Ombudsman; the number of meetings that have taken place; the level at which they have taken place; the number of cases by HIQA and the Office of the Ombudsman in which information was shared; the number of cases in which HIQA has been informed of a complaint which had already been dealt with at local level since the memorandum was signed and transferred to the Office of the Ombudsman by year; the outcome of all cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6102/22]
View answerThe memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) and the Office of the Ombudsman (OO) signed in July 2015 has been replaced by the current MOU, which was signed on 7 July 2019.
There is ongoing engagement and cooperation between HIQA and the Office of the Ombudsman, with the most recent meetings taking place on 28 June 2021 and 3 September 2021 between the HIQA Deputy Chief Inspector of Social Services and officials from the OO.
In broad terms, the primary role of the OO is to examine individual complaints, provide individual redress where appropriate and use complaint outcomes to improve public administration. In the case of HIQA, the primary role is to drive high quality and safe care for people using health and social care services rather than the investigation of individual complaints.
If HIQA is contacted by an individual who has already made a formal complaint to the provider of a service, they are, in the first instance, advised of the role of the Ombudsman. The individual is also asked if they wish for HIQA to share their contact details and the name of the service with the OO. If they consent to do so, the information is forwarded to the OO in line with HIQA’s data sharing agreement.
HIQA have provided officials of my Department the following table outlining the number of cases which have been shared with the OO since 2019:
|
Year |
Number of cases |
|
2019 |
30 |
|
2020 |
20 |
|
2021 |
8 |
In addition, the OO has shared the following number of cases with HIQA:
|
Year |
Number of cases |
|
2019 |
0 |
|
2020 |
1 |
|
2021 |
4 |
|
2022 |
1 |
All cases received by HIQA from the Office of the Ombudsman are managed in line with HIQA’s regulatory processes.
