Written Answers Nos. 873-889
873. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health if there are plans to recognise the qualifications of persons with a level 8 honours degree in psychotherapy and counselling; if the HSE will offer employment to them without the need for a second allied health degree such as in social care, speech therapy, nursing or a master's degree; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8278/22]
View answerThe Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 provides for the protection of the public by promoting high standards of professional conduct and professional education, training and competence through statutory registration of health and social care professions designated under the Act. The professions of counsellor and psychotherapist were designated for regulation by the Minister under the Act and will be regulated by CORU
Regulations to designate the two professions under the Act and to establish the Counsellors and Psychotherapists Registration Board were made in 2018. The Board was appointed in February 2019 and held its inaugural meeting in May 2019.
The work of a registration board includes consideration of the titles to be protected and the minimum qualifications to be required of existing practitioners and the qualifications that will be required for future graduates. The work of the Counsellors and Psychotherapists Registration Board is significantly more challenging than it is for registration boards for some of the more established professions owing to the different and complex pathways into these professions, the variety of titles used, and the variety and number of courses and course providers. This work is ongoing.
The eligibility criteria for Psychotherapists are not approved by the HSE National Director of HR under Section 22 of the Health Act 2004. The same is true of a number of roles in counselling. Within the National Counselling Service, the eligibility criteria for Counselling Therapist is approved by the HSE National Director of HR. These require a QQI level 7 degree in a human science discipline. A person solely with a level 8 in psychotherapy and counselling but without a degree in a human science discipline would not meet the criteria. For counselling posts that do not have eligibility criteria formally approved, the eligibility criteria are not prescribed but job specifications would typically follow the same eligibility criteria as above.
I hope this information is of assistance to the Deputy.
874. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the way funding given to charities for mental health services is monitored; if he will ensure that psychotherapists employed by these charities are paid a fair and just wage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8279/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
875. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health if he plans to regulate crisis pregnancy agencies and the information and services they provide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8283/22]
View answerThe State-provided My Options information service is the first port of call for someone with an unplanned pregnancy seeking information and support. Professional counsellors can provide information on all options, including continued pregnancy supports and abortion services.
The HSE recommends that people should only visit a HSE-funded unplanned pregnancy counselling agency. A list of HSE-funded unplanned pregnancy agencies is available at www2.hse.ie/services/unplanned-pregnancy-support-services/find-a-face-to-face-unplanned-pregnancy-counselling-service.html
The HSE continuously monitors the situation and promotes the My Options service through a number of channels, including by posting unplanned pregnancy support messages across social media channels, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to signpost the My Options website, and radio advertisements delivered during the year.
The HSE has advised that as the My Options website (myoptions.ie) is now well-established, the organic search performs exceptionally well for keywords relating to unplanned pregnancy and abortion. My Options Google search advertisements also perform well, with a high impression share.
The Deputy may recall that in 2019, a disingenuous agency began using ‘My Options’ in the name of their website, causing confusion and putting people at risk of attending a disingenuous service. To counteract this, the HSE issued a statement to the media, reminding people to only visit a HSE-funded unplanned pregnancy counselling agency, and to check for the HSE logo or name if looking for information online. A High Court Case was also taken against the owner of a website, which was settled in favour of the HSE.
The HSE Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy Programme has produced guidelines to assist HSE funded counselling service providers in responding to complaints in this area.
In addition, the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 provides for the protection of the public by promoting high standards of professional conduct and professional education, training and competence through statutory registration of health and social care professions designated under the Act. The professions of counsellor and psychotherapist were designated for regulation by the Minister under the Act and will be regulated by CORU.
Regulations to designate the two professions under the Act and to establish the Counsellors and Psychotherapists Registration Board were made in 2018. The Board was appointed in February 2019 and held its inaugural meeting in May 2019. The work of the Counsellors and Psychotherapists Registration Board is significantly more challenging than for registration boards for some of the more established professions, owing to the different and complex entry paths into these professions, the variety of titles used, and the variety and number of courses and course providers.
The Board is now undertaking the substantial work required to open the registers for counsellors and psychotherapists. This work includes the scoping of professions and titles and the consideration of the minimum qualifications to be required of existing practitioners and for future graduates.
When the Board has opened the register and the transitional period to allow existing practitioners to register is completed, it will be an offence for anyone not registered to use any protected titles. All registrants will also be subject to the fitness to practice process in CORU which provides for sanctions against registrants when complaints are proven.
876. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health if he will consider including personal assistants in the €1,000 front-line worker bonus as per the requests by organisations (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8285/22]
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.
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.
I am also mindful of other workers who played their own part during this difficult period in sustaining our health service but did not work in such exposed areas. It is tough to draw a line on this matter, but the Government based its decision on the risks which frontline healthcare workers faced.
877. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if the case of a person (details supplied) will be reviewed; if their children can attend the same general practitioner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8292/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
878. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the number of children under 18 years of age who are waiting for a first assessment for speech and language therapy at the end of January 2022 or the latest date available by local health organisation, LHO; the number waiting less than four and four to 12 months in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8300/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
879. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the number of children under 18 years of age who are waiting for further speech and language therapy at the end of January 2022 or the latest date available by local health organisation, LHO; the number waiting less than four and four to 12 months in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8301/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
880. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the number of children under 18 years of age waiting for a first assessment for occupational therapy at the end of January 2022 or the latest date available by local health organisation, LHO; the number waiting less than four and four to 12 months in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8302/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
881. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the number of children under 18 years of age who are waiting for a psychology appointment in primary care at the end of January 2022 or the latest date available by local health organisation, LHO; the number waiting less than four and four to 12 months in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8303/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
882. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the number of children under 18 years of age who are waiting for an audiology appointment in primary care at the end of January 2022 or the latest date available by local health organisation, LHO; the number waiting less than four and four to 12 months in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8304/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
883. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the number of children under 18 years of age who are waiting for an ophthalmology appointment in primary care at the end of January 2022 or the latest date available by local health organisation, LHO; the number waiting less than four and four to 12 months in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8305/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
884. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the number of children under 18 years of age who are waiting for a dietetic appointment in primary care at the end of January 2022 or the latest date available by local health organisation, LHO; the number waiting less than four and four to 12 months in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8306/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
885. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the number of children under 18 years of age who are waiting for a podiatry appointment in primary care at the end of January 2022 or the latest date available by local health organisation, LHO; the number waiting less than four and four to 12 months in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8307/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
886. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the number of children under 18 years of age who are waiting on the outpatient waiting list at the end of January 2022 or the latest date available by local health organisation, LHO; the number waiting less than four and four to 12 months, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8308/22]
View answerIt is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. While significant work continues to positively impact on waiting times and improve pathways to elective care, acute hospitals have been impacted by operational challenges arising from surges in cases related to the Delta and Omicron variants.
The HSE has confirmed to the Department that patient safety remains at the centre of all hospital activity and elective care scheduling. To ensure services are provided in a safe, clinically-aligned and prioritised way, hospitals are following HSE clinical guidelines and protocols.
The 2022 waiting list action plan, which I will be bringing to Government shortly, builds on the successes of the short-term 2021 plan that ran from September to December last year. The 2021 plan was developed by my Department, the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) and was driven and overseen by a senior governance group co-chaired by the Secretary General of my Department and the CEO of the HSE and met fortnightly. This rigorous level of governance and scrutiny of waiting lists has continued into this year with the oversight group evolving into the Waiting List Task Force. It has produced a comprehensive 2022 waiting list action plan which will set out high-level targets for waiting list improvement including dedicated funding for service reform, patient pathway improvement, and important significant additionality to substantially reduce the backlog of patients waiting. The taskforce will meet regularly to drive progress of the 2022 plan.
This is the first stage of an ambitious multi-annual waiting list plan, which is currently under development in my Department. Between them, these plans will work to support short, medium, and long term initiatives to reduce waiting times and provide the activity needed in years to come.
The information requested by the Deputy regarding the number of children under 18 years of age who are waiting on the out-patient waiting list at the end of January 2022 is outlined at the following link.
887. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the number of parents who have put in a complaint that their child did not receive an assessment of needs in a timely manner; the number upheld for the years 2019, 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8309/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
888. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the number of children waiting for an assessment of needs at the end of January 2022 or the latest date available by local health organisation, LHO; the number waiting less than four and four to 12 months in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8310/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
