Jackie Cahill
Question:105. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health his plans to improve autism services in County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7883/22]
View answerDisability Services
Questions (105)
Written answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Eating Disorders
Questions (106)
Holly Cairns
Question:106. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the details of progress made in addressing the National Clinical Programme for Eating Disorders Goals. [7898/22]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Healthcare Infrastructure Provision
Questions (107)
Pearse Doherty
Question:107. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the timeframe for the completion of capital works at Lifford Hospital, County Donegal; the services that will be available at the hospital post completion of works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7718/22]
View answerWritten answers
As the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
Health Services Staff
Questions (108)
Ruairí Ó Murchú
Question:108. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Health if employees of the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland hospital group that have been accepted onto the nurse training programme in a college (details supplied) starting on 1 March 2022 will be funded the 75% of tuition fees as promised during the recruitment process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7831/22]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Healthcare Infrastructure Provision
Questions (109)
Catherine Connolly
Question:109. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health the status of plans to create an entire short stay ward in Merlin Park Hospital community nursing unit which would deliver a minimum of 13 respite beds; the impact assessment his Department has carried out regarding the ongoing shortage of respite beds in Galway city and county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7964/22]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Question No. 110 answered with Question No. 97.
National Children's Hospital
Questions (111)
Rose Conway-Walsh
Question:111. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health when he will make a decision on the name of the new children’s hospital; if he has given consideration to naming it in honour of a person (details supplied) from County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7940/22]
View answerWritten answers
The Children’s Health Act 2018 provided for the creation of Children’s Health Ireland, as the single new entity responsible for providing secondary and tertiary paediatric healthcare services, which are currently provided at four sites – Temple Street, Crumlin, Tallaght and Connolly. As was noted by my predecessor during the passage of this legislation through the Oireachtas, consideration will be given to a naming process. However, I can advise the Deputy there has not been detailed consideration given to this matter as yet.
Emergency Departments
Questions (112)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:112. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if he plans to meet with elected representatives in County Meath regarding his proposed closure of Navan Hospital accident and emergency department; and if so, if he will provide a date when the promised consultation with local politicians will take place. [7776/22]
View answerWritten answers
I am acutely aware that any proposed changes to health services can be a source of great anxiety and worry for communities affected, and I am determined that any changes to the service at Our Lady’s Hospital Navan must be done in consultation with the local community.
I have therefore instructed the HSE to pause in the planning of these changes in order to commence an engagement process on the plans, including with elected representatives on behalf of local people. The Deputy will be aware that this process is underway and I welcome his engagement to date in this regard. My office will shortly be in contact with regard to scheduling a meeting of local Oireachtas members and the HSE.
Health Services Staff
Questions (113)
Michael Moynihan
Question:113. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Health if additional neurology nurses will be appointed nationwide. [7772/22]
View answerWritten answers
In 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.
Question No. 114 answered with Question No. 87.
Vaccination Programme
Questions (115)
Cathal Crowe
Question:115. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if he will consider the roll-out of HPV vaccine mop-up clinics to cater to children that have missed out on same in first year. [7774/22]
View answerWritten answers
The immunisation programme in Ireland is based on the advice of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC). The committee's recommendations are based on the prevalence of the relevant disease in Ireland and international best practice in relation to immunisation. It makes recommendations on vaccination policy to my Department. The NIAC continues to revise recommendations to allow for the introduction of new vaccines in Ireland and to keep abreast of changes in the patterns of disease. Therefore, the immunisation schedule will continue to be amended over time.
In 2009, the NIAC recommended HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccination for all 12 to 13 year old girls to reduce their risk of developing cervical cancer when they are adults. In September 2010, the HPV vaccination programme was introduced for all girls in first year of secondary school.
In June 2017, on foot of the NIAC’s recommendation that the HPV vaccine should also be given to boys, my Department asked the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) to undertake a health technology assessment (HTA) to establish the clinical and cost-effectiveness of extending the immunisation programme to include boys in the first year of secondary school.
The HIQA completed the HTA in December 2018, recommending that the HPV immunisation programme be extended to include boys. A policy decision was made to extend the HPV immunisation programme to include boys, starting in September 2019, with the introduction of a 9-valent HPV vaccine.
The ages at which vaccines are recommended in the immunisation schedule are chosen by the NIAC in order to give each child the best possible protection against vaccine preventable diseases. As the HPV vaccine is preventative it is intended to be administered, if possible, before a person becomes sexually active, that is, before a person is first exposed to HPV infection.
Therefore, the gender-neutral HPV vaccination programme targets all girls and boys in first year of secondary school to provide maximum coverage. All vaccines administered through the School Immunisation Programme are provided free of charge.
My Department will continue to be guided by NIAC's recommendations on any emerging evidence on this issue in the future.
Anyone not in 1st year of secondary school, or age equivalent in special schools or home schooled, who wishes to get the HPV vaccine, must go to their GP or sexual health clinic and pay privately for the vaccine and its administration. This applies to everyone whether or not they have a medical card/GP visit card, as it is outside of the HPV immunisation programme.
I have asked my officials to request the National Immunisation Advisory Committee consider the clinical effectiveness of providing the HPV vaccine to:
- girls and boys in secondary school who were eligible to receive HPV vaccine in 1st year but who did not receive it; and
- women up to the age of 25 years who have left secondary school and who did not receive the vaccine when eligible.
If the NIAC conclude that there is sufficient evidence to support providing the HPV vaccine to one or both groups, HIQA will undertake a cost-effectiveness assessment on that basis.
General Practitioner Services
Questions (116)
Dara Calleary
Question:116. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health if he will allocate additional resources to HSE for additional out-of-hours general practitioner cover in rural areas. [7827/22]
View answerWritten answers
GPs contracted under the General Medical Services Scheme are required by their contract to make suitable arrangements to enable contact to be made with them, or a locum or deputy, for emergencies outside of normal practice hours. While there is no obligation on GPs to participate in GP out of hours co-operatives as a means of meeting the contractual requirement, such services facilitate the provision of GP services outside of normal surgery hours and help to spread the burden of this provision. A small number of areas are not covered by GP out of hours co-operatives, instead out of hours services are provided by local GPs.
The HSE is in regular contact with out of hours service providers. In particular, over the past two years there has been greater engagement to ensure that the services can continue to provide the supports needed by local communities. In recognition of the key role GP out of hours service providers play in the delivery of our health service and the challenges arising from the Covid-19 pandemic, a financial and service stability arrangement for GP Out of Hours cooperatives was introduced with effect from 14th March 2020.
GP out of hours cooperatives are private organisations. The HSE provides significant funding to support out of hours co-operative services through service level agreements. As the HSE has responsibility for determining the allocation of funding from its budget, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly in relation to the resources currently provided to out of hours co-operatives, as soon as possible.
Disability Services
Questions (117)
Jim O'Callaghan
Question:117. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the new funding that is being provided for HSE disability services in 2022. [7907/22]
View answerWritten answers
Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose, and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. Our determination to improve services and supports for people with disabilities and their families is clear in our Programme for Government, our objective is to put the rights of people with Disabilities at the heart of Government policy.
Budget 2022 builds on €100m funding allocated in 2021 to enhance specialist disability services. The 2022 package totals an additional €115m and includes
- €50m which is being provided to support existing levels of services, or ELS;
- New Development funding of €55m
- An additional €10m, one-off Covid funding.
Key initiatives for 2022 include -
- additional posts for children’s therapeutic services to further reduce waiting times for early intervention
- additional Personal Assistance and Home Support hours
- funding for residential services to persons with a disability in response to their priority needs and further residential supports on a planned basis
- funding for additional respite houses to build the capacity of our respite services so that we can better respond to the changing needs of service users and their families
- providing a renewed focus on addressing the inappropriate placement of young people with disabilities in Nursing Homes; and
- ensuring that the approximately 1,500 young people with disabilities who leave school and training programmes will be assessed for supports and services in line with the New Directions Day services policy.
The HSE, in preparing its National Service Plan, has examined how these key priorities can be progressed in 2022 within the overall increased envelope of funding for disability services. Its publication is expected shortly.
Healthcare Infrastructure Provision
Questions (118)
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor
Question:118. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health the status of the construction of a new facility (details supplied) in County Carlow to replace the outdated prefabricated facility which is home to the support services of mentally and physically disabled children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7829/22]
View answerWritten answers
As the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
Dental Services
Questions (119)
Aindrias Moynihan
Question:119. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken to address the current wait times for children awaiting orthodontic services in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7878/22]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy, as soon as possible.
Mental Health Services
Questions (120)
Richard Boyd Barrett
Question:120. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure that there is a continuous audit of medication across CAMHS to ensure that the overmedication that is currently practised comes to an end; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7972/22]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Ambulance Service
Questions (121)
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor
Question:121. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health when County Carlow will have an ambulance base which is fit for purpose; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7830/22]
View answerWritten answers
As the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
Hospital Services
Questions (122)
Brendan Griffin
Question:122. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health the position following the visit of the National Director of Acute Hospitals to University Hospital Kerry in November 2021; if there is a plan to address the chronic issues at the hospital as previously outlined to Dáil Éireann by this Deputy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7834/22]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Covid-19 Pandemic
Questions (123)
Bríd Smith
Question:123. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will commission a full inquiry into deaths in nursing homes during the Covid-19 pandemic in view of calls for such an inquiry among many relatives, representative groups and a similar call by the Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7961/22]
View answerWritten answers
There has been a very clear national commitment to continue to learn from the pandemic as the national and international understanding of the virus evolves, and where necessary to ensure that the public health-led approach evolves, as evidence and learning materialises.
The independent COVID-19 Nursing Homes Expert Panel was established, on foot of a NPHET recommendation, to examine the complex issues surrounding the management of COVID-19 among this particularly vulnerable cohort in nursing homes. This Expert Panel report has added further to our knowledge and learning. This report clearly outlines the key protective measures that we must ensure are in place across our nursing homes. These actions are based on learning from our own and the international experience of COVID-19 to date. The report also recommends additional analysis and examination of the relevant public health and other data sets in order that further causal and protective factors for COVID-19 clusters are identified. HIQA and the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) jointly published an “Analysis of factors associated with outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 in nursing homes in Ireland”, delivering on recommendation 6.7 of the Expert Panel report, to further the learning from the pandemic. Further data analysis work and learning will also continue, in line with other recommendations of the Expert Panel and HIQA and the HPSC are developing a further update to this analysis.
Work to progress the recommendations of the Expert Panel report, particularly those recommendations requiring a priority focus in the response to COVID-19, is ongoing across all of the health agencies and stakeholders. Continued learning and understanding of progression of the disease in Ireland is an integral part of those recommendations. €17.6m has been allocated in Budget 2022 to continue implementation of the Expert Panel recommendations.
The establishment and parameters of any broader review or evaluation, following the pandemic, of the State’s response to the COVID-19 would be a matter for Government to decide on at the appropriate time. However, as noted, ongoing learning from the pandemic has been a key component of the management of COVID-19 and to add further to this, the Minister has recently established a Public Health Reform Expert Advisory Group which, amongst other things, will initially focus on identifying learnings from the public health components of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland with a view towards strengthening health protection generally and future public health pandemic preparedness specifically.
Hospital Procedures
Questions (124)
James Lawless
Question:124. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Health the additional funding that is being made available to provide children with spina bifida with needed surgery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7902/22]
View answerWritten answers
I acknowledge that waiting times for many hospital procedures and appointments are unacceptably long. It is of particular regret that children can experience long waiting times for orthopaedic treatment, especially for time sensitive procedures, and I remain acutely aware of the impact that this has on children and their families. I remain committed to working to reduce waiting times for patients.
Children with a range of needs rely on the orthopaedic service of Children’s Health Ireland, for example children with Spina Bifida, hip deformity, and other orthopaedic needs. The complex patient needs of these children remains at the forefront of service provision.
Two months ago, I met with the Scoliosis Co-Design Group. This is a well-established and successful group which facilitates a multi-disciplinary approach to service improvement. The group includes members from advocacy groups, as well as orthopaedic consultants from Children's Health Ireland, and senior management from across the CHI sites. Further to this meeting I requested that Children's Health Ireland (CHI) draw up a plan to improve waiting times for orthopaedic services, particularly for those children with conditions such as scoliosis and Spina Bifida where time is a crucial factor in ensuring that these children have a positive outcome from their surgeries.
Last week I convened a meeting with the clinical teams from Crumlin, Temple Street, and Cappagh Orthopaedic Hospital, along with senior management from these hospitals and the HSE. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss the draft orthopaedic waiting list plan and to ensure that an appropriate plan with ambitious and attainable activity levels was being produced. The plan will be funded in the context of the wider waiting list action plan for 2022 and will include additional activity to reduce the spinal orthopaedic waiting list through the use of theatres at Crumlin, Temple Street, and Cappagh. In the context of the waiting list action plan additional capacity will also be sought in the private sector to work towards reducing paediatric orthopaedic waiting times.
In terms of broader services for children with Spina Bifida, CHI have advised the Department of Health that CHI at Temple Street has doubled capacity from 2 Multidisciplinary (MDT) clinics to 4 MDT outpatient clinics per month. This will improve access to specialists in the area of Neurodisability, Neurosurgery, Orthopaedics, Urology, Occupational therapy, Physiotherapy, and Neuropsychology. The clinics also provide access to a Medical Social worker and a Clinical Nurse Specialist. CHI has advised the Department that this capacity increase is expected to provide each child with an annual review and will reduce the waiting time for follow up appointments. 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 Task Force 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.