Written Answers Nos. 213-232
214. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a schedule of foreign travel episodes arranged by his Department for elected representatives, Ministers and their staff and-or special advisers since 1 January 2018 to date in 2022; and if he will provide a schedule of locations of the travel arranged or advised on, to include the final destination of travel episode, by year, and the full cost of same. [8507/22]
View answerThe following table provides a list of foreign travel episodes arranged by the Department for elected representatives between the dates outlined. This schedule includes the number of destination and the number of staff who travelled with the Minister. Special Advisors are included in the number of Departmental staff members who travelled.
There may be further expenses claimed in relation to prior travel episodes in the future but we have included the costs as paid by the Department to date.
|
Year |
Name |
Destination |
Cost |
Travelling Party |
|
2018 |
Simon Harris |
Amsterdam |
556.17 |
Minister only |
|
2018 |
Simon Harris |
Luxembourg |
1,537.28 |
Minister plus 1 Departmental staff member |
|
2018 |
Simon Harris/Catherine Byrne |
Vienna |
1,361.97 |
Minister plus Minister of State plus 2 Departmental staff members |
|
2018 |
Jim Daly |
Edinburgh |
563.38 |
Minister of State plus 1 Departmental staff member |
|
2018 |
Catherine Byrne |
Helsinki |
849.63 |
Minister of State plus 1 Departmental staff member |
|
2018 |
Finian McGrath |
Prague |
1,105.96 |
Minister of State |
|
2018 |
Catherine Byrne |
Sofia |
1,954.71 |
Minister of State plus 1 Departmental staff member |
|
2018 |
Catherine Byrne |
Copenhagen |
834.94 |
Minister of State |
|
2018 |
Catherine Byrne |
Stavenger |
1,103.52 |
Minister of State plus 1 Departmental staff member |
|
2018 |
Jim Daly |
Washington |
11,851.89 |
Minister of State plus 3 Departmental staff members |
|
2018 |
Finian McGrath |
New York |
3,775.74 |
Minister of State plus 1 Departmental staff member |
|
2018 |
Finian McGrath |
New York |
2,634.15 |
Minister of State plus 1 Departmental staff member |
|
2018 |
Jim Daly |
New York |
14,081.54 |
Minister of State plus 1 Departmental staff member |
|
Total |
42,210.88 |
|||
|
- |
||||
|
2019 |
Jim Daly |
Amsterdam |
3,066.31 |
Minister and 3 Departmental staff members |
|
2019 |
Jim Daly |
Brisbane/Dubai |
27,397.64 |
Minister and 2 Departmental staff members |
|
2019 |
Simon Harris |
Brussels |
891.11 |
Minister |
|
2019 |
Simon Harris |
Bucharest |
517.31 |
Minister and 1 Departmental staff member |
|
2019 |
Jim Daly |
Dubai |
1,182.39 |
Minister of State and 1 Departmental staff member |
|
2019 |
Jim Daly |
Geneva |
1,152.27 |
Minister of State and 1 Departmental staff member |
|
2019 |
Jim Daly |
Helsinki |
4,919.06 |
Minister of State and 1 Departmental staff member |
|
2019 |
Jim Daly |
India |
9,325.99 |
Minister of State and 1 Departmental staff member |
|
2019 |
Catherine Byrne |
Lisbon |
6,624.95 |
Minister of State and 2 Departmental staff members |
|
2019 |
Simon Harris |
Luxembourg |
2,822.85 |
Minister of State and 2 Departmental staff members |
|
2019 |
Finian McGrath |
Malta |
1,573.93 |
Minister of State and 1 Departmental staff member |
|
2019 |
Finian McGrath |
Mexico & Cuba |
5,534.28 |
Minister of State and 1 Departmental staff member |
|
2019 |
Jim Daly |
Northampton |
715.24 |
Minister of State and 2 Departmental staff members |
|
2019 |
Simon Harris |
San Fran LA |
12,619.59 |
Minister of State and 1 Departmental staff member |
|
2019 |
Catherine Byrne |
Slovakia, Austria & Hungary |
4,879.72 |
Minister of State and 2 Departmental staff members |
|
2019 |
Jim Daly |
Stockholm |
1,789.96 |
Minister of State |
|
2019 |
Simon Harris |
New York |
4,562.17 |
Minister of State and 1 Departmental staff member |
|
2019 |
Finian McGrath |
New York |
4,298.22 |
Minister of State and 2 Departmental staff members |
|
Total |
93,872.99 |
|||
|
- |
||||
|
2020 |
Simon Harris |
Brussels |
608.60 |
Minister |
|
2020 |
Jim Daly |
Oxford |
1,346.76 |
Minister of State and 2 Departmental staff members |
|
Total |
1,955.36 |
|||
|
2021 |
Stephen Donnelly |
Luxembourg |
684.53 |
Minister plus 1 Departmental staff member |
|
2021 |
Frank Feighan |
Brussels |
884.79 |
Minister of State plus 1 Departmental staff member |
|
2021 |
Anne Rabbitte |
Lisbon |
2,247.75 |
Minister of State |
|
2021 |
Frank Feighan |
London |
736.88 |
Minister of State plus 2 Departmental staff members |
|
Total |
4,553.95 |
|||
|
- |
||||
|
2022 |
Stephen Donnelly |
Dubai |
2,995.24 |
Minister plus 3 Departmental staff members |
|
Total |
2,995.24 |
216. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Health his plans to provide funding in the upcoming budget to fund the provision of the FreeStyle Libre flash glucose monitoring system to persons with diabetes over 21 years of age based on clinical need; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8523/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
217. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Health if he will ring-fence some of the anticipated 2021 cost savings from the recent HSE Medicines Management Programme preferred blood glucose strips for adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes evaluation to fund the provision of the FreeStyle libre flash glucose monitoring system to persons with diabetes over 21 years of age based on clinical need; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8524/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
218. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Health the number of applications for FreeStyle Libre that were submitted by individual hospitals for persons with diabetes over 21 years of age; the number that were approved; the number that were refused in each of the years 2017 to 2021, in tabular form; his plans to remove the age restriction on FreeStyle Libre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8525/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
219. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the manner in which hospital-based training places across the medical profession are co-ordinated between the Department, the HSE and training bodies; his plans to improve upon this model; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8550/22]
View answerIn 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.
220. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health when a service by the HSE will go to tender; when contractors will be appointed as a result of this tender (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8594/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
221. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health the waiting times for urgent and non-urgent referrals to the symptomatic breast cancer clinic at University Hospital Galway; the number of patients that are on the urgent and non-urgent referral waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8621/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
222. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health if the HSE plan to have a full-time consultant ophthalmologist located in Letterkenny, County Donegal to address high waiting lists for eye care in the county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8622/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
223. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the progress of his Department and the HSE in prioritising the development of primary care eye teams in CHO6, CHO7 and CHO9 in 2022 with a view to extending these teams to other CHOs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8630/22]
View answerWith regard to primary eye care, the HSE have prioritised in 2022 the supporting of the Primary Care Eye Teams in CHOs 6, 7 and 9, with a view to then rolling out this team model to other CHOs. Staff working within the adult primary care eye teams will manage patients a number of eye conditions to reduce hospital waiting lists.
As the implementation of these Primary Eye Care Teams remains an operational matter for the HSE, I have referred the question for the HSE provide a direct reply.
224. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the details of the transfer of care for children aged 8 plus years to local optometrists to reduce waiting lists and enhance access to primary eye care services; if the anticipated six- to-nine-month timeframe for conclusion of this project in 2022 is on target; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8631/22]
View answerI fully support the proposal to allow optometrists to be contracted by the HSE to see children over 8 years of age for routine eye assessments and appliances.
The HSE has advised that in 2022 it will advance the transfer of care for children aged 8+ years to local optometrists, thereby reducing waiting lists and enhancing access to primary eye care services.
A project team was established in late 2019 / early 2020 to progress this initiative with a wide-ranging membership including representation from the Department of Health. However, due to the requirement to focus resources on the COVID 19 pandemic it was necessary to pause the programme.
There is now a commitment to progressing the project through the reconvening of the project team. It is anticipated that it will be possible to bring the project to conclusion over a 6-to-9-month time frame.
As the implementation timelines of this project remain an operational matter for the HSE, I have referred the question for the HSE provide a direct reply.
225. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost to fund the HPV vaccine catch-up programme for those who have missed out on the HPV vaccine in first year of school for any given reason; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8633/22]
View answerFollowing clarification with the Deputy, I can confirm that this question relates to those students who may have missed out on the HPV vaccine as a result of the closure of schools during the pandemic.
In relation to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on HPV vaccination, any first-year students who were due to receive the HPV vaccine but did not receive it as a result of the impact of the pandemic have now been offered the vaccine.
The Deputy may also be interested to know that, in terms of a wider mop up 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.
226. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the community mental health team servicing north Dublin cannot take referrals for adult ADHD assessments due to not having the capacity and expertise and is advising persons to wait for the commencement of the National Clinical Programme or to seek private healthcare; the steps he is taking to resolve the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8651/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
227. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health the help that can be given to a person (details supplied) who has urgent need of dental care and has been refused same on their medical card; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8668/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
228. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 157 of 9 February 2022, if he will address the question asked of updating the current regulations on the sale of painkillers containing addictive substances such as codeine, that they will not be available as over the counter medication without a prescription. [8681/22]
View answerCodeine is a mild to moderate opioid (narcotic) analgesic which, due to its potential for misuse, is a controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs legislation. As an analgesic, codeine is most often used in combination with other analgesics such as paracetamol or ibuprofen and is currently authorised in Ireland in such non-prescription products for pain relief. It is also available in single ingredient, non-prescription products, as a cough suppressant. These authorised products are available without a prescription through retail pharmacy businesses (pharmacies) only. There are currently no plans to update the regulations regarding the sale and supply of these products.
The Pharmacy Act 2007 and the Regulation of Retail Pharmacy Businesses Regulations 2008 require that all medicines supplied through a pharmacy must be supplied by or under the personal supervision of a pharmacist and that all non-prescription medicines supplied must be the subject of appropriate counselling.
The pharmacy regulator, the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI), issued guidance to pharmacists in 2010 on the safe supply of non-prescription products containing codeine. This guidance was updated in 2015, 2017 and most recently in October 2019. The Guidance covers the requirements set out above and, in addition, contains further restrictions which apply to the supply of codeine-based products.
The full guidance document, along with information on current legislative requirements, is available on the PSI website:
thepsi.ie/Libraries/Folder_Pharmacy_Practice_Guidance/01_3_Safe_supply_of_Codeine_to_patients.sflb.ashx.
229. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health when the new care unit replacing St. Anne’s, Clifden and Clifden nursing home will go to construction; the progress made with this project to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8691/22]
View answerAs 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
230. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the status of each of the recommendations in the Roscommon and Mayo audiology misdiagnosis report; the date of the complete implementation of each outstanding recommendation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8708/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
231. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the specific recommendations in the Roscommon and Mayo audiology misdiagnosis report that have been applied to every other community health area nationally; the implementation status of each such recommendation in each CHO; the date of the complete implementation of each outstanding recommendation in each CHO; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8709/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
232. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the consultancies engaged by the HSE in the past three years with a value in excess of €2 million in addition to the purpose of the consultancy work and its value. [8753/22]
View answerAs this is a matter for the HSE, I have asked for them to respond directly
