David Cullinane
Question:1051. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health his plans to make paxlovid available to high-risk patients including blood cancer patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14899/22]
View answerMedicinal Products
Questions (1051)
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.
Medicinal Products
Questions (1052, 1053, 1054, 1055, 1056, 1057)
Róisín Shortall
Question:1052. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the status of plans to establish a pathway for accessing paxlovid; the timeline for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14902/22]
View answerRóisín Shortall
Question:1053. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the status of plans to establish a pathway for accessing molnupiravir; the timeline for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14903/22]
View answerRóisín Shortall
Question:1054. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the interim pathway for accessing sotrovimab; when he expects the permanent pathway to be operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14904/22]
View answerRóisín Shortall
Question:1055. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the details of the proposed pathways for accessing antivirals and monoclonal antibody treatments including testing arrangements; the status of communication campaigns; the engagements he has had with general practitioners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14905/22]
View answerRóisín Shortall
Question:1056. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if he will accelerate the establishment of pathways for antivirals and monoclonal antibody treatments in view of rising Covid-19 case numbers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14906/22]
View answerRóisín Shortall
Question:1057. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the number of antivirals and monoclonal antibody treatments which have been ordered; the schedule for delivery of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14907/22]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1052 to 1057, inclusive, together.
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. 1053 answered with Question No. 1052.
Question No. 1054 answered with Question No. 1052.
Question No. 1055 answered with Question No. 1052.
Question No. 1056 answered with Question No. 1052.
Question No. 1057 answered with Question No. 1052.
Medicinal Products
Questions (1058)
Róisín Shortall
Question:1058. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the status of the European Commission Joint Procurement Agreement for the supply of other antivirals and monoclonal antibody treatments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14908/22]
View answerWritten answers
The EU Commission is currently progressing a Joint Procurement Agreement (JPA) in relation to antivirals, which includes MSD’s Lagevrio (Molnupiravir) and Pfizer’s Paxlovid (PF-07321332; Ritonavir). Ireland has formally indicated its intention to participate in this arrangement. Ireland is already a participant in an EU JPA for the purchase of the GSK monoclonal antibody product Xevudy (Sotrovimab), and has made orders for and received deliveries of Xevudy via this process.
Vaccination Programme
Questions (1059)
Róisín Shortall
Question:1059. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the number of fourth Covid-19 vaccines which have been administered to immunocompromised persons; the estimated size of this cohort; the steps he is taking to ensure all persons in this cohort have been notified regarding their eligibility for a fourth dose; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14909/22]
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.
Health Services Staff
Questions (1060)
Martin Kenny
Question:1060. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Health if his Department will request the HSE to review the travel expenses that public health nurses and community general nurses receive due to the increase in fuel prices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14911/22]
View answerWritten answers
Motor travel rates are set for civil and public servants by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. I understand that a review of rates is underway by that Department, however the Deputy will need to engage directly with Minister McGrath for any further detail on the matter.
International Agreements
Questions (1061)
David Cullinane
Question:1061. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health his views on the WHO proposal for an international treaty to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response; if there are plans to engage with INB on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14915/22]
View answerWritten answers
As I outlined in my address to the World Health Assembly Special Session in November last year, Ireland strongly supports a multilateral approach to global health issues with the WHO in a central leadership role.
The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that the global status quo in terms of pandemic preparedness and response is not acceptable. Therefore, Ireland supports the WHO led process to negotiate a binding legal instrument on pandemic preparedness and response.
The EU is a leading proponent of this process and Ireland, along with a majority of EU Member States, is part of the Group of Friends of the Treaty.
Officials in my Department, working with Ireland's Permanent Representation to the UN in Geneva, are engaging and will continue to engage with the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body.
General Register Office
Questions (1062)
Pádraig O'Sullivan
Question:1062. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the measures to combat the delay in the issuing of birth, death and marriage certificates in County Kildare; the average wait time for the issuing of a birth, death and marriage certificates nationally and in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14918/22]
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.
Home Help Service
Questions (1063)
Niamh Smyth
Question:1063. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if the case of a person (details supplied) will be reviewed; if an increase in home help hours will be expedited for them given the circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14929/22]
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.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Questions (1064)
John Brady
Question:1064. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the number of patients that are currently on the waiting list for a DEXA bone scan in a hospital (details supplied) by one, three, six and 12 months in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14935/22]
View answerWritten answers
It 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 Department of Health continues to work with the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) to identify ways to improve access to care, including through increased use of private hospitals, funding weekend and evening work in public hospitals, funding “see and treat” services, providing virtual clinics, and increasing capacity in the public hospital system.
The 2022 Waiting List Action Plan, which was launched on the 26th of February, allocates €350 million to the HSE and NTPF to reduce waiting lists. Under this plan the Department, HSE, and NTPF will deliver urgent additional capacity for the treatment of patients, as well as investing in longer term reforms to bring sustained reductions in waiting lists.
The plan builds on the successes of the short-term 2021 plan that ran from September to December last year. The 2021 plan was developed by the Department of Health, the HSE and the NTPF and was driven and overseen by a senior governance group co-chaired by the Secretary General of the Department of Health 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. 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 the Department of Health. 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.
In relation to the data requested by the Deputy regarding the number of patients that are currently on the waiting list for a DEXA bone scan at St Columcille’s Hospital, Loughlinstown by one, three, six and 12 months, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Hospital Equipment
Questions (1065)
John Brady
Question:1065. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the reason a new DEXA machine provided to a hospital (details supplied) has not yet been set up for the medical team to use despite this new equipment being delivered approximately four months ago; his plans to resolve same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14936/22]
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.
Departmental Bodies
Questions (1066)
Matt Shanahan
Question:1066. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health when the emergency department task force last met given the present difficulties with hospital overcrowding; if an organisation (details supplied) has called for such a meeting; the latest initiatives to be considered by the next emergency task force meeting; the measures that are being introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14947/22]
View answerWritten answers
The Emergency Department Taskforce (EDTF) is an advisory body comprising representatives from the HSE, Department of Health, staff representative organisations, practitioners and patient representatives, and is co-chaired by the INMO and the HSE.
The EDTF last met on the 18th of October 2021. It is envisaged that the next EDTF meeting will take place on 28th March 2022.
As the latest initiatives to be considered are a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Emergency Departments
Questions (1067)
Matt Shanahan
Question:1067. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health the average weekly trolley count within the nine model 4 hospitals nationally for the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14948/22]
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 Policy
Questions (1068)
Neasa Hourigan
Question:1068. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health if he plans to conduct a national awareness campaign in relation to osteogenesis imperfecta to help raise awareness among the general public of the condition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14951/22]
View answerWritten answers
As this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly as soon as possible.
Vaccination Programme
Questions (1069)
Bernard Durkan
Question:1069. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the budget allocated to the National Immunisation Office in each of the years 2018 to 2021 and to date in 2022; the breakdown of same based on Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 related funding; the way that Ireland compares with other European Union states in terms of spending on national immunisation programmes as a percentage of the national healthcare budget; the extent to which his Department has undertaken any recent research to evaluate the social and economic benefits of national immunisation programmes or has reviewed any relevant research undertaken in other European Union states; if so, if he will publish the results of that research in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14956/22]
View answerWritten answers
Budget 2022 provided for the largest ever investment in Ireland's Health and Social Care Services of €21bn for the Department of Health. Up to €697m is provided in 2022 for net non-capital expenditure in relation to COVID-19 measures. Within this funding, €497m is allocated for a range of public health and related infection prevention and control measures, including but limited to Testing & Tracing, Personal Protective Equipment and Vaccination programmes, with a further €200m allocated to Waiting List measures.
It is up to the HSE to allocate this funding across the relevant service areas as required throughout the year. In order to provide specific detail regarding the budget allocation and breakdown of same for the National Immunisation Office over the past four years, I will refer the Deputy’s question to the HSE for direct reply.
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. 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. My Department is guided by NIAC's recommendations on any emerging evidence in relation to the immunisation programme.
In terms of research in relation to evaluating social and economic benefits, it is usual that the Health Information Quality Authority are asked by the Minister to carry out a Health Technology Assessment prior to a significant change or the introduction of a new vaccine to the national immunisation programme.
A Health Technology Assessment (HTA) systematically gathers evidence under a series of domains to assist the decision-making process. The domains typically included are the burden of the disease, clinical effectiveness and safety, cost effectiveness and budget impact and ethical and legal issues.
A HTA may be repeated in numerous countries, as each will have its own requirements regarding cost and epidemiological data. However, some elements of a HTA, such as the assessment of clinical effectiveness, may be transferable across jurisdictions. HIQA is involved in a collaboration of HTA agencies in Europe (EUnetHTA) which has the express purpose of improving information sharing and reducing duplication of work. The sharing of work is facilitated by using agreed methodology and processes when carrying out HTAs. Whenever possible, HIQA uses work carried out in other agencies as well as making their work available to them also.
HIQA is also involved in other international collaborations, such as HTA International (HTAi), the International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment (INAHTA), and the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Through these collaborations, HIQA contribute to and benefit from the knowledge and expertise of a wide network of HTA agencies.
HIQA are currently carrying out a HTA on the Varicella Zoster Vaccine, which is scheduled to be completed in 2022.
Vaccination Programme
Questions (1070)
Bernard Durkan
Question:1070. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the total budget allocated to vaccine public awareness campaigns in each of the years 2018 to 2021 and to date in 2022; the breakdown based on Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 related funding; the way this compares to the allocation for vaccine public awareness campaigns in terms of both Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 related funding in other European Union states; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14957/22]
View answerWritten answers
As this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly as soon as possible.
Medicinal Products
Questions (1071, 1074)
Bernard Durkan
Question:1071. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the amount and percentage of the amount spent on medicines by the State that related to generic medicines; his plans to increase the use of generics in Ireland; the saving achieved in generics in each of the past five years in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14958/22]
View answerBernard Durkan
Question:1074. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the specific targets set out by his Department for increasing the use of generic medicines within the medicines market in Ireland; the extent to which Ireland compares to other European Union countries in the use of generic medicines; the estimated additional saving envisaged in 2022 by increased use of generic medicines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14961/22]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1071 and 1074 together.
The Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013 permits community pharmacists to dispense generic medicines where a brand name medicine has been prescribed, provided they have been designated as interchangeable by the Health Products Regulatory Authority.
Reference pricing means a single reimbursement price, or reference price, for a group of interchangeable medicines. This is the maximum price that the HSE will pay community pharmacies for all medicines in this group, regardless of the individual medicines’ prices.
While my Department does not have specific targets in relation to the usage of generics in the health service, it is fully supportive of domestic policies that maximise efficiency in our medicines usage. The HSE is actively engaged in implementing measures to ensure improve cost-effectiveness in medicines usage, including those under the Acute Hospitals Drugs Management Programme (AHDMP), within the Primary Care Reimbursement Service (PCRS) and under the Medicines Management Programme (MMP) which seeks to enhance evidence-based and cost-effective prescribing in Ireland.
My Department does not collate data on medicine usage in other European Union member states.
I have referred this matter to the HSE for their attention and direct reply to the Deputy in relation to the statistical information sought.
Medicinal Products
Questions (1072)
Bernard Durkan
Question:1072. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the amount and percentage of the amount spent on medicines by the State that related to biosimilar medicines; his plans to increase the use of biosimilar medicines in Ireland; the saving achieved in biosimilar medicines in each of the past five years in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14959/22]
View answerWritten answers
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the prescribing of Best Value Biologic (BvB) medicines is leading to significant savings for the health service, which is assisting us in facilitating access to new, innovative medicines for patients.
The HSE is actively engaged in implementing measures across a number of domains and under several initiatives, including the Acute Hospitals Drugs Management Programme, the HSE Medicines Management Programme (MMP), and within the Primary Care Reimbursement Service.
The HSE Medicines Management Programme published recommendations in May 2019 in relation to two high tech drugs, adalimumab and etanercept. That year, the HSE also introduced the Gainshare Initiative, which provides a financial incentive to public hospitals and clinics to pursue biosimilar treatment switching programmes. By January 2022, over 17,000 patients had switched to a best-value-biologic (BvB). In January 2022, the percentage value of Biosimilar drugs reimbursed to High Tech suppliers was over 54% of the available market. Associated annual savings in excess of €80 million have been achieved.
Further progress in this area must be carefully planned and implemented, with patient’s confidence and assurance at the forefront of any new initiatives and developments.
I have referred this matter to the HSE for their attention and direct reply to the Deputy in relation to the statistical information sought.