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Tuesday, 29 Mar 2022

Written Answers Nos. 685-704

Disabilities Assessments

Questions (685)

Alan Dillon

Question:

685. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Health the extent to which the HSE has completed the process of assessing children registered with Western Care who have been transferred over to the direction and management of the children’s network managers in County Mayo; the outcomes that have been identified as part of this assessment; the service requirements that have been identified for the three children’s disability network teams in County Mayo; the additional resources that are needed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16111/22]

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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.

Health Services

Questions (686)

Dara Calleary

Question:

686. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health the strategy his Department has in place for the management of epilepsy in Ireland; the extra investment he has provided for in epilepsy care since taking office; if there is any research under way into sudden death syndrome as a consequence of epilepsy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16113/22]

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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.

Health Services Staff

Questions (687)

Dara Calleary

Question:

687. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health if he will commit to appointing extra epilepsy nurse specialists to cater specifically for epilepsy and epilepsy management in the community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16114/22]

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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.

Home Help Service

Questions (688)

Niamh Smyth

Question:

688. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if he will review a case (details supplied) regarding home help hours; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16117/22]

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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.

Official Engagements

Questions (689)

Pauline Tully

Question:

689. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health if he visited any health facilities during his recent visit to Austin, Texas in the United States of America for St. Patrick’s Day events; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16123/22]

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Written answers

As part of my Saint Patrick’s Day visit to Texas, I visited the Texas Medical Center in Houston. I was given a tour of the Innovation Campus and was provided with an overview of the Innovation Programme.

Texas Medical Center Innovation drives collaboration with medicine and cutting-edge technology from around the world. This visit was a great opportunity to acknowledge the value and support provide by Texas Medical Center Innovation to Enterprise Ireland companies.

Hospital Waiting Lists

Questions (690)

Pauline Tully

Question:

690. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health the number of children in County Monaghan and County Cavan that are on a waiting list for urology paediatric surgery; the average wait time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16124/22]

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Written 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.

€350m is being allocated in 2022 to the HSE and the NTPF to primarily provide additional public and private activity to further stabilise and reduce scheduled care waiting lists and waiting times in tandem with bringing forward much needed longer-term reforms. This will supplement the core activity of the HSE as detailed in the HSE National Service Plan (NSP) 2022.

The 2022 waiting list action plan, which the Minister for Health will bring 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 the Department of Health, 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 the 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 the 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 health system does not collect the data necessary to calculate average wait times. In particular, the time to treatment of patients who have already received their care is not collected. The NTPF collects data on patients currently on the waiting list and the average time that these patients have been waiting is provided here.

Report

Archive Date

Count

Mean Average Wait in Days

Median Average Wait in Days

IP waits Paediatric Urology Cavan and Monaghan

24/02/2022

13

384

295

The health system does not collect the data necessary to calculate average wait times. In particular, the time to treatment of patients who have already received their care is not collected. The NTPF collects data on patients currently on the waiting list and the average time that these patients have been waiting is provided here.

National Treatment Purchase Fund

Questions (691)

Pauline Tully

Question:

691. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health the income received by each hospital group from the National Treatment Purchase Fund in 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16125/22]

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Written answers

The NTPF procures capacity for high-volume procedures in order to positively impact waiting time for patients. Such procedures may be procured in both private hospitals (outsourcing), or public hospitals (insourcing). In order to ensure competitive pricing as part of their outsourcing programme, the NTPF works with private hospitals from a panel agreement and engages in procurement processes through e-tender. In relation to insourcing, a public hospital may have some spare capacity but require further funding in order to utilise it. Such public hospitals may make a proposal to the NTPF, whereby the NTPF pay a fixed price per procedure performed. The amount paid by the NTPF meets the extra costs incurred by the public hospital in performing the procedures.

The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the amount of income received by each hospital group from the NTPF in 2021 and to date in 2022 is outlined in the following document, provided to my Department by the NTPF.

Amount paid by NTPF to Hospital Groups

Hospital Group

 Year 2021 

 Jan - Feb 2022 

 Children’s Hospital Group 

   1,825,119

            754,497

 Dublin Midlands Hospitals Group 

   8,677,840

         2,054,707

 Ireland East Hospitals Group 

 16,052,924

         4,399,446

 RCSI Hospitals Group (Dublin North East) 

   7,043,746

         2,579,392

 Saolta University Healthcare Group 

   2,217,594

            359,730

 South/South West Hospitals Group 

 12,630,680

         2,859,108

 University of Limerick Hospitals 

   3,880,118

         1,438,762

 52,328,020

       14,445,642

Hospital Services

Questions (692)

Paul Murphy

Question:

692. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the case of a child (details supplied); if it will be ensured that an operation will be scheduled for the child; and when the parents of the child can expect to hear from the HSE in relation to scheduling an operation. [16133/22]

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Written answers

In January, I asked the HSE for a dedicated plan to tackle children’s orthopaedic waiting lists this year. In early February (2022) I met with senior officials of Children’s Heath Ireland (CHI) and the HSE, as well as senior orthopaedic clinicians from Temple Street, Crumlin and Cappagh, to discuss the finalisation of this plan to increase orthopaedic activity. Both current and capital funding totalling €19 million is being provided, including investment through the recently launched 2022 waiting list action plan.

The €19 million plan is an ambitious one and proposes additional activity levels which will work to reduce the number of children waiting long periods for orthopaedic procedures (including scoliosis and spina bifida). The additional funding is being used to provide additional theatre access at Temple Street and Crumlin, as well as diagnostic MRI capacity that will be brought on stream this year at both sites. The funding will also be used to enable further activity and paediatric theatre lists at Cappagh Hospital, or Cappagh Kids.

Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.

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.

Vaccination Programme

Questions (693)

Róisín Shortall

Question:

693. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a HPV vaccine for a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16139/22]

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Written answers

As this relates to a specific query which is an operational matter for the HSE, I have referred the question to the HSE for a direct reply.

In terms of more generally, I can advise that 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 during the 2020/2021 school year 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.

My Department has asked the National Immunisation Advisory Committee to 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 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.

Disability Services

Questions (694)

Paul Murphy

Question:

694. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the case of a person (details supplied); the measures that can be put in place to assist them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16141/22]

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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.

Legislative Reviews

Questions (695)

Seán Canney

Question:

695. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health the details of the precise steps he took in sourcing and inviting his eventual appointee to apply for the role of chair of the review of the abortion law. [16143/22]

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Written answers

As I stated during my appearance before the Joint Committee on Health on 8 December, it was my intention to appoint an independent Chair to lead the second phase of the review of the operation of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018.

As the costs involved in contracting an independent Chair to conduct the review were estimated as exceeding €25,000, the advice I received was that the Department was obliged under procurement rules to tender for the appointment.

Given the expertise required for the position, a small number of candidates, identified as having suitable experience, were contacted and invited to tender for the role of independent Chair. This is in line with European Union (Award of Public Authority Contracts) Regulations 2016.

Departmental Data

Questions (696)

Seán Sherlock

Question:

696. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the number of retainers his Department has with outside organisations; and the cost of each retainer in tabular form. [16153/22]

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Written answers

The information requested by the Deputy is not immediately available. I will survey the Department and the collated replies will be prepared into a full response to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Health Services Staff

Questions (697)

Alan Dillon

Question:

697. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Health the way he plans to address the funding discrimination being applied in the resourcing of nursing home residential care under the fair deal scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16178/22]

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Written answers

The Department of Health acknowledges that there are variations in the cost of care across public centres as well as across private nursing homes, with public nursing homes generally having a higher cost of care. Regardless of whether it is a private, voluntary or public nursing home, the resident's financial contribution is the same; the price of care only affects levels of state funding and has no direct impact on the resident.

In December 2021, the Department published the independently-chaired Value For Money review on nursing home costs, which reviewed the variance in costs between public and private nursing homes. The review made 9 recommendations to address this issue, all of which are now being taken forward by the Department.

Health Services Staff

Questions (698)

Alan Dillon

Question:

698. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Health the steps that are being taken to provide equivalent pay conditions for staff providing equivalent care in the nursing home sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16179/22]

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Written answers

The Department is in the process of developing a statutory scheme for the financing and regulation of home-support in line with the Programme for Government (2020) which commits to the introduction of a scheme to support people to live in their own homes by providing equitable access to high-quality regulated home care.

In parallel with this, a Cross-Departmental Strategic Workforce Advisory Group has been established. The role of the group is to examine the strategic workforce challenges in front-line carer roles in the home and nursing homes. Areas to be examined include recruitment, retention, skills development and sustainable employment of carers into the future.

I opened this Groups inaugural meeting on 3rd March, where the Terms of Reference were agreed. These are available on the Department’s website.

The Group will progress a structured programme of ongoing consultative engagements with stakeholders to further explore and define the issues, listen to stakeholder views, and identify approaches to respond to the strategic workforce challenges.

The Group will also provide a forum for agreement on strategic approaches to address the workforce challenges in the sector and develop a report for my consideration outlining the Group’s key findings, recommendations, and a proposed action plan to support implementation of these recommendations to include periodic monitoring of progress.

In 2021, the National Skills Bulletin produced by the Skills and Labour Market Research Unit (SLMRU) in SOLAS, presented an overview of the Irish Labour market in relation to care workers. It reports that employment numbers fell over a 5 year period, particularly over the previous year (most likely due to Covid). There is also a high proportion of care workers aged 55 yrs and older (24%) which could affect replacement demand.

The continuing reopening of the economy and the labour market should help ease the labour shortages in the health care sector.

Please also know a large proportion of staff who work in the healthcare industry are employed by private companies and as such do not fall under the remit of Department of Health or its agencies. It would be inappropriate for me to comment on their terms and conditions or contracts of employment.

Health Services

Questions (699, 700)

Alan Dillon

Question:

699. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Health the number of children and adults currently waiting for respite services in County Mayo that include planned respite, overnight respite at home, regular part-time care at weekends, regular part-time care on alternate weekends and occasional respite; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16180/22]

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Alan Dillon

Question:

700. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Health the length of time that children and adults are currently waiting for respite services in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16181/22]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 699 and 700 together.

As the questions relate to service matters, I have asked the HSE to respond to the deputy directly.

Question No. 700 answered with Question No. 699.

Health Services

Questions (701)

Alan Dillon

Question:

701. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Health the number of beds that are available for children and adults across County Mayo for respite services; the location of each respite unit that is available for children and adult disability users; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16182/22]

View answer

Written answers

As this question relates to a service matter I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.

Citizens' Assembly

Questions (702)

Brian Leddin

Question:

702. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Health if reports in the media (details supplied) of crack cocaine being freely available in a Limerick housing estate will influence his recommendations on the scope for the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16265/22]

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Written answers

Last month, the Government agreed to the establishment of two citizens' assemblies (CA) - one dealing with biodiversity loss and the other with the type of directly elected mayor and local government structures best suited for Dublin. Given the number of CAs that are committed to in the Programme for Government, and the constraints that had delayed their establishment, these CAs will run concurrently, for the first time.

It is envisaged that the inaugural meeting of the CAs will take place in April this year, with the assemblies concluding their work and submitting their reports ideally by the end of the year at latest, and earlier if possible.

It is proposed that a Citizens’ Assembly on Drug Use will directly follow these two Assemblies, with the intention of running it concurrently with the Citizens’ Assembly on the Future of Education, if learnings from the concurrent running of CAs suggest that this operational model is the best way forward .

In line with this decision, I have commenced preparations for the CA on drug use. This is being done to ensure that there will be no delay in establishing the CA when the two other CAs complete their work, before the end of this year or in quarter 1 2023 at the latest. This will allow a period of over one year for the Government to consider its recommendations.

Drug use affects all members of society, whether directly or indirectly, and imposes very significant social and financial costs. There are two issues in particular I wish the citizens assembly to consider, namely, how can we better meet the diverse health needs of people who use drugs, and also, how can we prevent the harmful impact of drugs on children, families, and communities.

I would also like to see an international component to the citizens assembly, so that there is an exchange of good practice from the British Ireland Council work sector on drugs (which I chair) and the EU Drugs Strategy and Action Plan, especially on alternative approaches to coercive sanctions.

The recent meeting of the National Oversight Committee for the National Drugs Strategy afforded me an opportunity to consult with committee members to hear their views and perspectives regarding the content of the citizens’ assembly.

As we prepare for the CA on drug use, work will continue in implementing the government’s health-led national drugs strategy and the six strategic priorities for the remaining four years of the strategy.

I am very positive about the potential contribution of the CA to the Government's health-led response to drug use as it will provide an opportunity to reflect on progress made under the national drugs strategy.

Health Strategies

Questions (703)

Brian Leddin

Question:

703. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Health his plans to implement the World Health Organization’s International Code of Marketing Breastmilk Substitutes in domestic law; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16266/22]

View answer

Written answers

Promoting an increase in the number of new mothers breastfeeding is a priority in the Healthy Ireland Strategic Action plan 2021-2025. Infant formula is needed as not all babies are breastfed.

The WHO International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes is aimed at protecting children and families from inappropriate marketing of breastmilk substitute products. The Code covers infant formula products up to the age of 3 years.

The Department works closely with the HSE National Breast Feeding Co-ordinator, who has responsibility for the implementation of the HSE Breastfeeding Action Plan 2016-2021. The HSE has established the National Breastfeeding Implementation Group to progress the actions. A new Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes in public health services has been completed and is effective from 1st October 2021.

Detailed compositional and labelling requirements for infant formulae and follow-on formulae intended for use by infants in good health are set out in EU Regulations. The importance of the WHO International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes is also recognised in these Regulations. Under the Regulations, the labelling, presentation and advertising of infant formulae and follow-on formulae must be designed so as not to discourage breastfeeding.

The labelling of infant formula must bear ‘a statement concerning the superiority of breast feeding and a statement recommending that the product be used only on the advice of independent persons having qualifications in medicine, nutrition or pharmacy, or other professionals responsible for maternal and child care’.

Furthermore, the advertising of infant formula is restricted to publications specialising in baby care and scientific publications. ‘Such advertisements may contain only information of a scientific and factual nature. Such information shall not imply that or create a belief that bottle-feeding is equivalent or superior to breast feeding’. Point-of-sale advertising, giving of samples or any other promotional device to induce sales of infant formula directly to the consumer at the retail level, is prohibited.

As the rules on the labelling, presentation and advertising of infant formulae and follow-on formulae are harmonised at EU level, it is not proposed to introduce additional national rules.

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Questions (704)

Pádraig MacLochlainn

Question:

704. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the way that public sector workers who were seconded from their contracted roles to front-facing roles in vaccination centres will be treated for the purpose of receiving the Covid-19 bonus payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16273/22]

View answer

Written answers

Firstly, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all healthcare workers for their efforts during this most challenging period.The Government announced a COVID-19 recognition payment for front-line public sector healthcare workers, to recognise their unique role during the pandemic. The measure will be ring fenced to staff ordinarily on-site in COVID-19 exposed healthcare environments within the period between 1 March 2020 and 30 June 2021.

This payment will be made to those eligible public sector front-line healthcare staff (inclusive of agency staff working for the HSE) who worked in clinical settings, noting this list is not exhaustive: those Doctors / Nurses / Health Care Assistants / Porters / Cleaners etc. that work in clinical settings. This includes those eligible workers seconded or assigned to the HSE (for example: Defence Forces staff seconded/assigned to HSE testing centres). The measure encompasses Health Care Support Assistants (also known as Home Carers / Home Help) employed by or carrying out duties contracted to the HSE.

The measure also encompasses those eligible working on site in long term residential care facilities for people with disabilities (inclusive of those facilities whether HSE or section 39). The measure further extends to those equivalent healthcare workers in private nursing homes and hospices. Arrangements for this sector encompassed by this measure are currently being progressed by the Department of Health.

The Department of Health appreciates the levels of interest this announcement has generated. We are working together with the HSE to provide additional details on this measure including full eligibility criteria, particulars (such as that detail mentioned in your question) and terms and conditions that apply. Additionally, the Department and the HSE are currently consulting with health sector trade unions on this matter. This consultation is part of the Department and HSE’s objective to finalise the application of this measure fairly.

Upon conclusion of consultations with the trade unions, full details of the application process, FAQs and other particulars shall be published by the HSE. Noting that the details will be finalised once this consultation has concluded, it would be inappropriate to comment any further at this point.

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