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Tuesday, 26 Apr 2022

Written Answers Nos. 1521-1540

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Questions (1521)

Bríd Smith

Question:

1521. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if a senior occupational therapist working at a nursing home (details supplied) during the specified period of the Covid-19 pandemic will be eligible for the €1,000 healthcare bonus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19920/22]

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Written answers

Firstly, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all healthcare workers for their efforts during this most challenging period. 

On 19th April the HSE published additional details including full eligibility criteria, particulars and terms and conditions that apply to eligible HSE and Section 38 Agency employees. This information is available at www.hse.ie/eng/staff/resources/hr-circulars/hr-circular-012-2022-pandemic-special-recognition-payment.html 

Separately, the Department of Health shall shortly publish information for those other certain healthcare employees that are covered by the Government Decision and the process available to their employers to implement this measure for their eligible staff. This shall cover eligible staff in: 

- Private Sector Nursing Homes and Hospices (e.g. Private, Voluntary, Section 39 etc.);

- Eligible staff working on-site in Section 39 long-term residential care facilities for people with disabilities;

- Agency roles working in the HSE;

- Health Care Support Assistants (also known as home help / home care / home support) contracted to the HSE;

- Redeployed members of Department of Defence to work in the HSE;

- Paramedics employed by the Department of Local Government, Housing and Heritage

Hospital Services

Questions (1522)

Fergus O'Dowd

Question:

1522. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health if he will urgently review and intervene in the continued closure of the north-east regional orthopaedic unit for elective surgeries, which is leaving persons in extraordinary circumstances; if his attention has been drawn to the significant concerns raised by eight orthopaedic surgeons to HSE management in respect of the impact closures have had on the elective list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19922/22]

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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.

Question No. 1523 answered with Question No. 1509.

Civil Registration Service

Questions (1524)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

1524. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the steps he has implemented to resource the births, deaths and marriage certification offices in County Kildare; if he will consider setting up a walk-in service or increasing resourcing to the area to deal with the demand for certification; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19935/22]

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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.

Question No. 1525 answered with Question No. 1509.
Question No. 1526 answered with Question No. 1509.

Disability Services

Questions (1527, 1528)

Pádraig O'Sullivan

Question:

1527. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if consideration has been given to allocating people with disabilities a personal budget to access therapies similar to the model operated in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19941/22]

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Pádraig O'Sullivan

Question:

1528. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if his Department has received a report on the pilot personalised budget for persons with a disability; if this measure will be acted on and expanded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19942/22]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1527 and 1528 together.

The Personalised Budget Pilot is ongoing. There are currently 132 participants at various stages of onboarding, including 24 who have completed each of the stages and are in receipt of a Personalised Budget.

The pilot is running behind schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in the closure of services and has made it difficult to recruit staff for the HSE team. COVID-19 restrictions also severely impacted the HSE’s ability to meet with individuals to progress their applications.

A Personalised Budget is an amount of funding for an eligible person with a disability so that the individual can make their own arrangements to meet specified support needs. This is instead of having their needs met directly for them by the State.

The report of the Task Force on Personalised Budgets was launched by Minister McGrath in July 2018. The report set out how Personalised Budgets could work as a funding mechanism for people with a disability. Personalised Budgets can help to provide people with disabilities with greater choice and control over the services and supports they receive.

The Task Force reviewed national and international research and consulted with service users and their families. They recommended that the Department of Health, with the HSE, should establish a pilot project to test the delivery of personalised budgets - the aim being to identify the best approach to roll-out Personalised Budgets following this pilot phase

Funding can be spent on specific personal supports funded by the HSE such as employing your own support worker or having support staff at a time you choose. These supports are agreed and identified in a personal support plan for each participant.

Funding cannot be spent on informal care from a partner or close relative or to pay for supports that would normally be provided by another Government Department or Statutory Agency, e.g. housing.

It is hoped that the pilot will have up to 180 participants over two phases who access a wide range of HSE funded services including residential, rehabilitative training, personal assistance and day services.

Question No. 1528 answered with Question No. 1527.

Dental Services

Questions (1529)

Michael Ring

Question:

1529. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Health the progress being made in relation to the provision of services (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19946/22]

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Written answers

Officials from my Department and from the HSE have held three rounds of discussions with the Irish Dental Association (IDA), the most recent on 2nd March when my Department and the HSE presented proposals to invest additional resources in the DTTS.

Following the consultation with the IDA on the 2nd March, I have now given approval for significant fee increases to be paid to contracted dentists across a number of items, including the Dental Examination and Fillings. I have also approved the reintroduction of Scale and Polish for medical card patients on the DTSS. These new measures are designed to address access problems for patients, and address dentist’s concerns about the viability of the DTSS, while aligning the DTSS more closely with the Dental Treatment Benefits Scheme, which is widely operated by private dentists for PRSI patients.

These measures should amount to an additional investment this year of about €26 million over what was spent on the Scheme in 2021. My Department and the HSE will work together to quickly implement the changes to the Scheme for the benefit of patients.

Question No. 1530 answered with Question No. 1386.

Disability Services

Questions (1531)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

1531. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure a person (details supplied) receives the adequate supports from the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19967/22]

View answer

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 (1532)

Thomas Gould

Question:

1532. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the work of the clinical lead on dual diagnosis. [19971/22]

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Written answers

As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Hospital Services

Questions (1533)

David Cullinane

Question:

1533. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the classification criteria for hospital models; the list of hospitals currently classified for each; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19983/22]

View answer

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 Care Packages

Questions (1534)

Danny Healy-Rae

Question:

1534. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on home support services and home support packages (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19985/22]

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Written answers

In 2020 I secured additional funding of €150 million for home support to progress the development of a reformed model of service delivery to underpin the statutory scheme for the financing and regulation of home-support services and to provide 5 million additional hours of home support in 2021.

The funding to provide these additional hours has been maintained into 2022. Delivering this enhanced capacity requires substantial recruitment. This has been affected due to the strategic workforce challenges in the home support sector. An Advisory Group has been set up and has already met, to identify the specific obstacles to recruiting carers, and make recommendations to me by this September.

It is important to note that progress is being made in this area - at the end of February 2022 there were 4,567 people assessed and waiting for a carer to become available. This is a reduction from January, when 4,836 were waiting for a carer to become available.

At the end of February 286 were awaiting processing of funding approval, which is a slight increase from 273 in January. It is important to note there will always be new applications being processed – this is not a funding issue.

The total number of people waiting for home support across both categories has reduced from over 9,000 at the start of 2020 to 4,853 by the end of February 2022.

Regarding your specific question on home support in Co Kerry, this is an operational matter and we have referred it to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to you.

In addition, you may be interested to know that I have established a cross-Departmental Strategic Workforce Advisory Group to examine strategic workforce challenges in front-line carer roles in home support and nursing homes in Ireland.  

This got underway with a 'Call for Submissions', in December 2021 which issued by the Department to relevant stakeholders.

Following receipt of these completed submissions in January, Department officials undertook a short-life scoping exercise to gather initial data and evidence on the nature and extent of the challenges in the sector to inform the structure and membership of this cross-departmental Group.

On completion of the scoping exercise, the inaugural meeting of this Group was held on 3rd March, 2022.

The Group is presently working with key sectoral stakeholders in a structured programme of ongoing consultative engagements to further explore and define the issues. 

Areas being considered by the Group include recruitment, retention, training, pay and conditions, and the career development of front-line carers in home support and nursing homes into the future. 

The Group provides a forum for agreement on strategic approaches to address the workforce challenges in the sector nationwide and will develop a report for my consideration outlining the key findings, recommendations, and a proposed action plan to support implementation of these recommendations.

Mental Health Services

Questions (1535)

Denis Naughten

Question:

1535. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health if he will extend the community healthcare west initiative of a youth advisory panel to each CHO nationwide to explore the risk and protective factors for youth mental health and suicidality of teenagers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19997/22]

View answer

Written answers

As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Departmental Staff

Questions (1536)

Holly Cairns

Question:

1536. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if his Department and public bodies and agencies that operate under his remit facilitate internships by students engaged in full-time or part-time further and higher education courses; if so, the number of interns his Department and public bodies and agencies that operate under his remit accept annually; if any or all of these interns receive remuneration of any kind; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20009/22]

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Written answers

In the past year, on a pilot basis the Department of Health facilitated one paid internship for a student engaged in a full-time higher education course and will consider doing so again in the coming year in the context of its overall workforce plan.

The Department had previously participated in the "Willing, Able and Mentoring" (WAM) Programme, for graduates with a disability.  This is a paid, six-month internship and the Department will consider a further appointment from this programme in the future.

The Department is also in discussions with the OWL (Oireachtas Work and Learning) programme to provide a role for a person with an intellectual disability.  This will be a part-time paid placement.

In respect of the Non-Commercial State Agencies under the aegis of my Department, I have sought to collect and collate the data and I will provide this by way of separate letter to the Deputy as soon as possible.

I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy in relation to its workforce. 

Pension Provisions

Questions (1537)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

1537. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of a pension for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20018/22]

View answer

Written answers

As this is an operational matter for the HSE, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to Deputy Healy-Rae.

Abortion Services

Questions (1538)

Neale Richmond

Question:

1538. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health the status of his work to legislate for safe zones around abortion providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20019/22]

View answer

Written answers

I am committed to ensuring safe access to termination of pregnancy services, and the area remains an ongoing priority for me, this Government and my Department, including progressing legislation this year.

However, it is important that any legislative provisions are implementable and enforceable, and that they will stand up to any legal challenges that might be brought against them. It must also be ensured that they do not cause any unintentional consequences for existing public order laws.

As the Deputy may be aware, while it was originally intended to provide for safe access to termination of pregnancy services in the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018, a number of complex legal and policy issues were identified during the drafting process which necessitated further deliberation and advice. These issues were further debated in the Seanad during the second, third and fourth stages for the Safe Access to Termination of Pregnancy Services Bill 2021, and I wish to commend the Together for Safety group for its work on this legislative proposal which is further informing necessary considerations in this important area of work. 

Officials in my Department are actively engaging with key stakeholders to work through these challenges, refine the policy position, and explore legislative options. At my request, and with the support of the Joint Committee on Health, officials met the Health Committee in March to collaboratively discuss options for overcoming the challenges that have been identified by the Department. I understand that this was a positive session, with the Committee voicing their support for bringing forward safe access legislation. I wish to thank the Committee for their time and input to support the advancement of robust legislation for safe access zones. It is important to me that the appropriate legislative solution is progressed with cross party support. My officials have listened carefully to the views and inputs of the Committee and will consider these into their ongoing work on this matter. 

My Department is now settling the policy position, which is complex, and officials are continuing to work with an inter-departmental working group to advance these proposals and develop a robust General Scheme of a Bill. 

Subject to Government approval, I plan to have proposals for safe access on the legislative programme for 2022.

Home Help Service

Questions (1539)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

1539. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of home help for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20020/22]

View answer

Written answers

As this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Primary Care Services

Questions (1540)

Jennifer Whitmore

Question:

1540. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Health if there are plans to expand PrEP treatment services in a primary care centre (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20022/22]

View answer

Written answers

As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible. 

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