Niall Collins
Question:412. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Health if he will address a matter raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22227/22]
View answerDepartmental Correspondence
Questions (412)
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.
Covid-19 Pandemic
Questions (413)
Paul Murphy
Question:413. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health the figures that have been collected on the prevalence of long Covid among those who have been diagnosed with Covid-19 in Ireland; and if the figures will be published. [21662/22]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to reply to the Deputy directly.
Legislative Process
Questions (414)
Noel Grealish
Question:414. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Health when the pre-legislative scrutiny report of the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2019 will be available for public release; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21665/22]
View answerWritten answers
As I told the Deputy in response to this question in March, the completion date of that report is a matter for the Joint Committee on Health.
Legislative Process
Questions (415)
Noel Grealish
Question:415. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Health the timeline for the enactment of the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21666/22]
View answerWritten answers
As I told the Deputy in March in response to this question, the General Scheme of the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill is with the Office for Parliamentary Counsel for drafting and is prioritised for publication in this term. At this stage I can give no date for enactment.
Tobacco Control Measures
Questions (416)
Noel Grealish
Question:416. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Health the progress of Ireland’s Tobacco Free Ireland strategy; the way that it is planned to achieve the objectives of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21667/22]
View answerWritten answers
As I told the Deputy in response to this question in March, the Tobacco Free Ireland strategy contains more than 60 recommendations designed to reduce Ireland's smoking prevalence. Progress on completion of those recommendations is reported in the Tobacco Free Ireland Annual Report which is published by my Department each year.
Major policy proposals that have been delivered under Tobacco Free Ireland include the introduction of plain packaging for all tobacco products sold in Ireland, a consistent increase on excise duty on tobacco products in each budget and a continual increase in the number of campus, parks and playgrounds being voluntarily made smoke - free spaces.
Hospital Appointments Status
Questions (417)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:417. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if a hospital appointment will be expedited for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21671/22]
View answerWritten answers
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.
Primary Care Centres
Questions (418)
Jackie Cahill
Question:418. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health when the new primary healthcare facility will be fully operational in Mitchell Street, Thurles; the number of general practitioners who will be operating from new facility; the other healthcare services that will be available at the facility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21673/22]
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.
Disability Services
Questions (419)
Joe Carey
Question:419. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) who has an auditory processing disorder will receive recommended support to assist with their hearing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21674/22]
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 Funding
Questions (420)
Niamh Smyth
Question:420. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the reason that a hydrotherapy pool (details supplied) is not open; if his Department will grant funding for same; if an application from the organisation has been received regarding the pool; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21676/22]
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 Appointments Status
Questions (421)
Sorca Clarke
Question:421. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the reason that a person (details supplied) has not been given a hospital appointment given the circumstances. [21687/22]
View answerWritten answers
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.
Medicinal Products
Questions (422)
David Cullinane
Question:422. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if medications (details supplied) will become available under the medical card scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21705/22]
View answerWritten answers
The Health Service Executive (HSE) has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicines under the General Medical Services Scheme and the Community Drug Schemes, in accordance with the provisions of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.
The medications referred to are on the HSE's Reimbursement List, which can be searched at the following link: www.sspcrs.ie/druglist/pub.
Hospital Staff
Questions (423)
Charles Flanagan
Question:423. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the current situation in respect of a vacant consultant dermatology post proposed to be shared jointly between St James’s Hospital Dublin and Portlaoise Regional Hospital; and the dermatological services that are currently available to persons in County Laois. [21720/22]
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.
Pharmacy Services
Questions (424)
Jim O'Callaghan
Question:424. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the steps that can be taken to ensure the greater availability of qualified pharmacists to work in retail pharmacies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21722/22]
View answerWritten answers
Pharmacists wishing to practise in Ireland must be registered with the statutory regulator of pharmacists and pharmacies, the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI), which operates three routes of recognition/registration depending on where the pharmacy qualification has first been acquired – the national route, EU route and non-EU (third country qualification recognition - TCQR) route under established processes based in Irish and EU law.
The PSI is not involved in the recruitment of pharmacists. However, in the context of its function to regulate the profession of pharmacy in the State having regard to the need to protect, maintain and promote the health and safety of the public, the PSI is examining the topic of pharmacist workforce. The PSI is currently undertaking a project, due to run across 2022-’23, ‘Emerging Risks to the Future Pharmacy Workforce’. In 2022, this project is set to “assess emerging risks to the continued availability of a professional pharmacy workforce within community and hospital pharmacy in Ireland”. This is a complex problem with many contributing factors and multiple stakeholders, and the project will be taking a medium to long-term view of the matter. Workforce challenges are being experienced in other sectors nationally, and in the pharmacy sector in a range of other countries. However, robust data for Ireland is needed to be able to determine the current landscape, assess future health system needs and understand existing sectoral challenges now and into the future. It will be on the basis of gathering and analysing this up-to-date, robust and relevant data, that recommendations can be proposed to address Ireland’s needs for a pharmacist workforce in the future, as Ireland’s healthcare system evolves, and in the context of Sláintecare implementation.
The PSI has also recognised its non-EU route of registration is complex and is undertaking a process to review it with the aim of having an improved TCQR route in place for January 2023.
PSI has also been liaising with other stakeholders, including the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU), on efforts being taken within the sector to understand and address the reported current acute workforce issue. In February 2022, PSI met with a number of superintendent pharmacists and the IPU. PSI circulated a survey on behalf of the latter to all registrants to support in efforts in understanding and addressing the issue in the short term, the results of which are pending. PSI has also indicated its willingness to participate in a stakeholder group being established by the IPU, and the Department understands PSI and IPU are due to meet about this in early May.