Written Answers Nos. 543-556
543. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he will consider permitting appropriately trained pharmacists to prescribe medicine following assessing patients in order to reduce demand on general practitioner services. [22294/22]
View answerThe Department of Health is committed to the ethos of ensuring that the right care is delivered in the right place and at the right time for all citizens and recognises that all healthcare professionals have a role to play in optimising patient care and service delivery in line with this vision.
I recognise that medicines are the most common healthcare intervention within the health system and that both the use and complexity of medicines are increasing. Pharmacists are the healthcare professional optimally placed by virtue of their training to deliver on the critical role within the health system to ensure the rational use of medicines by maximising the benefits and minimising the potential for patient harm with regard to medicines.
I acknowledge that various forms of pharmacist prescribing are in place internationally ranging from collaborative, supplementary and independent prescribing, contextualised with the health care service model that the activity is delivered in. The focus of Sláintecare to develop primary and community care, and make it possible for people to stay healthy in their homes and communities for as long as possible. The underpinning objective and rationale for any pharmacist prescribing model should be to enhance patient safety and timely access to medicines and I am open to the consideration of any evidence based, appropriately governed services delivered by appropriately trained professionals which will support the holistic functioning of the healthcare system for best patient outcome.
544. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Health if there is a permanently employed psychiatrist in the Dublin north east HSE region; if not, the number of vacant posts; the number of psychiatrists that should be employed permanently; the length of time the region has been without a permanent psychiatrist; the efforts that are being made to ensure that the situation is rectified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22303/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
545. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if the HSE will immediately reinstate a HSE home support team provided laundry service that has been in place for senior citizens and vulnerable persons at a community centre in County Kerry (details supplied) for the past 28 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22306/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
546. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the number of permanent psychiatrists in the Dublin north east mental health area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22307/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
547. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 951 of 26 April 2022, the training the HSE provides to teachers with students with epilepsy; the way that this training is given; the way that a teacher applies to take part; and the number of teachers have taken part in the past five years in tabular form. [22308/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
548. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 951 of 26 April 2022, the funding given towards nursing supports for children with epilepsy in the past five years, by year in tabular form. [22309/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
549. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 951 of 26 April 2022, the process a school must engage with to seek funding for a nursing support for a children with epilepsy. [22310/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
550. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health his plans to set up long Covid clinics outside of Dublin specifically for the west Cork region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22316/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to reply to the Deputy directly
551. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the status of the HSE working group on ME and CFS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22317/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
552. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a schedule of fines and totality of the amount paid in respect of fines issued by the EU on his Department for failing to transpose EU directives; if he will include the directive that was not transposed on time; and if he will indicate the directives that are still not fully transposed for the past 25 years to date in 2022. [22328/22]
View answerMy Department has not been subject to any such fines to date.
The EU Commission has initiated infringement proceedings in relation to a number of pieces of EU legislation that fall under my Department's responsibility and measures are being taken to address these.
553. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the status of the latest round of homecare tenders which were delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic; if there have been substantial changes to the tender since last initiated; the reason for adopting a volume-based approach; if there will be a minimum bid or costing of tender; if there will be no minimum; the manner in which workers rights will be safeguarded under offers which undercut rates required for the sustainability of existing community and voluntary providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22347/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
554. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health if there is an alternative that can be offered to a person who is being advised by the HSE that they must put their house up for the fair deal scheme to cover the cost of their partner going into a nursing home, given that the person who needs care did not contribute financially towards the home, such as in the case of a person (details supplied); and the other options that can be considered in this situation. [22353/22]
View answerIf a resident accepted to the Fair Deal Scheme does not own property their assessment in this regard will be Nil. Nonetheless, participants in the scheme who do own property/land-based assets in the State also have access to Ancillary State Support, or the Nursing Home Loan, which is an optional feature of the Fair Deal Scheme. It is a loan advanced by the HSE to help people meet the portion of their contribution to the cost of care that is based on property/land-based assets, most typically against the personal residence. If an individual secures Ancillary State Support, they will not need to contribute against the value of the relevant property during their time on the scheme, unless the property is sold during that time.
For the purposes of determining financial contributions, couples are assessed jointly. However, the value of their assets and income that is assessed is halved: participants contribute up to 80% of their income (40% if part of a couple) and 7.5% per annum of the value of their assets (3.25% if part of a couple). The first €36,000 (€72,000 if part of a couple) is excluded from assessment. The Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act (2009) defines a couple as two persons married to each other or cohabiting - inclusive of same-sex or opposite-sex couples - for a period of 3 years or more.
555. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health the reason that school age services were transferred from a service provider (details supplied) to the HSE; the number of children on waiting lists for therapies under the HSE in County Roscommon following this transition; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that since this transition, children who were getting some service under the initial service provider albeit minimal are now getting no services at all; the actions he will take to address this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22355/22]
View answer556. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health the reason that speech and language therapy services, occupational therapy services and physiotherapy services are not being provided to children with a condition (details supplied) in County Roscommon; when these services will resume; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22356/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 555 and 556 together.
As the Deputy's questions relate to service issues, they have been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
