Written Answers Nos. 726-748
726. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health when a child (details supplied) will receive an assessment of needs in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22763/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
727. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the dental services that are in place for persons with eating disorders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22766/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
728. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who are receiving treatment for eating disorders who were referred for dental treatment in the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22767/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
729. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1827 of 26 April 2022, the HSE plans to make paxlovid more widely available to those who require it given that the number of high-risk persons in Ireland is far greater than the 5,200 doses received in early April 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22772/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
730. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health the period of time that is given to general practitioners to remove the files and information contained therein of deceased patients from their practice database; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22776/22]
View answerGeneral practitioners are private practitioners and as such the responsibility for the management of practice medical records rests with the GP concerned. GPs are required to ensure all personal data is processed in line with the General Data Protection Regulation principles and best practices.
The Irish College of General Practitioners' Processing of Patient Personal Data: A Guideline for General Practitioners publication provides guidance to GPs to comply with their data protection obligations, according to which medical records for deceased patients should be held by GPs for 8 years after death.
731. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the reason that it is not currently possible to make an appointment with the Civil Registration Service to have a registry office civil marriage ceremony in County Wicklow at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22785/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
732. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health when it is anticipated that the Civil Registration Service online booking system will reopen to make an appointment for a registry office civil marriage ceremony at a location (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22786/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
733. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health when it is anticipated that the Civil Registration Service online booking system will reopen to make an appointment for a registry office civil marriage ceremony at a location (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22787/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
734. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the reason that a walk-in service is not currently available for the Civil Registration Office in Wicklow for births, deaths and marriages at present; when a walk-in service will resume; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22788/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
735. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health if his Department have plans to reopen the Civil Registration Office at a location (details supplied); and if so, the timeframe for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22789/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
736. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health if the increased allocation in the dental budget will apply to all treatments submitted to Primary Care Reimbursement Service after 1 May 2022; if all treatments will have the higher fee applied irrespective of their commencement date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22798/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
739. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Health the current waiting list for the children’s disability network teams in County Wexford broken down by waiting time in tabular form. [22838/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
740. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Health the number of whole-time equivalents that each children’s disability network team in County Wexford should have by each profession and by title; the number of these posts that are vacant; the length of time they have been vacant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22839/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
741. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health the up-to-date position regarding a project (details supplied) at a location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22841/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
742. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Health if a bank or credit card statement are also required as proof of payment for treatment under the Cross-Border Healthcare Directive in case in which proof of payment has already been comprehensively provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22842/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
743. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health the arrangements in place to progress payment to non HSE section 38 employees covered by the Government decision regarding Covid recognition payment; if information has been provided to employers to implement this measure for their eligible staff; if information has been provided to employer representative groups in relation to these arrangements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22844/22]
View answerFirstly I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all healthcare workers for their efforts during this most challenging period.
To recognise their unique role during the pandemic, the Government announced a COVID-19 recognition payment for frontline public sector healthcare workers. Eligibility guidelines for this payment, as applies in HSE and Section 38 organisations, were published by the HSE on 19th April and are 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
Arrangements for this sector encompassed by this measure are currently being progressed by the Department of Health.
744. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health the eligibility status for Covid recognition payment in respect of Irish Prison nurses who were working for the Department of Justice throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. [22845/22]
View answerFirstly I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all healthcare workers for their efforts during this most challenging period.
To recognise their unique role during the pandemic, the Government announced a COVID-19 recognition payment for frontline public sector healthcare workers. Eligibility guidelines for this payment, as applies in HSE and Section 38 organisations, were published by the HSE on 19th April and are 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
I am also mindful of other workers who played their own part during this difficult period in sustaining other services. It is tough to draw a line on this matter, but the Government based its decision on the risks which the above frontline workers faced. In recognition of the efforts of all workers, volunteers, and the general public during the COVID-19 pandemic, and in remembrance of people who lost their lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government announced a public holiday which took place on 18 March 2022. From February next year there will also be a new permanent public holiday established to mark Imbolc/St Brigid’s Day.
745. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a copy of briefings, advice given and received at the meeting held with the Joint Health Committee in March 2022 to discuss the challenges identified by his Department in relation to proposals to introduce criminal buffer zones surrounding abortion-providing facilities. [22846/22]
View answerI am committed to ensuring safe access to termination of pregnancy services, and the area remains an ongoing priority for me and the Department of Health. At my request, officials met with the Health Committee in private session in March to collaboratively discuss options for overcoming the challenges that have been identified by the Department. I understand that it was a positive session and that the Committee are very supportive of the work and are also keen to progress the legislation. Officials have listened carefully to the views and inputs of the Committee and will consider these views with regard to their ongoing work on this matter.
With regard to the request for advice, legal advice is confidential and privileged, and therefore cannot be shared. However, at the Health Committee meeting, officials outlined the complexities involved in progressing robust legislation on this matter. I outlined these complexities in the Seanad on 10th November 2021 as outlined in the transcript of that debate (available here www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/seanad/2021-11-10/15/).
This issue is a priority me. My Department is working to address the challenges associated with legislating for safe access to termination of pregnancy services and, subject to Government approval, I plan to have proposals for safe access on the legislative programme this year.
746. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the total amount to be paid to the chair of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 review as remuneration. [22847/22]
View answerUnder section 7 of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018, a review of the operation of the Act must be initiated within three years of its commencement. I commenced the Review in line with statutory and Government commitments in December 2021. The Review will assess the effectiveness of the operation of the legislation and is being led by an independent Chair. The Review comprises of 2 main phases.
During the first phase of the review, information and evidence on the effectiveness and operation of the Act will be collected from women who use the service, health professionals that provide the service and the public. The second phase of the review will be led by the independent Chair who will assess the extent to which the objectives of the Act have been achieved, analysing in that regard the findings of the three strands of information, on the effectiveness and operation of the Act.
The independent Chair of the Review of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 was appointed in January 2022 following a tendering process. A budget of up to approximately €43,000 is available for the Chair's fees to conduct the review. Other administrative costs associated with the review including costs related to research, conducting meetings and other inputs may also be incurred.
747. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Health the status of the case of a person (details supplied) who is waiting for an appointment at Croom Orthopaedic Hospital, Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22852/22]
View answerUnder 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.
748. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health if elispot testing for the diagnosis of Lyme disease is in use here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22856/22]
View answer749. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the treatment options that are available here for post-Lyme disease syndrome; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22857/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 748 and 749 together.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
