Wednesday, 6 Jul 2022

Health Services

Questions (330)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

330. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if he will address a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36644/22]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

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 (331)

Robert Troy

Question:

331. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if a person (details supplied) will be admitted to the National Rehabilitation Centre as soon as possible. [36651/22]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Disability Services

Questions (332)

Carol Nolan

Question:

332. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if he will immediately publish the Action Plan for the Disability Capacity Review, in order that its inclusion in the budgetary plan for 2023 will ensure that another year does not pass with families and persons left without any indication of when or the way that the urgent needs they are experiencing will be met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36653/22]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

The Department of Health published the Disability Capacity Review in July 2021. This report set out the capacity requirements for health-funded disability services for the period up to 2032. In order to drive the process of implementing the recommendations of the Capacity Review, a Working Group was set up to develop an Action Plan for Disability Services for the period 2022-2025. This Group, whose membership consisted of senior officials from the Departments of DCEDIY, Social Protection, Housing, Further and Higher Education, Health, and the Health Service Executive, has now completed its work and the draft Action Plan is currently being finalised.

Disability Services

Questions (333)

Carol Nolan

Question:

333. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if an accessibility budget for disability supporting existing and new residential supports, day places and respite supports will be provided for in Budget 2023. [36654/22]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

The arrangements for announcements and communications pertaining to Budget 2023 are the responsibility of my colleague the Minister for Finance. It is of course hugely important to ensure that Government communications are made as accessible as possible for people with disabilities. I can confirm the Disability Action Plan 2022-2025 when published, will be available in a range of accessible formats, in the same way as the Disability Capacity Review to 2032.

Disability Services

Questions (334)

John Brady

Question:

334. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the status of the implementation of the Disability Capacity Review 2032; the stage that plans are at; when it will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36656/22]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

The Department of Health published the Disability Capacity Review in July 2021. This report set out the capacity requirements for health-funded disability services for the period up to 2032. In order to drive the process of implementing the recommendations of the Capacity Review, a Working Group was set up to develop an Action Plan for Disability Services for the period 2022-2025. This Group, whose membership consisted of senior officials from the Departments of DCEDIY, Social Protection, Housing, Further and Higher Education, Health, and the Health Service Executive, has now completed its work and the draft Action Plan is currently being finalised.

Dental Services

Questions (335)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

335. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if the issues of concern in relation to the provision of dentistry services (details supplied) in County Kerry will be addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36670/22]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

The Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) provides dental care free of charge to medical card holders aged 16 and over. Both I and the Government have been concerned for some time that medical card patients in some parts of the country have been experiencing problems in accessing dental services. The problem became particularly acute over the last couple of years as a significant number of contracted dentists chose to opt out of the DTSS.

I secured an additional €10 million in Budget 2022 to provide for expanded dental health care for medical card holders including the reintroduction of Scale and Polish. I am also using an estimated €16 million of an underspend in this year’s estimate allocation (€56 million) to award fee increases across a number of items including fillings and restorations. The combination of these two measures, which came into effect on 1st May, represents an estimated total additional investment of €26 million in the DTSS this year over and above what was spent on the Scheme in 2021, €40 million.

While it is a matter for each individual dentist to decide whether to accept new patients, I hope that this significant additional investment in the scheme will attract more dentists to treat medical card patients, including in Kerry. These measures are designed to address immediate concerns with the Scheme, pending a more substantive reform of dental services to align with the National Oral Health Policy.

I have been assured by the HSE that their local services on the ground will assist any persons who are still experiencing problems in accessing a service.

Health Services

Questions (336)

Seán Sherlock

Question:

336. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health if advice will be provided in relation to the case of a child (details supplied). [36676/22]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

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 Supports

Questions (337)

Duncan Smith

Question:

337. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will extend the Covid special leave with pay scheme for healthcare workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36682/22]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

The change to Special Leave with Pay (SLWP) re Covid-19 that came into effect on 1 July 2022 is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform who had originally introduced SLWP re Covid as a temporary scheme.

Officials from my Department have engaged with the Health Service Executive and Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to develop a proposal for a scheme for public health service employees in respect of Paid Leave for Public Health Service Employees unfit for work post COVID-19 infection.

An offer of direct engagement between the management side and the health sector staff representative bodies in respect of the Scheme has been made, which I hope can be concluded quickly.

It would be inappropriate to make any further statement on the matter until that engagement is concluded.

Questions (343)

Michael Ring

Question:

343. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of former county managers and CEOs of local authorities who are currently working within his Department and any agency or body under the remit of his Department, including details for persons employed in any format such as on a contract or advisory basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36292/22]

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Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

I am not aware of any ex County Managers or Local Authority CEOs working in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Regarding the 12 State Bodies under the aegis of my Department, the information requested is an operational matter for the State Bodies themselves. I have referred this query to the State Bodies under the aegis of my Department and have asked that they respond directly on the matter.

Forestry Sector

Questions (344)

Michael Creed

Question:

344. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the assistance available to forestry owners who have been impacted by ash dieback; the number of applicants who are availing of this initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36366/22]

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Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Since the first finding of ash dieback disease in Ireland, the Department has provided support totalling over €7 million to owners of ash plantations impacted by disease through the Reconstitution Scheme (Ash Dieback) (introduced in 2013) and more recently the Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme (RUS – Ash dieback) introduced in July 2020.

My Department has received 723 RUS applications in total and 238 have been approved to date.

As the Deputy may be aware, the Forestry Licensing Plan 2022 was published earlier this year and deals with projected licensing output and approvals for support schemes and may be found here gov.ie - Forestry policy and strategy (www.gov.ie).

A key target of the plan is to refocus on the delivery on approvals from the Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme (RUS) (Ash Dieback). However, the 2022 Plan does not include an annual target as many RUS applications are screened in for Appropriate Assessment and are referred to ecology. Of these, any that propose replacing the ash crop with conifer species currently require planning permission.

We have had successful engagement with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in relation to this requirement for planning permission. From those discussions we expect that legislation to remove the requirement for planning permission in all cases under 10 hectares will be introduced after the Summer recess.