Written Answers Nos. 540-560
540. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 203 of 25 May 2022, the estimated cost of the training and education plan that has been agreed for the National Clinical Programmes for Mental Health model of care; if he will provide a breakdown of the type of training to be delivered in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38434/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
541. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 204 of 25 May 2022, if he will provide a breakdown of the make-up of a community mental health team by staff and funding; the location of the pilot demonstration sites in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38435/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
542. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 519 of 8 March 2022, the number of eating disorder mini hub teams that currently exist; if he will provide a breakdown of each eating disorder mini hub team by staff and funding; the capital cost per hub by CHO area in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38436/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
543. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health if a bus escort trained in the administration of buccal midazolam will be provided to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38438/22]
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 Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the timeline for establishing a new payment scheme for healthcare workers with long-Covid; the advice for healthcare workers with long-Covid in the interim period; if they are expected to claim illness benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38464/22]
View answerThe temporary Special Leave with Pay scheme re Covid for all Public Servants ceased for all remaining absent with long Covid on 1 July 2022.
From 1 July 2022 Special Leave with Pay applies only to new cases for the period of COVID-19 self-isolation, and those remaining unwell and still absent from the workplace will move to the Public Service Sick Leave Scheme.
The Government and I recognise the role of our public healthcare workers throughout the pandemic. They have gone beyond the call of duty, working in frontline COVID-19 clinically exposed environments, treating COVID-19 positive patients. Many of those frontline public health sector workers contracted COVID-19 and still remain suffering from long-COVID.
High level engagements with relevant stakeholders concerning this issue took place in respect of a special pay arrangement for public healthcare workers remaining unfit for work for long periods post COVID-19 infection.
A Scheme of Paid Leave for Public Health Service Employees with Long COVID has been prepared in this regard. Engagement commenced on Tuesday 5th July between officials from the Department of Health, the HSE and the health sector representative bodies regarding the Scheme, and are ongoing with further discussion scheduled for this week.
It would be inappropriate to make any further statement while these engagements are ongoing, however it is my hope that the matter can be concluded quickly in order that those employees that meet the criteria of the proposed Scheme, can move to the Scheme promptly.
In line with standard sick leave arrangements, any employee remaining absent for 3 days or longer is required to apply for Illness Benefit from the Department of Social Protection, and to notify their employer of the rate of Illness Benefit they receive, in order for the employer to deduct that amount from the pay of the employee.
548. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will accept the recommendations of the recently presented Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022 surrogacy Oireachtas Committee report and include them in the Bill to ensure that it is an inclusive, non-discriminatory piece of legislation; if he will take steps to ensure that LGBTQ+ families, especially parental rights for the second father not genetically linked to the child who they are raising as their own are not excluded in any way; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38485/22]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, international surrogacy raises complex ethical questions concerning areas of law that intersect across the remits of several Government Departments and require detailed examination. The issues which arise from Irish people engaging in cross-border surrogacy primarily relate to parentage, guardianship, citizenship and, potentially, adoption.
I welcome the publication of the Special Joint Oireachtas Committee’s on International Surrogacy report and wish to commend Committee’s member for the diligent work. The Committee’s recommendations raise a range of complex, policy matter issues which require detailed consideration by Department of Health, Department of Justice and Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
Department officials and I are currently reviewing the Committee’s report and will continue to engage collaboratively with relevant Departments in detailed consideration of the Committee’s recommendations.
The Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022 (AHR Bill) passed Second Stage in the Dáil on March 23rd 2022 and has been referred to the Select Committee on Health for Third Stage. I am particularly determined to progress this much-needed and long-awaited piece of historic legislation as quickly as possible and avoid any further delays to a robust regulatory framework for AHR being put in place.
As published, the AHR Bill provides that, subject to certain criteria being met, AHR treatment will be available to people irrespective of gender, marital status or sexual orientation. The aim of the AHR legislation is to promote and ensure the health and safety of children born as a result of AHR, people undergoing AHR and intending parents.
550. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Health if he will report on the addiction services that are provided by the HSE in Irish prisons; the steps that have been taken to ensure continuity of addiction treatment on the release of a person back into the community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38508/22]
View answerResponsibility for the health needs of prisoners rests with the Irish Prison Service, and therefore with my colleague, the Minister for Justice.
551. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Health the number of dentists that have left the dental treatment service scheme in counties Louth and Meath, respectively in 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38553/22]
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 Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Health if he will request a review of the ban on the HSE providing treatment for pectus carinatum on the grounds that the vast majority of cases are cosmetic, to ensure that patients who are suffering from non-cosmetic effects including physical symptoms such as the case of a patient (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38555/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
553. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Health the measures that are in place to decrease the waiting times, improve communications and increase staff for children needing the vital supports of the children's disability network team in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38592/22]
View answerAs the Deputy's question relates to a service issue, it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
554. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of public health nurses that have received the pandemic bonus payment broken down by CHO; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38594/22]
View answer555. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of public health nurses that are yet to receive the pandemic bonus payment broken down by CHO; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38595/22]
View answer556. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of public health nurses who worked on the Covid-19 pandemic response but have since retired that have received the pandemic bonus payment broken down by CHO; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38596/22]
View answer557. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of public health nurses who worked on the Covid-19 pandemic response but have since retired that have yet to receive the pandemic bonus payment broken down by CHO; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38597/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 554 to 557, inclusive, together.
Firstly I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all healthcare workers for their efforts during this most challenging period.
As the deputy is aware, on January 19th, the Government announced a COVID-19 pandemic recognition payment for frontline public sector healthcare workers, to recognise their unique role during the pandemic. Following extensive engagement with healthcare unions on the matter, on 19th April the HSE published eligibility guidelines and FAQs, as apply to the HSE and Section 38 agencies, which are available on its website: https://www.hse.ie/eng/staff/resources/hr-circulars/hr-circular-012-2022-pandemic-special-recognition-payment.html.
Payment is currently receiving priority across all Hospital Groups and Community Services in the HSE. As of Friday, 8 July, 68,943 eligible HSE staff have received payment around the country. This number excludes Section 38 agencies which are estimated to have paid 20,000 staff to date thereby bringing the total number of employees paid to 88,943.
All payments across the HSE and Section 38 organisations are being progressed by local management and each site will assess the eligibility of their staff before processing payment. As eligibility is still being assessed across sites locally, I cannot provide you with an estimated number of public service workers who are eligible to receive the payment but have yet to be paid.
I assure you that it is the intention of the Department to have all eligible healthcare workers paid without delay, and all possible efforts are being made to achieve this.
560. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health his views on providing fully accessible changing places and toilet facilities open to the public in all buildings which his Department owns and public bodies and agencies under his remit to offer people with disabilities and carers a network of equipped spaces to take care of personal hygiene, in safety and comfort. [38721/22]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.
Details for other bodies under the aegis of my Department are operational matters for the bodies concerned and the Deputy should contact the relevant Director/CEO/Registrar directly.
