Written Answers Nos. 1938-1953
1938. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure that an existing healthcare service is not reduced (details supplied) in view of its importance to a large area and population; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41318/22]
View answerGPs contracted under the General Medical Services Scheme are required by their contract to make suitable arrangements to enable contact to be made with them, or a locum or deputy, for emergencies outside of normal practice hours. While there is no obligation on GPs to participate in GP out of hours co-operatives as a means of meeting the contractual requirement, most GPs do so as such services facilitate the provision of GP services outside of normal surgery hours and help to spread the burden of this provision.
GP out of hours cooperatives are private organisations. The HSE provides significant funding to co-operatives, including NEDOC Ltd, through service level agreements to support the provision of out of hour GP services. The HSE has confirmed that there has been no change to the funding arrangement for NEDOC Ltd for 2022.
NEDOC GP out of hours cooperative recently informed the HSE of its intention to reconfigure its GP out-of-hours service with effect from August 2022, with no availability of late night in-person GP consultations. Following recent discussions and correspondence between the HSE and the board of NEDOC in relation to its proposal, it has been agreed that any proposed changes that NEDOC Ltd were suggesting have now been put back to January 2023 to facilitate an examination of the NEDOC Ltd operation.
1939. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 111 of 26 May 2022, his plans to introduce a vaccine compensation scheme as per the recommendations of a report (details supplied); the status of the development of proposals regarding the establishment of a compensation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41320/22]
View answer1940. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 354 of 14 July 2021, the status of the establishment of a Covid-19 vaccination compensation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41321/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1939 and 1940 together.
As outlined in the response to Parliamentary Question 111 issued on 26th May 2022, the Deputy is advised that although some preliminary scoping work has been undertaken by the Department of Health, the development of policy regarding a vaccine compensation scheme could not be progressed as intended since the final report of the Expert Group on Tort Reform and the Management of Clinical Negligence Claims was published by Government in December 2020. During this time, all available Department of Health resources were devoted to the public health response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
There is still significant work required to develop proposals for consideration by Government regarding vaccine damage compensation. As part of that work, it is anticipated that consideration will also be given to the inclusion of claims relating to alleged adverse reactions from COVID Vaccines.
1941. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health the details of the financial cost of the Covid-19 vaccination roll-out in Ireland; the details of the indemnity given to pharmaceutical companies in respect of Covid-19 vaccines, including the estimated cost of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41322/22]
View answerIn order to secure an adequate supply of safe and effective vaccines Ireland participated in an EU led procurement process, where the Commission negotiated a range of contractual agreements with various vaccine suppliers across a range of technologies on behalf of Member States. Ireland has, through its participation in this process, gained access to a broad range of vaccines that it might not otherwise have access to, and at the cost agreed collectively by the EU.As part of the exercise, Ireland has opted into Purchase Agreements with several pharmaceutical companies. The content of the Purchase Agreements, including with regard to liability / indemnity, are negotiated with vaccine suppliers by the European Commission and its negotiation team acting on behalf of Member States. Member States may decide to opt in / opt out, but do not have scope to recast the provisions of any such Purchase Agreements.The State Claims Agency has agreed to take responsibility for any claims arising from these agreements. To date there has been no costs associated with any such claims.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1942. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health the status of the two new replacement orthopaedic operating theatres in Merlin Park Hospital; if they are fully operational to date; the number of theatre sessions currently provided per week through the two new theatres; the number of theatre sessions currently provided per week in the hospital as a whole; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41323/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
1943. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health the status of the development of the new outpatient block in Merlin Park Hospital, Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41324/22]
View answerAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
1944. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health the status of day centres in Galway city and county; the locations of all day centres in Galway city and county; the breakdown of the centres that are currently open to full capacity, partial capacity and those that are not open; the hours of operation of each day centre; the number of persons attending each day centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41325/22]
View answerAs the Deputy's question relates to a service issue, it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
1945. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health if the day centre in St Brendan’s Hospital, Loughrea, will be reopened to full capacity in Q3 2022, if the hospital is on track to meet this deadline given the public commitment (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41326/22]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1946. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Health the interactions that he has had with the HSE regarding the creation of a 150-bed unit at St. John’s Hospital Limerick as proposed in the St. John’s Hospital Strategic Report 2022-2027; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41339/22]
View answer1947. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Health the interactions that he has had with St. John’s Hospital Chief Executive regarding the implementation of the St. John’s Hospital Strategic report 2022-2027; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41340/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1946 and 1947 together.
The information requested by the Deputy is not immediately available. I will arrange for a full response to be prepared for issue to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1948. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Health if he will commit to investing the necessary capital in support of the infrastructure development plan for St. John’s Hospital, as detailed in the St. John’s Hospital Strategic Report 2022-2027; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41341/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1949. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the way that his Department and public bodies and agencies under his remit met their obligations under section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014 in 2021, including the way that relevant policies and actions are monitored and the way that the obligation is reflected in their annual reports. [41372/22]
View answerMy Department is committed to the fulfilment of its Public Sector Duty. Section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014 which imposes a statutory obligation on public bodies in performing their functions to have regard to the need to:
- Eliminate discrimination;
- Promote equality of opportunity and treatment for staff and persons to whom it provides services; and
- Protect the human rights of staff and services users.
The Department of Health Statement of Strategy 2021-2023 commits to “a culture of respect, collaboration and innovation, where staff feel empowered in their roles and supported in the pursuit of a healthy work/life balance.” During this strategic cycle, it explicitly commits to the following actions:
1. To undertake a Public Sector Duty Self-Assessment
2. Engage with bodies under our aegis to ensure that they comply with the Public Sector Duty
3. To implement Department of Health actions within relevant National Strategies
4. To report on achievements in our annual report
We are currently undertaking a detailed self-assessment with the following objectives:
1. To better understand how the Duty is currently understood and implemented within the Department.
2. To identify the key equality and human rights issues for the Department of Health to prioritise during the strategic period 2021-2023.
3. To prioritise these issues and develop an action plan.
4. To increase awareness of the Duty amongst Department of Health staff.
The Women's Health Action Plan 2022-23 was published in March 2022 and makes explicit reference to the Public Sector Duty as part of Action 10. This action outlines our commitment to working within our organisations to model and lead the changes we want to see in our sector, our society and our economy, with regard to women's health. Women's health is a key priority for my Department and this Government, and an example of our commitment to the principles of the Public Sector Duty.
My Department is proactive in promoting human rights and equality in the day-to-day culture and work of the organisation. Examples include:
- Gender Mainstreaming : Undertaken as part of the work of the Women's Health Taskforce, the Women's Health Policy Platform is a policy development tool designed to ensure that women's health is given due consideration in policy development.
- Equality Budgeting: My Department is actively engaged on the Interdepartmental Group on Equality Budgeting, working to ensure that equality metrics are embedded into our policy and budgeting processes.
- Public Sector Duty Lead: A Department Lead for the Public Sector Duty has been appointed at Principal Officer level.
- Staff Networks: Networks are supported and encouraged across grades and cross-departmentally e.g. Civil Service Women's Network. An Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) network has been established.
- Resources: Resources in relation to human rights and equality issues are provided on the Departmental intranet service e.g. guidelines around accessibility available via the Disability Liaison Officer.
- Governance: The Department of Health is committed to complying with legislation such as the Employment Equality Act 1998 and codes of practice such as the Annex on Gender Balance, Diversity and Inclusion (annex of the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies).
- Values and Behaviours: In 2019, under the Organisational Development Action Plan 2018-2019, staff worked collaboratively to develop a statement promoting communication, support, inclusivity and collaboration, with respect at the heart of all we do. This statement is included in HR packs for new joiners, and staff are encouraged to include it in meeting agendas and relevant documents in the regular course of their work.
- Health and Well-being: A number of initiatives are run by HR to promote health and well-being in the Department. Dignity at Work provides a procedure for staff to resolve issues related to bullying, harassment and sexual harassment. The Activity and Well-being Programme promotes general wellness initiatives in the organisation.
1950. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the number of State boards under the remit of his Department or its agencies; the total number of members of each board; the numbers on each board broken down according to gender; and the number of persons with a declared disability on each board in tabular form.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41390/22]
View answerBoard members are not employees of the Department of Health or its aegis bodies therefore the information requested by the Deputy regarding persons with a declared disability is not collected.
In line with the Code of Practice for Governance of State Bodies annex on Gender Balance, Diversity and Inclusion the board is required to carry out a self-assessment evaluation questionnaire. Included in the self-assessment the board must be satisfied that it adequately recognises the value of differences in its members and group social differences (including disability) to improve the quality of work and decision making on the board.
In relation to the information requested by the Deputy regarding numbers and gender on each board under the aegis of my Department, this information is published on www.stateboards.ie.
1951. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the number of persons that are awaiting home care support in County Wicklow; the total number of hours allocated for each of the years 2019 to 2021 and to date in 2022 in County Wicklow; the average number of hours granted to each successful applicant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41405/22]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1952. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who have been granted home care support in 2021 that are still awaiting their care packages to be fulfilled by a carer or home support agency broken down by county and waiting timeframe in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41406/22]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1953. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the number of applications received for respite care in 2021 and to date in 2022; the number currently on the waiting list for respite care services broken down by county and waiting list timeframe in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41407/22]
View answerAs the Deputy's question relates to service issues, it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
