Written Answers Nos. 304-323
304. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health the optical support schemes that are available for schoolchildren aged between 12 and 18-years-old to provide financial support towards the cost of optical services, glasses, lenses et cetera; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46437/22]
View answer305. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if he will take steps to ensure that an autism diagnostic assessment is carried out for a child (details supplied) without further delay. [46391/22]
View answer306. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if he will take steps to ensure that disability network team services are continued for a family (details supplied) through the Clonbrusk primary care centre, Athlone, County Westmeath. [46392/22]
View answer307. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if he will consider including clinical measurement physiologists for statutory registration with CORU; the engagements that he has had with an organisation (details supplied) and CORU in relation to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46394/22]
View answer308. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health when he plans to publish the Disability Capacity Review Action Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46397/22]
View answer309. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to a pre-Budget 2023 submission from an organisation (details supplied); if consideration has been given to the recommendations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46407/22]
View answerI can confirm that the contents of the 2023 pre-budget submission referred to are being considered in the context of the Estimates and Budgetary process.
310. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to a pre-Budget 2023 submission from an organisation (details supplied); if consideration has been given to the recommendations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46410/22]
View answerI wish to thank the TD for his question.
The delivery of services for people with disabilities is a matter for the HSE, funding is provided by way of the agreed annual National Service plan.
At this time, engagement continues between The Department of Health and key stakeholders, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the HSE, in relation to the 2023 Estimates.These discussions will inform the finalisation of the Estimate for the Health Vote for 2023 over the coming weeks and the final position will be announced in the Budget Communications/speeches on Budget Day (27th Sept 2022).
Pending this, it would be inappropriate for me to comment on specific funding proposals.
311. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health the reason that those with family members in a centre (details supplied) have seen their day services in some cases reduced to two days per week; if immediate assistance will be provided to the centre to ensure that clients have much needed access to day services throughout the week; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46418/22]
View answer312. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health if Dublin Fire Brigade paramedics who worked on the front line during the worst phases of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic will receive the pandemic bonus payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46421/22]
View answer313. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 1841, 1842 and 1843 of 8 September 2022, when paramedics employed by Dublin Fire Brigade to deliver services on behalf of the HSE will receive the pandemic bonus payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46425/22]
View answer314. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the policy of Letterkenny University Hospital on establishing a patient's next-of-kin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46426/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
315. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if convalescent care will be facilitated in the case of a person (details supplied) who is due to leave a centre but who requires stepdown care before returning home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46427/22]
View answer316. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health when a centre (details supplied) which has been recently renovated will be reopened; and when the residents will be transferred back to the centre. [46429/22]
View answer317. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health the way that his Department defines a disabled persons' organisation; if this definition conforms with that of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46432/22]
View answer318. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health the way that his Department defines a disabled representative organisation; if this definition conforms with that of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46433/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 317 and 318 together.
Ireland ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) on the 20 March 2018. This marked an important milestone in a process to strengthen the rights of people with disabilities in Ireland that has gathered momentum since Ireland became a signatory to the Convention in 2007. Every Government department and every agency is responsible for ensuring implementation of the UNCRPD.
Disabled Persons Organisations are ‘representative organisations’ within the obligations contained in the UNCRPD. Under UNCRPD Article 4(3), states parties are obliged to consult closely with and actively involve representative organisations in the development of law and policy. States parties are also obliged to give representative organisations a role in monitoring processes.
The Department of Health engages with a range of disability representative organisations in ongoing discussion of policy and resource matters through channels such as the Department’s Disability Consultative Committee, and through direct consultation, in order to ensure the voice of people with disabilities is heard in matters affecting them.
In its work to prepare a Disability Action Plan to advance provision of additional capacity in specialist community-based disability services, in September/October 2021 this Department also undertook wide-ranging a four-strand consultation with representative disability organisations and with individuals with lived experience of disability to inform that work. This included an online consultation event, two in-person consultation events for disability service users, written submissions from the national disability umbrella groups, and an online consultation survey. Overall around 800 individuals took part in this consultation process.
The Health Service Executive also has standing consultations with disability organisations through its Disability Consultative Forum.
319. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the full-time patient-facing officers of Dublin Fire Brigade and its staff of ambulance personnel have not received the pandemic bonus payment from Dublin City Council; and if he and or his officials have engaged with officials at Dublin City Council and or the HSE in respect of issuing the payment. [46441/22]
View answer320. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who availed of the Cross-Border Directive in tabular form; and the procedures which they required. [46442/22]
View answer321. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the number of children under the age of 16 years who have been referred by the HSE to a clinic (details supplied) in each of the years 2010 to 2021 and to date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46458/22]
View answerAs this question refers to a service matter, it has been referred to the HSE for direct response.
322. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health when all front-line staff in private nursing homes will be paid the €1,000 pandemic bonus payment; the reason for the delay with the payment in view of the heroic work that they carried out during the Covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46465/22]
View answer323. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health if employees in an organisation (details supplied) are eligible to receive the pandemic special recognition payment; and if so, when they will receive the payment. [46468/22]
View answer
