Written Answers Nos. 350-365
350. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice if the case for naturalisation and decision to deport may be reviewed in the case of a person (details supplied); if the entire case could now be reviewed given that so much time has elapsed and they have made this country their home; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51056/22]
View answerThe person referred to by the Deputy is the subject of a Deportation Orders signed on 11 March 2005. This Order requires the person concerned to remove themselves from the State and remain outside the State. The enforcement of Deportation Orders is a matter for the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB).
Representations were received on behalf of the persons concerned requesting that the deportation orders be revoked, pursuant to the provisions of section 3(11) of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended). Following the detailed consideration of the information submitted in support of the request, the Deportation Orders were affirmed. The circumstances presented in this case were fully considered both in the original decision to make Deportation Orders and in the decision to affirm the Orders on foot of the 3(11) request to revoke the Deportation Orders. The reasoning behind these decisions has been set out in the correspondence that issued to the person concerned in this case.
I can further advise the Deputy that my Department has not received an application for citizenship from the person referred to. They should be advised that an applicant must be legally resident, in the State, in order for citizenship to be granted
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility (inisoireachtasmail@justice.ie) which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
351. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of judicial reviews taken against his Department in the past ten years to date in 2022, in tabular form; if he will indicate in the reply the body and or person that initiated judicial review proceedings; the number of judicial reviews that remain open and or active; and the totality of costs incurred by his Department as a result of judicial reviews over that time period. [50759/22]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is not immediately available. I will survey the Department and the collated replies will be prepared into a full response to the Deputy as soon as possible.
352. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the number of eligible frontline workers that have received payment and are outstanding payment of the Covid-19 bonus payment in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50770/22]
View answerThe roll-out of the Pandemic Recognition Payment for eligible HSE and Section 38 employees is currently receiving priority. As of Friday 30th of September, 85,463 eligible HSE staff have received payment around the country. This number excludes Section 38 agencies which are estimated to have paid 38,287 staff to date thereby bringing the total number of employees paid to 123,750 .
The HSE and the Department have been examining progressing the roll-out of the Pandemic Recognition Payment to the list of 6 non-HSE/non-Section 38 organisation types covered by the Government Decision. This measure will be ring fenced to staff working ordinarily on-site in COVID-19 exposed healthcare environments. This shall cover eligible staff in:
1. Private Sector Nursing Homes and Hospices (e.g. Private, Voluntary, Section 39 etc.);
2. Eligible staff working on-site in Section 39 long-term residential care facilities for people with disabilities;
3. Agency roles working in the HSE;
4. Health Care Support Assistants (also known as home help / home care / home support) contracted to the HSE;
5. Members of the Defence Forces redeployed to work in front-line Covid-19 exposed environments in the HSE;
6. Paramedics employed by Dublin Fire Brigade to deliver services on behalf of the HSE.
The above 6 areas only are covered by this Government Decision and all eligible workers will be paid in accordance with the overarching eligibility criteria in place.
As the roll-out of payments to the eligible workers in non-HSE/non-Section 38 organisations has not yet begun, and eligibility has not yet been assessed across the private sector, I cannot provide an estimated number of workers who will receive the payment. We expect the roll-out to begin shortly and for eligible workers to be paid as soon as possible.
353. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if measures are in place with his Department to allow employers to advance pay the frontline workers Covid-19 bonus to those staff still awaiting payment and reclaim it from the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50771/22]
View answerThe HSE and the Department are currently examining progressing the roll-out to the list of 6 non-HSE/non-Section 38 organisation types covered by the Government Decision. This measure will be ring fenced to staff working ordinarily on-site in COVID-19 exposed healthcare environments.
It is hoped that information will be published shortly for those certain non-HSE/Section 38 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:
1. Private Sector Nursing Homes and Hospices (e.g. Private, Voluntary, Section 39 etc.);
2 Eligible staff working on-site in Section 39 long-term residential care facilities for people with disabilities;
3. Agency roles working in the HSE;
4. Health Care Support Assistants (also known as home help / home care / home support) contracted to the HSE;
5. Members of the Defence Forces redeployed to work in front-line Covid-19 exposed environments in the HSE;
6. Paramedics employed by Dublin Fire Brigade to deliver services on behalf of the HSE.
The above 6 areas only are covered by this Government Decision and all eligible workers will be paid in accordance with the overarching eligibility criteria in place.
Rolling out the payment to eligible employees of those specific non-HSE/Section 38 organisations covered by the government decision is a complex task, particularly as these employees are not normally paid by the public health service, duplicate payments need to be avoided, and there are many organisations to be covered, but this work is being given priority attention.
354. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health the number of Tipperary patients receiving dialysis in Fresenius Medical Care, Kilkenny; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50774/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
355. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health the number of Tipperary patients receiving dialysis in University Hospital Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50775/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
356. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health the number of Tipperary patients receiving dialysis in Limerick University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50776/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
357. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health the number of Tipperary patients receiving dialysis in Cork University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50777/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
358. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the online application issue with the European Health Card due to new medical cards and drugs payment cards now not having PPSNs which in turn has resulted in people making applications for the European health card online not having their PPSN recognised; the engagement that he has had with the Department in charge of European health card applications to have this online application issue resolved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50779/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
359. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the status of the children's mental health pathfinder project; the timeframe for implementation of this initiative; the details of the steering groups; the number of meetings to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50793/22]
View answerThe proposal to establish a cross-governmental youth mental health Pathfinder unit, with participation from the Department of Health, the Department of Education and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, received Ministerial approval during the previous Government. Its establishment is a priority in the current Programme for Government.
The proposal is to formalise a new model for collaborative working within Government and place a Pathfinder unit on a statutory footing, through section 12 of the Public Service Management Act 1997. As this section has not been used before, various administrative, budgetary, governance and legal arrangements need to be developed and agreed with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to ensure a robust and workable model for the Pathfinder unit.
The demands on both Departments during the pandemic have presented challenges to progressing the proposals. Nonetheless, the Department of Health has continued to engage with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to develop an implementation option that fully addresses these issues. The realignment of Departmental functions in the education sector, specifically the establishment of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, has necessitated some further consideration of the initial proposal and makeup of the Pathfinder unit.
Officials from the Department of Health and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform discussed improved proposals for governance and legal arrangements at their last meeting on this issue. Subsequently, the Department of Health has worked with the Office of Parliamentary Counsel on the proposals for governance and legal arrangements to advance the establishment of the unit. These draft proposals are currently being considered with participating Departments
I will continue to keep this matter under close review in the context of progressing Sharing the Vision.
360. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the services and beds that are available in the State for children and adults suffering from anorexia nervosa. [50794/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
361. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Health the amount of the €50 million funding allocated to the approval of new medicines in Budget 2021 and the €30 million Budget 2022 that was spent on the approval of new medicines; the amount that was not spent from the allocation in each respective fiscal years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50795/22]
View answer€50 million in funding was allocated for the approval of new medicines in Budget 2021, €30m in 2022, and a further €18 million in Budget 2023 which will provide access to new innovative medicines for patients.
Under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for pricing and reimbursement negotiations and decisions on all new drug applications.
Through HSE commercial negotiations, in 2021 the State managed to secure approval for 52 new drugs, under budget, at a cost of €34.39 million. This included 19 drugs, that were for the treatment of rare diseases. The full year cost of approvals in 2021 will far exceed the €34.39 million expended in 2021, and the funding for these medicines in subsequent years has to be built into the annual HSE medicines budget.
The exact number of new drugs approved for 2022 is not yet available, as pricing and reimbursement negotiations are ongoing between the HSE and a range of applicant companies.
362. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Health the amount of the 2021 and 2022 funding for approval of new medicines that was spent on non-oncology orphan medicinal products; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50796/22]
View answerUnder the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for the administration of the community drug schemes; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
363. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health if the HSE intends to establish a primary care centre at an address (details supplied); and if so, the services that will be available to the community once established. [50802/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
364. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health his views on GPs using a different pricing scale when treating menopausal patients for HRT treatment; the reason for same; if this is standard practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50806/22]
View answer437. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to an issue presenting at a medical centre (details supplied) where initial consultations for patients experiencing menopause are over twice as expensive as general consultations, and repeat prescriptions for treatment for menopause are charged at three-times more than other repeat prescriptions; his views on whether this practice is discriminatory; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50920/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 364 and 437 together.
Under the terms of the current GMS contract, GPs are required to provide eligible patients with ''all proper and necessary treatment of a kind usually undertaken by a general practitioner and not requiring special skill or experience of a degree or kind which general practitioners cannot reasonably be expected to possess." There is no provision under the GMS GP contract for persons who hold a medical card or GP visit card to be charged for medical services provided under the contract.
GPs are reimbursed by the HSE for medical services provided to medical card or GP visit card holders, while patients who do not hold a medical card or GP visit card access GP services on a private basis. I have no role in relation to the fees charged by individual GPs for services to private patients as they are a matter of private contract between the clinician and their patient.
Progressing women’s health is a priority for this government. Among the initiatives undertaken for the improvement of women’s health services is the development of six specialist menopause clinics. While the majority of women who seek support for their menopause can be effectively supported by their GP, a proportion of symptomatic women will require specialist medical expertise in menopause; it is intended these more complex cases can be dealt with, upon referral by their GP, in a specialist menopause clinic.
Three specialist clinics have been opened with a fourth scheduled to be open next week. It is anticipated that the last two clinics in Cork and Galway will open before the end of this year, which will result in a total of six such clinics nationwide, one in each maternity network, for women who require complex, specialist care.
In addition, the HSE’s National Women & Infants Health Programme are in the process of establishing a Professional Menopause Network which will comprise the clinical leads in this area from across the region and will include representation from the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP). The purpose of this network is to promote standardised care for women accessing the specialist clinics, but also to allow health professionals to learn from one another particularly in the implementation phase. It is also intended that clinical teams within the specialist menopause clinic setting will provide advice and guidance to GPs in the community to support the effective management of menopausal symptoms for women closer to home within primary care.
365. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if the case of a child (details supplied) will be urgently reviewed; the status of the appointments for autism assessment and speech and language therapy for them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50816/22]
View answerAs the Deputy's question refers to a service issue, it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
