Written Answers Nos. 1187-1206
1187. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Health the services currently available to those diagnosed with foetal valproate spectrum disorder; the way families can access these services within their communities following a diagnosis; the status of discussions between the HSE and his Department to improve access to services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63312/22]
View answerAs these questions relate to operational matters for the Health Service Executive (HSE), I have asked that the HSE responds to the Deputy directly.
1188. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health if money raised from the sale of Dundrum Hospital is earmarked for services; if so, the services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63313/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1189. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health the State investment that was given toward the construction of a facility (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63314/22]
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.
1190. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health the State investment that was given toward the renovation of a specialist intellectual disability service at a facility (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63315/22]
View answerAs this relates to a service matter, I am referring it to the HSE for a direct reply to the Deputy.
1191. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of a primary medical certificate for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63316/22]
View answerAs the matter raised by the Deputy is a service issue, the Deputy's question has been referred to the Health Service Executive for a direct reply to the Deputy.
1192. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Health if the proposed 96-bed medical ward block at Wexford General Hospital is at a detailed design stage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63323/22]
View answerA design team was appointed in September 2022 by HSE Capital & Estates, progressing the proposal for a 96-bed medical ward block at Wexford General Hospital to preliminary stage one design. This is expected to be completed by the end of January 2023.
Concurrently, the HSE is compiling a Strategic Assessment Report (SAR) for this proposal to ensure full compliance with the Public Spending Code (PSC). As the proposal could cost in excess of €100m it is expected that this SAR will be submitted to the Department of Health in Q2 2023 for review.
The delivery of capital projects is a dynamic process and is subject to the successful completion of the various approval stages, in line with the new lifecycle approach of the updated PSC.
The PSC is designed to ensure that investment decisions are underpinned by a clear policy rationale, and that costs are well understood. In 2019, the PSC was updated and introduced a new project lifecycle, tightening the arrangements for project decision-making, and clarifying the roles of the parties involved including the responsibilities for Sponsoring Agencies and Approving Authorities.
These are defined processes in which all Departments and agencies are subject to and must follow to ensure that Government, as the approving authority for all major projects (i.e. those over costing over €100m) can be satisfied that the project is the best means to achieve a policy goal and that we achieve maximum value for money for the taxpayer.
1193. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Health if he has had any further contact with the HSE in respect of the future use of the lands of the former nursing home at Crooksling; if he will appreciate the widespread interest regarding the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63327/22]
View answerAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the management of the public healthcare property estate, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to you in relation to this matter.
1194. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if he will identify the beneficial owners of two properties (details supplied) in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63329/22]
View answerAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the management of the public healthcare property estate, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to you in relation to this matter.
1195. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Health the status of the case of a child (details supplied) who has been referred to see a neurologist at Temple Street Children's Hospital and has yet to receive an appointment date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63331/22]
View answerUnder the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1196. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if access to a local GP will be facilitated in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63332/22]
View answer1358. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health the way in which a child (details supplied) can access GP services when the local GP states that they cannot accept them onto their list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63927/22]
View answer1363. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health when a local family GP can be sourced for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63944/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1196, 1358 and 1363 together.
Where a patient who holds a medical card or GP visit card experiences difficulty in finding a GP to accept them as a patient, the person concerned having unsuccessfully applied to at least three GPs in the area (or fewer if there are fewer GPs in the area) can apply to the HSE National Medical Card Unit which has the power to assign that person to a GP's GMS patient list. Ukrainian refugees are entitled to apply for a medical card.
People who do not hold a medical card or GP visit card access GP services on a private basis in which the Minister has no role and can make enquiries directly to any GP practice they wish to register with. As private contractors, it is a matter for each individual GP to decide whether to accept additional private patients.
The Government is aware of the workforce issues currently facing general practice and is working to ensure patients across the country continue to have access to GP services and that general practice is sustainable in all areas into the future.
Under the 2019 GP Agreement additional annual expenditure provided for general practice has been increased now by €211.6m. This provides for significant increases in capitation fees for participating GMS GPs, and new fees and subsidies for additional services. Improvements to GP’s maternity and paternity leave arrangements, increased rural practice supports and a support for GPs in disadvantaged urban areas, have also been provided for.
The number of GPs entering training has increased steadily over the past number of years, rising from 120 in 2009 to 258 in 2022. The transfer of GP training from the HSE to the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) which was concluded in 2021 will allow for the introduction of a new service model for GP training in Ireland and the further expansion GP training capacity in the years ahead. The ICGP aims to have 350 training places available for new entrants per year by 2026.
These measures make general practice in Ireland a more attractive career choice and will see an increase in the number of GPs working in the State, improving access to GP services for patients throughout the country.
1197. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health when consistent access and visitation will be facilitated between persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63338/22]
View answerAs this relates to a service matter, I am referring it to the HSE for a direct reply to the Deputy.
1198. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health if the decision will be reviewed to not award all or the majority of the costs to be reimbursed to a person (details supplied). [63343/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1199. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if an emergency medical card will issue in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63344/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1200. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Health the status of the case of a person (details supplied) who, following a referral one year ago to the orthopaedic unit at University Hospital Limerick, has yet to receive an appointment date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63351/22]
View answerUnder the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1201. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health the HSE region in the country that has the lowest ratio of whole-time equivalent clinicians as per 100 children of any children’s disability network team; if he will outline the ratio; the way that it compares to the ratio in north Tipperary and in south Tipperary, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63363/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1202. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health the number of children who are currently on a waiting list to be seen by a psychologist in the south Tipperary children’s disability network team; the total number of patients that the children’s disability network team has in south Tipperary; the staffing levels that are in place in the south Tipperary children’s disability network team; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63364/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1203. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health if all sections of all Acts passed in the past ten years have been commenced; the number of sections that are outstanding; the number of Acts that have review periods; if the reviews have taken place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63384/22]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is not immediately available, a full response is being collated and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1204. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Health if the Saolta group accepts the serious consequences to a hospital (details supplied) if the withdrawal of college trainees occurs on 1 July 2023 due to a failure in compliance to the national clinical programme for anaesthesia towards training accreditation from the College of Anaesthesiology of Ireland, and the knock-on effect concerning adequate on-call cover for acute emergency services, especially maternity services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63408/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1205. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on HSE national funding through the national clinical programme and acute hospitals for four new consultant anaesthesiology posts at a hospital (details supplied) supported by the Saolta Group in April 2022 to allow the recommended on-call rota cover of two consultants and two NCHDs; the reason that the hospital is an outlier and has not been prioritised like similar model 3 hospitals in Sligo and Letterkenny; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63409/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1206. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details of the staffing complement at the CAMHS facility in Drogheda, County Louth covering south Louth and east Meath as of 1 December 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63411/22]
View answer1207. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health the number of children in counties Louth and Meath who are on a waiting list for their first appointment with CAMHS locally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63412/22]
View answer1208. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health the number of occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and clinical psychologists in post as of 1 December 2022 at the south Louth and east Meath CAMHS service in Drogheda, County Louth; the HSE's plans to fill any vacant positions; the alternative supports that the HSE is prepared to provide to children who require specialist supports through the aforementioned disciplines in cases in which such posts are vacant; if the HSE plans to engage contractors in these specialist areas in the interim to provide the necessary professional supports to young people in the area who are clients of the local CAMHS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63413/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1206 to 1208, inclusive, together.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
