Tuesday, 14 Feb 2023

Written Answers Nos. 814-833

Hospital Charges

Questions (814)

David Cullinane

Question:

814. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the revenue generated by car parking charges for each Mater Misericordiae Hospital for each year 2013 to 2022, inclusive, in tabular form. [7250/23]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Hospital Charges

Questions (815)

David Cullinane

Question:

815. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the revenue generated by car parking charges for each Mercy University Hospital for each year 2013 to 2022, inclusive, in tabular form. [7251/23]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Hospital Charges

Questions (816)

David Cullinane

Question:

816. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the revenue generated by car parking charges for each South Infirmary/Victoria University Hospital for each year 2013 to 2022, inclusive, in tabular form. [7252/23]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Hospital Charges

Questions (817)

David Cullinane

Question:

817. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the revenue generated by car parking charges for each St. James’s Hospital for each year 2013 to 2022, inclusive, in tabular form. [7253/23]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Hospital Charges

Questions (818)

David Cullinane

Question:

818. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the revenue generated by car parking charges for each St. Vincent’s University Hospital for each year 2013 to 2022, inclusive, in tabular form. [7254/23]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Hospital Charges

Questions (819)

David Cullinane

Question:

819. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the revenue generated by car parking charges for each Tallaght University Hospital for each year 2013 to 2022, inclusive, in tabular form. [7255/23]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Hospital Charges

Questions (820)

David Cullinane

Question:

820. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the revenue generated by car parking charges for each Rotunda Hospital for each year 2013 to 2022, inclusive, in tabular form. [7256/23]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Hospital Charges

Questions (821)

David Cullinane

Question:

821. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the revenue generated by car parking charges for each National Maternity Hospital for each year 2013 to 2022, inclusive, in tabular form. [7257/23]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Hospital Charges

Questions (822)

David Cullinane

Question:

822. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the revenue generated by car parking charges for each Coombe Hospital for each year 2013 to 2022, inclusive, in tabular form. [7258/23]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Abortion Services

Questions (823)

Carol Nolan

Question:

823. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the total amount spent by the State across all possible categories, in tabular form, on abortion provision in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7259/23]

Written answers

Minister for Health

The Deputy's question relates to a service matter therefore we have referred the question to the HSE for answer.

Abortion Services

Questions (824)

Carol Nolan

Question:

824. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the total amount spent by the State on advertising campaigns related to abortion provision broken down by year and category, in tabular form, in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7260/23]

Written answers

Minister for Health

This is a service matter therefore we have referred the Deputy's question to the HSE for answer.

Hospital Admissions

Questions (825)

David Cullinane

Question:

825. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the bed occupancy rates of each public and public voluntary hospital, by hospital group, for each day in January 2023, in tabular form; the national average; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7261/23]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Hospital Admissions

Questions (826)

David Cullinane

Question:

826. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the bed occupancy rates of each public and public voluntary hospital, by hospital group, for each day in January 2019, in tabular form; the national average; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7262/23]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Covid-19 Pandemic

Questions (827)

Catherine Connolly

Question:

827. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health in view of the comments made by the Minister for Social Protection at the Oireachtas Select Committee on Social Protection on 1 February 2023 (details supplied), if the views of his Department have been provided to the Department of Social Protection regarding the recognition of long Covid as an occupational illness; if not, the reason therefore in light of the fact that a failure to act in this regard is leaving long-covid sufferers who contracted covid while working on the front line during the pandemic, in unacceptable limbo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7263/23]

Written answers

Minister for Health

The EU Advisory Committee on Health & Safety have recently recommended the recognition of Covid as an occupational illness in health and social care, however Member States vary in respect of their treatment of Covid in this regard.

In Ireland, Special Leave with Pay (SLWP) is available for the recommended isolation period, for civil and public servants nationally who contract Covid. SLWP provides for paid leave, including full pay, any fixed allowances payable as well as premium payments.

For those who remain unfit to attend the workplace and are suffering from long-Covid, a temporary scheme, specific to the public health service has been developed to provide for Paid Leave for Public Health Service Employees unfit for work post Covid infection.

The HSE have issued the full details of the Scheme to all public health service employers by circular, and employees who meet the criteria for eligibility for the Scheme will have transferred to the new Scheme retrospectively from 1st July 2022.

I am advised by officials from the Department of Social Protection who operate the national Occupational Injuries Benefit Scheme, that Covid-19 does not constitute a prescribed disease or illness as set out in the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 at present.

A letter has been received from Minister Humphries and the Minister and officials from Department of Health are reviewing the recognition of Long Covid as an occupational illness.

Health Services Staff

Questions (828)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

828. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health when homecare providers such as home help will get their promised pay increase; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7264/23]

Written answers

Minister for Health

My Department prepared and issued Consolidated Salary Scales for the public health sector a number of months ago that I understand the HSE are still working to implement. I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy in respect of any delays to implementation that may be arising.

Covid-19 Pandemic

Questions (829)

Paul Murphy

Question:

829. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health if former patients of the now-closed Mater long-Covid Clinic (details supplied) will be accepted at alternative long-Covid clinics, irrespective of whether they are in the catchment area of the clinic in question, in situations in which no other long-Covid clinic is accessible to them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7273/23]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to reply to the Deputy directly

Home Help Service

Questions (830)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

830. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if the mileage allowance will be reviewed for homecare providers (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7275/23]

Written answers

Minister for Health

This is a matter for for the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and was addressed in September 2022 when that Department revised rates to commence on September 1st.

Section 10 of Circular 16/2022: Revised Motor Travel Rates state that the rates will be fixed for a period of three years. However, in the event of any future downturn in input costs, the rates may be adjusted to reflect changing costs. The Department of Public Expenditure have responsibility for any future adjustments.

Abortion Services

Questions (831)

Bríd Smith

Question:

831. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health when he will publish the report on the review of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7279/23]

Written answers

Minister for Health

The Minister for Health commenced the Review of the operation Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 in line with statutory and Government commitments. The review examined the Act of 2018 which sets out four different types of situations in which a termination of pregnancy can lawfully occur in the State. The Review will assess the effectiveness of the operation of the legislation and will be conducted in a fair and transparent manner. The final Report of the Review is expected to be submitted to the Minister for his consideration imminently.

Hospital Services

Questions (832)

Catherine Connolly

Question:

832. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 73 of 8 December 2022, the status of the development of the new elective hospital in Merlin Park; the timeline for the delivery of the new elective hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7283/23]

Written answers

Minister for Health

I have asked the HSE, as Sponsoring Agency with day-to-day responsibility for the delivery of the new Elective Hospital in Galway, to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.

Primary Care Centres

Questions (833)

Catherine Connolly

Question:

833. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 169 of 7 December 2022, the status of the development of a primary care centre on Inisbofin; the status of the land transfer process; when he expects the land transfer to be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7284/23]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As 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.