Written Answers Nos. 367-379
367. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Health the number of the remaining front-line workers that have yet to be paid the Covid bonus; when will this payment be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7775/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly.
368. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health the status of the 19 key recommendations made by the Ombudsman in the report Wasted Lives: Time for a Better Future for Young People in Nursing Homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5665/23]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is being collated by Department officials and a deferred reply will be submitted within ten working days.
369. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Health if he will set out the criteria used to determine eligibility for the pandemic bonus payment for frontline workers in community disability support centres who worked during the pandemic, in particular if he will set out the criteria used to determine eligibility at a centre (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7798/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly.
370. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a list of all orphan medicines included in the drugs payment scheme from 2019 to date; if he will confirm the date of the drugs group decision to allow reimbursement under the drugs payment scheme; the date when the drug became available for reimbursement in each case in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7800/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
371. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the drug reimbursement decisions made by the HSE drugs group and executive management team, respectively in each of its meetings from January 2019 to date in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7801/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Question No. 372 answered with Question No. 114.
373. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Health if he will set out the waiting times and the number on the waiting list in each public hospital to be seen by a consultant dermatologist; the list of hospitals that use outsourced private dermatology services for both diagnosis and treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7807/23]
View answerIn relation to the particular waiting list query raised by the Deputy, adult and child waiting list information by hospital and specialty is published monthly and is available on the NTPF website at: www.ntpf.ie/home/nwld.htm.
In relation to the hospitals who use outsourced private dermatology services, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
374. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health if his Department has agreed an increased cost with voluntary and private homecare providers to ensure all operators who provide homecare procured by the HSE can pay mileage and travel costs to carers as recommended by the Cross Departmental Strategic Workforce Advisory Group; the estimated increased cost to his Department; if the additional funding will be provided to allow these payments be made under the HSE's procurement of home care from voluntary and private sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7809/23]
View answerThe Government is committed to addressing the shortage of care workers as a priority. To this end, the Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People, Mary Butler, T.D., established the cross-departmental Strategic Workforce Advisory Group in March 2022. Working closely with key stakeholders, the Advisory Group examined, and formulated recommendations to address, the recruitment and retention challenges in frontline carer roles in the home support and long-term residential care sectors. The Report of the Strategic Workforce Advisory Group on Home Carers and Nursing Home Healthcare Assistants was published in October 2022.
Providing an overview of the work of the Advisory Group and its key findings, the report presents a suite of 16 recommendations spanning the areas of recruitment, pay and conditions of employment, barriers to employment, training and professional development, sectoral reform, and monitoring and implementation. Minister Butler strongly endorses these recommendations and they are being progressed through a dedicated implementation group. Implementation has commenced and it is envisaged that the implementation group will meet quarterly and publish an implementation plan, and progress reports thereafter.
Recommendation 9 has already been implemented with the announcement by the Government on 16th December of the authorisation of 1,000 employment permits for non-EU/EEA home support workers.
Some recommendations including those concerning travel are linked to the home support tender. The existing tender has been extended by the HSE. The process of developing the new tender is underway. It is envisaged a new tender will be finalised by April 30th, 2023. No final decisions on the tender content have been reached.
375. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health to provide a list of all recipients of Lottery funding in south Dublin, from his Department, from 2011 to 2023, in tabular form. [7817/23]
View answerThe Department of Health’s National Lottery discretionary fund was discontinued in 2016. Please find attached information as requested.
376. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health to provide a list, of all recipients of Lottery funding in south Dublin, from the HSE, from 2011 to 2023, in tabular form. [7818/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy, as soon as possible.
377. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Health if he will report on the waiting time figures for emergency calls for ambulances for the north Dublin area; and the measures being taken to reduce them. [7821/23]
View answer378. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Health if there are sufficient ambulance and paramedic staff in both the National Ambulance Service and Dublin Fire Brigade serving the Dublin area; if there are unfilled vacancies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7822/23]
View answer379. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of any retention issues among emergency response paramedics in the health services. [7823/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 377 to 379, inclusive, together.
As the Deputy may be aware, Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) is the primary emergency ambulance service provider in Dublin City and County. This service is funded through a support agreement between Dublin City Council and the Health Service Executive (HSE). In the first instance, queries relating to the Dublin Fire Brigade are a matter for my colleague the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
The HSE's National Ambulance Service (NAS) does provide some emergency capacity within the greater Dublin area, where required. I have, therefore, asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy with any further pertinent information that it may have in regard to NAS emergency resources serving the North Dublin area.
