Written Answers Nos. 1463-1477
1463. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health the amount allocated to fund abortion services in 2021; the breakdown by all categories of expenditure on abortion services in 2021, including GP reimbursement payments, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16803/23]
View answerAs the Deputy’s question relates to a service area, I have referred it to the HSE for direct response.
1464. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will be called for a procedure in the Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar. [16807/23]
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.
1465. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health when the National Review of Specialist Cardiac Services will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16810/23]
View answerThe National Review of Specialist Cardiac Services commenced in January 2018 under the Chairmanship of Professor Phillip Nolan and a Steering Group formed from nominations of interested stakeholders representing medical, professional/technical staff, nursing and patient representatives.
The aim of the Cardiac Services Review is to recommend configuration for a national adult cardiac service to achieve optimal patient outcomes at population level with particular emphasis on the safety, quality and sustainability of the services that patients receive. This aligns with the Sláintecare reform programme. In terms of scope, the National Review covers scheduled and unscheduled hospital-based services for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac disease in adults.
The COVID-19 Pandemic impacted on the progress of the review during 2020 and into 2021 as the Chair of the Cardiac Services Review has played a key role in the national COVID-19 response.
Substantial progress has been made on the National Review of Specialist Cardiac Services and it is now complete. The Report is being prepared currently for presentation to the Minister for his consideration.
1466. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health why the evaluation of the sugar-sweetened drinks tax has not been completed almost five years since its introduction; the current stage of the evaluation; when it will be finished and published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16811/23]
View answerA Healthy Weight for Ireland, the Obesity Policy and Action Plan (OPAP), was launched in September 2016 under the auspices of the Healthy Ireland Framework (Healthy Ireland: A Framework for Improved Health and Well-being 2013-2025). It was developed in recognition of the growing need for a co-ordinated policy response to the increasing problem of obesity in Ireland and the increasing burden placed on individuals and society.
OPAP covers a 10-year period up to 2025 and aims to reverse obesity trends, prevent health complications, and reduce the overall burden for individuals, families, the health system, and the wider society and economy. It recognises that obesity is a complex, multifaceted problem and needs a multi-pronged solution, with every sector of society playing its part. Childhood obesity is a key priority under OPAP, as is reducing the inequalities seen in obesity rates, where children (and adults) from lower socioeconomic groups have higher levels of obesity. OPAP is well aligned with the World Health Organisation in terms of the breadth of policy measures that have been introduced or are being considered in order to address the obesity epidemic.
Under OPAP, commitment was given to “develop proposals for a levy on sugar-sweetened drinks”, “develop proposals on the roll-out of evidence-based fiscal measures to support healthy eating and lifestyles” and “review the evidence ... for fiscal measures on products that are high in fat, sugar and salt.”
Following a proposal developed by this Department in consultation with stakeholders, the Department of Finance introduced the Sugar-Sweetened Drinks Tax (SSDT) in 2018. The aim of the Irish SSDT tax is to reduce rates of childhood and adult obesity in Ireland by reducing the consumption of sugar sweetened drinks as a contributor to health and dental deterioration, particularly among young people. The desired outcomes are twofold; (1) that individuals reduce consumption of sugar sweetened drinks by reducing amount consumed or switching to healthier choices, (2) that industry reformulates products to reduce (not necessarily remove) levels of added sugar in the drinks products. The SSDT has now been in operation for more than four years. Initial indications are that the tax has had a positive impact, particularly in terms of encouraging drinks producers to reduce the sugar content in their products.
A more comprehensive analysis of the effects of the tax is needed in order to understand the impact of the SSDT and to inform any further fiscal policy considerations, and the Department has commenced work on an evaluation of the measure.
To evaluate the impacts of the Irish SSDT tax in achieving its objectives (individuals reducing their consumption and industry reformulating products), a literature review and a methodological scoping review was undertaken by the Department to inform the design of such an evaluation. The scoping review has identified a number of channels through which the SSDT tax can impact on industry and consumers and has also identified successful approaches to evaluation in other countries. The Department is currently finalising the requirements of an external evaluation and will be going out to tender for this work in the coming weeks with a view to finalising an evaluation of the SSDT tax later during the second half of 2023.
1467. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health why a person (details supplied) had to pay for dental work for their child when it should have been free; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16812/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1468. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if children with autism are eligible to apply for a primary medical certificate; and, if not, if he intends to change the eligibility criteria to include people diagnosed with autism [16816/23]
View answerResponsibility for the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Scheme, operated by the Revenue Commissioners, falls under the remit of the Minister for Finance. To qualify for the scheme, an applicant must have a Primary Medical Certificate. To qualify for a Primary Medical Certificate, an applicant must be permanently and severely disabled within the terms of the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Regulations 1994 and satisfy a range of conditions.
The extent of the involvement of health personnel in the scheme relates to making a professional clinical determination as to whether an individual applicant satisfies the medical criteria set out in the Department of Finance regulations. This determination is undertaken by Senior Medical Officers for the relevant local Health Service Executive (HSE) administrative Community Health Organisation, on behalf of the Revenue Commissioners. These HSE personnel have no role in setting or amending the criteria.
A successful applicant is provided with a Primary Medical Certificate. An unsuccessful applicant can appeal the HSE's Senior Medical Officer's decision to the Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeal, which is under the auspices of the Minister for Finance. The Appeal Board makes a new clinical determination in respect of the applicant.
1469. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health why a person (details supplied) is waiting on a procedure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16817/23]
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.
1470. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a detailed update of the HSE's plans for a final end use of 162-165 James's Street; if he will provide a copy of the business case or value-for-money case prepared by the HSE to proceed with this purchase; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16818/23]
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.
1472. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the number of dentists who provide services under the general medical card scheme, by county, in 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [16826/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1473. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to improve the diagnosis capacity and treatment of Lyme disease; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16834/23]
View answer1474. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if he will engage with a group (details supplied) to improve the diagnosis capacity and treatment of Lyme disease in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16835/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1473 and 1474 together.
Lyme disease is a tick-borne infection and is relatively rare with estimations that a small proportion of ticks in Ireland are infected (<5%). The infection is known to be endemic in certain locations. In these areas, GPs are familiar with the most typical presentation, which is a rash, often with a bull's eye appearance. More complicated cases require referral to infectious diseases clinics.
My Department considers all requests for meetings that it receives and has previously met with groups that advocate for people who live with Lyme disease. My Department will continue to engage with stakeholders on this issue.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1475. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to address the waiting times for individuals with rare diseases requiring genetic testing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16836/23]
View answer1562. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health what steps are being taken to reduce wait times for genetic testing in Ireland, as the current wait times of up to two years are too long and patients on waiting lists are often being treated for the wrong diseases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17232/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1475 and 1562 together.
Improving and expanding the care and treatment of patients with rare diseases is a priority for Government. The government has substantially increased funding for new innovative medicines for rare diseases, investing €100 million over the last three Budgets. The Government is also fully committed to improving genetics services in Ireland, including at Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) at Crumlin.
One of the key ambitions the National Strategy for Accelerating Genetics and Genomics Medicine in Ireland, launched in December 2022, is to build a strong national genetics service. This will be a patient and family-centred service that can be accessed equitably across the country and across the lifespan of patients. The Strategy outlines a plan to achieve this ambition by improving the evidence-base and infrastructure supporting genetic testing in Ireland. In 2023, the HSE will begin developing a National Testing Directory for genetics and genomics, which will map the current genetic tests conducted across Ireland and provide a more transparent process to referrals. This development, therefore, will be a key steppingstone to improving national genetic testing and ultimately help reduce wait time. The Strategy also outlines a plan to build a strong genetic workforce for the future. This will be achieved by not only recruiting new staff, but training and development for a future workforce, and professional development for current staff within the health service. To start implementing the Strategy in 2023 I approved €2.7 million including the appointment of key staff. These appointments included a National Director for Genetics and Genomics, a Bioinformatics Lab Director, two clinical genetic consultants and six genetic counsellors.
In addition to expanding a broad genetics and genomics service, I have also supported several key measures in rare diseases. My Department has worked with the National Rare Disease Office to facilitate Irish entry into 18 European Reference Networks (ERNs) for rare diseases and support an EU Joint Action for the integration of ERNs into the national system. These ERNs include representation from five academic hospitals and three universities. This represents a significant achievement by the health service, to drive innovation, training and clinical research for highly specialised care. The Department has also progressed Irish entry into Horizon Europe Partnerships on Rare Disease and Personalised Medicine. Participation in ERNs and Horizon Europe Partnerships ensure greater coordination and sharing of best practices in key areas such as genetic testing with European partners. Finally, I have recently announced a plan to develop a revised National Rare Disease Plan. This Plan will be a key step in progressing an improved overall service for individuals living with a rare disease.
1477. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the public health (tobacco and nicotine inhaling products) Bill to prohibit the use of nicotine inhaling products by persons under 18 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16845/23]
View answerDrafting of the Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel is ongoing and publication is expected during the summer legislative session.
