Tuesday, 9 May 2023

Written Answers Nos. 569-583

Medical Cards

Questions (569)

Rose Conway-Walsh

Question:

569. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health the number of people and the percentage of the population covered by medical cards in each year since 2006, in tabular form. [21151/23]

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.

Medical Cards

Questions (570)

Rose Conway-Walsh

Question:

570. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health the number of people and the percentage of the population covered by GP visit cards each year since 2006, in tabular form. [21152/23]

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 Facilities

Questions (571)

Rose Conway-Walsh

Question:

571. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health the number of acute beds; the number per 1,000 of the population; and the number per 1,000 of the population over 65 years in each year since 2006, as national aggregate and by each CHO, in tabular form . [21153/23]

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 Acquired Infections

Questions (572)

Rose Conway-Walsh

Question:

572. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details on the assessment of hospital-acquired infection; the comparative figures for other European Union member states; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21154/23]

Written answers

Minister for Health

Healthcare Associated Infections (HCAIs) are infections that are acquired after contact with the health services. The five most common HCAIs are surgical site infection, pneumonia, urinary tract infection, bloodstream infection and gastroenteritis. These can be caused by a variety of organisms, including Staph. aureus, C. difficile and CPE. Ireland's work on HCAIs is progressed through the actions in Ireland's second One Health National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance 2021-2025 (iNAP2). HSE specific actions are delivered through the HSE AMRIC Action Plan 2022 – 2025, which is fully aligned to iNAP2. HCAIs also identified as a priority under the HSE Patient Safety Strategy 2019 – 2024. The Irish National Adverse Event Study-2 (INAES-2) was published in 2021 and demonstrated a significant decrease in the percentage of avoidable events classified as HCAI from 33.1% in 2009 to 22.2% in 2015. HCAI data is included in the HSE Key Performance Indicators which are reported via the HSE Service Plan and are included in the reports of the National Healthcare Quality Reporting System Report (NHQRS). In addition, HCAIs indicators are included in the suite for the Health Systems Performance Assessment System of Ireland currently under development and a prototype visualisation platform is expected to be released shortly. Ireland collects and inputs HCAI data into European and international reporting systems. These include the Acute Hospital Antimicrobial National Point Prevalence Study (PPS), Point Prevalence Survey of Healthcare-Associated Infections & Antimicrobial Use in Long-Term Care Facilities (HALT), the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network (EARS-net) reporting and WHO Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS). Such reporting is facilitated by the HSE.As this query also relates to operational matters and data from the healthcare system, I am referring it to the HSE for direct reply.

Hospital Facilities

Questions (573)

Rose Conway-Walsh

Question:

573. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health the breakdown of public and private beds in each public hospital, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21155/23]

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.

National Treatment Purchase Fund

Questions (574)

Rose Conway-Walsh

Question:

574. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health the expenditure of the national treatment purchase fund in each year for which data is available; the number of patients that benefitted from the fund each year for which data is available; the number of patients treated in public hospitals and private hospitals, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21156/23]

Written answers

Minister for Health

The information requested by the Deputy is being collated by Department officials and a deferred reply will be submitted within ten working days.

Nursing Homes

Questions (575)

Rose Conway-Walsh

Question:

575. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health the number of high-dependency places in the private nursing home sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21157/23]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

The Chief Inspector within the Health Information and Quality Authority is responsible for registering and inspecting residential services for older people. The Chief Inspector’s Register shows that there are 553 registered centres with a total of 31,783 beds, of which 425 centres are owned and operated by private providers with a total of 25,753 beds. My Department does not collate details in relation to the category of beds in the private nursing home sector.

Health Services Staff

Questions (576)

Rose Conway-Walsh

Question:

576. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health the number of home help staff employed directly in the public sector each year since 2001, in tabular form. [21158/23]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Medical Cards

Questions (577)

John McGuinness

Question:

577. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if a medical card will be approved for a person (details supplied). [21161/23]

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 Supports

Questions (578)

Eoin Ó Broin

Question:

578. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health when a front-line health worker (details supplied) will receive their Covid1-19 recognition payment. [21172/23]

Written answers

Minister for Health

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

I would also like to remind the Deputy that it is against Department policy to comment on individual cases.

Ambulance Service

Questions (579)

John McGuinness

Question:

579. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health the status of the provision of an interim work place for the national ambulance base in Carlow; and the progress, if any, since his meeting with those concerned at the base. [21173/23]

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.

Legislative Reviews

Questions (580)

Carol Nolan

Question:

580. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if he will list all reviews of Acts carried out by his Department in line with the provisions of the Act in question from 2000 to date; if a summary will be provided of any substantive amendments of the Act in question that occurred on foot of each review and the amending legislation, if any, in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21186/23]

Written answers

Minister for Health

The information sought by the Deputy is voluminous in nature and will take time to collate. Accordingly, a full reply to this PQ will issue within 10 working days.

Healthcare Infrastructure Provision

Questions (581)

Neasa Hourigan

Question:

581. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the estimated costs of the construction of independent living pods near the Millfield House mental health facility in Blackpool, Cork; the estimated costs of any additional renovations of Millfield House itself; the HSE managers who proposed these plans; when these proposals were first made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21215/23]

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.

Healthcare Infrastructure Provision

Questions (582)

Neasa Hourigan

Question:

582. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the date that capital funding committed to renovations of Milfield House and the construction of independent living pods nearby was applied for by local HSE management; the date that this capital funding was approved by national HSE management; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21216/23]

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.

Healthcare Infrastructure Provision

Questions (583)

Neasa Hourigan

Question:

583. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the projected timeline associated with the construction of independent living pods near the Millfield House mental health facility in Blackpool, Cork, and with renovations of Millfield House itself; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21217/23]

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.