Written Answers Nos. 593-610
593. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health what measures are being put in place to alleviate lengthy waiting list times for breast reconstruction surgery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32258/23]
View answer594. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health whether private hospital resources are being considered to alleviate the backlog of breast reconstruction surgery times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32259/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 593 and 594 together.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
595. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the number of persons currently on a waiting list for a mastectomy for each of the years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023 by each waiting time period in each hospital, in tabular form. [32260/23]
View answer596. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the number of persons currently on a waiting list for breast reconstruction surgery for each of the years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023 by each waiting time period, in each hospital, in tabular form. [32261/23]
View answer597. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the number of persons currently on a waiting list for an oophorectomy for each of the years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023 by each waiting time period, in each hospital, in tabular form. [32262/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 595, 596 and 597 together.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
598. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting for genetic testing for each of the years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023 at by each waiting time period, in each hospital, in tabular form. [32263/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly as soon as possible.
599. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health when retired HSE workers will receive their pension increments; the reason former HSE staff are awaiting over a year for these increments to commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32269/23]
View answerAs this is an administrative matter for the Health Service Executive, the HSE has been asked to respond directly to the Deputy.
600. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a schedule of the grants, grant-aid, low-cost borrowing and funding that his Department can provide to an association (details supplied), heading under which the grants, grant-aid, low cost borrowing and funding is provided; the maximum amount that can be accessed ; and the dates on which the schemes operate. [32280/23]
View answerThe Department of Health has no recurring schemes under which the association can apply nor any open calls for funding. The Department does have a strategic partnership with the association, the GAA Healthy Clubs Programme healthyclubs.gaa.ie/ which aims to transform clubs into hubs for health within their communities.
A recent example under this partnership, was a sum of €815,000 which was provided to the association for the GAA Walking Tracks initiative which aimed to upgrade existing walking tracks on club grounds to make them more accessible to more people. See gov.ie www.gov.ie/en/press-release/5d144-minister-for-public-health-wellbeing-and-the-national-drugs-strategy-welcomes-announcement-of-successful-applicants-for-gaa-walking-tracks-initiative/ for more information.
601. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number of hospital beds, excluding critical care beds, currently provided in each public/voluntary hospital, in tabular form. [32292/23]
View answerThis PQ relates to operational matters and has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
602. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health to provide details of the current organisational structure of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland; the number and grade of staff in each directorate, including permanent, contract, agency or other staff, in tabular form; the number of external staff supports contracted to provide services to each Directorate, for example, project management staff, educational assessors, call centre staff, registration external overseas file reviewers and others; and the overall whole-time equivalent staff numbers for each of the years 2016 to 2022 and to date in 2023. [32302/23]
View answerAs this question relates to an operational matter of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI), I have referred the question to the NMBI for its attention and direct response to the Deputy.
603. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant paediatric urologists based at Cork University Hospital in the years of 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [32305/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
604. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE vacancies, by job title, at Borrisokane and Tipperary town primary care centres; and when each of these vacancies will be filled, in tabular form. [32306/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
605. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the number of inspections carried out on retailers that offer tanning and sun beds in 2022 and to date in 2023; the number and percentage of these retailers that were in breach of legislation, in tabular form; and the frequency with which these inspections are conducted. [32307/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
606. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite an appointment for a person (details supplied), or if this person can be treated through the National Treatment Purchase Fund. [32320/23]
View answerThe National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) works with public hospitals, as opposed to with patients directly, to offer and provide the funding for treatment to clinically suitable long waiting patients who are on an inpatient/day case waiting list for surgery, having been referred on to such a list following clinical assessment by a consultant/specialist at an outpatient clinic.
The key criteria of the NTPF is the prioritisation of the longest waiting patients first. While the NTPF identifies patients eligible for NTPF treatment, it is solely on the basis of their time spent on the Inpatient/Daycase Waiting List. The clinical suitability of the patient to avail of NTPF funded treatment is determined by the public hospital.
Under 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.
607. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the implementation status of each of the recommendations of the Short-Term Review of Clinical Placement Allowances for Student Nurses and Midwives and the Longer-Term Review: Matters relating to Student Nurses and Midwives, in tabular form. [32321/23]
View answer608. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health when the €500 subsistence grant for supernumerary student nurses and midwives in years 1 to 3, backdated to the start of the 2022-2023 academic year, will be paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32326/23]
View answer671. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the status of the yearly €500 travel and subsistence scheme grant for first-, second- and third-year student nurses and midwives; the reason this has not been paid to students for the 2022/2023 academic year; when students will receive this backdated pay for the 2022/2023 academic year; when students can expect to receive this payment for the next academic year, beginning in September 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32665/23]
View answerI propose to answer Questions Nos. 607, 608 and 671 together.
As the Deputy may be aware, following approval by Government on 13th December 2022, I was pleased to announce €9 million in additional supports for student nurses and midwives, €5.4m of which has been allocated to the HSE to introduce an enhanced Travel and Subsistence Scheme for eligible students while attending their supernumerary clinical practice placements.
I would like these payments in respect of the 2022/2023 academic year to have been made long ago. However, the HSE raised a query as to whether or not tax implications might arise for students. The position has now been clarified and I am pleased to note that the HSE is now proceeding to finalise preparations for issuing payments as soon as possible.
Regarding the €500 flat rate meals allowance for the 2023/2024 academic year, payments are scheduled to be paid by the HSE in two equal parts, in November 2023 and February 2024.
For the student nurses and midwives on their final year internship, I have ensured that their salary is set in line with the relevant recommendation in the McHugh report, by increasing their rate of pay, with effect from January 2023, to 80% of Point 1 of the Staff Nurse/Midwife pay scale. Also, I have confirmed that two additional uniform tunics should be provided in advance of the internship placement.
The above sets out the current position regarding the implementation of the recommendations of the Longer-Term Review of Matters Relating to Student Nurses and Midwives (Mc Hugh Report).
Previously, I had asked Professor Tom Collins to carry out a short-term review of clinical placement allowances for student nurses and midwives. The table below summarises the position regarding implementation of the various recommendations.
Short Term Review of Clinical Placement Allowances for Student Nurses and Midwives (Collins Report)
Collins Report Recommendations
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An additional and exceptional Student Nurse/Midwife Pandemic Placement Grant of €100 per week, tax exempt, for each week spent on supernumerary placement (retrospective to September 2020) be introduced for the duration of the pandemic. |
Complete |
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That the pandemic placement grant should be included in the terms of reference of the Government’s longer-term review of supports for student nurses and midwives which begins shortly |
Complete |
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That Students who are eligible should have continued access to the existing allowances of up to €50.79 a week as a contribution towards travel/accommodation costs. They should also retain any existing entitlement to PUP payments and/or the SUSI grant |
Complete |
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That pay rates for intern student nurses and midwives on rostered placements should be included in the terms of reference of the forthcoming longer-term review. |
Complete |
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That the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) should, in the context of COVID 19, address the emotional and psychological needs arising from any trauma to which their nursing/midwifery students may be exposed in their clinical settings. |
Complete |
609. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Health if a GP is entitled to charge for conducting a mental competency test for a medical card holder for the purpose of drawing up a will; if so, if there are any guidelines to what level this fee should be; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32332/23]
View answerUnder the terms of the current GMS contract, GPs are required to provide eligible patients with ''all proper and necessary treatment of a kind usually undertaken by a general practitioner and not requiring special skill or experience of a degree or kind which general practitioners cannot reasonably be expected to possess". Persons who hold a medical card or a GP visit card are not subject to any co-payments or other charges in respect of such services including GP consultations.
The HSE reimburses GPs for services provided under the GMS contract to medical and GP visit card holders. The contract stipulates that fees in respect of certain medical certificates which may be required, for example, "under the Social Welfare Acts or for the purposes of insurance or assurance policies or for the issue of driving licences" are not covered by the contract. Any fees charged by GPs for services provided outside the terms of the GMS contract are a matter of private contract between the GP and their patient, accordingly neither my department or the HSE have a role in determining the level of such fees.
610. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the amount of revenue generated through parking charges at the public car park at the Mater Hospital in the years of 2022 and to date in 2023; and of the amount of revenue generated, how the money was spent, in tabular form. [32350/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
