Written Answers Nos. 1301-1323
1301. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the number of people on the special scheme of paid leave for healthcare workers suffering from long-Covid in each of the months since it was introduced; the cost of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36489/23]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.
1302. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 391 of 2 February 2023, to provide an update on his plans to increase the availability of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), given that existing services are oversubscribed; if his attention has been brought to the fact that not one of the four public PrEP clinics in Dublin have new appointments available; the steps he is taking to address the situation in Dublin; if his Department or the HSE has carried out any research to understand the level of unmet PrEP need nationwide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36490/23]
View answer1304. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the number of new applicants to the national HIV PrEP programme since the programme was established, by clinic and year, in tabular form. [36492/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1302 and 1304 together.
Ireland established a national HIV PrEP programme in November 2019, following a HIQA HTA, which concluded that the introduction of HIV PrEP would be safe, effective and cost saving. The HTA also found that significant investment in public STI services was required to implement PrEP and €5.4 million was set aside in Budget 2020 to roll out a national HIV PrEP programme, managed by the HSE Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy Programme (SHCPP).
At present, there are 13 public PrEP clinics in Ireland, four of which are located in Dublin, and 16 private/GP providers who are approved to prescribe PrEP, 15 of which are located in Dublin. Dispensing PrEP is free of charge, as are appointments at the public clinics, however, the private providers are subject to consultation charges.
Since the PrEP programme commenced in November, 2019, significant progress has been made in PrEP rollout across Ireland. However, this occurred at a time of unprecedented challenges for the health service - the pressures of the Covid-19 pandemic on access to clinical services, coupled with the effects of necessary Covid-19 restrictions on people's social interactions. This made it difficult to assess whether capacity would meet demand under normal circumstances, between 2020 and early 2022.
Furthermore, in line with international trends, the eligibility criteria for PrEP have recently been revised to include anticipated risk of HIV infection. This is likely to increase the overall numbers of individuals meeting the criteria for inclusion in the PrEP programme.
The relaxation of most Covid-19 restrictions, following the successful national vaccination campaign, has, in 2022-2023, permitted assessments that additional resources may be required to meet additional demand, build capacity and invest in monitoring, evaluation and research to ensure that the PrEP programme in Ireland is reaching those in need, responsive to changing need and at the cutting edge of international PrEP programme delivery.
The HSE SHCPP have put a number of measures in place to support the PrEP Programme, including updating the clinical PrEP Guidelines and approval processes and providing an e-learning module to enable greater access to the PrEP programme through GPs, allowing stable patients to undertake routine STI testing through the new home STI testing service, and working with other areas of the HSE to enable efficient data collection and identify resources to improve capacity.
Both my Department and the HSE SHCPP have identified monitoring and evaluation of the PrEP programme as a priority area of work, building on that which has been undertaken to date. Allocation of additional resources to support expansion of PrEP next year is a matter for the Estimates process leading to Budget 2024.
Development of the new National Sexual Health Strategy 2023 – 2030 is currently underway; capacity for PrEP during this wider time period will be further examined as part of the policy development process leading to the new NSHS.
In relation to the numbers of patients currently enrolled in the programme, the number of new applicants and research to understand unmet levels of PrEP need, as these are service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1303. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the number of people availing of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) via the public system since the programme was established, by clinic and year, in tabular form. [36491/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1305. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the timeline he is working towards in drafting and publishing the new National Sexual Health Strategy; the members of the core drafting group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36493/23]
View answerSexual health has been a priority for the Department of Health; the National Sexual Health Strategy 2015-2020 (NSHS) was developed as a core policy under the Healthy Ireland Framework and remains a priority under the Healthy Ireland Strategic Action Plan 2021-2025. Implementation of the Strategy is led by the HSE Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy Programme (SHCPP). It was extended until the end of 2022 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Since the publication of the Strategy, there have been a number of significant developments impacting on sexual health, including the Repeal of the 8th Amendment to the Constitution, the subsequent introduction of termination of pregnancy services, a significant rise in Ireland’s population, both in terms of numbers and diversity and increasing STI rates, nationally and internationally.
An independent Review of the Strategy, by Crowe Ireland, was published in March. The Review identified 56 Priority Actions, of which 49 were assessed as having been successfully progressed. It also sets out 32 indicative recommendations to build on achievements, and to optimise development of a new Strategy.
An NSHS Redrafting Committee has been convened and met for the first time on 12th July, 2023. The core Group is comprised of my Department’s sexual health policy leads, men’s health team, the Women’s Health Taskforce, the HSE Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy Programme leads, representatives of the HSE Primary Care Division, the HSE National Women and Infants Health Programme and key clinical experts, including a representative from the Irish College of General Practitioners.
The Group have determined that the new Strategy will adhere to the core principles of its predecessor. The first Strategy aimed to improve sexual health and wellbeing and reduce negative sexual health outcomes, recognising the importance of supporting healthy attitudes to sexuality throughout the life course. This core focus will be retained.
However, the new Strategy will also benefit from a significant widening of scope and consideration of additional service capacity, including the achievements under the first Strategy and ambitions to develop these further. In addition to input from the core Group, additional experts will be consulted with regard to aspects of the new Strategy relevant to their areas of expertise.
The following priorities have been identified for the new National Sexual Health Strategy:
• implementing a Model of Care for sexual health services, with a key focus on prevention, treatment, information and surveillance for STIs, including HIV
• building capacity and meeting demand for HIV PrEP
• improving Sexual health information, focussing on positive menstrual health education and awareness, fertility, gynaecology and contraception
• further developing and expanding the Free Contraception Scheme for women and the National Condom Distribution Service, to support better access to contraception and STI prevention, also recognising the key role of hormonal contraception in treating adverse period symptoms
• supporting other relevant policy areas across Government, including women’s, men’s and LGBTI+ health and inclusion and focussing on the sexual health-related elements of these areas of work
The new Strategy is currently scheduled to be brought to Government for approval for publication by end of 2023.
1306. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 469 of 18 May 2023, if there is any further update on the primary care centre for Finglas, Dublin 11; the status of the preliminary design stage 1 report and the legal process to transfer the land; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36494/23]
View answerAs 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.
1307. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the date he will announce the details of funding to support trainee counselling psychologists; the reason this announcement has still not been made, given that the 2023-2024 academic year commences shortly; if funding will be provided to current trainees in the second and third year of their doctorate programme; if the offer to counselling psychology trainees will be equivalent to the offer to educational psychology trainees (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36495/23]
View answerFinal discussions with the HSE have taken place and the details of the initiative to support counselling psychology training places from the €750,000 Budget 2023 funding for students enrolled in the academic year 2023/2024 will be announced imminently.
This funding demonstrates the Government’s commitment to strengthen access to psychology training. Counselling psychologists play a crucial role in the provision of mental health services, for both adults and children, across primary care and specialist mental health services and multi-disciplinary teams such as CAMHS.
The Department of Health continues to work with the HSE to develop programmes for targeted workforce planning, with a focus on ensuring that training places are available and that graduates have opportunities to work in the HSE.
1308. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 260 of 12 July 2023, the date on which he expects the information campaign in relation to applications for GP visit cards on the basis of income to commence, following his announcement of the new income thresholds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36496/23]
View answerAs announced in Budget 2023, the Government will make available access to GP care without charges to those earning no more than the median income. Following the recent agreement with the IMO, the first phase of this expansion in access to care will commence on 11 September, and the second and final phase will commence on 13 November. A public information campaign in relation to applications for GP visit cards under this income-based expansion is currently under development by relevant officials in my Department and the HSE, and it will commence in due course and in advance of the first phase of the expansion.
The expansion of GP care to children aged 6 and 7 will commence on 11 August. Preparation of the communications campaign in respect of this expansion is the current priority for the relevant teams.
1309. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the timeline he is working towards for the introduction of a statutory right to homecare, as outlined in the Programme for Government; the current status of the draft legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36497/23]
View answerThe programme for Government commits to ‘Introduce a statutory scheme to support people to live in their own homes, which will provide equitable access to high-quality, regulated home care’. Work is ongoing within the Department across four broad areas to progress this commitment: (i) Regulation of home-support providers; (ii) the examination of future funding options for home-support services; (iii) working with the HSE to develop a reformed model of service delivery for home support (iv) Implementation of the recommendations of the Strategic Workforce Advisory Group.
The Government gave its approval in April 2021 to start drafting legislation to establish a licensing framework for providers who operate in the home care sector. It is intended to bring this legislation through the Houses of the Oireachtas at the earliest opportunity. This will ensure that all users are provided with high quality home care.
In order to help in drafting the legislation and regulations a public consultation was completed in August 2022 and the analysis of the results by the IPH was published on 20th January 2023.www.gov.ie/en/publication/56ab1-draft-regulations-for-providers-of-home-support-services-an-overview-of-the-findings-of-the-department-of-healths-public-consultation/
The department has also been in consultation with HIQA, the HSE, legal counsel, and representative groups to help improve the regulations further. They are now at an advanced stage.
How home support will be funded in the future will be an essential factor of the new statutory scheme. With this in mind the Department is researching different funding models. The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) undertook a programme of work on behalf of the Department on the potential demand and cost of home support which culminated in two reports published in 2021 and 2022: www.esri.ie/publications/demand-for-the-statutory-home-care-scheme www.esri.ie/publications/home-support-services-in-ireland-exchequer-and-distributional-impacts-of-funding
A rapid response from the European Observatory on Health Systems was commissioned and published in March of this year. It is titled: “Improving Home Care Sustainability in Ireland. Are user charges a promising option?” eurohealthobservatory.who.int/publications/i/improving-home-care-sustainability-in-ireland-are-user-charges-a-promising-option
This research will form an important part of the evidence base for the development of a sustainable funding model for home care services.
A pilot for testing a reformed model of service for the delivery for homecare in 4 Community Healthcare Organisations (CHOs) has concluded. Evaluation of the pilot has been completed and a final report is expected in the coming months.
The national rollout of interRAI as the new standard assessment tool for care-needs in the community is underway and the recruitment process for 128 interRAI Care Needs Facilitators has commenced.
The HSE is in the process of recruiting key posts to enable the establishment of a National Home Support Office. Funding is provided for 15 full time jobs. Four WTEs have been appointed to date including the head of service, with the remaining posts to be filled as soon as possible.
To examine and address the significant workforce challenges in the homecare and nursing home sectors in Ireland, Minister Butler established a cross-departmental Strategic Workforce Advisory Group in March 2022. Their report was published in October 2022 with 16 recommendations.
They are being progressed through a dedicated implementation group. A detailed implementation plan will be published in the coming months. The implementation group will meet quarterly, and the Department of Health will publish progress reports after these meetings take place. Recommendation number 9 has been implemented. The statutory instrument authorising the issuance of 1,000 employment permits for homecare workers was signed on 16 December 2022. Work is underway on all recommendations with a further four at an advanced stage.
1310. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the date he expects the final report into the home support pilot in four CHOs to be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36498/23]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1311. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the establishment of the national home support office; the number of positions funding has been provided for; the number of roles which remain vacant, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36499/23]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1312. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the work of the Strategic Workforce Advisory Group on home carers and nursing home healthcare assistants implementation group; the status of the implementation plan; when he expects this to be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36500/23]
View answerAddressing the shortage of care workers in Ireland is an urgent priority for the Government.
To this end, the cross departmental Strategic Workforce Advisory Group was established in March 2022 to examine, and formulate recommendations to address, the challenges in front line carer roles in the home support and long term residential care sectors.
The Group was chaired by the Department of Health and comprised representatives from seven government departments (Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; Enterprise, Trade and Employment; Health; Higher and Further Education, Research, Innovation and Science; Justice; Public Expenditure and Reform; and Social Protection), the HSE, HIQA and SOLAS.
The Report of the Strategic Workforce Advisory Group on Home Carers and Nursing Home Healthcare Assistants was published on 15th October 2022. Providing an overview of the work of the group and its key findings, the report presents a suite of 16 recommendations spanning the areas of areas of recruitment, pay and conditions of employment, barriers to employment, training and professional development, sectoral reform, and monitoring and implementation.
Implementation of the recommendations is underway, and is being overseen by a cross departmental implementation group, chaired by the Department of Health. The Department is engaging with recommendation owners to define an implementation plan. A meeting of the group took place on 29th June 2023. A detailed implementation plan will be published. It is envisaged that the implementation group will meet quarterly and publish progress reports thereafter.
Recommendation 9 has been implemented. The statutory instrument authorising the issuance of 1,000 employment permits for homecare workers was signed on 16th December 2022. As recommended by the Advisory Group, these permits will be for full-time positions with a minimum salary of €27,000 per year. Work is underway on all recommendations with a further four at an advanced stage.
1313. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on a waiting list for homecare packages, by CHO and LHO, in tabular form; and the number of persons experiencing delayed discharge from hospital due to a delay in accessing homecare. [36501/23]
View answerAs these are operational matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1314. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the number of dentists participating in the dental treatment services scheme, by CHO and LHO, in tabular form. [36502/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1315. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the number of children on a school dental screening service waiting list by age, wait time, LHO and CHO in 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [36503/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1318. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 788 of 2019, the companies, organisations and individuals engaged on a contractual basis by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) from June 2019 to date, in tabular form; the purpose of each engagement; the length of each engagement; the cost incurred to the NMBI for the relevant period of engagement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36508/23]
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.
1319. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the number of calls received by an entity (details supplied) on the red eye shift for the night of 18 July to the morning of 19 July; the number of home visits made that night; the number of people directed to a different centre for appointment; and the location of that centre. [36509/23]
View answer1326. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the number of calls received by an entity (details supplied) on the red eye shift for the night of 18 July to the morning of 19 July; the number of home visits made that night; the number of people directed to a different centre for appointment; and the location of that centre. [36540/23]
View answer1327. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the number of calls received by an entity (details supplied) on the red eye shift for the night of 18 July to the morning of 19 July; the number of home visits made that night; the number of people directed to a different centre for appointment; and the location of that centre. [36541/23]
View answer1328. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the number of calls received by an entity (details supplied) on the red eye shift for the night of 18 July to the morning of 19 July; the number of home visits made that night; the number of people directed to a different centre for appointment; and the location of that centre. [36542/23]
View answer1329. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the number of calls received by an entity (details supplied) on the red eye shift for the night of 18 July to the morning of 19 July; the number of home visits made that night; the number of people directed to a different centre for appointment; and the location of that centre. [36543/23]
View answer1330. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the number of calls received by an entity (details supplied) on the red eye shift for the night of 18 July to the morning of 19 July; the number of home visits made that night; the number of people directed to a different centre for appointment; and the location of that centre. [36544/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1319, 1326, 1327, 1328, 1329 and 1330 together.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1320. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the average emergency department waiting times at Our Lady's Hospital, Navan, in 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [36522/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1321. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the progress in the Hospital Building Programme in each of the past four years to date. [36523/23]
View answerAs 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.
1322. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the average response times for ambulances for 999 calls in CHO8 in 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [36524/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1323. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultants in respiratory medicine at the Mater Hospital in 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [36525/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
