Written Answers Nos. 1898-1917
1898. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the funding that is available to CAMHS teams to carry out electrocardiograms, blood tests and other necessary tests for people with eating disorders; if this funding will be increased; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39142/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
1899. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the CAMHS staffing levels and operational costs per CHO; the levels of staff turnover per CHO; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39143/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
1900. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the yearly average number of appointments per CAMHS patient per CHO area; the recommended number of appointments per patient; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39144/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
1901. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the absence rates for CAMHS staff per CHO; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39145/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
1902. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health if there is a separate referral pathway for young people with ADHD within CAMHS; the CHO areas in which this is in operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39146/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
1903. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health if creative art therapists will be considered on the upcoming CORU registration under psychotherapy and psychology; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39147/23]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, CORU is Ireland’s multi-profession health and social care regulator. CORU’s role is to protect the public by regulating the health and social care professions designated under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (as amended), including setting the standards that health and social care professionals must meet to be eligible for registration and maintaining registers of persons who meet those standards.
Seventeen health and social care professions are designated for regulation by CORU. There are currently registers open for eleven professions and CORU is continuing the substantial work required to open the registers for the remaining designated professions of Social Care Workers; Psychologists; Counsellors and Psychotherapists; Clinical Biochemists; and Orthoptists.
CORU’s regulatory model is based on protection of title; once a profession is regulated it becomes a criminal offence to use a professional title if a person is not a CORU registrant. CORU is responsible for investigating and prosecuting the use of protected titles by unregistered persons.
The Psychologists Registration Board (PSRB) was established in 2017 and the Counsellors and Psychotherapists Registration Board (CPRB) was established in 2019. The work of both registration boards includes consideration of the titles to be protected, the minimum qualifications to be required of existing practitioners, the qualifications that will be required for future graduates, and drafting the Standards of Proficiency and Criteria for Education and Training Programmes.
Once statutory regulation is introduced to the psychology, counselling and psychotherapy professions, practitioners wishing to work using these titles in the Republic of Ireland will have to register with CORU on the appropriate register. The CPRB and PSRB will set the standards of education and training for entry to the registers and approve and monitor education and training programmes in psychology, counselling and psychotherapy.
Practitioners who meet the standards of education and training set by the CPRB and PSRB can apply to be granted registration and entered onto a register of their profession. Registrants will then be entitled to use the titles of Psychologist, Counsellor, and Psychotherapist.
Owing to the significant body of preparatory work that the PSRB and CPRB are required to undertake, it is not possible to say with any degree of accuracy when the professions of psychology, counselling, and psychotherapy will be fully regulated. I would anticipate that these registration boards will require a number of years to complete their work.
I hope this information is of assistance.
1904. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number of hospital beds currently provided in each public and voluntary hospital as of end-August 2023 or the latest date available, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39150/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1905. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number employed in wholetime-equivalent terms in each category in each individual public and voluntary hospital in August 2023 or the latest date available, in tabular form (details supplied). [39151/23]
View answerAs this is an operational matter for the Health Service Executive, the HSE has been asked to reply directly to the Deputy.
1906. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the HSE's plans for a centre (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39155/23]
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.
1907. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if a satellite palliative care unit (details supplied) will be provided in the new Killarney Community Hospital as part of its services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39156/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1908. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health to respond to concerns raised in correspondence (details supplied) ahead of budget 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39164/23]
View answerThe Department is currently engaging in dialogue with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform and the HSE in relation to the 2024 Estimates. Until these discussions are concluded it would not be appropriate for me to comment on this matter. However, I am committed to ensuring the continued enhancement of mental health services through the allocation of additional funding for mental health in 2024.
The Government’s clear commitment to enhancing mental health services is shown by significant mental health funding increases in recent years. I would note that 2023 saw a record budget for mental health of €1.2bn. Budget 2023 delivered almost €58m in additional funding, and a further €10m in once-off funding for much needed minor capital works across the Mental Health system.
Funding allocated to mental health services in recent years has allowed for the continued investment in the mental health national clinical programmes and models of care, which has led to significant service improvements, including the full implementation of specialist perinatal mental health network provided for and the on-going expansion of specialist mental health teams for eating disorders, ADHD in adults, and dual diagnosis.
Importantly, as budgets increase, we need to ensure that we have plans and strategies in place so that those resources are used effectively and efficiently to the benefit of people using our mental health services. All aspects of mental health services are being improved and developed, through Sharing the Vision in the short to longer term. Sharing the Vision aims to enhance the provision of mental health services and supports across a broad continuum, from mental health promotion, prevention, and early intervention to acute and specialist mental health service delivery, during the period 2020-2030.
1909. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 680 of 27 June 2023, if there is any further development in the provision of a pathway for a person to claim compensation for what they believe to be illegal nursing home charges paid between 1977 and 1979, who has not as of yet made any claim; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39167/23]
View answerThe Health Repayment Scheme was a statutory scheme established under the Health (Repayment Scheme) Act 2006, www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2006/act/17/enacted/en/html, to repay specified pre-2005 charges for in-patient services imposed on certain persons with full medical card eligibility in public long stay facilities, including public nursing homes. As the Scheme closed to new applications on 31 December 2007 in accordance with the provisions of the Act, no new applications can be made under the Scheme.
To date, the HSE has processed almost 35,500 claims under the Scheme and has issued repayments of approximately €453 million to over 20,300 claimants.
Upon the raising of issues earlier this year about how the State has approached legal challenges taken against it in relation to pre-2005 legacy nursing home charges, the Government moved quickly to establish the facts surrounding these issues, which go back many decades, by requesting the Attorney General to prepare a Report on the litigation management strategy. This comprehensive Report was published on 7 February 2023 and may be accessed at: www.gov.ie/en/publication/22adc-attorney-generals-report-on-nursing-home-charges-and-disabled-persons-maintenance-allowance/.
As committed in February, I am considering the Attorney General’s report and briefing prepared by the Department further and I hope to revert to Government shortly.
1910. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the number of emergency department presentations for cannabis use for each year from 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39172/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1911. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health for an update on the roll-out of dual diagnosis services within CAMHS; the training that will be offered to staff in both mental health and addiction services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39173/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1912. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the counselling services offered within the adolescent addiction services; the staff vacancy within these services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39174/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1913. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the number of pregnant people with hyperemesis associated with cannabis use; the number of this occurring from 2013 to date; if there are HSE information campaigns about the use of cannabis while pregnant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39175/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1914. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the number of people who have been diagnosed with cannabis use disorder, CUD; if there has been a rise in CUD diagnoses over the past ten years; the supports that are in place to support people with CUD; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39176/23]
View answerThe National Drug and Alcohol Survey (NDAS) is funded by the Department of Health and managed by the Health Research Board. The first survey was conducted in 2002/03 and repeated every four years, in 2006/7, 2010/11, 2014/15, and 2019/20.
The NDAS presents findings from a survey of a randomly selected, representative sample of households throughout Ireland. People aged over 15 years, are asked about their drug use on a lifetime (ever used), last year (recent use) and last month (current use) basis.
Cannabis use disorder (CUD), as recorded in the NDAS, is defined as any cannabis abuse or dependence in the 12 months prior to survey.
The fifth NDAS survey 2019/20, published in June 2021, showed that while cannabis is the most prevalent illegal drug in Ireland, the use of cannabis has decreased from 6.5% to 5.9% when compared to the 2014/15 survey.
The prevalence of CUD in 2019/20 was 1.2%, representing 45,000 of the Irish population; this included 0.5% with cannabis abuse and 0.6% with cannabis dependence. The prevalence of CUD was 1.6% for males and 0.8% for females. The highest prevalence was observed among 15 to 34-year-olds (2.8%). Of those who had used cannabis in the last year, 19.6% met the criteria for CUD, including 19.0% of male and 20.9% of female cannabis users.
The prevalence of CUD among 15 to 64-year-olds increased substantially between the 2010/11 and 2014/15 survey, from 1.5% to 3.0%, and decreased in 2019/20 to 1.4%. A decrease in CUD was particularly apparent among males and 15 to 34-year-olds.
In 2022, there were 2,245 cases treated for problem drug use where cannabis was the main drug. This compares to 2,439 cases in 2016. Cannabis is the main drug generating treatment demand among cases aged 19 years or less.
There is a comprehensive range of drug services providing supports for people affected by cannabis use disorder, including community-based services coordinated by drug and alcohol task forces and the HSE. Further information on the risks associated with cannabis use and the services available for those affected can be found on drugs.ie Cannabis - Drug and Alcohol Information and Support in Ireland - Drugs.ie
We cannot be complacent about the risk to health posed by illicit drugs. That is why the Government is following a public health approach to drug use, that will lead to better outcomes for individuals and society.
1915. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the funding provided by HSE CHO areas 6 and 7 to an organisation (details supplied) and the services that are provided by the organisation in these areas; if there are plans to increase this funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39178/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1916. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant cardiothoracic surgeons with a special interest in beating heart coronary artery bypass at the Mater Hospital in 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [39190/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1917. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of blepharoplasty surgeries carried out at the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital in 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [39191/23]
View answerIn 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.
