Written Answers Nos. 604-618
606. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Health if a medical card holder, who cannot secure an appointment with a dentist providing medical card services in their area, can avail of any other scheme to help with the cost of emergency dental treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42315/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
607. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Health if there is a list of dentists providing treatment until the medical card scheme; if so, if such a list can be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42316/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
608. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health when the legislation is coming in to ban disposable vapes being sold to under 18s; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42324/23]
View answerThe Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill will introduce a suite of measures which aim to reduce the appeal and availability of nicotine inhaling products such as electronic cigarettes to young people. Measures contained in the Bill include:
• A prohibition on the sale of nicotine inhaling products to those aged under 18.
• The creation of a licencing system for the retail sale of nicotine inhaling products. Retailers will need to apply for a licence, renew it annually, and pay a fee.
• A prohibition on the sale of nicotine inhaling products from self-service vending machines, temporary or moveable premises, and events aimed at children.
• A prohibition on the advertising of nicotine inhaling products near schools, in cinemas, or on public transport.
• The introduction of new penalties for retailers who commit offences related to nicotine inhaling products.
The Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill completed Second Stage on 15 June this year and it is my intention that it will be enacted by the end of this year.
610. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health when the HSE recruitment embargo will be lifted; if he is aware of the impact that this is having on the delivery of frontline patient services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42328/23]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, a temporary pause in recruitment has been introduced across managerial and administration grades in the HSE and Section 38 organisations. To begin, I would like to acknowledge the important work carried out by all managerial and administration staff across the health service. Their roles are of significant importance in the running of our services. This recruitment pause has been initiated for very good reason. The HSE is substantially ahead of targeted growth rates in relation to Management and Admin staff this year. If this level of growth were to continue uncontrolled, this category of staff would be significantly over the targeted and budgeted recruitment figure by year end which will have financial implications for 2023 and following years, and adversely impact on the HSE’s ability to recruit in the future.
The temporary recruitment pause of Management and Admin staff was discussed under the auspices of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) in late August/early September. The parties, which included the HSE, the Department of Health, and Fórsa, agreed to several principles surrounding the recruitment of Management and Admin grades across the HSE and Section 38 organisations. Since this agreement at the WRC, the HSE and Fórsa have continued to engage locally in relation to principals surrounding the recruitment of this category of staff.
I want to assure the Deputy that this recruitment pause should have no direct impact on patients, and there is a process in place to allow for the continued recruitment of any roles deemed critical to service delivery.
612. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health whether the special leave with pay scheme will be extended for those suffering from long-Covid; if the scheme is not extended, what payment will replace this scheme for people who still cannot return to work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42332/23]
View answerFor a certain cohort of employees suffering from long-Covid, a Special Scheme of Paid Leave for Public Health Service Employees unfit for work post Covid infection, specific to the public health service was introduced on 1 July 2022.
This Special Scheme was due to conclude on 30 June this year. In recognition of this ongoing matter, sanction to extend the Special Scheme for a period of 12 months was sought from the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform (DPENDPR) in April 2023. The sanction provided by DPENDPR was for a period of just four months. This extension was sanctioned by DPENDPR on a once-off basis and is restricted only to those employees who are currently availing of the Special Scheme. The Special Scheme will now conclude on 31st October 2023 in light of this.
I wish to continue to support the health care workers currently on the Special Scheme, and I have recently written to Minister Donohue again seeking his sanction to further extend the Special Scheme .
Any employees on the Special Scheme who remain unwell beyond its concluding date, may utilise the provisions of the Public Service Sick Leave Scheme thereafter.
613. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 901 of 20 September 2023, when it is expected that the review by his Department and the HSE of matters raised will be completed. [42355/23]
View answerAs outlined in my reply to the Deputy to PQ No. 901 of 20 September 2023, my Department and the HSE are currently examining the issue.
614. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of data breaches experienced by his Department in each of the past ten years and to date in 2023. [42368/23]
View answerThe table below sets out the number of personal data breaches logged by my Department since the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018 to date.
Personal data breaches are dealt with in line with the Department’s Data Breach Management Policy and obligations under the GDPR.
|
Year |
Number of Data Breaches |
|
2018 |
4 |
|
2019 |
2 |
|
2020 |
16 |
|
2021 |
20 |
|
2022 |
9 |
|
2023 |
11 |
615. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation devices that are currently available in each hospital, in tabular form. [42378/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
616. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of day and night shift leaders in the ICU departments of Tallaght University Hospital, St. James's Hospital and St. Vincent's University Hospital, in tabular form. [42379/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
617. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of gallbladder surgeries performed at the Mater Hospital in 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [42380/23]
View answerAs this question relates to service matters, I have arranged for it to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply.
618. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE staff, by job title, working in each minor injuries unit, in tabular form. [42381/23]
View answerAs this is an operational matter for the Health Service Executive, the HSE has been asked to reply directly to the Deputy.
