Written Answers Nos. 364-373
364. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken to ensure that all medical card holders have access to a GP within their area, taking into account that more people are finding it harder and harder to get on a GP's list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45963/23]
View answerGPs are private practitioners, most of whom hold a contract with the HSE for the provision of health services. Under the GMS scheme, the HSE contracts GPs to provide medical services without charge to medical card and GP visit card holders.
For GMS patients unable to locate a GP themselves, the HSE may assign an eligible person to be included on a medical practitioner's GMS list where that person has unsuccessfully applied to at least three GPs in their area (or fewer if there are fewer GPs in the area), in accordance with the GMS contract.
People who do not hold a medical card or GP visit card access GP services on a private basis and can make enquiries directly to any GP practice they wish to register with. As private practitioners, it is a matter for each individual GP to decide whether to accept additional private patients. Neither my Department nor the HSE have any role in assigning patients who do not hold a medical card or a GP visit card to a GP's patient list.
The Government is aware of the workforce issues currently facing general practice, including the limited access to GP services in certain areas, and is working to ensure that general practice is sustainable in all areas into the future.
Under the 2019 GP Agreement additional annual expenditure provided for general practice has been increased now by €211.6m. This provides for significant increases in capitation fees for participating GMS GPs, and new fees and subsidies for additional services. Improvements to GP’s maternity and paternity leave arrangements and a support for GPs in disadvantaged urban areas, have also been provided for. In addition, the enhanced supports package for rural GP practices was increased by 10%.
The recent GP Agreement 2023 announced in July, which provides for the expansions of GP care without charges to those who earn up to the median household income and to children aged 6 & 7, includes additional capacity supports to enable the expansion and retention of staffing within general practice. It includes additional supports for GP Out of Hours services also.
These measures will make general practice in Ireland a more attractive career choice and will see an increase in the number of GPs working in the State, improving access to GP services for patients throughout the country.
The number of doctors entering GP training has been increased in recent years, with 287 new entrants for this year and 350 places for new entrants planned for next year. Annual intake to the GP training scheme has been increased by over 80% since 2015. Furthermore, the joint HSE and ICGP programme underway to bring up to 100 non-EU GPs to Ireland in 2023 will help to quickly improve access to GP services, particularly in areas with limited access. It is planned to bring to Ireland up to 250 more non-EU GPs by the end of 2024.
Lastly, my Department and the HSE have commenced a Strategic Review of General Practice. The review, with input from key stakeholders, will examine the broad range of issues affecting general practice, including issues related to GP capacity, and will set out the measures necessary to deliver a more sustainable general practice into the future.
365. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of home help provision (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46035/23]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
366. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Health if he will consider allowing funds to be allocated to (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46037/23]
View answerThe Health Act 1970 (as amended) provides for two categories of eligibility for persons ordinarily resident in the country, i.e. full eligibility (medical card holders) and limited eligibility (all others). Adults with full eligibility can access a range of services including GP services, prescribed drugs and medicines, public in-patient hospital services, including consultants’ services, out-patient public hospital services including consultants’ services, dental, ophthalmic and aural services and appliances, and maternity and infant care service.
Persons with limited eligibility are eligible for in-patient and outpatient public hospital services including consultant services, Emergency Department or minor injury care, subject to certain charges. Other services such as allied healthcare professional services may also be made available to persons with limited eligibility. Where a person accesses private healthcare in Ireland there is no facility for the cost of that care to be reimbursed by the public health system.
Regarding the Northern Ireland Planned Healthcare Scheme (NIPHS), patients are advised to contact the HSE Northern Ireland Planned Healthcare Scheme office directly for information on individual applications for reimbursement under the NIPHS. Further information and contact details are available on the HSE Northern Ireland Planned Healthcare website. www2.hse.ie/services/schemes-allowances/niphs/.
367. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health his views on the ability of a hospital group (details supplied), to comply with the HSE Urgent and Emergency Care Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46044/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
368. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health his views on the uptake of the winter flu vaccine in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46047/23]
View answerThe immunisation programme in Ireland is based on the advice of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC). The committee's recommendations are based on the prevalence of the relevant disease in Ireland and international best practice in relation to immunisation. It makes recommendations on vaccination policy to my Department.
The NIAC continues to revise recommendations to allow for the introduction of new vaccines in Ireland and to keep abreast of changes in the patterns of disease. Therefore, the immunisation schedule will continue to be amended over time.
During the 2023/2024 flu season, the flu vaccine is available free of charge to adults over 65 years, individuals in specified at-risk groups and children aged from 2 to 12 years of age. This programme ensures that those most vulnerable to the effects of influenza will have access to the flu vaccination without a charge. Full detail on the eligible groups is available on the HSE website.
The HSE will deliver school based nasal flu vaccinations (LAIV) to one year group of children in mainstream primary schools and all children in primary age special schools between October & December 2023. GPs and Pharmacies will continue to offer free flu vaccination services to all eligible children, as in previous flu seasons.
I am advised that vaccination uptake rates for the current flu season are not yet available. Uptake rates will be published by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre in due course.
369. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 438 of 24 January 2023, if he will provide an update; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46041/23]
View answerMy officials are making further enquiries in relation to this matter and a reply will issue to the Deputy when these enquiries are complete.
370. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide an update on the working of the Third Level Access Programme in universities. [44898/23]
View answerThe fourth National Access Plan (NAP) was published in August 2022 and is a seven-year plan. The plan aligns with and builds on the wider ambitions of the Programme for Government to provide accessible, affordable education to all citizens. A full midterm review of the NAP will take place in 2025.
Since the launch of the plan a number of measures have been progressed including:-
• Additional funding of €700,000 to enhance HEI’s capacity for regional engagement with priority groups and create linkages between HEI’s and new NAP target groups and new DEIS schools.
• The launch of PATH 4 - a €12 million fund over four years to support universal design and enhance provision for students with an intellectual disability. Proposals have recently been received from Higher Education Institutions on how they will enhance provision for students with an intellectual disability and I am looking forward to the outcomes of the assessment process for these proposals.
• The launch of PATH 5 - Established as a three-year pilot to support access, participation and success for students from the Traveller and Roma communities with a dedicated sustainable funding stream of €450,000 per year.
The NAP has called for an expansion of funding to address the cost of going to college and enable part time study for socio-economically disadvantaged students from priority groups. We made progress on this in last years Budget and further progress has been made this year.
• From September 2024 all non-adjacent maintenance rates will increase by €615 and all adjacent maintenance grant rates will increase by 10%.
• Students this year will see a pro-rata increase effective from January 2024. Maintenance for Postgraduate Students is being restored on a similar basis to undergraduate students in September 2024.
• Students in this academic year will see a pro-rata increase effective from January 2024. From September 2024 the threshold to receive Band 4 maintenance is increasing to €50,840. This means that more students can avail of maintenance grant support.
• From September 2024 the threshold for the 100% Student Contribution Grant is increasing by 10% to €55924.
• In addition I have increased the Student Assistance Fund by €8.1 million bringing this year’s budget to over €17million.
• From September 2024 a part-time fee grant scheme will provide support for eligible students who are undertaking specified undergraduate part-time programmes leading to a major award, both in-person, blended and online. This means that eligible students will avail of free fees for the first time ever if their household income is below €55,924. This will assist NAP priority groups.
371. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of tribunals, public investigations and commissions of investigations in process; the length of time each has been under way; when each will conclude; the cost to date of each; and the estimated cost of each at completion. [44814/23]
View answerThere are no tribunals of inquiry or commissions of investigation operating under the remit of my Department.
372. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to outline the benefits of recent budget changes in his Department. [45806/23]
View answerI am once again providing a significant package of measures to support students. We acknowledge that cost is a barrier to education and we’re continuing to break down that barrier and make further and higher education more accessible for more people.
For the second year in a row, I have reduced the student contribution fee by €1,000 for undergraduate students eligible for free fees. This will assist circa 94,000 - 96,000 students. If your household income is less than €100,000, you may be are eligible for a further €500 reduction in fees meaning the fee for college will be €1,500. In addition to that, if your fees were €1,500 – they will now be €1,000. These are real and substantial changes for thousands of students and their families. If you have paid your fees, your university will refund you or offer you a credit towards your next payment.
In addition to this, we have increased the student maintenance grant from September 2024. This will increase all non-adjacent maintenance rates by €615 and all adjacent maintenance rates by 10%. This will be effective from January 2024 on a pro rata basis benefit, so eligible undergraduate and PLC students in the current academic year will see their grant payments increase proportionally. This will benefit 2,459 students in Kerry.
From September 2024, grants for all eligible postgraduate students are being restored for the first time since the financial crash. A pro-rata increase will also be effective from January 2024. This will have a significant impact for students with some receiving a €2,000 boost. Postgraduate students who currently receive the special rate of grant will benefit from the maintenance grant increases previously outlined.
In addition to the above, I am increasing two student grant income thresholds. From September 2024 c3000 students may be eligible to receive a maintenance grant for the first time on foot of these increases and fees will be removed for an estimated additional c3,400 eligible students who earn less than €55,924.
For the first time ever, the student grant scheme will be extended to eligible part-time students. I genuinely believe that this has the potential to be seismic in the context of opening up opportunities for people and is a major step in the reform of the education system.
373. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to reform the SUSI grant programme to better accommodate students who are estranged and or independent from their parents/guardians (details supplied); and if he will review these criteria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45807/23]
View answerThe decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the centralised student grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) to determine.
For student grant purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students. A student may be assessed as an independent student (i.e. assessed without reference to parental income and address) if they have attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an approved course and is not ordinarily resident with their parents from the previous 1st October. Otherwise, they will be assessed as a dependent student, i.e., assessed with reference to parental income and address.
However, there are points at which a student may reclassify from a dependent student to an independent student, namely where they:
• Progress from further education to higher education.
• Are returning following a 3 year break in studies.
• Are returning as a “second chance" student after a five year break in studies.
The scheme does not stipulate precisely how an awarding authority satisfies itself that such circumstances prevail. This is to allow the awarding authority sufficient flexibility to assess the evidence of irrevocable estrangement in each individual case. The type of documentary evidence required is dependent on the applicant's individual circumstances.
We will keep this matter under review and will assess this going forward.
