Written Answers Nos. 1148-1167
1148. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health when a child (details supplied) who is currently attending Crumlin Children's Hospital will be provided with a wheelchair, as it is urgently required by them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47606/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
1149. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) has not been assigned a GP; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47607/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
1150. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on CAMHS hubs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47614/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1151. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a status update regarding the anticipated opening date of the National Home Support Office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47626/23]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
1152. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health to provide a status update regarding the rollout of the new ICT system for HSE Home Support Services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47627/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
1153. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health to outline the steps that he has taken to date to address delays in the Statutory Home Support Scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47628/23]
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; and (iv) implementation of the recommendations of the Strategic Workforce Advisory Group.
Establishing a regulatory framework for home support providers is a significant element of the new scheme and is a priority for government. The regulatory framework will comprise: primary legislation for the licensing of home support providers; regulations which will set out the minimum requirements that a home support provider must meet to obtain a licence; and HIQA national standards.
The legislation to establish a licensing framework for home support providers is at an advanced stage. The Heads of Bill are currently being drafted by the Department with a view to bringing the Heads of Bill to Government for approval before the end of the year. Primary legislation has been prioritised for drafting in the Autumn Legislative Programme.
The Department is engaging with key stakeholders in relation to the primary legislation and draft regulations.
The draft regulations are at an advanced stage informed by a public consultation, which concluded on 4 August 2022. The analysis of submissions has been carried out by the Institute of Public Health (IPH) which demonstrated strong agreement in relation to regulation of home support service provision. A report on the findings of the public consultation was published in January 2023
The Department is working closely with HIQA and the Chief inspector who will have the legal authority to grant, amend or revoke a license. Consultation on HIQA quality standards for home care and home support services will commence early in 2024 when the scope and content of regulations have been finalised.
1154. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will take the necessary steps to ensure that future tender invitations for home support services will include mileage payments to homecare workers (as is the case for HSE employed carers); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47629/23]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1155. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will engage with representatives of homecare providers and homecare workers for the purposes of developing career structures and pathways for homecare workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47638/23]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
1156. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will take the necessary steps to ensure that homecare workers continue to receive the living wage for the duration of Authorisation Scheme 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47632/23]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
1157. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health to provide a status update regarding the establishment of a Commission on Care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47633/23]
View answerIn line with the on-going Sláintecare reform of the health and social care system, the Government is committed to supporting older persons to live independently in their homes and communities for as long as possible; to the provision of timely, high-quality, person-centred, integrated care in the most appropriate setting for all older persons; and to supporting positive ageing. Acknowledging the disproportionately negative impact of the pandemic on older persons, the Programme for Government commits to the establishment of a "commission to examine care and supports for older people".
On 3 October 2023 the Government approved the proposal put forward by the Minister for Health and I for the establishment of a Commission on Care for Older Persons. The commission will examine the provision of health and social care services and supports for older persons and make recommendations to the Government for their strategic development. In addition, a cross-departmental group will be established under the auspices of the commission to consider whether the supports for positive ageing across the life course are fit-for-purpose and to develop a costed implementation plan for options to optimise these supports. The commission will be comprised of independent experts and will be supported by a secretariat from the Department of Health.
In the budget for 2024, €1.243 million has been allocated to support the work of the commission, which will formally commence in early 2024.
1158. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will take the necessary steps to enable hospitals to block book home care hours, in order to enable providers to plan strategically and ensure that there are carers available to support timely discharge of patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47634/23]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
1159. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will take the necessary steps to ensure that homecare providers are paid for a month when a client pauses receiving care to ensure that the homecare workers remain assigned to the client; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47635/23]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
1160. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if will give due consideration to incentivising providers and carers to deliver care in rural areas (similar to the Australian Modified Monash Model which measures the remoteness and population size on scale of 1-7, i.e., major city to very remote); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47636/23]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
1161. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will give due consideration to establishing a forum with regard to waiting list numbers across Community Health Organisations, for the purposes of developing best practice guidelines on waiting list management; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47637/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
1162. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of statements of interests for the purposes of Section 19 that have been filed by his special advisors in 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023; and if he will provide a schedule of same. [47649/23]
View answerFor the purposes of Section 19 of the Ethics in Public Office Act, 1995, where there are no interests to disclose, there is no obligation on a Special Adviser to furnish a nil statement and no requirement on an office holder to lay a nil statement of a special adviser before the Oireachtas.
As such, there were no statements of interests filed in respect of the special advisers in this Department during the years 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023.
1163. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health to outline the percentage of the health budget that is allocated to mental health in each year from 2019, up to and including Budget 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47668/23]
View answerThe total allocation for mental health services in 2024 is approximately €1.3 billion, which is the fourth year in a row in which the mental health budget has been increased. This increase in funding for mental health services represents a significant investment which will enable continued policy implementation and service improvement in line with our national mental health policy, Sharing the Vision. This year’s budget allocation builds on the investment this Government has made over the last number of years to deliver the policy priorities of Sharing the Vision through the provision of mental health supports across a broad continuum from mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention, to acute and specialist mental health service delivery, and enabling us to continue to deliver our vital services to as many people as possible, as we move into 2024.
As part of the funding allocated to mental health services, new development funding has been secured to advance initiatives on youth mental health, and around priority groups identified within our national suicide prevention strategy Connecting for Life. This new development funding will be focused on increased CAMHS staffing, a new Youth Mental Health app, a referral pilot for children's community services including CAMHS (piloting an approach to service referrals known as ‘No Wrong Door’), the expansion of Suicide Bereavement Liaison Services, and expanding the Traveller Counselling Service to achieve national coverage for the first time.
As occurs each year following the Budget, discussions will now take place with the HSE on details relating to specific service initiatives in the context of preparing the HSE Service Plan 2024, including that for Mental Health.
Please see below table outlining the budget allocation to HSE Mental Health Services as a percentage of the health budget since 2019:
Mental Health Funding as a Percentage of Health Budget 2012 - 2020
|
Year |
Allocation (NSP) - €m |
% of Total Health Budget |
|
2019 |
987.4 |
6.3% |
|
2020 |
1,031.3 |
6.1% |
|
2021 |
1,114.1 |
5.4% |
|
2022 |
1,159.0 |
5.6% |
|
2023 |
1,226.7 |
5.7% |
|
2024 |
1,295.5 |
5.8% |
While the table provides a breakdown of the percentage of the health budget allocated to mental health in each year from 2019 to 2024, it should be noted that funding for mental health supports is dispersed across many areas of Government, and there is no single headline funding figure which captures this important figure. For example, the figure of approximately €1.3 billion above does not include funding for other parts of the health service that provide mental health services and supports, such as psychotropic medicines funded by the Primary Care Reimbursement Service, liaison mental health services in acute hospitals, some dual diagnosis (addiction and mental health) services, and mental health and well-being promotion.
It also does not include spending by other departments on services that incorporate psychological or mental health supports, such as the Prison and Probation Services, Social Protection, Defence Forces, or the Department of Education.
1164. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) can expect to receive surgery in Cork University Hospital; if it would be possible to receive the surgery in either University Hospital Kerry or the Bons Secours Hospital, Tralee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47683/23]
View answerUnder 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.
1165. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health whether his Department will conduct an inquiry into the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland use of a US institute to conduct animal research not in accordance with Irish or EU regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47685/23]
View answerDirective 2010/63/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes seeks to replace the use of live animals for scientific and educational purposes as soon as it is possible to do so. This legislation applies throughout the European Union and is transposed into Irish law by the European Union (Protection of Animals used for Scientific Purposes) Regulations 2012 (S.I. No. 543 of 2012).
The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) is the competent authority in respect of the use of animals for scientific purposes within Ireland. Any project on animals conducted in Ireland must be evaluated by the HPRA in accordance with Regulation 31 of S.I. No. 543 of 2012. Projects must be justified from a scientific point of view or required by law, and must be conducted in the most humane and environmentally sensitive manner possible. This legislation does not apply to any research conducted outside of the European Union.
The HPRA and the Minister for Health have no legal remit in this matter, and therefore there is no basis in national or European law to conduct an inquiry into animal research carried out by a US institute.
1166. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that the practice of night-time confinement in all units (except high-secure) at the National Central Mental Hospital, Portrane, continues to be operational, despite the ceasing of this activity being a condition of its registration, as set out by the Mental Health Commission and HSE, dated 12 May 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47689/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1167. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Health when a child (details supplied) in County Clare will be transferred from University Hospital Limerick to CHI, Crumlin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47701/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
