Written Answers Nos. 717-734
717. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he has a established a dedicated funded programme to achieve implementation of UNCRPD; and his plans to provide resources for the establishment of a uniform approach to the provision of local authority access officers. [55414/23]
View answerIreland ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) on 20 March 2018. Ireland's approach to meeting the obligations set out in the UNCRPD is one of continuous advancement, each year moving forward on key reforms and building on the progress achieved.
The Convention was drafted to frame the fundamental human rights set out in the other major UN Conventions in the disability context - to express human rights as disability rights. In doing so it is extremely comprehensive in scope, capturing most aspects of daily life and going well beyond the remit of a single Department or Minister.
Coordination of the necessary whole of government work to advance the rights under the Convention is done my by Department but it falls to each of my ministerial colleagues to develop and implement specific measures on the basis of their ministerial portfolio. In that context, all public bodies must each ensure, on a "mainstream first" basis and in line with the Convention, that they are meeting their obligations under the UNCRPD and in relevant national legislation.
In respect of the accessibility obligations set out in the Disability Act 2005, including the provision of access officers, these accessibility obligations constitute corporate responsibilities that extend to how all public bodies conduct their business, and which must be met from the resources allocated to each body in question.
With respect to local authorities, the manner in which a local authority discharges its legal obligations, including those under the Disability Act 2005, is a matter for the local authority in question and the overall funding available to local authorities is a matter for the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
Where public bodies may require guidance or assistance in terms of what the role of access officer entails, or in terms of examples of best practice, the National Disability Authority has published guidance on its website and is available to assist public bodies seeking to support people with accessibility needs.
nda.ie/publications/access-officer-guidance-for-public-bodies
In relation to the budget of my own Department, I will be driving forward an ambitious programme of work to advance the progressive realisation of our obligations under the UNCRPD. This commitment is supported in Budget 2024 with a €2.8bn funding package for disability services.
718. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to review correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55434/23]
View answer719. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to review correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55435/23]
View answer723. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to review correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55439/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 718, 719 and 723 together.
The matters raised in these PQs have been brought to the attention of colleagues in the HSE.
720. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of people who are recorded by his Department as being resident in accommodation provided by the International Protection Accommodation Service; the number of whom are children, including people who are resident in direct provision centres and in temporary accommodation in hotels and guesthouses, broken down by their length of stay, and whether they are an adult or a child, in tabular form. [55436/23]
View answerI thank the Deputy for his question. The information requested will be provided directly to the Deputy in the coming days.
721. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of persons currently residing in direct provision centres in the State who have qualified for refugee status but continue to reside in direct provision centres. [55437/23]
View answer722. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the supports or assistance programmes, services or phonelines available to persons who have qualified for refugee status to help them move out of direct provision centres. [55438/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 721 and 722 together.
The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) is currently accommodating nearly 26,000 people in over 200 accommodation centres throughout Ireland. Of these people, over 5,900 have been granted International Protection or a Leave to Remain.
Under The European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018, those who have had their application determined are no longer entitled to Material Reception conditions. However, IPAS continues to accommodate those with status, until such time that they progress into the community.
IPAS has a specific Transition team who work in collaboration with DePaul Ireland, the Peter McVerry Trust, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and Local Authorities to support residents with status to exit IPAS accommodation and access other housing options. Those with status have the same housing entitlements as Irish citizens and are supported to register with a Local Authority and, if required, to avail of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) to secure alternative accommodation. In addition, those with status have the same social welfare entitlements as Irish citizens.
Those with status for the greatest length of time are currently being offered a transfer to alternative emergency accommodation. Those being offered this transfer have been granted status for at least 18 months.
This process began in September 2022, beginning with single applicants with status for over 3 years. Currently singles/couples with status over 18 months have been notified of the offer of emergency accommodation, if they have been unable to source accommodation within 6 weeks of the dated letter.
All those with International Protection/Permission to Remain are written to once status has been granted and are advised they must now seek alternative accommodation. They are also advised that the supports of Peter McVerry Trust/DePaul are available to them. In the past 18 months, over 2,000 people with status have left IPAS accommodation and progressed into the community.
Please see, in tabular format, the number of those who have received permission to remain and currently reside in IPAS accommodation, along with the number of those who have progressed into their communities, up to November 2023.
|
Month |
Grants Issued |
Progressions |
Persons with PTR Remaining in Accommodation (end of month totals) |
|
Jan 23 |
206 |
97 |
5040 |
|
Feb 23 |
142 |
118 |
5064 |
|
Mar 23 |
295 |
162 |
5197 |
|
Apr 23 |
170 |
150 |
5217 |
|
May 23 |
270 |
197 |
5290 |
|
Jun 23 |
301 |
200 |
5391 |
|
Jul 23 |
279 |
162 |
5508 |
|
Aug 23 |
284 |
142 |
5650 |
|
Sep 23 |
210 |
135 |
5725 |
|
Oct 23 |
411 |
130 |
6006 |
|
Nov 23 |
265 |
331 |
5960 |
|
Total |
2833 |
1824 |
5960 |
724. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if there are plans to provide further funding to the groups that organise meals on wheels which is a valuable service to our elderly in view of the rising costs of fuel, staffing and the increase of five sick days a year for employees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54450/23]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
As the Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday, 6 October. As a consequence of this industrial action, members in these grades are not engaging with political forums or processes. As a result, the question asked by the Deputy may be delayed in receiving a response directly from the HSE.
725. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on the waiting list to see a consultant plastic surgeon at Naas General Hospital. [54465/23]
View answerIt is recognised that waiting times for many scheduled appointments and procedures were too long before and have been made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Department of Health continues to work with the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) to identify ways to improve access to care.
The 2023 Waiting List Action Plan builds on the foundational work done in the 2021 and 2022 plans, both of which reversed the annual trend of rising waiting lists.
For 2023, funding totalling €443 million is being allocated to tackle Waiting Lists with €363 million of this being allocated to the 2023 Waiting List Action Plan, to reduce hospital waiting lists by implementing longer term reforms and providing additional public and private activity to clear backlogs exacerbated during the pandemic. The remaining €80 million of the €443 million is being targeted at various measures to alleviate community/primary care waiting lists.
With the funding from Budget 2024 (€407 million), we are taking the next steps in the multi-annual approach towards achieving the vision of a world-class public healthcare system in which everyone has timely and transparent access to high-quality scheduled care, where and when they need it, in line with Sláintecare reforms.
In relation to the particular query raised by the Deputy, the NTPF has advised that there are no outpatient patients waiting to see a Plastic surgeon at Naas General Hospital. Furthermore, adult and child waiting list information by hospital and specialty is published monthly and is available on the NTPF website at: www.ntpf.ie/home/nwld.htm.
726. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he will advise which hospitals have MRI machines that are compatible with a pacemaker, in tabular form. [54466/23]
View answerReferred to HSE : This is a radiology service matter specific to Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
727. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of young persons on CAMHS waiting list waiting on ADHD supports; and the length of time that young persons with ADHD are on CAMHS list in CHO7. [54467/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
As the Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday, 6 October. As a consequence of this industrial action, members in these grades are not engaging with political forums or processes. As a result, the question asked by the Deputy may be delayed in receiving a response directly from the HSE.
728. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a schedule of headings under which the €7.3 million funding for the National Stroke Strategy was spent on in 2023. [54468/23]
View answerRefer to the HSE noting that in 2023, the Minister provided €4.9 million to fund the National Stroke Strategy (3.6 m non-pay costs and €1.3 m pay-costs).
729. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of pharmacies operating in Dublin on a 24-hour basis; and if pharmacies providing a service outside of standard hours receive a subsidy from the HSE. [54469/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
730. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health if the dispute between his Department and dentists has been resolved in order to allow persons with medical cards to access free dental care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54486/23]
View answerThe Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) provides dental care, free of charge, to medical card holders aged 16 and over. Since May 1st 2022, there has been additional prevention treatments included and a 40-60% increase in fees paid to dentists across most treatment items. From January to October this year, 142,450 additional treatments have been provided under the DTSS, with over 25,600 extra unique patients treated when compared with the same period last year.
The Government is committed to fundamentally reforming dental services, including the DTSS, through implementation of the National Oral Health Policy, Smile agus Sláinte. The Department is working closely with the HSE to ensure the establishment of focused structures to drive implementation of the Policy. The HSE has now appointed a Strategic Reform Lead to drive Policy implementation across the organisation and to move forward in 2024 with developing new services for both adults and children in line with the Policy. This will include work on planning new services for medical card holders.
While it will take a number of years to bring reform to complete fruition, there will be an early emphasis in implementation on addressing the current issues, including the reform of the provision of services for medical card holders.
731. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to ensure that alcohol price reductions on the basis of a customer having a supermarket loyalty card are not in breach of the Public Health Act (Alcohol) 2018; the engagements he has had with supermarkets on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54494/23]
View answerThe Environmental Health Service of the HSE is responsible for the enforcement of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act. The EHS provides ongoing feedback on compliance with and enforcement of the provisions of the Act including those relating to price promotions. Ongoing consideration is being given to all such matters.
732. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting as of 1 December 2023 or the nearest available date for an MRI scan in the Children’s Hospital Group, the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group, the Ireland East Hospital Group, the RCSI Hospital Group, the Saolta University Health Care Group, the South/South West Hospital Group and the University of Limerick Hospital Group, for less than 6, 6-12, 12-18 and more than 18 months, in tabular form. [54498/23]
View answer733. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting as of 1 December 2023 or the nearest available date for a CT scan in the Children’s Hospital Group, the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group, the Ireland East Hospital Group, the RCSI Hospital Group, the Saolta University Health Care Group, the South/South West Hospital Group and the University of Limerick Hospital Group, for less than 6, 6-12, 12-18 months and more than 18 months, in tabular form. [54499/23]
View answer734. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting as of 1 December 2023 or the nearest available date for a bone scan in the Children’s Hospital Group, the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group, the Ireland East Hospital Group, the RCSI Hospital Group, the Saolta University Health Care Group, the South/South West Hospital Group and the University of Limerick Hospital Group, for less than 6, 6-12, 12-18 and more than 18 months, in tabular form. [54500/23]
View answer735. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number the number of people waiting as of 1 December 2023 or the nearest available date for an angiogram in the Children’s Hospital Group, the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group, the Ireland East Hospital Group, the RCSI Hospital Group, the Saolta University Health Care Group, the South/South West Hospital Group and the University of Limerick Hospital Group, for than 6 months; 6-12, 12-18 and more than 18 months, in tabular form. [54501/23]
View answer736. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number to detail in tabular format the number of people waiting as of 1 December 2023 or the nearest available date for an electroencephalogram in the Children’s Hospital Group, the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group, the Ireland East Hospital Group, the RCSI Hospital Group, the Saolta University Health Care Group, the South/South West Hospital Group and the University of Limerick Hospital Group, for the following waiting periods; less than 6, 6-12, 12-18 and more than 18 months, in tabular form. [54502/23]
View answer737. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number to detail in tabular format the number of people waiting as of 1 December 2023 or the nearest available date for cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in the Children’s Hospital Group, the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group, the Ireland East Hospital Group, the RCSI Hospital Group, the Saolta University Health Care Group, the South/South West Hospital Group and the University of Limerick Hospital Group, for less than 6, 6-12, 12-18 and more than 18 months, in tabular form. [54503/23]
View answer738. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting as of 1 December 2023 or the nearest available date for an ultrasound scan in the Children’s Hospital Group, the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group, the Ireland East Hospital Group, the RCSI Hospital Group, the Saolta University Health Care Group, the South/South West Hospital Group and the University of Limerick Hospital Group, for 6 months; 6-12, 12-18 and more than 18 months, in tabular form. [54504/23]
View answer739. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting as of 1 December 2023 or the nearest available date for an electrocardiogram (ECG) in the Children’s Hospital Group, the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group, the Ireland East Hospital Group, the RCSI Hospital Group, the Saolta University Health Care Group, the South/South West Hospital Group and the University of Limerick Hospital Group, for less than 6, 6-12, 12-18 and more than 18 months, in tabular form. [54505/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 732 to 739, inclusive, together.
The HSE advises that a pilot project commenced in 2016 by the HSE Acute Hospitals Division to progress the collection of national radiology waiting list data. The project has been supported by the Radiology Clinical Care Programme and has involved key stakeholders across the system including the National Integrated Medical Imaging System (NIMIS) Team, Hospital Groups, and the support of the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) for data collection and data management expertise.
The information that is currently being collected is presently being tested and validated at hospital, hospital group and national level and as such should not be used/reported without the context of the caveats set out below:
• Data is subject to inclusions and exclusions which are documented in the Data Profile Document. This document is available from Acute Operations and has been circulated to all Hospital Groups.
• Data contains urgent, routine and surveillance/planned activity which is currently not broken down in detail, as such this includes surveillance/planned activity which may not be exceeding planned date.
• Data is still undergoing validation at Hospital and Hospital Group level.
• Data does not take into account local nuances at site level (Site profile developed to support understanding of same).
• The purpose of this aggregate data is to provide a National Level overview of the number of patients waiting for modalities of CT, MRI and Ultrasound.
• This report is not intended to be used for the active management of hospital diagnostics waiting list, local reports and mechanisms should continue to be used for the management of diagnostics waiting lists at hospital level.
The National Treatment Purchase Fund provides my Department with Quarterly reports which set out waiting list data for CT, MRI and Ultrasound. The HSE advises that, at present, further diagnostic scans (including cholangiopancreatography, electroencephalogram, angiogram, and bone scan), are not yet captured as part of this project.
The attached report sets out that at the end of Quarter 3 2023, there were a total of 265,356 patients reported on the waiting list from all sites. This represents all outpatients waiting, urgent, semi urgent, routine and planned/surveillance (where diagnostic access is planned at particular time intervals).
To ensure that Deputies have access to these quarterly diagnostic reports as soon as they are available, my Department will put an arrangement in place whereby the reports can be provided to Deputies once they have been received from the NTPF, and will contact the Deputy directly in this regard.
