Written Answers Nos. 330-336
330. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the degree to which cancer patients awaiting treatment are able to receive treatment as and when required; the extent of any waiting lists in this category; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9930/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
331. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the extent to which women's health specifically remains central to the provision and delivery of a reliable level and quality of health services in all areas throughout the country without exception; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9931/24]
View answerProgressing women’s health is a priority for myself and for this Government. We made a strong commitment to promoting women’s health in the Programme for Government 2020 and are fully committed to the continued development and improvement of women’s health services and to working with women and girls to improve their health outcomes and experiences of healthcare across the whole life cycle.
Underscoring our commitment to women’s health was the establishment of a Women’s Health Taskforce in September 2019. The Women’s Health Taskforce continues to prioritise different issues each year with the overall aim of improving women’s health outcomes and experiences.
Listening is at the core of the work of the women’s health programme. The Taskforce has listened to, engaged with and worked with significant number of individuals and organisations representing women a wider ranging demographic of women and girls across the country. What we heard through this engagement became the foundations of the Women's Health Action Plan 2022-2023 (www.gov.ie/en/publication/232af-womens-health-action-plan-2022-2023/).
The Women’s Health Action Plan 2022-23 identified key actions to improve health outcomes and experiences for women in Ireland. It provided the foundation to address women’s whole health and help ensure that action on women’s health looks beyond reproductive health to make a real difference to women’s lives. I can assure the Deputy that Women’s Health continues to be one of my priorities going forward into 2024 and beyond.
Alongside the Women’s Health Action Plan, significant investment has been made into women’s health since the formation of this government. This has enabled the action plan to be delivered effectively.
Since 2020, under this Government, there has been an investment of over €140 million of additional funding allocated specifically towards women’s health initiatives.
Prioritisation of women’s health in our service provision is seen in the completed and ongoing work happening to improve healthcare for women across the country. The Action Plan and the additional investment has enabled some significant developments in women’s health, some of which are outlined below for information.
• Free contraception scheme first introduced for women aged between 17 and 25; the scheme has been gradually extended to include women aged 17-31 inclusive since 1st January 2024.
• Six Regional Fertility Hubs are now operational (National Maternity Hospital, Coombe, Rotunda, Galway University Hospital, Cork University Maternity Hospital and Nenagh
• Investment was allocated to publicly funded Assisted Human Reproduction (AHR) services.
• 6 Specialist Menopause Clinics established; National Maternity Hospital, Rotunda, Coombe, Nenagh, Galway and Cork.
• Launch of National Menopause Awareness campaign; 2 phases - October 2022 and March 2023.
• www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/menopause/ launched to provide trusted information on menopause.
• In consultation with Taskforce and the Department of Health, the Department of Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform launched Menopause in the Workplace Policy Framework in October 2023
• Since 2020 a total of €16m in new development funding has been allocated to the delivery of National Maternity Strategy 2016-2026, supporting the further implementation of the Strategy’s Model of Care, recruitment of 180 additional full-time staff in maternity hospitals and units across the country, refurbishment of units and wards, home-from-home birthing suites, and additional training for staff.
• Five pilot postnatal hubs have been established in Cork, Kerry, Portiuncula, Carlow-Kilkenny and Sligo. These hubs are providing women with access to holistic postnatal care in community settings, aware from a hospital environment.
• Progress is being made on the National Maternity Hospital project - proceeding to tender for a main contractor and enabling works being carried out on site.
• 17 of the 19 maternity hospitals are providing full termination of pregnancy services, as prescribed in the 2018 Act, with services commencing in the final two hospital sites in 2024.
• Number of GPs and women’s health service contractors providing this service is now 437 with at least one provider in every county.
• 16 ‘See-and-Treat’ Ambulatory Gynaecology (AG) Clinics fully operational with three further clinics in development for 2024.
• Funding has been provided to expand the existing Pelvic Floor Services St Michael’s Hospital, Dun Laoghaire - Ireland’s first multidisciplinary clinic for the assessment and management of pelvic floor dysfunction.
• Funding has been provided for the development of a multidisciplinary Specialist Paediatric and Adolescent Gynaecology Centre, temporarily based in CHI Temple Street University Hospital.
• Two Specialist Endometriosis Centres for complex care have been established and are now taking referrals and are treating patients (Tallaght and Cork).
• Five additional regional endometriosis hubs are operational and are offering an initial level of service which will expand as full teams are recruited (Rotunda, Coombe, National Maternity Hospital, Limerick & Galway).
• A National Framework for Endometriosis is being finalised.
• An Inter-Departmental Period Poverty Implementation Group established; starting in 2022, €714,000 was allocated to the Department and HSE for period poverty mitigation in the community, working with community health organisations, local authorities and NGOs. The amount allocated was increased to €814,000 in 2023 and to €914,000 in 2024.
• Cervical Cancer Elimination target date (2040) announced in November 2023.
• Investment in the HPV vaccination programme, including the roll-out of the Laura Brennan HPV Catch-up Vaccination Programme for 2023.
• €600,000 was invested into new National Diabetic Retinopathy Pathway for women who have diabetes and become pregnant.
• €1.6 million for staffing new BreastCheck mobile units. This will support the recovery of the BreastCheck programme, which faced considerable impact during Covid.
• €3.2 million for new information management system for BreastCheck.
• €3.6 million for colposcopy services.
• €1.6 million for digital surveillance pathway for Diabetic RetinaScreen programme.
• 10 eating disorder multidisciplinary teams in operation across the HSE Community Healthcare Organisations; (5 in Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), 5 in adult services).
• Perinatal mental health services are specialist services for pregnant women and women with a baby up to one year old who may have an existing or new mental health problem. It is also for women with severe mental health problems who are planning a pregnancy. 6 multidisciplinary teams have been put in place in the maternity hospitals with the most footfall.
• In addition, perinatal mental health midwife posts are in now in place in the remaining 13 maternity hospitals across the country.
• €300,000 provided, through the Women’s Health Fund, for the “It’s My Time” campaign, which encouraged women over 40 to engage in physical activity and sport .
• Significant work in relation to education and training of healthcare workers e.g Published GP Quick Reference Guide on Menopause, Gender Sensitivity Training
Along the above-mentioned developments, the Women’s Health Fund was established in Budget 2021. The fund responds to the issues that women have asked us to prioritise and align with the Minister’s priorities and the priorities of the Women’s Health Programme. The fund, to date, has supported and invested in a range of key service areas across women’s health including cancer screening and immunisation, primary care supports, maternity services and postnatal hubs, gynaecology, mental health and supports for marginalised groups.
Sláintecare is the most significant reform programme in Ireland’s Health Sector and one of the most significant reform programmes in the history of the State. The next Sláintecare Strategic Framework 2024-2027 (SC2024+) is being developed and is at an advanced stage of drafting. This framework sets out the integrated and whole of system Sláintecare reform programme to be implemented over the period 2024 -2027. It builds on the progress already made in reforming our health services and provides a continuation of a number of national reform programmes and initiatives already underway to move us towards a universal healthcare system that is accessible, affordable, and of high-quality, for patients and service users.
A key Sláintecare reform is the organisational reform of the HSE into six Health Regions responsible for the planning and coordinated delivery of health and social care services within their region. The Health Regions Implementation Plan commits to taking a population-based approach to how health and social care services are planned and funded, an approach which was championed in the Sláintecare Report. Allocation of existing healthcare resources to the Health Regions will be informed by factors such as age, sex, socioeconomic status, and rurality. An Expert Group will shortly be established by the Department to develop this population-based resourcing approach (PBRA). This means that we will be planning services around the health and social care needs of our entire population. The service needs of women will be considered as part of this.
Implementation of the services listed above represents significant development and advancement for women's health nationwide, but this remains a work in progress. I remain committed to working with the Taskforce and all stakeholders in continuing to drive progress in this space and to give women and girls the health services they deserve.
332. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health to outline the ongoing efforts underway to enhance the quality and scale of community and institutional mental health services with particular reference to the need to achieve quality of service in line with the requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9932/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
333. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to provide a breakdown of the total number of craft apprentice education tutors in ETBs in the years 2022 and 2023, broken by craft apprenticeship type, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9760/24]
View answerThe breakdown of craft apprentice instructors by craft apprenticeship type is not currently held by my Department.
334. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to provide a breakdown of all EU funding made available to his Department which has not yet been allocated; and the purpose for which this funding has been made available by the EU. [9807/24]
View answerESF/ESF+ funds are allocated as part of the approval process by the Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning (PEIL) and the Employment, Inclusion, Skills and Training Programme (EIST) Monitoring Committees. There are currently no EU funds unallocated for DFHERIS's two operational programmes.
European Globalisation Fund (EGF) programme applications are for a specific retraining purpose. There is no approved EGF programme in operation in Ireland at the moment, and neither are there any unallocated funds.
335. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if the case of a person (details supplied) will be examined; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9847/24]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that Higher Education Institutions are autonomous bodies; responsible for assessing student applications and determining the tuition fee payable by individual students. In this regard, as the Deputy will appreciate, it is not possible for my Department to offer guidance on the fee arrangements that may apply for individual students, such as those that may apply in the case raised by the Deputy, or to intervene in the fee policy of the institution.
In considering the position, I can advise that the tuition fee payable by a student can vary depending on a variety factors including the type of course and the fee rates of a particular institution. Typically there are two rates of fee, an ‘EU’ and a ‘Non-EU’ (sometimes referred to an International) rate of fee for each course. The institution’s criteria typically include specified nationality and/or residency requirements that students would be expected to meet to qualify for the EU rate of fee.
As noted above, it is the Higher Education Institutions themselves that assess student applications and the institution attended will therefore determine the applicable rate of tuition fee. Where a student requires clarification or guidance on the fee criteria of an individual institution, and how this criteria may apply to their individual circumstances, I recommend the student contacts the fees office of the relevant institution.
336. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to provide a breakdown of all EU funding made available to her Department which has not yet been allocated; and the purpose for which this funding has been made available by the EU. [9812/24]
View answerThere is EU funding made available to my Department across three broad areas, the LEADER Programme, the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), and the PEACEPLUS Programme.
The LEADER programme is co-funded by the EU. Under LEADER a total of €250 million in grant aid is available to rural communities and businesses. €70 million was allocated under the Transitional LEADER Programme which came into effect in April 2021. €180 million has been made available for delivery of the programme for the period 2023-2027. This includes a split of 59.65% funding from my Department and 40.35% funding from the EU. This funding will provide support for LEADER projects approved by the Local Action Groups (LAGs) that administer the programme and also for LAG administration costs. The funding will be utilised by the LAGs in their sub-regional areas over the coming years. The table below includes allocations by sub-regional area.
|
County |
Allocation |
|
Carlow |
€4.9m |
|
Cavan |
€6.4m |
|
Clare |
€6.8m |
|
North Cork |
€6.0m |
|
South Cork |
€4.9m |
|
West Cork |
€5.9m |
|
Donegal |
€10.4m |
|
Dublin Rural |
€4.7m |
|
Galway |
€9.0m |
|
Kerry |
€8.2m |
|
Kildare |
€5.4m |
|
Kilkenny |
€6.1m |
|
Laois |
€5.7m |
|
Leitrim |
€6.3m |
|
Limerick |
€6.9m |
|
Longford |
€5.8m |
|
Louth |
€4.9m |
|
Mayo |
€8.8m |
|
Meath |
€5.6m |
|
Monaghan |
€5.9m |
|
Offaly |
€6.3m |
|
Roscommon |
€6.8m |
|
Sligo |
€6.1m |
|
Tipperary |
€7.8m |
|
Waterford |
€6.1m |
|
Westmeath |
€5.7m |
|
Wexford |
€7.3m |
|
Wicklow |
€5.3m |
|
Total |
€180m |
The European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) is the EU’s main instrument for investing in people and supporting the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights. ESF+ investments within Ireland will be delivered through the Employment, Inclusion, Skills and Training (EIST) Programme.
My Department's ESF+ allocation is comprised of two strands – the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP 2024-2028), and Social Innovation Measures.
Under SICAP 2024-2028 the total approved allocation is €164 million, comprising approximately €73 million ESF+ co-financing and approximately €91 million national co-financing over the lifetime of the programme.
Under the Social Innovation strand my Department’s allocation will total €14.2 million for the period 2023-2027. This is comprised of funding of €4.4 million for the Community Services Programme and funding of €9.8 million for wider social innovation initiatives. My Department is in the process of finalising calls for applications for both the Community Services Programme and the Social Innovation strands, to be issued shortly.
In relation to the PEACEPLUS Programme my Department provides pre-financing funding to the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), who manages the EU co-funded cross border PEACE programmes. My Department's funding requirement for the period 2023-2029 is estimated at €96 million, including an allocation of over €5.7 million for 2024. This funding is distributed to the project programme implementers by the SEUPB. My Department is then reimbursed with the relevant refund which is circa 80% of the allocation paid under PEACEPLUS. As this funding is pre financed by my Department and refunded by the EU following spend by programme implementers, and is not provided upfront by the EU to the Department, it is therefore fully allocated.
