Róisín Shortall
Question:1527. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the supports available to women following a mastectomy (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13180/24]
View answerHealth Services
Questions (1527)
Written answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible
Health Services
Questions (1528)
Róisín Shortall
Question:1528. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the reason the review of the paediatric orthopaedic surgery service at CHI and Dublin hospitals will only review the work of one consultant; to respond to concerns regarding the scope of this review (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13181/24]
View answerWritten answers
The review is a comprehensive patient safety review and assurance process into the Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgery Service. This review is being led by an independent, international clinical expert Mr Nayagam.
Mr Nayagam finalised the Terms of Reference into this review following engagement with patient representative groups. The first phase of this review was to review the Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgical practice of an individual Consultant and the environment in which they operated and prepare a risk assessment and make any necessary recommendations.
Mr Nayagam will also review the service, including the governance, being provided by the Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgery Service at CHI Temple Street, CHI Crumlin, the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Cappagh and other relevant sites in Dublin for the purposes of providing independent assurance with regard to the current and future service delivery. Mr Nayagam will review the governance of the service and make any necessary recommendations for improvement including on matters such as quality, safety, outcomes, and performance metrics.
Mr Nayagam will also consider the implications of the findings of the review on the service including on matters such as service capacity, service access, and delivery on current service plans and make any necessary recommendations.
The terms of reference for the review are available here: www.hse.ie/eng/services/news/newsfeatures/tor-for-review-of-the-paediatric-orthopaedic-surgery-service-at-chi/.
Health Services
Questions (1529)
Róisín Shortall
Question:1529. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 716 of 5 March 2024, if HIQA advised that existing residents could remain in a nursing home (details supplied); if so, the reason this advice was not followed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13182/24]
View answerWritten answers
As 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 recently ended the industrial action which commenced on 6 October 2023. As a consequence, members in these grades were not engaging with political forums or processes. As a result of the accumulated backlog, the question asked by the Deputy may be delayed in receiving a response directly from the HSE.
Hospital Appointments Status
Questions (1530)
Darren O'Rourke
Question:1530. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Meath will receive an appointment for hip replacement surgery at Cappagh Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13184/24]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible
Public Private Partnerships
Questions (1531)
Rose Conway-Walsh
Question:1531. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health to provide details on all planned PPP projects and ongoing PPP contracts; the status of each project; the anticipated or known capital cost; the anticipated or known cost to the Exchequer over the lifetime of the contracts; the annual total payment of PPP unitary charges and the percentage share of the total capital budget for his Department and all public bodies under the aegis of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13198/24]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible
Hospital Appointments Status
Questions (1532)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:1532. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of a hospital appointment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13218/24]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible
Hospital Appointments Status
Questions (1533)
Maurice Quinlivan
Question:1533. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the case of a person (details supplied) who received an appointment to attend the Community Audiology Service at the Health Service Executive West, Limerick, but received notification of the appointment after the date of the scheduled appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13221/24]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible
Departmental Inquiries
Questions (1534)
Gino Kenny
Question:1534. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Health following an Inquiry (details supplied) on the investigation into the retention of baby’s organs and other individuals whose organs were taken without their families consent, what procedures and protocols were given to notify individuals that their loved ones organs were removed; if apologies were issued to affected families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13238/24]
View answerWritten answers
The Dunne Inquiry was established to investigate post-mortem practice and procedure in all hospitals in the State since 1970. The Inquiry commenced its work in March 2001 and submitted a report to the then Minister for Health in March 2005.
In May 2005, Dr. Deirdre Madden was appointed to examine the key points raised and findings in the Dunne Report and to provide Government with a final report on post-mortem policy and practice; this Report was published in 2006. A subsequent report of a Working Group, also chaired by Dr. Madden, on other areas of post-mortem practice and procedures was published in November 2006. An independent audit of all retained organs in the State, which was commissioned by the HSE, was carried out by Ms. Michaela Willis and this report was published in 2009.
The HSE developed the "Standards and Recommended Practices for Post Mortem Examination Services" and circulated these to relevant hospital staff in March 2012. The overall aim of the 2012 guidelines for post-mortem examinations was to drive high quality post-mortem examination services, based on the prevailing legal requirements and in keeping with best professional practice. These guidelines were recently updated to HSE National Clinical Guidelines for Post Mortem Examination Services in April 2023.
The Human Tissue (Transplantation, Post-Mortem, Anatomical Examination and Public Display) Act 2024 was enacted in February 2024. Part 3 deals with Pathology Practice and implements many of the findings of the Madden Report from 2005. This will establish a new regulatory regime to ensure best practice is followed in the conduct of post-mortem examinations.
The Act introduces consent provisions for non-coronial post-mortems and sets out a clear framework for how consent is to be obtained and the information that must be given to individuals or their families when seeking such consent. The Act also provides for the regulation of the retention, storage, use, disposal and return of organs and tissue from deceased persons following all post-mortems in hospital settings, including those directed by a coroner.
The Act amends the Coroners Acts 1962-2024 to address issues with regard to material removed and retained from the deceased person in a post-mortem examination directed by a coroner.
This is something that families directly impacted by recent controversies have called for, and it is important that the legislation has not only acknowledged these requests but has addressed them.
Cancer Services
Questions (1535)
Aindrias Moynihan
Question:1535. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the reason for the cold cap services not being made available to cancer patients in CUH; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13248/24]
View answerWritten answers
The provision of systemic anti-cancer therapies (SACT) for patients with cancer can include many other additional elements to support the patient in the management of adverse effects associated with their treatment. Scalp cooling is an example of one such supportive care measure.
There are 26 public hospitals providing SACT in Ireland. A patient’s consultant will consider each patient’s supportive care requirements, taking into account the individual patient, their treatment, and the evidence relating to the supportive care measure.
There is no clinical consensus on the use of scalp cooling as a supportive care measure for patients with cancer undergoing SACT. It is made available in some of the public hospitals providing SACT, based on suitability of the patient, local availability of equipment, service needs, and capacity.
A scalp cooling service is provided in six hospitals nationally. These include St Vincent’s University Hospital, University Hospital Limerick, Tallaght University Hospital, St. Luke’s General Hospital Carlow/Kilkenny, Sligo University Hospital, and Cavan General Hospital. The Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore had previously provided this service, but the service was paused during the pandemic and has not yet resumed.
Mental Health Services
Questions (1536)
Pa Daly
Question:1536. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health the impact of the recruitment ban on mental health services, especially what services have been prioritised and which have been closed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13257/24]
View answerWritten answers
In November 2023 the HSE CEO announced a pause on all recruitment, with the exception of Consultants, Graduate Nurses and Doctors in formal training programmes. This recruitment pause put in place was part of a suite of control measures, including an instruction to reduce expenditure on agency staff and management consultants across the HSE. The HSE was funded to recruit just over an additional 6,000 staff in 2023, however 8,239 staff were hired.
Funding for an additional 2,268 staff has been secured by the Minister for Health for 2024, which is outlined in the HSE National Service Plan, approved and published on 14 February 2024. This includes the mental health posts which Budget 2024 and the revised estimates process have provided for. The Department of Health is currently finalising proposals in relation to the €10m secured for mental health services in the revised estimates process.
Finalisation of the Pay and Numbers Strategy will enable the HSE to set out its recruitment targets in each area for 2024 and will inform decisions at local level on the filling of available posts.
As this question also relates to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Health Services Waiting Lists
Questions (1537)
Aengus Ó Snodaigh
Question:1537. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the growing concern at the fact that there appears to be currently inordinate delays in accessing blood tests in public hospitals in some cases nine weeks. [13263/24]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible
Health Services Waiting Lists
Questions (1538)
Aengus Ó Snodaigh
Question:1538. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health his plans to address the increasing length of time it is taking for people to get a public hospital blood test done. [13264/24]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible
Departmental Data
Questions (1539)
Violet-Anne Wynne
Question:1539. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health the number of those receiving treatment under the MCAP since the opening of the scheme to date, by year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13310/24]
View answerWritten answers
Patients accepted for treatment under the programme are issued with a CMUR (Cannabis for Medical Use Register) number. Since the commencement of the programme in 2021 53 CMUR numbers have issued, as set out in the table below.
|
MCAP Register |
Number of patients |
|
2021 |
04 |
|
2022 |
28 |
|
2023 |
21 |
|
2024 |
00 |
Departmental Programmes
Questions (1540)
Violet-Anne Wynne
Question:1540. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health his views on whether he thinks the Medical Cannabis Access Programme has been a success and whether he has faith in its continuation on a permanent basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13311/24]
View answerWritten answers
The purpose of this Programme is to facilitate compassionate access to cannabis for medical reasons, where conventional treatment has failed. It follows the clear pathway laid out by the Health Products Regulatory Authority in their expert report “Cannabis for Medical Use – A Scientific Review” which stated that the decision to allow cannabis for medical use was as much a societal and policy decision as a scientific one due to the paucity of robust clinical evidence, the recreational use of the product and the strong public and patient led demand.
The report recommended that cannabis should only be made available for the treatment of patients with specified medical conditions which have failed to respond to all other previous treatments, and where there is at least modest evidence that cannabis may be effective. Such patients should be under the direct supervision of an appropriately trained and experienced medical consultant. The specified medical conditions (medical indications) are:
1. Spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis resistant to all standard therapies and interventions whilst under expert medical supervision;
2. Intractable nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy, despite the use of standard anti-emetic regimes whilst under expert medical supervision;
3. Severe, refractory (treatment-resistant) epilepsy that has failed to respond to standard anticonvulsant medications whilst under expert medical supervision.
It is the decision of the medical consultant, in consultation with their patient, to prescribe a particular treatment, including a cannabis-based treatment, for a patient under their care.
The Department of Health is currently carrying out a clinical review of the programme to ascertain whether evidence exists to expand the range of conditions covered by the programme.
The cannabis-based products used in the programme do not have marketing authorisations and have not been subjected to the same rigorous process as approved medicined with marketing authorisations. The clinical preference is for the use of approved medicines.
It must be acknowledged that since the initial report recommending the Access Programme marketing authorisations have been approved for cannabis-based products such as Epidiolex, dronabinol and nabilone that can be prescribed in the normal manner together with advances in anti-emetics for the treatment of nausea as a result of chemotherapy, treatment options not available at the time of the original recommendations.
To date, 53 patients have availed of treatment under the MCAP.
Departmental Consultations
Questions (1541)
Violet-Anne Wynne
Question:1541. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health the process that an adult must undertake to receive an autism assessment in the public health system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13321/24]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Departmental Staff
Questions (1542)
Carol Nolan
Question:1542. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department has had the need to contact An Garda Síochána due to verbal, written (including electronically) or physical threats being addressed to staff or Ministers, at any level, working within the Department during the period 2020 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11596/24]
View answerWritten answers
I can assure the Deputy that the safety of my Department's staff is of utmost importance.
My Department was established in August 2020. Since its establishment, the Department has requested the assistance of An Garda Síochána on occasion, when required. Such assistance may be required for a variety of reasons, including for example when a member of the public refuses to leave a Department office, or where there is a protest underway at an office of the Department. Gardaí are contacted either through calls to the local Garda Station or via dialing the emergency number, 999.
Student Accommodation
Questions (1543)
Ged Nash
Question:1543. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science as to whether the cross-departmental project group to be formed to establish appropriate standards in the delivery of affordable, purpose built student accommodation, to be chaired by his Department, as announced on 17 August 2023 has met, its membership and chair, its progress to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11642/24]
View answerWritten answers
My Department is developing of new long term student accommodation policy responses including through standardised design specification templates and costing models to be developed in consultation with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH). The Cost of Construction Study which was published by Minister O’Brien in May 2023, recommends the development of a standardised design specification for purpose built student accommodation.
The objective of the PBSA Standardised Design & Specification Project is to examine international best practice and flexibility of design to inform appropriate standards in the delivery of affordable accommodation. The project will also take into consideration other recommendations from the Cost of Construction Report including but not limited to the use of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). Housing for All sets out the requirement for a significant increase in the use of MMC in public construction projects.
The Standardised Design & Specification project will be key to establishing best practice and value for money for the State and improving affordability of additional supply of student accommodation.
The Standardised Design Oversight Group will oversee and monitor the progress of the PBSA Standardised Design & Specification project. The group is chaired by the Student Accommodation Unit in my Department. Members include officials from my Department's professional and technical team, the Higher Education Authority and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The work of the study will be led by an expert consultant which will be appointed by a public tender process.
The members of the group have had continuous engagement regarding the development of tender documents and a Terms of Reference has been developed for the group.
The request for tenders is due to be published the week commencing the 18th of March. A meeting of the group will be scheduled upon finalisation of this process.
Irish Language
Questions (1544, 1545)
Cathal Crowe
Question:1544. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department provides funding opportunities that Irish PhD students undertaking their studies in the Irish language abroad can avail of; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11663/24]
View answerWritten answers
The Department currently funds domestic research and innovation through two competitive research funders, the Irish Research Council (IRC) and Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), and through the Higher Education Authority’s annual allocations to the higher education institutions (HEIs).
Both the Irish Research Council (IRC) and Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) are independent from political interference in operation of their funding processes, so provision of support to any individual researcher will be a matter for the IRC and SFI. In addition, HEIs are autonomous under legislation. This means that they are academically independent and entitled to regulate their own academic affairs and administrative processes, including in relation to the allocation of funds. Neither the Minister nor the Department has any direct role in these internal processes.
There is no funding available for Irish PhD students undertaking their studies in the USA.
Domestically SFI and the IRC do excellent work on the study, use, and promotion of the Irish language and this approach will continue in the new research and innovation agency Taighde Éireann/Research Ireland.
Support for research broadly in the Irish language is a significant part of the IRC’s funding portfolio stretching back to the establishment of the Irish Research Council for Humanities and Social Sciences. A significant majority of awards are at the early-career stage (i.e., postgraduate and postdoctoral), as is the case with the IRC’s funding portfolio more broadly. The spectrum of research awards related to the Irish language (including Old Irish) and other language spans from small networking awards (New Foundations, Ulysses) up to an Advanced Laureate grant announced in 2023. The IRC estimates that 118 separate research projects associated with the Irish language were supported between 1999-2023. 41 of these awards have project titles in Irish (and, it is assumed, are being conducted through Irish)
SFI is already playing an active role in this area, with plans for further development as they move into the new research funding agency Taighde Éireann/Research Ireland. Fostering diverse, top talent by building, attracting and retaining the academic and research talent that powers Ireland’s innovation society is central to SFI’s Strategy, Shaping our Future. For example, the SFI ADAPT Centre for AI-Driven Digital Content Technology supports a number of Irish language-related digital technology research projects, many of which are supported through the Department of the Gaeltacht and the European Commission. An example of actions undertaken by researchers has been eSTÓR – a national portal that houses translation data for Irish and enables it to be shared and collected among public institutions, including the Oireachtas library and research services.
The portal was developed by researchers at the ADAPT Centre, who continue to lead the project out of Dublin City University. It enables those working with Irish in public administration across Ireland to collect and share translated documents via a dedicated online platform. SFI provides important training for PhD students through large scale Centres for Research Training. For example, the SFI Centre for Research Training in Machine Learning is providing a cohort of PhD researchers with cutting edge research skills in an area relevant to Natural Language Generation.
Michael Moynihan
Question:1545. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to clarify if all higher education grant appeals, which were submitted prior to the establishment of SUSI, have been finalised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11686/24]
View answerIn 2012/13, SUSI became the single grant awarding authority for all students entering new further and higher education courses. Prior to the establishment of SUSI, the Higher Education Grants Scheme was administered by the Local Authorities while the Vocational Education Committee’s Scholarship Scheme, the Third-Level Maintenance Grant Scheme for Trainees and the PLC Maintenance Grant Scheme were administered by the VECs. A total of 66 awarding authorities were involved in these processes.
My Department have no outstanding historical appeals which pre-date the establishment of SUSI. All queries in respect of those previous schemes have been closed out over time.
Departmental Expenditure
Questions (1546, 1547)
Marian Harkin
Question:1546. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 73 of 28 February of 2024, the amount of the €40 million relates to payment of social protection allowances which are transferred to training allowances once a person enrols in an STP/ETB programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12085/24]
View answerMarian Harkin
Question:1547. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason the fee to STP providers has not been increased since 2011, despite significant and inflationary pay pressures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12086/24]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1546 and 1547 together.
The Education and Training Boards (ETBs) contract Specialist Training Providers (STPs) to provide intensive, tailored training programmes and supports in specific settings for people with disabilities, whose needs that may not be catered for through non-specialist vocational training provision.
The total allocation from SOLAS for the STP provision in 2023 amounted to some €40m. Some €16m of this related to FET Training Allowances payable those learners on the STP programmes who were in receipt of social welfare payments prior to commencing their courses.
In recent years, there has been the shift in learner demand from specialist standalone provision to participation in an integrated FET environment with additional supports. This has resulted in a decrease in learner numbers in STPs, which has impacted the associated capitation fee funding. SOLAS has commissioned an independent evaluation of the Specialist Training Provision for People with Disabilities programme. The purpose of the evaluation is to generate evidence-based conclusions and propose recommendations about the quality, effectiveness, on-going relevance and overall value of vocational training that is currently delivered by STPs and the integration of this training within the wider further education and training provision by ETBs.
Once the independent evaluation is complete, its findings will be considered by SOLAS and my Department, in consultation with the specialist training providers. The review of the funding model for STPs going forward will be considered in that context.
Question No. 1547 answered with Question No. 1546.
Student Accommodation
Questions (1548)
Alan Dillon
Question:1548. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if there are plans to tackle and halt the issue of private accommodation providers increasing rents significantly by refurbishing their student accommodation apartments at a location (details supplied), an issue that is causing undue stress for students and forcing them out of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12126/24]
View answerWritten answers
I have recently been made aware of the details supplied by the Deputy. Unfortunately I have no direct function in reviewing this matter which is under the quasi-judicial remit of the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). In order to have this matter examined I would encourage any student tenant or member of the public who has concerns to contact the RTB directly and lodge a compliant or dispute.
The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 regulates the landlord-tenant relationship in the rented residential sector and sets out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022, to operate a national tenancy registration system and to facilitate the resolution of disputes between landlords and tenants.
The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2019 provides for relevant rights and obligations that apply to tenancy and licence agreements in student-specific accommodation, provided by public educational institutions and private accommodation providers.
The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2019 legally tightened the exemptions from rent controls in Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs). The rent controls operate within and across tenancies. Since 2019, an exemption applies to the first rent setting only in respect of a tenancy of a dwelling where:
• no tenancy existed in respect of the dwelling during the two years immediately prior to this current tenancy beginning;
• no tenancy existed in respect of the dwelling where the dwelling is a protected structure, or is in a protected structure or is a proposed protected structure during the 12 months immediately prior to the current tenancy beginning (a protected structure is defined in the Planning and Development Act 2000); or
• there has been a substantial change in the nature of rental accommodation.
The 2019 Act also provides a legal definition of ‘substantial change in the nature of rental accommodation’ to illustrate the type of works to be carried out to a rental property to qualify for a once-off exemption from RPZ rent controls in respect of the first rent setting after such works.
Such works shall result in:
• a permanent extension increasing the floor area by 25%;
• an improvement in the Building Energy Rating (BER) by at least 7 ratings; or
• at least 3 of the following:
a permanent alteration of the internal layout;
adaptations for a person with a disability;
a permanent increase in the number of rooms;
an improvement in the BER by 3 or more ratings where the original BER was D1 or lower; or
an improvement in the BER by 2 or more ratings where the original BER was C3 or higher.
Landlords are legally required to notify the RTB that they are relying on an exemption to the RPZ rent caps within one month of the setting of the new rent under the tenancy and to provide supporting information setting out why the landlord is of the opinion that the exemption applies to their dwelling. Failing to notify the RTB, could result in a sanction being imposed on the landlord or prosecution.
Part 7A of the Residential Tenancies Acts empowers the RTB to investigate improper conduct by landlords and to impose sanctions, if warranted. Significantly, the investigation can be initiated by the RTB without a complaint having to be made. The RTB's Investigations and Sanctions Unit can start an investigation either as a result of information received from members of the public or on foot of information gathered from records that the RTB has access to under the Residential Tenancies Acts. That unit investigates certain potential breaches of rental law by a landlord referred to as ‘improper conduct’ under Schedule 2 to the Acts, including the contravention of the rent increase restrictions in RPZs and exemptions thereto and the seeking of payments in contravention of section 19B of the Acts.
If a landlord is found to have engaged in improper conduct, an independent RTB decision maker may impose a sanction comprising one or all of the following: a written caution; a financial penalty of up to €15,000; and up to €15,000 in RTB investigation costs.
I am working closely with Minister O'Brien and his officials to bring forward legislative amendments to increase safeguards for students in student accommodation.