Written Answers Nos. 685-703
685. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Health when HSE contracted home care visit staff in counties Laois and Offaly will resume evening and weekend hours to ensure that a full complement of service is available to patients and their families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16205/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
686. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the policy with respect to the treatment of patients by community intervention teams; if there is a differentiation between public and private patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16217/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
687. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that the HSE community intervention team for the south east, based in Carlow town is at capacity for the treatment of oncology patients; his plans to address same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16218/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
688. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the number of paediatric diabetic clinics and the number of people availing of these services, respectively, by county in tabular form. [16220/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
689. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost to the health service of providing medical cards including GP visit cards to international protection applicants and beneficiaries of temporary protection from 2022 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16231/24]
View answerThis matter has been referred to the HSE for direct response.
690. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the dedicated supports currently available to children and families impacted by foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (details supplied); what dedicated supports, if any, are currently available; the plans there are in child and family services to address the needs of children on the foetal alcohol spectrum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16232/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
691. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a progress update on the HSE recruitment freeze; when this recruitment freeze is likely to be lifted; the number of front line positions per services department which remained unfilled in CHO5 south Tipperary and CHO3 north Tipperary compared to before the freeze was implemented, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16234/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
692. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health to expedite a case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16237/24]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that this is a matter for the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
693. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health if the HSE has any plans to provide a minor injuries clinic for Kerry. [16240/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
694. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health if the HSE has any plans to provide extra respite beds in hospitals in Kerry. [16241/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
695. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health if he will provide extra orthopaedic surgeries and beds, as per a capital project request from University Hospital Kerry. [16242/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
696. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the national diabetes paediatric clinical audit. [16249/24]
View answer721. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the national diabetes paediatric clinical audit. [16453/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 696 and 721 together.
Budget 2023 provided funding for a number of initiatives aimed at improving diabetes care, including commencing the development a National Paediatric Audit of Type 1 Diabetes.
Progress on this project was delayed following the recruitment pause within the HSE initiated on 29th May 2023.
As the recruitment process for posts related to this project is an operational matter under the responsibility of the HSE, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputies directly in relation to the status of this project, as soon as possible.
697. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if a mobility chair will be provided to a person in County Kerry (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16266/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
698. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the number of skull base surgeries performed at Beaumont Hospital in 2023 and to-date in 2024, in tabular form. [16275/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
699. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the number of 24-hour-staffed community mental health residences within CHO8; and if all of those facilities meet the requirements of the HSE Design for Mental Health Guidelines. [16276/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
700. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant neurosurgeons at Beaumont Hospital in 2022, 2023 and to-date in 2024, in tabular form. [16277/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
701. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health who the members of the Medicines Sustainability Taskforce are; how many times they have met; the projected timeline to publish and implement findings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16290/24]
View answerI have requested the HSE to establish a Medicines Sustainability Programme to drive immediate savings under the medicines budget and to progress medium to long-term structural reform in respect of medicines expenditure. A Department of Health and Health Service Executive Medicines Sustainability Taskforce is established to support the HSE Sustainability Programme and to lead and drive the medicines workstream of the overarching savings and productivity programme.
The Taskforce will support the HSE’s examination of medicines expenditure in the health service and the identification of measures to maximise the substantial medicines budget.
The Medicines Sustainability Taskforce is co-chaired by the Department of Health and the HSE. Membership includes representatives of the Department of Health, the HSE's Medicines Management Programme, the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics, the HSE's Primary Care Reimbursement Service, the HSE's Acute Hospitals Division, HSE Finance, and clinical experts.
There have now been four meetings of the Medicines Sustainability Taskforce.
The implementation of efficiencies identified by the Taskforce will commence in the coming months.
702. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the number of additional staff hired by the HSE's corporate pharmaceutical unit in 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16291/24]
View answerAs recommended by the working group I established following the publication of the Mazars ‘Review of the Governance Arrangements and the Resources in place to support the HSE’s reimbursement and pricing decision-making process’ in February 2023, funding for an additional 34 WTE for the agencies involved in the HSE’s medicines pricing and reimbursement system has been allocated by Government.
These additional staff, to be hired across 2024, will allow each agency to operate to its full potential, ensuring timely and efficient assessment of applications.
Investing in this capacity will support agencies to operate to the fullest of their ability, providing timely and efficient evaluation of medicines for reimbursement. It is hoped this will indicate a commitment to positive collaboration and incentivise more timely applications from industry.
More detail on the measures to be implemented in 2024 are set out in the HSE’s National Service Plan (NSP). These include €30 million in additional funding for new medicines and a commitment to deliver increased visibility on the steps / progress made by each individual medicine through the HSE assessment and approval processes.
703. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the expected benefits for the Irish health system of the introduction of the EU HTA regulation in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16292/24]
View answerHealth technology assessment (HTA) is a multidisciplinary process that summarises information about the medical, social, economic, and ethical issues related to the use of a health technology. Examples of health technologies include medicinal products, medical equipment, diagnostic and treatment methods, rehabilitation, and prevention methods. Its aim is to inform the formulation of safe and effective health policies, investment and reimbursement decisions that are patient focused and seek to achieve best value.
In Ireland, two agencies are primarily responsible for undertaking HTAs. The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) undertakes HTA relating to medical devices/health technologies and the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE) undertakes HTA relating to medicinal products. The Department engages with relevant stakeholders with regards to HTA and implementation of Regulation (EU) 2021/2282 on HTA.
The Health Technology Assessment Regulation (HTAR) entered into force in January 2022 and will fully apply as of January 2025. Its purpose is to strengthen the quality of HTA in the European Union and ensure efficiency in the evaluation of new medicines and technologies in a consistent way across member states. The initial implementation from 2025 to 2027 will include medicinal products for oncology and advanced therapeutic medicinal products.
The HTAR contributes to improving the availability for EU patients of innovative technologies in the area of health, such as medicines and certain medical devices. It ensures an efficient use of resources and strengthens the quality of HTA across the EU. It provides a transparent and inclusive framework by establishing a Coordination Group of HTA national or regional authorities, a stakeholder network and by laying down rules on the involvement in joint clinical assessments and joint scientific consultations of patients, clinical experts and other relevant experts.
The HTAR will also reduce duplication of efforts for national HTA authorities such as the NCPE and HIQA, and industry, facilitate business predictability and ensure the long-term sustainability of EU HTA cooperation.
The Department will continue to engage with experts from the NCPE and HIQA to progress implementations of the EU HTA Regulation and its application to Ireland.
