Tuesday, 16 Apr 2024

Written Answers Nos. 704-722

Psychological Assessments

Questions (704)

Paul Kehoe

Question:

704. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Health the appropriate pathway through the health service for a child to receive an ADHD diagnosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16298/24]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Health Strategies

Questions (705)

Charles Flanagan

Question:

705. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Health if his Department and the HSE will now review all transgender treatment in the State, having regard to the recent publication of a landmark report (details supplied) stating that the evidence for allowing young people and children to change gender is built on “shaky foundations”; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16336/24]

Written answers

Minister for Health

The HSE is initiating a new clinical programme for gender healthcare and over the next two years an updated clinical Model and implementation plan for gender healthcare services will be developed. 

This work will be informed by the best evidence based clinical care for individuals who express gender incongruence or dysphoria.

Now that the full Cass report has been published, it will be reviewed along with other emerging and evolving international evidence, as part of this work. 

The aim is to provide a wide range of services for all people with gender incongruence or dysphoria, from care locally in the community to more specialised and complex care and are committed to building a service based on experience and clinical evidence, respect, inclusiveness and compassion.

I am committed to the development of a well-governed and patient-centred health care service for children and adults in the transgender community.  

Hospital Facilities

Questions (706)

Thomas Gould

Question:

706. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to staff dissatisfaction at the removal of staff car parking spaces from the CUH and CUMH; what engagement has taken place with staff and their unions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16388/24]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Hospital Staff

Questions (707)

Alan Kelly

Question:

707. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE accident and emergency department nurses based at Tipperary University Hospital in the years of 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form; and if this number will be further increased this year. [16392/24]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.

Hospital Staff

Questions (708)

Alan Kelly

Question:

708. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant oncologist based in Cork University Hospital in the years of 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [16393/24]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.

Health Services Staff

Questions (709)

Alan Kelly

Question:

709. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost to recruit two additional WTE orthodontics specialists, two additional senior dental hygienists and two additional senior dental surgeons for the public dental services. [16394/24]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.

Health Services Staff

Questions (710)

Alan Kelly

Question:

710. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the number of plastic surgeries procedures carried out at University Hospital Limerick in the years of 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [16395/24]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.

Health Services Staff

Questions (711)

Alan Kelly

Question:

711. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant general adult psychiatrists with a special interest in substance misuse in the CHO5 mental health service in the years of 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [16396/24]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Ambulance Service

Questions (712, 713)

Claire Kerrane

Question:

712. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health if the National Ambulance Service will commit to undertaking yearly privileging courses; if not, if it will commit to privileging its currently employed advanced paramedic staff who are practising to paramedic level and are qualified as advanced paramedics but not privileged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16421/24]

Claire Kerrane

Question:

713. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health if the National Ambulance Service will commit to privileging courses as a previously set out course or commence a new course, with a new structure, content and contract for staff who enrol in it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16422/24]

Written answers

Minister for Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 712 and 713 together.

As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible on this matter.

Question No. 713 answered with Question No. 712.

Nursing Homes

Questions (714)

Alan Kelly

Question:

714. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health when the new 50-bed St. Camillus nursing home in Limerick will be opened; and when the other 25-bed additional unit is planned to be open. [16423/24]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Health Services Staff

Questions (715)

Danny Healy-Rae

Question:

715. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health for an update on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16424/24]

Written answers

Minister for Health

It is worth noting that S39 organisations are not public bodies, and the terms and conditions of employment for staff in these organisations are ultimately between the employer and the employee. The HSE has already made significant payments on account to qualifying organisations to begin to address the amounts due to staff under the Section 39 Employee WRC agreement. In recent weeks the HSE has issued templates to over 1,130 Section 39 funded organisations to allow them to claim the full amounts of funding due to their employees. To date, 165 organisations have replied and these are now being processed. The HSE has also written again to all Section 39 funded organisations requesting that they submit their claims without delay and offering support to organisations who have queries in relation to the process. Funding will be allocated on an annual basis.

Abortion Services

Questions (716, 717, 718, 719)

Peter Fitzpatrick

Question:

716. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Health the reason minutes are not being kept of the meetings of the Implementation Group examining the operation of the Health (Regulation of Pregnancy) Act 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16427/24]

Peter Fitzpatrick

Question:

717. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Health to provide the latest advice he has received from his Department or the HSE which relate to the operation of telemedicine abortion; whether any studies have yet been undertaken into the operation of telemedicine abortion in Ireland, including risk analyses; if so, to provide a copy of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16428/24]

Peter Fitzpatrick

Question:

718. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Health to provide the list of the service/advocacy groups which have been, or are scheduled to be, involved in the work of the National Termination of Pregnancy Service Improvement Group; the criteria by which these groups have been identified and selected; and whose decision it is to select a prospective group to participate in progressing the work of the TOP Service Improvement Group. [16429/24]

Peter Fitzpatrick

Question:

719. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Health whether the TOP Service Improvement Group considered an article published in the Irish Medical Journal on 21 March 2024 which detailed the case of a woman in Limerick whose life was threatened following the performance of a medical abortion whilst she had an undetected ectopic pregnancy within the context of its second identified workstream "early pregnancy ultrasound". [16430/24]

Written answers

Minister for Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 716 to 719, inclusive, together.

As the Deputy's questions relate to service matters, I have referred them to the HSE for direct reply.

Question No. 717 answered with Question No. 716.

Question No. 718 answered with Question No. 716.

Question No. 719 answered with Question No. 716.

Mental Health Services

Questions (720)

Thomas Pringle

Question:

720. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health when a substantive reply can be expected to issue from child and adolescent counselling service provision in County Donegal, that this Deputy raised at questions on promised legislation on 17 January 2024 and which was followed up with email correspondence to the office of the Minister of State at his Department on 6 March 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16449/24]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Mary Butler)

A reply to this correspondence issued to the Deputy on 16 April 2024. 

Question No. 721 answered with Question No. 696.

Vaccination Programme

Questions (722, 723)

Pádraig O'Sullivan

Question:

722. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health when his Department will implement a maternal RSV vaccination programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16457/24]

Pádraig O'Sullivan

Question:

723. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health when HIQA is expected to provide guidance regarding its health technology assessment of RSV vaccination; if this will allow enough time to operationalise a maternal RSV vaccination programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16458/24]

Written answers

Minister for Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 722 and 723 together.

NIAC has submitted advice to my Department which advises that RSV vaccines, which have recently received EMA authorisation, for infants and persons over 65yrs, are safe and effective and should be considered for use in Ireland. In its advice, NIAC noted that further analysis of cost effectiveness and programmatic considerations is required to determine the most appropriate use of RSV vaccination in Ireland.

Following consideration of NIAC's advice, my Department asked HIQA to carry out a Health Technology Assessment (HTA) to determine firstly, whether infant or adult vaccination would provide the greatest benefit in reducing healthcare utilisation due to RSV infection, and secondly, what the most cost-effective RSV immunisation strategy for Ireland would be.

The request was revised in light of the recent RSV season and my Department requested that HIQA initially undertake a rapid HTA of immunisation against RSV in Ireland. This will be followed by a full HTA on immunisation against RSV in Ireland.

The outcome of these HTAs will inform the development of any RSV immunisation programme.