Written Answers Nos. 723-740
724. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the recruitment of general and paediatric nurses for 2024; if he is aware of any recruitment embargo by the HSE at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16482/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
725. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the urgency in providing funding for a building in Newtownmountkennedy (details supplied); if he is concerned that the existing accommodation is unsuitable; the actions he will take to ensure this project proceeds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16501/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
726. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health the number of endocrinologists employed in Cavan General Hospital in 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024. [16504/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
727. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health the number of children from counties Cavan and Monaghan with type 1 diabetes that are currently being referred to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda and Temple Street Hospital for the provision of insulin pump therapy; the reason these children require onward referral to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda or Temple Street Hospital as insulin pump therapy is available in Cavan General Hospital since Q4 2023. [16505/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
728. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on maternity cover for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16509/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
729. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the availability of compensation to persons diagnosed with vaccine related narcolepsy and cataplexy; the number of payments made to date and the number of claims outstanding or still in the process of mediation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16514/24]
View answerThe State Claims Agency (SCA) has a statutory remit to manage personal injury claims on behalf of certain State authorities including the Health Service Executive.
The management of cases taken by persons who allege they developed Narcolepsy and/or Cataplexy as a result of receiving the H1N1 vaccine, Pandemrix, is delegated to SCA. It is the Agency’s preference to resolve claims using mediation wherever possible.
Following the settlement of a precedent case through mediation in November 2020, the SCA established a Scheme of Settlement for the other claims on similar terms to those agreed in that case. Settlement of claims under the Scheme, through mediation in each case, are progressing well with 153 plaintiffs having entered into the Scheme by 11 April 2024. Of these claims received, 95 claims have been finalised with 58 claims currently active. Payments for damages have been made in respect of 129 claims as of 11 April 2024.
My Department is currently working to develop a model for a vaccine damage scheme and my officials are working through related policy matters. The development of such a model needs detailed consideration to ensure that it is appropriately designed. Once the model is developed, it will be submitted for my consideration.
730. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if the home help hours of a person (details supplied) will be increased. [16518/24]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
731. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Health the progress to give statutory recognition and protection to the designation of "counsellor"; if he has sought a timeline from the Counsellors and Psychotherapists Registration Board for protection of the title, establishment of minimum qualifications for existing and future practitioners, and drafting of standards of proficiency and criteria for education and training; and his views on the adequacy of existing and planned measures to regulate rogue crisis pregnancy agencies. [16531/24]
View answer732. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Health the reason for delays in completing the process to give statutory protection to the designation of "counsellor"; and if progress can be made on regulating rogue crisis pregnancy agencies notwithstanding those reasons. [16532/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 731 and 732 together.
As the Deputy will already be aware, CORU is Ireland’s multi-profession health and social care professional regulator. Its role is to protect the public by promoting high standards of professional conduct and professional education, training and competence through statutory registration of health and social care professionals.
CORU’s regulatory model is based on protection of title; once a profession is regulated it becomes a criminal offence to use a professional title if a person is not a CORU registrant.
Each profession has its own independent registration board which is provided with the statutory powers to implement regulation for that profession. Registration boards are responsible for establishing a register, approving and monitoring education and training programmes, and setting standards.
Regulations to designate the professions of counsellor and psychotherapist under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (as amended) were made by the previous Minister for Health, Simon Harris TD, in 2019.The members of the Counsellors and Psychotherapists Registration Board (CPRB) were appointed in February 2019 and they held their inaugural meeting in May 2019.
Once statutory regulation is introduced to the counselling and psychotherapy professions, practitioners wishing to work using these titles in Ireland will have to register with CORU on the appropriate register. The CPRB will set the standard of education and training for entry to the register and approve and monitor education and training programmes in counselling and psychotherapy. It will be an offence for anyone not registered as a counsellor, including a crisis pregnancy counsellor, to use a protected title. All registrants will also be subject to the fitness to practice process in CORU which provides for sanctions against registrants when complaints are proven.
The CPRB is currently considering which titles will be protected by regulation, the minimum standards of proficiency for entry to the profession, the minimum qualifications that will be required of existing practitioners, and the qualifications that will be required for future graduates.
As part of its work, the CPRB undertook an extensive research process to inform the drafting of standards and criteria. This included a review of contemporary evidence-informed academic literature, an examination of comparator international professional standards, and understanding the contemporary practice of the profession in Ireland. Key stakeholders, including the public (through a public consultation process), are also part of the drafting process.
Throughout the course of 2022 and 2023, the CPRB drafted threshold level standards of knowledge, skills and professional behaviour – its Standards of Proficiency – and the systems and processes that education providers must have in place to ensure consistent and effective delivery of graduates who have achieved the Standards of Proficiency – its Criteria for Education and Training Programmes. Two sets of these requirements were drafted: one for counsellors and one for psychotherapists representing the first attempt to establish distinct standards for each profession in Ireland and the first effort to standardise threshold level education and training requirements for entry to each profession.
The public consultation on the draft Standards of Proficiency and Criteria for Education and Training Programmes ran for 12 weeks from 4 September until 1st December 2023. As part of this consultation, the CPRB encouraged feedback from all stakeholders, including members of the professions, education providers, employers, professional and representative bodies, as well as members of the public. The public consultation is the mechanism through which professional bodies, as well as other stakeholders, are given an opportunity to provide their views on the draft standards. CORU, on behalf of the CPRB, will brief my Department on the outcome of the public consultation in due course.
Owing to the significant body of preparatory work that the CPRB are required to undertake, and the complexity of introducing regulation to this profession, it is not possible to say with any degree of accuracy when the profession of counsellor will be fully regulated. It is anticipated that the CPRB will require a number of years to complete its work.
Specifically in relation to termination of pregnancy services, My Options is a free-phone helpline that provides free, non-judgemental information and support to anyone in Ireland experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, including information about how to access abortion services in Ireland. Qualified and trained counsellors are also available to provide free counselling to anyone in Ireland who is considering an abortion, or who has had an abortion regardless of where or when the abortion occurred.
Since the implementation of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018, the HSE Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy Programme has solely funded crisis pregnancy counselling services that provide information about all options (parenting, adoption, and abortion) as desired by individual service users. Between 2018 and 2022, there were 15 reported incidents of service users attending the above services having been in prior contact with a ‘rogue’ agency, however none of these incidents occurred in 2022. The HSE’s website (www2.hse.ie/services/unplanned-pregnancy/support-services/booking-a-counselling-session/) advises service users that they should only visit a HSE-funded unplanned pregnancy counselling service.
733. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Health if he has engaged with technology communications companies with respect to advertising of rogue crisis pregnancy agencies' websites online; and if he will make a statement on his Department's work to ensure that persons seeking advice are able to access MyOptions.ie and other HSE resources. [16533/24]
View answerAs the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have referred it to the HSE for direct reply.
734. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 229 of 22 February 2023, the number of rogue crisis pregnancy agencies operating here of which his Department and the HSE are aware; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16534/24]
View answerThe HSE recommend that people should contact My Options which is the official HSE service if they need information or support in the event of an unplanned pregnancy, or if they need post-abortion supports.
My Options is a free-phone helpline that provides free, non-judgemental information and support to anyone in Ireland experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, including information about how to access abortion services in Ireland. Qualified and trained counsellors are also available to provide free counselling to anyone in Ireland who is considering an abortion, or who has had an abortion regardless of where or when the abortion occurred.
Since the implementation of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018, the HSE Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy Programme has solely funded crisis pregnancy counselling services that provide information about all options (parenting, adoption, and abortion) as desired by individual service users. Between 2018 and 2022, there were 15 reported incidents of service users attending the above services having been in prior contact with a ‘rogue’ agency, however none of these incidents occurred in 2022. The HSE’s website (www2.hse.ie/services/unplanned-pregnancy/support-services/booking-a-counselling-session/) advises service users that they should only visit a HSE-funded unplanned pregnancy counselling service.
735. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Health if he will make a statement on the need to legislate to curtail the activities of rogue crisis pregnancy agencies; and if he will adopt and pass the Health and Social Care Professionals (Amendment) Bill 2016. [16535/24]
View answerThe HSE recommend that people should contact My Options which is the official HSE service if they need information or support in the event of an unplanned pregnancy, or if they need post-abortion supports.
My Options is a free-phone helpline that provides free, non-judgemental information and support to anyone in Ireland experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, including information about how to access abortion services in Ireland. Qualified and trained counsellors are also available to provide free counselling to anyone in Ireland who is considering an abortion, or who has had an abortion regardless of where or when the abortion occurred.
Since the implementation of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018, the HSE Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy Programme has solely funded crisis pregnancy counselling services that provide information about all options (parenting, adoption, and abortion) as desired by individual service users. Between 2018 and 2022, there were 15 reported incidents of service users attending the above services having been in prior contact with a ‘rogue’ agency, however none of these incidents occurred in 2022.
The HSE’s website (www2.hse.ie/services/unplanned-pregnancy/support-services/booking-a-counselling-session/) advises service users that they should only visit a HSE-funded unplanned pregnancy counselling service.
In relation to the regulation of the profession of counsellor generally, CORU is Ireland’s multi-profession health and social care professional regulator. Its role is to protect the public by promoting high standards of professional conduct and professional education, training and competence through statutory registration of health and social care professionals.
CORU’s regulatory model is based on protection of title; once a profession is regulated it becomes a criminal offence to use a professional title if a person is not a CORU registrant.
Each profession has its own independent registration board which is provided with the statutory powers to implement regulation for that profession. Registration boards are responsible for establishing a register, approving and monitoring education and training programmes, and setting standards.
Regulations to designate the professions of counsellor and psychotherapist under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (as amended) were made by the previous Minister for Health in 2019.The members of the Counsellors and Psychotherapists Registration Board (CPRB) were appointed in February 2019 and they held their inaugural meeting in May 2019.
The CPRB is currently considering which titles will be protected by regulation, the minimum standards of proficiency for entry to the profession, the minimum qualifications that will be required of existing practitioners, and the qualifications that will be required for future graduates.
The work of the CPRB is significantly more challenging than for registration boards for some of the more established professions, owing to the different and complex entry paths into these professions, the variety of titles used, and the variety and number of courses and course providers.
Once statutory regulation is introduced to the counselling and psychotherapy professions, practitioners wishing to work using these titles in Ireland will have to register with CORU on the appropriate register. The CPRB will set the standard of education and training for entry to the register and approve and monitor education and training programmes in counselling and psychotherapy. It will be an offence for anyone not registered as a counsellor, including a crisis pregnancy counsellor, to use a protected title. All registrants will also be subject to the fitness to practice process in CORU which provides for sanctions against registrants when complaints are proven.
Owing to the significant body of preparatory work that the CPRB are required to undertake, and the complexity of introducing regulation to this profession, it is not possible to say with any degree of accuracy when the profession of counsellor will be fully regulated. It is anticipated that the CPRB will require a number of years to complete its work.
736. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the status of the National Hearing Care Plan; if the working group membership has been agreed; if terms of reference for the working group have been published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16553/24]
View answer737. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if he expects to receive initial recommendations from the National Hearing Care Plan Working Group in time for consideration in Budget 2025 planning and negotiations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16554/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 736 and 737 together.
The Department is committed to developing a national hearing care plan and is establishing a joint working group with the Health Service Executive (HSE) to progress this important work.
The Department has received proposals regarding the membership of the working group and is currently finalising the proposed membership and Terms of Reference for the working group for the approval of the Minister.
Once established, the working group will develop a hearing care plan that will consider the current status of hearing care provision and the appropriate linkage between public and private provision of care to support improved access to services.
The initial consideration of the hearing care plan will be on the provision of care to adults, and the working group will make recommendations to the Minister in that regard. The Department will then engage with all relevant stakeholders to support the implementation of the recommendations made.
This work will take place in tandem with other efforts to improve health outcomes for all those suffering from hearing loss.
738. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the status of an individual (details supplied). [16558/24]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
739. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the number of children on the waiting list for audiology services from HSE community services in the Russell Centre, Tallaght; and the average waiting time for those services. [16572/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
740. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the current status of Kelvin Grove, Carlow; the plans in place for its use; and the date by which it will be brought back into use. [16573/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
