Written Answers Nos. 1301-1320
1301. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health the number of children who are on the waiting list for paediatric occupational therapy services in the Kerry area; the number of staff who are available to manage the list; and the waiting time for initial assessment in the years 2019 to date, in tabular form. [2099/25]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1302. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health if the situation of only one part-time palliative care social worker covering all of counties Laois and Offaly will be rectified, given other counties with a similar population have two full-time palliative care social workers. [46178/24]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible
1303. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Health the status of the case of a person (details supplied) who, having been referred by University Hospital Limerick to the neurology department at University Hospital Cork for treatment of a brain tumour, has yet to receive an appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46179/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
1304. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken to provide pay and conditions parity for section 39 healthcare workers. [46181/24]
View answerThe Government recognises the essential work carried out by staff in community and voluntary health and social care organisations, and their contribution to delivery of essential publicly funded supports and services to many citizens. This is why we are committed to achieving a positive outcome in discussions with the relevant unions in the Workplace Relations Commission.
1305. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health the number of civil servants in his Department, and in agencies under the aegis of his Department, who were on career break in 2023 or 2024, by month and grade, and by length of career break; the number of civil servants in his Department and in agencies under the aegis of his Department who were on career break for longer than five years or longer than six years in 2023 or 2024, by month, grade, and length of career break, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46193/24]
View answerThe Number of civil servants who were on career break in 2023 or 2024, by month and grade, and by length of career break are listed in the attached spreadsheet.
In 2023 and 2024 we had no staff who were on career break for longer than five or six years.
1306. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health the number of vacancies, by month and by grade, in his Department, and in agencies under the aegis of his Department, in 2023 and 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46211/24]
View answerThe Department of Health vacancy figures provided in the attached document are from March 2023 up to November 2024. They follow a change of headcount due to a transfer of certain functions between my Department and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth that took place at the start of March 2023.
I have asked the HSE to reply directly to the Deputy with the vacancy figures related to the HSE for the period of time requested. Details for other bodies under the aegis of my Department are operational matters for the bodies concerned and the Deputy should contact the relevant Director/CEO/Registrar directly.
1307. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health to provide an assurance that no civil servant has had their career break extended beyond five years where there is a suitable vacancy in their home Department or agency; to provide an assurance that, where a civil servant has had their career break extended beyond five years on account of there being no suitable vacancy in their home Department or agency, that they have been placed on a redeployment panel; to provide an assurance that, where a civil servant has had their career break extended beyond six years, that consideration has been given to facilitating them on a supernumerary basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46229/24]
View answerI can confirm that no civil servant has had their career break extended beyond five or six years due to lack of a suitable vacancy in this Department; and no staff members were sent to a redeployment panel due to a lack of a vacancy
1308. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite an appointment for a person (details supplied). [46260/24]
View answerUnder the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1309. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health the way a healthcare professional can open a clinic at the new primary care centre, Tullamore Road, Kilbeggan; if such facilities are available to private practice psychotherapists and counsellors; and if so, if the contact information will be provided to make the necessary arrangements. [46261/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible
1310. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the status of the HSE’s recent EU tender for a platform to develop a national medicinal product catalogue; when it is expected to be delivered; if its implementation will disrupt current practices, given there is already a national file being used by community pharmacies and in other healthcare settings across the country; if so, the supports that will be in place to assist with the transition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46266/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
1311. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health if funding has been allocated to the lymphoedema model of care to date; if so, the amount of funding that has been allocated, and in what years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46268/24]
View answerAs the matter raised is a service delivery matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
1312. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health if there are plans to expand services for lymphoedema patients; to provide details of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46269/24]
View answerAs the matter raised is a service delivery matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
1313. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health regarding lymphoedema, if compression pumps are funded by the HSE; if not, if there are plans to fund them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46270/24]
View answerAs the matter raised is a service delivery matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
1314. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health regarding lymphoedema, if compression socks are funded by the HSE; if not, if there are plans to fund them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46271/24]
View answerAs the matter raised is a service delivery matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
1315. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Health to examine a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46272/24]
View answerIn the public health sector, a temporary Special Scheme was put in place for 12 months in July 2022 to support eligible staff who were impacted by Long-Covid. At the request of the Department of Health, approval to extend the Special Scheme was granted by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP and Reform (DPENDPR) a number of times, most recently at the end of June 2024 when it was extended for a further 12 months on the existing terms for the existing cohort of employees already being supported by it.
The Department of Public Expenditure, NDP and Reform (DPENDPR) have been very clear that this was the final extension that would be granted, and as such, the Special Scheme will conclude on 30th June 2025.
Any employee of the public health sector remaining unwell beyond that date, may utilise the full provisions of the Public Service Sick Leave Scheme which will provide further support.
Employees who did not qualify for the Special Scheme but are also impacted by Long-Covid may also utilise the supports of the sick leave scheme.
The sick leave scheme provides full pay for three months, followed by half pay for three months, and after that, Temporary Rehabilitative Remuneration may be applied for, which, if granted, provides up to a further 547 days of paid leave. The Critical Illness Protocol that forms part of the sick leave scheme may also provide additional supports if granted.
The eligibility criteria set when the Special Scheme was first introduced were designed to ensure that employees supported by the Special Scheme included those working in a COVID exposed environment in the period before PPE and vaccinations were readily available, and before community transmission became more prevalent.
It was not possible, nor would it have been appropriate to provide access to the Special Scheme to all employees of the public health service who contracted COVID, as the contraction of COVID is a public health issue, and not an occupational issue, and as it is not possible to separate with absolute certainty, those who contracted COVID in the workplace from those who contracted COVID generally.
Further to this, my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection has reviewed the EU recommendation in respect of the recognition of Covid (not long Covid) as an occupational illness, however she has determined that Covid does not meet the criteria required for recognition in respect of the Social Welfare Acts.
1316. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health if the HSE supplies free bowel cancer test kits to the public; the criteria to receive one; if there are plans to introduce them for persons in their 50s; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46273/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
1317. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health is he aware of a situation in Linn Dara, Cherry Orchard, CHO7, that has occurred so newly qualified staff nurses who received their registration pin in October, and their graduation certificates in November 2024, have not been offered contracts with the HSE; the reason for this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46274/24]
View answerThe HSE has been asked to respond directly to the Deputy.
1318. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the status of the reimbursement of a drug (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46277/24]
View answerUnder the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on the pricing and reimbursement of medicines. I have reached out to the HSE on this matter.
As per the 2013 Act the HSE must robustly assesses applications for pricing and reimbursement to make sure that it can stretch available resources as far as possible and to deliver the best value in relation to each medicine and ultimately more medicines to people living in Ireland.
HSE decisions on which medicines are reimbursed by the taxpayer are made on objective, scientific and economic grounds.
There are formal processes which govern applications for the pricing and reimbursement of medicines, and new uses of existing medicines, to be funded and / or reimbursed.
The HSE considers the following criteria prior to making any decision on pricing / reimbursement in line with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013:
(1) The health needs of the public,
(2) The cost effectiveness of meeting health needs by supplying the item concerned rather than providing other health services,
(3) The availability and suitability of items for supply or reimbursement,
(4) The proposed costs, benefits, and risks of the item or listed item relative to therapeutically similar items or listed items provided in other health service settings and the level of certainty in relation to the evidence of those costs, benefits and risks,
(5) The potential or actual budget impact of the item or listed item,
(6) The clinical need for the item or listed item,
(7) The appropriate level of clinical supervision required in relation to the item to ensure patient safety,
(8) The efficacy (performance in trial), effectiveness (performance in real situations) and added therapeutic benefit against existing standards of treatment (how much better it treats a condition than existing therapies) and
(9) The resources available to the HSE.
In terms of the specific details of the application for pricing and reimbursement of Defatted powder of Arachis hypogaea L., semen (peanuts) (Palforzia®) for the treatment of patients aged 4 to 17 years with a confirmed diagnosis of peanut allergy. (Palforzia® may be continued in patients 18 years of age and older):
The HSE received a complete application for pricing / reimbursement on the 30th March 2022 from Aimmune Therapeutics (the applicant) for Defatted powder of Arachis hypogaea L., semen (peanuts) (Palforzia®) for the treatment of patients aged 4 to 17 years with a confirmed diagnosis of peanut allergy. (Palforzia® may be continued in patients 18 years of age and older).
• The first step in the process is the submission of a Rapid Review dossier (a clinical and economic dossier) to the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE) for assessment. The HSE commissioned the Rapid Review process on the 1st April 2022.
• The NCPE Rapid Review assessment report was received by the HSE on the 5th May 2022. The NCPE advised the HSE that a full HTA was recommended to assess the clinical effectiveness and cost effectiveness of Defatted powder of Arachis hypogaea L., semen (peanuts) (Palforzia®) compared with the current standard of care.
• The HSE commissioned a full Health Technology Assessment on the 26th May 2022 as per agreed processes.
• The NCPE Health Technology Assessment Report was received by the HSE on the 29th November 2023. The NCPE recommended that Defatted powder of Arachis hypogaea L., semen (peanuts) (Palforzia®) not be considered for reimbursement unless cost-effectiveness can be improved relative to existing treatments. (www.ncpe.ie/defatted-powder-of-arachis-hypogaea-l-semen-peanuts-palforzia-hta-id-22019/)
• The HSE Corporate Pharmaceutical Unit (CPU) is the interface between the HSE and the Pharmaceutical Industry in relation to medicine pricing and reimbursement applications. CPU met with the applicant to discuss their application for Arachis hypogaea L., semen (peanuts) (Palforzia®).
• The Drugs Group is the national committee which the HSE has in place to make recommendations on the pricing and reimbursement of medicines. The membership of the HSE Drugs Group includes public interest members. The HSE Drugs Group consider all of the evidence and make a recommendation to the HSE Senior Leadership Team. The totality of clinical and economic evidence for Defatted powder of Arachis hypogaea L., semen (peanuts) (Palforzia®) for the treatment of patients aged 4 to 17 years with a confirmed diagnosis of peanut allergy was comprehensively and extensively reviewed by the Drugs Group at the September 2024 meeting. The HSE Drugs Group recommended in favour of reimbursement of Arachis hypogaea L., semen (peanuts) (Palforzia®) subject to an improved commercial offering.
• The decision making authority in the HSE is the HSE Senior Leadership Team. The HSE Senior Leadership Team decides on the basis of all the demands it is faced with (across all services) whether it can fund a new medicine, or new use of an existing medicine, from the resources that have been provided to it in line with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.
• The HSE CPU proposed a meeting with the applicant to discuss the HSE Drugs Group recommendation. The applicant communicated to the HSE CPU in October 2024 that they wished for the application for Palforzia® to be paused until the end of 2025.
The application remains under consideration. The HSE cannot make any comment on possible outcomes from the ongoing process.
1319. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health if he plans to develop an overflow carpark for Galway University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46278/24]
View answerAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
1320. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of providing three extra postnatal hubs. [46286/24]
View answerThe 2022 Women's Health Action Plan and the National Maternity Strategy 2016-2026 call for a coordinated approach to support postnatal women and new babies in the community. The National Maternity Experience Survey has shown that improving postnatal care is a priority for women. Since 2022, significant investment has been directed into piloting and establishing a national network of Postnatal Hubs. Five Hubs are already operational, with four more currently in development. Budget 2025 will provide four more Hubs, bringing the national network to 13.
These Hubs provide essential care for women in the community and closer to home in the weeks after birth. Women who have attended this service have reported how much they value the additional support, including hotlines, birth reflections, and physiotherapy.
To initiate the first two Postnatal Hubs, in 2022 €0.9 million was allocated through the Women's Health Fund. In the same year, this Government provided funding of €8.7 million for the National Maternity Strategy, through which three further Postnatal Hubs were funded. A total of five Postnatal Hubs were open by the end of 2023 in Cork, Kerry, Portiuncula, Sligo and Carlow-Kilkenny. €0.4 million was allocated in 2024 to establish four more Postnatal Hubs, with a full year cost of €1.9 million in 2025. This Government is investing an additional €2.0 million in the National Maternity Strategy in Budget 2025, which includes €0.9 million to open four further Postnatal Hubs.
On this basis, the estimated Full Year Cost to establish three additional Postnatal Hubs would be €1.4 million.
These costs may be subject to inflationary increase. A review is ongoing into the first pilot Postnatal Hubs, which may also have implications for the projected costs in the future.
