Parliamentary questions

Third Level Education

Matt Shanahan

440. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the new Technological University for the South East Ireland will be the only third-level designated institution in the region; if the proposed capital funding programme to support the new technological university development will not be capped to the same conditions as others designated under the legislation given that they are supported by national university partners in their regions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55918/21]

Institutes of Technology

Matt Shanahan

441. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the breakdown of the increased salary costs to be incurred by the Carlow teaching body as part of the semesterisation process with technological university designation now on the horizon for the Technological University for the South East Ireland; the projected increases or decreases his Department is guiding to this cost over the next five years; the way it is budgeted and will compare with the present costs at Waterford Institute of Technology; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55919/21]

Institutes of Technology

Matt Shanahan

442. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the further duties required of a consultancy firm (details supplied); the agreed tender costs associated with the contract for its duration to the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55920/21]

Hospital Services

Matt Shanahan

508. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health the reason adults attending University Hospital Waterford from County Waterford, south County Kilkenny, south County Tipperary and County Wexford for type 1 diabetes care have not had access to a diabetic nurse specialist since 4 October 2021 and are being told via an answer phone message to contact their GP or local accident and emergency department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55573/21]

Hospital Services

Matt Shanahan

509. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health the reason University Hospital Waterford, a regional category 4 hospital with a HSE denoted patient catchment of 520,000 persons, is the only hospital in the country operating without a diabetes specialist nurse at present as the only available clinical nurse specialist has been on leave since early October 2021 without a designated replacement and with no other nursing back-up rostered to fill in; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55574/21]

Hospital Services

Matt Shanahan

510. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health regarding diabetes services at University Hospital Waterford, when the existing diabetic nurse specialist presently on call is expected back to work; the procedures in place to ensure that when a nursing specialist is on holiday leave or on extended leave the support protocol the hospital employs to cover patient queries and issues regarding ongoing treatment regime; if the hospital has a replacement policy in place to ensure key medical nurse specialists who may be the only point of contact for patient concerns have adequate trained cover provisioned within a cover plan; if that plan covers responses to medical telephone query; if such a cover plan exists, if the hospital can outline the reason it has not been implemented with the absence of the only clinical nurse specialist diabetic nurse on site who is now presently on extended leave; if the hospital sought to recruit a temporary replacement either internally or externally; if an adequate budget allocation exists for such recruitment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55575/21]

Medical Qualifications

Matt Shanahan

513. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health if he will review the current CORU processes for approving Irish citizen UK registered healthcare professionals to have their UK credentials and work experience recognised for the purposes of joining the Irish healthcare system (details supplied); if he is satisfied with the level of online support offered to applicants; if he condones a six to 12 month review process; if his attention has been drawn to the lack of personal engagement offered to applicants; if he has considered the fact that bureaucratic delays force much needed medical professionals to look for work elsewhere; the action CORU has taken to facilitate remote working in order to ensure timely and adequate responses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55590/21]

Medical Qualifications

Matt Shanahan

514. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health if he has considered the fact that immigrant or citizen healthcare workers returning to Ireland with a view to working in the Irish healthcare system may have to wait up to 12 months to have their qualifications recognised and approved by CORU and during such time while resident in the State have no opportunity to claim jobseeker’s allowance given their work experience has been conducted in another country; if he considers this situation conducive to the recruitment of outside health expertise; if he will bring forward proposals to rectify the extreme length of CORU application approvals along with adjusted social welfare entitlements that recognise the arduous application time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55591/21]

Medical Qualifications

Matt Shanahan

515. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health if he or his Department has information on the average length of time taken to recognise in Ireland other EU country health qualifications by CORU; if he will reference average timelines for countries such as France, Germany and Italy; if he is satisfied with the current CORU approvals process; if he will provide tabulated evidence over the past 24 months on the number of applications and their approval response times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55592/21]

Hospital Facilities

Matt Shanahan

603. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health the status of the new ophthalmology laboratory for University Hospital Waterford in view of previous announcements that the project timeline was to be completed by November 2021; the delivery schedule of the project; if the project is still to be delivered within University Hospital Waterford campus; the projected final spend; the funding advanced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55913/21]

Emergency Departments

Matt Shanahan

604. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health the number of accident and emergency attendances at University Hospital Galway, University Hospital Limerick, Cork University Hospital and University Hospital Waterford from 1 October 2021, by week (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55914/21]

National Children's Hospital

Matt Shanahan

605. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health the latest contingencies that are now being put in place to protect against further unanticipated cost rises in specified materials required as part of the national children’s hospital build; the procedures in place to seek or specify alternate building solutions or materials in circumstances in which cost savings are identified; the person or body charged with such ongoing cost management of the project in view of materials price movements; the agreements in place with a company (details supplied) in terms of such price movements; the latest delivery timelines to completion being communicated by the builders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55915/21]

National Treatment Purchase Fund

Matt Shanahan

359. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health the breakdown of the national treatment purchase fund activity at St. Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny, South Tipperary Hospital and Wexford General Hospital waiting lists for the past five years; the individual procedures outsourced; the name of the hospital systems in which such national treatment purchase fund activity was awarded and carried out; the proportion of these allocations that was achieved in each individual hospital system by name; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53803/21]

National Children's Hospital

Matt Shanahan

360. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health the monetary value of the latest approved budget expenditure construction costs completed to date at the national children's hospital; the number of invoices and overall valuation of same which are in dispute between client and contractor; the present scheduled completion date of works; the expected final costs of the construction phase; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53804/21]

Hospital Staff

Matt Shanahan

361. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health the approved number of whole-time equivalent of diabetic nurses and diabetic nurse specialists at present on site at University Hospital Waterford in addition to diabetic nurses engaged through community provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53805/21]

Hospital Facilities

Matt Shanahan

362. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health his views on whether the oversight in relation to signage at University Hospital Waterford (details supplied) will be addressed as soon as possible in the interests of patient communications; if he will provide a target date for the addition and completion of such branding at the main gate of the hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53806/21]

Hospital Staff

Matt Shanahan

363. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 341 of 30 September 2021, the status of both service areas; if he will expedite resources for the expansion of cardiac cath lab hours activity (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53807/21]

Hospital Facilities

Matt Shanahan

364. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health if the new outpatient development is being actively planned for at University Hospital Waterford (details supplied); if it is a recognised and required capital infrastructure project agreed by the management of the Southwest Hospital Group; if funding is ring-fenced for this project; the status of the design and build tender and the derogation for planning permission; the expected date of commencement and completion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53808/21]

Ambulance Service

Matt Shanahan

813. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a schedule of each emergency transfer request detailing the time of ambulance service request raised at St. Luke's Hospital; the time of clinical handover to the ambulance team in St. Luke's Hospital; the time of clinical handover at St. James's Hospital for each request made in each of the years in each of the years 2015 to 2020 and to date in 2021, distinguishing between echo and delta responses in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52115/21]

Ambulance Service

Matt Shanahan

814. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a schedule of each emergency transfer request to the National Ambulance Service from Wexford General Hospital to St. James's Hospital detailing the time of ambulance service request raised at Wexford General; the time of clinical handover to the ambulance team in Wexford and the time of clinical handover at St. James's for each request made in each of the years 2015 to 2020 and to date in 2021, distinguishing between echo and delta responses in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52116/21]