Vol. 435 No. 1
161 Mr. Flanagan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an allocation of funds for the provision of additional nursing staff at a hospital (details supplied) in County Laois; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
An initial allocation of some £77.205 million was made available by my Department to the Midland Health Board this year to provide services for which the board has responsibility, which includes the hospital, details of which have been supplied by the Deputy. In addition to this initial allocation approximately £1.7 million extra has been made available this year to the Midland Health Board. The funding provided by my Department to the board includes provision for additional and enhanced services, such as the waiting list initiative, the phased implementation of the EC Food Hygiene and Foodstuffs Directives, the Nursing Homes Act, 1990, the Child Care Act, 1991, and the provision of services for the mentally handicapped. All proposals for the development of services are looked at and will continue to be looked at as sympathetically as possible by my Department having regard to competing service demands, the availability of financial resources and applicable personnel criteria. I am sure the Deputy will agree that considerable financial resources have been made available to the Midland Health Board this year. No information is currently available to my Department which suggests other than that sufficient resources have been provided by my Department to the board to allow it to ensure that adequate staffing levels in the hospital in question obtain.
162 Mr. Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the amount of money due and owing by the State's Health Boards to private nursing homes within the State; and the steps, if any, he proposes to take to ensure prompt payment.
168 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure that nursing homes are paid on a proper and regular basis.
179 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Health when payments to nursing homes will be made by the Mid-Western Health Board; the time scale involved for such payments in order to ensure that the cash flow of private nursing homes is not seriously affected for those nursing homes participating in the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 162, 168 and 179 together.
It is the responsibility of health boards to ensure that funds owed to nursing homes are paid on a proper and regular basis. Any cases of particular difficulty should be brought to the attention of the relevant health board.
The following are the amounts of money due and owing by the eight health boards to private nursing homes:
|
Health Board |
Amount |
|
£ |
|
|
Eastern Health Board |
750,000* |
|
Midlands Health Board |
9,143 |
|
North Western Health Board |
280,000 |
|
North Eastern Health Board |
83,000 |
|
North Western Health Board |
nil outstanding |
|
South Eastern Health Board |
54,878 |
|
Southern Health Board |
nil outstanding |
|
Western Health Board |
nil outstanding |
|
Total |
1,177,021 |
163 Mr. Flanagan asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to a severe shortage of pure diphtheria vaccine in the State; and the steps, if any, he proposes to take to allay public fears on the matter.
The recent shortage of Diphtheria vaccine is as a result of outbreaks of Diphtheria in the Russian Federation and requests for tourists travelling to the affected areas to receive vaccination. Arrangements are being made to secure supplies to facilitate the small number of persons requesting vaccination.
In the meantime, the combined Diphtheria/Tetanus vaccine, in the limited dosage, suitable for adults is available.
The delivery of the primary vaccination and immunisation programme against childhood diseases is not affected.
