Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 May 2010
82 Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Health and Children the discussions she has had with the Health Service Executive regarding proposed further cuts to the home help service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19993/10]
Amharc ar fhreagra97 Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health and Children if she will clarify proposals on curtailing the hours that home helps will be allowed to spend on various personal support tasks for their clients; the way home helps are supposed to speed up their clients in personal tasks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20187/10]
Amharc ar fhreagra106 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health and Children if she will intervene to prevent further cuts to the home help service as proposed in the Health Service Executive’s current draft plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19991/10]
Amharc ar fhreagra206 Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to media reports regarding the home help service, namely that consideration is being given to having the service operate on a five-day week that is Monday to Friday, that the hours for carers will be significantly reduced; the implications that this will have for carers andtheir families; her views regarding same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19910/10]
Amharc ar fhreagra228 Deputy Kieran O’Donnell asked the Minister for Health and Children if she has received the Health Service Executive’s new draft guidelines on home care and home help; if she approves of the proposal to reduce the hours of caring that new applicants can avail of; if she has analysed the cost benefit of the proposals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20018/10]
Amharc ar fhreagra272 Deputy Ruairí Quinn asked the Minister for Health and Children the restrictions the Health Service Executive has proposed for home helpers and the duties they perform for the elderly and the infirm; if she will direct the HSE not to implement these proposals. [20471/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 82, 97, 106, 206, 228 and 272 together.
I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.
83 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health and Children if she will instruct the Health Service Executive to withdraw its recent circular 008/10, of 26 April 2010, to dentists which cuts dental services for medical card patients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19990/10]
Amharc ar fhreagra98 Deputy Brian Hayes asked the Minister for Health and Children the way she expects to achieve savings of €40 million in the dental treatment services scheme for medical card patients; the services that will be withdrawn or reduced for medical card holders; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20270/10]
Amharc ar fhreagra126 Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Health and Children the discussions she has had with the Health Service Executive regarding the cuts to dental services for medical card patients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19992/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 83, 98 and 126 together.
The Government's decision to limit the funding available to the Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) was made in view of the current position of the public finances and the 60% increase in expenditure in the DTSS over the past five years. The Health Service Executive (HSE) has introduced measures to contain DTSS expenditure at the 2008 level of approximately €63 million.
Under the new measures, some treatments which had previously been available in the Scheme, for example, dental cleaning and polishing have been suspended. Other treatments, such as oral examinations and fillings, will continue to be provided but will be limited in number or frequency. More complex, non-routine treatments, such as protracted periodontal treatments, will be available only in the case of clinical emergencies. These measures were introduced following consultation with my Department. The HSE will monitor the ongoing effect of these changes from a clinical and budgetary perspective. The dental and oral health services currently provided through the HSE Public Dental Service will not be affected by these changes to the DTSS.
