Written Answers Nos. 461-481
461. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health if appropriate arrangements have been made to arrange cover for leave arrangements in respect of a speech therapist (details supplied); if a person has been appointed to the position; if he will reassure patients that the service will continue without interruption during the leave; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27889/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the issue raised by the Deputy relates to an individual case, this is a service matter for the Health Service Executive. I have asked the HSE to look into the particular matter raised and to reply directly to the Deputy.
462. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Health if a child (details supplied) in County Dublin will be prioritised for speech therapy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27905/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the issue raised by the Deputy relates to an individual case, this is a service matter for the Health Service Executive. I have asked the HSE to look into the particular matter raised and to reply directly to the Deputy.
463. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite an appointment for to see a consultant in Cork University Hospital in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork [27914/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraShould a patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he or she would be in the best position to take the matter up with the consultant and hospital involved. In relation to the specific hospital appointment query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
464. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details in tabular form divided by month of the number of medical cards newly issued on a discretionary basis in each month from May 2011 to April 2014 [27915/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
465. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the current status in the programme for Government to legislate for stem cell research here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27920/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to your query rea legislative framework for Assisted Human Reproduction (AHR), I am examining proposals to regulate AHR and related matters including stem cell research. I will make a decision on these matters in due course in the context of on-going legislative priorities.
466. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if persons (details supplied) in Dublin 9 who lost their medical cards following a review had been granted these cards on discretionary grounds; if one or both of these cards will be returned to the persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27929/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn the context of the Government's decision to develop a policy framework for providing eligibility for health services on the basis of medical conditions, the Government recently announced that a medical card or GP visit card is to be issued to a person, with a serious illness, whose discretionary card was refused renewal since the centralisation of medical card assessments.
If the medical card or GP visit card to which the Deputy refers was awarded by way of discretion and was refused renewal in the period from 1 July 2011 to 31 May 2014 following the completion of an eligibility review, a card will issue by the HSE.
The HSE has commenced the process of identifying and contacting persons to advise them that their medical cards and GP visit cards will issue. The HSE has commenced issuing letters to the persons concerned and this process should be concluded by the first two weeks of July. No action is required on the part of those affected as the HSE will be in contact. If people do not hear from the HSE by mid July, they should contact the HSE on its Lo-Call contact number: 1890 25 29 19. These individuals will be able to access medical card and GP visit card services in the normal manner when they have been advised by the HSE that their medical card or GP visit card is active.
The Health Service Executive has been asked to examine the specific query raised and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to medical cards and GP visit cards, which the Deputy may wish to use for an earlier response. Contact information has issued to Oireachtas members.
467. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will examine a medical card application for over 70s in respect of persons (details supplied) in County Kerry as further information that was requested has been forwarded recently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27930/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible. The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to medical cards and GP visit cards, which the Deputy may wish to use for an earlier response. Contact information has issued to Oireachtas members.
468. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will examine further information submitted with regard to a review for upgrading of GP card to a full medical card for over 70s in respect of persons (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27931/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible. The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to medical cards and GP visit cards, which the Deputy may wish to use for an earlier response. Contact information has issued to Oireachtas members.
469. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the eight-month minimum waiting time for surgery in a Dublin Hospital (details supplied) due to a lack of funding; the steps he is taking to reduce this wait time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27937/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2014, has been developed to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care. This policy, which has been adopted by the Health Service Executive, sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists.
In relation to the particular query raised by the Deputy, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to her on this matter.
471. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Health the reason is there a continuing delay in supplying a leg prosthesis to a person (details supplied) County Mayo, who has been assessed for over two months by the National Rehabilitation Clinic; if it will be expedited due to the exceptional difficulties that the person is experiencing with the existing prosthesis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27957/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy's question relates to service matters I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
472. Deputy Brian Walsh asked the Minister for Health the amount spent by the State on the fair deal scheme in each of the years since its introduction in 2009; the number of participants to whom this expenditure pertained in respect of each year; and the total amount of their contribution towards the care provided. [27975/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe total budgets since the Scheme's introduction are set out below. A number of people covered by funding arrangements which preceded the Scheme are also covered by this funding.
|
2009(€m) |
2010(€m) |
2011(€m) |
2012(€m) |
2013(€m) |
2014(€m) |
|
909 |
979.2 |
963 |
994.7 |
974 |
939 |
Approximately 55,000 people have been supported since the Scheme commenced in October 2009. As of the 25th June 2014, 22,254 are being supported. The average client contribution is currently €284.76 per month.
The Deputy's question regarding total client contribution has been forwarded to the HSE for direct reply.
473. Deputy Brian Walsh asked the Minister for Health the total amount collected from ancillary State support under the fair deal scheme in each of the years since its introduction in 2009. [27976/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra474. Deputy Brian Walsh asked the Minister for Health the total amount due to the State in respect of ancillary State support under the fair deal scheme that has yet to be collected; and the length of time that has elapsed since the oldest of these debts fell due. [27977/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 473 and 474 together.
As these are service matters, they have been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
475. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Health if he will be allocating further funding under the fair deal scheme across the regions over the next three months to address the current backlog in the system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27994/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe total budget for long-term residential care in 2014 is €939m. €23m was transferred from the Nursing Homes Support Scheme to provide additional community services, with a view to allowing more older people to be supported in their own homes and communities for longer. This reorientation is in line with both Government policy and with the expressed wishes of older people, and its impact will be closely monitored over the coming months.
The HSE operates a national placement list to enable it to operate within the budget for the Nursing Homes Support Scheme. All applicants who are approved for funding are put on the placement list in chronological order by the date of determination of their application. Funding issues to applicants in this chronological order to ensure equity nationally. The HSE makes every effort to match available funding to demand by releasing funding on a weekly basis.
As of the end of May 2014, there were 783 applications for the Scheme which is a reduction of 11% from May 2013. The Deputy will appreciate that significant funding pressures exist in the health services generally, and it will not be possible to provide additional funding for the Nursing Homes Support Scheme in 2014.
476. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the reason the Health Service Executive bought a closed hospital, Mount Carmel, while fully staffed and operating hospitals are continuing to close beds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27997/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra477. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the amount that was paid for Mount Carmel by the Health Service Executive; and the way it is justified and to be funded when the HSE is currently €500 million over budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27998/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra478. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if due diligence was performed together with the development of a business plan by the Health Service Executive for Mount Carmel with proper costings; where can Oireachtas Members inspect the evidence of that; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27999/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra479. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the way he can justify the Health Service Executive spending more money on a private hospital that was bust, even after the National Asset Management Agency injected €10 million into it to keep it running over the past few years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28000/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra480. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if it is the case that the National Asset Management Agency sold all the Mount Carmel hospital equipment; the amount that was raised from this sale; the amount it will cost the Health Service Executive to re-equip the hospital to make it operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28001/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra481. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health his views on whether the purchase of Mount Carmel is a venture in which the taxpayer gets no financial return in view of the fact that every cent expended has already and continues to be provided by the taxpayer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28002/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 476 to 481, inclusive, together.
While I understand that the proposed sale of Mount Carmel has not been completed, I can confirm that, in the context of other potential uses for the campus, the HSE has made a bid for the buildings and land which were previously the Mount Carmel Maternity Hospital. Information relating to the proposed Mount Carmel sale or any potential property sale, if it was available to me, would be commercially sensitive and could not be divulged. Commercially sensitive information would include bid details and information used to determine the bid.
Also, I wish to repeat briefly what I said on 18 February last at the Joint Committee on Health where the closure of Mount Carmel Maternity Hospital was discussed - that there may be other potential uses for the buildings. As you will be aware, I stated then that I have a responsibility to the taxpayer to ensure that public money is used prudently and I remain firmly of the view that the purchase of Mount Carmel as a going concern, or as a going concern for other purposes, cannot be justified. To do so would unnecessarily expose the HSE and the State to all contingent liabilities and to very obvious significant financial risks.
As Mount Carmel Maternity Hospital was a private not a public hospital being sold on behalf of NAMA I am not in a position to offer a view on the financial return to the State from the sale, and I have no information on the sale of equipment.
