Written Answers Nos. 676-702
677. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the reason the medical card section cannot or will not make a direct call to the relevant doctors to ascertain if the medical card recipient’s outlined medical circumstances have changed since the person last applied. [31428/14]
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.
678. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if he will consider making it permissible for the medical card section to confirm with local authorities whether a person's rent has changed since his or her case was last reviewed. [31429/14]
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.
679. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if he will consider making it the task of the staff of the medical card section to gather the relevant information from the professional bodies concerned when assessing medical card applications from disabled persons. [31430/14]
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.
680. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if he will investigate reports that a problem has arisen with hearing aids in the County Donegal area following a decision by the Health Service Executive to employ a private contractor to supply same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31431/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have asked the HSE to investigate this matter and respond directly to the Deputy.
681. Deputy Damien English asked the Minister for Health if he or the Health Service Executive have plans for surgical correction of exstrophy-episadias complex to be made available to children here; the action parents of children must currently take in order to have such corrective surgery carried out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31434/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the specific query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
682. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Health the position regarding an application for a medical card in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; when a decision will issue; the reason for the delay with this application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31439/14]
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.
683. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure that mental health organisations and suicide prevention groups such as Breaking the Silence can provide safe talks to teenagers and not just to over 18s as is currently the case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31444/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraTraining in suicide prevention is one aspect of the work of the HSE's National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP) and its partners in the statutory and voluntary sector. A wide range of awareness and training programmes are available including ASIST and SafeTALK which train participants to become more alert to the possibility of suicide in their community. I have, therefore, referred the question to the NOSP for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
684. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Health if he will bring forward legislation to cover the regulation of care provision for elderly persons and vulnerable adults in their own homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31457/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraGovernment for National Recovery, 2011-2016 commits to developing and implementing national standards for home support services, which will be subject to HIQA inspection. Primary legislation and resources will be required for the introduction of a statutory regulation system for home care services, and this will be progressed in the context of overall legislative and resource priorities.
I would like to emphasise, however, that statutory regulation or licensing is only one way of improving quality and safety. The HSE is already progressing a range of measures to improve Home Care provision overall, to standardise services nationally and to promote quality and safety. These include a Procurement Framework for Home Care Services with quality and screening requirements which came into effect in 2012 and applies to services procured by the HSE from external providers. The HSE is currently undertaking a review of home care services with a view to improving services generally.
685. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Health if section 26 of the 1985 Nurses Act supersedes section 13(8) of the Act; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31465/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am sure the Deputy appreciates that the interpretation of legislation is a matter for the Courts and not a matter for me as Minister for Health.
Section 26 of the Nurses Act 1985 states:
'The Board may, with the approval of the Minister, make Rules for the purpose of the operation of this Act and any such rules may, inter alia, provide for the establishment, membership, functions and procedures of committees to assist the Board in carrying out its functions under this Act.'
Section 13(8) of the Act states:
'The Board may, subject to the provisions of this Act, regulate the procedure of committees established under this section, but, subject to any such regulation, committees established under this section may regulate their own procedure.'
686. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Health in respect of the fair deal scheme, where a person's family home is rented out while the person is in long-stay care, if it is the rental income or capital value of the home that is taken into account in assessing the contribution to be paid towards the person's care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31471/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Nursing Homes Support Scheme is a system of financial support for individuals in need of long-term nursing home care. Under the Scheme, nursing home residents contribute towards the cost of their nursing home care based on their means, and the HSE pays the balance.
For the purposes of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme, any rent collected from a property belonging to an applicant is classed as income. The value of a person's principal private residence is classed as an asset. Individuals contribute up to 80% of their assessable income (which would include any rental income) and a maximum of 7.5% of the value of any assets per annum towards their cost of care. The first €36,000 of an individual's assets, or €72,000 in the case of a couple, is not counted at all in the financial assessment. An individual's principal residence is only included in the financial assessment for the first three years of their time in care.
687. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Kerry will be referred to Cork University Hospital. [31473/14]
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 the Deputy on this matter.
688. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the process of determining the conditions that will qualify for a free water allowance; the way interested parties can make submissions in relation to same; if the end list will be flexible and subject to review and additions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31498/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra689. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Health if Crohn's disease will be included on the list of conditions that will qualify for a free extra water allowance. [31499/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 688 and 689 together.
The Department of Environment, Community and Local Government has responsibility for the provision of water and water charges. My Department has and will continue to engage with that Department on the issue of providing safe clean water to our population. This includes providing advice to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government which is developing a scheme that ensures all persons, including those with increased water requirements due to medical conditions, have access to sufficient clean, safe, water.
690. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a medical card in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry. [31500/14]
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.
691. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if the I-port advance will be made available on the GMS or long-term illness scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31502/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra709. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if the I-Port Advance will be made available on the GMS and LTI Schemes (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31572/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 691 and 709 together.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) is responsible for the administration of the primary care schemes, therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
692. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding the treatment of children with type 1 diabetes in counties Cork and Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31503/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the specific query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
693. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding an insulin pump in respect of a child (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31504/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service issue, the matter has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
694. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding home help in respect of persons (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31507/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
695. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will be called for a medical procedure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31508/14]
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 the Deputy on this matter.
697. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the issues faced by residential health care staff working on sleepover duty after the Labour Court ruling in view of the fact that some residential care staff are expected to work 63 hours per week instead of the statutory 48 hours; the reasons for same; if sleepover duty, where a member of staff is on-call while working overnight, is part of the working week and if it is treated as such for pay purposes; his views on whether these hours are in breach of EU and Irish working time legislation; his views on the low levels of hourly pay associated with sleepover duty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31515/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy has outlined above, the Haddington Road Agreement provides for a process of negotiation under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission in respect of staff working in residential care settings.
Discussions in the Labour Relations Commission, involving my Department, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the HSE, Service Providers and the Trade Unions concluded recently. Despite detailed management proposals to move towards compliance with the European Working Time Directive, significant differences between management and unions remain. The matter has now been referred to the Labour Court.
698. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Health the standards in place and how often public toilets in the public wards, particularly in maternity wards, are checked and cleaned at University Hospital Waterford; if there are sign-off sheets; the measures being taken in terms of infection control; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31520/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the detailed queries raised by the Deputy, as these are service matters they have been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
699. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the total cost of public relations-communications to his Department in 2013; the spend to date in 2014; the total estimate for 2014; the corresponding figures for each agency funded from his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31531/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Press and Communications Office of my Department liaise with the media on behalf of the Department as well as all Ministers and do not use the services of a PR company. My Department did not spend any money on public relations/communications consultants from January 2013 - June 2014. It is not anticipated at this stage that there will be any expenditure in this area for the remainder of 2014. I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on costs incurred by them. For other agencies funded by my Department the responsibility for operational matters such as this lies with the respective Director/CEO/ Registrar.
700. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health the average waiting times for insulin pumps for children with diabetes in County Kerry; the way these times compare with Dublin; the measures he is taking to shorten these times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31563/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service issue, the matter has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
701. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health the reason children in County Kerry with type 1 diabetes, who are recommended to be seen by their diabetes care team every three months, are only being seen by specialist paediatric staff every six months currently; if the matter will be addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31564/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service issue, the matter has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
702. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health the reason there is no paediatric endocrinologist in County Kerry, only a paediatrician with an interest in diabetes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31565/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
