Written Answers Nos. 354-363
355. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health his views on correspondence sent to his Department in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny regarding a funding request for a targeted childhood obesity project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37992/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis correspondence was referred to the H.S.E. by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs as the H.S.E. has responsibility for childhood health promotion programmes. The H.S.E have advised that as a mater of policy they do not endorse or fund any private organisation providing weight management programmes to either adults or children and are committed to a particular strategic approach and as such are not seeking alternative models to tackling childhood obesity.
356. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the scheduled reductions in his Department, or in agencies under his aegis, spending in 2015 and the areas of spending these reductions scheduled to take place; to show the amount of reductions by theme. [38024/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe level of funding available for my Department is being considered as part of the national Estimates and budgetary process for 2015 which is currently underway. Pending completion of this process it is not appropriate for me to comment further at this stage.
357. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Health when an orthopaedic appointment at University Hospital Galway will take place in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38029/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe scheduling of appointments for patients is a matter for the hospital to which the patient has been referred. Should 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 case raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
358. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health the qualifications and work experience required to be considered for social worker employment positions; if he will provide CORU guidelines in respect of attaining work experience; the options available to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38030/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe purpose of the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 is to provide for the statutory registration of 12 designated professions by ensuring that only registrants of the relevant Registration Board at CORU are entitled to use the relevant specified title. The profession of social worker is one of the designated professions.
Applicants for registration with a Registration Board must satisfy the conditions set out in Section 38 of the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005. This includes possession of an approved qualification. An approved qualification includes:
(i) a qualification awarded in the State that has been approved by by-law or
(ii) a non-Irish qualification that the relevant registration board decides attests to a standard of proficiency corresponding to that attested by the qualifications approved by the by-law.
In the case of the profession of social worker, the Approved Qualifications for Social Workers by-law 2011 (S.I. No. 137 of 2011), has approved the following qualifications awarded in the State:
(1) Master of Social Work, University College Cork;
(2) Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work Studies, University College Cork;
(3) Masters of Social Science (Social Work), University College Dublin;
(4) Graduate Diploma in Social Work, University College Dublin;
(5) Masters in Social Work, University of Dublin, Trinity College;
(6) Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work, University of Dublin, Trinity College;
(7) Masters in Social Work, National University of Ireland Galway;
(8) Bachelor of Social Work, University College Cork;
(9) Bachelor in Social Studies, University of Dublin, Trinity College.
Section 38 also provides that a person, who has not practised the designated profession for a specified period of time, must satisfy the relevant registration board that he or she has met criteria and fulfilled conditions specified by by-law. This is to provide that registrants are up-to-date in their professional practice.
In the case of non-Irish professional qualifications, the processes of the general system of Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications are applied to the qualifications of both EEA and non-EEA nationals. This provides for an assessment on a case-by-case basis of the professional qualifications of an applicant against those required to practise in Ireland (i.e. the qualifications approved under bye law) and for the imposition of a compensation measure - the choice between a Period of Adaptation (a placement of up to three years) or an Aptitude Test if deficits in the applicant’s professional training and post-qualification professional experience are identified.
My Department is advised by CORU that it has no record of communication with the person whose details have been provided. If she wishes to apply for registration, she should contact the Social Workers Registration Board at www.coru.ie, telephone 01 2933160.
359. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the ESRI study which he has commissioned into the costs of universal health insurance; if he has asked the institute to examine options for a health insurance model that is not based on competing health insurers as envisaged in the White Paper published in April 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38031/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have established a three-year Research Programme in Healthcare Reform with the ESRI. The research programme uses economic analysis to explore issues in relation to health services and health spending as well as population health. The analysis is informed by the international literature and Irish evidence and has the potential to:
- assess the economic implications of policy choices in the design of the Government’s programme of healthcare reform;
- assist in the design of services to meet the challenges posed by changing health behaviours;
- improve the cost effectiveness of health spending; and,
- provide advice in a timely manner to inform policy development and discussion.
The immediate priority of the ESRI research programme is to examine the cost implications of a change to a multi-payer, universal health insurance model, as proposed in the White Paper on Universal Health Insurance. This analysis will include: analysis of total healthcare spending in Ireland and of recent trends in that spending; examination of the potential effects of changes to the systems of eligibility and financing on the composition of healthcare spending; a review of evidence from the literature on the effects on healthcare spending of alternative systems of financing and of changes in financing methods and entitlements; and an examination of potential effects on Irish healthcare spending and demand of the introduction of alternative financing methods, with a particular focus on the proposals in the White Paper.
I have asked the ESRI to provide initial costings by the end of first quarter 2015. However, this work will continue beyond that date to further develop a model which is capable of providing a dynamic analysis of the effects of changing the system of financing the healthcare system. The ESRI is working closely with my Department, the Health Insurance Authority and the HSE on this costing exercise.
360. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Health his plans to roll out general practitioner visit cards to persons who have a long-term illness and are currently on the long-term illness scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38036/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government, in the recent Statement of Government Priorities, has reiterated its commitment to the introduction of a universal GP service for the entire population in line with the Programme for Government. This policy constitutes a fundamental element in the Government’s health reform programme.
Having examined the possibility of first introducing a GP service based on having a particular medical condition, this was found to be likely to be overly complex and bureaucratic for a short-term arrangement, given the commitment to providing a universal GP service for all. Relatively complex primary legislation would be required in order to provide a GP service to a person on the basis of their having a particular illness. The assessment system for such an approach would have to be robust, objective and auditable in order to have the confidence of this House as well as the general public. This legislation would have to address how a person could be certified as having such an illness, and who could do this, and how to select the diagnostic basis for medical conditions.
As well as primary legislation, there would be a need for secondary legislation to give full effect to this approach for each condition. While it would not be impossible to achieve this, it would take several months more to finalise the primary legislation, followed then by the preparation of statutory instruments. The view was then taken that this would entail putting in place a cumbersome legal and administrative infrastructure to deal with what would have been only a temporary first phase on the way to universal GP service to the entire population. The Government having considered this matter, announced, in Budget 2014, its decision to commence the roll-out of a universal GP service for the entire population by initially providing all children under 6 years with access to a GP service without fees.
The Health (General Practitioner Service) Act 2014, which provides an entitlement for all children aged under 6 to a GP service without fees, was passed by the Oireachtas in July 2014. The Government has decided to prioritise the over 70s in the next phase of the roll-out of universal GP care. The Government has approved the drafting of a Bill to provide a GP service without fees for all persons aged 70 years and over. Drafting of the Bill has commenced and is the subject of ongoing interaction between the Department and the Attorney-General’s Office and I anticipate the Bill will be published in the near future. The objective is to have universal GP care without fees for these 2 phases in place in the coming months, subject to the conclusion of the present discussions between the Department of Health, the HSE and the IMO and the completion of a fee-setting process.
361. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the regulations governing the prescribing and fitting of hearing aids; if a person is required to be a audiologist and registered with the Irish Society of Hearing Aid Audiology; in the absence of such qualification the way they are authorised to fit such important devices; and the recourse that persons have who are not satisfied with the service provided. [38048/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe HSE's hearing services for adult medical card holders and children employs audiologists who have received professional training and certification in Audiology. The professional body for Clinical Audiologists is the Irish Academy of Audiology (IAA). Within the HSE services, governance structures have been introduced along with formal audit processes to provide quality assurance of hearing services. Complaints or concerns arising from clients within the HSE service are managed by the relevant Assistant Clinical Lead and managerial structure in the first instance.
Services for adults who do not hold medical cards are provided through the private sector. The Irish Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists (ISHAA) is the professional body for Hearing Aid Audiologists within this sector. Registration with this body now requires a minimum qualification of a Foundation Degree in Audiology. As the regulation of audiologists may be considered at a future date, ISHAA has been advised to adopt the key elements of the registration model of the Health and Social Care Professional Council (CORU) in developing a voluntary registration system. It is advisable that clients who require access to private sector adult hearing aid services should ensure that the dispenser is registered with ISHAA.
362. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a medical card application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38053/14]
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.
363. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a medical card application in respect of persons (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38055/14]
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.
