Written Answers Nos. 430-447
430. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite a hospital appointment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40088/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, we have asked the HSE to reply directly to the Deputy.
431. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a person (details supplied) awaiting treatment in a Dublin hospital. [40125/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the particular patient query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service executive to respond to him directly.
432. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health regarding funding for a service (details supplied) if he is satisfied that the wages calculated for staff are at their correct point on the incremental scale or whether staff are claimed as if they had been at the maximum end of the scale; his views on the way wages are assessed for funding purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40126/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs I have no direct role in this matter, I have forwarded your question to the HSE for direct reply.
433. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a medical card application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40162/14]
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.
434. Deputy Seamus Kirk asked the Minister for Health the reason the vaccination for chicken pox is not part of the routine childhood vaccination programme; and his plans for it to be included in the programme. [40176/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe immunisation programme in Ireland is based on the advice of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC). The NIAC is a committee of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland comprising of experts in a number of specialties including infectious diseases, paediatrics and public health. The committee's recommendations are informed by public health advice, international best practice and by the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE).
The current guidelines on chickenpox (varicella) recommend that this vaccine is given to specific at risk groups. NIAC is currently considering current scientific evidence whether to recommend the inclusion of varicella vaccine into the childhood immunisation schedule.
Should NIAC advice recommend the inclusion of a new vaccine into the primary childhood immunisation programme in Ireland, my Department, in association with the Health Service Executive's National Immunisation Office will examine the issue.
435. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Kildare will receive funding under the nursing home support scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40180/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
436. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health the reason the appeals process of a medical card in respect of persons (details supplied) in County Laois has taken over ten months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40187/14]
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.
437. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in Dublin 24 will receive an appointment date for surgery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40191/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service issue, I have referred it to the HSE for direct response to the Deputy.
438. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Health the nature of the 24-hour a day seven-day a week crisis support and multidisciplinary community-based mental health services available in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40200/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service issue this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
439. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Health the position regarding an application for the fair deal scheme in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick. [40204/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
440. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if money will be granted to a centre (details supplied) in County Cork through lottery funding for fire safety works that need to be carried out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40213/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has received an application for funding from the 2014 National Lottery allocation from the organisation in question. This is one of a large number of applications currently being assessed by my Department. The organisation will be informed of the outcome of the application as soon as a decision has been made.
441. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health the position regarding Health Service Executive-supported persons who reside in the National Association of Housing for Visually Impaired facility in Donabate, County Dublin; the number of such persons; the county from which they come; the cost of care for each and the HSE support costs; the number from each county who have been assessed as persons who would benefit from living in this facility and have subsequently been refused support by the HSE; the reasons for such refusal; if there are any service levels agreements in place in any county or region; the nature of these agreements including costs of same; if there are counties where there is no service level agreement in place; if so, the reason for same; the way the budget for such places is allocated nationally and locally; the criteria which apply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40218/14]
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.
442. Deputy Eric Byrne asked the Minister for Health the reason supports have not been advanced in respect of a child (details supplied) in Dublin 12; the reason an appointment or additional outside support have not been advanced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40223/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the particular issue raised by the Deputy relates to an individual case, this is a service matter for the Health Service Executive. Accordingly, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
443. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the growing waiting list for persons seeking funding under the nursing home support scheme; the funding allocated to the scheme in 2014 and the anticipated funding for 2015; if an initiative is planned to bring down the waiting time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40239/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraFunding of €939 million is available to the Nursing Homes Support Scheme in 2014. Allocations for 2015 are not yet finalised. The HSE operates a national placement list for the Nursing Homes Support Scheme to enable it to operate within budget. All approved applicants are put on the placement list in order of their approval date and funding issues to applicants in this chronological order to ensure equity nationally.
I am aware that waiting times on this list are now at around 15 weeks. This is of course a matter of concern for me but limitations on available resources present a real challenge. My Department and the HSE are working to ensure that the resources that are available are deployed in the most effective way possible and deliver the best outcomes for older people. This will require an integrated approach across community, residential and other service areas.
444. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Health the average cost of an overnight respite service (details supplied) to the Health Service Executive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40263/14]
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.
445. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the arrangements that have been made in order to give effect to the cross-border health care directive; if measures have been put in place to inform those currently on hospital waiting lists of their rights to health care under this directive; if the Health Service Executive has informed those on waiting lists of their rights to access health care under this directive; the number of persons who have applied for reimbursement under this directive since it came into operation under Irish law; the number of persons who have successfully availed of reimbursement under this directive since it came into operation; the amount of funding that has been allocated for the provision of healthcare under this directive in both budget 2014 and budget 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40269/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Directive on Patients’ Rights in Cross Border Healthcare provides rules for the reimbursement to patients’ of the cost of receiving treatment abroad, where the patient would be entitled to such treatment in their home Member State (Member State of Affiliation) and supplements the rights that patients already have at EU level through the legislation on the coordination of social security schemes (Regulation 883/04). The Directive seeks to ensure a clear and transparent framework for the provision of cross-border healthcare within the EU, for those occasions where the care the patient seeks is provided in another Member State rather than in their home country. However, it should be emphasised that the vast majority of EU patients receive healthcare in their own country and prefer to do so.
A Statutory Instrument to transpose the Directive was signed on 14th May, 2014. The European Communities (Application of Patient’s Rights in Cross-Border Healthcare) Regulations - S.I. 203 of 2014 - commenced on 1st June 2014 and subsequently the HSE is in the position to operate the terms of the Directive. The S.I. provides for reimbursement by the HSE of qualifying cross-border healthcare, a system of prior authorisation and the placing of the National Contact Point (NCP) on a statutory basis.
The principal function of the National Contact Point is to facilitate exchange of information for patients concerning their rights and entitlements relating to receiving healthcare in another Member State, in particular the terms and conditions for reimbursement of cost and the procedures for accessing and determining those entitlements. The National Contact Point also has a responsibility to ensure that all enquirers are informed of the rights, if any, that they may have through the legislation on the coordination of social security schemes (Regulation 883/04) and which may be more beneficial to them. The National Contact Point is able to inform patients what the cost of their treatments would be in Ireland to allow them make a comparison with the costs they are being quoted for comparable treatment in another Member State.
The Health Service Executive has been asked to examine the remaining parts of this question and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
446. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Health the proportion of medicines sold here that are generics; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40270/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn Q2 2014, generic medicines accounted for almost 34% of the total pharmaceutical market by volume and over 12% by value. However, generics account for approximately 65% of the total off-patent market by volume and over 53% by value. The off-patent market is the only segment of the market where generics can compete. These statistics relate to medicines reimbursed under the GMS and community drug schemes.
447. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Kildare will receive an appointment with an occupational therapist; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40271/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the particular issue raised by the Deputy relates to an individual case, this is a service matter for the Health Service Executive. Accordingly, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
