Written Answers Nos. 425-442
425. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of full-time and part-time MRI radiographers who are employed at the Cork University Hospital; the hours worked by these radiographers; his plans to employ additional radiographers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4485/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on the matter. If he has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
426. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide in tabular form for the years 2007 to 2010 the total photography costs in his Department, including a list of which photographers were booked, the photographers used and breakdown of costs associated with each occasion that a photographer was used; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4495/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra427. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide in tabular form for the years 1997 to 2007 the total photography costs in his Department, including a list of which photographers were booked, the photographers used and breakdown of costs associated with each occasion that a photographer was used; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4511/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 426 and 427 together.
The information requested by the Deputy is not available for the years in question but if the Deputy has a specific query regarding a particular company, he should contact me and I will follow it up.
429. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the availability of supports to family carers in County Louth; if the Health Service Executive currently funds in-home respite care in the county; the agencies that provide such support; if there are any other supports specifically designed to provide the family carer a break; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4527/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
430. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the official policy in relation to the circumstances in which category C consultant posts should be approved both for new entrants and for doctors wishing to change over from another form of contract. [4531/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraSection 22 e) of the Consultant Contract 2008 states that a Consultant seeking to change from Type A, B or B* contract to a Type C contract should apply to the Consultant Applications Advisory Committee. In the event that the Type C Committee does not agree to the application, it is referred to the Director General of the Health Service for a final decision.
Applications for a change of Contract Type to Contract Type B* or C are considered on condition that the total number of Consultants holding B*, Type C and Category 2 Contracts is subject to an upper limit of such posts within the system. The upper limit – as set out at Appendix VII of the Contract – is stated as 'approximately 700'.
431. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of doctors appointed for the first time in the public hospital system voluntary hospitals as well as Health Service Executive-run hospitals under category C consultant contracts since 1 January 2014. [4532/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra432. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the number of senior doctors currently employed on a contract other than a category C contract who have applied to the Health Service Executive to change to a category C contract since 1 January 2014; and the number of such changes which have been approved by the HSE over the same time period. [4533/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 431 and 432 together.
I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on the matter. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
433. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, a list of all external public relations firms hired by his Department and associated costs incurred from 2007 to 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4545/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department has availed of the services of public relations firms for some health promotion campaigns in areas like smoking cessation, alcohol awareness, men's health, obesity and breastfeeding. Work carried out by these companies included public awareness and communications campaigns, as well as advertising and consumer research. Details are set out as follows:
|
Year |
Company |
Expenditure |
|
2008 |
Carr Communications |
€07,100 |
|
2008 |
IPA |
€04,550 |
|
2008 |
Public Affairs Ireland |
€03,265 |
|
2008 |
High Performance Training |
€00,599 |
|
2008 |
Public Relations Institute of Ireland |
€00,520 |
|
2007 |
Carr Communications |
€48,400 |
434. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in assessing a person (details supplied) in Dublin 20 for dyslexia; and when they will receive a date for their assessment [4553/15]
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. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
435. Deputy Seán Kenny asked the Minister for Health the way the extra €2 million allocation in the 2015 Health Service Executive service plan will be spent with regard to current pressures within the maternity services here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4556/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.
436. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the way he proposes to reduce waiting times for breast prostheses for women who have had mastectomies; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that in the Dublin north local health area, women have been waiting since September for breast prostheses and surgical bras, and that this compares very unfavourably to other parts of the country; the reason there is no nationwide uniformity of provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4587/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraA national group has been established in the HSE to review practices in the area of aids and appliances. This review will include policy and procedures applying to the provision of breast prostheses and bras for women who have had mastectomies. The Group will complete its work this year and it is expected that the implementation of its recommendations will lead to standardised procedures nationwide.
437. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health the number of women who have availed of terminations under the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013; the number of women who have been refused; his views on the follow-up care for women who have been refused; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4590/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act provides that I, as the Minister for Health, must publish a report covering the operation of the Act in the preceding year by 30th June each year and lay it before the Houses of the Oireachtas. As the Act was commenced on 1st January 2014, the first annual report covering its operation will be published in June 2015.
438. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite a hospital appointment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4596/15]
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 particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up with them.
439. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the proposed day care centre for a town in County Cork (details supplied) that was originally allowed to proceed by the Health Service Executive in December 2008; if planning permission was granted in December 2011 in view of a letter issuing in 2012 from the HSE area manager stating that the project had been halted due to lack of funds in the capital development plan; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that planning permission is only granted for a period of five years, and that time is running out on this project and funding urgently needs to be provided for this extremely important development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4602/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs with all infrastructure projects this particular project must be considered within the overall capital envelope available to the health service. There will always be more projects than can be funded by the Exchequer. There is limited funding available for new projects over the next multi-annual period 2015-2019 given the level of commitments and the costs to completion already in place. The HSE is concentrating on applying the limited funding available for capital works in the most effective way possible to meet needs now and in the future.
440. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Health his plans to ensure that the minimum number of agency staff are being employed by the Health Service Executive in County Meath in order that full-time staff are employed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4604/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on the matter. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
441. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will utilise the beds in St. Brigid's Hospital, Shaen, Portlaoise, to alleviate the crisis of bed shortage in the Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise, County Laois; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4605/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
442. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Health the steps he will take to instruct the Health Service Executive to commence the recruitment of at least ten permanent staff nurses at the Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar, County Westmeath, which have been sought and committed to since October 2014; if the interviews will be conducted forthwith in respect of the said necessary posts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4625/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform announced in budget 2014 that he intends to delegate greater autonomy to Departments and Agencies to manage their own staffing levels. The change from the application of a rigid employment control framework, with its particular focus on a moratorium on recruitment and compliance with employment ceilings and targets, to one operating strictly within allocated pay frameworks will allow for recruitment where it is determined that this can achieve more economical service delivery. The HSE has the capacity to recruit where it is necessary to deliver front-line services. This is reflected in the current recruitment campaign where the HSE is actively recruiting to fill 1,600 approved nursing posts. These are across all grades and all divisions of the register spanning acute hospitals, community, ID and mental health. Many of these posts are currently being filled on a temporary or an acting basis. Following a high profile online campaign at the end of 2014 the HSE is currently processing 3,700 applications to meet current needs.
However, there will always be certain posts that are difficult to attract suitably qualified candidates to and individual strategies are developed for these in conjunction with the line managers. Where front-line staffing shortages exist, the HSE makes alternative arrangements to ensure continued service provision, including recourse to agency cover. However, it is preferable that sufficient numbers of nurses are recruited to permanent posts to support the most efficient and effective delivery of services.
I have asked the HSE to reply directly to you in relation to the post at the Midlands Regional Hospital.
