Brian Stanley
Ceist:162. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health if patients on orthodontic waiting lists in the midlands are being prioritised by date of birth. [8496/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraOrthodontic Services Waiting Lists
Ceisteanna (162)
Freagraí scríofa
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.
Departmental Funding
Ceisteanna (163)
Michael Healy-Rae
Ceist:163. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if he will provide funding in respect of a project (details supplied) in County Kerry which wishes to assist the national ambulance service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8500/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to any support or assistance which may be available to the group in question. 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.
In relation to funding, my Department administers a National Lottery Discretionary Fund, from which once-off grants are paid to community and voluntary organisations providing a range of health-related services. Organisations wishing to make an application for National Lottery Funding should submit a formal application. Further information about the grant scheme, along with the application form, are set out on the Department's website at www.health.gov.ie.
The closing date for applications is 1st May 2015.
Medical Aids and Appliances Provision
Ceisteanna (164)
John McGuinness
Ceist:164. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if special boots will be provided in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Carlow. [8503/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
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.
Hospital Services
Ceisteanna (165)
Billy Kelleher
Ceist:165. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health further to his comment in Dáil Éireann on 18 February 2015 that it is inappropriate for any section or department in a hospital to declare itself a national centre, if it is not the case that the National Centre for Medical Genetics, based at Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin, Dublin 12, was established in 1995 following the 1990 Tierney report of the Department of Health committee to examine medical genetics services; if his Department approved this at the time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8504/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
In December 1988 the Tierney committee was set up to examine the need for a medical genetics service in Ireland and to recommend how such a service should be organised. Its report in 1990 recommended that "the medical genetics centre in Dublin should be based in Our Lady's Hospital Crumlin", and that other centres should be established in Cork and Galway.
The genetics service at Crumlin is and has always been under the governance of the hospital. Staff are employees of the hospital, and the service has always been accountable to the CEO and under the governance of the hospital’s Board in the same manner as other clinical departments. There are several services at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin that have a national remit, including outreach and shared care services with other hospitals, but which are not regarded as having an identity separate to that of the hospital.
Crumlin has recently made a decision to discontinue the separate identification of the service as the National Centre for Medical Genetics. This was done in the interest of clarity on governance arrangements. As with all patient services, governance rests with the organisation that provides the service - if a patient attends Crumlin for genetic services, Crumlin is accountable and if the service is provided by another hospital, that hospital is accountable.
A review of the governance structure for this service is included in the Terms of Reference for the Steering Group established to develop a plan for a National Network for Genetics and Genomic Medicine, as recommended in the 2014 report by Professors Dian Donnai and Bill Newman. The Group will meet for the first time on 3 March and is expected to complete its work this year.
Hospital Services
Ceisteanna (166)
Billy Kelleher
Ceist:166. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health further to his comments in Dáil Éireann on 18 February 2015 with regard to the National Centre for Medical Genetics (details supplied), if it is not the case that, at present, a person can self-refer only if that person is the child of a person who had been diagnosed with a genetic disorder, and that there is by no means a free-for-all for persons who want to be screened. [8505/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
All individual initial referrals to the Department of Clinical Genetics at Crumlin are via a general practitioner. Self-referrals are not seen. However, where there is a clinical requirement, because of an identified clinical genetic issue, to see additional members of a patient’s family, these family members can access the service without a GP referral.
General Practitioner Services Provision
Ceisteanna (167)
Denis Naughten
Ceist:167. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to re-establish the general practitioner caredoc service in the north west; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8511/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply 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.
Departmental Staff Remuneration
Ceisteanna (168)
Denis Naughten
Ceist:168. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the cost of issuing hard copy payslips to all employees paid by him; the number of staff issued with such payslips; the steps being taken to only issue payslips by electronic means; the timeframe involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8513/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Regarding my own Department, the majority of staff (97.5%) receive their payslips on-line. At present payslips are posted to 5 weekly paid staff and 4 fortnightly paid staff as they have no access to the on-line payslip available on the Department's internal computer network. During the year, on request, payslips may also be posted to those availing of the Shorter Working Year. The estimated cost is approximately €300.
Operational matters relating to Commercial and Non-Commercial Agencies under the aegis of my Department are a matter for the relevant Director/CEO/Registrar, and as such, the Deputy may wish to contact these agencies himself.
With regard to HSE staff, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly. 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.
Medical Card Data
Ceisteanna (169)
Bernard Durkan
Ceist:169. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the number of medical cards refused or withdrawn in recent times in respect of persons who merited the award of a medical card and possessed same for a number of years on the basis of a particular illness, or new applicants in a similar health category, in each of the past 12 months to date in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8514/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The 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.
If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office who will follow up the matter with them.
Medical Card Drugs Availability
Ceisteanna (170, 171)
Arthur Spring
Ceist:170. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Health his views on expanding the medical card scheme to cover alternative medicines and treatments for persons suffering from multiple sclerosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8518/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraArthur Spring
Ceist:171. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Health his views on expanding the medical card scheme to cover alternative medicines and treatments for persons suffering with progressive diseases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8519/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 170 and 171 together.
Medical card holders are eligible to access drugs, medicines and medical and surgical appliances which are on the Reimbursement List as provided for under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.
Schedule 3 Part 1 of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013 sets out the criteria applicable to medicinal products which can be listed as items on the Reimbursement List. It states that the medicinal product -
(a) Must be suitable for use under the supervision of a general medical practitioner or other relevant health professional and not be restricted to hospital or medical specialist use,
(b) Subject to paragraph 2 must not be advertised or promoted directly to the public
(c) Must not be for the purpose of obtaining a cosmetic effect
(d) Must be such that it is ordinarily supplied to the public only on foot of a prescription, and
(e) Must have a marketing authorisation referred to in paragraph (a) of the definition of ‘authorisation holder’ in section 2(1).
If alternative medicines and treatments for persons suffering from multiple sclerosis and progressive diseases do not meet these criteria then they are not eligible for addition to the Reimbursement List to be available and accessed under the medical card scheme.