Written Answers Nos. 517 to 530
517. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding cystic fibrosis patient rooms (details supplied) in Beaumont Hospital in Dublin 9; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14250/15]
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.
518. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding cystic fibrosis paediatric inpatient and outpatient services (details supplied) in Cork University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14251/15]
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.
519. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding funding for the cystic fibrosis unit (details supplied) in University Hospital Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14252/15]
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.
520. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding shortages of front-line staff (details supplied) in cystic fibrosis centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14253/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland has one of the highest reported incidences of cystic fibrosis in the world, with 1:1353 live births. 2009 marked the first year that the proportion of adult cystic fibrosis patients was higher than that of paediatric patients, reflecting improved care and management of cystic fibrosis patients.
There was a requirement to reduce public service numbers and maximise savings in the public service from the time of the downturn in the economy. The HSE introduced an embargo on recruitment in 2007, and this was followed by the moratorium on recruitment and promotion in the public sector in 2008. Notwithstanding that the HSE has had 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 consultant, NCHD and nursing posts.
The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform announced in budget 2015 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 Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) has advised that the HSE and Department of Health are required to submit a 2015 Pay and Numbers Strategy. Following approval of the strategy by DPER, a letter of delegated sanction for staffing will be issued. Pending this sanction, the existing moratorium and ECF arrangements will continue to apply. However the number of nurses employed has already increased by nearly 500 in the past 12 months. This increase encompasses initiatives undertaken by the HSE to reduce reliance on agency and to offer contracts of employment where agency can be replaced by full time posts.
521. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding Cystic Fibrosis Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14254/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra522. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding additional funding required by Cystic Fibrosis Ireland to complete a project (details supplied) in Cavan General Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14256/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 521 and 522 together.
As there will always be more projects than can be funded by the Exchequer, additional funding provided by charitable organisations such as Cystic Fibrosis Ireland is always welcome and very much appreciated. As with all capital projects, further development of the CF facilities, including those at Cavan General Hospital, must be considered within the context of the overall capital envelope available to the health service. 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. In addition, the HSE cannot exceed or plan to exceed its approved commitment thresholds. The HSE is concentrating on applying the limited funding available for capital works in the most effective way possible to meet residential need now and in the future.
It would not be within the remit of my Department to consider whether VAT should be reimbursed for any purposes.
523. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the position regarding palliative care (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14259/15]
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.
524. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite the payment of the fair deal nursing home support scheme in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Carlow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14260/15]
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.
525. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will examine a renewal of a medical card in respect of persons (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14262/15]
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. 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.
526. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite the payment of the fair deal nursing home support scheme in respect of a person ( details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14263/15]
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.
527. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure that the family of a person (details supplied) is supplied with a full career-group affiliation history of the key personnel at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin 9 who have been chosen to carry out the internal investigation into the person's death; and if he will ensure that a person (details supplied) is not involved, in view of the fact that person works for a company (details supplied). [14271/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will appreciate, it would not be appropriate for me to make directions in respect of an internal hospital investigation; therefore, 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.
528. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) in County Dublin has been left with no transport to the Balbriggan Alzheimer's day care in County Dublin due to being wheelchair-bound; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14275/15]
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.
529. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form and for each local health area, the number of persons currently on the speech and language therapy assessment waiting list; the number waiting less than four months; from four to 12 months; and more than 12 months. [14288/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra530. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form and for each local health area, the number of persons currently on the speech and language therapy treatment waiting list; the number waiting less than four months; four to 12 months; and more than 12 months. [14289/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 529 and 530 together.
As the information requested by the Deputy relates to service issues and is not routinely provided to my Department, I have asked the Health Service Executive to reply directly to the Deputy on these matters. 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.
