Thursday, 7 May 2015

Written Answers Nos. 144-154

Nursing Homes Support Scheme Data

Ceisteanna (144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150)

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

144. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the amount of the €44 million allocated to the fair deal nursing home scheme that has been distributed; and to which regions. [17991/15]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

145. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the amount of the €44 million allocated to the fair deal nursing home scheme that has been distributed to the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Hospitals Group. [17992/15]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

146. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the amount of the new funding allocated to the fair deal nursing home scheme that has been allocated to each of the five hospitals in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Hospitals Group. [17993/15]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

147. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the number of additional fair deal beds that have been opened since his announcement of €44 million additional funding. [17994/15]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

148. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the number of additional fair deal beds that have been opened in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Hospitals Group since his announcement of €44 million additional funding. [17995/15]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

149. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the number of additional fair deal beds that have been opened in each of the five hospitals that make up the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Hospitals Group since his announcement of €44 million additional funding. [17996/15]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

150. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the current waiting time for approved applicants in each of the five hospitals that make up the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Hospitals Group since his announcement of €44 million additional funding. [17997/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 144 to 150, inclusive, together.

As these are service matters they have 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.

Medicinal Products Availability

Ceisteanna (151, 152, 153)

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

151. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health when he will publish the report into the public consultation on whether to make a number of prescription-only medicines used in emergency situations more widely available, including EpiPens, which are used to treat allergic shock; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17998/15]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

152. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health when he will conclude his review into the possible wider availability of a number of prescription-only medicines used in emergency situations more widely available, including EpiPens, which are used to treat allergic shock; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17999/15]

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

153. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health when he will bring forward recommendations on the wider availability of a number of prescription-only medicines used in emergency situations more widely available, including EpiPens, which are used to treat allergic shock; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18000/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 151 to 153, inclusive, together.

I launched a public consultation process on the wider availability of a number of prescription-only medicines used in emergency situations on 20 February. The consultation forms part of a wider review which aims to explore the feasibility of setting up a system to allow appropriately trained non-medical persons to have ready access to certain prescription-only medicines for use in emergency situations, while ensuring that medicines continue to be controlled in an appropriate manner. The medicines under consideration are adrenaline, salbutamol, glucagon, naloxone and glyceryl trinitrate.

Members of the public and other stakeholders were asked to respond to the consultation by mid-March. Submissions have been received from a wide variety of respondents and analysis of these responses is under way. My Department has also consulted with a number of health care organisations and agencies to ensure that the various options for extending the availability of certain prescription-only medicines for use in emergency situations are fully explored. The outcome of these discussions and feedback from the public consultation are currently being considered. I expect to receive a report and policy recommendations shortly. I will then consider the report and make a policy decision on the best way to proceed. The report of the consultation will be made available on my Department's website once this process is complete.

Mental Health Services Provision

Ceisteanna (154)

Thomas P. Broughan

Ceist:

154. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health if he will report, of the additional 1,150 posts in mental health services that were approved over the past number of years, the number of actual posts filled; and when the outstanding posts will be filled [18003/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

This Government has provided an additional €125 million and some 1,150 posts for mental health, since 2012. The funding is being used to strengthen Community Mental Health Teams for both adults and children, to enhance specialist community mental health services for older people with a mental illness, those with an intellectual disability and mental illness, forensic mental health services, and to enhance access to counselling and psychotherapy in primary care and investment in suicide prevention measures. The additional funding is enabling the HSE to recruit staff who are more suited to the development of a community-focused Mental Health Service and has provided for a required change in the mix of staff, in particular allied health professionals, across Community Mental Health Teams, in line with A Vision for Change.

As at 17th April 2015, 397.5 or 95.5% of the 416 posts approved for 2012 and 405.5 or 85% of the 477 posts approved for 2013 have been filled. Of the 250 posts allocated in 2014, 50 have started and a further 70.5 are at various stages in the recruitment process.

There are some difficulties in identifying some outstanding candidates, for geographic and qualification reasons. The HSE Mental Health Division is acutely aware of the need to focus on recruitment of frontline staff and is working closely with the Human Resources and the National Recruitment Service to address difficulties attracting candidates to particular parts of the country. A number of national and international recruitment campaigns are under way currently for medical consultant posts, senior and staff nurses as well as a range of required allied health professionals and support staff to deliver a multidisciplinary based Mental Health Service. Every effort is being made to fill the remainder of the approved posts as quickly as possible.