Written Answers Nos. 683-701
683. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Sláinte cé na bearta atá á ndéanamh ag a Roinn chun an pobal a chur ar an eolas faoi na seirbhísí i nGaeilge atá ar fáil ón Roinn agus ó na heagraíochtaí atá faoi choimirce na Roinne; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [21524/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraTá freagracht ar an Roinn seo as beartas sláinte a cheapadh agus é a chur chun feidhme. D’fhormheas an tAire Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta Scéim Teanga na Roinne maidir le seirbhísí atá ar fáil ón Roinn tríd an nGaeilge faoi Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla 2003. Tá an scéim ar fáil ar shuíomh gréasáin na Roinne. Is aistrithe go hiomlán go Gaeilge atá an fhaisnéis ar fad eile faoi eagrúchán agus faoi fheidhmeanna na Roinne atá ar fáil ar ár suíomh gréasáin agus aistrítear gach preasráiteas go Gaeilge laistigh de 24 uair. Tá freagracht reachtúil ar Fheidhmeannacht na Seirbhíse Sláinte as seirbhísí sláinte agus sóisialta pearsanta a chur ar fáil don phobal agus tá freagracht reachtúil dhíreach ar na Gníomhaireachtaí Stáit atá ag feidhmiú faoi choimirce na Roinne freisin as seirbhísí eile atá bainteach le sláinte a chur ar fáil. I dtaca leis na bearta atá á ndéanamh ag FSS, d’iarr mé ar FSS freagra díreach a thabhairt duit faoin ábhar. Mura bhfuil freagra faighte agat ó FSS laistigh de 15 lá oibre, déan teagmháil le m’Oifig Phríobháideach agus fiosrófar an t-ábhar léi. Maidir leis na gníomhaireachtaí eile faoi choimirce na Roinne, is é an Príomhoifigeach Feidhmiúcháin/an Cláraitheoir/an Stiúrthóir lena mbaineann an duine atá freagrach as ábhair oibriúcháin den chineál sin agus d’iarr mé ar na gníomhaireachtaí freagra a thabhairt duit go díreach ar an ábhar.
684. Deputy Gabrielle McFadden asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the planning for a third palliative care consultant for the midlands, to be based at Mullingar Hospital, County Westmeath; when the second palliative care consultant will be in place for the midlands; the location of same; the remit of the existing palliative care consultant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21541/15]
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.
686. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if he will provide the latest details on universal health insurance, the stage the scoping exercise for funding is at; when this funding estimate will be released; when the next stage of its introduction will be progressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21552/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra788. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if he will provide the latest details on the estimated cost of universal health insurance; if the estimated cost for persons, households and the Exchequer, that had originally been expected by April 2015, is now known; the exact figures in these cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21990/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 686 and 788 together.
The White Paper on Universal Health Insurance was published on the 2 April 2014 and outlines the UHI model for Ireland. Under UHI, everyone will be insured for a standard package of health services and will have their choice of health insurer from a mix of private health insurers and a publicly owned health insurer.
When I became Minister for Health, I reviewed progress to date and the timescales for implementing very important reforms, including UHI. I concluded that it would not be possible to introduce a full UHI system by 2019, as envisaged in the White Paper. However, I want to emphasise my commitment to implementing reforms, as set out in the Programme for Government and Future Health, and I want to push ahead with key building blocks for universal healthcare, including the phased extension of GP care without fees, implementation of key financial reforms, including activity-based funding, the establishment of Hospital Groups and improved chronic care management, as quickly as possible.
My Department, in conjunction with the ESRI, the Health Insurance Authority and the HSE, is currently working on a major costing exercise to examine the cost implications of a change to a multi-payer, universal health insurance model as proposed in the White Paper. Initial draft results were presented to me at the end of May and these are now informing deliberation on next steps, including the necessity for further research and cost modelling.
687. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if he will review an application for a medical card in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare, whose sole income totals less than €400 per week; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21554/15]
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.
688. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health the reason a child (details supplied) in County Meath must wait two and a half years before she will be fitted with braces by the orthodontic unit in Navan, County Meath [21579/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) 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.
689. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath will receive a hospital appointment. [21581/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
The National Waiting List Management Policy, A standardised approach to managing scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures, January 2014, has been developed to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care. This policy, which has been adopted by the Health Service Executive, sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists.
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.
690. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the progress of Government plans to outlaw below-cost selling of alcohol; his plans to introduce the public health (alcohol) Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21586/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe General Scheme of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill was approved by Government on the 3 February 2015. The Scheme includes provisions for minimum unit pricing, health labelling on products that contain alcohol, restrictions on the advertising and marketing of alcohol and the regulation of sports sponsorship. As part of the pre-legislative scrutiny process, the measures were debated by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children. The hearings commenced on the 10 March and concluded on the 23 April.
The Public Health (Alcohol) Bill will make it illegal to sell or advertise for sale alcohol at a price below a set minimum price. Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) sets a minimum price per gram of alcohol. The minimum price of an alcohol product would be based on the number of grams of alcohol in the product. MUP is a targeted measure, aimed at those who drink in a harmful and hazardous manner, and designed to prevent the sale of alcohol at very cheap prices. MUP is able to target cheaper alcohol relative to its strength because the minimum price is determined by and is directly proportional to the amount of pure alcohol in the drink. The University of Sheffield study reported that the alcohol products most affected by this policy are those that are currently being sold very cheaply, often below cost prices, in the off-trade, i.e. supermarkets and off-licences. On the other hand, the study found that a ban on below-cost selling (implemented as a ban on selling alcohol for below the cost of duty and Value Added Tax) would have a negligible impact on alcohol consumption or related harms.
The Department of Health is continuing to work on the preparation of the legislation. It is expected that the Bill will be published during the Spring/Summer Session 2015.
691. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Health if he or his Department is aware that funding is not available for a new cancer drug called TDM1, also known as Kadcyla; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21588/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Service Executive (HSE) has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicinal products under the community drug schemes in accordance with the provisions of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. Prior to reimbursing any medicine, the HSE considers a range of statutory criteria including clinical need, cost-effectiveness and the resources available to the HSE.
The decisions on which medicines are reimbursed by the taxpayer are made on objective, scientific and economic grounds by the HSE on the advice of the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics. They are not political or ministerial decisions.
The HSE received an application for the inclusion of Kadcyla (trastuzumab emtansine) in the GMS and community drugs schemes. The application was considered in line with the procedures and timescales agreed by the Department of Health and the HSE with the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association for the assessment of new medicines.
In accordance with these procedures, the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics conducted a pharmacoeconomic evaluation of Kadcyla and concluded that it was unable to recommend reimbursement of the product at the price submitted by the manufacturer, Roche Products (Ireland) Ltd.
The Report by the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics is an important input to assist the HSE in its decision making process and informs further discussions between the HSE and the supplier. No further comment can be provided at this time as the assessment process is ongoing.
692. Deputy Anthony Lawlor asked the Minister for Health the reason for the very significant funding cuts to the Barrymore House residential programme; in view of the clear demand for the service, if funding will be made available via the Health Service Executive to replace the loss of two facilitators in order to maintain the current level of service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21592/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe provision of services to prevent and treat addiction to alcohol is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive and as such, I have referred this question to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply. 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.
As the Deputy may recall, on 3 February 2015, the Government approved the General Scheme of a Public Health (Alcohol) Bill. The aim is to reduce alcohol consumption to the OECD average by 2020 (i.e. 9.1 litres of pure alcohol per capita) and the harms caused by alcohol. The Bill is part of a suite of measures agreed by the Government in 2013 on foot of the recommendations in the Steering Group Report on a National Substance Misuse Strategy. The other measures (e.g. for the HSE, professional bodies etc) set out in the Steering Group Report on a National Substance Misuse Strategy, were endorsed by Government and are to be progressed by the relevant departments and organisations. The HSE has responsibility for implementing a number of recommendations and some of these measures are reflected in the HSE Service Plan for 2015. The remit of the Drugs Task Forces was extended to include the problem of alcohol misuse last year, in view of the key they play in co-ordinating the response to substance misuse at local level.
693. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health when the drug Fampyra will be included on the drugs payment scheme, in view of the ongoing financial hardship experienced by persons who are prescribed this drug [21602/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra695. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the discussion to make Fampyra available to multiple sclerosis sufferers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21614/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra747. Deputy Áine Collins asked the Minister for Health the reason the Fampyra drug is not included in either the medical card, drug payment scheme or long-term illness scheme; and if this situation will be rectified shortly. [21759/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 693, 695 and 747 together.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicinal products under the community drug schemes in accordance with the provisions of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. Prior to reimbursing any medicine, the HSE considers a range of statutory criteria including clinical need, cost-effectiveness and the resources available to the HSE.
The decisions on which medicines are reimbursed by the taxpayer are made on objective, scientific and economic grounds by the HSE on the advice of the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics. They are not political or Ministerial decisions.
The HSE received an application for the inclusion of Fampridine in the GMS and community drugs schemes. The application was considered in line with the procedures and timescales agreed by the Department of Health and the HSE with the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association for the assessment of new medicines.
In accordance with these procedures, the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics conducted a pharmacoeconomic evaluation of Fampridine and concluded that, as the manufacturer was unable to demonstrate sufficient effectiveness and a fair price for Fampridine in the Irish healthcare setting, it was unable to recommend the reimbursement of the product.
On foot of this, the HSE decided that it was not in a position to add the drug to the List of Reimbursable Items supplied under the GMS and other community drug schemes.
It is open to the supplier, at any time, to submit a new application to the HSE for the inclusion of Fampridine on the community drugs schemes incorporating new evidence which demonstrates the cost-effectiveness of the drug, by offering a reduced price or both. A revised application was received by the HSE on 25 July 2014. The HSE has since been engaging with the company seeking an improved commercial offering and these engagements have been completed. It is not possible to say when a decision on the funding of this medication will be made as the HSE is considering the outcome of those commercial engagements as well as the outcome of discussions which the HSE has had with clinical experts regarding this drug.
694. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the progress, to date, in determining an application for a medical card in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21603/15]
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.
696. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, details of the funding provided annually for the past six years to community services, by home help, home care packages, meals on wheels, day care and respite; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21618/15]
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.
697. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Health the cost of the drugs payment scheme; the annual savings that have been made in each budget over the past six years, through changes in the threshold; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21619/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for the administration of the primary care schemes, including the Drugs Payment Scheme, therefore the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to you.
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.
698. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Health the amount spent annually on speech and language therapy; the number waiting for appointments; if he will provide an update on the reconfiguration of services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21620/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs these are service issues, they have been referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) 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.
699. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will examine and expedite an application for a medical card in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry, in view of the fact that the person has submitted all the relevant information; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21627/15]
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.
700. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if funding will be made available for Happy Talk Cork City Partnership Ltd, to assist with its three-year plan catering for the speech and language needs of Mayfield and the Glen in Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21629/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe particular issue raised by the Deputy is a service matter for the Health Service Executive. Accordingly I have arranged for the question to be 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.
701. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Health his plans to introduce a minimum unit pricing on alcohol, as a means to curb alcohol abuse; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21631/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe General Scheme of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill was approved by Government on the 3 February 2015. The Scheme includes provisions for minimum unit pricing, health labelling on products that contain alcohol, restrictions on the advertising and marketing of alcohol and the regulation of sports sponsorship. As part of the pre-legislative scrutiny process, the measures were debated by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children. The hearings commenced on the 10 March and concluded on the 23 April.
The Public Health (Alcohol) Bill will make it illegal to sell or advertise for sale alcohol at a price below a set minimum price. Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) sets a minimum price per gram of alcohol. The minimum price of an alcohol product would be based on the number of grams of alcohol in the product. MUP is a targeted measure, aimed at those who drink in a harmful and hazardous manner, and designed to prevent the sale of alcohol at very cheap prices. MUP is able to target cheaper alcohol relative to its strength because the minimum price is determined by and is directly proportional to the amount of pure alcohol in the drink. The University of Sheffield study reported that the alcohol products most affected by this policy are those that are currently being sold very cheaply, often below cost prices, in the off-trade, i.e. supermarkets and off-licences.
The Department of Health is continuing to work on the preparation of the legislation. It is expected that the Bill will be published during the Spring/Summer Session 2015.
