Written Answers Nos. 425 - 446
425. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the steps that have been taken to consider a proposal to introduce a sugar tax on sweetened drinks or a fast food tax, with a view to tackling the problem of obesity, especially in children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25964/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs part of the work of the Special Action Group on Obesity, consideration was given to the imposition of a levy on Sugar Sweetened Drinks. Before any decision in the matter could be taken, the Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH) was requested by the Department of Health to undertake a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) of a proposed levy on Sugar Sweetened Drinks (SSDs). An Obesity Policy and Action Plan is currently under development and will address a broad range of measures to reduce the level of overweight and obesity in Ireland. A proposal to introduce a levy on Sugar Sweetened Drinks remains under consideration as one measure among a suite of measures to tackle the problem.
426. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Health if he will support an extension of Circular 51/1979, leave from State employment for members of the Reserve Defence Force, to include all State bodies, including the Health Information and Quality Authority which was established after the circular; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25986/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Information and Quality Authority do not have a policy in place regarding this type of leave. There are no plans at this time to extend circular 51/1979 to State agencies.
427. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health when a residential place will be made available for a person (details supplied) in Dublin 16 who has been on a waiting list since 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25992/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, he can contact my Private Office and they will follow the matter up with the HSE.
428. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will urgently examine an application for a medical card in respect of persons (details supplied) in County Kerry, as all relevant documentation has been submitted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25993/15]
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.
429. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of ambulance attendances at each emergency department in March 2015; the number of cases where ambulances waited longer than 20 minutes, 40 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, 120 minutes and 180 minutes to hand over patients, get their trolleys back and return to responding to calls. [25996/15]
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.
430. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if he will advise ambulance response times for the various levels of ambulance call-outs over the past 12 months; the number of adverse incidents that have been recorded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25997/15]
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.
431. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the serious ambulance crisis in north west Connemara, County Galway where two serious incidents have occurred recently (details supplied) and the fact that hospital accounting services have stated they do not have the resources to put a solution in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25998/15]
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.
432. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the proposed development of St. Mary's Hospital in Drogheda, County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26001/15]
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.
433. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Health the position regarding physiotherapy in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26002/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs 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.
434. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of public or voluntary hospitals that carry out magnetic resonance imaging, MRI, scans; and the number of persons waiting as of 22 June 2015 or the nearest available date for such a procedure at each of the hospitals in the following waiting periods: less than three months; between three months and six months; between six months and nine months; between nine months and 12 months; and more than 12 months. [26018/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra435. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of public or voluntary hospitals that carry out computed tomography, CT; and the number of persons waiting as of 22 June 2015 or the nearest available date for such a procedure at each of the hospitals in the following waiting periods: less than three months; between three months and six months; between six months and nine months; between nine months and 12 months; and more than 12 months. [26019/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra436. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of public or voluntary hospitals that carry out bone scans; and the number of persons waiting as of 22 June 2015 or the nearest available date for such a procedure at each of the hospitals in the following waiting periods: less than three months; between three months and six months; between six months and nine months; between nine months and 12 months; and more than 12 months. [26020/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra437. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of public or voluntary hospitals that carry out angiograms; the number of persons waiting as of 22 June 2015 or the nearest available date for such a procedure at each of the hospitals in the following waiting periods: less than three months; three months to six months; six months to nine months; nine months to 12 months; and more than 12 months. [26021/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra438. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of public or voluntary hospitals that carry out electroencephalograms; the number of persons waiting as of 22 June 2015 or the nearest available date for such a procedure at each of the hospitals in the following waiting periods: less than three months; three months to six months; six months to nine months; nine months to 12 months; and more than 12 months. [26022/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra439. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of public or voluntary hospitals that carry out endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography; the number of persons waiting as of 22 June 2015 or the nearest available date for such a procedure at each of the hospitals in the following waiting periods: less than three months; between three months and six months; between six months and nine months; between nine months and 12 months; and more than 12 months. [26023/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 434 to 439, inclusive, together.
As these are service matters, 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.
440. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the schemes that will be funded out of his Department's Estimate this year under the dormant accounts scheme; when details of each scheme will be announced; the proposed closing dates for receipt of applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26082/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Health recently announced that a new round of funding of €2.7 million is being made available under the Dormant Accounts Fund. The funds will be used to support people with disabilities and for substance misuse prevention initiatives.
The Department of Health is sponsoring the following five measures, which will be co-ordinated on the Department’s behalf by the Health Service Executive (HSE):
- Local area co-ordination in disability services;
- Advancing best practice in meeting National Standards for Residential Services for People with Disabilities – minor capital and training initiatives;
- Health-related supports to assist young people with disabilities and autism to make the transition from second level education to further education, training, employment;
- Person-centred innovations in the delivery of non-centre based respite services for people with disabilities;
- Substance misuse prevention initiatives.
The measures will be administered and managed by Pobal, who have indicated that applications are open to eligible community and voluntary sector organisations and statutory and other public agencies from 1 July 2015 with a closing date of 22 July 2015. Applicants for projects in the disability area will be required to contact a nominated HSE representative before submitting their proposals.
Pobal recently completed a series of four regional pre-application information meetings. Full details on all measures, the online application process are available on Pobal’s website: www.pobal.ie.
441. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 667 of 26 May 2015, if he will justify the response received from the Health Service Executive in the context of section 6.4 of the document from its national policy and procedures social care division regarding the safeguarding of vulnerable persons at risk of abuse, which was launched by the HSE in December 2014 and which states that if there is a concern that an adult is vulnerable and may or may not have the capacity to make decisions, the executive may well have obligations towards that person and should consider whether the non-co-operation of the individual is due to issues of capacity, is voluntary or stems from, for example, some form of coercion. [26083/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra442. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 667 of 26 May 2015, if he will confirm that a meeting took place with the head of the Quality and Safety Social Care Division on 11 March 2015 in Castlebar in County Mayo in the presence of an expert psychologist, and that it was recommended that a cognitive assessment of a person would take place [26084/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 441 and 442 together.
The HSE is committed to safeguarding vulnerable persons from abuse and a national policy Safeguarding Vulnerable Persons at Risk of Abuse was launched in December 2014. The aim of this policy is to provide a consistent approach to protect persons at risk of abuse across, for example, older people and disability services. This new policy is for all HSE and HSE-funded services, and builds upon and incorporates existing policies in this regard. Safeguarding and Protection Teams in each Community Healthcare Organisation are being developed to implement this policy at operational level where concerns arise relating to vulnerable persons.
Safeguarding Vulnerable Persons at Risk of Abuse now provides one overarching policy to which all agencies will subscribe and implement in their place of work ensuring:-
- a consistent approach to protecting vulnerable people from abuse and neglect
- all services have a publicly declared 'No Tolerance' approach to any form of abuse
- a culture which supports that this ethos is promoted.
In light of the above, I have referred the Deputy's question to the HSE for direct reply, in relation to a more detailed response on the specific operational issues raised.
443. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 850 of 9 June 2015 and the Health Service Executive-Saolta response of 19 June 2015, his views on whether a person (details supplied) in County Galway, who has been suffering continuous severe pain for four months should be denied the consideration and benefit of any information whatever regarding an appointment date to ascertain what is causing the illness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26085/15]
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. In relation to your further query on this matter, as this is a service issue, 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.
444. Deputy Eric Byrne asked the Minister for Health his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding the Health Service Executive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26089/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
445. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health his views on the condition of an ambulance base (details supplied) in County Mayo; on the appropriateness of the premises; if there has been an inspection of the premises by any outside agency, for example, the Health and Safety Authority; the findings of this inspection; and if he is aware of proposals to build a new base in the area. [26138/15]
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.
446. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health the number of staff attached to each ambulance base in County Mayo, divided into permanent and temporary; the number of ambulances attached to each base; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26139/15]
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.
