Written Answers Nos. 469-90
469. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 178 of 4 March 2015, if he will provide an update on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26296/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraOver the next three years orthodontic treatment for certain categories of misalignment will be provided by a panel of private practitioners under contract to the HSE. Procurement documentation is currently being finalised with a view to implementation before Quarter 3 of 2015.
470. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of plans to curtail surgery at Ennis General Hospital in County Clare, to address a funding shortfall due to an overspend elsewhere in the University of Limerick hospital group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26306/15]
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.
471. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the reason Tallaght hospital, Letterkenny General Hospital, the South Infirmary - Victoria University Hospital Cork, Cork University Hospital, Waterford regional hospital, the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital, Mallow General Hospital, the Midland Regional Hospital at Tullamore, Portiuncula Hospital, the Midland Regional Hospital at Mullingar, Kerry General Hospital, the Mercy University Hospital, Cork, the Mater hospital Dublin, the Midland Regional Hospital at Portlaoise and University Hospital Limerick recorded more persons waiting more than two years for an outpatient appointment in December 2014 than were waiting one year for an outpatient appointment in December 2013; if such a disparity undermines public confidence in hospital waiting list data; and if he will instigate an inquiry into this matter. [26319/15]
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.
472. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the waiting times for vascular procedures in University Hospital Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26321/15]
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.
473. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive an appointment for a medical procedure at University Hospital Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26322/15]
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.
474. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health in relation to the cross-border directive in respect of orthodontic health care, the section in the budget out of which these funds are coming; if it will result in longer waiting lists for persons who are not in a position to avail of the cross-border directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26325/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Service Executive operates the EU Directive on Patients’ Rights in Cross Border Healthcare in Ireland. The HSE has provided a sum of €1 million in this year's National Service Plan to address costs specific to the EU Directive and will keep this under review. This scheme is still in its infancy so it is not really possible to predict the level of take up, however its operation will not result in longer waiting lists.
475. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health in relation to orthodontic health care under the cross-border directive, the amount that has been paid out under this scheme to date; the estimate of the amount to be paid in 2015 and subsequent years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26326/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Service Executive operates the EU Directive on Patients’ Rights in Cross Border Healthcare in Ireland. The HSE has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible. 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.
476. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland is severely lacking adequate resources in its Blackrock office which is ultimately leading to very long and unnecessary delays in registering new nurses, delays which are now feared will lead to a large number of beds being closed in many nursing homes; if the level of staff at this office may be increased in order to alleviate this problem; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26327/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) is the independent, statutory organisation which regulates the nursing and midwifery professions in Ireland. In this regard, I would like to advise that this is an operational matter and it is appropriate that it should be dealt with by the NMBI. I have referred the Deputies' questions to the NMBI for attention and direct reply.
If you have not received a reply from the NMBI within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
477. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of raising the annual financial threshold for a general practitioner visit card, on an entire population basis, in €500 intervals. [26329/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe estimated costings sought by the Deputy are unavailable in the format requested.
However, I can advise the Deputy that the cost of providing a universal GP service to the entire population has been previously estimated at €330m - €365m on the basis of the existing scope of the service, rates of payments to GPs and eligibility.
478. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the estimated additional cost of extending a medical card to all children to whom a domiciliary care allowance is being paid but who do not currently have a medical card. [26330/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) payment is made by the Minister for Social Protection to carers in respect of a child at home under 16 years of age with a severe disability, where it has been determined that the child requires ongoing care and attention, substantially over and above the care and attention usually required by a child of the same age. Eligibility for the DCA is not based primarily on the medical or psychological condition, but on the resulting lack of function of body or mind necessitating the degree of extra care and attention required. As such it is not possible to say if a particular child or any particular medical condition or disability will qualify for a payment under the scheme. Out of an approximate population of 1 million people under the age of 16 years, almost 450,000 held a medical card or a GP visit card and approximately 29,000 children qualified for the DCA payment in 2014. It is estimated that about two-thirds of children qualifying for a DCA payment also hold a medical card.
In addition, from 1 July 2015, all children under the age of 6 years are entitled to access a GP service free of charge, as part of the first phase of introducing a universal GP service in Ireland. It has been estimated that the average expenditure per medical card was €973 in 2013, however, it is not possible to provide the actual costs requested by the Deputy as it would depend on the variable nature of the individuals’ requirements as well as the number of individuals and the quantum and cost of health services that would be used.
479. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the interim report which was to be concluded within three months by the clinical advisory group established to develop guidance on assessing applications involving significant medical conditions; if this interim report has been submitted; and, if so, the recommendations of same. [26331/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn foot of the Report of the Expert Panel on Medical Need for Medical Card Eligibility, the Clinical Advisory Group was established by the Director General of the Health Service Executive on 26 January 2015. The Group has met regularly since. The Clinical Advisory Group reports to the National Director of Primary Care on a quarterly basis. The Group is continuing its consideration of the strengthening of the assessment process to provide for the measurement of the burden of disease. Its initial report will be considered by the HSE.
480. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of reversing the changes to the assessment of means in medical card applications introduced in April 2013 regarding the treatment of home loans, credit union loans and pension contributions; the annual savings that the decision to no longer accept these as allowable expenses aims to accrue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26332/15]
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.
481. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Health if the Health Service Executive has provided funding for section 38 or section 39 agencies to address funding deficits in 2014; and the main causes of such agencies incurring deficits. [26340/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Service Executive (HSE) funds a range of service providers under section 38 of the Health Act 2004 and the question has been referred to the 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.
482. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the total value of value-for-money cuts incurred by disability organisations since 2010. [26341/15]
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.
483. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the additional costs of increments paid to section 38 agency employees since 2010. [26342/15]
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.
484. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an explanation for the circumstances behind the downgrading of the registrar's office in the health centre in Mullingar, County Westmeath, resulting in the removal of the authority to conduct civil marriages or civil partnerships in the Mullingar area from that office; the reason same has been transferred to Athlone primary care centre, when all of the highly qualified staff are available to carry out these functions and to licence new marriage venues in the Mullingar area; when exactly the civil marriage service for the licensing of marriage venues in the Mullingar area is likely to be returned to the Mullingar health centre; if other marriage registration offices nationally have been affected by similar downgrading; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26363/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Civil Registration Service is operated by the Health Service Executive on behalf of the General Register Office under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection. I have referred your question to the Health Service Executive to address the specific issues raised and for direct reply to the Deputy.
485. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the significant delays being experienced in registering nurses with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland; if he will take proactive steps to address same, including the provision of adequate resources for the board to enable it to fulfil its statutory duty by providing for timely registration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26366/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to thank the Deputy Penrose for raising this question. Delays in processing nurse registration applications are directly connected to the volume of requests arising from the current initiatives to attract and retain nurses in the Irish health services. The Department of Health and the HSE are collaborating in sourcing several solutions to meeting the issues arising in relation to nurse recruitment and retention.
The background to this issue is that nurses who trained in a country outside of Ireland and wish to work in Ireland are required to apply to register as a nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI). In assessing an applicant for registration, to protect the public, the NMBI seeks evidence from applicants of comparable standards of education and practice. According to the NMBI the timeframe for the completion of the assessment of qualifications for registration takes up to a maximum of 90 days provided all necessary documentation has been supplied by the applicant.
The main difficulty to expediting timely applications as reported by the NMBI is that of delay or failure by the applicant or third parties to furnish the necessary documentation required to assess eligibility for registration. The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland, following assessment of qualifications by an applicant, may require an applicant to undertake a six to twelve week period of adaptation and assessment. A period of adaptation is designed to make up for differences in education and ensure competence for working in the Irish health service. If this adaptation is required it must be successfully completed as a pre-requisite to registration.
It is important to note that the NMBI are dealing with very significant volumes of applications at present. The NMBI are processing all applications as quickly as possible, while ensuring appropriate procedures and checks which are designed around protection of the public.
I wish to advise the Deputy that NMBI have been allocated additional resources to address the issues.
486. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Health if he will consider establishing a forum which will consist of all the relevant stakeholders and will discuss how we care for our ageing population and the provisions required to ensure proper care for those who require it. [26368/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn-going consultation with all stakeholders and the public in general is already a standard feature of our approach across policy areas.
It is common practice to avail of external expertise when formulating new policies or approaches. The National Dementia Strategy is a case in point. This Strategy was prepared in the light of advice from a Group which included State agencies, representative groups, researchers and medical professionals and a similar Group has been established to monitor the implementation of the Strategy.
There is already a broad consensus on the direction that our approach to caring for older people should take, including the importance of allowing more older people to stay at home and in their own communities for as long as possible, the need to cater for people at the lowest appropriate level of complexity and the need to provide residential care when and if this is needed.
The decisions that remain to be taken are therefore less about what we be need to do, but about how to do it. This relates in a large part to resourcing and balancing of priorities within the health sector and within Government overall. This is not an area that can be readily progressed by the kind of forum that is proposed by the Deputy. Further, it would be inappropriate to delegate elements of public policy, possibly including budgetary policy, to any consultative forum, particularly where some of those represented may have a commercial vested interest in the outcome.
487. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding the registration fee for the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26372/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) is the independent, statutory organisation which regulates the nursing and midwifery professions in Ireland. In this regard, I would like to advise you that the setting of fees to be paid by nurses and midwives is a matter for the NMBI. Therefore, this is an operational matter and it is appropriate that it should be dealt with by the NMBI. I have referred the Deputies' questions to the NMBI for attention and direct reply.
If you have not received a reply from the NMBI within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
488. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Meath will receive an appointment with the orthodontic department in the Health Service Executive health centre in Tullamore, County Offaly. [26379/15]
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.
489. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 294 of 19 May 2015, if he will investigate and report on the circumstances whereby, according to the person's family, the authorities in Tallaght hospital in Dublin 24 are pressuring the person to sign release forms for the person to be discharged from Tallaght hospital into a private nursing home, although this option is not suitable for the person's medical condition and the person requires admission to the National Rehabilitation Hospital where the person is currently on a waiting list; the place of the person on that waiting list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26424/15]
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 the specific case raised, 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.
490. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding obesity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26426/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn Ireland the level of obesity has doubled over the past 20 years. Currently two thirds of adults are overweight or obese and one in four children are overweight or obese. One in five adults are physically inactive and only 25 percent of children meet the guidelines on physical activity.
The Special Action Group on Obesity was established by the Minister for Health in 2011 and is working on a range of measures including:
- The development of revised Healthy Eating Guidelines
- Media campaigns to promote awareness on healthy eating
- Treatment Guidelines for overweight and obesity
- Calorie Posting in restaurants
- Developing a code of practice for marketing in the non-broadcast media
In addition, Ireland proposed the development of an EU Action Plan on Childhood Obesity and is now leading part of this work.
New Obesity Policy and Action Plan
In recognition of the obesity challenge, the Department has commenced work on an Obesity policy and Action Plan under the Healthy Ireland Framework. The plan will run from 2015 to 2025. It will include issues such as marketing of food and healthy eating guidelines.
A national consultation day was held in Farmleigh on April 27 involving approximately 150 key stakeholders with representation from Government Departments, County Councils, Industry, university departments and the education sector. Further consultation days are planned for children and healthcare professionals.
It is intended to develop an action plan not only for the health system but also to propose options for other sectors which play a key role in preventing overweight and obesity. This action plan will be finalised this year.
