Written Answers Nos. 311-328
311. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health the date of the appointment of a person (details supplied) as a policy adviser; the person's qualifications for that position; the salary received; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35637/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI appointed my Policy and Parliamentary Adviser on 16 July 2014. This position is in the grade of Personal Assistant on a salary of €43,715 (first point of the relevant scale). The occupant is suitably qualified for the role.
312. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the concern expressed in County Cavan due to the reduction in services at a health facility (details supplied) in the county; the proposals to restore residential and day care services to the level previously provided at this centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35647/15]
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.
313. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Health the options available to a person (details supplied) in having the amount the person receives under the nursing home support scheme re-assessed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35672/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhere an applicant is being provided with financial support under the Nursing Homes Support Scheme, the HSE may either at its own initiative or at the request of the applicant carry out a review. A person's financial assessment can only be reviewed, at their request, if 12 months have passed since the initial financial assessment or the most recent review, or if the HSE is satisfied that there has been a material change to the person's financial circumstances.
As 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.
314. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Health the position regarding an application for a medical card by persons (details supplied) in County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35675/15]
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.
315. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health his plans to reinstate an ambulance in Millstreet in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35678/15]
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.
317. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the expenses incurred by the Health Service Executive for patients under the cross-Border directive since it came into effect, in tabular form; the number; type of procedures that have taken place; the itemised costs; location of each; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35685/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Service Executive operates the EU Directive on Patients’ Rights in Cross Border Healthcare in Ireland. The Health Service Executive has been asked to examine the matter of the data requested 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.
318. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the national community nursing unit programme between the Health Service Executive and the Health Information and Quality Authority; the implications for the Sacred Heart Hospital Roscommon; if the hospital is on the capital programme; an indicative date for the construction of the new 50-bed unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35687/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraPublic beds are a critical part of our overall residential bed capacity, particularly for high-dependency patients. Quality accommodation therefore is important in supporting the needs of those older people and people with a disability who require long term residential care.
On 29 September Minister Varadkar and I announced a €3bn investment package for health services over six years. The overall plan includes the development of Community Nursing Units for older people and new improved models of accommodation for people with a disability. The additional funding will, building upon the existing projects, allow for an enhanced programme to replace, upgrade and refurbish long term care facilities. This will significantly improve the standard of residential facilities and facilitate person centred care. The Department will work with the HSE to prioritise the available funding.
Discussions are ongoing between the HSE and HIQA about the conditions that will apply to public facilities across the country.
319. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Health his plans to re-open his Department's national lottery grant scheme for applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35688/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department administers a National Lottery Discretionary Fund from which once-off grants are paid to community and voluntary organisations providing a range of health related services. The deadline for receipt of applications for funding in 2015 has passed. However, if an organisation wishes to make an application for National Lottery Funding in 2016 it should submit a formal application. Detailed procedures along with the application form for 2016 will be available on the Department's website in January 2016 at www.health.gov.ie
320. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath will receive an appointment for orthodontic care, without further delay. [35715/15]
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.
322. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Health the reason parents are not given a copy of the patient information leaflet, prior to signing the consent form for the human papilloma virus vaccine, given concerns expressed (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35719/15]
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. 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.
323. Deputy Eric Byrne asked the Minister for Health his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding the fair deal scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35741/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act 2009, the HSE has statutory responsibility to operate and administer the Scheme. Therefore, the Deputy's question has been referred to the HSE 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.
325. Deputy John Perry asked the Minister for Health if he will intervene in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry who is waiting for a spinal operation at Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital in Dublin 11; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35745/15]
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.
326. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health the Programme for Government commitments on health that he deems to be fully delivered, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35746/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraEach year the Department of An Taoiseach publishes a report setting out progress made on the implementation of the Programme for Government. The fourth annual report, published in March 2015, sets out the work carried out across all Government Departments, including my Department. The report is available on the Department of An Taoiseach's website http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/eng/Publications/Publications_2015/Programme_for_Government_Annual_Report_2015.pdf.
327. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health for an update on the measures being taken to improve the situation in emergency departments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35747/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI convened the ED Taskforce in December 2014 to provide focus and momentum in dealing with the challenges presented by ED overcrowding.
Based on the Task Force’s Action Plan, additional funding of €74 million was provided in April this year to increase the number of long term nursing home care places and reduce the waiting time for the funding of such places, as well as providing additional transitional care beds and home care packages to provide viable supports for those no longer needing acute hospital care. This additional funding came on top of measures already taken in Budget 2015, when the Government provided €25 million to support services that provide alternatives to, and relieve pressure on, acute hospitals. Further additional funding of €18m was provided in July for a winter initiative which includes the provision of approximately 300 additional hospital beds.
The Director General of the HSE will co-chair the ED Taskforce Implementation Group from now until March 2016. He has taken this decision in order to ensure that all relevant parts of the health services, including acute, social and primary care, are optimising resources in order to deal with the particular challenges associated with the winter months. A meeting of the Implementation Group took place on 12 October.
328. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will increase the rural practice allowance for general practitioners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35748/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the February 2015 Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Health, the Health Service Executive and the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO), talks are continuing on a new GMS GP contract. It is envisaged that the review of the GMS contract and other publicly funded health sector contracts with GPs will include consideration of how best to support General Practice in urban/deprived and rural areas so as to best meet the needs of patients with regard to the provision of general practitioner services. The Rural Practice Allowance, including any change to the existing criteria and payment rate, will be considered as a part of these discussions.
