Written Answers Nos. 974 - 993
974. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the number of emergency department attendances at Letterkenny University Hospital for each of the years 2013 to 2016 and to date in 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41435/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
975. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the outpatient waiting times at Letterkenny University Hospital for the years 2011 to 2016 and in 2017 to date, broken down by year and by specialty and in the wait time bands of three months, six months, 12 months, 15 months, 18 months, two years and over two years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41436/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
976. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the number of patients on trolleys at Letterkenny University Hospital for each month in 2015, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41437/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
977. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the number of patients on trolleys at Letterkenny University Hospital for each month in 2016, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41438/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
978. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the operating budget for Letterkenny University Hospital for each of the years 2009 to 2016 and to date in 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41439/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
979. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the capital budget or total capital spend at Letterkenny University Hospital for each of the years 2009 to 2016 and to date in 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41440/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
980. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the total agency spend at Letterkenny University Hospital for each of the years 2013 to 2016 and to date in 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41441/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
981. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the number of whole-time equivalent nursing positions in place at Letterkenny University Hospital for each of the years 2009 to 2016 and to date in 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41442/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
982. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the number of beds operational at Letterkenny University Hospital for each of the years 2009 to 2016 and to date in 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41443/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
983. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the number of outpatient hospital cancellations at Letterkenny University Hospital for each of the years 2013 to 2016 and to date in 2017, in tabular form. [41444/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
984. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the number of inpatient hospital cancellations at Letterkenny University Hospital for each of the years 2013 to 2016 and to date in 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41445/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
985. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the number of inpatients and outpatients who did not attend appointments at Letterkenny University Hospital for each of the years 2013 to 2016 and to date in 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41446/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
986. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the number of theatres operational at Letterkenny University Hospital for each of the years 2011 to 2016 and to date in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41447/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
987. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the capital projects agreed and funded at Letterkenny University Hospital; if he will provide details and an overview of each project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41448/16]
Amharc ar fhreagra988. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the cost of each capital project funded by the HSE and or his Department at Letterkenny University Hospital for each of the years 2009 to 2016 and to date in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41449/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 987 and 988 together.
My Department has not funded any capital project at Letterkenny University Hospital. As the HSE is responsible for the delivery of health care infrastructure projects, the Executive has been requested to reply directly to the Deputy in relation to the approved projects it has funded at Letterkenny University Hospital for each of the years 2009 to 2016 and to date in 2017.
989. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the number of times the full capacity protocol was initiated at Letterkenny University Hospital for each of the years 2011 to 2016 and to date in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41450/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
990. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health his plans to continue to fund the sleep clinic in St. James's Hospital; and if his Department is committed to recruitment of specialist staff in the unit when vacancies arise due to retirement and so on. [41452/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the specific query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service issue, I have asked the HSE to reply to the Deputy directly.
991. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health the channels available to raise concerns or make complaints in the area of medical research and the trial use of certain drugs on both human and animal subjects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41453/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) is the agency responsible for the authorisation of clinical trials with medicinal products (medicines) conducted in Ireland. In addition to an authorisation from the HPRA, clinical trials also require a positive opinion from an ethics committee that is recognised by the Department of Health, prior to being commenced. The types of trials authorised range from first-in-man trials for new medicines to studies with medicines which already have marketing authorisations.
Clinical trials in Ireland are governed by the European Communities (Clinical Trials on Medicinal Products for Human Use) Regulations 2004, S.I. No. 190 of 2004. These Regulations transposed into Irish law the provisions of Council Directive 2001/20/EC and superseded the Control of Clinical Trials Acts 1987–1990 for clinical trials using medicinal products.
The Regulations require that all clinical trials covered by the provisions of the Regulations are designed, conducted and reported in accordance with the principles of Good Clinical Practice (GCP), a set of internationally recognised ethical and scientific quality requirements that must be observed for clinical trials involving human subjects. Compliance with GCP provides assurance that the rights, safety and wellbeing of trial subjects are protected, and that the results of the clinical trials are accurate and credible.
As the competent authority for the Regulations, the HPRA may carry out GCP inspections of trial sites in order to establish compliance with relevant legislation and guidelines. A trial site can be defined as any location where trial-related activities are conducted. Therefore, an inspection can occur at an investigator site, sponsor company site, laboratory site, manufacturing site or at other establishments deemed appropriate by the regulatory authority. The HPRA also requires that an annual safety report is submitted for any trial which is ongoing in Ireland.
Any member of the public who has concerns over the conduct of a specific clinical trial for a medicinal product should contact the HPRA in the first instance. Members of the public may raise concerns relating to the areas which the HPRA regulates directly with the HPRA by letter, e-mail or phone, or alternatively, by contacting the Office of the Ombudsman.
992. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if the Clinical Nutritional Expert Group convened in November 2016; if new applications for additions to the reimbursement list are being accepted before the end of 2016; and if he will allow the replacement foods produced by a company (details supplied) on the reimbursement list [41462/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for the operation of the primary care schemes; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
993. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health if he will award a medical card to a person (details supplied) on discretionary grounds due to the number of serious illnesses the person suffers from [41464/16]
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 was issued to Oireachtas Members.
