Joan Burton
Ceist:205. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Health the services that are up and running in dual diagnosis in primary care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6163/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraPrimary Care Services Provision
Ceisteanna (205)
Freagraí scríofa
As this is a service issue, this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
Disabled Drivers Grant
Ceisteanna (206)
Pat Deering
Ceist:206. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Health the assistance that will be provided to a person (details supplied) in respect of their application for a primary medical certificate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6189/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Drivers and Passengers with Disabilities Tax Relief Scheme, which is operated by the Revenue Commissioners, is the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Finance. To qualify for the scheme, an applicant must be permanently and severely disabled within the terms of the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Regulations Act 1994 and satisfy a range of conditions. The medical criteria for the scheme are set out by the Department of Finance. While applications for primary medical certificates are processed through the Health Service Executive (HSE) Local Health Offices, HSE personnel have no role in setting or amending the criteria. The Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeal, is also under the auspices of the Minister for Finance. This Board is independent in the exercise of its functions, to ensure the integrity of its clinical determinations. On that basis, I have no role to play in the exercise of these functions.
With regard to the individual case referenced by the Deputy and his query regarding other help which may be available to the family, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
State Claims Agency
Ceisteanna (207)
Clare Daly
Ceist:207. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 45 of 1 February 2017, if he will provide the actuarial predictions made regarding maternity damages cases by the State Claims Agency, including the yearly number of damages cases predicted and-or the year on year increases predicted. [6205/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The actuaries to the Clinical Indemnity Scheme provide annual actuarial estimates/predictions of the likely cost of the Scheme for the following year(s). The actuarial estimates/predictions do not separately break out the estimated/predicted costs of maternity cases as a subset of total costs, but rather, they refer to the overall estimated/predicted cost of the Scheme, to include all clinical negligence cases across the range of clinical specialties.
The actuarially estimated cost of the Scheme, for each of the past three years was as follows:
|
Year |
Actuarial estimate for CIS €m |
|
2014 |
202 |
|
2015 |
230 |
|
2016 |
231 |
|
Total |
663 |
Occupational Therapy
Ceisteanna (208)
Declan Breathnach
Ceist:208. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Health the reason the waiting lists in County Louth for occupational therapy are increasing; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there are children on the waiting list for more than 20 months because of staff shortages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6206/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply.
Advanced Healthcare Directives
Ceisteanna (209)
Kevin O'Keeffe
Ceist:209. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health the timeframe for the completion of the work of the multidisciplinary working group under section 91 of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 and the submission of its recommendations to the director of the decision support service, DSS; and the timeframe provided to the director of the DSS to publish the code of practice. [6208/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As the Deputy will be aware, I have established a multidisciplinary Working Group to assist in the development and preparation of the Code of Practice for the advance healthcare directive (AHD) provisions of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015. The role of the Working Group is to prepare a detailed series of recommendations for the Director of the Decision Support Service, in relation to the interpretation and operation of the AHD provisions contained in the Act.
It is envisaged that this multidisciplinary Working Group will have completed the recommendations for the Code of Practice for the AHD provisions by January 2018. Those recommendations will then be presented to the Director of the Decision Support Service. In accordance with section 91(3), the Director will prepare and publish a Code of Practice, based (whether in whole or in part) on the recommendations provided by the Working Group.
The timeframe for publishing this Code of Practice will be determined by the Director of the Decision Support Service, subject to obtaining the consent of the Minister for Health to publish the Code of Practice.
Nursing Homes Support Scheme Data
Ceisteanna (210)
Thomas P. Broughan
Ceist:210. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health the number of persons placed in nursing homes through the fair deal scheme in 2016 and to date in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6223/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Ceisteanna (211)
James Browne
Ceist:211. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the average waiting times for endocrinology appointments; and the proposals his Department is undertaking to improve the lists going forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6226/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Reducing waiting times for the longest waiting patients is one of this Government's key priorities. Consequently, Budget 2017 allocated €20 million to the NTPF, rising to €55 million in 2018.
In December 2016, I granted approval to the NTPF to dedicate €5m to a daycase waiting list initiative with the aim of ensuring that no patient will be waiting more than 18 months for a daycase procedure by 30 June 2017. In excess of 2000 daycases will be managed through this process and outsourcing of treatment will commence shortly.
The HSE has committed to submit to me by 17 February Waiting List Action Plans for 2017 to ensure that no patient is waiting more than 15 months for an inpatient, daycase procedure or outpatient appointment by the end of October 2017. The Plans are being developed in conjunction with, and supported by, the NTPF's proposal for utilisation of the remaining €10m of 2017 funding for patient treatment, which I expect to receive by 24 February.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
Organ Donation
Ceisteanna (212)
Mick Wallace
Ceist:212. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Health the status and timeframe for the proposed organ transplant opt-out scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6227/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Work on scoping the parameters of the legislation which will provide for an opt-out system of consent for organ donation, is currently being undertaken in my Department. This is a priority for me in 2017 and this work will be progressed as quickly as possible.
Psychological Services
Ceisteanna (213)
Clare Daly
Ceist:213. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 44 of 19 January 2017, 98 of 24 January 2017, 110 of 25 January 2017 and 115 of 31 January 2017, if he will initiate discussions with the Minister for Justice and Equality in regard to the possibility of her making orders on non-statutory accrediting bodies for psychologists or psychotherapists under sections 40(6)(b) and 40(7)(b) of the Civil Liability and Courts Act 2004, such that those accrediting bodies for psychologists and psychotherapists may be empowered under those sections to investigate complaints regarding the conduct of the professionals under their aegis in compiling section 47 reports, at least until such time as these two professions are regulated by CORU. [6233/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 provides for the determination of complaints relating to the fitness to practice of practitioners qualified to register and to use the titles of the professions designated under the Act. The Health and Social Care Professionals Council, the registration boards for the professions which it oversees and the various disciplinary committees are all established under the Act and are known under the umbrella name of CORU.
The profession of psychologist is one of the fourteen professions currently designated under the Act and I have recently undertaken a public consultation on the proposal to regulate psychotherapists under the Act. I expect to be in a position to establish the Psychologists Registration Board and appoint its members in the coming months. I am currently considering the submissions received on the proposed regulation of psychotherapists and I will decide shortly on how best to proceed with this proposal.
Some professional bodies undertake investigations of complaints about their members. These are not statutory investigations and I have no function in them. It would be a matter for the professional bodies themselves, in the first instance, to decide whether they wish to seek access to documents, information or evidence prepared for, or given in, family law proceedings.
Medical Card Reviews
Ceisteanna (214)
Bernard Durkan
Ceist:214. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if a second review will be re-opened in the case of a person (details supplied) to facilitate assessment of further information; if medical cards will be reinstated pending full review with particular reference to the hardship caused to the family in the interim; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6241/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Under 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 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.