Written Answers Nos. 230-240
230. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the operating budget for Beaumont Hospital in each of the years 2009 to 2016, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7654/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
231. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the capital budget or total capital spend at Beaumont Hospital in each of the years 2009 to 2016 in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7655/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
232. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the total agency spend at Beaumont Hospital in each of the years 2013 to 2016 in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7656/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
233. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the number of whole-time equivalent nursing positions in place at Beaumont Hospital in 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. [7657/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
234. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the number of beds operational at Beaumont Hospital in each of the years 2009 to 2016 in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7658/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
235. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Health if consideration has been given to drug checking services (details supplied); the amendments to existing legislation that would be necessary to enable a pilot of such a service; and his position on the matter. [7699/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraGovernment policy on tackling the drug problem is set out in the National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016. The Strategy is a cross cutting area of public policy and service delivery, which requires a coordinated response to tackling the drug problem, involving the statutory, community and voluntary sectors.
The Government is committed to putting a new drugs strategy in place this year. A Steering Committee has been established to advise me on a new strategy with a view to developing an integrated public health approach to substance misuse, which is defined as the harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and illegal drugs.
While the format of the new Strategy has not yet been agreed by the Steering Committee, the Strategy will be based on a health-led approach to the drug problem and build on progress achieved under previous drug strategies. Significant progress has been made in developing the evidence-base for the new Strategy. This includes a review of systematic evidence reviews of various interventions to tackle the drug problem. The Steering Committee will consider the various issues highlighted in the evidence review, including harm reduction measures such as drug testing. The nature of such an initiative would require further investigation and elaboration.
I understand that the Steering Committee is continuing with its deliberations and is expected to submit its final report to me by the end of March. I hope to be in a position to bring my proposals to Government on the new Strategy thereafter.
236. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the number of trips outside the State taken by either him or his Minister of State, in tabular form; the locations they were to; the purpose of each trip; the duration of each trip; the officials that accompanied any Minister on each trip; and the costs of flights, accommodation and any other expenses incurred per person on each trip. [7730/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy is in the following table. Please note that Minister of State Finian McGrath has not taken any trips outside of the State. I have included flight costs where they have been incurred by the Department. Other costs can only be calculated once a claim has been submitted by the individual concerned. You will note that in many instances claims have not yet been submitted and therefore total costs cannot be calculated at this time.
|
Minister |
Dates |
Location |
Official Business |
Department Officials attending |
Flights - € |
Tand S Costs - € |
|
Minister Harris |
03/10/2016 |
Slovakia |
Health Informal - One Day |
Minister |
162.10 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Private Secretary |
204.94 |
113.40 |
|
|
|
|
|
Press Advisor to Minister Harris (i) |
314.94 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Principal Officer International and Research Policy Unit |
218.06 |
20.22 |
|
07/12/2016 |
Lisbon |
2nd Round Table Meeting |
Minister |
253.06 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Private Secretary |
277.00 |
96.13 |
|
|
|
|
|
Press Advisor to Minister Harris |
306.06 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Principal Officer Community, Pharmacy, Dental, Optical and Aural Policy Unit |
384.20 |
|
|
17/01/2016 |
Paris |
Ministerial level Health Committee Meeting |
Minister |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Private Secretary |
|
139.72 |
|
|
|
|
|
Press Advisor to Minister Harris |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Assistant Secretary International and Research Policy Unit |
147.97 |
|
|
23/01/2017 |
London |
European Medicines Association |
Minister |
163.69 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Private Secretary |
163.69 |
105.08 |
|
|
|
|
|
Press Advisor to Minister Harris |
163.69 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Special Advisor to Minister Harris |
163.69 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Assistant Secretary Medicines Unit |
164.35 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Principal Officer Medicines Unit |
164.35 |
|
|
06/02/2017 |
Brussels, Belgium |
European Medicines Association Discussions |
Minister |
226.22 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Private Secretary |
237.24 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Press Advisor to Minister Harris |
237.24 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Assistant Secretary Medicines Unit |
246.98 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Principal Officer Medicines Unit |
124.76 |
|
|
Minister of State Byrne |
14/11/2016 - 16/11/2016 |
Venice, Italy |
Pompidou Symposium on NPS- Towards a new balanced approach on NPS, Venice, Italy |
Minister |
0.00 |
0.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
Assistant Principal Officer Drugs Policy Unit |
283.47 |
260.00 |
|
20/11/2016 - 21/11/2016 |
Copenhagen, Denmark |
Visit to H17, Drug Injection Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark |
Minister |
207.45 |
||
|
|
|
|
|
Principal Officer Medicines Unit |
207.45 |
|
|
Minister of State Corcoran Kennedy |
16/06/2016 - 17/06/2016 |
Luxembourg |
Luxembourg: Council Meeting Employment, Social Policy Health & Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) |
Minister |
916.90 |
403.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
Private Secretary |
916.90 |
304.57 |
|
|
|
|
|
Assistant Secretary International and Research Policy Unit |
863.76 |
595.06 |
|
|
|
|
|
Assistant Principal Officer International and Research Policy Unit |
863.76 |
482.26 |
|
|
26/09/2016 - 27/09/2016 |
Brussels |
Public Health Policy & Alcohol related Harm Seminar |
Minister |
48.53 |
216.99 |
|
|
|
|
|
Private Secretary |
48.53 |
512.33 |
|
|
|
|
|
Principal Officer Tobacco and Alcohol Control Unit (ii) |
350.32 |
587.51 |
|
09/11/2016 - 10/11/2016 |
Brussels |
Brussels. Irish Permenant Representation Conference Minimum Unit Pricins of Alcohol |
Minister |
125.23 |
180.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Private Secretary |
125.23 |
520.67 |
|
16/01/2017 - 17/01/2017 |
University of Liverpool London Campus |
Conference 'Taxation and Other Economic Incentives as health-Promoting Tools: A Focus on Tobacco, Alcohol and Unhealthy Diets |
Minister |
179.20 |
398.14 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Private Secretary |
179.20 |
410.01 |
|
|
|
|
|
Assistant Principal Officer Tobacco and Alcohol Control Unit |
174.72 |
545.92 |
|
Minister of State McEntee |
16/06/2016 - 17/06/2016 |
Glasgow - Scotland |
British Irish Council Summit |
Minister |
306.98 |
95.40 |
|
|
|
|
|
Private Secretary |
306.98 |
71.55 |
|
|
|
|
|
Assistant Principal Officer Services for the Elderly Unit |
161.98 |
215.27 |
|
|
04/08/2016 |
Edinburgh, Scotland |
Scottish Young Carers Festival, |
Minister |
201.98 |
0.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
Assistant Principal Officer Services for the Elderly Unit |
201.98 |
119.60 |
|
09/12/2016 |
Edinburgh, Scotland |
British Irish Council, Ministerial Meeting on Demography |
Minister |
118.87 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Private Secretary |
120.15 |
85.52 |
|
06/02/2016 - 07/02/2016 |
Brussels, Belgium |
Mental Health and Active Ageing Conference |
Minister |
0.00 |
0.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Private Secretary |
0.00 |
0.00 |
i The cost of this flight reflects a necessary last minute name change
ii Flight date changed
237. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 198 of 9 February 2017, if the information provided within the National Treatment Purchase Fund preplanned list data which was not collected until 2014 is not at variance with the NTPF informing him that the way it classifies its waiting lists has been the same since its inception in 2002. [7743/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraLast Thursday in the Dáil I clarified that the NTPF published waiting data has consistently excluded patients classified as Pre-Admit and awaiting Planned Procedures. The NTPF published waiting list figures provide an up-to-date and verified picture of patients actively waiting for a date for Inpatient/Daycase and Outpatient appointments.
In 2014 the NTPF guidance to hospitals regarding waiting list management advised that hospitals needed to keep a record of patients' pre-admission and awaiting planned procedures. The NTPF has been in a position to provide to my Department Pre-Admit patients' data since 2011 and Planned Procedures data since 2014.
Indeed, the NTPF regularly reviews its process to ensure best practice and it is currently commissioning a research project examining updated international best practise around publication models and methodologies. I look forward to this work being concluded and to any action arising from its recommendations being taken.
Last Thursday I committed to asking the NTPF to work towards the publication of the Pre-Admit and Planned Procedures Waiting Lists. In this regard, the NTPF will review and advise on clinically appropriate time bands for these two different categories of patients.
Finally, last week, I also announced that the NTPF will audit the practices in the hospitals highlighted by the individual cases featured in the RTE documentary.
238. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) can expect to be called for surgery at St. James's Hospital. [7747/17]
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 scheduling of appointments for patients is a matter for the hospital to which the patient has been referred. Should a patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he or she should take the matter up with the consultant and the hospital involved. In relation to the specific case raised, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
239. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the current waiting time for an appointment with a speech therapist and with regard to speech therapy services in Dublin South Central; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7748/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply.
240. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of children under 18 years of age on the waiting list for speech therapy in Dublin South Central in tabular form; the number of children who have been waiting zero to three months, three to six months, six to nine months, nine to 18 months and more than 18 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7749/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply.
