Tuesday, 2 May 2017

Written Replies Nos. 854 to 867

Services for People with Disabilities

Ceisteanna (854)

Michael Healy-Rae

Ceist:

854. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of respite care for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19436/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

The Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. This commitment is outlined in the Programme for Partnership Government, which is guided by two principles: equality of opportunity and improving the quality of life for people with disabilities.

A Programme for Partnership Government states that the Government wishes to provide more accessible respite care to facilitate full support for people with a disability.

As the Deputy's question relates to an individual case, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy.

Legislative Process

Ceisteanna (855)

Patrick O'Donovan

Ceist:

855. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Health when Parts 2 and 3 of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 are due to be enacted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19437/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

It was indicated upon the enactment of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 that an appropriate transition period would be required in order to carry out significant preparatory work to facilitate a seamless transition to the new regulatory framework laid out in the Act. That work is underway, involving officials from my Department. It is intended that Parts 2 and 3 will be commenced later this year.

Hospital Appointments Status

Ceisteanna (856)

Barry Cowen

Ceist:

856. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Health the status of an appointment for a person (details supplied). [19438/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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 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.

Occupational Therapy

Ceisteanna (857)

Shane Cassells

Ceist:

857. Deputy Shane Cassells asked the Minister for Health the number of persons currently on the waiting list for the occupational therapy service in the Meath primary care service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19440/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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.

Occupational Therapy

Ceisteanna (858)

Shane Cassells

Ceist:

858. Deputy Shane Cassells asked the Minister for Health the current waiting time for persons on the waiting list of the occupational therapy service in the Meath primary care service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19441/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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.

Health Services Staff

Ceisteanna (859)

Shane Cassells

Ceist:

859. Deputy Shane Cassells asked the Minister for Health the reason two occupational therapists who have left the occupational therapy service in the Meath primary care service have not been replaced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19442/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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.

Health Services Staff Recruitment

Ceisteanna (860)

Shane Cassells

Ceist:

860. Deputy Shane Cassells asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the recruitment of occupational therapists in the Meath primary care service; if these posts have been advertised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19443/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter.

Occupational Therapy

Ceisteanna (861)

Shane Cassells

Ceist:

861. Deputy Shane Cassells asked the Minister for Health if the current waiting times in the occupational therapy service in the Meath primary care service are similar to those in other areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19444/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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.

Tobacco Control Measures

Ceisteanna (862)

Noel Rock

Ceist:

862. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for Health if he will consider allocating funds to the prevention of smoking as a way to reduce the €460 million that smoking costs the health system each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19448/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

Tobacco smoking is the biggest single cause of addiction, ill health and death in Ireland. It is estimated that 840,000 of the Irish population aged 15 and over are addicted to tobacco. Approximately 6,000 Irish people die every year from tobacco related illnesses.

Tobacco Free Ireland, the report of the Tobacco Policy Review Group, was endorsed by Government, and published in October 2013. It builds on existing tobacco control policies and legislation already in place in this country, and sets a target for Ireland to be tobacco free (i.e. with a smoking prevalence rate of less than 5%) by 2025. Tobacco Free Ireland was among the first policy documents to be launched under the Healthy Ireland Framework and will play a major part in achieving the vision set out in Healthy Ireland. The two key themes underpinning Tobacco Free Ireland are the protection of children and the denormalisation of smoking.

A high level action plan for Tobacco Free Ireland was published in March 2015 and Annual Reports monitoring progress are also published and are available on the Department of Health’s website. The Government is committed to implementing Tobacco Free Ireland as outlined in A Programme for a Partnership Government.

Considerable progress has been made and the action plan is being implemented as published. Some of the key achievements since the publication of Tobacco Free Ireland are:

- the increase in price of tobacco products in Budgets 2014, 2015 and 2016;

- the commencement of legislation which protects children from second hand smoke in cars;

- the commencement of legislation to provide for standardised packaging of tobacco products;

- the commencement of legislation to transpose the EU Tobacco Products Directive;

- the commissioning and publication of the economic cost of smoking in Ireland report;

- the publication of the Health Information and Quality Authority’s Health Technology Assessment of smoking cessation interventions;

- the further development by the HSE of the QUIT campaign and the enhancement of supports for smokers who wish to stop smoking;

- the commencement of a process to develop National Clinical Guidelines for smoking cessation between the HSE, the National Clinical Effectiveness Committee (NCEC) and other stakeholders;

- the publication of research on tobacco including the potential impacts of standardised packaging;

- the continued enforcement of tobacco control legislation by the HSE;

- the continuation of an annual Healthy Ireland Survey, the Health Behaviour in School Children Study (HBSC) and the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) which gives up-to-date reliable data on the prevalence of smoking throughout the whole population;

- the engagement in the Healthy Ireland Framework to assist with changing social norms around smoking;

- the involvement of the NGO sector in supporting Tobacco Free Ireland actions;

- the approval of Government to proceed with drafting the General Scheme of a Bill to provide for the introduction of a licensing system and other measure for tobacco products and non-medicinal nicotine delivery systems , including electronic cigarettes; and

- the engagement with the World Health Organisation in implementing the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

These actions together with other past initiatives have resulted in a decrease in the prevalence of smoking in Ireland. The Government and my Department in conjunction with the Health Service Executive and other key stakeholders will continue to support as appropriate the further implementation of Tobacco Free Ireland in order to reduce smoking prevalence to less than 5% by 2025.

Data Protection

Ceisteanna (863)

Noel Rock

Ceist:

863. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for Health the cause of the record number of data protection breaches within the HSE; the reason doctors and nurses are allowed to take confidential files out of the office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19450/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As the Deputy's question refers specifically to the HSE it has been forwarded to them for direct reply.

Health Services Expenditure

Ceisteanna (864)

Noel Rock

Ceist:

864. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for Health if increases in spending on stroke care are necessitated to keep up with the aging population; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19455/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.

Medicinal Products Reimbursement

Ceisteanna (865)

Noel Rock

Ceist:

865. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for Health if he will incorporate the freestyle libre glucose monitoring unit into the long-term illness scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19456/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

The HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medical devices in the community drug schemes, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. Where a supplier wishes to have a product reimbursed in the community drugs schemes, it must first submit an application to the HSE to have the product added to the reimbursement list.

The HSE has advised that it has received a formal application to add FreeStyle Libre Flash Glucose Monitoring System to the reimbursement list. This application will be considered in compliance with the requirements of the 2013 Act.

Health Screening Programmes

Ceisteanna (866)

Noel Rock

Ceist:

866. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for Health the timelines for the retendering and procurement of a provider for the diabetic retinopathy screening service which is due for renewal in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19457/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.

Hospital Appointments Status

Ceisteanna (867)

Michael Healy-Rae

Ceist:

867. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of a hospital appointment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19459/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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 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 HSE, 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.