Written Answers Nos 1148-1167
1148. Deputy Shane Cassells asked the Minister for Health the number of persons that are allocated home care packages in County Meath; the number of this cohort that are still awaiting these services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27031/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1149. Deputy Shane Cassells asked the Minister for Health the number of carer hours allocated under the home care package scheme in County Meath in which persons are still awaiting these services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27032/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1150. Deputy Shane Cassells asked the Minister for Health the percentage of carer hours that have been allocated home care packages in County Meath in which persons are still awaiting these services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27033/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1151. Deputy Shane Cassells asked the Minister for Health the position in which County Meath ranks in terms of delivery of the home care package scheme compared to other counties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27034/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1148 to 1151, inclusive, together.
As these are service matters they have been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
1152. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Clare will have further medical treatment in University Hospital Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27048/17]
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.
In relation to this particular query, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
1153. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Health if the HSE management in the Sligo area have formally written to national management to highlight the risk posed by a lack of resources for children's services in counties Sligo and Leitrim and that they do not have the capacity to deal with the demand; if he will provide a copy of this correspondence as was reported on a radio station (details supplied) on 1 June 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27052/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service issue, this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
1154. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Health his plans and the timeframe to address the lack of resources for CAMHS and children's health services in counties Sligo and Leitrim; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27053/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service issue, this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
1155. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Health when a full time child psychiatrist will be provided to address the long waiting list of vulnerable children in counties Sligo and Leitrim; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27054/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service issue, this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
1156. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Health the number of children awaiting appointment and diagnosis under the remit of CAMHS in counties Sligo and Leitrim, south Donegal and west Cavan; the length of waiting time for each; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27055/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service issue, this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
1157. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Health if the National Treatment Purchase Fund can be used to reduce the length of time vulnerable children are waiting to be seen and receive a diagnosis by CAMHS in the Sligo Leitrim, south Donegal and west Cavan areas; if not, the reason therefor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27056/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Health and the HSE are working hard, on a continuous basis, to improve the delivery of mental health services for children and the services have benefited from the significant additional investment in mental health in recent years. Additional funding in Budget 2017 has resulted in an overall provision of over €850 million for all HSE mental health services in 2017.
There are currently 67 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service teams, and three Paediatric Liaison Teams. Approximately 18,500 children will attend the CAMHS service this year.
There are difficulties in recruiting and retaining specialist CAMHS staff, particularly Consultant Psychiatrists. Intensive recruitment efforts are on-going but there is currently a serious shortage of suitably qualified CAMHS Consultants both at national and European level. It should be noted however that despite increasing CAMHS demands overall and the staffing difficulties, 68% of children referred to CAMHS are seen within twelve weeks. Over the past two years, the waiting list for over 12 months has reduced (from 455 cases to 279 in March 2017). As Primary Care services are usually the first point of contact for children and adolescents when problems initially present, those with mild to moderate presentations are seen by psychologists in the service, unless there is a significant risk of harm, a rapid deterioration or a crisis which requires a specialist response. In order to develop early intervention services for those under age 18, €5 million has been allocated to include recruitment of 114 Assistant Psychologists in primary care. These posts have now been sanctioned for recruitment.
It is important to remember that despite increasing demands overall on CAMHS, individual cases professionally assessed as requiring urgent access to services do receive priority.
The HSE Service Plan 2017, as a priority, will further develop CAMHS, including better out-of- hours liaison and seven-day response services.
It is not envisaged that the Waiting List initiatives due to be implemented by the National Treatment Purchase Fund and the HSE under its Waiting List Action Plans, will include mental health services.
1158. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite an appointment for a person (details supplied). [27073/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
1159. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health when the cannabis access programme will be operational for multiple sclerosis patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27074/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn Expert Reference Group, chaired by Dr Mairín Ryan, Director of Health Technology Assessment at the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) convened on 30 March to commence work on drafting guidelines, in line with National Standards for Clinical Practice Guidance Development, to facilitate the prescription and supply of medicinal cannabis to qualifying patients.
The work of the group is guided by the conclusions of the HPRA report and other international scientific evidence in developing operational guidelines for the implementation of the access programme through which the optimal use of cannabis for medicinal purposes in Ireland will be implemented.
The guidelines will focus on the clinical criteria for patient access; forms of medicinal cannabis that will be permitted for use; prescribing and dispensing requirements for doctors and pharmacists; education requirements for healthcare professionals and patients and ethical implications of such a scheme. A major focus of the Expert Group’s work in drafting the guidelines for the safe use of cannabis for those patients who will be prescribed cannabis-based treatments through the Cannabis Access Programme has been on contribution to the contents of the guidelines by clinicians, patients and pharmacists, who will be the central stakeholders in this initiative.
The establishment of the access programme and the requisite legislative amendments under the Misuse of Drugs Acts will take a number of months to complete.
In the meantime, under existing legislation it remains open to me as Minister to consider granting a licence to an Irish-registered physician, under the Misuse of Drugs Acts, for access to medical cannabis for named patients, where the proposed course of treatment has been endorsed by the patient’s consultant who is responsible for the management of the patient, and who is prepared to monitor the effects of the treatment over time.
Ultimately it is the decision of the clinician, in consultation with their patient, to prescribe or not prescribe a particular treatment for a patient under their care.
1160. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the number of paediatric social admissions (details supplied) to Temple Street hospital in each of the years 2007 to 2016 and to date in 2017. [27088/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand that the HSE has now replied to the Deputy on this matter.
1161. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health the waiting lists for post operation routine x-rays in Our Lady of Lourdes hospital, Drogheda in 2015 and 2016 and to date in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27092/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn response to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
1162. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Health if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding medical debt; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27097/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
1163. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if a medical card application by a person (details supplied) will be expedited. [27099/17]
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.
1164. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if a medical card application by a person (details supplied) will be expedited. [27100/17]
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.
1165. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if a medical card application by a person (details supplied) will be expedited. [27101/17]
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.
1166. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if a medical card application by a person (details supplied) will be expedited. [27102/17]
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.
1167. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health the policy regarding the employment of persons with disabilities in his Department and in each State and semi-State body under the aegis of his Department; if there is a responsibility to employ persons with disabilities to a quota of 3% of its workforce; if this quota has now been exceeded; if there has been an advertised competition in relation to this quota; if not, the reason therefor; the dates and details of such competitions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27139/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn regard to the matter raised by the Deputy, Part 5 of the Disability Act 2005 sets out the legal obligations of public service bodies to:
- promote and support the employment of people with disabilities;
- comply with any statutory Code of Practice;
- meet a target of 3% of employees with disabilities;
- report every year on achievement of these obligations.
The National Disability Authority (NDA) reports on compliance with the 3% target. In its latest published report for the calendar year 2015, the NDA noted that in my Department, 3.3% of staff employed had disabilities.
My Department does not hold a recruitment licence and all of our new staff come from competitions run by the Public Appointments Service.
The Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities (CES) was launched by the Government on 2 October 2015.
The Government has already taken a number of key decisions as recommended in the Strategy:
- The public service employment target for people with disabilities will be increased on a phased basis as set out in the Strategy from 3% to 6%;
- special public service competitions for people with disabilities will be arranged and alternative recruitment channels for people with disabilities will be opened up.
Under Part 5 of the Disability Act 2005, all public bodies are required to ensure that unless there is good reason to the contrary for not doing so, that not less than 3% of the persons employed by it are persons with disabilities. The Health Sector's Monitoring Committee is required under the Act, to draw up a report in writing in relation to compliance not later than 30 June in each year. The Monitoring Committee is currently completing this report with data supplied by the bodies under my Department's aegis and the report will be submitted to the National Disability Authority by the required deadline.
In relation to Non-Commercial State Agencies under the remit of my Department, this information is being sought and will be forwarded to the Deputy when collated.
