Written Answers Nos. 311-326
311. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Health if one of the three surgeons at Portiuncula University Hospital is to be absorbed into the UHG rota; the reason for such a move; his plans to replace the surgeon in Portiuncula; if such a replacement would be a permanent appointment or a locum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47881/17]
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.
312. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health the way in which his Department responded to the declaration of the status red alert weather warning in relation to its own employees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47930/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government's National Emergency Co-Ordination Group advised all Government Departments to avoid any unnecessary travel and suspend all non-essential activities for the entirety of Monday 16 October 2017. Accordingly, all staff of my Department were contacted on the evening of Sunday 15 October and instructed to stay at home on Monday 16 October. A small number of essential staff engaged in contributing to the response to this critical weather event attended for duty on the morning of 16 October and while most of these staff had left the office by 12 noon to return home, certain staff involved in coordinating the health service response remained on duty and did not leave the office until it was safe to do so.
313. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Health when funding will be made available for a person (details supplied) for a residential care place with an organisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47938/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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.
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.
314. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the actions he is taking to ensure that the existing group of 21 persons that are receiving the drug respreeza as part of a clinical trial continue to receive this drug therapy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47942/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicines under the community drugs schemes, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. The Act does not give the Minister for Health any powers in this regard.
I am aware that a number of patients were on an access scheme operated by the manufacturer of this drug and that the company had confirmed that scheme would end on 30 September 2017, which was a terrible blow for those patients.
I therefore sought assurances from the HSE that appropriate care arrangements would be in place for patients and that appropriate ethical guidelines have been and will continue to be followed for all aspects of the programme.
Subsequent to this, the company let patients know that they would continue the scheme for six months but since then an issue appears to have arisen with regard to its administration.
I think it’s important to say this access scheme has been run independently and without reference to the HSE.
On 19 October, the HSE contacted the company, seeking a meeting to discuss proposals on the modification of the access scheme and to ensure that the company was fulfilling all of its obligations to the patients who are currently on this scheme.
The company indicated its availability to meet during the week of 13 November 2017, following which we should have a clearer indication about its intentions.
315. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health his views on the concerns of a person (details supplied) who categorically denies that the HSE provided episodes of occupational therapy care to them on dates provided by the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47943/17]
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.
316. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Health his views on the level of childhood obesity; the measures he is taking to tackle this problem; the State agencies his Department is working with in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47946/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraA range of health studies and surveys show that overweight and obesity, in both adults and children, is now a serious public health concern in Ireland.
A national Obesity Policy and Action Plan was launched by the Minister of Health in September 2016. The national policy covers the period up to 2025 and aims to reverse obesity trends, prevent health complications and reduce the overall burden for individuals, families, the health system, and the wider society and economy. The Policy acknowledged that every sector of our society has a role in reducing the burden of obesity, and emphasised the key role that the education sector will have in achieving the objectives, particularly in relation to child obesity.
The Obesity Policy prescribed 'Ten Steps Forward' that would be taken to prevent overweight and obesity. Under each step there are a number of actions, some of which have been identified for early implementation.
I am pleased to advise the Deputy that a number of areas of early implementation are of particular interest with reference to child obesity:
- My Department has established an Obesity Policy Implementation Oversight Group. The national Obesity Policy Implementation Oversight Group (OPIOG) - under the Chair of my Department - is comprised of representatives from the following Departments and Agencies: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; Department of Children and Youth Affairs; Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection; Department of Education and Skills; Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government; University College Cork; the Food Safety Authority of Ireland; the Health Service Executive (HSE) - including the National Clinical Lead for Obesity; and Safefood. I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the OPIOG held its inaugural meeting on the 19th of October last with further meetings to be arranged at agreed intervals for the purposes of providing oversight to the implementation of the national Obesity Policy & Action Plan (OPAP). The OPIOG will identify processes for engaging with networks of stakeholders. It will elaborate on this aspect of its functions over the course of its work to implement the OPAP that runs up to 2025.
-The Minister for Finance has announced in Budget 2018 the introduction of a sugar tax on sugar-sweetened drinks. The policy objective of this levy is to reduce rates of obesity, as well as rates of dental deterioration particularly in young people.
- My Department has been engaging with the food industry, including food retailers, on a Code of Practice to reduce the marketing of products high in fat, sugar and salt, with a particular aim to reduce consumption of such products by children and young people. This voluntary Code of Practice for Non-Broadcast Media Advertising and Marketing of Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages, including Sponsorship and Retail Product Placement, will be launched in the coming weeks.
- I recently launched a new child obesity campaign from safefood and the HSE It's called the START campaign and it aims to inspire, empower and support parents to start building and persist with healthy lifestyle habits in the family to prevent childhood obesity. The first phase of the campaign advertising features on TV, radio, video on demand, outdoor and digital platforms.
- New Healthy Eating Guidelines, Food Pyramid and supporting resources have already been published, disseminated and communicated in 2017, including dissemination of the new Guidelines earlier this month to all primary and post-primary schools. Work has now commenced on developing Healthy Eating Guidelines for the 1-5 year old age group.
- New Nutrition Standards for schools, with an initial focus on school meal programmes funded by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, have also been developed. These Nutrition Standards were launched by the Ministers for Health, Education and Skills, and Employment Affairs and Social Protection in September 2017. The development and implementation of these Standards meets commitments in the DEIS Action Plan as well as the Obesity Policy.
- Other developments in the HSE, through a new Healthy Eating, Active Living programme will support work in the education sector, as well as with parents, families and communities in supporting a more co-ordinated approach to prevention and early intervention in child obesity.
317. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health if funding will be allocated for the recruitment of two additional full-time consultant breast radiologists for Beaumont Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47967/17]
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.
318. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the reason persons that usually collect blister packs from their pharmacy monthly now have to collect the packs weekly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47990/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for the administration of the community drug schemes; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
319. 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. [47992/17]
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.
320. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if an appointment for an angiogram for a person (details supplied) will be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47996/17]
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 the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.
321. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive an appointment for knee replacement surgery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48000/17]
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 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.
322. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health his plans to introduce funding to provide for more dental teams to help cope with primary school check-ups in counties Cavan and Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48002/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
323. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 393 of 3 October 2017, if he will address a matter raised in correspondence (details supplied); if a reply will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48004/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI contacted my colleague in the Department of Education and Skills who informed me that the Department of Education does not provide funding to pre-school services other than in early intervention classes in recognised primary schools or special schools. Supports for childcare, including pre-school education, are provided by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Early intervention classes are available for children aged 3-5 with a diagnosis of ASD. Early intervention classes are intended to provide early support for children with ASD before they start school. Where such a placement is not available home tuition can be provided.
In order to access an early intervention class, children aged between 3 and 4 years of age must have an ASD diagnosis and children over 4 years of age (who will not reach the age of 6 during the school year) must have a recommendation from a relevant professional for an early intervention placement. Following early intervention, children will attend a mainstream class unless there is professional guidance that they require a special class or a placement in a special school. The enrolment of a child to a school is a matter, in the first instance, for the parents/guardians of the child and the Board of Management of a school.
Parents/Guardians who may need advice or are experiencing difficulties in locating a school placement should contact their local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) who can assist in identifying an appropriate educational placement for their child. Contact details are available on the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) website. The SENO can also advise parents in relation to supports which may be available to support children with special educational needs, including special transport arrangements which may be made available.
The purpose of the Home Tuition Grant Scheme is to provide a compensatory educational service for children with Special Educational Needs who are seeking an educational placement, either in a special school, a special class, including an early intervention class within a mainstream school, or a mainstream class in a mainstream school, with additional resources allocated by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).
In the event that no placement is available, home tuition can only be provided until such a placement becomes available. Home tuition is provided as an interim provision only and should not be regarded as an optional alternative to a place in school. Details of the Scheme are available at https://www.education.ie/en/Parents/Services/Home-Tuition/.
Furthermore, I note your concerns regarding the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) and I have forwarded these to my colleagues in the Department of Children and Youth Affairs who are the Department responsible for AIM. I know that they will be happy to address the points you have raised.
324. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the status of his commitment to increase ambulances, EMTs and paramedics each year with a view to improve response times as set out in the programme for Government; if he will detail the increase in each to date in 2017 in counties Cavan and in Monaghan and the way in which response times have improved in the counties. [48016/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraA significant reform programme is underway in pre-hospital emergency care to reconfigure the management and delivery of pre-hospital services, for a clinically driven, nationally co-ordinated system, supported by technology and data. This reform is taking place against the backdrop of the HIQA review of ambulance services (2014, 2017) and the NAS Capacity Review (2016).
The Capacity Review makes it clear that a very significant programme of investment in our ambulance services is needed. In that context, a phased investment in a multi-annual programme involving manpower, vehicles and technology is required. The Programme for Partnership Government commits to additional annual investment in terms of ambulance, personnel and vehicles. €7.2m additional funding was provided in 2016 including €2m development funding. An additional sum of €3.6m was made available in 2017 which included €1m to fund new developments. I am happy to confirm that increased funding will be made available for the continued development of the National Ambulance Service in 2018, the detail of which will be set out in the National Service Plan, 2018.
With regard to the impact this reform programme will have in Counties Cavan and Monaghan, as this is an operational matter, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.
325. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive an insulin pump; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48017/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
326. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the progress made to date to deliver a project (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48018/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question relates to a service matter, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
