Written Answers Nos. 997-1013
997. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Health the waiting time for minors under 18 years of age to be admitted to age-appropriate mental health facilities by CHO in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16615/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
998. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Health the number of older persons between 80 and 90 years of age who have been on trolleys by CHO for periods of up to six, 12, 24 and in excess of 24 hours in January, February and March 2018, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16616/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
999. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Health the number of persons over 90 years of age who have been on trolleys by CHO for periods of up to 6, 12, 24 and in excess of 24 hours in January, February and March 2018, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16617/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
1000. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health if funding has been approved for a powerchair for a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; if so, when funding will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16618/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
1003. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Health when the Lyme disease subcommittee of the scientific advisory committee of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, HPSC, will publish its report on the possible ways of raising awareness regarding the disease; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16634/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this Question refers to a Lyme disease subcommittee of the HPSC scientific advisory committee, I have referred it to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
1004. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the delays in the intra-hospital transfer of a person (details supplied) requiring urgent treatment in the hospital they are referred to; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16636/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter I have referred it to the HSE for a direct response.
1005. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Health the number of community ophthalmic physicians, orthoptists, nurses and administration staff assigned to primary care eye services in each local health office area; and the equivalent figures in 2016 and 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16638/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have asked the HSE to respond to you directly on this matter.
1006. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Health if the HSE is statutorily obliged to assess and monitor the risk to human health should An Bord Pleanála approve a company's (details supplied) application to burn waste at its plant in County Limerick. [16642/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have been advised by the HSE that there is no environmental or planning legislation which obliges it to assess and monitor the risk to human health from a particular site specific development following the granting of planning permission.
The licence assessment process, which is the responsibility of the EPA, includes considering elements of human health. The emission standards are set to take account of impacts on environment and human health. The HSE contributes to the consultation on the licence application process.
1007. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of paediatric rheumatologists and associated staff teams by hospital and location; his plans to increase the number in this regard; if his attention has been drawn to the WHO recommended number of paediatric rheumatologists per head of population; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16643/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly as soon as possible.
1008. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of children who are on the waiting list for two years or more in all children's hospitals waiting for a diagnosis and treatment for juvenile arthritis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16644/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraReducing waiting times for hospital procedures is a key priority of this Government. On 12 April 2018 the Minister launched the Inpatient/Day Case Action Plan 2018. This plan was compiled by the Department of Health, the Health Service Executive, and the National Treatment Purchase Fund.
As part of the plan the HSE will deliver 1.14 million hospital operations or procedures and the NTPF will deliver 20,000 Inpatient Day Case treatments. Under the plan there will be a significant reduction in the overall number of people waiting for a procedure. The target is that the waiting list numbers will fall to 70,000 by the end of the year, from a peak of 86,100 in July 2017.
In relation to your particular query, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
1009. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Health the number of persons employed as home help by the HSE in counties Kildare, Laois and Offaly at the end of each of the years 2010 to 2017 and to date in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16650/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1010. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Health the supports in place for persons with Lyme disease. [16651/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this Question refers to service issues regarding Lyme disease, I have referred it to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
1011. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Health the progress on the Mental Health Act 2001 in regard to the recommendations by the expert group review of the Mental Health Act 2001 in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16652/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn Expert Group Review of the Mental Health Act 2001 was published in 2015. There are 165 recommendations contained in the review and most of these relate to amendments to the Mental Health Act. The changes are progressive in nature and first and foremost seek to move away from the often paternalistic interpretation of the existing legislation to one where, insofar as is possible, the individual has the final say in what he or she deems to be in his or her best interests.
The previous Government granted approval for the preparation of a general scheme of a bill to reflect the recommendations of the review in revised mental health legislation. Work is ongoing on this comprehensive updating of our mental health legislation and the draft heads are expected to be significantly progressed by end of Q3 2018, at which point consultation with the Mental Health Commission will take place. It is essential that the Mental Health Commission, which has a very significant and important role in overseeing the safeguards provided in the Act, have full input into the framing of the many amendments to be included in revised mental health legislation.
1012. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 618 of 20 March 2018, the reason for the high number of cancellations in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda in the urology department in comparison to other acute hospitals; if the reduction of urology consultant hours from 82 to 55 hours per week will be investigated; his plans to increase the number of contracted hours; the average waiting times for urology procedures across the RCSI hospital group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16654/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly as soon as possible.
1013. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Health his plans to reopen the pre-discharge unit, PDU, in Kilcreene Orthopaedic Hospital, County Kilkenny, to bring 26 beds back on stream for use as stepdown, rehabilitation or respite to alleviate congestion at St. Luke's Hospital, County Kilkenny; if the possibility of utilising the four private rooms in the PDU Kilcreene to accommodate isolation patients and in turn take high infection cases out of an acute setting at St. Luke's Hospital will be investigated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16656/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly as soon as possible.
