Written Answers Nos. 302-319
302. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the number of emergency ambulances based in County Kerry; the locations in which are they are based; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26251/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service issue, I have asked the HSE to reply to you directly.
303. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the number of intermediate care vehicles based in County Kerry; the locations in which the intermediate care ambulances are based; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26252/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service issue, I have asked the HSE to reply to you directly.
304. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of children and adolescent mental health services inpatient beds; the number which are available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26255/18]
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.
305. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of orthodontic treatment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26256/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
306. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of an operation for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26260/18]
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, since 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 the Deputy directly.
307. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Health the number of orthodontic referrals from CHO area 4 in 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018; the wait times for priority, functional and routine cases, respectively; the private referrals in CHO area 4 in 2017 and to date in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26268/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
308. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 419 of 24 April 2018, the status of an appointment for a person (details supplied). [26274/18]
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, since 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 the Deputy directly.
309. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of an operation for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26275/18]
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, since 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 the Deputy directly.
310. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of an operation for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26278/18]
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, since 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 the Deputy directly.
311. Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy asked the Minister for Health the progress made on the interdepartmental work to develop a national strategy on female genital mutilation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26282/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFemale genital mutilation (FGM) is universally recognised as a form of gender-based violence and a fundamental violation of the human rights of women and girls. The Criminal Justice (Female Genital Mutilation) Act 2012 provides for the creation of an offence of FGM and other offences relating to FGM. The legislation takes a human rights perspective and stipulates that the right to practice one's cultural traditions and beliefs cannot be used to justify FGM.
The HSE is working to raise awareness of the health implications of FGM among at risk communities through staff information and support. An FGM resource pack for health professionals and relevant staff in maternity and associated settings has been disseminated. The HSE provides funding to AkiDwA, a national network of migrant women, to facilitate working with target communities around raising awareness of the illegality of FGM and sharing information about the risks of this practice. In addition, the HSE funds a specialist clinic operated by the Irish Family Planning Association for girls and women who have undergone FGM.
I recently met with representatives of NGOs to discuss how their work on FGM can be supported by Government departments and agencies. The Department of Health and the HSE will continue to work with relevant departments and with AkiDwA to improve health outcomes for groups vulnerable to this form of gender-based violence. In this regard, the HSE intends to include FGM in its forthcoming intercultural health strategy.
I understand that the monitoring committee for the Second National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence has recently agreed that the strategy will include an action relating to FGM. This strategy comes under the remit of the Department of Justice and Equality.
312. Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy asked the Minister for Health the status of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015; when the Bill will recommence in the Houses of the Oireachtas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26284/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Public Health (Alcohol) Bill is due to be considered at the Select Committee on Health on Wednesday the 20th of June.
I gladly acknowledge the sterling work of the Deputy on this Bill during her time as Minister of State in my Department and welcome her ongoing interest in its progression to enactment.
313. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of an operation for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26291/18]
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, since 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 the Deputy directly.
314. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of an operation for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26292/18]
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, since 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 the Deputy directly.
315. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 109 of 28 April 2016, if the review promised in the reply was completed; if the results of the review will be publicised; if more detail will be given in respect of a timeframe for the provision of an extension to the building and for the appointment of a practice nurse; if the correspondence and the responses to parliamentary questions on the matter will be reviewed; the reason no action has been taken to prioritise the requirements for this centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26293/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has asked the Health Service Executive to reply directly to you in relation to Ballyragget Health Centre.
316. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Health if he has met the groups representing general practitioners recently in regard to their contract; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26301/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI acknowledge the important role that general practitioners play in our health service and I recognise the commitment of GPs to ensuring a responsive, accessible and high-quality service to patients. The Government is committed to engaging with the representatives of GPs on the development of a package of measures and reforms to modernise the current GMS contract and which will enable additional resources to be put into general practice if agreement can be reached.
Officials from my Department and the HSE met with the Irish Medical Organisation on 9 May to set out the State's position in relation to the GMS contract and to progress this important issue. The Department also wrote to the Irish Medical Organisation on 14 May to set out the proposals made at that meeting in writing and is currently awaiting the Organisation's official response.
In line with the long-established approach to such processes, and by agreement of the parties concerned, I am not in position to give further details while discussions between the parties are under way.
317. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of a home support application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26313/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy's question relates to an individual case, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
318. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 158 of 23 May 2018, the timeframe for the introduction of the drug; if the latest correspondence will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26314/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Service Executive has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicines under the community drug schemes, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. The 2013 Act does not give the Minister for Health any powers in this regard.
The Act specifies the criteria to be applied in the making of reimbursement decisions which include the clinical and cost effectiveness of the product, the opportunity cost and the impact on resources that are available to the HSE.
Translarna (Atlauren) is a high cost medicine manufactured by PTC Therapeutics for the treatment of a subgroup of patients with Duchene Muscular Dystrophy – a rare disease. The medicine has conditional market authorisation from the European Medicines Agency for Europe - (the condition being that the company carries out further clinical trials to determine the clinical efficacy of the drug).
Applications for reimbursement were considered by the HSE Drugs Committee and Leadership Team in 2016 and 2017. The applications were considered carefully, however the final decision was that the HSE was not in a position to fund the medicine on the basis of the current clinical evidence of effectiveness and the prices being charged by the pharmaceutical company.
The HSE informed the applicant company of this decision, in keeping with the requirements of the 2013 Act. The applicant has appealed the HSE’s decision to the High Court, which is part of the statutory process under Section 27 of the 2013 Act.
The HSE has informed the company that any new information it may have in relation to clinical benefits or evidence (or in relation to price) can be considered as part of a new application. The HSE has confirmed that there will also be no delay in bringing such an application to a speedy conclusion and decision stage.
319. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of an operation for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26322/18]
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 the Deputy directly.
