Tuesday, 24 Jul 2018

Written Answers Nos. 1380-1399

Home Help Service Provision

Ceisteanna (1380)

Thomas Byrne

Ceist:

1380. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will be awarded home help hours. [32668/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

HSE Planning

Ceisteanna (1381)

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

1381. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health if a plan (details supplied) has been implemented; the purpose of same; the person in the HSE who oversaw its proposed implementation; if it has been discussed by the senior executive team in the HSE; the cost of the report; the person who commissioned it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32669/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy.

Home Care Packages

Ceisteanna (1382)

Peter Burke

Ceist:

1382. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Health the way in which he plans to improve the home care scheme to allow older persons stay in their homes as they age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32671/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

In advancement of the Government’s commitment to promote community-care so that people can continue to live independently in their own homes for as long as possible, the Department of Health is currently engaged in the development of a new, stand-alone statutory scheme and system of regulation for home-care services.

 The new home-care scheme will introduce clear rules in relation to the services for which individuals are eligible and in relation to service-allocation. It will therefore be an important step in ensuring that the system operates in a consistent and fair manner and will help to improve access to home-care services on an affordable and sustainable basis. The introduction of a system of regulation for home-care will help to ensure public confidence in the services provided. The new scheme will also be designed to support family/unpaid carers and will complement and integrate effectively with other health and social-care services such as long-term residential care (including the Nursing Homes Support Scheme), primary and community services and hospital services.

As an initial step in the development of the new scheme, the Department of Health commissioned the Health Research Board to undertake a review of the home-care systems in place in four European countries. The review, which was published last April, will help to ensure that Ireland’s new home-care scheme and system of regulation is informed by international experience. In addition a public consultation on the financing and regulation of home-care was undertaken last year. The purpose of this consultation, to which approximately 2,600 submissions were received, was to enable the Department to find out about the views of service-users, their families and healthcare workers on current and future home-care provision. A report on the findings of the consultation was published on 26 June and will inform the development of the new scheme. Further consultation with service-users will take place later this year, in addition to which the Department is actively engaging with the key NGOs and representative groups.

The development of a statutory scheme and system of regulation for home-care services is a complex undertaking. While the publication of the HRB review and of the report on the findings of the public consultation represent important milestones in the process of developing the new scheme, a significant amount of additional work remains to be carried out before final decisions are taken on the form of the home-care scheme and system of regulation. This is required if the reforms are to be successful, affordable and sustainable. The Department will continue to prioritise its work in developing the new scheme and every effort will be made to progress this matter as quickly as possible. However a realistic timeframe for the establishment of the new scheme on a statutory basis is 2–3 years.

While the new home-care scheme is under development, the Department of Health and Health Service Executive are continuing efforts to improve existing home-care services. In 2018 the HSE brought the funding for home help and Home Care Packages together into a single home support service for older people. As well as simplifying the application-process for home-care, the new service will be more responsive to service-users' changing needs. More broadly the HSE will continue to encourage local integration of services and to build appropriate care-pathways, in particular for people with complex needs. A consumer-directed approach to home-support provision will be introduced, giving service-users greater choice in relation to when they receive services and their selection of a service-provider. This enhancement of current service-provision is being supported by increased investment in home-care services. In line with the commitment in A Programme for a Partnership Government (2016) to increase funding for home-care annually, funding for Older Persons’ Services rose from €763m in 2017 to €811m in 2018, including approximately €417m for the provision of home-support services.

Prescriptions Charges

Ceisteanna (1383)

Peter Burke

Ceist:

1383. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Health if reducing the prescription charges for medical card holders and pensioners has been considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32675/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

The Programme for Partnership Government contains a commitment to reduce the cost of medicines by reducing the annual co-payment on the Drugs Payment Scheme (DPS) and reducing prescription charges for medical card holders.

In line with this commitment, in Budget 2018 I announced a reduction in the DPS monthly threshold of €10, from €144 to €134. This benefit was introduced from 1 January 2018.

The DPS significantly reduces the cost burden for families and individuals with ongoing expenditure on medicines, by ensuring that no one pays more than the set monthly threshold towards the cost of approved prescribed medicines.

I also announced a reduction in the prescription charge to €2, subject to a monthly cap of €20, for all medical card holders under the age of 70. This reduction was also introduced from 1 January 2018.

These announcements follow on from my commitment in Budget 2017, where I reduced the prescription charge to €2 for all medical card holders aged 70 or over.

Further reductions in the prescription charge and the DPS are matters which I intend to consider in the context of the implementation of the health commitments in the Programme for Government and to the funding available.

Services for People with Disabilities

Ceisteanna (1384)

Fiona O'Loughlin

Ceist:

1384. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Health the status of a situation regarding a person (details supplied). [32681/18]

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. 

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

Hospital Waiting Lists

Ceisteanna (1385)

Niamh Smyth

Ceist:

1385. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the status of a surgery appointment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32689/18]

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, 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.

State Claims Agency

Ceisteanna (1386)

Michael McGrath

Ceist:

1386. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health if the State Claims Agency had settled CervicalCheck claims prior to April 2018; if so, the details of same; if confidentiality clauses applied to such settlements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32696/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

The State Claims Agency (SCA), which manages claims on behalf of the HSE, has informed me that it has settled no claims prior to April 2018 in relation to CervicalCheck and, therefore, the issue of a confidentiality clause did not arise.

EU Directives

Ceisteanna (1387)

Charlie McConalogue

Ceist:

1387. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 907 of 17 April 2018, the status of the basic safety standards directive; if a proposal has been further considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32701/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

The finalisation of regulations to transpose the medical provisions of the Basic Safety Standards Directive remains under consideration in my Department. 

Home Help Service

Ceisteanna (1388)

Thomas Byrne

Ceist:

1388. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Health the average waiting times for persons to be awarded home help hours in counties Meath, Cavan and Louth. [32702/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Long Stay Residential Units

Ceisteanna (1389, 1433, 1488)

Pearse Doherty

Ceist:

1389. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the status of the retention of services including long stay residential care beds at Lifford, Ramelton and St. Joseph's community hospitals in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32706/18]

Pat the Cope Gallagher

Ceist:

1433. Deputy Pat The Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Health if a request from CHO 1 relating to community hospitals in County Donegal has been received; if this request was a submission by CHO 1 to obtain departmental permission to amend the existing capital plan which was launched in January 2016 and directly affects three Donegal community hospitals in particular St. Joseph's Hospital, Ramelton and Lifford Community Hospital; his views on whether this is a matter for his Department as opposed to a function of the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32883/18]

Pearse Doherty

Ceist:

1488. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 1004, 1005 and 1006 of 26 July 2017, if the record of Dáil Éireann will be amended to correct erroneous information given regarding the future of long stay residential care beds and services at community hospitals (details supplied) in County Donegal; if the official position in respect of the future of these beds and services at these hospitals will be clarified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33123/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1389, 1433 and 1488 together.

In March of this year, a proposal was approved by the HSE’s National Capital Property Steering Committee that revises a 2016 decision to replace the existing long term residential beds in Stranorlor and Ramelton, and recommends retention and refurbishment of the units at an additional capital cost of €6m. The new unit in Letterkenny also remains part of the proposed plan.

The HSE’s Capital Investment Programme for Community Nursing Units 2016 to 2021 for Public Residential Care Centres for Older People set out the HSE’s proposals for the replacement of 33 existing centres and the refurbishment or extension of 58 centres at a cost of €535 million. The Plan was submitted to the Department of Health in January 2016. 

The programme which was announced on 26 January 2016 included the development of a new 130 bed centre, centrally located in Letterkenny, to ensure that bed capacity in the region, which includes Ramelton, Lifford and Stranolar was secured on a sustainable basis.  The plan provided that the new unit in Letterkenny would be developed through PPP or alternative measures to replace existing units in Stranorlor, Ramelton and Lifford which currently provide 117 beds in total. The cost of the original proposal was estimated at €23.05m.

The HSE wrote to the Department in May seeking approval for the changes to the previously agreed programme. The Department of Health has sought additional information from the HSE in order to consider the revised proposal. Engagement between the HSE and the Department is ongoing at the moment and this matter will be brought to a conclusion as soon as possible.

The centre in Lifford is an old building dating back to the 1700s and is not considered viable as a long-stay residential centre. However, taking into account requirements for additional beds as indicated in the recent Capacity Review, the HSE is considering alternative proposals for the area, including the provision of a green-field site, in order meet the future needs of the community.

Project Ireland 2040 which was launched earlier this year commits to the provision of 4,500 additional beds in community hospitals.

General Practitioner Training

Ceisteanna (1390)

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

1390. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 454 of 10 July 2018, the estimated cost of general practitioner training per one, ten and 100 doctors, respectively, in tabular form. [32717/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As GP training is currently the responsibility of the Health Service Executive, I have arranged for this question to be transferred to the Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.

HSE Staff Recruitment

Ceisteanna (1391)

Seán Sherlock

Ceist:

1391. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health if the role of assistant national director of communications has been filled; if so, the role and function of that person; if the person will be interfacing with members of Dáil Éireann; and the remuneration for the role. [32726/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly on these matters.

Services for People with Disabilities

Ceisteanna (1392)

Michael Healy-Rae

Ceist:

1392. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding community supports for disabled persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32731/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

The overall health budget for 2018 is in the region of €15.5 billion, which represents an increased budget of over €600 million compared to 2017. This represents the fourth year in a row where significant additional resources have been allocated to the health services.

The Health Executive (HSE) is committed to protecting the level of Personal Assistant services available to persons with disabilities.

In the 2018 National Service Plan, the HSE's priority is to provide 1.46 million hours of personal assistance to more than 2,000 people with a disability, representing an increase of 60,000 hours over the 2017 target of 1.4 million hours.

As the Deputy's question relates to services matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.

Health Services

Ceisteanna (1393)

John Lahart

Ceist:

1393. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health his plans to deal with the age restriction that prevents patients accessing proper and appropriate dementia care in view of the increase of patients experiencing early onset dementia prior to 65 years of age when they can avail of services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32740/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As these are service matters I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Hospital Waiting Lists

Ceisteanna (1394)

Mary Butler

Ceist:

1394. Deputy Mary Butler 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. [32741/18]

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, 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.

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

Ceisteanna (1395)

Mick Wallace

Ceist:

1395. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Health if he will meet with a child and adolescent mental health advocacy group (details supplied) to discuss the provision of child and adolescent mental health services in County Wexford. [32742/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

I received a meeting request from Deputy Wallace on 18th July 2018 and confirmed receipt directly to the Deputy on 19th July 2018.  As with all requests submitted to my Office, my officials are currently considering the matter. I will revert to the Deputy after considering this in the context of many competing priorities and demands for meetings.  I will be happy to engage further with the Deputy and update him shortly.

HSE Staff Recruitment

Ceisteanna (1396)

Micheál Martin

Ceist:

1396. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Health the reason the HSE has not filled the continuing care placement co-ordinator for the south Lee area even though the former office holder retired in April 2018 and gave notice in January 2018; his views on the impact this has on service delivery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32746/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

HSE Staff Responsibilities

Ceisteanna (1397, 1398)

Micheál Martin

Ceist:

1397. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Health the responsibilities for continuing care placement co-ordinators employed by the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32747/18]

Micheál Martin

Ceist:

1398. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Health the number of vacancies for continuing care placement co-ordinators employed by the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32748/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1397 and 1398 together.

As these are service matters I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Mental Health Services Staff

Ceisteanna (1399)

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

1399. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the numbers of mental health nurses working in County Donegal in each of the years 2008 to 2017 and to date in 2018, in tabular form. [32750/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.