Written Answers Nos. 160-179
160. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health when the recommendations in the report Make Work Pay, especially relating to medical card eligibility, will be implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48544/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe recommendations in the Make Work Pay for People with Disabilities Report in relation to medical cards were, firstly, to remove the requirement that work undertaken for the purposes of the medical card earnings disregard must be of a "rehabilitative" nature and, secondly, to increase the earnings disregard.
The first recommendation was implemented by the HSE last year. It is intended that the second recommendation will be implemented by the HSE before year end.
161. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the drug minocycline as a treatment for schizophrenia (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48433/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMinocycline is a broad-spectrum antibiotic which is authorised in Ireland for the treatment of infections caused by tetracycline-sensitive organisms. It is not currently authorised as a treatment for schizophrenia.
The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), the competent authority for medicines in Ireland, have advised that there is a clinical trial registered in the UK investigating the role of this therapy in schizophrenia.
If the safe and efficacious use of Minocycline in the treatment of schizophrenia is shown through successful trials, the marketing authorisation holder may choose to apply to the European Medicines Agency or the HPRA for its indicated use to be expanded to include treatment of schizophrenia. It is important to note however that I as Minister for Health have no role in the authorisation process for medicinal products and such decisions can only be made by the marketing authorisation holder.
The HPRA has confirmed that there are no ongoing clinical trials in Ireland investigating minocycline in the treatment of schizophrenia.
162. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) is still waiting for a hip replacement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48450/18]
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.
163. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) is in receipt of only 15 minutes home help per week; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48451/18]
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.
164. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Health if he will identify appropriate avenues of funding which may be available to an organisation (details supplied) in order to assist it in its work promoting positive mental health in primary schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48456/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Health published the Youth Mental Health Task Force report in December 2017. The report recommended several actions to promote mental health in schools that will be rolled out over a period of three years. Since the launch of the report the Department have been working on many initiatives to create awareness and develop training for staff working with young people. There is no specific funding made available directly by the Department of Health to voluntary organisations. Health specific grants are usually provided through the HSE or other lead agencies. I have requested the HSE to make contact with the organisation referred to by the deputy to outline any assistence they may be able to provide.
165. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the status of a request for further information by persons (details supplied). [48457/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraA reply to this correspondence has now issued from my office.
166. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health his plans to extend home care packages to include night-time cover; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48463/18]
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.
167. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health his plans to increase the level of funding to an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48466/18]
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.
168. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health his views on EUROSTAT figures and OECD figures on health spend here; his further views on the different price deflators used (details supplied); his further views on whether GDP is not a robust measure for health spend; and his further views on whether using the actual individual consumption price deflator is the best way to measure health spend. [48473/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraSystem of Health Accounts is the most widely accepted methodology for estimating health expenditure and is used by both the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and Eurostat. It is important to note that SHA focuses solely on expenditure for health purposes and excludes other expenditures, such as elements of social care expenditure, which would also come under the remit of my Department. While there are known issues in the international comparability of SHA estimates, such as those around Out-of-Pocket and Long-Term Care expenditures, SHA still represents a useful approach to measuring the level of health expenditure on health goods and services, including public and private expenditure, across countries.
The SHA methodology produces estimates of health expenditure in the currency and price level of the relevant country. Purchasing Power Parities (PPPs) are used to turn these estimates into a common currency, valued at a uniform price level. The values resulting from this exercise should reflect only differences in the volumes of goods and services consumed in countries. For this calculation the OECD uses PPPs based on Gross Domestic Product while Eurostat uses Actual Individual Consumption PPPs. The differences in these approaches reflects the set of prices included in their calculation.
GDP is a measure of all expenditures in an economy. PPP based on prices from GDP includes the most comprehensive coverage of goods and services. Irish GDP has experienced significant volatility in recent years as a result of globalised activities in the economy. My Department have been in communication with the OECD to clarify whether this has distorted the GDP PPP for Ireland, however it is not clear at this point whether this is the case. More generally, the OECD and Eurostat note that while GDP is a good indicator of the level of economic activity, it is not an accurate measure of material well-being, when material well-being is defined in terms of individual goods and services consumed by households, that is, the goods and services that households consume to satisfy their individual needs.
AIC relates more to the domestic consumption of goods and services. It includes all goods and services consumed by households whether purchased by themselves or provided by Government or Non-Profit Institutions Serving Households, whereas GDP includes items such as net exports.
For certain countries, such as Ireland, there is a significant difference in the value of the AIC and GDP PPP. Given the importance of this parameter for measuring the volume of health goods and services consumed in Ireland, work is ongoing by my officials to evaluate the most appropriate PPP to use in international comparisons.
169. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health the number of the recommendations of the expert review of the Mental Health Act 2015 that have been implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48500/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Expert Group Review of the Mental Health Act 2001, which was published in 2015, put forward 165 recommendations. Approximately 70% of these relate to amendments to the 2001 Act. The Deputy will be aware that Government approved plans to proceed with the general scheme of a bill and officials are working on the heads of this comprehensive amending bill which will legislate for the recommendations of the Review.
Draft heads are expected to be significantly progressed by the end of the year with the aim of passing on the draft to the Mental Health Commission early in the new year. 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.
Since the Expert Group Review was published three mental health amendment acts have been enacted. The first was the Mental Health (Amendment) Act 2015 which updated the provisions of the 2001 Act regarding treatment, in particular ECT. The second was the more recent enactment of the Mental Health (Amendment) Act 2018 which makes changes to the 2001 Act regarding the definition of voluntary patient and which introduces guiding principles for adults instead of the principle of best interests. The Act also introduces guiding principles for children and refers to capacity within the meaning of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015. It is important to point out, however, that the provisions of the 2018 amending act cannot be commenced until further legislative changes are made and the Decision Support Service, established under the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act is operational. The changes in these two acts are based on a number of different recommendations of the Expert Group Review.
The third amending act is the Mental Health (Renewal Orders) Act 2018, which amended Section 15 of the 2001 Act following on from a Court of Appeal finding of unconstitutionality.
In addition, changes to or that have an effect on the 2001 Act will be introduced as part of the new Deprivation of Liberty provisions currently being developed by my Department and also through changes proposed for the Child Care Act 1991. Finally, there are four Private Member's Bills published which seek to make changes to or that have an effect on the 2001 Act.
Many of the changes proposed in the various private members bills replicate recommendations of the Expert Group Review.
170. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health his plans for the telecounselling pilot project in County Wicklow; when it will be launched; the way in which it will operate; the target group; the estimated cost per year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48501/18]
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.
171. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health the projects and programmes delivered to date in terms of addressing the mental health needs of homeless persons; if counselling has been provided to these persons; the location the counselling takes place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48502/18]
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.
172. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health the number of inpatient mental health beds for both adults and children provided separately that are operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48503/18]
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.
173. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health if an early appointment will be expedited for a person (details supplied). [48519/18]
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.
174. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Health the procedure for assisting Irish persons to return home when they fall ill in another European country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48521/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAnyone travelling abroad within the EU should apply for a EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) before they travel. The card ensures that a person will get the same access to necessary medical treatment under public sector health care (e.g. a doctor, a pharmacy, a hospital or a health care centre) as nationals of the country they are visiting. The Department would also advise taking out adequate travel insurance before any trip abroad.
My colleagues in the Department of Foreign Affairs provide consular assistance to Irish Citizens wishing to return home when they fall ill in another country through the nearest Irish Embassy or Consulate. In that regard, I would advise the Deputy to contact the Department of Foreign Affairs directly on this matter.
175. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Health the status of the roll-out of the HPV test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48528/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI gave approval earlier this year for a switch to HPV testing as the primary cervical screening test, with cytology as a reflex test. This change will improve the sensitivity of testing and reduce the number of false negatives arising, although it is important to be clear that false negatives will always be part of any cervical screening programme.
This change in testing is a priority, and it must be implemented in a way that prioritises quality and safety. Work on this complex project is well underway. Funding to implement the switch, and to extend HPV vaccination to boys subject to completion of the Health Technology Assessment currently underway by HIQA, has been allocated in Budget 2019, underlining the Government’s commitment to these essential projects.
176. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the provision of funding to supply an MRI machine for St. Luke’s Hospital (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48536/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
177. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if he will address a matter regarding the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48537/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
178. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Health the status of funding (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48572/18]
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 service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy.
179. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 577 of 18 September 2018, when a reply will issue. [48574/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the particular query raised, I have asked the HSE to ensure that a reply to the PQ No.176 is forwarded to the Deputy.
