Seán Fleming
Ceist:570. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive orthodontic treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54186/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraOrthodontic Services Provision
Ceisteanna (570)
Freagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
Assisted Human Reproduction Services Provision
Ceisteanna (571, 777)
Fiona O'Loughlin
Ceist:571. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Health when a financial support scheme for women seeking assisted human reproduction and IVF treatment, or both, will be put in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54191/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra
Róisín Shortall
Ceist:777. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 526 of 6 November 2018, the status of his plans to put in place a financial support scheme for women seeking assisted human reproduction and IVF treatment, or both; if he has identified and considered policy options for a public funding model; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1539/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 571 and 777 together.
In October 2017, the Government approved the drafting of a Bill on assisted human reproduction (AHR) and associated areas of research, based on the published General Scheme. The process of drafting this Bill will be completed in conjunction with the Office of the Attorney General. In addition, the Joint Committee on Health is currently conducting a review of the General Scheme of the Assisted Human Reproduction Bill 2017 as part of the pre-legislative scrutiny process, which began in January of last year. The review is on-going and the Committee intends to publish its report early this year. However, it is not possible at this time to give a definitive timeline for the completion of the draft Bill and its subsequent passage through the Houses of the Oireachtas.
In order to support the commencement of the legislation, officials in my Department are working with the HSE to develop a model of care for infertility to ensure the provision of safe, effective and accessible services through the public health system as part of the full range of services available in obstetrics and gynaecology.
The Government has approved a €1 million fund for use in relation to providing public AHR treatment during 2019. Officials in my Department are currently examining options in relation to the operation and administration of this fund, which includes determining the access criteria that will apply. Once I have had the opportunity to review and approve these proposals, there will be an announcement regarding the commencement of this fund for 2019.
It should also be noted that, currently, patients who access IVF treatment privately may claim tax relief on the costs involved under the tax relief for medical expenses scheme. In addition, a defined list of fertility medicines needed for fertility treatment is covered under the High Tech Scheme administered by the HSE. Medicines covered by the High Tech Scheme must be prescribed by a consultant/specialist and approved by the HSE ‘High Tech Liaison Officers’. The cost of the medicines is then covered, as appropriate, under the Medical Card or Drugs Payment Scheme.
Drugs Payment Scheme Coverage
Ceisteanna (572)
Fiona O'Loughlin
Ceist:572. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Health if the drug refund scheme will be extended to include drugs prescribed outside the State for persons accessing IVF treatment abroad; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54192/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Under 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.
HSE Staff
Ceisteanna (573)
Eamon Scanlon
Ceist:573. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Health his plans to introduce better pay and job security for assistant psychologists and recognise this as a HSE post in itself; if the short-term half year contracts will be ceased; his further plans to cease unpaid voluntary assistant psychology in order that psychology graduates can be employed to address the mental health and waiting list crisis here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54199/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly on this matter.
Departmental Expenditure
Ceisteanna (574)
Niall Collins
Ceist:574. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Health the cost incurred by his Department in 2018 for the use of taxi services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54212/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The costs incurred by my Department in respect of taxi services during 2018 was €1832.00.
Hospital Services
Ceisteanna (575)
Niamh Smyth
Ceist:575. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if the case of a person (details supplied) will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54228/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Patients opting to be treated privately in a public hospital have chosen to pay the consultant and the hospital in respect of the services that each provides. Under the Health Act 1970 (as amended), the HSE is required to levy statutory private in-patient charges on all patients opting to receive private in-patient services, irrespective of the type of accommodation provided. The charging regime now distinguishes between the accommodation of private patients in single rooms and multi-occupancy rooms with the former charged at a higher rate.
The allocation of single rooms within public hospitals is closely aligned with the clinical needs of patients and is therefore dictated on operational or clinical grounds and not on the public or private status of the patient, so patients are not guaranteed a single room on admittance to a public hospital.
Question No. 576 answered with Question No. 565.
Disability Services Provision
Ceisteanna (577)
Seamus Healy
Ceist:577. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Health when an assessment of needs will be arranged for a child (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54232/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
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.
Question No. 578 answered with Question No. 542.
Hospital Services
Ceisteanna (579)
Fiona O'Loughlin
Ceist:579. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Health the number of children on a waiting list for children's ophthalmology inpatient services in County Kildare in each of the years from 2011 to 2018 and to date in 2019; and the number of children waiting three, six, nine, 12 and in excess of 12 months, respectively, in tabular form. [54257/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Improving access to hospital treatment is a key priority for Government.
Waiting list figures for December 2018, published last week by the NTPF show that considerable improvements have been made to the number of patients waiting for an Inpatient or Day case procedure which have fallen to 70,204 from the peak of 86,100 in July 2017. This represents a reduction of over 18% in the overall number of patients waiting for a procedure. Furthermore, the number of patients waiting over 9 months has almost halved since July 2017 from 28,100 to 14,900.
My Department is working closely with the NTPF and the HSE to finalise a Scheduled Care Access Plan for inpatients/daycase and outpatients for 2019. In this regard, the NTPF and HSE will continue to work closely with Hospital Groups, inviting proposals to improve access for patients waiting for hospital procedures.
The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following document.
Total Number of Children Waiting for an Ophthalmology Procedure in Co. Kildare by Year by Wait Time Band 2011-2019
|
Sum of Total |
Wait Time Bands |
|||||
|
Year |
0-3 Months |
3-6 Months |
6-9 Months |
9-12 Months |
12 Months + |
Grand Total |
|
2011 |
8 |
12 |
4 |
24 |
||
|
2012 |
18 |
5 |
23 |
|||
|
2013 |
15 |
5 |
20 |
|||
|
2014 |
18 |
13 |
4 |
1 |
36 |
|
|
2015 |
15 |
12 |
4 |
7 |
6 |
44 |
|
2016 |
12 |
9 |
10 |
7 |
11 |
49 |
|
2017 |
23 |
9 |
8 |
3 |
9 |
52 |
|
2018 |
10 |
14 |
3 |
7 |
3 |
37 |
|
2019 |
11 |
11 |
7 |
7 |
3 |
39 |
Speech and Language Therapy Waiting Lists
Ceisteanna (580)
Denis Naughten
Ceist:580. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health when a child (details supplied) will receive speech and language therapy; the average waiting time to receive the service; his plans to improve the waiting time for autistic children; the number of new staff appointed to the service in the past 12 months by grade; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54258/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
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.
Traveller Community
Ceisteanna (581, 582, 584)
Gerry Adams
Ceist:581. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Travellers are six times more likely to die from suicide than those in the settled community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54260/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraGerry Adams
Ceist:582. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the national Traveller health action plan and national Traveller suicide prevention project; and if 5% of funding from the mental health budget will be ring-fenced in order that its vision for a change of policy on mental health will be applied in a culturally sensitive way. [54261/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraGerry Adams
Ceist:584. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the timeframe to implement and give effect to the Traveller action plan and suicide prevention strategy. [54263/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 581, 582 and 584 together.
I am aware of the challenges faced by the Traveller community, having visited Pavee Point in May 2018 and launched an Evaluation Report of the Traveller Cultural Awareness Training programme in Kilkenny in October.
One of the goals of Connecting for Life - Ireland’s National Strategy to Reduce Suicide, which runs from 2015 to 2020, is to target approaches to reduce suicidal behaviour and improve mental health amongst particular high-risk groups. Members of the Traveller community are recognised in this strategy as being one of the priority groupings most vulnerable to suicide.
To address this issue, targeted mental health and stigma reduction campaigns are in development for the Travelling community. To date, this has involved focus group testing of the national mental health Little Things campaign messaging with traveller groups. Based on this process, the National Office for Suicide Prevention will further develop the communication campaigns using appropriate messaging and media channels for this target population group. The Samaritans (funded under the Connecting for Life strategy) are also working at a local level to promote their service to this priority group.
In addition, the HSE and Primary Care Social Inclusion currently funds Exchange House Ireland to deliver targeted health programmes. This includes two suicide prevention projects targeting the Traveller Community; the National Traveller Suicide Prevention Service and Travelling to Wellbeing.
Exchange House Ireland provides a range of services and supports to approximately 8,000 Travellers annually. The National Office for Suicide Prevention commissioned a review of the projects (2016-2017) in line with its goal to build the evidence base in support of targeted initiatives for priority groups, and to further inform its role in funding suicide prevention initiatives and establish how the existing projects align with the Connecting for Life strategy.
The Oversight Group working on the refresh of the Vision for Change national mental health policy proposes that policy changes will benefit all those engaging with mental health services. The Terms of Reference for the Group place a particular emphasis on social inclusion and the needs of vulnerable groups, including the Traveller community, which will be incorporated into the final report with a focus on reducing stigma and discrimination.
The Department of Justice and Equality led on the development of the new National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy which was published in June 2017. The Strategy contains a set of specific actions aimed at improving the situation for Traveller and Roma communities in Ireland, including agreed health-related actions. The HSE is developing a detailed action plan on Traveller health as one of the commitments in the Strategy.
I understand the draft action plan is being finalised by the HSE.
HSE Staff Training
Ceisteanna (583)
Gerry Adams
Ceist:583. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health if targeted services, training and support will be provided for mental health workers to have the competency to work with clients from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. [54262/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Minister as soon as possible.
Question No. 584 answered with Question No. 581.
Hospital Appointments Status
Ceisteanna (585)
Michael Healy-Rae
Ceist:585. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of a cataract operation for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54266/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
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.
Hospital Appointments Status
Ceisteanna (586)
Michael Healy-Rae
Ceist:586. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of a cataract operation for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54267/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
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.
Hospital Appointments Status
Ceisteanna (587)
Michael Healy-Rae
Ceist:587. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of a cataract operation for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54268/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
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.
Hospital Appointments Status
Ceisteanna (588)
Michael Healy-Rae
Ceist:588. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of a cataract operation for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54269/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
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.
Hospital Appointments Status
Ceisteanna (589)
Michael Healy-Rae
Ceist:589. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of a cataract operation for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54270/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
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.