Written Answers Nos. 1326-1345
1326. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health the turnaround time for Covid-19 testing within acute hospitals both nationally and within Kerry University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22131/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1327. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health the number of public health and civil service staff reassigned to track and trace duties both nationally and within County Kerry in tabular form; and the duties and Department that staff have been reassigned from. [22132/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1328. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health the calls for voluntary requests in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic the HSE has made to medical staff within HSE facilities within County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22133/20]
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.
1329. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health the breakdown of medical and clinical staff in departments (details supplied) in University Hospital Kerry at registrar level or above by consultant, specialist registrar, senior registrar or registrar, respectively; and the number of staff on permanent contracts, long-term locum contracts or recently appointed locums, that is, less than six months [22134/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1330. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the criteria for a patient to be provided with the xolair injection (details supplied). [22144/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1331. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health the occupational counselling available to front line staff that have had to deal with increased mortality rates during the Covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22157/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this operational matter.
1332. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22158/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government, Our Shared Future, recognises the need to improve services for both children and adults with disabilities through better implementation and by working together across Government in a better way.
The Government commits to prioritising early diagnosis and access to services for children and ensuring that the most effective interventions are provided for each child, to guarantee the best outcomes.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1336. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health when a child psychiatrist will be allocated to Limerick city; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22176/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly as soon as possible.
1338. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health the transport services and subsidies available to persons that have various ailments and have to travel to different medical appointments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22183/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraPatient transport is the responsibility for the Health Service Executive (HSE). Therefore I have referred the Deputy's question to the HSE for direct reply.
In addition, the Deputy may wish to note that under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, administered by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, a person may be eligible to apply for an Exceptional Needs Payment to help meet essential, one-off, exceptional expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income.
1340. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Health when the assisted human reproduction Bill 2019 will return to Dáil Éireann; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22203/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, the Government approved the drafting of a bill on assisted human reproduction (AHR) and associated areas of research, based on the published General Scheme of the Assisted Human Reproduction Bill. This far-reaching piece of legislation encompasses the regulation of a wide range of practices for the first time in this country, including: gamete (sperm or egg) and embryo donation for AHR and research; surrogacy; pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) of embryos; posthumous assisted reproduction; and embryo and stem cell research. The General Scheme also provides for the establishment of an independent regulatory authority for AHR.
Given the comprehensive scope of the legislation and the ethical, legal and social issues which arise from AHR practices, certain areas of the General Scheme are being considered further and refined during the ongoing process of drafting this Bill, in conjunction with the Office of the Attorney General. There has been some effect on the drafting process caused by the impact of additional work arising from the response to the Covid-19 pandemic and it is not possible at this time to give a definitive timeline for the publication of the Bill and its subsequent passage through the Houses of the Oireachtas. However, a commitment to enact this legislation is included in the Programme for Government and it is intended that the Bill will be published during the spring session.
1341. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the reason patients are being requested to pay for Covid-19 tests; and the measures that have been undertaken with health insurance companies in relation to the charge. [22220/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to testing, the HSE has developed guidance for the management of planned hospital admissions for non-COVID care which sets out advisory testing strategies for hospital patients. This guidance seeks to provide an advisory framework for mitigating risks associated with the delivery of non-COVID care while COVID-19 continues to be prevalent, and testing provides one of a number of measures that can be taken to reduce risk. As with any procedure or test, there will be a cost. As Minister for Health, I do not have any responsibility for private hospitals, including in relation to charges that they apply to their patients.
However, it is my understanding that the three main health insurers have reached agreement with the majority of private hospital facilities regarding charges for pre-admission COVID-19 testing, while continuing to work with those providers who they have not yet finalised agreements with. The aim is to ensure agreements are in place so that health insurance customers will not be charged for pre-admission COVID tests.
1342. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the number of staff needed per week for Covid-19 testing and for contact tracing, respectively in order to reach a full testing capacity of 100,000 per week; the permanent staffing level for Covid-19 testing and for contact tracing, respectively; the details of recruitment plans for staff in testing and tracing separately; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22253/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1343. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if an early date for a cataract operation will be provided for a person (details supplied). [22257/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn response to the Covid-19 pandemic the HSE had to take measures to pause most elective scheduled care activity with effect from the end March 2020. This was to ensure patient safety and that all appropriate resources were made available for Covid-19 related activity and time-critical essential work. This decision was in line with the advice issued by National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) and in accordance with World Health Organisation guidelines, and the National Action Plan.
To ensure services are re-introduced in a safe, clinically-aligned and prioritised way, the HSE launched its Strategic Framework for ‘Service Continuity in a Covid Environment’ on 24 June. Its implementation will ensure service resumption is done in an integrated way. This will involve a phased approach to ensure community services are strengthened. The Framework will also consolidate new ways of working and build on international knowledge. Further detail regarding the phases of service resumption are contained in the HSE’s ‘A Safe Return to Health Services’ document, published on their website on 22 July.
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 is a standardised approach used by the HSE to manage scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures. It sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists and was developed in 2014 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.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1344. Deputy Joe O'Brien asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the report by HIQA on the impact of wearing face masks and the recommended need to complete more quality research on their impact; and if he will consider discussing this issue at the Special Committee on Covid-19 Response with the acting Chief Medical Officer and the NPHET. [22263/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can assure the Deputy that the public health advice relating to Covid-19 is kept under continuing review by the NPHET.
Face masks aim to reduce the spread of infection by acting as a source control to stop the spread of infection by the person wearing the mask (including those who do not know they are infected) or to protect the wearer from droplet splashes or inhaling airborne contaminants including small (aerosol) and large particle droplets. Mask grades include respirators (classified as PPE designed to also protect against aerosols), medical face masks and non-medical facemasks. Since the start of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the use of face masks by persons going out in public has been recommended by an increasing number of countries. In Ireland, cloth face coverings are recommended in situations where physical distancing may not be possible, and are mandatory on public transport and in shops and other retail outlets. The current advice regarding face coverings, including the circumstances in which it is mandatory to wear a face covering, is available at http://www.gov.ie/facecoverings/
To inform national efforts in response to COVID-19, HIQA is developing evidence summaries to answer specific research questions posed by the NPHET. The HIQA evidence summary on the use of face masks in the community, dated 21 August 2020 identifies that national and international public health guidance on the wearing of facemasks is based on low certainty direct evidence of clinical effectiveness and indirect evidence that supports the plausibility of effectiveness of face masks. In addition, SARS-CoV-2 appears to be more infectious than many other respiratory pathogens studied, highlighting the necessity of considering a range of infection prevention control measures, including face masks, to reduce the spread of infection.
As I am sure the Deputy can appreciate, the evidence relating to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the decisions necessary to protect everybody living in Ireland from its effects is constantly evolving. The international evidence and guidance on this issue continues to be kept under review by the NPHET, by my Department and by the Government.
It is not possible to say what circumstances will apply in the future due to the nature of the virus that has caused this global pandemic and the concerns that remain about the very serious threats to health that can be caused by this virus.
1345. Deputy Joe O'Brien asked the Minister for Health when the expert report on the impact of Covid-19 and the responses by health officials on nursing homes will be released to the public and debated by the Special Committee on Covid-19 Response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22264/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Nursing Homes Expert Panel Report was published on the 19th of August. The report includes 86 recommendations in total, over 15 thematic areas, with associated timelines for implementation over the short, medium and long term.
An oversight structure has been established to ensure the implementation of the important recommendations contained in this Report. This encompasses the establishment of both an Implementation Oversight Team and a Reference Group. The Implementation Oversight Team will determine an approach to, and oversee the implementation of, the relevant COVID-19 Nursing Homes Expert Panel recommendations.
The Chair of the Expert Panel has been invited to appear at the COVID-19 Special Committee meeting on 16 September.
