Emer Higgins
Ceist:932. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health when early intervention services for children with Downs syndrome will resume (details supplied). [27023/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraDisability Services Provision
Ceisteanna (932)
Freagraí scríofa
The 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.
General Practitioner Services
Ceisteanna (933)
Brendan Griffin
Ceist:933. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health the status of the provision of a general practitioner service in Milltown, County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27033/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
General Practitioner Services
Ceisteanna (934)
Patrick Costello
Ceist:934. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health the timeline for the implementation of the provisions in the Health (General Practitioner Service and Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) Act 2020, in particular the increase in income limits for medical card assessments for persons 70 years of age or over; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27035/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Health (General Practitioner Service and Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) Bill 2020, enacted on 2nd August 2020, provided for an increase to the gross medical card income limits for those aged 70 and over to €550 per week for a single person and to €1,050 per week for a couple.
Although it had been originally intended that this measure would be implemented from July this year, it was not possible to legislate for the necessary amendments to the 1970 Health Act to provide for this measure until there was a fully constituted Dáil and Seanad.
While the relevant section providing for the increased limits has not yet been commenced, decisions on the associated funding requirements and potential implementation date are being actively considered.
Hospital Data
Ceisteanna (935)
David Cullinane
Ceist:935. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of persons that saw a consultant, by type, in the first eight months of 2020; the number and breakdown for same in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27040/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
In relation to the particular query raised, concerning the number of persons that saw a consultant, by type, in the first eight months of 2020; the number and breakdown for same in 2019, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Vaccination Programme
Ceisteanna (936)
David Cullinane
Ceist:936. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated total cost in 2021 of a total population vaccination campaign, assuming near 100% uptake with reasonable exceptions for those that cannot be safely vaccinated, scaled on the usual quantity percentage breakdown across quadrivalent influenza vaccine and live attenuated influenza vaccine and other types of vaccine by cost of vaccine and administration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27041/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The HSE has placed orders for 1.35 million doses of the Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine for the forthcoming winter. This vaccine will be made available to all persons in an at-risk group from 6 months up, other than children aged from 2 to 12 years old inclusive. The HSE has also ordered 600,000 doses of the Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine, which is delivered via nasal drops rather than by injection and will be made available to all children aged from 2 to 12 years old inclusive.
The total influenza vaccination programme in 2020 is expected to cost approximately €77 million, with approximately €61.5 million of that cost associated with the expansion of the programme. It is not possible to estimate the cost of expanding the influenza program to provide vaccine administration without charge to the entire population, as the calculation would depend on too many variables such as the type, quantity and cost of vaccine to be procured, the rate of vaccine uptake, and the method and cost of administering the vaccine.
Covid-19 Pandemic
Ceisteanna (937, 938)
David Cullinane
Ceist:937. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the total Covid-19-related expenditure incurred by his Department to date; and if this will be counted a pre-committed expenditure for Budget 2021. [27042/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraDavid Cullinane
Ceist:938. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the total Covid-19-related expenditure over and above his Department’s 2020 budget; if this additional expenditure will be factored into the base in Budget 2021; and if not, if it will be repeated as Covid-19 related expenditure in Budget 2021. [27043/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 937 and 938 together.
Estimated Covid-19 related expenditure incurred to the 4th of September amounts to €1.8bn.
In relation to pre-committed funding in the base, the level of funding available for my Department is being considered as part of the National Estimates and Budgetary Process for 2021 which is currently underway.
These discussions are still progressing and until they are concluded it would not be appropriate for me to anticipate the outcome.
Ministerial Advisers
Ceisteanna (939)
Catherine Murphy
Ceist:939. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if a schedule of advisers and special advisers appointed and or recruited by him since his appointment will be provided; the roles and responsibilities attributed to each; and the salary for each appointee in tabular form. [27055/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The information requested by the Deputy on the appointment of special advisers to my Department is set out in the following table.
Special Advisers appointed to Minister for Health
|
Name |
Role & Responsibilities |
Salary |
|
Susan Mitchell |
Adviser in relation to general health policy |
Principal Officer Standard Scale |
|
Colette Sexton |
Adviser in relation to Press and Communications policy |
Principal Officer Standard Scale |
Dental Services
Ceisteanna (940)
Pádraig O'Sullivan
Ceist:940. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to introducing early years dental screening of younger children (details supplied) for orofacial myofunction disorders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27074/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The National Oral Health Policy, Smile agus Sláinte, which was published last year, recognises the importance of dental screening. Access to early oral healthcare and assessment by a dentist, who will be their primary care provider before starting school, is a priority action in the Policy designed to enable good oral health across the life course. A key focus of the Policy is to support families in having children dentally assessed within the first two years of life. Early years dental screening programmes will be considered in this context.
Disability Services Provision
Ceisteanna (941)
David Cullinane
Ceist:941. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of child development clinics and associated services which took place in the first eight months of 2019 and 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27077/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The 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.
Hospital Consultant Contracts
Ceisteanna (942)
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn
Ceist:942. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health when a second consultant endocrinologist will be appointed to Letterkenny University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27078/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
Health Services
Ceisteanna (943)
Pádraig O'Sullivan
Ceist:943. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the status of an application (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27084/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Covid-19 Tests
Ceisteanna (944)
Imelda Munster
Ceist:944. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a list of each Covid-19 testing centre or testing facility in the State by county. [27103/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Covid-19 Pandemic
Ceisteanna (945)
David Cullinane
Ceist:945. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the guidelines for persons when a member of their household displays symptoms of Covid-19; if they should self-isolate until a negative test is returned; if his attention has been drawn to HSE guidance being issued to persons that says a member of a household is not required to isolate while their household member with symptoms is waiting for a test; his views on whether this is not the appropriate guidance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27118/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Deputy may wish to note that the public health advice relating to Covid-19 is kept under continuing review by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), by the Department of Health and by the Government. The measures in place and the public health advice have been adapted to the changing circumstances and this will continue to be the case for the foreseeable future.
If a person has any common symptoms of COVID-19, they should self-isolate and phone their GP immediately to get a COVID-19 test.
Common symptoms of COVID-19 include:
- a fever (high temperature - 38 degrees Celsius or above)
- a cough - this can be any kind of cough, not just dry
- shortness of breath or breathing difficulties
- loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you've noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal
It can take up to 14 days for symptoms to show, and the symptoms can be similar to symptoms of cold and flu.
The latest public health advice is available at the following links and is updated on a regular basis:
https://www.gov.ie/en/organisation/department-of-health/
https://www2.hse.ie/coronavirus/
With particular reference to the question that the Deputy has raised with regard to guidance for someone who is living with a person displaying the symptoms of Covid-19, I would draw his attention to the following, which sets out that such a person should restrict their movements until the outcome of a test for Covid-19 has been received:
https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/managing-coronavirus-at-home/if-you-live-with-someone-who-has-coronavirus.html
As the Deputy will note, there is a difference between advice to "self-isolate", where people are required to stay indoors and avoid contact with others completely, including those from the same household, and "restricted movement", which involves avoiding contact with other people and social situations as much as possible.
Covid-19 Pandemic
Ceisteanna (946)
John Brady
Ceist:946. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the locations in which his Department believes the increase in Covid-19 cases in County Wicklow is arising from, that is community transmission, foreign travel and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27123/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Since the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) met for the first time, a commitment was given to collect and publish as much relevant data as possible while ensuring individual patient confidentiality is maintained at all times. While the nature and scale of the Covid-19 pandemic has been unprecedented, the collection of timely and comprehensive data has been instrumental in developing the health service response to Covid-19 and to the advice provided by NPHET and the Department of Health to assist Government decision-making in the wider response to the disease in Ireland.
Comprehensive national statistics, information and data about Covid-19, including a timeline of confirmed cases by date, is published on a daily basis on the Department of Health website at https://www.gov.ie/en/organisation/department-of-health/ and on the Covid-19 Data Hub and Dashboards available at https://covid19ireland-geohive.hub.arcgis.com/. The published data are based on official figures provided by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) and the Health Service Executive (HSE).
All datasets, charts and maps are updated on an on-going basis and in line with newly published data.
The Deputy may wish to note that the COVID-19 Data Hub now offers regularly updated Local Electoral Area (LEA) data. However, care is required to ensure patient confidentiality is preserved and that no potential identification of individual cases arises. As a result, the data relating to confirmed cases by LEA is published weekly on a Thursday, reflecting new cases notified in each LEA for the 14-day period up to midnight on the previous Monday.
The Deputy may also wish to note that a range of data on the epidemiology of Covid-19 in Ireland, including data on county incidence levels and trends in transmission, is published in the daily report by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) available at: https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/casesinireland/epidemiologyofcovid-19inireland , while a daily report on the last 14 days in cases available at: https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/casesinireland/epidemiologyofcovid-19inireland
Covid-19 Tests
Ceisteanna (947)
John Brady
Ceist:947. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the average waiting time for a Covid-19 test in County Wicklow from the initial referral to receiving the test results; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27124/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Covid-19 Tests
Ceisteanna (948)
John Brady
Ceist:948. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the reason persons in County Wicklow are being referred to Covid-19 test centres in Clonskeagh and Tallaght for testing in view of the fact there is a designated Covid-19 test centre in Wicklow town; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27125/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Hospital Consultant Contracts
Ceisteanna (949)
Darren O'Rourke
Ceist:949. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the number of vacant consultant obstetrician posts within the public health service; the estimated full yearly cost of filling the vacancies in tabular form. [27135/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service issue, I have asked the Health Service Executive to reply to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
Health Services Staff
Ceisteanna (950)
Darren O'Rourke
Ceist:950. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the number of vacant child psychiatrist posts within CHO8. [27136/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.