Written Answers Nos. 110-121
110. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if funding will be directed towards the families under severe pressure caring for loved ones 24/7 in order that they can hire the necessary support privately in view of the fact that day care centres, respite centres and other services for the elderly and physically disabled are not operating or barely operating and are unlikely to open for the foreseeable future. [27116/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFamily carers provide selfless and dedicated care to their loved ones, and the Government recognises that the caring role can be challenging, particularly in the current circumstances. Budget 2021 contains additional funding for initiatives to support carers in their vital role, including funding for a range of measures to support service users. Such measures include five million additional home support hours for older people, more community-focused supports for people with dementia, and funding for additional respite services for people with disabilities
My Department secured €2 million in the budget for advancing the National Carers' Strategy, with a focus on providing a more standard package of supports to family carers in every region. The specific measures to be introduced in the package for family carers will be determined in the context of the HSE's National Service Planning Process for 2021.
Budget 2021 also provided for an increase of €150 in the Carer's Support Grant paid by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection to people providing care for an older person or someone with a disability. This will increase the rate to €1,850, with effect from June next year.
In the absence of regular, scheduled day services and respite supports, the HSE and service providers have tried to maintain services that can be delivered safely during the pandemic. They are providing outreach and telecare solutions, using technology where possible, and have developed creative and innovative models of care to support service users. The HSE has adapted its community services to provide a flexible response that continues to meet the needs of service users during COVID-19, while also providing information on its website and signposting family carers to organisations, such as Family Carers Ireland, for additional community supports.
Disability services remain open during the current level 5 restrictions. During the pandemic, a number of disability respite centres continued to operate, albeit at a reduced capacity, while others were temporarily re-purposed as isolation facilities. Currently, disability respite services are in the second phase of a three-phase plan for re-opening. Day care and respite services for older people remain closed due to the need to protect people from infection risk; these will resume once adequate infection prevention and control measures and physical distancing are in place.
The review and update of the cross-departmental National Carers' Strategy, which will be led by my Department, will provide an opportunity to examine how best we can continue to support and meet the needs of family carers.
111. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the status of plans to introduce a no-fault vaccination compensation scheme for severe adverse reactions to State-promoted vaccination programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33288/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraProposals regarding a no-fault vaccine compensation scheme have been under consideration for some time.
My Department asked the Health Research Board (HRB) to carry out an evidence review on vaccine injury redress programmes in other jurisdictions. The review was completed in March 2019 and can now be found on the HRB website. This matter is under consideration by my Department.
In June 2018, the Government agreed to the establishment of an Expert Group to review the law
An Expert Group was established by the Government in June 2018, chaired by Mr Justice Charles Meenan, to examine the law in relation to personal injuries arising in the healthcare context and to explore alternative mechanisms by which claims could be managed more effectively, particularly from the perspective of the person on whose behalf a claim has been made. The Report of the Expert Group was received by me, and by the Minister for Justice, earlier this year and will be brought to Government and for publication shortly. The recommendations of this report will be taken into account when considering the establishment of any vaccine compensation scheme.
112. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health if he will publish and make available the capacity review of disability services conducted by his Department; if not, the reason; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30674/20]
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.
The Disability Capacity Review which was prepared by the Department of Health’s Disability Advisor, Eithne Fitzgerald, is currently being finalised by this Department and will be published in due course.
113. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a breakdown of disability funding to Section 39 organisations arising from Budget 2021. [31345/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn the first budget of this Government, my Department has secured €100 million in additional funding to start delivering on the commitments made in the Programme for Government to people with disabilities. The additional investment will increase the total disabilities budget for 2021 to around 2.2 billion, of which €100 million will fund new initiatives targeted at five key areas: children’s services, day services, community supports, residential services, and integration. The HSE's National Service Planning process will determine how these key priorities can be progressed in 2021, within the overall increased envelope of funding for disability services.
As the Deputy will be aware, the majority of specialist disability services in this country are provided by voluntary organisations funded by the HSE under Section 38 and Section 39 of the Health Act 2004. Service Level Agreements are set out between the HSE and the individual organisations, which are agreed between the HSE and the service provider at the start of each year. The specific allocations to HSE funded specialist disability services in 2021 will be determined in the context of the National Service Planning process. Following on from this process, the 2021 budgets for service providers will be a matter for the HSE to agree with individual providers under the relevant service arrangements.
In addition to the investment outlined in Budget 2021, the Strengthening Disability Services Scheme, which Minister Rabbitte and I announced last week, will make €20 million available on a once off basis in the current year to support voluntary disability service providers engaged in the Transforming Lives Reform programme. Details of this programme and information on how service providers can apply are available at https://www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/94127/10ffcbd0-b0f7-425c-b8c8-ad27d93e4600.pdf#page=null.
A referred reply was forwarded to the Deputy under Standing Order 51
114. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health the action he has taken to address the backlog in BreastCheck screenings as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter [33569/20]
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.
115. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the recruitment process by the HSE for community swabbers; the number of redeployed HSE staff that have been able to return to their jobs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33565/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe recruitment campaign for the role of community swabber ran during September, closing on the 21st September. The campaign received great interest from the public. The high number of applicants is a further testament to the community spirit and willingness to help in any way possible by members of the public to the ongoing response to the pandemic.
The Health Service Executive received 3,451 applications to the role of community swabber. To date, 1,661 people have been successful at interview, with interviews still ongoing. Thus far, 191 people have been appointed to positions. A further 69 people are due to start this week. Groups of successful applicants are being deployed each week. The campaign aims to appoint approximately 800 community swabbers.
In order to respond to the pandemic, it was necessary to utilise existing staff through redeployment, especially in the area of testing and tracing. By mid-September, I am pleased to say that 55% of redeployed staff from Community Healthcare Organisations had already returned to their posts. My Department and I await up to date numbers of those redeployed and those that have returned to their posts. With the high level of recruitment into the testing and tracing services, more redeployed staff will be able to return to their posts in the coming weeks. COVID-19 has had profound impacts on the health services, and both services and staff had to adapt. As we continue to resume services, my Department and I continue to work with the Health Service Executive to ensure they have the resources to ensure a safe and reliable health service.
116. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health when St. Bridget’s hospital, Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary will be returned to normal services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33303/20]
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.
118. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health his plans for increasing acute and critical care bed capacity in 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33611/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis winter is expected to be particularly challenging due to the presence of Covid-19 and the uncertainty around the level of Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 healthcare demands. The Department of Health is working with the HSE to increase critical care and general acute bed capacity in hospitals throughout the country to meet demand.
Significant work has been underway in 2020 to increase capacity as far as is possible. The National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) agreed to support the marginal costs of funding additional general acute beds until the 31st December 2020 at an estimated cost of €24 million for the year. The HSE confirmed 197 of those beds have opened as planned. In addition, the HSE advised on 22 June 2020 that an additional 324 acute beds have opened since March, bringing the current total of acute beds in the system to 11,597 excluding critical care capacity.
A proportion of these beds will be funded as part of the HSE’s Winter Plan 2020/21. The Winter Plan aims to provide additional health service capacity across a range of services. Initiatives comprise additional acute and community beds to increase acute capacity, help reduce admissions and facilitate egress. As such, 251 additional acute beds and 89 sub-acute beds are due to open in quarter 4 of 2020.
Government allocated €236 million revenue and €40 million capital expenditure as part of Budget 2021 to fund additional acute beds on a permanent basis. This funding will provide, by the end of 2021, an additional 1,146 acute beds.
In relation to critical care, at the start of the year, permanent adult critical care capacity in Ireland stood at 255 beds, according to the National Office of Clinical Audit. This included 204 Level 3 ICU beds and 51 Level 2 HDU beds. As part of the initial response to the pandemic, funding was provided for an additional 40 adult critical care beds in March 2020 as well as two paediatric beds. The HSE has advised that between 280 and 285 critical care beds are currently open, with the number open any given day subject to fluctuation in respect of available staff and other operational considerations.
Budget 2021 will allocate funding totalling €52m in 2021 to critical care. This will retain, on a permanent basis, the 42 critical care beds put in place on a temporary basis this year and add significant new capacity. Funded adult critical care beds will increase to 321 by end 2021, an increase of 66 over the baseline number of 255 funded beds in 2020.
119. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health the details of the allocated funding for the pathology programme in University Hospital Kerry. [33307/20]
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.
120. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if a report on projects to upgrade nursing and residential homes in County Cork to HIQA standards will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33463/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to the deputy directly in relation to this matter.
