Chris Andrews
Ceist:1424. Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for Health the number of persons redeployed from the Defence Forces and other sectors of the public service to be contract tracers. [33727/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraCovid-19 Pandemic
Ceisteanna (1424)
Freagraí 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 (1425)
Chris Andrews
Ceist:1425. Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for Health the number of persons employed as contact tracers. [33728/20]
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 and Social Care Professionals
Ceisteanna (1426)
David Cullinane
Ceist:1426. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of vacant consultant posts on the first day of each month of 2020 to date; the latest available date for October 2020; the number of consultant posts filled to date in 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33734/20]
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 (1427)
Éamon Ó Cuív
Ceist:1427. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health when an appointment will issue to the parents of a child (details supplied) who is availing of early intervention services in County Galway; the reason for the delay in issuing an appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33735/20]
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, as soon as possible.
Health Services
Ceisteanna (1428)
Robert Troy
Ceist:1428. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if an application by a person (details supplied) will be expedited. [33736/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
It is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been impacted as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic the HSE had to take measures to defer most scheduled care activity in March, April, and May of this year. 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 the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) in accordance with the advice of the World Health Organisation.
Patient safety remains at the centre of all hospital activity and elective care scheduling. To ensure services are provided in a safe, clinically-aligned and prioritised way, hospitals are following HSE clinical guidelines and protocols.
The HSE continues to optimise productivity through alternative work practices such the use of alternative settings including private hospitals, community facilities and alternative outpatient settings.
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.
Hospice Services
Ceisteanna (1429)
Gerald Nash
Ceist:1429. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health the progress on an initiative to develop a hospice unit in Drogheda, County Louth to serve the population of the north east; if the HSE still has plans to develop such a unit; the stage at which these plans are currently at; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33747/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Programme for Government identifies the north east (Cavan and Drogheda) and midlands as regions where additional hospices are required. The HSE is working closely with local hospice groups to progress these developments. Once these planned hospices are open, there will be an inpatient unit in every region of the country, providing specialist palliative care inpatient services for people with complex needs, a hub for the existing specialist palliative community homecare teams and supporting the discharge of patients from acute hospitals.
In relation to the proposed hospice in Drogheda, as this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Vaccination Programme
Ceisteanna (1430)
Matt Shanahan
Ceist:1430. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health the supply situation for child flu vaccines presently in reserve stock; the way in which his Department is allocating stock for school inoculation programmes; if his attention has been drawn to significant supply delays at pharmacy level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33748/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Government has expanded the provision of seasonal influenza vaccination without charge to all of those in the HSE-defined at-risk groups, including healthcare workers, and to all children aged from 2 to 12 years. Vaccines are being administered via GPs and pharmacists, as in previous years, and are not being delivered through the schools-based programme as not all eligible children are of school age.
This season, 1.95 million doses of influenza vaccine have been purchased, which is double the amount administered last season. The HSE has procured 1.35 million doses of the Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine (QIV) for the forthcoming winter. This vaccine is being made available to all persons in an at-risk group and aged from 6 months up. In addition, the HSE has purchased 600,000 doses of the Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine (LAIV), which is delivered via nasal drops rather than by injection and is being made available to all children aged from 2 to 12 years old inclusive.
This expanded programme will ensure that those most vulnerable to the effects of influenza will have access without charges. This is in line with the advice of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee and represents a significant step forward in providing vaccination without charges.
International markets for influenza vaccine are extremely tight this year, and in Ireland this resulted in deliveries from the manufacturer taking longer than intended. However, the full quantity of vaccine ordered has now been received. 950,000 doses of the injected vaccine have been distributed to GPs, pharmacists, and healthcare settings. This is 10% more than the amount distributed at the same time in 2019 and is equal to almost the full amount administered in the 2019/20 season. The quantities distributed to GPs and pharmacists has been based on the orders from the same sources last year, in order to ensure an equitable distribution. The remaining 400,000 doses will be distributed to GPs and pharmacists in the coming weeks.
Demand for vaccination this year is unprecedented. This is the case across Europe and beyond. Given the finite supply available, it is important that even the increased quantities available in Ireland are targeted where they will have the greatest impact.
The new nasal (LAIV) influenza vaccine programme for children is well underway across the country. A high uptake of the vaccine in children has been shown to reduce the spread of influenza in the community. Maximising uptake of LAIV in children will also help protect others against influenza in the community. The full quantity of LAIV ordered has also now been received, 300,000 doses have already been distributed to GPs and pharmacists and the remaining doses are currently being distributed.
Vaccination Programme
Ceisteanna (1431)
Matt Shanahan
Ceist:1431. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health if public health has considered the possibility of using child nasal spray flu vaccines for adult inoculation; if this is possible; if his officials or other public health officials are considering this avenue in the event that adult vaccines become difficult to source or become unavailable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33749/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The new nasal (LAIV) influenza vaccine programme for children is well underway across the country. A high uptake of the vaccine in children has been shown to reduce the spread of influenza in the community. Maximising uptake of LAIV in children will also help protect others against influenza in the community. The full quantity of LAIV ordered has been received by the HSE's National Immunisation Office and is being distributed to GPs and pharmacists. The LAIV is only licenced for use in children and adolescents aged from 2 years to 17 years of age inclusive. For this reason, the vaccine can not be used for adults.
Covid-19 Pandemic
Ceisteanna (1432)
Catherine Murphy
Ceist:1432. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of Covid-19 passenger locator forms completed and submitted from 1 September 2020 to date in 2020; the resources he has made available ahead of the period 1 December 2020 to 8 January 2021 in order to process an increase in traveller numbers; and if he has consulted with his colleague in the Department of Justice in respect of staffing in the context of Covid-19 at all airports and ports of entry over this time period. [33757/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Between 1 September and 30 October 2020 389,216 COVID-19 Passenger Locator Forms were submitted.
The passenger locator form is used for the purpose of contact tracing and to support a system of engagements with arriving passengers that includes the targeting of key public health messages via SMS. The system of engagements with arriving passengers is delivered by the Department of Health in conjunction with a call centre operator. The Department regularly reviews the resources needed for this purpose.
Mental Health Policy
Ceisteanna (1433)
Darren O'Rourke
Ceist:1433. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the way in which the additional funding announced in budget 2021 for mental health will be allocated in tabular form; the amount that will be provided to organisations (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33758/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Budget 2021 saw an additional €50 million allocated to Mental Health Services, bringing the total 2021 mental health budget to €1,076 billion, which is the biggest mental health budget on record. This emphasises the Government’s continued commitment to mental health and the priority it deserves in these unsettling times.
€23 million has been allocated to commence implementation of many of the short-term recommendations of Sharing the Vision, the new national mental health policy, in 2021. This includes the provision of additional beds; enhancing mental health teams including CAMHS hubs/teams; adult crisis resolution teams; expansion of the clinical and dialectical behavioural therapy programmes; peer support workers, bereavement coordinators and the IPS employment approach.
€15 million will assist with the challenges arising from Covid-19. The number of step-down beds will be increased and extra resources will be provided for community mental health teams. Reconfiguration of mental health facilities, in line with Mental Health Commission recommendations and enhancement of digital mental health supports will also take place.
The remaining €12 million of the €50 million additional mental health funding for 2021 will address existing level of service costs, including placements for those individuals whose needs cannot be met within the public mental health system.
A range of organisations, including AWARE, provide mental health services to or on behalf of the HSE under a variety of supply arrangements, such as section 39 funding and service level agreements, at both local and national level. The 2021 allocation of funding for these agencies has yet to be determined, but is expected to consist of both once-off funding for particular activities and funding under the various supply arrangements.
Occupational Therapy
Ceisteanna (1434)
Michael Moynihan
Ceist:1434. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the number of occupational therapists that are offering a full schedule of care in a public HSE setting; the number that have been redeployed on a full-time basis for contract tracing and swabbing in relation to Covid-19; the number that have been redeployed on a par- time basis for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33771/20]
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.
Speech and Language Therapy
Ceisteanna (1435)
Michael Moynihan
Ceist:1435. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the number of speech and language therapists that are offering a full schedule of care in a public HSE setting; the number that have been redeployed on a full-time basis for contract tracing and swabbing in relation to Covid-19; the number that have been redeployed on a part-time basis for same; if any of these speech and language therapists employed by the HSE that are assigned to schools have also been deployed in this manner, if so, the number of same deployed on a full-time basis and on a part- time basis respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33772/20]
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 Funding
Ceisteanna (1436)
Alan Farrell
Ceist:1436. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Health the allocated budget for neurological services here; his plans for distribution of same throughout the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33774/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The allocation to individual services is part of the HSE’s detailed operational planning process that commences after the National Service Plan is agreed. It is up to each service area to then deliver their operational plan for the funding available. Therefore, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Health Services Staff
Ceisteanna (1437)
Robert Troy
Ceist:1437. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if an appointment will be expedited for a person (details supplied). [33775/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
It is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been impacted as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic the HSE had to take measures to defer most scheduled care activity in March, April, and May of this year. 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 the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) in accordance with the advice of the World Health Organisation.
Patient safety remains at the centre of all hospital activity and elective care scheduling. To ensure services are provided in a safe, clinically-aligned and prioritised way, hospitals are following HSE clinical guidelines and protocols.
The HSE continues to optimise productivity through alternative work practices such the use of alternative settings including private hospitals, community facilities and alternative outpatient settings.
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.
Health Services Funding
Ceisteanna (1438)
Bernard Durkan
Ceist:1438. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the extent to which he expects the 2021 Budget for his Department to meet in full the capital projects in addition to extra costs arising from Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33783/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Health capital allocation in 2021 is now €1,035m (incl. e-Health and ICT) as notified in the context of Budget 2021. This includes additional capital funding of €155m (incl. €25m for the delivery of ICT related COVID-19 actions) provided by the Government for capital projects in response to Covid-19 in 2021.
The National Development Plan 2018 – 2027 sets out the total health capital funding to 2027 for the development of health infrastructure in line with health policies, strategies and in support of the reforms set out in Sláintecare. The Department engages with DPER in the determination of the annual health capital allocation as part of the annual estimates process and with the HSE to finalise a Capital Plan. A structured, in depth review of the NDP is to be carried out as set out in the Programme for Government to align the priorities identified in the Programme for Government with the associated resourcing requirements. The objective is to have the NDP review concluded by Summer 2021 and to have ten-year capital ceilings out to 2031 alongside five year rolling Departmental capital ceilings and priorities.
The HSE is responsible for the delivery and management of healthcare infrastructure and will develop a Capital Plan, guided by national healthcare strategies, policies and Government priorities and having regard to the available funding and the number of large national capital projects currently underway. In drafting this plan, priority must be given to meeting contractual commitments. A Letter of Determination will issue to the HSE to advise it of its funding allocation for 2021 and requesting it to prepare a Capital Plan on this basis. The Department will engage proactively with the HSE over the coming weeks prior to the submission of the proposed capital plan.
The HSE’s National Capital and Property Steering Committee appraises all project submissions to recommend the selection of projects for inclusion in the Capital Plan, subject to funding availability. All capital development proposals must progress through a number of approval stages, in line with the Public Spending Code, including detailed appraisal, planning, design and procurement before a firm timeline or funding requirement can be established.
The capital funding for health in 2021 will contribute to the delivery of modern health facilities and equipment to improve and expand service provision and capacity across the country, both key aspects of Sláintecare and Project Ireland 2040.
Health Services Staff
Ceisteanna (1439)
Bernard Durkan
Ceist:1439. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the degree to which he expects to increase staffing levels throughout the HSE in order to ensure the smooth delivery of services in all areas nationally with particular reference to the development of Sláintecare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33784/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As recruitment and delivery of services are matters for the Health Service Executive, I have asked them to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.