Written Answers Nos. 688-712
688. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the consideration he has given to concerns raised by nursing and midwifery third level students in relation to lack of pay; the steps his Department plans to take to address the concerns urgently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39876/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI recognise the importance of student nurses and midwives completing their essential clinical placements in a safe environment and also recognise the potential hardship that might arise for students on placement due to COVID 19 such as, maintaining part time employment, increased travel and additional accommodation costs.
Student nurses and midwives are not paid for clinical placements in years 1-3 and year 4 from the period of September to December of their studies and this supernumerary status is critical for learning in complex environments. Financial supports for non-intern student nurses and midwives are governed by Circular 9/2004, that provides:
- accommodation allowance up to €50.79 per week to be paid where it is necessary for a student to obtain accommodation away from their normal place of residence;
- a refund of travel expenses.
Both are paid as refunds on production of receipts.
Concerning 4th year nursing and midwifery students, the HSE continues to fund the internship employment of these students who are on rostered work placements. This includes those due to commence rostered work placement in January 2021. These 4th year student nurses and midwives on rostered work placement are paid at the approved rate, that is €22,229 on an annual basis for psychiatric nursing specialism and €21,749 for all other nursing disciplines and midwifery. This rate of pay is determined by HSE circular 005/2016 and is updated in accordance with the consolidated pay scales issued on 01st October, 2020 by my Department.
In the immediate term my Department reviewed a number of supports that apply to this year’s supernumerary students which includes 1st, 2nd and 3rd year students and 4th year students from the period of September to December on clinical placements, taking into account the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on such placements.
In relation to the issue of lack of pay, the outcome of this review is as follows;
- Existing Accommodation and Travel allowances remain in place
Other supports relating to lack of pay either due to loss of part-time work or Covid-19 related illness made available in 2020 for student nurses and other students include:
- Enhanced Illness benefit for those students who work part time but have fallen ill with COVID-19;
- Other welfare schemes to assist with financial hardship due to illness, subject to qualifying criteria (Supplementary Welfare Allowance, Urgent Needs Payment);
- Access for eligible students to the National Access Plan (Contingency Fund) and Student Assistance Fund .
- €250 top-up for those in receipt of the SUSI grant or €250 contribution to fees to eligible students.
Details on these schemes can be obtained from DEASP and HEIs.
Separately, and for the longer term, my Department are continuing with its review of the current accommodation and travel allowances payable to students on clinical placements. The outcome from this review shall apply from the academic year commencing Autumn 2021 and onwards. I look forward to examining the outcome of this review in due course.
689. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the efforts that have and are being made to ensure that visitation rights as set out by Health Protection Surveillance Centre, HPSC, guidance for visiting long-term residential care facilities are being upheld; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39881/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe importance of continued social interaction of residents and their families cannot be overstated and every effort should be made, in line with public health advice, to ensure that these interactions continued, including through window visits.
Nursing home providers are ultimately responsible for the safe care of their residents. Under Regulation 11 of the Health Act 2007 (Care and Welfare of Residents in Designated Centres for Older People) Regulations 2013 it is the legal responsibility of each registered provider to make arrangements for a resident to receive visitors, having regard to any risks that may present for the resident or other residents.
I acknowledge and understand the frustration of residents and family members during this difficult time but I also recognise the need to balance the risks with the importance of visits. It is the legal responsibility of each provider to assess the risk associated with visits whilst having regards to the legislation. A provider may determine that restrictions may be required, if in their opinion visits would pose a risk to residents.
It is therefore a matter for each provider to consider the risks and mitigation measures associated with their service and how best to manage visits having regards to the specific circumstances that arise in relation to their service. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) guidance has developed guidance to assist and support providers in this regard.
The current guidance aligns with the 5 level framework of restrictive measures as outlined in the Government’s Living with COVID-19 Plan, to support long-term residential care providers in the discharge of their responsibilities and to support in the safe visiting, to the greatest extent possible, having regard for the challenging times in which we are living.
The HPSC has revised its guidance on visitations to long term residential care facilities, in consultation with relevant national stakeholders and the updated guidance is available on the HPSC website from 30th November 2020. I understand that the new guidance provides further potential for safe visiting within nursing homes. Visiting guidance was considered in the context of the wider COVID-19 situation, as we exit level 5 restrictions today.
It is also important to be cognisant of the wider epidemiological situation and the risks associated with same. On the 19th November, the European Centre for Disease Control published its latest risk assessment with regard to long-term care facilities. It highlights that the probability of COVID-19 introduction into a long-term care facility depends on the level of COVID-19 circulation in the community, with a higher risk associated with higher incidence rates in the community.
This highlights the importance of suppressing the level of the virus in the community as one of the primary measures for protecting nursing homes. As citizens, we all have a responsibility in this regard and our actions across all of society can directly impact the outcomes for nursing home residents.
I encourage all nursing homes to remain familiar with the latest public health advice and support, and to make every effort to continue to facilitate visitors in line with public health advice and to communicate with family and friends on an ongoing basis in order to support positive mental health and wellbeing. I have communicated with the sector outlining the need for them to be flexible, innovative and to facilitate to the greatest extent possible alternative arrangements such as window visiting, in line with public health advice.
690. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter regarding the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39885/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraGiven the role of the HSE’s National Women & Infants Health Programme in the dissemination of pregnancy related clinical guidelines, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
691. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health when a vacant position for a dentist for the school dentistry service based in Tuam, County Galway, will be filled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39890/20]
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.
692. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health the assistance and advice he can provide on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39891/20]
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.
693. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Health his views on the waiting time of nine months for a person (details supplied) to be seen at the breast clinic in University Hospital Limerick, having originally been advised that it would be a six-week wait period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39897/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe HSE's National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) have advised that an appointment has been scheduled for the patient to whom you refer for Tuesday 2nd December at 9.00am. University Hospital Limerick has issued an appointment letter and the patient has been contacted by phone.
The National Action Plan on Covid-19 identified the continued delivery of cancer care as a priority. Symptomatic Breast Disease Clinics continued to operate, with urgent cases being prioritised. However, capacity at these Clinics has been reduced due to the need for appropriate physical distancing and infection prevention and control measures.
694. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health the downstream and overall cost-benefit analysis conducted by the corporate pharmaceutical unit when assessing reimbursement applications for novel and generic drug applications; his views on whether the full system savings are being considered in such applications; if evidence of same in action can be demonstrated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39906/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Service Executive has operational responsibility for medicines expenditure, thus the matter has been referred to the HSE for their attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
695. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health the percentage of PCR tests that have been false positives; the number of cycles of amplification used; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39908/20]
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.
696. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health the reason the statistics of his Department on the cause of death in Ireland in the time period March to November 2020 are different to those of the CSO; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39909/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 25 November 2020 the Central Statistics Office (CSO) published the ‘Analysis of Underlying Cause of Death Data, Including COVID-19 report ‘as a new publication in their frontier series. (https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/fr/fr-ucd2020/analysisofunderlyingcauseofdeathdataincludingcovid-19januarytooctober2020/)
This publication is based on deaths registered with the General Registrar’s Office (GRO) and notified to the CSO for the period of January to October 2020.
The findings of the CSO publication reported that there were 1,462 Covid-19 related deaths in the period January – October 2020 registered with the General Registrar's Office and subsequently notified to the CSO.
As of the 1st of November, the Department of Health had been notified of 1,915 Covid-19 related deaths. This is 453 higher than reported by the CSO for deaths registered by the end of October.
These deaths have been reported to the Department of Health by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC). Under Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Regulations 2020, all medical practitioners are required to notify the Medical Officer of Health (MOH)/Director of Public Health (DPH) of certain diseases including Covid-19.
There are several reasons for the difference in these figures:
a. The CSO note that the data in their publication is based on deaths that occurred between 1 Jan 2020 and end October 2020, and that have been registered with the General Registrar's Office and subsequently notified to the Central Statistics Office (CSO). They also note that these figures are provisional.
b. Due to the legal requirement for registration of deaths being within 3 months in Ireland, it can be assumed that deaths for the months August-October registered with the GRO and subsequently notified to the CSO are incomplete.
c. Outside of these months, there are a significant proportion of deaths that are registered after 3 months. The most common reason for a late registration of a death is that a case is referred to the Coroner for further investigation.
d. All unnatural deaths (deaths from accidents, suicides, poisonings etc.) must be referred to the Coroner’s Office for further investigation and these deaths tend to be registered late as a consequence. In addition, all deaths that occur in nursing homes and all COVID-19 deaths must also be reported to the Coroner. The number of late registered deaths is increasing over recent years and the CSO publishes these late registered deaths as an appendix to the annual report.
e. The classification process for deaths related to COVID-19 differs between the HPSC and the CSO. Further detail is provided below on the process.
Further information:
Classification and publication of deaths by the HPSC:
A death reported by the by the Health Protection Surveillance (HPSC) as due to COVID-19 is defined for surveillance purposes as a death resulting from a clinically compatible illness, in a possible, probable or confirmed COVID-19 case as per the case definition for COVID-19, available on the HPSC website www.hpsc.ie, unless there is a clear alternative cause of death that cannot be related to COVID-19 disease (e.g. trauma). There should be no period of complete recovery from COVID-19 between illness and death. A death due to COVID-19 may not be attributed to another disease (e.g. cancer) and should be counted independently of pre-existing conditions that are suspected of triggering a severe course of COVID-19.
HPSC Procedure for recording and checking COVID-19 deaths
All medical practitioners and coroners have been advised to report all deaths in confirmed, probable and possible COVID-19 cases, in any healthcare setting, to their local Department of Public Health and these are notified to the HPSC.
The case definitions for confirmed, probable and possible COVID-19 are available on the HPSC website. The outcome for cases that have already been notified is then updated to ‘died’ on HPSC’s Computerised Infectious Disease Reporting System (CIDR) and cases newly identified on death are notified.
The following deaths should be notified as COVID-19 deaths:
- Deaths in confirmed COVID-19 case: A death in a person with laboratory confirmation of COVID-19 infection, irrespective of clinical signs and symptoms (including post mortem).
- Deaths in probable COVID-19 case: A death in a person with probable COVID-19 as per the COVID-19 case definition for surveillance purposes
- Deaths in possible/suspect COVID-19 case: All deaths in patients suspected of having COVID-19 i.e. patients with symptoms clinically compatible with COVID-19 illness. These suspect cases may or may not have been laboratory tested for COVID-19 prior to death. These possible COVID-19 deaths include patients with pending COVID-19 laboratory results. This includes all unexplained deaths/sudden deaths in residential facilities with a confirmed/suspected COVID-19 cluster/outbreak of illness unless the there is a clear alternative cause of death that cannot be related to COVID disease (e.g. trauma)
- Coroner’s reports of deaths: All COVID-19 deaths reported as such from Coroners should be notified as COVID-19 deaths. The case classification should be assigned as per the COVID-19 case definition.
The HPSC also receives a daily list of deaths from all causes which were registered in Ireland in the previous day from the General Register Office (GRO). All registered deaths with COVID-19 reported in any of the four cause of death fields are reported as COVID-19 deaths. The causes of death on the GRO file are checked for ‘COVID-19’ and cross-checked against the details for the cases of COVID-19 notified to HPSC.
Deaths in patients with COVID-19 due to causes such as accidents, trauma or other causes that could not be related to COVID-19 are recorded as not due to COVID-19. Deaths in COVID-19 cases occurring more than 30 days after the COVID-19 diagnosis are flagged and checked to ascertain if the death should be reported as due to COVID-19 or not due to COVID-19. If there is a period of complete recovery between the COVID-19 related illness and death, the deaths are recorded as not due to COVID-19.
HPSC publications on COVID-19 related deaths
Publication of COVID-19 Related deaths by the HPSC are made on a daily basis on the HPSC website, based on the data held in CIDR at that time. CIDR is a live dataset and data is subject to revision when new information is received.
Classification of COVID-19 related deaths by the CSO:
The CSO classify the information received from the General register Office on the Death Certificate to assign an Underlying Cause of Death (UCOD). This is a complex process as coding rules that are adopted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) are applied to ensure parity between jurisdictions.
CSO Procedure for recording and checking COVID-19 deaths
It is a legal requirement that every death that takes place in the State must be recorded and registered and these records are then held in the General Register Office (GRO). A death within the State can be registered with any Registrar, regardless of where it occurs. Deaths must be registered as soon as possible after the death and no later than three months from the date of death.
Following a death, a registered medical practitioner who attended the deceased will complete and sign Part 1 of a Death Notification Form (DNF), and this will include information on the cause of death.
This form is then given to the spouse/partner or another relative of the deceased who are then the qualified informant for the death. If the deceased has no spouse/partner or other relative, then the form will be provided to another qualified informant.
The qualified informant must then complete Part 2 of this DNF with additional details regarding the deceased person. Once completed, this DNF must then be given to a Registrar (within, as per the above, a maximum of three months) and the qualified informant then signs the register in the presence of the Registrar. You do not need to be the next-of-kin to undertake this requirement.
The Cause of Death is completed by the medical practitioner who attended the deceased and has the following information:
Part 1(a): Disease or condition directly leading to death, (this does not mean the mode of dying e.g. heart failure etc., it means the disease that caused death) due to (or as consequence of)
Part 1(b): Antecedent Causes (morbid conditions, if any, giving rise to the above cause stating the underlying condition last) due to (or as consequence of)
Part 1(c): Further Antecedent Causes
Part 2: Other Significant Conditions (contributing to the death but not related to the disease or condition causing it)
Any death that occurs in the State must be registered in the State, e.g. a death of a US resident holidaying in Ireland must be registered here. An Irish national that dies abroad is not registered in the State.
The registration of a death may be delayed where the death has been referred to a Coroner for investigation or inquiry. In such cases, the Coroner may issue a temporary certification to allow the death to be registered pending final determination of any investigation or inquiry.
CSO Mortality Coders in the Vital Statistics unit use specialised software (IRIS) and defined coding rules on the specified causes of death to assign an appropriate underlying cause of death. The hierarchy in which the causes are written on the death certificate impacts on the assignment of the UCOD. According to the WHO international guidelines, persons with COVID-19 may die due to other conditions such as myocardial infarction.
CSO publications on COVID-19 related deaths;
The ‘Frontier Series’ that this data was published under is a new development from the CSO. The CSO Frontier Series may use new methods which are under development and / or data sources which may be incomplete for example new administrative data sources which may have specific limitations.
The CSO publishes quarterly deaths data together with a summary of the four quarters (when publishing Quarter 4) classified by year of registration. It also publishes annual statistics on deaths by year of occurrence, with a time lag of approximately 22 months.
The CSO published the Vital Statistics Quarter 2 data on 27th November 2020. The CSO will report data for Quarter 3 next year based on the registration data compiled from the General Register Office.
The CSO also releases the “COVID-19 Deaths and Cases Statistics” publication on its website in its fortnightly publication. This publication is based on the HPSC CIDR data extract.
This publication is available at https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-covid19/covid 19informationhub/health/covid-19deathsandcasesstatistics/
697. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health the criteria the death of a person must meet for the cause of death to be recorded as Covid-19 despite the person having other underlying health issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39910/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince 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 the NPHET and the Department of Health to assist Government decision-making in the wider response to the disease in Ireland.
It should be noted that in Ireland, data are collected on COVID-19 related mortality for both lab confirmed and probable cases, in line with recommendations from the World Health Organisation and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control in both hospitals and the community. It should also be noted that collection of COVID-19 related mortality data in Ireland exceeds that of many other countries in the world.
The Deputy should note that comprehensive national statistics, information, and data about Covid-19 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.
I would also direct the Deputy to the CSO website for access to a range of data relating to Covid-19 including the numbers of diagnosed cases and mortality data. This is available on the CSO Covid-19 Information Hub at https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-covid19/covid-19informationhub/ and, in particular, at https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/br/b-cdc/covid-19deathsandcasesseries16/
You may also wish to note that a range of data on the epidemiology of Covid-19 in Ireland is published in the daily report by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) available at: www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/casesinireland/epidemiologyofcovid-19inireland, while a daily report on the last 14 days in cases available at: www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/casesinireland/epidemiologyofcovid-19inireland.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
698. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health the number outbreaks of Covid-19 that have been identified as a direct result of gatherings in wet pubs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39911/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government’s medium-term strategy, Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19, sets out Ireland's approach to managing and living with COVID-19 in a range of areas over a period of 6 - 9 months.
This 5 level Framework reflects a careful consideration of the impact of the introduction of restrictions on employment and livelihoods, keeping as many businesses open as possible at different stages, while acknowledging that some businesses and services are critical. It acknowledges that pubs and the hospitality sector are the world of work for so many in our communities.
As I'm sure you can appreciate, COVID-19 spreads when individuals and groups come into close contact with one another, enabling the virus to move from one person to another. COVID-19 is infectious in a person with no symptoms, or for the period of time before they develop symptoms. The number of people allowed to gather in different scenarios in the Government's Framework are based on a review of international practice and the judgment of public health experts. It seeks to balance the risks of different types of gatherings against the desire to allow normal activities to proceed in so far as possible. The Government is committed to ensuring a balanced and proportionate response to COVID-19 by finding ways to implement public health measures in response to the pandemic in a way that is fair, reasonable and proportionate.
I would like to assure you that measures such as this are aimed at limiting the spread and damage of COVID-19, and are necessary to protect our key priorities of supporting and maintaining health and social care services, keeping education and childcare services open and protecting the most vulnerable members of our communities.
You may wish to note that the Health Information Quality Authority (HIQA) has recently published its advice for the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) on the settings and activities which are associated with a higher risk of COVID-19 transmission. The publication of this advice is accompanied by a supporting evidence synthesis report which examined data from international sources and found that indoor, high occupancy, poorly ventilated environments, where there is shouting and singing, insufficient use of face coverings, and prolonged contact, present an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. These findings support the NPHET’s current stance on settings, such as pubs, and activities such as drinking, which present a higher risk of transmission of Covid-19. HIQA's advice to the NPHET, Evidence Summary and supporting documentation is available at the following link:- https://www.hiqa.ie/reports-and-publications/health-technology-assessment/activities-or-settings-associated-higher-risk
You may be interested to note that the Government also recently commissioned Ernst & Young to analyse and report on certain aggregated data as part of the Government's Covid-19 management strategy. This analysis has been published and is available at the following link:-
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/d1330-technical-documents-for-moving-ireland-to-level-3-in-december-2020/
I would also draw your attention to the CSO website for access to a range of data relating to Covid-19 including data on confirmed COVID-19 cases linked to pubs and the hospitality sector. This is available on the CSO Covid-19 Information Hub at
www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-covid19/covid-19informationhub/ and, in particular, at https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/br/b-cdc/covid-19deathsandcasesseries16/
A range of data on the epidemiology of Covid-19 in Ireland, including data on trends in transmission, is also published in the daily report by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) available at:
www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/casesinireland/epidemiologyofcovid-19inireland, while a daily report on the last 14 days in cases available at: www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/casesinireland/epidemiologyofcovid-19inireland.
Further information on all levels of Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19 is available at: https://www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/resilience-recovery-2020-2021-plan-for-living-with-covid-19/
699. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health if he will examine the circumstances in which a person (details supplied) has had transport stopped since the resumption of services to a facility post Covid-19. [39915/20]
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.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
700. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Health the reason the rate of pay for intern nurses has reduced from €14 per hour to €9.48 per hour, which is under the minimum wage of €10.10 hourly rate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39929/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraEarlier this year, the Health Care Assistant initiative (whereby student nurses and midwives were offered temporary contracts to work as Health Care Assistants) began in April 2020 and ceased in August 2020.
This was in response to the Covid-19 outbreak and was only ever intended as a temporary measure to provide additional support of to the national effort, it also offered some protection to the ongoing education of student nurses and midwives as their clinical placements had ceased. Student nurses and midwives who took part in this initiative received payment of the first point of the Health Care Assistant salary scale, €28,493. The rate was also temporarily applied to those 4th year nurses and midwives on paid work placements.
The regular pay for 4th year student nurses on paid internship increased by 2% on 1st October this year. The annualised salary for this group is now €21,749 (or €10.72 per hour) for general nursing and midwifery and €22,229 (€10.96 per hour) for psychiatric nursing.
701. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the policy in place in relation to home help services administrating medication and instilling eye drops to those availing of home help services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39941/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs these are operational matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
702. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health the plans in place for the distribution of a Covid-19 vaccine when available; the categories of persons it is intended to prioritise; the number of doses of the vaccine secured to date; the companies from which they have been secured; the estimated cost per unit; the anticipated number of units required; if the vaccine will be administered to all persons free of charge; the persons or bodies by which the vaccine will be administered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39944/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is committed to the timely implementation of a COVID-19 immunisation programme, as soon as one or more vaccines in the EU portfolio are approved for use. In this regard, a cross-Government High-Level Taskforce has been established to support and oversee the development and implementation of the programme.
Policy in relation to the order in which people should be offered vaccination is being developed as a priority in conjunction with the national experts on immunisation and it is expected that the NPHET will shortly finalise its advice to Government in this regard.
Ireland is currently involved in an EU Procurement Exercise being operated by the European Commission on behalf of Member States to procure a portfolio of suitable, safe and effective vaccines, in sufficient quantities, to combat COVID-19. The arrangements are intended to ensure co-ordinated action at European level to vaccinate the EU population. As part of the exercise, Ireland has already opted into an Advance Purchase Agreement (APA) with the British-Swedish drug maker AstraZeneca (partnering with Oxford University); Janssen (Johnson & Johnson); BioNTech / Pfizer; and CureVac.
703. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health the membership of the Covid-19 immunisation strategy group; the remit of the group; the number of times the group has met to date; the reports published to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39945/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe COVID-19 Immunisation Strategy Group, chaired by the Department of Health, and informed by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC), was convened in August to advise on and assist in the development of national policy relating to COVID-19 vaccines.
The Group’s membership is drawn from relevant Government Departments, relevant agencies, and organisations.
- Department of Health
- Health Service Executive
- Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HSE)
- National Immunisation Office (HSE)
- HBS Procurement (HSE)
- National Immunisation Advisory Committee
- State Claims Agency
- National Virus Reference Laboratory
- Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
- Health Products Regulatory Authority
The establishment of the High-Level Taskforce has necessitated an early review of governance arrangements regarding the COVID-19 immunisation programme, so as to ensure role clarity as between the different organisations and to avoid any overlap or duplication. Revised arrangements are being drawn up and in this context it is expected that the current Immunisation Strategy Group arrangement will cease to operate.
The group has met on four occasions since August and has not published any reports to date.
704. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Health when a third paediatric rheumatologist is due to start; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39951/20]
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.
706. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Health if there is a clinical psychologist currently working at Mounthamilton House, Dundalk, County Louth; the current average waiting time for psychological assessment at the centre; his plans to put additional personnel in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39961/20]
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.
707. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health the number of whole-time equivalent paramedic emergency medical technicians assigned to Merlin Park; and the date staff were assigned. [40027/20]
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.
708. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health the number of whole-time equivalent paramedic emergency medical technicians assigned to Counties Roscommon and Galway; and the date staff were assigned. [40028/20]
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.
709. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health if he will report on the staff changing facilities at a hospital (details supplied); the size of the area; the number of lockers in use in the area; the facilities available such as toilets, handwashing basins and rubbish bins; the number of staff using the area on a daily basis; the sanitising protocols employed in the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40029/20]
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.
710. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health the status of applications for financial assistance under section 39 funding for an organisation (details supplied); if the HSE will engage directly with the care home to assist with the shortfall in its finances of €50,000 due to the inability of the organisation to fundraise due to Covid-19; and if he will expedite the assistance from the HSE that is urgently required. [40024/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the Deputy's question on Section 39 funding I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
711. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health the additional funding that the South/South West Hospital Group will be making available to University Hospital Waterford to support additional administration and nursing staff to support new consultant activities in view of approval for 12 new consultant posts at the hospital; the number and skill sets pertaining to the new activity; the recruitment plan in place to fill the positions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40048/20]
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.
712. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health the estimated completion schedule including all commissioning for the mortuary build ongoing at University Hospital Waterford; the expected handover date of the building to the hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40049/20]
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.
