Written Answers Nos. 171-190
171. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of passenger locator forms completed by inbound air and sea port travellers from 11 December 2020 to date in 2021; the number of follow-up checks made by officials in respect of these forms; and the number of incomplete or non-answers documented in respect of same over that time period. [2060/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe number of passenger locator forms completed by passengers who arrived in Ireland between 11th December 2020 and the 3rd of January 2021 inclusive
118,414 passengers arrived by air
20,252 passengers arrived by sea
Passengers may have completed a passenger locator form in advance of travelling and not travelled, in particular due to the travel restrictions placed on travel from the GB on December 20th.
Passengers who complete the PLF can claim an exemption under the following headings:
- Those passengers who are transiting, or not remaining in the State overnight
- Those passengers transiting to Northern Ireland
- Those passengers who had claimed an essential travel exemption
Numbers were further excluded for follow-up if passengers address was verified and had departed the country within 5 days of arrival.
Passengers who do not claim an exemption are followed-up and are contacted by text to confirm their address.
Where a passenger has not responded to the address verification text, they will be called to verify their place of address. If they are not available at the first call, further attempts may be made to contact each passenger who is in scope for follow up calls. From the information provided 51% of passengers requested to do so confirmed their place of residence.
172. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health when the intellectual disability sector will be scheduled for vaccination; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2146/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra174. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health when prison officers will start to receive the Covid-19 vaccine; if they will be included in the priority list for roll-out of the vaccine; when prisoners receive the vaccine; and the overall plan for the roll out of vaccines across prisons. [1928/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra178. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the breakdown of the priority list for administration of the Covid-19 vaccine in hospitals, inclusive of all staff not just medical and healthcare staff by grade, group and category. [1932/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra182. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if patients with cystic fibrosis will receive the Covid-19 vaccines; if they will be a prioritised group bearing in mind their vulnerability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1939/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra183. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if patients with underlying health conditions will be escalated for receipt of the Covid-19 vaccination given their vulnerabilities and susceptibility to the effects of Covid-19. [1941/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra191. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Health if home help and home care workers will receive the Covid -19 vaccine at level 2 for front-line healthcare workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1970/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra202. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health if organ transplant patients will be prioritised in the Covid-19 vaccine roll out; if so, when this will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2001/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra207. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health if family carers will be included in the Covid-19 vaccination priority list; if family members living with family carers will be prioritised for the Covid-19 vaccine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2021/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra209. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the group in the Covid-19 vaccine implementation plan sequence childcare workers are included in. [2027/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra210. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health if students with additional education needs and staff in special schools and classes can be prioritised for the Covid-19 vaccine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2029/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra219. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health when pharmacists will be vaccinated under the vaccination schedule. [2063/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra220. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health the Covid-19 vaccine priority that will be given to carers given their particular circumstances in the community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2073/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra222. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if dentists and their staff will be considered front-line healthcare workers in the context of the Covid-19 vaccination programme and will be vaccinated at the beginning of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout; the schedule of vaccination for these workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2076/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 172, 174, 178, 182, 183, 191, 202, 207, 209, 210, 219, 220 and 222 together.
Vaccine allocation is a matter for my Department and further information is available here: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/39038-provisional-vaccine-allocation-groups/.
The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is the responsibility of the HSE.
The aim of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is to ensure, over time, that vaccine will become available to vaccinate all of those for whom the vaccine is indicated. Given that there will be initially limited vaccines available, it will take some time for all to receive those vaccines and that has necessitated an allocation strategy to ensure that those most at risk of death and serious illness receive the vaccine first.
The priority is to first vaccinate and protect directly the most vulnerable amongst us, that is, those most likely to have a poor outcome if they contract the virus. The priority is to directly use vaccines to save lives and reduce serious illness, hence the focus on the over 65 year old cohort in long term residential care facilities, and healthcare workers in frontline services often caring for the most vulnerable.
All of the groups will be covered as further vaccine supplies become available and the immunisation programme is rolled out nationally.
The evidence will be kept under review and the allocation groups may be updated, where necessary, in light of new evidence.
173. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of nurses and hospital staff currently not working due to illness or the fact that they are a close contact of a person who has tested positive for Covid-19 in each hospital (details supplied). [1926/21]
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.
175. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the psychological supports available to heart failure patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1929/21]
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.
176. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the status of the development of the statutory home care scheme; when it will be rolled out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1930/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraA high-quality, consistent home-support service, focused on keeping people well in their homes and communities for as long as possible, is a key enabler to ensuring that people across a continuum of care get the right care, in the right place, at the right time. In this regard, my Department is in the process of developing a statutory scheme for the financing and regulation of home-support.
Work is on-going within the Department to determine the optimal approach to the development of the new scheme within the broader context of the on-going reform of Ireland’s health and social care system, as envisaged in the Sláintecare Report. This work encompasses the development of the regulatory framework for the new scheme; the examination of the options for the financing model for the scheme; and the development of a reformed model of service-delivery.
The Sláintecare Implementation Plan commits to the establishment of the statutory scheme for the financing and regulation of home support services by the end of 2021. Work planned in 2020, including the planned testing of a reformed model of service delivery, was adversely affected due to the impact of COVID-19 on delivery mechanisms for home support and the requirement for the diversion of resources to deal with COVID-19. This has had an impact on the final timeline.
The successful development of this scheme is an ambitious programme of reform and is a key priority for me and the Minister for Health. In order to accelerate this work, the Department is working closely with the HSE to ensure that the required resourcing including personnel, governance structures and other requisite resources are scaled up to ensure that significant progress is achieved by the end of 2021.
Within this context funding was secured in 2021 for the HSE to progress the roll out of InterRAI as the standard assessment for care needs in the community, the testing of a reformed model of service delivery for home support services and the establishment of a National Office for Home Support Services. All work throughout 2021 will progress the development of a reformed model of service delivery to underpin the statutory scheme.
In parallel, the increased investment in home support services in 2021 will contribute to meeting the Programme for Government commitment to providing equitable access to home care.
177. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of nursing home residents; and the most up-to-date number that have received the Covid-19 vaccine. [1931/21]
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.
179. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if there is a national database for the roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccine; the person or body who developed the database; the way in which the database operates; the way in which information is input into the database; and if it is interactive and communicated centrally at a national level. [1933/21]
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.
180. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of Covid-19 vaccinations that have been delivered to date; and when there will be full vaccination coverage. [1934/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland is taking part in a Procurement Exercise being operated by the European Commission (EC) on behalf of Member States to procure suitable, safe and effective vaccines, in sufficient quantities, to combat COVID-19.
To date, two vaccines have been granted conditional marketing authorisation by the EC following recommendation by the European Medicines Agency. The HSE took its first delivery of the vaccine Comirnaty, developed by BioNTech and Pfizer in late December and this week received the first delivery of COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna.
The Government is committed to the timely implementation of a COVID-19 immunisation programme.
The National COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy, which was prepared by the High-Level Task Force on COVID-19 Vaccination, was signed off by Cabinet on 15 December 2020.
The vaccines will be rolled out in three phases - the initial roll out, a mass ramp-up and open access. The highest priority groups, those over the age of 65 living in long-term care facilities and frontline healthcare workers in direct patient contact, will receive the vaccine first.
The aim of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is to ensure, over time, that vaccine will become available to vaccinate all of those for whom the vaccine is indicated. Given that there will be initially limited vaccines available, it will take some time for all to receive those vaccines and that has necessitated an allocation strategy to ensure that those most at risk of death and serious illness receive the vaccine first.
The priority is to first vaccinate and protect directly the most vulnerable amongst us, that is, those most likely to have a poor outcome if they contract the virus. The priority is to directly use vaccines to save lives and reduce serious illness, hence the focus on the over 65 year old cohort in long term residential care facilities, and healthcare workers in frontline services often caring for the most vulnerable.
All of the groups will be covered as further vaccine supplies become available and the immunisation programme is rolled out nationally. This is wholly dependent on supply lines and on candidate vaccines obtaining approval. Therefore, it is not possible at this time to determine a timeframe for the full vaccination programme.
The evidence will be kept under review and the allocation groups may be updated, where necessary, in light of new evidence.
Further information on the Allocation Strategy can be found at:
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/39038-provisional-vaccine-allocation-groups/.
181. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the breakdown of the priority list for administration of the Covid-19 vaccine across the health service, inclusive of all staff not just medical and healthcare staff by grade, group and category in which general practitioners and practice nurses fit in; and if he will respond to concerns raised by general practitioners that their priority on the roll-out list is not consummate with their need and the level of danger they face from Covid-19 in their work. [1935/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra185. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the details of the Covid-19 vaccination programme for general practitioners nationwide (details supplied); if general practitioner representative bodies have been consulted in relation to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1948/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra186. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if healthcare staff at private hospitals who are taking in patients referred from the public system will be regarded as front-line health workers and receive the vaccine at the beginning of the Covid-19 vaccination schedule; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1950/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra198. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health if persons who are working in cancer support centres can be prioritised for the Covid-19 vaccine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1995/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 181, 185, 186 and 198 together.
Vaccine allocation is a matter for my Department and further information is available here:
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/39038-provisional-vaccine-allocation-groups/.
The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is the responsibility of the HSE.
The aim of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is to ensure, over time, that vaccine will become available to vaccinate all of those for whom the vaccine is indicated. Given that there will be initially limited vaccines available, it will take some time for all to receive those vaccines and that has necessitated an allocation strategy to ensure that those most at risk of death and serious illness receive the vaccine first.
The priority is to first vaccinate and protect directly the most vulnerable amongst us, that is, those most likely to have a poor outcome if they contract the virus. The priority is to directly use vaccines to save lives and reduce serious illness, hence the focus on the over 65 year old cohort in long term residential care facilities, and healthcare workers in frontline services often caring for the most vulnerable.
All of the groups will be covered as further vaccine supplies become available and the immunisation programme is rolled out nationally.
The evidence will be kept under review and the allocation groups may be updated, where necessary, in light of new evidence.
184. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if a date for surgery will be expedited for a person (details supplied). [1947/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI fully acknowledge the distress and inconvenience for patients and their families when elective procedures are cancelled, particularly for clinically urgent procedures. While every effort is made to avoid cancellation or postponement of planned procedures, the HSE has advised that planned procedures and operations can be postponed or cancelled for a variety of reasons including capacity issues due to increased scheduled and unscheduled care demand.
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.
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.
187. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health if his Department will work with the HSE to approve a medical internship for a sixth-year medical student (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1953/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn 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.
188. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if residents and staff in a nursing home convent (details supplied) will be prioritised in the Covid-19 vaccination programme roll-out given that they have not appeared on the prioritisation list. [1958/21]
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.
189. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health the number of operational primary care centres by county; the year each came into operation since 2011; and the number of primary care centres in development by county in tabular form. [1959/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the HSE has responsibility for the provision, along with the maintenance and operation of Primary Care Centres and other Primary Care facilities, the Executive has been asked to reply directly to the Deputy.
190. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who have applied to become a community swabber; the number who have been selected to community swab; the number who have been employed through this recruitment process and are actively swabbing at present; and the number who have been employed and are yet to commence. [1966/21]
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.
