Written Answers Nos. 899-920
899. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health when funding will be allocated for the health centre in Inis Meáin, Aran Islands, County Galway given the dilapidated state of the health centre including the storeroom; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9922/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Service Executive is responsible for the management of public healthcare property and they have advised, minor works to the existing health centre were delivered through the maintenance budget in 2020. Further improvements works will be progressed in 2021 as a priority by the primary care service with support as necessary from the local Estates minor capital 2021 budget.
900. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health the findings of a health and safety audit carried out by the National Ambulance Service at its Carlow base; the work carried out at the base relative to the report; if an independent review will be undertaken of the base and the ongoing complaints being made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9924/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the management of the public healthcare property estate, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to you in relation to this matter.
901. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Health the status of the recruitment for a full-time dietician for the child and adolescent mental health service unit in Arden House, County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9928/21]
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.
902. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties in accessing dental services in County Wexford for persons with medical cards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9930/21]
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.
903. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the status of free general practitioner care for children under 12 years of age; if he has signed the order to allow the scheme to be extended; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9935/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is committed to increasing access to GP care without charges for children, an important healthcare measure that will remove a potentially prohibitive cost barrier to accessing GP care and will help to improve children’s health as they develop. At present all children under six years of age are eligible for a GP visit card and therefore GP care without charges.
The Health (General Practitioner Service and Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) Act 2020 provides, amongst other things, for the phased expansion of GP care without fees to all children aged 12 years and under. The initial stage of this phased expansion will be the provision of GP care without fees to all children aged between 6 and 8.
The appropriate date for commencing the expansion remains under consideration in light of COVID-19 and the additional pressures the expansion might place on general practice in that context. This date will be determined following consultation with the IMO. It is important to ensure that any additional pressures placed on general practice will not limit its capacity to meet the needs of all patients in the community.
904. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health if there will be a requirement for persons to quarantine in a hotel following their return from abroad in cases in which an Irish citizen is returning home from abroad on a work contract that has expired and where the person was vaccinated against Covid-19 under the vaccination programme of the third-country; and if not, if they can quarantine in their home residence in Ireland. [9936/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMandatory home quarantine requirements are currently provided for under SI No. 44/2021. Exemptions from these requirements are in place for categories of travellers including international transport workers, members of An Garda Síochána or the Defence Forces travelling who have travelled in the course of their duties and persons who are travelling for unavoidable and time-sensitive medical reasons. It is intended that the Health (Amendment) Bill 2021 will give effect to the Government Decision on mandatory quarantine at designated facilities for persons who have travelled from specified higher risk countries.
It is not intended that exemptions will be extended to vaccinated persons at this time. It is not yet understood whether available vaccines prevent vaccinated persons from being infected or transmitting the disease to others. As such, the impact vaccinations will have on travel policies internationally is yet to be determined. The WHO continues to caution governments against introducing immunity passports at this time.
The Government gives continuing consideration to travel policy informed by the epidemiological situation internationally and public health advice.
905. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Health his views on a survey carried out locally among an organisation (details supplied) which found that 66% of members have reported that their mental health has been affected by the Covid-19 crisis; and his further views on their concerns that CAMHS is not being given the funding it needs to deal with its workload effectively. [9944/21]
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.
906. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Health the additional funding that has been allocated for CAMHS since the onset of the pandemic; the overall funding provided to the service for that period of time; if he has concerns that the service may not have the capacity to deal with the demands being placed upon it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9945/21]
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.
907. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health when persons who regularly work in front-line settings, for example, contract air ventilation installers who work primarily in a number of nursing homes and hospitals but are neither direct employees of the setting nor permanently stationed in one setting will receive the Covid-19 vaccine. [9946/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra909. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if the specific inclusion of front-line retail workers within the vaccine roll-out plan will be committed to; and his views on whether this particular section of employees is involved in higher risk work with regard to the spread of Covid-19. [9950/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 907 and 909 together.
The COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation Strategy sets out a provisional list of groups for vaccination. The Strategy was developed by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) and my Department, endorsed by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), and approved by Government on 8 December 2020.
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 roll out 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 front-line services often caring for the most vulnerable.
The next group to be vaccinated are those aged 70 and older in the following order: 85 and older, 80-84, 75-79, and 70-74. Vaccination of this group started in the week beginning the 15th of February.
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.
910. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if arrangements have been made to vaccinate persons in exceptional cases in advance of scheduled surgery whose surgeons deem them as extremely high mortality risk during and after surgery should they contract Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9951/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation Strategy sets out a provisional list of groups for vaccination. The Strategy was developed by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) and my Department endorsed by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), and approved by Government on 8 December 2020.
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 roll out 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 front-line services often caring for the most vulnerable.
The next group to be vaccinated are those aged 70 and older in the following order: 85 and older, 80-84, 75-79, and 70-74. Vaccination of this group started in the week beginning the 15th February.
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.
912. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health if the HPV vaccine will be made available to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo under the catch-up programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9953/21]
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.
913. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if a discharge co-ordinator is in place at University Hospital Limerick; and when urology appointments will recommence at Ennis General Hospital. [9955/21]
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.
914. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the progress made in establishing the adult eating disorder network and child and adolescent eating disorder network; the number of hubs established; the staffing levels in each with reference to multidisciplinary teams and consultant posts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9959/21]
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.
915. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health when serving members of the Defence Forces, stationed in and outside Ireland respectively, will receive the Covid-19 vaccination; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9960/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation Strategy sets out a provisional list of groups for vaccination. The Strategy was developed by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) and my Department endorsed by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), and approved by Government on 8 December 2020.
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 roll-out 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 front-line services often caring for the most vulnerable.
The next group to be vaccinated are those aged 70 and older in the following order: 85 and older, 80-84, 75-79, and 70-74. Vaccination of this group started in the week beginning the 15 February.
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.
917. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 302 of 28 January 2021, the role of his officials in the decision to temporarily pause the nationally planned developments of eating disorder services in 2020; the clinical rationale for this; the impact of same on patients and service users and waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9962/21]
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.
920. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if a copy of the review into a health facility (details supplied) will be provided. [9996/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am aware that the HSE has commissioned a report into the facility referred to by the Deputy and I understand that a draft of the report is the subject of ongoing discussions between staff and management.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy.
