Written Answers Nos. 2275-2293
2275. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health when an implementation group will be enacted to progress the recommendations of the HSE Report of the National Psychology Project Team: Establishment of a National Psychology Placement Office and Workforce Planning; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20373/21]
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.
2276. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health when ongoing funding and sponsorship of psychology training programmes will be expanded to include counselling and educational psychology; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20374/21]
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.
2277. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the number of new whole-time posts in the HSE by discipline since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic; the number of these posts that have been filled; the additional vacancies above and beyond these new posts; the length of time the posts have been vacant by discipline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20375/21]
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.
2278. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health his plans to encourage undocumented immigrants to avail of the Covid-19 vaccination; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20377/21]
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.
2279. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the procedure for a vaccine being reoffered to a person at a later date in cases in which the person is not in a position to take up their vaccine on the date it is offered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20415/21]
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.
2281. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the number of vacant gynaecologist posts in CHO9 by hospital. [20419/21]
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.
2282. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the number of medical intern posts at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9 to date and up to July 2021; the number of intern posts which will be in effect at the hospital from July 2021 to July 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20420/21]
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.
2283. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a number of persons who were due to receive a vaccine (details supplied) in a location on 15 April 2021 who were over 60 years of age received texts cancelling their vaccination appointments despite having been reassured verbally by the helpline that the vaccination would go ahead; the number of persons over 60 years of age who had their vaccination cancelled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20427/21]
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.
2286. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that funding for a training programme run by an organisation (details supplied) will cease in June 2021; and if funding pathways are available to the organisation continue this important work in other HSE CHOs. [20443/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraFinding, supporting and scaling innovative new ways of providing care is fundamental to the successful delivery of Sláintecare. Budget 2019 provided €20 million for the establishment of a new ring-fenced Sláintecare Integration Innovation Fund to test and scale how services could best be delivered. 122 projects were approved under the Fund, many of which, including the one referred to by the Deputy, are concluding in June this year. They are currently undergoing final evaluation to determine whether projects should be scaled or mainstreamed and, if a positive recommendation is made, to identify appropriate funding streams. It is anticipated that the evaluation process will be complete in the near future and that projects will be informed of the recommendations made.
2288. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Health the number of applications for FreeStyle Libre submitted by individual hospitals for persons with diabetes over 21 years of age in each of the years 2017 to 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form; the number approved and refused, respectively; if there are policy proposals to remove the age restriction on FreeStyle Libre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20449/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for the administration of the community drug schemes; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
2289. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Health his plans to extend the chronic care model; if it will be extended to all persons with diabetes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20450/21]
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.
2290. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to allow doctors practising in Ireland who are from non-EU countries to progress through their careers at the same rate as their Irish counterparts including allowing them to access higher specialist training without completing basic specialist training if they have an equivalent recognised qualification from their country of origin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20453/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraLast November, I was pleased to announce the removal of barriers to accessing postgraduate training for non-EEA qualified doctors, when I signed an order commencing Sections 97 and 100 of the Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Act 2020.
These sections amend the Medical Practitioners Act, 2007 and remove a requirement that doctors who qualified in a non-EEA country and who wish to commence postgraduate medical training in Ireland, must have completed an internship deemed the equivalent of that completed in Ireland.
Entry requirements for postgraduate medical training programmes in Ireland are determined by the relevant postgraduate medical training body. All postgraduate medical training programmes are accredited by the Medical Council of Ireland. A number of postgraduate medical training programmes do consider, on a case-by-case basis, recognition of prior learning. The details are set out below:
Psychiatry – if a trainee has previous training experience and can demonstrate learning outcome attainment, Basic Specialist Training (BST) may be accelerated by one year (generally in two steps of 6 months each), subject to the approval of an assessment panel.
Medicine – consideration will be taken, on a case-by-case basis, for equivalence of BST for programmes undertaken outside of Ireland. Applicants seeking to gain equivalence of training / experience for entry to BST will be recognised only if the training which is being considered has been successfully completed and provided through a structured programme formally recognised by a national training body. A minimum of 12 months and a maximum of 24 months overseas equivalence may only be considered.
General Practice – applicants with appropriate qualifications in Medicine, Paediatrics, or Emergency Medicine, can apply for recognition of prior learning.
Surgery – the postgraduate training body provides an “Equivalent Standards Route” which offers a pathway for candidates who may have completed equivalent training outside the State.
Emergency Medicine – prior training and experience of successful applicants to Year 1 of the training programme is considered by the appointment panel at the time of interview. If a trainee has prior training that closely matches that provided in Core Specialist Training in Emergency Medicine (CSTEM), they may, on a case-by-case basis, be appointment to Year 2 or 3 of CSTEM where training vacancies exist in the relevant year.
2292. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health if a young person returning home from New York after completing a graduate internship could have the costs of their mandatory hotel quarantine covered by the State (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20455/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Act 1947, as amended, provides that all persons arriving in Ireland from a designated state, or having travelled through a designated state in the previous 14 days, are required to undergo mandatory quarantine in a designated facility unless they are an exempted traveller under the Act. All applicable travellers must reserve and pay for a place in mandatory hotel quarantine.
The Health (Amendment) Act 2021 identifies those who are exempt from mandatory hotel quarantine and a full list of exemptions can be accessed on gov.ie/quarantine. This now includes persons fully vaccinated with a European Medicines Agency approved vaccine.
The provisions of the Act also allows for travellers to request a review of decisions relating to their quarantine; however this can only be undertaken once quarantine has begun.
In some limited circumstances such as the emergency repatriation of Irish citizens abroad, the Department of Foreign Affairs may be able to advise or provide assistance to such citizens when they are arranging their stay in a mandatory quarantine designated facility. Such persons should contact their local embassy or mission in such emergency situations.
I understand that my colleague the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science is establishing a refund mechanism for students returning from Erasmus programmes who are required to undergo mandatory quarantine in a designated facility. The Government continues to evaluate wider policy on international travel as informed by the epidemiological situation and public health advice, including the possibility of future exemptions.
Neither I as Minister for Health nor my Department have a role in decisions relating to whether individual persons must enter mandatory quarantine or whether individual persons are exempted travellers.
2293. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 238 of 5 November 2020 and the response of the HSE (details supplied), the number of applications that were successful for the dental treatment services scheme in primary care sites in CHO 8; the number of applications awaiting processing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20458/21]
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.
