Written Answers Nos. 593-616
594. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the cost of a PCR test; the list of all laboratories processing PCR tests; the level of funds received by each laboratory to date for the processing of PCR tests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25859/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.
595. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Health when the national pilot to establish the efficacy of the assistant psychologist grade as a paid grade will be completed; if the report will be published; and the expected timeframe for publication. [25730/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra“As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.
596. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the reason there is a disparity in funding and pay between trainee psychologists in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25737/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra“As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.
597. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the number of assistant psychologists currently working in a voluntary, unpaid capacity within HSE services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25738/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra“As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.
598. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health if the HSE recruits assistant psychologists in an unpaid capacity; if so, the reason; if this practice will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25739/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra“As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.
599. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the date on which the review into the advertisement for seven unpaid assistant psychology roles (details supplied) will be complete; the date on which this review will be made public; if those seven positions will now be readvertised as paid positions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25740/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra“As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.
600. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the date on which the HSE will make an announcement on whether the current national pilot assistant psychologist programme is to be extended; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25741/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra“As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.
601. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the progress made to include reference in all new statements of strategy to all sustainable development goal targets for which his Department has lead responsibility as outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals National Implementation Plan 2018-2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25751/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra602. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the specific sustainable development goal targets his Department is responsible for implementing; the progress made in implementing those targets since 26 April 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25769/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 601 and 602 together.
The Statement of Strategy 2021-2023 states the Department's commitment to work with the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications and relevant partners in order to achieve the relevant Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets as set out in the Sustainable Development Goals National Implementation Plan 2018-2020.
Ireland’s Sustainable Development Goals National Implementation Plan, 2018-2020, sets out the Government’s ambitious response to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and commits Ireland to fully achieving all 17 of the Goals by 2030. This Department will continue to work with the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications and relevant partners in order to achieve the relevant SDG targets, with a focus on SDG3, Good Health and Wellbeing.
In late 2019, the Health and Wellbeing Unit in my Department commenced the development of a Strategic Action Plan for the next phase of the Healthy Ireland Framework.
A Rapid Review of progress to date on the implementation of Healthy Ireland was firstly conducted with the Health and Wellbeing Unit within the Department. The review was conducted against the existing six themes of the Framework, including:
1. Governance and Policy
2. Partnership and Cross-Sectoral Work
3. Empowering People and Communities
4. Health and Health Reform
5. Research and Evidence
6. Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation
Following the review, feedback on progress to date from the wider stakeholder consultation phase was incorporated.
An extensive stakeholder engagement process on the Healthy Ireland Framework was also conducted by my Department. This has included one-on-one interviews, workshops and an on-line survey, in addition to one-on-one interviews with key leaders. Workshops with stakeholder groups, including: other Government Departments, Community and Voluntary Sector Organisations, Department of Health staff, Health Services Executive staff and Academic institutions were held. An online survey was completed by 331 respondents from existing partner organisations, including Local Authorities.
The findings of the Review and stakeholder consultations have been incorporated into the development of the Healthy Ireland Strategic Action Plan, which was published on the 11th May, 2021, along with the Sláintecare Implementation Strategy and Action Plan, 2021 - 2023.
The development of both Plans took into account the wider context, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Programme for Government, to ensure appropriate alignment with priorities across the whole of Government.
My Department has been taking part in meetings of the Sustainable Developments Goals Data Governance group, chaired by the Central Statistics Office.
The Department of Health ‘Women’s Health Taskforce’ was established in 2019 to improve women’s health outcomes and experiences of healthcare, to meet commitments under the National Strategy for Women and Girls. The National Strategy for Women and Girls is a key structure through which Ireland progresses overall commitments under Sustainable Development ‘Goal 5: Achieve Gender equality and empower all women and girls’ .
A Schedule of Department of Health SDG responsibilities is included with this PQ response.
603. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if he has engaged a third-party company to date in 2021 to conduct online and or social media monitoring and or provide reports on social media coverage of his Department; if so, the cost of same; and the name of the social media platforms being monitored. [25787/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that my Department has not engaged a third-party company to date in 2021 to conduct online and/or social media monitoring as per question.
604. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if officials in his Department are tasked with conducting online and social media monitoring and completing reports on social media coverage of his Department and his Ministerial activities; if so, the number of staff involved; the respective grades of each; the estimated working hours committed to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25805/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that officials in my Department are not tasked with conducting online and social media monitoring and reports on social media coverage of my Department or Ministerial activities.
I can however confirm that, as guided by WHO Outbreak Communication Planning Guide “Understanding the public’s risk perceptions, views and concerns is critical to effective communication and the broader emergency management function it supports," my Department has been actively listening to public views and concerns on the Covid-19 pandemic and the impact of public health restrictions, including conducting surveys among the general public through the Amárach survey, published regularly on the Department’s website and collating commentary on traditional and social media.
This work was initially outsourced at the outset of the pandemic in early March 2020 until the end of June 2020 when the contract ceased, and the work was brought in-house as part of my Departments ongoing work to listen and engage with public sentiment on COVID-19 public health advice. This work is carried out by officers of middle management level at Higher Executive Officer grade.
605. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he and bodies under his aegis have engaged private investigation companies or persons in the past three years to date; and if so, the cost, duration and purpose of these engagements of this type of contractor. [25827/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI will survey the Department and respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Companies or persons engaged by the HSE are an operational matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.
Information in respect of the other bodies under the aegis of my Department is an operational matter for the bodies concerned and the Deputy should contact the relevant Director/CEO/Registrar directly.
606. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the persons or bodies that oversee the purchasing and administration of puberty blockers to be utilised in gender transitions. [25841/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra608. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if a review has been conducted by his Department or the HSE of the side effects of puberty blockers in view of recent reports from England questioning their utility. [25843/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 606 and 608 together.
As these Parliamentary Questions relate to operational issues, it is a matter for the HSE.
However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.
607. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the regulations pertaining to the usage or prescription of puberty blockers by medical professionals. [25842/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraPuberty blockers, also called puberty inhibitors, are drugs used to postpone puberty in children. The most commonly used puberty blockers are gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists, which inhibit the release of sex hormones, including testosterone and oestrogen. In addition to their various other medical uses, puberty blockers are used off-label for transgender children to delay the development of unwanted sex characteristics.
The use of a medicinal product outside of the specific terms of its marketing authorisation (MA) is often described as “off-label use”. It is the responsibility of the prescriber to satisfy him/herself that off-label use of a medicine is supported by good quality information from the scientific literature. Such off-label use therefore falls within the professional, clinical judgement of the prescriber.
Where a product is used by a healthcare practitioner for patients under his care outside of the terms of the MA, such usage is not covered by, nor prohibited by, medicines legislation. The medical decision to prescribe or not prescribe a specific treatment for an individual patient is strictly a decision for the treating clinician, in consultation with their patient. The Department of Health has no role in this clinical decision-making process.
609. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of gender transitions recorded for persons under 18 years of age in each of the years 2000 to 2020. [25844/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra“As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is ongoing, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.
610. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the amount the HSE paid out in compensation for medical negligence in each of the years 2010 to 2020. [25845/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe State Claims Agency (SCA) has a statutory remit to manage personal injury claims on behalf of Delegated State Authorities including the Health Service Executive. The State Claims Agency has informed me that the information contained below was extracted from the National Incident Management System (NIMS) according to the below criteria:
- This report shows Damages Payments made from 2010- 2020 with respect to clinical claims under the management of the State Claims Agency.
- The figures relate to all claims under the hazard category of clinical care only being managed by the SCA under the Clinical Indemnity Scheme (CIS).
- HSE within this report relates to all Acute and Community enterprises, Section 38s, National Support Services and Disability sector. It does not contain any private schemes.
- This report is correct as of 30/04/2021
Total Damages Payment Made – 2010-2020
It should be noted that the amount paid out each year in relation to catastrophic injury payments is subject to considerable volatility depending on the number of settlements, given the very large size of individual awards/settlements, and whether awards/settlements are on a lump-sum, interim payment order or PPO basis.
The reduction in the Real Rate of Return, following the Court of Appeal decision in November 2015, added considerably to the cost of resolving catastrophic injury cases and the resultant inflationary effect of the change in the Real rate of Return is reflected in the figures from 2013 onwards, owing to the retrospective application of the Rate to the original High Court decision in that year.
Note, the % increase in volume of claims where compensation was paid from 2010 to 2020 is 116% and the number of these payments which were greater than €4million has increased by 367% over the same period. These numbers also relate to mass actions claims such as Cervical Check.
|
Year of Payment |
Damages Paid |
|
2010 |
€49,775,492 |
|
2011 |
€56,552,411 |
|
2012 |
€44,789,076 |
|
2013 |
€79,531,968 |
|
2014 |
€61,156,838 |
|
2015 |
€146,090,425 |
|
2016 |
€138,050,689 |
|
2017 |
€179,555,201 |
|
2018 |
€200,576,997 |
|
2019 |
€241,280,582 |
|
2020 |
€243,614,581 |
|
Total |
€1,440,974,260 |
Table1: HSE Damages payments 2010-2020 on Clinical Claims
Definitions
National Incident Management System (NIMS): Incidents (which include claims) are reported using the “National Incident Management System”. This is hosted by the State Claims Agency (SCA) for the HSE, other Healthcare enterprises and State Authorities. An incident can be a harmful Incident (Adverse Event), no harm incident, near miss, dangerous occurrence (reportable circumstance) or complaint.
Damages Payments: Can includes both General Damages and Special Damages
Clinical: A clinical incident on NIMS is one which falls under the Incident Hazard category of Clinical Care. This category includes incidents relating to the provision of services of a diagnostic or palliative nature. It also includes incidents relating to the provision of treatment. Incidents present in this category will be relating to clinical procedures, birth specific procedures, medication incidents, or nutrition/blood related incidents.
611. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the budget for medical compensation in each of the years 2010 to 2020. [25846/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe State Claims Agency (SCA) has a statutory remit to manage personal injury claims on behalf of Delegated State Authorities including the Health Service Executive. The Clinical Indemnity Scheme (CIS) is the scheme under which the State Claims Agency (SCA) manages all clinical negligence claims taken against healthcare enterprises, hospitals and clinical, nursing and allied healthcare practitioners covered by the scheme.
The table below outlines the final Health Vote budget allocation to the State Claims Agency in each of the years 2010 to 2020.
|
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
|
|
Description |
€'m |
€'m |
€'m |
€'m |
€'m |
€'m |
€'m |
€'m |
€'m |
€'m |
€'m |
|
Final State Claims Agency Budget Allocation |
60,000 |
81,204 |
75,668 |
133,000 |
151,000 |
189,000 |
198,000 |
274,000 |
320,000 |
370,000 |
400,000 |
612. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the amount spent on communications, public relations and advertising by his Department in each of the years 2010 to 2020, in tabular form. [25847/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnfortunately, due to the recent ransomware attack, the Department is currently unable to access the information to answer this Parliamentary Question due to the recent cyber-attack.
613. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the documentation needed to guarantee exemption from mandatory hotel quarantine on the basis of travel for a medical appointment. [25849/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMandatory hotel quarantine has been introduced as one element of Ireland’s public health measures to combat the transmission of COVID-19 variants of concern.
The 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 Act identifies those who are exempt from mandatory hotel quarantine, and a full list of exemptions can be accessed on www.gov.ie/quarantine.
With effect from 8th May, if a person has travelled abroad for unavoidable, imperative and time-sensitive medical reasons they will not be required to undergo mandatory hotel quarantine on their return to Ireland. They will be required to present a medical certificate from a registered medical practitioner or from a person holding an equivalent qualification outside the State to the effect that they had an unavoidable, imperative and time-sensitive reason for so travelling. In addition, any carer or dependent travelling with this person will also be exempted from the requirement to undergo mandatory hotel quarantine.
As of 17th April, passengers who are 'fully vaccinated' and have the documents to confirm this are no longer required to complete mandatory hotel quarantine on arrival in Ireland. Dependents, including children, will also be exempted from the requirement to complete mandatory hotel quarantine in this instance. Please note that the 4 EMA approved vaccines currently accepted have specific definitions for when a person would be considered 'fully vaccinated'.
Passengers who are fully vaccinated and exempt from hotel quarantine are still subject to other travel restrictions, such as the need to provide a negative pre-departure PCR test and complete a period of self-quarantine at home or wherever specified in their passenger locator form.
The provisions of the Act allow for travellers to request a review of decisions relating to their quarantine in a designated facility; however, this can only be undertaken once quarantine has begun.
It is important to note that the list of designated states will be subject to change at short notice and passengers are required to check the list before travelling to Ireland, to be sure of their obligations.
Neither I as Minister for Health nor my Department have any role in decisions relating to whether individual persons must enter mandatory quarantine or whether individual persons are exempted travellers. All such decisions are to be determined in accordance with the provisions of the Act.
614. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health if his Department or another Department is funding antigen tests for use by private industries; if so, the industries that have received funding for such tests; the level of funding provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25854/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra616. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the position on the use of antigen tests; his views on comments made by some members of NPHET in relation to the sale and use of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25858/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 614 and 616 together.
Considerable work has been undertaken to date to evaluate the potential use of rapid antigen detection tests (RADTs) in an Irish context and this will continue on an ongoing basis. In the health sector, the HSE has deployed rapid antigen tests for use for specific indications in the acute hospital setting, and as part of the response to outbreaks in the community setting, supported by appropriate clinical governance and operational arrangements. This includes updating the case definition for SARS-CoV-2 to accept notification of positive results from rapid antigen tests undertaken in the public health system and reporting of such cases to the COVID Care tracker and to the Computerised Infectious Disease Reporting (CIDR) information system developed to manage the surveillance and control of infectious diseases in Ireland.
Operational planning is also underway in the HSE in relation to the piloting of testing using RADTs in education and childcare settings. This includes development of guidance documentation, a training programme and other related templates and resources to support the testing pathway for educational facilities. The antigen assay to use for the pilot has been selected and stakeholder engagement is ongoing. The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, supported by the HSE, commenced a rapid antigen testing pilot scheme on the 14th June in NUI Galway, Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin and University College Cork.
The HSE’s Antigen Validation Project Team has been working with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to supply and implement antigen testing in food processing facilities to supplement the PCR serial testing programme that has been in operation since 21 August 2020. These tests are being carried out under clinical governance arrangements put in place by the Department of Agriculture.
The HSE has also recently published the report of the Antigen Test Validation Project which validated a number of rapid antigen detection tests (ADTS) intended for testing samples for SARS-CoV-2 antigen. The products evaluated were chosen as those expected to represent the best available products based on the manufacturers claims and other available evidence.
The “Report of the COVID-19 Rapid Testing Group” which was chaired at my request by the Government’s chief scientific adviser, Professor Mark Ferguson, and published on 1 April 2021, made a number of recommendations for sectors outside the health sector and these are a matter for the Ministers and Departments with responsibility for the sectors concerned.
Rapid testing has a role to play as another valuable tool in Ireland’s battle against COVID-19; however, antigen testing, or other forms of rapid testing, will not replace the requirement for large scale PCR testing in this country which remains the gold standard diagnostic test for SARS-CoV-2.
615. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Health the opening dates for all vaccination centres by county; the number of vaccinations that have been delivered to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25857/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.
