Written Answers Nos. 688-710
688. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health the amount of funding received to date from the European Commission to provide free Covid-19 testing as part of the roll-out of the EU digital Covid certificate; the number of these free tests which have been made available to date and the locations of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43646/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere is no charge for a Digital Covid Certificate (DCC). Where people choose to have a Covid test for the purposes of travel - and thus receive a DCC as evidence of that test - they must go to a private test provider. As Covid-19 tests for travel are not provided by the state, Ireland has therefore not claimed funding for free Covid-19 testing as part of the rollout of EU DCC.
689. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Health the number of lactation consultants that are currently available in the public health service to support new mothers; if he will provide a breakdown by maternity unit; the number of publicly employed lactation consultants that are currently working on Covid-19 related duties such as swabbing; if there are personnel assigned to do so, when they started and when they will return to maternity services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43684/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
690. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Health his views on the Government’s policy regarding the use of congregated residential settings for care of older persons in the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43686/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraA key principle underpinning Government policy is to support older people to live in their own home with dignity and independence for as long as possible.
In recent years there has been a shift in healthcare provision focus towards home care. Home support services are key in facilitating older people to remain at home and, with our ageing population, will become increasingly important in the future. The Government is committed to establishing a new, statutory scheme for the financing and regulation of home-support services, which the Department of Health is currently developing.
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 Sláintecare reforms and on 27 April 2021, Government gave approval to draft a General Scheme and Heads of a Bill to establish a licensing framework for home support providers. In parallel to this, work is ongoing in relation to the development of a reformed model of service delivery for home support. Within this context, funding was secured in 2021 for the HSE to progress the roll-out of interRAI as the standard assessment tool for care-needs in the community; the pilot of a reformed model of service-delivery for home-support; and the establishment of a National Office for Home Support Services.
While the new home-support scheme is under development, the Government is prioritising improving access to home-support services. As part of Budget 2021, funding for an additional 5 million hours of home-support was provided. This increased investment will contribute to meeting the Programme for Government commitment to providing equitable access to home-support services.
There will, of course, always be people whose needs are best met in a residential care setting and the Nursing Homes Support Scheme, commonly referred to as Fair Deal, is a system of financial support for people who require long-term residential care.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented challenge across our health services and none more so than in our nursing homes. The Deputy will be aware that the Nursing Homes Expert Panel was established, on foot of a NPHET recommendation, to examine the complex issues surrounding the management of COVID-19 among this particularly vulnerable cohort. The Expert Panel report, which was published in August 2020, has added further to our knowledge and learning. This report clearly outlines the key protective measures that we must ensure are in place across our nursing homes. These actions are based on learning from our own and the international experience of COVID-19. The report also recommends additional analysis and examination of the relevant public health and other data sets in order that further causal and protective factors for COVID-19 clusters are identified.
Work to progress the recommendations of the Expert Panel report, particularly those recommendations requiring a priority focus in the response to COVID-19, is ongoing across health agencies and stakeholders. The recommendations of the report are varied and complex, are both short-, medium- and longer-term in nature, and require a mix of ongoing operational response to COVID-19 and a longer-term strategic reform. Those strategic reforms are, by their nature, complex and relate to whole of system issues.
At a broader level, there has been significant and ongoing consideration of this impact since the start of the pandemic, with various examinations and development of reports with a focus on COVID-19, its impact on nursing homes and the pandemic learnings that can inform future policy, regulation and the model of care for older persons. The significant examination undertaken by the Expert Panel provides important learning and a framework for enhancing older persons services both in the short and long-term and this work is progressing.
691. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Health the timeline for the resumption of indoor choir rehearsals. [43693/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs outlined in COVID-19: Reframing the Challenge, Continuing Our Recovery and Reconnecting, which was announced by Government on 31 August, from 20 September organised indoor group activities such as choirs, bands and music groups can take place with capacity limits of 100 people (with appropriate protective measures) where all patrons are immune (fully vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19 within previous 6 months). Where patrons have mixed immunity status, pods of up to 6 participants will be permitted with multiple pods permitted once appropriate social distancing can be maintained.
Based on the criteria of at or close to 90% of people 16 or over being fully vaccinated and having regard to the incidence and behaviour of the disease at that time, from 22 October onwards, restrictions will be lifted including restrictions on indoor leisure and community activities.
Since the onset of the pandemic, we have saved lives and limited the impact of the disease on society in Ireland due to the huge effort of people across the country. Thanks to the hard work of the Irish people and the progress of our vaccination programme, we are now entering a new phase in the management of the pandemic. As our approach to the management of COVID-19 transitions from population wide restrictions to guidance we must continue to practice basic preventative behaviours, including in relation to self-isolation and restricting movements when advised, observing good respiratory and hand hygiene, physical distancing and mask wearing when appropriate.
COVID-19: Reframing the Challenge, Continuing Our Recovery and Reconnecting can be found online: www.gov.ie/en/press-release/f5291-post-cabinet-statement-covid-19-reframing-the-challenge-continuing-our-recovery-and-reconnecting/
692. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Health if his Department plans to enable persons who received a vaccine dose (details supplied) to select a different manufacturer for their second dose. [43697/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe immunisation programme in Ireland is based on the advice of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC). The Committee's recommendations are based on the prevalence of the relevant disease in Ireland and international best practices in relation to immunisation. It makes recommendations on vaccination policy to my Department.The HSE has been advised to operationalise updated NIAC guidance in relation to the mixing of vaccines, specifically relating to certain people who are yet to complete a two-dose Covid-19 vaccine regimen.The NIAC advice on heterologous vaccination relates to:
- those who are contraindicated from taking a second vaccine dose of a viral vector vaccine (e.g. had a severe reaction to the first dose of Vaxzevira® (AstraZeneca)) should be offered a second dose of an mRNA vaccine.
- those who have already had the first dose of Vaxzevria® and who did not complete the vaccination schedule as recommended should be offered an mRNA second dose in line with their priority grouping or age cohort.
693. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Health his plans to address staffing shortages in the home care sector arising from the exclusion of home carers from the critical skills exemption to the non-EEA employment permit system. [43699/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government commits to the introduction of a statutory scheme to support people to live in their own homes, which will provide equitable access to high-quality, regulated home care. The Department of Health is in the process of developing a statutory scheme for the financing and regulation of home-support. It is intended that the new scheme will provide equitable and transparent access to high-quality services based on a person’s assessed care-needs.
As part of this work, my department is examining the potential demand and cost of introducing such a scheme. Following this, work will be undertaken to examine the associated workforce requirements for the introduction of such a scheme and officials from the department will engage with relevant stakeholders from other sectors as required.
The employment permits system operated by the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment is designed to facilitate the entry of appropriately skilled non-EEA nationals to fill skills and/or labour shortages. This objective must be balanced by the need to ensure that there are no suitably qualified Irish/EEA nationals available to undertake the work. The employment permits system is managed through the operation of the critical skills and the ineligible occupations lists which determine employments that are either in high demand or are ineligible for consideration for an employment permit.
The critical skills and ineligible occupation lists are reviewed twice a yearly in a process led by the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment. It is an evidence-based process that takes account of labour market conditions and submissions from sectors and other stakeholders together with contextual factors, including in the current context, COVID-19. The purpose of the system is to maximise the benefits of economic migration while minimising the risk of disrupting the Irish labour market.
The review of the occupations list for 2021 is currently underway and officials from my department will engage in discussions with officials from the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment in respect of submissions received relating to the health sector. The public consultation phase of this review commenced on 1st July 2021 with a closing date for submissions of Thursday, 12th August 2021. The submissions received from the home care sector will be considered in the context of this review.
694. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Health the number of Bills prepared by his Department since 27 June 2020; the number and title of those Bills that included a regulatory impact assessment; the title of the regulatory impact assessments that have been published by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43709/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy is not immediately available. I will survey the Department and the collated replies will be prepared into a full response to the Deputy as soon as possible.
695. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health if a person (details supplied) is in a position to avail of the National Treatment Purchase Fund for a knee replacement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43853/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) works with public hospitals, as opposed to with patients directly, to offer and provide the funding for treatment to clinically suitable long waiting patients who are on an inpatient/day case waiting list for surgery, having been referred on to such a list following clinical assessment by a consultant/specialist at an outpatient clinic.
The key criteria of the NTPF is the prioritisation of the longest waiting patients first. While the NTPF identifies patients eligible for NTPF treatment, it is solely on the basis of their time spent on the Inpatient/Daycase Waiting List. The clinical suitability of the patient to avail of NTPF funded treatment is determined by the public hospital.
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.
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.
696. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health the number of days the medical assessment unit in Nenagh General Hospital has been closed in 2021 as a result of staff shortages; if he will provide dates of closures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43854/21]
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.
697. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health the number of days the medical assessment unit in Nenagh General Hospital did not take patients when it was scheduled to do so to date in 2021 but did not officially announce it was closed; if he will provide details of these dates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43856/21]
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.
698. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health the number of days the medical assessment unit in Nenagh General Hospital rescheduled or cancelled an entire day’s appointments due to an inability to see patients as a result of staff shortages; if he will provide details of these dates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43857/21]
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.
699. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health if there was a day in 2021 when the medical assessment unit in Nenagh General Hospital did not see patients or take referrals due to staff shortages, resulting in an effective closure of the unit and no official announcement was made that the unit would be closed that day; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43859/21]
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.
700. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health if there is funding available to cover the cost of a person with special needs travelling by taxi to attend the Cashel day centre, County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43860/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Health and the HSE provide specialist disability services, including Day Services and Rehabilitative Training, to people with disabilities who require such services. The HSE has no statutory obligation to provide transport services and no funding is allocated for this. Transport is not considered a core health service and as such Day Service funding does not include transport.
Some transport supports are provided by the HSE or funded agencies on a discretionary basis, and a variety of transport solutions are pursued in different CHO areas. These include travel training by to enable public transport to be used upon commencement of a day programme (where applicable), local transport such as Local Link, private bus transport providers and taxis, funded via a combination of service provider, HSE funding, service user contribution, and / or combined funding; and some service providers provide transport where capacity exists.
In general, day service users are in receipt of disability allowance and are automatically entitled to the Free Travel Pass.
There are improvements in access to a range of transport supports available to persons with disabilities in the State, for example the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers scheme, operated by the Revenue Commissioners; the Free Travel Scheme operated by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection; and CLÁR funding, approved by the Minister for Rural and Community Development, to voluntary organisations providing transport for people with significant mobility issues.
Under the National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017 - 2021, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has responsibility for the continued development of accessibility and availability of accessible public transport.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
701. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health if the HSE has attempted to fill the vacant addiction counsellor position in Drummin House, Nenagh, County Tipperary; when this position will be filled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43861/21]
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.
702. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health when the consultant psychiatrist position in Drummin House, Nenagh, County Tipperary, will be filled on a full-time basis given that it is constantly being filled by a locum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43862/21]
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.
703. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health when respite services will return for service users of adult day care services in Thurles, County Tipperary, who attended a facility (details supplied) prior to the Covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43863/21]
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.
704. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health the criteria that must be met for a medical card to cover the cost of dentures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43864/21]
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.
705. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health if additional supports will be provided for early intervention services for children with a disability in north County Tipperary in the HSE mid-west region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43865/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra706. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health his plans to provide a temporary replacement for a speech and language therapist who is currently on maternity leave and who works in early intervention services for children with a disability in Nenagh, County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43866/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 705 and 706 together.
As these are service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
707. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health his views on whether it is acceptable that parents of children born with disabilities are being advised to remain in the care of hospital services often in Dublin for as long as possible rather than changing to local early intervention services in Nenagh, County Tipperary, due to short staffing in early intervention services in Nenagh; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43867/21]
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.
708. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health his views on whether there are adequate staffing levels in early intervention services in Nenagh, County Tipperary, for children with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43868/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra709. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health if he will appoint a person to oversee all early intervention services that are supposed to be made available to children with disabilities in the north County Tipperary area of the mid-west region in order that services are co-ordinated appropriately and parents receive proper communications; if so, if a person will be appointed to the role who has an understanding of the needs of such children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43869/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra710. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health if there is adequate funding of early intervention services for children with disabilities in north County Tipperary considering some physiotherapists are operating client lists of up to 500 children locally and many children cannot access the services they desperately need at an early age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43870/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 708 to 710, inclusive, together.
As these are service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
