Written Answers Nos. 199-218
199. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health when a child (details supplied) in County Kerry will receive a date for an assessment by CAMHS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57804/21]
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.
200. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health his views on the impact of the current Covid-19 surge on outpatient waiting lists; and the way he plans to tackle same. [57806/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been impacted in the last twenty months as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic and more recently as a result of the ransomware attack. While significant progress was made in reducing waiting times from June 2020 onwards, the surge in Covid-19 cases in the first quarter of 2021 and the associated curtailment of acute hospital services, coupled with the ransomware attack of May 2021, has impacted waiting times.
The current surge in Covid-19 cases has put increasing pressures on hospitals and ICUs. As part of the response to this the HSE has advised all Hospital Groups to take a series of immediate actions which include a 14 day period of prioritising unscheduled care, COVID care and time sensitive work in particular in Model 4 hospitals. The situation is to be reviewed after that period.
On the 7th October I published the Acute Waiting List Action Plan. This plan, to run until December 2021, has a series of targeted measures that are designed to address the growth in waiting lists caused by Covid-19 and the cyber-attack.
In addition, my Department, the HSE and the NTPF are also working on a Multi Annual Waiting List Plan to bring waiting lists in line with Sláintecare targets over the coming years. This process will be overseen by a Ministerial Taskforce, chaired by the Secretary General of my Department and includes representatives from the HSE and National Treatment Purchase Fund. The plan will be informed by the lessons learned from the successful Vaccine Taskforce.
For 2022 an additional allocation of €250 million, comprised of €200 million to the HSE and €50 million to the National Treatment Purchase Fund has been provided in respect of work to reduce hospital and community waiting lists. The €250 million will be used to fund additional activity in both the public and private sectors. The €50 million additional funding provided to the NTPF brings its total allocation for 2022 to €150 million, and as a consequence there will be a budget of €350 million available to support vital initiatives to improve access to acute hospitals and community health services.
201. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Health if he will advise on a matter raised in correspondence by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57807/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this an operational matter, I have asked the the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy, as soon as possible.
202. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the number of complaints received in which a person is dissatisfied with an assessment of needs and a lack of follow-up service in circumstances in which an assessment of needs has been completed and the assessment identifies the need for the provision of a service in each year from 2016 to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57808/21]
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.
203. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if an application has been received by the HSE to register a product as an exempt medicinal product (details supplied); when a decision on reimbursement will be made on this process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57841/21]
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.
204. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the status of the proposed legislative amendment which will allow cannabis based-products available in the UK to be considered for inclusion on the Medical Cannabis Access Programme (details supplied); when he expects this legislation to be implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57842/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Misuse of Drugs (Prescription and Control of Supply of Cannabis for Medical Use) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 262/2019) in the definition “specified controlled drugs” the cannabis product or prepararion must be one:
(d) which is permitted to be sold or supplied for medical purposes by the relevant public or state body of a Member State other than the State,
(e) which is currently supplied to patients in the Member State referred to in sub-paragraph (d),
(f) which is packaged and labelled in the English language and in accordance with guidance on labelling and packaging as published by the Authority, and
(g) which is specified in Schedule 1;
Member state is defined as "a state which is a contracting party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area signed in Oporto on 2 May 1992, as adjusted by the Protocol to that Agreement done at Brussels on 17 March 1993"
The United Kingdom is not included in the definition as it is no longer a Member State.
The proposed legislative amendment referred to is the subject of ongoing discussions between officials in the Department of Health and the Health Products Regulatory Authority.
205. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if the position regarding frontline healthcare workers who are household close contacts will be clarified; if they need to restrict movements, that is, stay at home until they have three negative antigen test results within five days; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57843/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy in relation to this matter.
206. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to calls for a new coordinator to be appointed in a facility (details supplied); if a timeline and hiring process can be outlined for this vacancy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57844/21]
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.
207. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the National Gender Service multidisciplinary team; when it will become operational; and the approximate timeframe expected to get an appointment for a 16-year-old based in County Wicklow, first referred to a similar service in the United Kingdom in August 2020 by CAMHS. [57852/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe matters raised by the Deputy are operational in nature and I have referred the matter to the HSE for direct reply.
208. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the campaign and recent results of a survey published by a group (details supplied) seeking amongst other things a ban on alcohol advertising prior to the watershed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57853/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI welcome the evidence from this survey that there is strong public support for measures to reduce the advertising of alcohol products, especially alcohol advertising seen by our children.
Section 19 of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 provides for a broadcast watershed for alcohol advertisements on television and radio. It has not yet been commenced as it requires further engagement on compliance and enforcement issues with the Environmental Health Service of the HSE and the Broadcast Authority of Ireland .
Work on commencement of section 19 and other sections of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act was suspended throughout 2020 and much of 2021 due to resources being diverted to COVID-19 related areas of work. That work has now restarted.
209. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the overall number of persons in Ireland that have been diagnosed with Covid-19 to date; the percentage of the population this accounts for; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57860/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs of midnight on 17th November 2021 , There have been 515,691 cases notified to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC). This represents 10.3% of the current population (based on the CSO's 2021 population estimate).
More information on the latest COVID-19 statistics is available on Ireland's COVID-19 Data at: covid19ireland-geohive.hub.arcgis.com/.
210. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who have been diagnosed with long-Covid after contracting the virus; the main symptoms which persons are being treated for; the number of persons that suffer from each of these long-term effects in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57861/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter.
211. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of functioning staffed ICU beds in the State for each of the past 10 years. [57875/21]
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.
212. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of management staff working in the HSE for each of the past 10 years. [57876/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service issue I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.
213. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of administration staff in the HSE for each of the past 10 years. [57877/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service issue I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.
214. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of repeat tests undertaken by the HSE every month on the basis of the first test being inconclusive and separately after the first test is positive. [57878/21]
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.
215. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the number of vaccines wasted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57879/21]
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.
216. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health if privately owned recreational centres that offer facilities such as a gym and sauna can request proof of a Covid-19 vaccination from potential patrons and refuse entry if it cannot be proven that the potential patron is not fully vaccinated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57880/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraConditions for entry to privately owned premises are not a matter for the Department of Health however it is our understanding that privately owned premises are free to set their own terms and conditions for entry to their premises.
217. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health if he will make it mandatory for premises to check photo identification when checking EU Digital COVID Certificates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57885/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraResponsibility for ensuring that only permitted persons access relevant indoor premises rests with the indoor operator who must satisfy themselves that any person seeking to enter a relevant indoor premises is a permitted person. This is provided for in Section 31AB(3)(a) of the Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 2021 which requires indoor operators to take “reasonable steps (including by inspecting such documents, if any, as may be prescribed in regulations under subsection (4)) to ensure that a person other than a permitted person is not admitted to a relevant indoor premises”.
The Health Act 1947 (Sections 31AB and 31AD) (Covid-19) (Operation of certain indoor premises) Regulations 2021 (S.I. No. 385 of 2021) provide that “an indoor operator may, for the purposes of establishing that a person seeking to enter a relevant indoor premises is, or a child accompanying the person is, a permitted person, in accordance with section 31AB(4)(d)(ii) of the Act of 1947, request the following information or proof:
(a) For the purposes of paragraph (a) of the definition of “permitted person” in section 2 of the Health Act, 1947, proof of immunity together with a proof of identity which enables the operator to satisfy himself or herself that the proof of immunity relates to that person;”
Taking the above into consideration, the indoor operator is required to take reasonable steps to ensure that only permitted persons are allowed access relevant indoor premises. S.I. No. 385 of 2021 provides indoor operators with the authority to request proof of identity to enable them to satisfy themselves that the proof of immunity relates to the person proffering it.
If the indoor operator can satisfy themselves that the proof of immunity relates to the person proffering it without recourse to proof of identification (for example in the case of a regular customer whose identity is known, or a person who had already been in the restaurant and stepped out momentarily), then proof of identity need not be requested. Accordingly, it is at the discretion of the indoor operator in question to ask but only if they do not need proof of identity to satisfy themselves that the proof of immunity relates to the person proffering it.
218. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the considerations that were made in the Covid-19 pass system for persons who are medically advised against receiving a Covid-19 vaccination. [57890/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe current high level of COVID-19 infection and the dominance of the significantly more transmissible Delta variant poses a very substantial threat, particularly to those who are not fully protected through vaccination. Public health advice remains that those who are not fully vaccinated should avoid congregated indoor settings for their own and others safety. The National Public Health Emergency Team gave some consideration to the issues arising for those people that can’t receive a COVID-19 vaccine for medical reasons as part of its discussions on the 18th October 2021 on the continuing response to COVID-19 and the extension of Covid Pass arrangements. The matter is being given further consideration. The Deputy may wish to be aware that on 15 July, NIAC made a recommendation, which was endorsed by the Chief Medical Officer and accepted by the Minister for Health that while the preference was for homologous vaccination regimens (using the same vaccine as part of a two dose regime) that selective use of heterologous vaccination schedules (two different vaccines used as part of two dose regime) should be permitted where a second vaccine dose of a homologous regimen is contraindicated, irrespective of whether the first dose was an mRNA or adenoviral vector vaccine. NIAC in conjunction with the RCPI and the Irish Association of Allergy and Immunology have prepared a guide to aid vaccinators and other healthcare workers on how to advise allergic individuals in respect of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, this guide is available here: rcpi-live-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/FAQs-about-COVID19-Vaccines-and-Allergies_12August2021.pdf.
