Written Answers Nos. 610-632
611. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the current working hours of the ambulance service based at Buncrana, County Donegal; when the new ambulance base will be fully operative; and the hours that will be worked. [58735/21]
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.
612. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health the action he will take regarding parents being able to visit their child together in children's hospitals, particularly when the parents must travel to Dublin from places like County Kerry and one parent is currently forced to sit outside the hospital due to Covid-19 restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58736/21]
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.
613. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health the action he will take regarding parents who are faced with hearing a difficult diagnosis while their child is an inpatient in hospital but cannot currently meet with their child's consultant together due to Covid-19 restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58737/21]
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.
614. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if he will list the occasions over the past six months when he met a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58739/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra615. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if he will list the dates upon which he engaged in correspondence with a person (details supplied) over the past six months outlining the nature of the correspondence in question; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58740/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 614 and 615 together.
I have had numerous interactions and correspondence with Professor Mary Horgan in her role as the Chair of the Rapid Testing Expert Advisory Group.
Recently, Professor Horgan wrote to me on the 9 November and a copy of this correspondence is available at
www.gov.ie/en/collection/8b585-minutes-and-agendas-from-meetings-of-the-rapid-testing-expert-advisory-group/, as are the minutes of meetings and papers the Group has produced. Also, while it’s not correspondence, the RTEAG Interim Report was published in October and can be accessed at assets.gov.ie/202403/9a6d882f-aeb4-4795-be08-05efd06bf78c.pdf
616. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if the new arrangement in which a resident of a nursing home under the fair deal scheme can sell the home and still have the contribution capped at 22.5%, can allow a resident to sell his or her home in the first year after entering the home on condition that the 22.5% is put into a protected account from which the HSE will be able to draw down the annual contribution until the required contribution is fully made. [58746/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Nursing Homes Support Scheme (Amendment) Act 2021, which was signed into law on July 22nd and became operational from October 20th, introduced safeguards in the NHSS to further protect the viability and sustainability of family farms and businesses. The principal amendment of this Act ensures that where the owners of farms and businesses go into long-term residential care, their contributions against those assets will be capped at 3 years, providing that a named family successor commits to running the asset for a period of six years and certain other conditions are met.
It also includes an amendment in relation to applying the 3-year cap to the proceeds of sale of a house while a resident is in long-term care. This addresses the first relevant commitment in the Housing for All Strategy (action 19.7).
Within the NHSS, the asset value of a resident's home, known in the Scheme as the "principal residence", is assessed for 3 years, with 7.5% of its value going towards the cost of care (3.75% in the case of a couple). After 3 years on the scheme, the value of this property is no longer assessed. In practice, this generally reduces the nursing home fees of those maintaining their home, from year four onwards. However, under previous rules, if it was sold, the resulting cash asset was assessable in full for the entire length of stay in care. This could act as a disincentive for those who might otherwise consider selling their homes. The 2021 Act now extends the 3-year cap to cover the proceeds of sale, so that a person will be able to sell their home without incurring additional fees from the fourth year onwards.
A person is eligible for the 3-year cap on the proceeds of sale from their principal residence as long as the sale takes place at any time after they have started receiving long-term residential care services. However, the 3-year cap will only be applied to the proceeds of sale after 3 years in care. If a principal residence is sold, it is required that the HSE be notified within 10 working days, under Section 24 of the Nursing Home Support Scheme Act 2009. A re-assessment of an individual’s financial means may be required. If the principal residence is sold before the 3 year cap period is completed, the net proceeds of sale amount is used in the calculation of the client’s contribution to care until the three years has elapsed, and not the valuation of the residence on the date the resident entered care as would otherwise be the case.
Cash assets that are not the proceeds of the sale of a primary residence are not covered by the 3 year cap and these assets continue to be included in the NHSS financial assessment regardless of the amount of time an individual has spent in care.
It is also important to note that transferred assets are considered to be assessable under the scheme. Under the Nursing Home Support Scheme Act 2009, a transferred asset is defined as an asset that has been transferred at any time in the period of 5 years prior to the date on which an application for State support is first made by or on behalf of that person.
617. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will be issued an appointment. [58749/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder 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.
618. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Health the current staffing levels within the Wexford child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, services; the vacancies that are available in the Wexford CAMHS services; the vacancies that are currently with the national recruitment services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58751/21]
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.
619. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to delays in the processing of overseas applications at the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland; the steps he is taking to address such delays; the way in which the new digitised system MyNMBI, which was launched in September 2020, has contributed to these delays; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58754/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra620. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health if the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland is progressing applications to support the overseas nursing recruitment campaign, encompassing 300 nursing staff, being undertaken by the Saolta Group; the number of applications to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland received to date; the status of those applications in the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland system; if the first cohort of additional staff will be on the NMBI register in order to begin work with the Saolta Group in January 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58755/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra621. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health the number of registered ICU nurses recorded as practising in this area on the new digitised registration system MyNMBI that is maintained by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland, from September 2020 to date in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58756/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra659. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the purpose of the nursing registration fee; if he will outline the way the funds raised from the fee are spent; to whom the fee is paid; and the amount raised by the nursing registration fee in each of the past ten years. [58869/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 619 to 621, inclusive, and 659 together.
Responsibility for the regulation of nurses and midwives in Ireland rests with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI). The NMBI has a number of statutory obligations to protect the integrity of the practice of the professions of nursing and midwifery, and to protect the public. These obligations include:
- maintaining the Register of Nurses & Midwives,
- setting the standards for the education and training of nurses and midwives,
- approving programmes of education necessary for registration and specialisms and monitoring of these programmes on an ongoing basis,
- supporting registrants by providing appropriate guidance on professional conduct and ethics for both registered nurses and midwives, and
- conducting inquiries into complaints about registrants.
On 1 November 2021, there were 81,331 nurses and midwives on the NMBI Register. This is the highest ever number and is 2,003 or 2.5% above the 01 November 2020 figure of 79,328 registrants.
One of the cohorts of registrants on the NMBI register is nurses and midwives that have trained overseas. Along with the NMBI, I welcome these overseas applicants as they seek to join the health service workforce in the State.
NMBI is currently receiving an increasing number of applications from these nurses and midwives that trained overseas who wish to join the NMBI’s Register. In October 2020, 530 new overseas applications for registration were received. The monthly average number of overseas applications in 2021 is 399. This represents an increase of 55, or 16%, over the 2020 monthly average of 344. The numbers of overseas applications being processed to completion by the NMBI is also increasing. The 2021 monthly average number of registrations of overseas applicants is 292. This is 105, or 56%, above the 2020 monthly average of 187.
I am aware that the NMBI currently has a backlog of overseas applications to process. These delays are due to an increase in overseas applications and also an earlier business need which arose where the NMBI needed to divert registration staff to work on the change to the new digital annual renewal system MyNMBI, for it's introduction in September 2020 for the annual renewal process for 2021.
My Department is actively working with the NMBI to ensure all possible steps are being taken to minimise delays in the processing of overseas applications. The NMBI have advised that 95% of overseas applications received are found to be incomplete on first examination and therefore require extra processing. There are currently 3,815 open, incomplete applications with NMBI at various stages of the recognition process. These comprise 715 submitted but not yet progressed by NMBI, 1,065 where NMBI has contacted the applicant for more information and 2,035 where NMBI is progressing and in reviewing these, additional information/documents will be required in many cases. Since 01 October 2020, there have been 4,101 new overseas (non-EU) applications. Since that date there have been 3,073 overseas nurses and midwives registered for the first time in Ireland.
The NMBI recognises the urgency in processing and progressing all applications for registration, particularly in the current climate where additional staffing is required around the country. Intensive efforts are continuing to expedite these overseas applications and several new measures are now planned by NMBI including:
- additional resources,
- process improvements,
- applicant input and collaboration,
- updated NMBI guidance, and
- stakeholder communication and collaboration.
These measures will reduce the backlog and NMBI has informed my Department that it expects to see evidence of this before the end of Q1, 2022.
It is important to note that applications to join the Register are made by individual nurses and midwives. NMBI will continue to work with stakeholders across the health service to ensure they are doing all they can to facilitate recruitment, while continuing rigorous evaluating of information and thorough regulatory checks to ensure patient safety and the protection of the integrity of the professions.
In regard to the number of ICU nurses on the NMBI Register, that level of detail is not available on the MyNMBI system. The reason for this is that an ICU Nurse is not a HSE staffing category. Currently, an ICU nurse is categorised as a general nurse. There are currently 68,191 general nurses on the Register.
NMBI is an independent regulatory body established under the Nurses and Midwives Act 2011. While my Department is responsible for the oversight and governance of the NMBI, I have no role in setting or approving fees. Under the Nurses and Midwives Act 2011, the NMBI is required to be self-financing, and the income from the Annual Retention Fee, which is paid directly to the NMBI, is required to carry out the statutory obligations that I have outlined above. The current annual retention fee is €100 and is unchanged since 2014. This fee is NMBI’s main source of income.
The income from the annual registration fee, for the past 10 years, is set out in the table below:
|
Year |
ARF total |
|
2011 |
€5.425m |
|
2012 |
€5.835m |
|
2013 |
€5.366m |
|
2014 |
€6.263m |
|
2015 |
€6.225m |
|
2016 |
€6.183m |
|
2017 |
€6.365m |
|
2018 |
€6.753m |
|
2019 |
€7.163m |
|
2020 |
€7.454m |
622. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will receive an appointment to meet a consultant in order to be assessed at the South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital, Cork given the severity of the case. [58757/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder 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.
623. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health the breakdown of the additional funding provided in budget 2022 for an integrated community response to alcohol for the north inner city of Dublin, in tabular form. [58761/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn Budget 2022, an additional €6m was provided for new health measures to support the implementation of the national drugs strategy, Reducing Harm Supporting Recovery. This includes €0.49 million to establish a clinical community response to alcohol service in Dublin north city and county. A further €0.18 million is being provided for a tier three community alcohol service in Dublin north inner city.
The Department of Health has published a factsheet on the additional funding in Budget 2022 which can be found at www.gov.ie/en/publication/001fc-budget-2022-factsheet/. This includes a summary of the new health measures in tabular format.
The HSE National Service Plan 2022 will provide details on the allocation of the new funding.
I believe this new funding will strengthen the health-led approach to drug and alcohol use as set out in the Programme for Government and support the strategic priorities for 2021-2025 under the national drugs strategy, which I recently announced.
624. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the average wait time to see a doctor from the initial call for SouthDoc in Cork city at present, in October 2020 and October 2019, in tabular form. [58762/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra625. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the average wait time for a phone call from the nurse in SouthDoc in Cork city at present, in October 2020 and October 2019, in tabular form. [58763/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 624 and 625 together.
The average wait times to see a doctor, and for a phone call from the nurse, for SouthDoc in Cork city are detailed below:
|
Year |
Average of Doctor wait time (October) |
|
2019 |
01:39:28 |
|
2020 |
01:24:17 |
|
2021 |
01:11:39 |
|
Year |
Average of Nurse wait time (October) |
|
2019 |
00:16:25 |
|
2020 |
00:17:43 |
|
2021 |
00:18:37 |
626. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if the HSE raised concerns with a hospice and care services (details supplied) about the funding of posts and the losses recorded in the restaurants in locations in 2016, 2017 and 2018; the actions, sanctions or measures the HSE took on foot of those concerns to deal with the losses recorded; and if the HSE requested or conducted an audit connected with these losses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58764/21]
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.
627. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number and percentage of emergency department attendances that are admitted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58768/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis report is sourced from Patient Experience Time data received from the HSE.
PET data is reported by 31 sites in the Republic of Ireland, 29 acute hospitals with Emergency Departments and, for historical reasons, also 2 Minor Injury Units (St Michael's House and Louth County Hospital).
|
Year |
Month |
Emergency Department Attendees |
Emergency Department Admissions |
Percentage Admitted |
|
2018 |
January |
108,426 |
29,987 |
27.66 |
|
2018 |
February |
117,481 |
27,053 |
26.82 |
|
2018 |
March |
113,767 |
28,762 |
26.81 |
|
2018 |
April |
84,326 |
28,465 |
25.67 |
|
2018 |
May |
100,867 |
29,944 |
25.01 |
|
2018 |
June |
106,286 |
27,578 |
24.84 |
|
2018 |
July |
106,678 |
28,849 |
25.47 |
|
2018 |
August |
83,470 |
28,905 |
26.16 |
|
2018 |
September |
107,264 |
28,271 |
25.97 |
|
2018 |
October |
117,588 |
30,061 |
26.17 |
|
2018 |
November |
83,185 |
29,635 |
26.64 |
|
2018 |
December |
107,913 |
30,934 |
27.73 |
|
2019 |
January |
110,869 |
31,767 |
27.04 |
|
2019 |
February |
115,006 |
27,965 |
26.31 |
|
2019 |
March |
73,968 |
30,097 |
25.60 |
|
2019 |
April |
118,879 |
29,357 |
25.53 |
|
2019 |
May |
119,706 |
29,830 |
25.07 |
|
2019 |
June |
118,996 |
27,395 |
25.18 |
|
2019 |
July |
97,867 |
29,569 |
25.42 |
|
2019 |
August |
114,606 |
28,278 |
25.05 |
|
2019 |
September |
111,036 |
28,272 |
24.53 |
|
2019 |
October |
108,814 |
29,278 |
25.13 |
|
2019 |
November |
105,052 |
29,188 |
25.48 |
|
2019 |
December |
118,670 |
30,719 |
25.69 |
|
2020 |
January |
113,270 |
29,482 |
25.91 |
|
2020 |
February |
116,317 |
26,699 |
25.03 |
|
2020 |
March |
111,278 |
22,278 |
26.78 |
|
2020 |
April |
128,473 |
20,538 |
27.77 |
|
2020 |
May |
110,508 |
24,960 |
25.50 |
|
2020 |
June |
112,903 |
26,764 |
25.48 |
|
2020 |
July |
110,856 |
27,883 |
25.06 |
|
2020 |
August |
122,430 |
27,445 |
24.76 |
|
2020 |
September |
108,868 |
27,618 |
24.67 |
|
2020 |
October |
115,233 |
26,461 |
26.14 |
|
2020 |
November |
111,941 |
26,290 |
25.72 |
|
2020 |
December |
126,760 |
25,109 |
26.51 |
|
2021 |
January |
114,875 |
23,867 |
28.30 |
|
2021 |
February |
116,526 |
22,776 |
27.29 |
|
2021 |
March |
101,224 |
27,686 |
25.66 |
|
2021 |
April |
127,518 |
28,070 |
23.61 |
|
2021 |
May |
111,255 |
27,336 |
23.85 |
|
2021 |
June |
114,533 |
26,587 |
22.40 |
|
2021 |
July |
102,236 |
28,678 |
22.32 |
|
2021 |
August |
89,274 |
28,495 |
23.27 |
|
2021 |
September |
111,536 |
28,652 |
22.60 |
|
2021 |
October |
119,575 |
29,976 |
23.51 |
|
2021 |
November (to date) |
94,733 |
21,001 |
23.52 |
628. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number and percentage of emergency department admissions that are not immediately assigned a bed at each location; the average length of time people spend waiting to be assigned a bed at each location; the maximum wait time for a bed at each emergency department, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58770/21]
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.
629. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the dimensions of each resident bedroom in a facility in Midleton, County Cork; and the number of resident bathrooms in the facility. [58771/21]
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.
630. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Health the actions a person is required to take after a Covid-19 certificate of recovery expires after 180 days; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58777/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe EU Digital COVID Certificate is a document which is issued to help facilitate the safe and free international movement of people across the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic. The scope and details to be included in each Digital COVID Certificate has been agreed at EU level and is standardized across the EU to allow for complete interoperability.
The dataset to be included in each Digital COVID Certificate is specified in Annex I of the EU Digital COVID Certificate Regulation. The dataset for a certificate of recovery includes the requirement that it is a ‘certificate valid until (not more than 180 days after the date of first positive NAAT test result)’.
631. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health his plans to prioritise the publication of the national stroke strategy along with a fully funded implementation plan; the timeline for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58788/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise that the Health Service Executive’s proposed National Stroke Strategy 2021-2026 was presented at the HSE Chief Clinical Officer Clinical Forum at its meeting in July 2021 and was subsequently approved by the Forum, following some minor changes. The HSE advise that it is due for review by the HSE Executive Management Team in the near future.
I further understand from the HSE that a meeting is being arranged with the Chief Clinical Officer, Clinical Lead for the Stroke Programme, National Lead for Integrated Care and additional key stakeholders to discuss the Stroke Strategy. This meeting will inform the date for publication with regard to organisational strategy, planning and implementation. Funding will also be considered in this context. This is to ensure that the service delivery requirements outlined in the Stroke Strategy are integrated with other programmes of work and will support the National Service Plan for 2022.
632. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in issuing a medical report from Mullingar General Hospital for a person (details supplied). [58789/21]
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.
