Written Answers Nos. 703-725
703. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the number of clinical staff vacancies by staff grade currently for Letterkenny University Hospital; the length of time of each vacancy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59002/21]
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 Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the number of additional beds that will be made operational in Letterkenny University Hospital under the winter plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59003/21]
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.
706. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the number of planned surgeries that have been cancelled in Letterkenny University Hospital over each of the past six months as a result of bed capacity issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59005/21]
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.
707. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the annual budget allocated to each hospital in the state over each of the past five years; if additional current funding has been requested for any individual hospital or hospital group; the reason for the additional funding request; the response of his Department to each request; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59006/21]
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 Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the total number of home care hours applied for in the HSE CHO1 area of County Donegal; the total number granted in tabular form over each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59007/21]
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.
709. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the primary care plans for the HSE CHO1 area of County Donegal; the progress to date on each project; the timeframe for delivery of each project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59008/21]
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.
710. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the average wait time for approval of a home care application; the level of delayed discharges from Letterkenny University Hospital while waiting on a home care package or community bed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59009/21]
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.
711. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the number of community hospital beds in County Donegal available to patients on discharge from acute hospitals; if he plans to increase community bed capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59010/21]
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.
712. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if persons living in the state who received the vaccine abroad, or other Covid-19 vaccines not within the recognised EMU four (details supplied) are counted in the Government’s figures as being vaccinated or not vaccinated; if they are tracking these; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59025/21]
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.
713. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to problems with the close contact notification system of the HSE in that it does not recognise foreign mobile numbers and therefore many migrant workers in factories around the country who often retain their home phone numbers could be oblivious of the fact that they may have been in contact with someone who had contracted Covid-19 and the need for them to have a PCR test themselves; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59033/21]
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.
714. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken to ensure that migrant workers flying into Ireland are being made fully aware of the Covid-19 health guidelines being their employers, their agencies and their hosts; the checks that are being carried out by HAS or HSE Covid-19 compliance staff to ensure that the guidelines in factory settings especially are being complied with; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59034/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health and Safety Authority, under the aegis of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, has the lead role in coordinating the cross- Government response to checking workplace compliance with the Work Safely Protocol. The Work Safely Protocol is a revision of the Return to Work Safely Protocol published in May 2020. The revised Protocol incorporates the current advice on the Public Health measures needed to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the community and workplaces and sets out detailed guidance for all workplaces, including checklists for inspections.
The Protocol is a general document applicable to all sectors. It sets out the minimum measures required in every place of work to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to facilitate the reopening of workplaces following temporary closures and the ongoing safe operation of those workplace. Further information on the Protocol is available at:- www.gov.ie/en/publication/bb7fd-work-safely-protocol/
The Health and Safety Authority has continued to carry out compliance checks across all workplace sectors, in particular in food processing plants, recognising these areas are particularly high risk. There have been very close interactions with this sector throughout the pandemic, to ensure they are in compliance with Covid guidelines. In addition, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine veterinary inspectors and other inspectorate staff are carrying out compliance checks in the various food businesses under their remit. The level of compliance found by the Health and Safety Authority and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine inspections continues to be high in food plants.
In addition to the above, a programme of serial testing of employees continues to be carried out by the HSE in food businesses with more than 50 employees. That testing programme is now in its 16th cycle of 4 weekly testing in food plants.
My Department and the HSE launched a COVID-19 communications campaign to encourage safe behaviours as we learn to live with COVID-19. The campaign encourages people to continue the safe behaviours of hand washing, physical distancing, wearing face coverings, covering coughs and sneezes and downloading the COVID Tracker app.
The campaign also includes radio adverts on all Irish commercial stations and on Spotify, Youtube, and social media messages on all HSE and Department of Health social media accounts. The campaign has been extended to include TV advertising, and spots on online players.
Further information on the campaigns can be found at:
www.hse.ie/eng/services/news/newsfeatures/covid19-updates/partner-resources
715. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health the planning that is in place within the health service to deal with long-Covid-19 in the population in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59041/21]
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.
716. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health his plans to increase bed capacity and address the overcrowding crisis in Portiuncula Hospital as part of the Saolta Hospital Group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59042/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraPortiuncula University Hospital, like many hospitals, is dealing with increasing levels of attendances to its Emergency Department. This increase is resulting in a higher number of admissions to the hospital. The care needs of many of these patients require a greater length of stay in hospital. Covid-19 is also continuing to have a significant impact on bed capacity, either in caring for patients with the virus directly, or as a result of bed closures caused by Covid restrictions.
Bed capacity has also been impacted by staffing resources. A significant overseas Nursing recruitment campaign is being progressed by the Saolta Group with the intention of having additional resources coming into the service within the next 3 months. Interviews are on-going at present, with an expected arrival date of January 2022 for the first tranche of nurses.
The design of a 12 bedded isolation ward in a vacated area of the hospital is progressing and it is expected that this work will be completed in 2022.
In addition, a new ward block development will provide a 50-bed replacement ward. Tenders are due in for this work in December, with the intention of awarding a contract early in 2022.
In addition, the Saolta Group is working with colleagues in Community Healthcare West and Community Healthcare Organisation 1 to enhance community care, particularly in relation to respiratory, diabetes and older peoples services. This will help to reduce the number of future admissions to the hospital.
717. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health the number of capital funding requests submitted to his Department from Portiuncula Hospital specifically to address the issue of bed capacity over the past three years; the amount requested; the amount provided by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59043/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for capital funding requests, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
718. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health the number of new acute beds that have been provided to Portiuncula Hospital in the past two years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59044/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraSaolta Hospital Group advise that no new acute beds were provided to Portiuncula University Hospital in the past two years. However, the design of a 12 bedded isolation ward in a vacated area of the hospital is progressing, and it is expected that this work will be completed in 2022.
In addition, a new ward block development will provide a 50-bed replacement ward. Tenders are due in for this work in December, with the intention of awarding a contract early in 2022.
719. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health the number of clinical staff vacancies by staff grade currently for Portiuncula Hospital; the length of time of each vacancy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59045/21]
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.
720. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health the number of additional beds that will be made operational in Portiuncula Hospital under the winter plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59046/21]
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.
721. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health the number of planned surgeries that have been cancelled in Portiuncula Hospital over each of the past six months as a result of bed capacity issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59047/21]
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.
722. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health the total number of home care hours applied for by CHO; the total number granted over each of the past five years in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59048/21]
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.
723. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health if he will outline primary care plans for CHO area 2; the progress to date on each project; the timeframe for delivery of each project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59049/21]
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.
724. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health the average wait time for approval of a home care application; the level of delayed discharges from Portiuncula Hospital while waiting on a home care package or community bed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59050/21]
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.
725. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health the number of community hospital beds in Roscommon and Galway available to patients on discharge from acute hospitals; his plans to increase community bed capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59051/21]
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.
