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Thursday, 24 Feb 2022

Written Answers Nos. 445-459

Disability Services

Ceisteanna (448, 449, 450)

Pauline Tully

Ceist:

448. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health the staff turnover of audiologists within children’s disability services in each of the years 2017 to 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10812/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Pauline Tully

Ceist:

449. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health the number of HSE employees working within children’s disability network teams in each of the years 2017 to 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10813/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Pauline Tully

Ceist:

450. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health if staff working within children’s disability network teams are currently given the opportunity to work additional hours for additional pay on a voluntary basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10814/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 448 to 450, inclusive, together.

As the Deputy's questions relate to operational issues, they have been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Question No. 449 answered with Question No. 448.
Question No. 450 answered with Question No. 448.

Medicinal Products

Ceisteanna (451)

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

451. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the timeline the medicines management programme is working towards for completion of its examination of the appropriateness and feasibility of a patient-specific arrangement for a product (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10815/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

As this is a service matter I have asked the HSE to reply directly to the Deputy, as soon as possible.

Medicinal Products

Ceisteanna (452)

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

452. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the timeline the women's health task force is working towards for completion of its examination of funding options for a product (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10816/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Important work to support women’s needs in this area has commenced in the HSE and officials are engaged with the HSE to progress this work in line with the Ministers request for urgent consideration of this matter, with the HSE now considering if there are potential reimbursement options. This is a key first step in considering options which can better support women suffering with hyperemesis in Ireland.

The Department and the HSE are fully committed to a programme of work on Women’s Health, in particular Maternal Health. While the Women’s Health Taskforce does not have a role in medicinal approvals, licensing or reimbursement given the expert nature of those issues, support for hyperemesis can be prioritised within the wider women’s health programme in the health sector, in this case through HSE led activity as outlined above. Officials in both organisations are working to identify all of the available options to support this cohort of women.

Departmental Meetings

Ceisteanna (453)

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

453. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the engagements he has had with an advocacy group (details supplied); the steps he is taking to provide support to persons with hyperemesis while the women's health task force and medicines management programme are examining a product (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10817/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

While I have not to date directly engaged to date with the advocacy group referenced, I have asked my officials to meet with them.

Important work to support women’s needs in this area has commenced in the HSE and officials are engaged with the HSE to progress this work in line with the Minister's request for urgent consideration of this matter. Specifically, HSE are now considering if there are potential reimbursement options based on the Medicines Management Programme recommendations.

My Department and the HSE are continuing to work closely together on this issue. This is a key first step in considering options which can better support women suffering with hyperemesis in Ireland.

Care of the Elderly

Ceisteanna (454)

Pádraig O'Sullivan

Ceist:

454. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the planned development and refurbishment of the former Monasterevin day care centre; when the tender documents that are expected to issue in quarter 1 2022 will be issued; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10818/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

As the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.

Hospital Staff

Ceisteanna (455)

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

455. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the negotiations on a new consultant contract; the dates on which negotiations have taken place over the past six months; if he has appointed a new Independent chair since the previous chair became unavailable last month; the timescale to which he is working to complete these negotiations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10822/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The Government is committed to introducing the Sláintecare Consultant Contract to hospital consultants in our health service at the soonest available opportunity. The Sláintecare Contract is currently the subject of engagement with the representative bodies. As this talks process has not concluded, it would not be appropriate to make public details about them at this time, save to say that I, my officials and the HSE are committed to introducing a new contract as soon as practicable.

Health Service Executive

Ceisteanna (456)

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

456. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a list of staff in the Sláintecare PMO office in February 2021 and a current list of staff; the person who is currently leading this office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10823/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

As set out in previous replies, responsibility for the implementation of Sláintecare projects is now devolved to a senior leadership team within my Department. All units within the Department are responsible for the implementation of Sláintecare while Individual members of the Department’s Management Board at Deputy Secretary and Assistant Secretary level are directly driving implementation of the 11 Projects of the Sláintecare Implementation Strategy & Action Plan 2021-2023 and who in turn are reporting progress to the Sláintecare Programme Board co-chaired by the Secretary-General of the Department of Health and the CEO of the HSE. The PMO function, that supports, coordinates progress reporting, and ensures integration across these projects, also reports to an Assistant Secretary, supported by 2 Principal Officers, a Higher Executive Officer, an Administrative Officer, two Executive Officers and by an externally sourced PMO Manager at Principal Officer grade equivalent.

State Claims Agency

Ceisteanna (457)

David Cullinane

Ceist:

457. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 680 of 1 February 2022, the amount and value of payments made by each acute hospital for damages, broken down by the location, claim type and payment type, that is, claim payout, legal costs and so on, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10833/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The 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 information requested by the Deputy is not readily available. However, I have asked the State Claims Agency to provide this, and I understand that it will be collated shortly. I will respond directly to the Deputy on receipt of this.

Island Communities

Ceisteanna (458)

Thomas Pringle

Ceist:

458. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of island communities in relation to funding under the Operational Programme of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund; the reason a specific line for island fisheries was not included given they are recognised by the European Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10525/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

My Department's European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Programme 2014-20 has been in place since 2015 and is nearing its end, with almost all funds committed. I am assuming instead that the Deputy is meaning to refer to the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund 2021-2027 (EMFAF), the successor to the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund 2014-2020 (EMFF), for which the new establishing regulation was enacted on 7 July 2021.

Ireland's Seafood Development Programme under the new EMFAF is being developed by my Department at present and I expect to submit it to the Commission later this year for its adoption. Work is progressing well, informed by a number of engagements with stakeholders to date. There will be a final public consultation on the draft Programme and SEA Environmental Report in the second half of this year, and stakeholders for island communities will have the opportunity to further input their views on the Programme's content and priorities for funding.

The content and structure of the new Programme is being developed in accordance with the specific requirements of the EMFAF Regulation and also the Common Provisions Regulation (2021/1060) which specifies requirements for each of the EU Funds. I note that the only reference to islands in the Regulation is in the context of Priority 3 of the EMFAF Regulation, which provides that the Programme shall, in the context of community led local development, pursue an objective of 'enabling a sustainable blue economy in coastal, island and inland areas'.

Common Fisheries Policy

Ceisteanna (459)

Thomas Pringle

Ceist:

459. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way the terms of reference of the Review of the Common Fisheries Policy were decided by his Department; the way the terms of reference will influence the negotiating position of Ireland in the review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10526/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) Regulation (Regulation EU 380/2013) provides that the European Commission will report to the European Parliament and the Council on the functioning of the CFP by the end of 2022.

On 17th December 2021, the European Commission launched an online questionnaire as part of its public consultation on the preparation of this report. The questionnaire has been circulated to Member States and the Advisory Councils and is also publicly available so that all stakeholders and members of the public may contribute.

The Commission advise that it will work over the coming period to engage with Member states and stakeholders and will hold a stakeholder event before the summer of 2022.

On 9 February, I established a national Common Fisheries Policy Review Group to examine the issues that arise for Ireland in the context of the CFP Review, to advise me on priorities for the negotiations and to identify strategies most likely to influence the outcome of the review. I have invited fisheries stakeholder groups, including Producer Organisations, the National Inshore Fisheries Forum, the Aquaculture industry, Co-Ops, the Seafood processing industry and environmental NGOs, to nominate a representative to this group.

The CFP Review Group will be chaired by Mr John Malone, former Secretary General of the Department of Agriculture. Mr. Malone will be assisted by a steering committee comprising Mr Micheál Ó Cinnéide, former Director of the Marine Institute and Environmental Protection Agency and Mr Donal Maguire, former Director in BIM. I have asked the Review Group to complete its work by June to ensure that Ireland’s priorities are clearly set out and inputted into the formal Commission process.

I set out in my announcement the Terms of Reference to help focus the work of the Group, given the short timeframe involved, and to build on the work done by the Seafood Sector Taskforce, which delivered its final report to me last October.

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