Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Tuesday, 22 Mar 2022

Written Answers Nos. 935-957

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Ceisteanna (935)

Alan Dillon

Ceist:

935. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Health the details of the Covid-19 recognition payment; when it will be paid; the frontline workers and healthcare workers that will be included in the scheme; the amount of Exchequer funding that will be ring fenced for these payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14376/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Firstly I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all healthcare workers for their efforts during this most challenging period.

The Government announced a COVID-19 recognition payment for frontline public sector healthcare workers, to recognise their unique role during the pandemic. The payment of €1,000 will not be subject to income tax, USC, or PRSI. The measure will be ring fenced to staff ordinarily onsite in COVID-19 exposed healthcare environments within the period between 1 March 2020 and 30 June 2021. It is estimated that the measure will cost €100 million as shall apply to an estimated 100,000 eligible public sector healthcare workers.

This payment will be made to those eligible public sector frontline healthcare staff (inclusive of agency staff working for the HSE) who worked in clinical settings (e.g. – and noting this list is not exhaustive: those Doctors / Nurses / Health Care Assistants / Porters / Cleaners etc. that work in clinical settings. The measure encompasses Health Care Support Assistants (also known as Home Carers / Home Help) employed by or carrying out duties contracted to the HSE.

The Department of Health will also introduce a measure for making a similar payment to staff in private sector nursing homes and hospices that were affected by Covid-19.

The Department and the HSE are currently consulting with health sector trade unions on this matter. This consultation is part of the Department and HSE’s objective to finalise the application of this measure fairly. Upon conclusion of consultations with the trade unions, full details of the application process, FAQs and other particulars including how the pro-rata shall apply shall be published by the HSE.

Though noting the above work is still ongoing, it is envisaged that the process for paying eligible public sector healthcare workers will commence this month. For eligible healthcare workers in private sector nursing homes and hospices, noting the additional complexities involved, it is envisaged the process will commence in the second quarter of this year.

Disability Services

Ceisteanna (936, 941)

Pauline Tully

Ceist:

936. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health the breakdown of the additional 375 posts created in children’s disability services in the past two budgets as outlined in Dáil Éireann on 8 March 2022 in terms of the number of these positions that have been filled; the grade of each position; the total amount of funding provided; the details of the positions that remain vacant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14377/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Pauline Tully

Ceist:

941. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health her plans to address the shortfall of 400 staff in children’s disability services as outlined by him in Seanad Éireann in October 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14382/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 936 and 941 together.

As these are service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Health Services Staff

Ceisteanna (937, 939, 940)

Pauline Tully

Ceist:

937. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health the number of senior grade posts that will be appointed to children’s disability services as indicated in Dáil Éireann on 8 March 2022; the total amount of funding provided; the timeline for the appointments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14378/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Pauline Tully

Ceist:

939. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health the number of the administrative staff posts for children’s disability services announced in Budget 2022 that have been filled to date; if the HSE plans to fill any further positions in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14380/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Pauline Tully

Ceist:

940. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health her plans to recruit and deploy assistant psychologists for children’s disability services as indicated in Dáil Éireann on 8 March 2022; the number of these posts that were sanctioned and issued to his Department in 2021; the number of these posts that have been filled to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14381/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 937, 939 and 940 together.

As these are service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Disabilities Assessments

Ceisteanna (938)

Pauline Tully

Ceist:

938. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health the number of children who have been referred for further assessment after receiving a preliminary team assessment under the standard operating procedure for assessment of need; the waiting times for completion of the further assessment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14379/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Question No. 939 answered with Question No. 937.
Question No. 940 answered with Question No. 937.
Question No. 941 answered with Question No. 936.

Departmental Legal Cases

Ceisteanna (942, 943, 944)

Pauline Tully

Ceist:

942. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health the number of cases that have been taken against the State in each year since 2005 under the Disability Act 2005 for overdue assessment of need; the amount in legal costs paid by the State; the overall number of settlements awarded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14383/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Pauline Tully

Ceist:

943. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health the number of current or open cases being taken against the State under the Disability Act 2005 for overdue assessment of need; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14384/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Pauline Tully

Ceist:

944. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health the timeframe for the completion of the review of the standard operating procedure for assessments of needs; if he has received interim reports; if so, the date on which any such reports were received; if he published any interim reports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14385/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 942 to 944, inclusive, together.

As these are service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Question No. 943 answered with Question No. 942.
Question No. 944 answered with Question No. 942.

Hospital Appointments Status

Ceisteanna (945)

Eoin Ó Broin

Ceist:

945. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive an appointment for surgery. [14394/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

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.

Hospital Waiting Lists

Ceisteanna (946)

Eoin Ó Broin

Ceist:

946. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health the number of children who are waiting for surgery related to a condition (details supplied); and the general waiting times for this procedure across the State. [14396/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

It is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. While significant work continues to positively impact on waiting times and improve pathways to elective care, acute hospitals have been impacted by operational challenges arising from surges in cases related to the Delta and Omicron variants.

The HSE has confirmed to the Department that patient safety remains at the centre of all hospital activity and elective care scheduling. To ensure services are provided in a safe, clinically-aligned and prioritised way, hospitals are following HSE clinical guidelines and protocols.

The Department of Health continues to work with the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) to identify ways to improve access to care, including through increased use of private hospitals, funding weekend and evening work in public hospitals, funding “see and treat” services, providing virtual clinics, and increasing capacity in the public hospital system.

The 2022 Waiting List Action Plan, which was launched on the 26th of February, allocates €350 million to the HSE and NTPF to reduce waiting lists. Under this plan the Department, HSE, and NTPF will deliver urgent additional capacity for the treatment of patients, as well as investing in longer term reforms to bring sustained reductions in waiting lists.

The plan builds on the successes of the short-term 2021 plan that ran from September to December last year. The 2021 plan was developed by the Department of Health, the HSE and the NTPF and was driven and overseen by a senior governance group co-chaired by the Secretary General of the Department of Health and the CEO of the HSE and met fortnightly.

This rigorous level of governance and scrutiny of waiting lists has continued into this year with the oversight group evolving into the Waiting List Task Force. The Task Force will meet regularly to drive progress of the 2022 plan.

This is the first stage of an ambitious multi-annual waiting list plan, which is currently under development in the Department of Health. Between them, these plans will work to support short, medium, and long term initiatives to reduce waiting times and provide the activity needed in years to come.

The data requested by the Deputy is outlined in the attached document which provides the waiting list by time band as at 24th Feb 2022 the latest figures published by the National Treatment Purchase Fund.

Children waiting for Hypospadias procedures as at 24/02/2022

Time bands (months)

0-6 Mths

6-12 Mths

12-18 Mths

18+ Mths

SmallVolTimeBands*

Grand Total

CHI at Crumlin

19

24

28

53

124

CHI at Temple St

13

6

14

33

SmallVolHospitals

9*

9

Grand Total

32

30

28

67

9

166

*Due to the small volume of patients waiting, to preserve patient confidentiality, when the number of patients is <5, these have been included within broader timebands and aggregated into a 'Small Volume Group' cohort.

Health Services

Ceisteanna (947)

Kathleen Funchion

Ceist:

947. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the treatment plan that is in place for a person (details supplied); and if they will be recommended for in-patient treatment in view of the circumstances. [14397/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Nursing Education

Ceisteanna (948)

John Lahart

Ceist:

948. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health his plans to address the significant shortfall in nursing applications through the CAO process for the coming year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14400/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The matter of applications for nursing, through the CAO process, is dealt with by NMBI's Career Centre. I have forwarded your question to them for attention and direct reply to you.

Health Strategies

Ceisteanna (949)

Jennifer Whitmore

Ceist:

949. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Health if his work with his Northern Ireland counterparts to develop an infant and young child feeding in emergencies preparedness plan for the island of Ireland will include consideration of establishing a breast milk bank in the Republic of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14403/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I am aware that under the “Shared Island North South research programme” there is work going on to develop an infant and young child feeding in emergencies preparedness plan for the island of Ireland. This research is being led out by staff at Queen’s University Belfast and Technological University Dublin) and comes under the remit of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.

The Department of Health has agreed with our colleagues in the Department of Health in Northern Ireland that the facilities of the Human Milk Bank in Co Fermanagh will continue to operate as usual and mothers in the Republic of Ireland can continue to provide breastmilk and avail of breastmilk supplies.

Hospital Staff

Ceisteanna (950)

Peadar Tóibín

Ceist:

950. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the average number of hours which medical consultants and doctors work per week in public hospitals. [14405/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

As this is a service matter I have asked the HSE to reply directly to the Deputy with the data sought.

Health Services

Ceisteanna (951)

John Lahart

Ceist:

951. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health when a person will receive support (details supplied). [14408/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Health Services

Ceisteanna (952)

Thomas Pringle

Ceist:

952. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the reason that the services at facility (details supplied) in Letterkenny, County Donegal have been abruptly curtailed; his plans to reinstate the service to run five days a week as it had been prior to lockdown; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14416/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Mental Health Services

Ceisteanna (953)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Ceist:

953. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the best route for counselling services to volunteer aid to Ukrainian refugees and to hire incoming skilled workers in this field; if assistance is available to them in relation to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14430/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The Government is committed to delivering a humanitarian response to welcome people fleeing the war in Ukraine and seeking protection in Ireland as part of the EU response.

Very significant planning and preparatory work is taking place across Government to provide accommodation and other essential supports to those who have arrived here already, as well as the large numbers of further people expected to arrive. This work is taking place with the support of the Irish Red Cross and NGOs and charities across the country.

A webpage on the whole-of-Government response is available at www.gov.ie/ukraine and includes information on supports and services available to people arriving from Ukraine. This webpage will be supplemented and updated on an ongoing basis with the support of the relevant Departments.

The Department of Health is liaising with other Government departments and agencies to provide humanitarian support for Ukrainian refugees. It is a priority for the Department and the HSE to ensure that Ukrainian refugees are provided with appropriate health and social care services.

Refugees from the Ukraine will be granted temporary protection status. Under this measure, refugees will be considered ordinarily resident in Ireland for a limited time period and therefore will be entitled to access health care services, in line with other refugee groups and Irish citizens.

A one-stop-shop is being provided in Dublin airport and other locations for Ukrainian refugees. This includes application for temporary protection status, PPSN and welfare payment, emergency accommodation and information on health services, including a medical card.

My Department is collaborating with the HSE to ensure that refugees have access to the same range of health care services as Irish and EU citizens.

Refugees holding temporary protection status will be entitled to apply for a medical card order to access primary care services for each adult and child dependents. A process will be implemented to facilitate timely access to a medical card, based on the Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) provided by the Department of Social Protection.

Health care services will include primary health care services for adults, children and older people, ongoing care of priority medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and other chronic illness, services for psychological stress and mental health, and social care services for people with special needs. It is the intention to provide these services in a culturally appropriate manner and to take into account language and other factors.

The Department of Rural and Community Development is linking with key stakeholders at community level, including local volunteer centres, to provide information on the national response, support the co-ordination of immediate and ongoing integration and social supports through the local and community development sector, ensure complementarity with national and local government initiatives and enable flexibility in programme delivery to focus on the response.

In addition, offers of medical and mental health specific support can be notified by email to the HSE at socialinclusion@hse.ie with the subject: Ukraine.

I appreciate the social solidarity of the Irish people for the Ukrainian refugees and their desire to assist with the national effort to provide accommodation and other supports.

Hospital Appointments Status

Ceisteanna (954)

Denis Naughten

Ceist:

954. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health when a child (details supplied) will receive an appointment; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14440/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Health Strategies

Ceisteanna (955)

Thomas Gould

Ceist:

955. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the status of the appointment of an independent clinically based addiction nurse to the addiction national oversight committee. [14443/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Further to my reply of the 18th of January on the topic of addiction nurses on the National Oversight Committee, I can inform you that I have decided to appoint an additional (3rd) expert to the National Oversight Committee, with clinical expertise in nursing and addition.

Discussions between the Drugs Policy & Social Inclusion Unit, the CNO's office and the IntNSA to formalise this appointment are at an early stage.

I remain committed to the inter-agency approach involving a partnership between statutory, community and voluntary bodies and to the strengthening of the resilience of communities to respond to the drug problem.

This decision reflects the value of the contribution made by the IntNSA to the national drugs strategy and I am happy that this relationship can continue in the implementation of the strategy through the new strategic implementation groups, under the auspices of the National Oversight Committee.

Hospital Appointments Status

Ceisteanna (956)

Brendan Griffin

Ceist:

956. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Kerry will receive an appointment for a colonoscopy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14445/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

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.

Hospital Waiting Lists

Ceisteanna (957)

Brendan Griffin

Ceist:

957. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health the number of patients currently waiting on the colonoscopy waiting list at University Hospital Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14447/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

It is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. While significant work continues to positively impact on waiting times and improve pathways to elective care, acute hospitals have been impacted by operational challenges arising from surges in cases related to the Delta and Omicron variants.

The HSE has confirmed to the Department that patient safety remains at the centre of all hospital activity and elective care scheduling. To ensure services are provided in a safe, clinically-aligned and prioritised way, hospitals are following HSE clinical guidelines and protocols.

The Department of Health continues to work with the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) to identify ways to improve access to care, including through increased use of private hospitals, funding weekend and evening work in public hospitals, funding “see and treat” services, providing virtual clinics, and increasing capacity in the public hospital system.

The 2022 Waiting List Action Plan, which was launched on the 26th of February, allocates €350 million to the HSE and NTPF to reduce waiting lists. Under this plan the Department, HSE, and NTPF will deliver urgent additional capacity for the treatment of patients, as well as investing in longer term reforms to bring sustained reductions in waiting lists.

The plan builds on the successes of the short-term 2021 plan that ran from September to December last year. The 2021 plan was developed by the Department of Health, the HSE and the NTPF and was driven and overseen by a senior governance group co-chaired by the Secretary General of the Department of Health and the CEO of the HSE and met fortnightly.

This rigorous level of governance and scrutiny of waiting lists has continued into this year with the oversight group evolving into the Waiting List Task Force. The Task Force will meet regularly to drive progress of the 2022 plan.

This is the first stage of an ambitious multi-annual waiting list plan, which is currently under development in the Department of Health. Between them, these plans will work to support short, medium, and long term initiatives to reduce waiting times and provide the activity needed in years to come.

The data requested by the Deputy regarding the Endoscopy waiting list at University Hospital Kerry is outlined in the attached document.

GI Endoscopy Waiting List at University Hospital Kerry as at 24/02/2022

Time bands (months)

0-6 Mths

6-12 Mths

12-18 Mths

18 +Mths

Grand Total

University Hospital Kerry

459

2

0

0

461

Grand Total

459

2

0

0

461

Barr
Roinn