Written Answers Nos. 284-304
284. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost to ensure the availability of timely access for domestic violence supports for women through their general practitioner. [25187/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraBudget 2022 provided unprecedented funding for measures related to women's health, including funding for the health needs of marginalised women. The Department has not costed the measures identified by the Deputy, and would not be in position to do so pending further details about the envisaged roles and activities. Costing would also require an input from the HSE in terms of the likely level of need for these measures. Funding for new service developments for marginalised women will be considered in the context of Estimates 2023, including the forthcoming national Traveller health action plan and the national domestic, sexual and gender-based violence strategy.
However, as the HSE may have similar measures under its operational remit, I have referred the questions for its input.
285. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost to fund a continuous public education campaigns raising awareness of violence against women and the way to seek support from the health service. [25188/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy is being collated by Department officials and a deferred reply will be submitted within ten working days
286. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost to resource a specific research programme on women’s health. [25189/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy is being collated by Department officials and a deferred reply will be submitted within ten working days
287. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost to require the collection of gender disaggregated health data in all research and Government surveys including age, ethnic minority and disability. [25190/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe CSO conducts a number of household surveys to meet national and EU requirements. All of these surveys collect data on a person's sex and age and this facilitates the dissemination of results disaggregated by these variables. A selection of surveys collect data on a persons self perceived health status, disability, ethnicity and gender identity. The approximate annual costs of collecting data in CSO's household surveys is €3.7m. It is not possible to accurately quantify the exact full year cost of including ethnicity, disability, health status and gender identity questions in all surveys. In addition to the consideration of cost, the response burden and requirements for other questions and topics to meet EU regulatory and national demands needs to be taken into account.
The CSO usually conducts a Census of Population every five years. As part of the preparations for Census 2021 (subsequently deferred to 2022 due to the Covid pandemic) the CSO launched a public consultation on the content of the census questionnaire in late 2017. As part of this consultation, members of the public and interested stakeholders were invited to submit their requests for new questions and revisions to existing questions. To assist the CSO in assessing the submissions, a Census Advisory Group (CAG) was formed. Membership of the CAG was drawn from organisations and groups who regularly use census data. The CAG made recommendations on which new and revised questions should be tested during a Census Pilot survey which was held in September 2018. Following the Pilot, the CAG assisted the CSO in deciding which questions should be recommended to government for inclusion on the census form.
During the consultation process, several submissions were made requesting a new question on gender identity. As gender identity is an emerging area for statistical data collection, the CAG proposed that the CSO should test and develop a new question that would capture robust data on gender identity before it should be considered for inclusion on a census. Subsequent to the consultation, the CSO has introduced a new gender identity question on both a household survey and as part of the new PULSE surveys. The CSO’s view is that the new question has performed well and that it will be recommended for Pilot testing as part of the preparations for the next census. Inclusion of the new gender identity question in the next census will be subject to approval by the CAG and ultimately by government.
Questions on sex, age, disability, self perceived health status, ethnicity which were included on the 2022 Census form will facilitate detailed disaggregation of results for these characteristics.
It is expected that the approximate direct collection cost of census data covering field staff salaries, allowances, travel costs etc. will be just under €30m. It would be difficult to accurately determine the direct cost of including a question on gender identity in the 2027 Census questionnaire.
288. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost to conduct an intersectional analysis of healthcare provision across ethnicity, socio-economic background, nationality, disability and gender to ensure that the health care that is provided fits its purpose and need. [25191/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe estimated full-year cost of conducting such analysis is dependent on a range of factors including the scope of such work and whether such work would be carried out external to my Department.
However, I can inform the Deputy that analysis on this area is currently underway as part of my Department’s Joint Research Programme in Healthcare Reform with the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). Commencing in 2014, the broad objectives of this Research Programme are to apply economic analysis to explore issues in relation to health services, health spending and population health, in order to inform the development of health policy and the Government’s healthcare reform agenda.
As part of the 2022 work programme agreed by the Research Programme Steering group, one topic of research concerns a profile of health, healthcare use, and healthy behaviours across socioeconomic groups in Ireland using Healthy Ireland Survey (HIS) data. The health measures analysed in this report will be self-reported health, health illnesses and multimorbidity. The healthcare use measures analysed will be GP visits per annum, practice nurse visits per annum, inpatient hospital nights and emergency department attendances. The healthy behaviour measures analysed will be smoking, exercise and excessive alcohol consumption.
An age and gender profile will be created for each measure while an age and gender profile for deprivation quintiles will also be estimated. This will provide information how health, healthcare use, and healthy behaviours differ across socioeconomic groups In Ireland.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
289. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost to increase evidence-based policy planning in relation to women’s health by supporting clinical, academic and applied research. [25192/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy is being collated by Department officials and a deferred reply will be submitted within ten working days
290. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost to support diversified clinical trials including the effect on women and the inclusion of gender health concerns on medical school curricula. [25193/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy is being collated by Department officials and a deferred reply will be submitted within ten working days
291. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost to offer each woman aged over 45 years a DXA scan as part of their lifecourse management programme delivered through their general practitioner. [25194/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy is being collated by Department officials and a deferred reply will be submitted within ten working days
292. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost to raise public awareness of pelvic floor dysfunction, including early prevention. [25195/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy is being collated by Department officials and a deferred reply will be submitted within ten working days
293. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost to offer universal access to pessary fitting for pelvic organ prolapse through general practitioners. [25196/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy is being collated by Department officials and a deferred reply will be submitted within ten working days
294. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost to fund services for specialised pelvic floor physiotherapy following a referral from a general practitioner. [25197/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy is being collated by Department officials and a deferred reply will be submitted within ten working days
295. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost to fund one additional continence clinic, to tackle the wait list for surgery through specialised small units and enable general access to pelvic physiotherapy as needed. [25198/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy is being collated by Department officials and a deferred reply will be submitted within ten working days
296. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost to resource dedicated peer health keyworkers in communities to ensure equality of information and access for vulnerable and marginalised women. [25199/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraBudget 2022 provided unprecedented funding for measures related to women's health, including funding for the health needs of marginalised women. The Department has not costed the measures identified by the Deputy, and would not be in position to do so pending further details about the envisaged roles and activities. Costing would also require an input from the HSE in terms of the likely level of need for these measures. Funding for new service developments for marginalised women will be considered in the context of Estimates 2023, including the forthcoming national Traveller health action plan and the national domestic, sexual and gender-based violence strategy.
However, as the HSE may have similar measures under its operational remit, I have referred the questions for its input.
297. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost to develop a new national cardiovascular health policy and address inequalities, particularly gender health inequalities in cardiac care. [25200/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Review of Specialist Cardiac Services commenced in January 2018 under the Chairmanship of Professor Phillip Nolan and a Steering Group formed from nominations of interested stakeholders representing medical, professional/technical staff, nursing and patient representatives. The aim of the Cardiac Services Review is to achieve optimal patient outcomes at population level with particular emphasis on the safety, quality and sustainability of the services that patients receive, by establishing the need for an optimal configuration of a national adult cardiac service. This aligns with the Sláintecare reform programme. The Steering Group is currently working on the development of the proposed recommendations of the draft Report with the next meeting planned for May 2022. The implementation process for the National Cardiac Services Review is also being developed as part of the process to finalise the Report. Decisions on further service developments and any associated costs will await the final Report and recommendations of the National Review of Specialist Cardiac Services.
298. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost to fund a public awareness campaign in relation to cardiovascular disease in women, including prevention and symptom presentation. [25201/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy is being collated by Department officials and a deferred reply will be submitted within ten working days
299. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the number of adults accessing speech and language therapy services in counties Roscommon, Galway and Mayo, respectively; the number of adults awaiting assessment for services in each county; the number of adults who have had an assessment and are on waiting lists to access services in each county; the average wait time for assessment and post-assessment access in each county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25221/22]
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.
300. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Clare will receive their 1% increase from the national wage increase which was due to be paid on 1 February 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25253/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the current public service pay agreement, Building Momentum 2021-2022, a sectoral bargaining fund has been allocated to deal with outstanding adjudications, commitments, recommendations, awards and claims. The bargaining fund equates to 1% of basic pensionable pay for each bargaining unit set up under the Agreement.
In the Health sector, the process of negotiation under Sectoral Bargaining is still ongoing for most cohorts of staff. Once negotiations have concluded and the claims to be addressed or partially addressed under Sectoral Bargaining have been agreed with the relevant unions, any increases in pay or allowances to specific cohorts of staff whose outstanding claims are being addressed under the Sectoral Bargaining process, will be paid retrospectively from 1 February 2022.
301. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he will report on the discussions between primary care south east community healthcare and Cork University Dental Hospital in regard to the service agreement and funding issues which have led to considerable delays in the delivery of maxillofacial services for eligible patients (details supplied); when the issue will be resolved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25254/22]
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.
302. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health when funding will be allocated for a project (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25255/22]
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.
303. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health if a healthcare setting (details supplied) will continue to be used as a Covid-isolation facility; when this setting will be able to resume addiction and dual-diagnosis rehabilitation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25257/22]
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.
304. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 877 of 19 October 2021, his plans for the recruitment of 100 additional neurological nurse specialists including nine in University Hospital Galway, as highlighted in a campaign (details supplied); the number of additional neurological nurse specialist positions filled in University Hospital Galway in 2021 and to-date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25258/22]
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.
