Written Answers Nos. 1478-1495
1478. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the breakdown of the funding commitment amounts for the east-Cork rehabilitation mental health services; the new properties that are being proposed for purchase or construction for this client group; the cost of relocating the day centre from the Owenacurra Centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29363/22]
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.
1479. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the projected number of 24-hour staffed residential adult mental health placements for Cork for 2030; if there are plans to close any other services or to reduce the community placement capacity in any part of CHO4 outside of east Cork over the remainder of the decade; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29364/22]
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.
1480. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a breakdown of the 24-hour staffed adult mental health placement numbers nationally per CHO and per community adult mental health catchment and the population served in each instance in tabular form. [29365/22]
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.
1481. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 236 of 11 May 2022, in relation to the filling of vacant occupational therapist posts and speech and language therapist posts in the four children’s disability network teams in County Wexford, if he has instructed the HSE to advertise internationally for these posts and in the interim the specific plans he has to provide urgently needed services to the children and families on the waiting list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29373/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs these are service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1482. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to a significant gap in public health nurse services in an area (details supplied); the action that is being taken to ensure that services are provided right across the locality; and if he will provide guidance in relation to obtaining appointments in locations in which the service is not in place. [29375/22]
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.
1483. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health the circumstances in which a patient can make a successful application for individual reimbursement for the cost of using a FreeStyle Libre diabetes treatment device; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29400/22]
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.
1484. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if an insulin pump upgrade will be available for a child patient (details supplied) who has type 1 diabetes when the warranty in their current insulin pump expires in October 2022. [29402/22]
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.
1485. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the mechanism through which healthcare providers are reimbursed for the provision of abortion services to persons who do not have personal public service numbers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29407/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraTermination services are available without charge to women resident in Ireland. The relevant fees for these services have been established and are paid to GPs who provide the service by the HSE. As the operation of payments is an operational matter, I have asked the HSE to reply directly to the Deputy in relation to this aspect of the question.
1486. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure that persons who are without personal public service numbers will be able to access care under the free contraception scheme which is scheduled for launch and roll-out in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29408/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra1487. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the mechanism through which healthcare providers will be reimbursed for the provision of contraceptive services under the free contraception scheme for persons who are without personal public service numbers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29409/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1486 and 1487 together.
The Report of the Working Group on Access to Contraception, published in October 2019, identified the barriers that exist to accessing contraception, which include accessibility, information, workforce capacity and, for a significant number of women who may be just above the eligibility threshold for a full GMS (medical) card, cost.
In consideration of the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the 8th Amendment to the Constitution (JOC8) and the findings of the Working Group on Contraception, the Programme for Government, 2020 commits to providing free contraception for women, starting with the 17-25 age cohort.
The Department of Health Contraception Implementation Group was convened in July, 2021 and has been working with partners, including the HSE, towards ensuring that the scheme will commence in August 2022. Funding of approximately €9m has been allocated for this in Budget 2022.
The scheme will provide for:
1. The cost of prescription contraception;
2. The cost of necessary consultations with GPs and other doctors to discuss suitable contraception for individual patients and to enable prescription of same;
3. The cost of fitting and/or removal of various types of long-acting reversible contraception (LARCs) plus any necessary checks, by medical professionals certified to fit/remove same;
4. The cost of training and certifying additional medical professionals to fit and remove LARCs;
5. The cost of providing the wide range of contraceptive options currently available to GMS (medical) card holders, which will also be available through this scheme, including contraceptive injections, implants, IUS and IUDs (coils), the contraceptive patch and ring, and various forms of oral contraceptive pill, including emergency contraception.
The scheme will be open to all 17-25 year-olds ordinarily resident in Ireland.
Formal negotiations with medical representative bodies with regard to service provision under the scheme have commenced and are ongoing. The details of service provision regarding re-imbursement of service providers under the scheme have therefore yet to be finalised.
With respect to existing services, my Department and the HSE are aware that issues have arisen with reimbursement of service providers in respect of persons without PPSNs. The matter will be given due consideration as the details of the free contraception scheme are further developed and finalised.
1488. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the reason that a national diabetes register has not been registered given the lack of detail that exists on those living with diabetes in Ireland; if he will commit to creating a national diabetes register; if so, when the estimated cost of creating a national diabetes register; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29413/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra1831. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the timeline that he is working towards for the recommencement of the Sláintecare project on the development of a national diabetes register; if the previously committed funding will be made available again; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30530/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra1943. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the status of funding previously allocated to the HSE to start ICT work on the national diabetes patient register which was later withdrawn due to the pandemic; if this can be drawn down for 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30999/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1488, 1831 and 1943 together.
In September 2019 Sláintecare Integration funding was allocated to the HSE to design and procure a National Diabetes Registry demonstrator product and develop a full specification plan for a National Diabetes Registry. However, the support of public health and ICT was required and, due to COVID-19 pandemic, this work could not be continued and funding was returned.
The development of a national diabetes registry remains a priority. Following substantial increases in investment in eHealth, the national diabetes registry is now being considered as part of a wider review of Ireland’s health information strategy, and will operate as a “virtual” registry.
Government approval was given in April to prepare the General Scheme of a Health Information Bill. It is envisaged that the Bill will include a provision to enable the operation of disease-specific “virtual” registries, including a virtual national diabetes registry, where information on disease diagnoses and treatment from healthcare providers is efficiently collated, combined and quality-checked from administrative records to create a database akin to an active registry for each disease. This will greatly improve the potential to monitor rare-disease prevalence in Ireland.
The General Scheme is currently being prepared for submission to Government in October 2022. Although national registries are envisioned as a function of the National Health Information Centre (NHIC) for secondary data purposes, no costings have as yet been completed.
1489. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of making dexcoms or similar continuous glucose monitors available on the long-term Illness scheme for all those living with type 1 diabetes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29414/22]
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.
1490. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 195 and 196 of 1 June 2022, the range of services for which a medical card provides a discount but does not cover fully, such as but not limited to diagnostic services to which a patient is referred; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29417/22]
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.
1491. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health when an urgent hospital appointment for a person (details supplied) will be facilitated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29422/22]
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.
1492. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that at the end of March 2022 over 5,458 persons nationally have been assessed by the HSE as needing HSE funded homecare and for whom no carer is available; and if he will engage with homecare providers to ensure a practical solution is provided for this shortage. [29428/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn Budget 2021 I secured additional funding of €150 million for home support to progress the development of a reformed model of service delivery to underpin the statutory scheme for the financing and regulation of home-support services and to provide 5 million additional hours of home support. This funding has been maintained into 2022. Delivering this enhanced capacity requires substantial recruitment. This has been affected due to the strategic workforce challenges in the home support sector. I have established an Advisory Group to identify the specific obstacles to recruiting carers and make recommendations by this September.
Significant inroads have been achieved in reducing waiting lists for funding approval for new or additional service from over 7,800 in January 2020 to 286 in March 2022. This has been achieved through a combination of validation of the waiting list and availability of additional funding to address those waiting. However, there can be a lag between funding approval and the actual delivery of home support hours. Certain geographical areas that are experiencing increased pressures due to staff availability are particularly affected. At the end of March there were 5,458 people assessed and waiting for a carer to become available. In January 2020, there was about 1,300 people in this category. Despite the increase, it is important to note that the total number of people waiting for home support across both categories has reduced from over 9,000 at the start of 2020 to 5,744 at the end of March.
The HSE continues to advertise on an on-going basis throughout the region for Health Care Support Assistants and to recruit as many suitable candidates as possible. Due to the nature of the role, this recruitment is normally conducted at a very local level.
1493. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if he will advise on a matter raised in correspondence by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29429/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Misuse of Drugs Acts 19-77-2106 cannabis is a Schedule 1 substance and is subject to the strictest levels of control.
Statutory Instrument 211/2022 , Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 (Controlled Drugs) (Designation) Order 2022 permits possession of a schedule 1 substance for the following purposes:
(a) research, forensic analysis or use as an essential intermediate or starting material in an industrial manufacturing process;
(b) the growing of hemp from seed varieties specified, by the Commission of the European Communities, as being eligible for the purposes of Article 1 of Regulation (EU) No. 1307/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 20131 ;
subject to such licensing provision under the Act and the Regulations made thereunder as are applicable.
Consequently it is not possible to bring cannabis products as described into Ireland.
1494. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if full funding was made available to complete to action plan 2017-2020 included in the national drugs strategy; and the stream under which funding was made available. [29441/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraReducing Harm, Supporting Recovery emphasises a health-led, whole-of-government response to drug and alcohol use, based on providing person-centred services that promote rehabilitation and recovery To realise this vision, the strategy identified five strategic goals and 50 actions to be delivered over the initial four year period 2017-2020.
The Department published the mid-term review of the national drugs strategy and the six strategic priorities for the remaining four years of the strategy, 2021-2025. The mid-term review of the strategy shows significant progress in implementing the action plan for the period 2017 to 2020, with only a small number of the 50 actions outstanding.
The main achievements included are improved access & availability of drug services, especially services for women, people who are homeless & those with heroin addiction; a new clinical programme for dual diagnosis; and the development of a health-led approach to the possession of drugs for personal use.
In conjunction with the mid-term review, the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service, produced an analysis of expenditure and performance in drug and alcohol policy. The study estimated labelled government expenditure on drug and alcohol policy in excess of €200 million per annum. HSE addiction services account for over €100 million of labelled expenditure, while drug and alcohol task forces receive annual funding of c €29 million per annum.
In Budgets 2021 and 2022, I secured significant additional funding of c €17 million to support the implementation of the health actions in the national drugs strategy. Further resources of c €10 million were provided to meet the health needs of people experiencing homelessness and addiction during the Covid-19 pandemic. Finally, an allocation of €4 was provided to support the expanded access to opioid substitution treatment for people who use drugs during Covid-19.
1495. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if an investigation has been undertaken by his Department in relation to the person or body that made the decision to close the emergency departments in Nenagh and Ennis hospitals; the way this has contributed to the record overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick; and if a person or body will be held to account for these decisions. [29446/22]
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.
