Written Answers Nos. 705-724
705. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health when a reimbursement will be finalised for a person (details supplied) who has applied for the Cross Border Directive reimbursement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57976/22]
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.
706. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if he will address a matter raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57979/22]
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.
707. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the case of a person (details supplied). [57989/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a f, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
708. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Health the number of children awaiting services in network 4 of the community disability network teams, broken down by the age of children and the number of years that they are waiting for services; the total cumulative annual hours of service provision to this cohort of children in the children’s disability network team 4 Spiddal for the years 2020 to 2021, including the allocated and utilised budget in respect of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57990/22]
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.
709. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite the registration of qualifications for a person (details supplied). [57997/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health and Social Care Professionals Council (CORU) to respond to the Deputy directly.
710. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if a matter (details supplied) will be expedited as soon as possible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58001/22]
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.
711. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the totality of the amount drawn down of the temporary inflation payment scheme by the nursing home sector to date. [58003/22]
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.
712. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if smaller operators in the nursing home sector can draw down the ceiling amount claimable each month in the context of the temporary inflation payment scheme. [58004/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra713. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the amount of the temporary inflation payment scheme that is available per resident to the nursing home service provider. [58005/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 712 and 713 together.
The Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS) currently supports over 22,500 residents in approximately 550 nursing homes across the State. The nursing home sector has changed in recent decades from a predominantly State-led service to a situation today where approximately 80% of nursing home services are provided by the private sector. This includes a small number of voluntary, not-for-profit nursing homes (approximately 4% of all nursing homes). Some 433 private nursing homes provide vital residential care to over 18,000 people on behalf of the State.Providers of long-term residential care who participate in the NHSS can, as of 11 November, obtain additional funding supports to help meet increased energy costs due to inflation through the Temporary Inflation Payments Scheme (TIPS).Eligible private and voluntary nursing homes can claim for vouched heating and electricity increases of up to €7,000 per month, with 75% of year-on-year cost increases to be reimbursed up to a maximum payment of €5,250 per month per nursing home. Claims for increased energy costs can be backdated to 01 July 2022 which means that each nursing home can apply for up to €31,500 in vouched energy increases. The aim of the new scheme (TIPS) is to alleviate pressures put on nursing homes by an increase in energy prices and the new scheme will run in parallel with the Temporary Assistance Payment Scheme. The Temporary Inflation Payment Scheme will be kept under review and further funding of these supports will be looked at towards the end of this year.The Scheme is not intended to be allocated on a per resident cost but rather per nursing home in line with their actual increased costs. As designed, TIPS recognises that individual nursing homes may have different existing arrangements in place with energy providers and therefore experience varying cost increases.Eligible nursing homes regardless of their size or their energy provider can claim the maximum amount of €5,250 per month for 75% of their year-on-year energy cost increases under the criteria outlined by the scheme.
714. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the supports that he has put in place in order to enable the retention of staff in the private nursing home service. [58006/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI established the cross-departmental Strategic Workforce Advisory Group in March 2022 to examine, and formulate recommendations to address, the challenges in front-line carer roles in the home-support and long-term residential care sectors.
The Report of the Strategic Workforce Advisory Group on Home Carers and Nursing Home Healthcare Assistants was published on 15th October 2022. Providing an overview of the work of the Group and its key findings, the report presents a suite of 16 recommendations spanning the areas of areas of recruitment, pay and conditions of employment, barriers to employment, training and professional development, sectoral reform, and monitoring and implementation.
I strongly endorse all of the recommendations and can confirm that work towards their implementation has commenced. This will be monitored on an on-going basis to ensure that the recommendations are enacted in full in a timely manner
715. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the measures that are in place or planned to streamline the processing of medical card applications for international protection applicants, similar to that which has been applied to those seeking temporary protection from the war in Ukraine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58009/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraCommunity healthcare services are provided to applicants for International Protection on the same basis as Irish nationals, including eligibility for the provision of a medical card. Persons who hold a medical card can avail of the following services: General Practitioner (GP) services, a home nursing service, prescribed drugs and medicines, all in-patient and out-patient public hospital services including consultant services, dental, ophthalmic and aural services and appliances, certain maternity services, the counselling in primary care service and termination of pregnancy services. Services such as allied healthcare professional services may also be available to medical card holders.
The policy approach to the provision of community healthcare services for applicants for International Protection is informed by the HSE National Intercultural Health Strategy 2018- 2023.13 The strategy supports migrants from diverse ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds to obtain equal access and opportunities across the Irish healthcare services
A person seeking International Protection is entitled to apply for and be assessed for a medical card. They can apply online at www.mymedicalcard.ie or they can download a medical card application form. They may be assisted in completing their application forms by members of the local health team. An application cannot be made until the individual is in receipt of a PPS number, from the Department of Social Protection.
The Department of Health and the HSE are committed to developing an enhanced model of community health care for international protection applicants and other refugees, under the White Paper to end direct provision and to establish a new international protection support service. Under this model, community healthcare teams will develop a comprehensive and efficient model of care for applicants for International Protection. It will be based on a population health planning approach, in line with Sláintecare, so that applicants for International Protection can get an appropriate level of care in line with resource availability. The teams will be adapted to fit the proposed six new health care regions when rolled out by the HSE.
The HSE spends over €8m per annum in the provision of healthcare services for international protection applicants, including €5m through the general medical services scheme. In Budget 2023, I provided an additional €700,000 to increase access to healthcare services for international protection applicants and other refugees.
716. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the reason that a person (details supplied) has been waiting a long time for an assessment and treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58018/22]
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.
717. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the last time that an in-person external fire safety audit was carried out on behalf of the HSE in each hospital part of RCSI group; when the next in-person external fire safety audit on behalf of the HSE will take place in each hospital part of the group in tabular form; and if these reports are published. [58022/22]
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.
718. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if funding will be provided for the recruitment of an additional full-time consultant neurologist with a special interest in neurocognitive disorder for the tertiary neurocognitive clinic at St. James's Hospital. [58023/22]
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.
719. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of full-time consultant paediatric gastroenterologists attached to CHI Crumlin to date in 2022; and the times of the week that the consultants are based in the hospital. [58024/22]
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.
720. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm that persons should be afforded dental treatment and appliances by the dental hospital in accordance with function 4 (b) of its establishment order, irrespective of any assessment as suitable for treatment by undergraduate or postgraduate students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58031/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Dublin Dental Hospital was established under the Dublin Dental Hospital (Establishment) Order, 1963. The three core activities of the Dublin Dental Hospital are education, clinical services and research. The primary operational goal of Dublin Dental Hospital is to not to operate a walk-in primary oral healthcare facility, but to ensure that oral healthcare professionals are trained and educated so that oral healthcare services can be provided both publicly and privately throughout Ireland.
Dublin Dental Hospital provides primary oral healthcare through undergraduate dental students working in the hospital, dental auxiliaries in outreach settings and by Non-Consultant Hospital Dentists in prisons in the Dublin area. A range of secondary and tertiary oral healthcare services are also in operation, such as oral and maxillofacial surgery. Given the nature of the Dublin Dental Hospital’s education remit, the assessment of suitability for treatment under many of these services is based on education needs and the relevant criteria are outlined for referring dentists on the Hospital’s website.
The Dublin Dental University Hospital also provides emergency care. This is a demand led service where in excess of 15,000 A&E activities occur on an annual basis. The Accident and Emergency service is limited to pain relief for people who have had a dental accident or who require emergency treatment to deal with certain specified conditions. The treatment provided aims to relieve pain and prevent serious damage until the patient can attend their own dentist.
722. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if there has been any reduction in funding to the Midlands regional taskforce in Budget 2023. [58035/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand from the HSE that there will be no reduction in funding to the Midlands Regional Drug and Alcohol Taskforce (MRDAFT) in 2023.
In 2023 the new HSE U18 service for the midlands Area (Laois, Offaly, Longford & Westmeath) will be co-funded by both the MRDATF and HSE CADS (Community Alcohol & Drug Service).
I welcome the partnership approach being taken by the HSE and MRDATF in developing and funding this service.
