Wednesday, 1 Feb 2023

Written Answers Nos. 302-321

Health Services Staff

Ceisteanna (302)

Martin Browne

Ceist:

302. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of full-time psychiatrists allocated to CAMHS in each CHO; and the number of vacancies that exist in these positions in each CHO. [5175/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

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

Health Services Staff

Ceisteanna (303)

Martin Browne

Ceist:

303. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details of all CAMHS teams that are operational on a seven-days-a-week basis; and the availability of staff in each discipline. [5176/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

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

Mental Health Services

Ceisteanna (304)

Martin Browne

Ceist:

304. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Health his views on the suitability of the environments provided to cater for crisis mental health presentations to the emergency department at Tipperary University Hospital; if it provides the privacy needed to cater for multiple patients at one time; if he has plans to invest in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5177/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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 (305)

Mark Ward

Ceist:

305. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the national clinical programme for dual diagnosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5180/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

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

Hospital Admissions

Ceisteanna (306)

Violet-Anne Wynne

Ceist:

306. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health the number of hospital admissions that occurred through the University of Limerick Hospitals Group accident and emergency or the acute medical assessment units due to hypoglycaemia in each of the years 2017 to 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5230/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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

Hospital Admissions

Ceisteanna (307)

Violet-Anne Wynne

Ceist:

307. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health the number of hospital admissions that occurred through the University of Limerick Hospitals Group accident and emergency or the acute medical assessment units due to hypoglycaemia in each of the years 2017 to 2022, in the age ranges of 18-24 years, 25-34 years, 35-44 years, 45-54 years, 55-64 years, and over 65 years of age, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5231/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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

Hospital Admissions

Ceisteanna (308)

Violet-Anne Wynne

Ceist:

308. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health the number of hospital admissions that occurred through the University of Limerick Hospitals Group accident and emergency or the acute medical assessment units due to diabetic ketoacidosis in each of the years 2017 to 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5232/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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

Hospital Admissions

Ceisteanna (309)

Violet-Anne Wynne

Ceist:

309. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health the number of hospital admissions that occurred through the University of Limerick Hospitals Group accident and emergency or the acute medical assessment units due to diabetic ketoacidosis in each of the years 2017 to 2022 in the age ranges of 18-24 years, 25-34 years, 35-44 years, 45-54 years, 55-64 years, and over 65 years of age, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5233/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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

Hospital Staff

Ceisteanna (310)

Violet-Anne Wynne

Ceist:

310. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health the dedicated whole-time equivalents of consultant endocrinologists, dietitians, advanced nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, staff nurses and administrative support posts currently dedicated to the outpatient adult diabetes clinic in each of the hospitals under the University of Limerick Hospitals Group; the dedicated whole-time equivalents of consultant endocrinologists, dietitians, advanced nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, staff nurses and administrative support posts currently in place in the paediatric diabetes and endocrinology service at University Hospital Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5234/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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

Hospital Services

Ceisteanna (311)

Violet-Anne Wynne

Ceist:

311. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health the number of occasions that the adult diabetes outpatient clinic was cancelled at University Hospital Limerick during the years 2021 and 2022; the number of patients that were scheduled to attend each date that was cancelled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5235/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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

Primary Medical Certificates

Ceisteanna (312)

Violet-Anne Wynne

Ceist:

312. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health the status of a review into the primary medical certificate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5236/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

A Primary Medical Certificate is a requirement for the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Scheme, which comes under the remit of the Department of Finance and is operated by the Revenue Commissioners.

The criteria for a Primary Medical Certificate are set out in the Finance Acts and relevant Department of Finance Regulations.  Accordingly the Department of Health has no function in amending the criteria for a Primary Medical Certificate.

Health Services Staff

Ceisteanna (313)

Violet-Anne Wynne

Ceist:

313. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health the aggressive recruitment strategy that his Department will engage in, with respect to significant vacancies in CAMHS mid-west; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5237/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

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

Health Services

Ceisteanna (314)

Violet-Anne Wynne

Ceist:

314. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health the population that each community healthcare team serves in CH03, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5240/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As the Health Service Executive (HSE) holds responsibility for the day-to-day provision of services, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Health Services

Ceisteanna (315)

Violet-Anne Wynne

Ceist:

315. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health if he has received the open letter from 87 consultants working out of University Hospital Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5243/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

I would like to acknowledge the open letter from the 87 Consultants from the University of Limerick Hospital Group.

I share concerns at the significant challenges being experienced in Limerick and the Midwest, and the impact this has on patients and their families in the region.

I have engaged extensively with the Hospital Group and the HSE regarding the pressures being experienced at UHLG. I chaired a meeting earlier this month involving An Taoiseach, Mid-West Oireachtas Members, and senior management from the Hospital Group to discuss current issues at the Group.

There has been, and continues to be, substantial investment in ULHG, with almost €94m being provided since 2020 for a range of capital projects across the Group. Last October, I broke ground on a new 96-bed inpatient block project at UHL. This project will deliver a 4-storey, 96 single bed acute inpatient ward block and will go some way toward addressing capacity issues in the region. This is on top of other modular and rapid-build projects at UHL in recent years. We have also invested elsewhere across the Hospital Group, including the new Injury Unit at Ennis Hospital, and the state-of-the-art ward complex at Croom Orthopaedic Hospital, both of which opened in 2021. 

Separate to these initiatives, the HSE plans to develop five “Surgical Hubs” across the country, including one in Limerick. These Hubs will have an impact on waiting times. They will be modelled on the successful Reeves Centre at Tallaght University Hospital with its 4 fully operational day surgery theatres. The Centre has significantly reduced waiting times for certain day-care procedures.

The development of Surgical Hubs will support efforts to consider the necessary reforms and enablers needed to separate unscheduled and scheduled care pathways that will be required by the longer-term provision of the national Elective Care programme. 

The Surgical Hubs will, therefore, complement the larger Elective Hospitals, which will help to tackle waiting times on a national basis. These hospitals will provide significant additional capacity and will change the way in which day cases, scheduled procedures, surgeries, scans, and outpatient services are arranged across the country. Elective Hospitals will benefit the whole population, for example, it is envisaged that the new Cork and Galway facilities combined will cater for up to 350,000 patients/procedures annually, which will include many patients from the Midwest Region.

In relation to the delivery of the Surgical Hub for Limerick, planning is at an early stage. However, I have asked the HSE to expedite their development so that they are operational as soon as possible. 

The HSE Winter Plan for 2022-23 was published on the 11th of October. The Plan is supporting acute and community services this winter to respond to anticipated high levels of emergency attendances and admissions across the acute sector, long waiting times in EDs and high occupancy rates across acute hospital settings.

In addition to the national Winter Plan, there are bespoke site-level plans, including for Limerick. The local plans focus on local needs and build on integration between the community and acute hospital services. Measures in UHL include:

- the recruitment of extra staff including, two WTE Emergency Medicine consultants, both of whom have already started, and discharge co-ordinators to target patient flow;

- funding and opening the new Geriatric Emergency Medicine (GEM) unit at UHL, which has enhanced ED admission-avoidance for over-75s.

- the OPTIMEND service, which provides multidisciplinary assessment and intervention to the 75 years and older patient cohort in the ED, will be expanded initially by 25 additional staff this winter.

- improving access to diagnostics for both urgent and emergency attendances in the ED, and for GPs, and the enhancement of GP Out of Hours (OOH) supports; and

- the recruitment of admin staff and the creation of the Performance Management Office to drive the ongoing service improvements in ULHG.

I would like to assure the Deputy that my department continues to work closely with the HSE to ensure that the UL Hospital Group and the Midwest region is fully supported. 

Departmental Advertising

Ceisteanna (316)

Peadar Tóibín

Ceist:

316. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount spent by his Department on online advertising in each of the past ten years and to date in 2023, in tabular form; if he will provide details in relation to this spending; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4845/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine provides public information about the Department's wide range of schemes, services and policies. Online advertising is one of the channels used to communicate this information.

Outlined below in a table is a breakdown of expenditure on online advertising, including on social media, by year for the period requested. This includes expenditure related to farm safety awareness campaigns in 2021 and 2022 and an information campaign in 2022 regarding the new Unfair Trading Practices in the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Regulations.

Year	Amount
2013	Nil
2014	€430.50
2015	Nil
2016	Nil
2017	€7,257.00
2018	€14,084.00
2019	€10,910.33
2020	€9,107.09
2021	€107,585.94
2022	€104,482.80
To date in 2023	Nil

Departmental Advertising

Ceisteanna (317)

Peadar Tóibín

Ceist:

317. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to any instances where the public relations unit and or press office of his Department undertook to create social media accounts under false names, which were operated in order to further the messaging or communications of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4863/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

I advise the Deputy that my attention has not been drawn to any such instance in my Department, and I am advised that no such accounts exist.

Company Takeovers

Ceisteanna (318)

Matt Carthy

Ceist:

318. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the implications of a proposed acquisition (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4883/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

As the Deputy will be aware, both enterprises mentioned are private companies and as such this is a commercial matter in which neither I, nor my Department, have any role. 

It is important that there is competition in the market to ensure that farmers have various routes to markets for the top-class produce made on their farms.

Agriculture Schemes

Ceisteanna (319)

Cathal Crowe

Ceist:

319. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total amount of all farm payments in euro paid out to farmers in each county, in tabular form, since the formation of this Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4901/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The table below sets out the total amount of farmer scheme payments made on a per county basis for the years 2020, 2021 and 2022.

 

County	2020	2021	2022	Total
CARLOW	36,403,149	33,908,932	38,629,634	108,941,714
CAVAN	63,614,938	61,344,986	67,847,211	192,807,135
CLARE	91,976,491	88,998,189	94,597,629	275,572,308
CORK	230,640,953	219,233,711	232,946,605	682,821,269
DONEGAL	110,117,609	106,945,098	113,619,763	330,682,469
DUBLIN	18,752,448	18,762,248	20,780,369	58,295,066
GALWAY	161,142,413	157,731,680	167,229,343	486,103,436
KERRY	122,855,163	118,910,986	125,897,222	367,663,371
KILDARE	40,708,815	36,898,158	40,806,472	118,413,446
KILKENNY	68,037,323	64,488,737	68,056,193	200,582,253
LAOIS	47,330,913	44,115,635	46,864,627	138,311,175
LEITRIM	45,953,181	46,381,916	48,623,214	140,958,311
LIMERICK	80,098,882	76,701,212	82,043,125	238,843,219
LONGFORD	35,540,579	35,044,545	37,299,535	107,884,659
LOUTH	25,564,256	24,160,446	25,550,556	75,275,257
MAYO	138,970,119	133,050,335	139,039,086	411,059,539
MEATH	63,600,046	61,194,411	66,120,897	190,915,354
MONAGHAN	46,540,693	43,342,556	47,107,192	136,990,441
OFFALY	48,884,372	46,052,257	48,403,309	143,339,938
ROSCOMMON	71,985,584	69,210,552	76,062,166	217,258,302
SLIGO	49,138,606	47,691,017	51,821,246	148,650,869
TIPPERARY	134,873,228	128,774,028	137,539,759	401,187,015
WATERFORD	48,597,287	46,601,227	49,275,443	144,473,957
WESTMEATH	55,282,071	51,881,024	55,307,010	162,470,105
WEXFORD	80,421,864	76,107,417	81,579,409	238,108,691
WICKLOW	42,171,501	40,408,236	43,679,559	126,259,296

 

Agriculture Schemes

Ceisteanna (320)

Cathal Crowe

Ceist:

320. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of farmers paid under the basic payment scheme; the total amount of payments in euro paid out under this scheme by county, in tabular form since the formation of this Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4902/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The table below sets the total amount of farmer scheme payments made under the Basic Payment Scheme on a per county basis for the years 2020, 2021 and 2022.

		2020		2021		2022
County	Number of Payees	Amount	Number of Payees	Amount	Number of Payees	Amount
CARLOW	1,830	24,308,198	1,849	23,974,745	1,829	24,398,929
CAVAN	4,695	33,517,419	4,722	33,382,856	4,701	33,747,793
CLARE	6,009	46,680,505	6,028	45,834,829	5,986	46,394,443
CORK	13,091	151,089,765	13,135	148,830,535	12,938	149,966,705
DONEGAL	8,266	59,699,379	8,393	58,703,868	8,392	60,273,594
DUBLIN	834	10,925,806	853	10,807,311	822	10,917,858
GALWAY	12,023	86,657,631	12,030	86,377,263	11,925	86,625,797
KERRY	7,691	69,397,507	7,721	68,081,636	7,641	69,832,897
KILDARE	2,189	29,666,311	2,201	28,757,321	2,167	29,925,539
KILKENNY	3,292	45,829,882	3,291	46,248,668	3,257	46,922,184
LAOIS	2,625	31,741,431	2,614	31,240,282	2,596	31,831,736
LEITRIM	3,507	22,483,786	3,556	22,598,553	3,511	22,467,478
LIMERICK	5,100	49,148,491	5,101	48,589,876	5,012	48,833,083
LONGFORD	2,386	19,040,977	2,450	18,977,562	2,429	19,087,517
LOUTH	1,551	18,772,284	1,539	18,112,729	1,536	18,134,416
MAYO	11,113	74,373,099	11,191	71,856,751	11,080	72,697,180
MEATH	3,617	46,555,443	3,647	45,945,279	3,617	46,510,322
MONAGHAN	3,919	26,408,546	3,914	25,906,432	3,847	26,184,894
OFFALY	2,714	30,235,732	2,746	30,098,676	2,733	29,738,901
ROSCOMMON	5,341	37,401,938	5,390	37,212,548	5,363	37,619,470
SLIGO	3,912	25,593,870	3,916	25,204,578	3,898	25,625,730
TIPPERARY	6,975	90,143,429	6,975	89,109,260	6,929	90,547,372
WATERFORD	2,312	34,229,802	2,314	33,934,706	2,272	34,478,037
WESTMEATH	3,256	32,814,003	3,278	32,148,377	3,236	32,527,672
WEXFORD	4,200	56,076,024	4,231	55,120,599	4,218	55,600,871
WICKLOW	2,047	26,088,443	2,055	25,893,972	2,042	26,399,535

 

Agriculture Schemes

Ceisteanna (321)

Cathal Crowe

Ceist:

321. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of farmers paid under the areas of natural constraint; the total amount of payments in euro paid out under this scheme by county, in tabular form, since the formation of this Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4903/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The table below sets the total amount of farmer scheme payments made under the Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme on a per county basis for the years 2020, 2021 and 2022.

		2020		2021		2022
County	Number of Payees	Amount	Number of Payees	Amount	Number of Payees	Amount
CARLOW	928	2,313,763	938	2,364,227	933	2,303,642
CAVAN	4,387	10,260,092	4,368	10,273,185	4,388	10,252,424
CLARE	5,642	14,616,870	5,623	14,570,149	5,626	14,610,316
CORK	7,111	19,319,294	7,135	19,183,696	7,120	19,244,238
DONEGAL	7,864	23,036,927	7,947	22,949,469	7,919	23,113,512
DUBLIN	232	574,851	237	603,612	239	614,992
GALWAY	10,933	27,240,913	10,926	27,335,596	10,885	27,183,161
KERRY	7,110	20,596,134	7,087	20,535,736	7,024	20,407,532
KILDARE	617	1,305,927	620	1,284,841	627	1,339,960
KILKENNY	1,723	4,110,883	1,730	4,152,001	1,710	4,133,838
LAOIS	1,549	3,513,992	1,533	3,453,440	1,528	3,508,372
LEITRIM	3,296	8,892,598	3,329	8,955,442	3,283	8,800,139
LIMERICK	4,154	9,423,428	4,200	9,482,644	4,162	9,405,373
LONGFORD	2,253	5,290,834	2,271	5,298,200	2,243	5,266,300
LOUTH	843	1,711,984	836	1,635,634	832	1,644,411
MAYO	10,204	26,583,486	10,176	26,366,485	10,128	26,434,698
MEATH	1,375	2,826,999	1,385	2,842,253	1,398	2,835,551
MONAGHAN	3,628	7,775,658	3,647	7,836,002	3,620	7,740,597
OFFALY	2,127	4,714,121	2,138	4,705,935	2,150	4,729,177
ROSCOMMON	5,015	11,958,177	5,038	11,911,813	5,021	11,964,864
SLIGO	3,681	9,205,502	3,653	9,202,020	3,670	9,272,817
TIPPERARY	4,592	11,169,967	4,602	11,151,737	4,586	11,135,736
WATERFORD	1,338	3,341,538	1,329	3,347,923	1,310	3,307,176
WESTMEATH	2,864	6,245,421	2,853	6,194,366	2,879	6,214,959
WEXFORD	1,711	3,448,564	1,718	3,456,470	1,688	3,394,415
WICKLOW	1,672	4,723,658	1,666	4,651,025	1,654	4,707,585