Emer Currie
Ceist:380. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health when a patient (details supplied) in St. James's Hospital will receive an ultrasound appointment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7041/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraHospital Appointments Status
Ceisteanna (380)
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.
Health Services
Ceisteanna (381)
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn
Ceist:381. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if her Department officials will work with their counterparts in the North of Ireland to examine the potential to deliver a thrombectomy service in the north west for stroke patients on both sides of the border, similar to the radiotherapy services provided at the North West Cancer Centre at Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry. [7093/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Department of Social Protection provides income supports through a mixture of contributory payments (which are based on a person's social insurance record) and means-tested social assistance payments. To receive either a contributory or social assistance payment a person must qualify for that payment in their own right.The State Pension (Contributory) requires 520 (equivalent to 10 years) paid contributions to qualify for the payment. Once this threshold is reached the current State Pension (Contributory) system provides measures including PRSI credits, Homemaking Disregards and HomeCaring Periods to recognise caring periods of up to 20 years outside of paid employment in the calculation of a payment rate.In January 2024 the Long Term Carers Contributions were introduced which allowed for those who provided full time care to incapacitated individuals to receive reckonable contributions for the time spent giving that care, provided they cared for at least 20 years. Those years do not need to be consecutive. Long Term Carers Contribution are considered the equivalent of paid contributions and can be used to qualify for the State Pension (Contributory).The State Pension (Non-Contributory) is a means-tested social assistance payment for people aged 66 and over, habitually residing in the State, who do not qualify for a State Pension (Contributory), or who only qualify for a reduced rate contributory pension based on their social insurance record.The system of social assistance supports provides payments based on an income need. The means test plays a critical role in ensuring that the recipient has a verifiable income need and that resources are targeted to those who need them most.Social welfare legislation provides that means tests take account of the income and assets of the person (and their spouse or partner, if applicable) applying for the relevant scheme. The means assessment includes income from sources such as employment, self-employment, occupational pensions and maintenance payments. It also includes property owned, other than the family home, and capital such as savings, shares, and other investments. Income earned under the rent-a-room tax relief scheme is exempt from the means test.
Accordingly, the numbers of contributions or credits (e.g., homecaring periods) a person has is not a factor in determining the rate under the State Pension (Non-Contributory).
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Cancer Services
Ceisteanna (382)
James Geoghegan
Ceist:382. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1542 of 22 January 2025, to ask the HSE to issue a reply;; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7111/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on the pricing and reimbursement of medicines and medical devices, therefore I requested an update from the HSE in this matter.
The HSE has advised it is committed to providing access to as many medicines as possible, in as timely a fashion as possible, from the resources available (provided) to it.
The HSE must robustly assess applications for pricing and reimbursement to make sure that it can stretch available resources as far as possible and to deliver the best value in relation to each medicine and ultimately more medicines to Irish citizens and patients.
HSE decisions on which medicines are reimbursed by the taxpayer are made on objective, scientific and economic grounds.
There are formal processes which govern applications for the pricing and reimbursement of medicines, and new uses of existing medicines, to be funded and / or reimbursed.
The HSE considers the following criteria prior to making any decision on pricing / reimbursement in line with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013:
(1) The health needs of the public,
(2) The cost effectiveness of meeting health needs by supplying the item concerned rather than providing other health services,
(3) The availability and suitability of items for supply or reimbursement,
(4) The proposed costs, benefits, and risks of the item or listed item relative to therapeutically similar items or listed items provided in other health service settings and the level of certainty in relation to the evidence of those costs, benefits and risks,
(5) The potential or actual budget impact of the item or listed item,
(6) The clinical need for the item or listed item,
(7) The appropriate level of clinical supervision required in relation to the item to ensure patient safety,
(8) The efficacy (performance in trial), effectiveness (performance in real situations) and added therapeutic benefit against existing standards of treatment (how much better it treats a condition than existing therapies) and
(9) The resources available to the HSE
In terms of the specific details of the application for pricing and reimbursement of Lutetium (177Lu) vipivotide tetraxetan (Pluvicto®) the HSE has advised the following:
The HSE received a complete application for pricing and reimbursement on the 9th January 2023 from Advanced Accelerator Applications, a Novartis Company (the applicant) for Lutetium (177Lu) vipivotide tetraxetan (Pluvicto®) in combination with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with or without androgen receptor (AR) pathway inhibition indicated for the treatment of adult patients with progressive prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who have been treated with AR pathway inhibition and taxane based chemotherapy:
• The first step in the process is the submission of a Rapid Review dossier (a clinical and economic dossier) to the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE) for assessment. The HSE commissioned the Rapid Review process on the 9th January 2023.
• The NCPE Rapid Review assessment report was received by the HSE on the 10th February 2023. The NCPE advised the HSE that a full Health Technology Assessment (HTA) was recommended to assess the clinical effectiveness and cost effectiveness of Lutetium (177Lu) vipivotide tetraxetan (Pluvicto®) compared with the current standard of care.
• The HSE commissioned a full HTA on the 1st March 2023 as per agreed processes.
• The NCPE Health Technology Assessment Report was received by the HSE on the 12th August 2024. The NCPE recommended that Lutetium (177Lu) vipivotide tetraxetan (Pluvicto®) not be considered for reimbursement. Lutetium (177Lu) vipivotide tetraxetan (Pluvicto®). HTA ID: 23002 | National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics
• The HSE Corporate Pharmaceutical Unit (CPU) is the interface between the HSE and the Pharmaceutical Industry in relation to medicine pricing and reimbursement applications. The HSE CPU has met with the applicant to discuss this application.
• The Drugs Group is the national committee which the HSE has in place to make recommendations on the pricing and reimbursement of medicines. The membership of the HSE Drugs Group includes public interest members. The pharmacoeconomic report will be reviewed by the HSE Drugs Group along with the outputs of any commercial negotiations, and any patient group submission(s) received. The HSE Drugs Group considers all of the evidence and makes a recommendation to the HSE Senior Leadership Team.
• The decision making authority in the HSE is the HSE Senior Leadership Team. The HSE Senior Leadership Team decides on the basis of all the demands it is faced with (across all services) whether it can fund a new medicine, or new use of an existing medicine, from the resources that have been provided to it in line with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.
The application remains under consideration with the HSE. The HSE cannot make any comment on possible outcomes from the ongoing process.
Hospital Appointments Status
Ceisteanna (383)
Michael Healy-Rae
Ceist:383. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if a hospital appointment will be facilitated for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7113/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí 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.
Departmental Data
Ceisteanna (384)
Peadar Tóibín
Ceist:384. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of young people emigrating; and the professions from which those emigrating are leaving. [6933/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Control of Dogs
Ceisteanna (385)
Paul Murphy
Ceist:385. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if his attention has been drawn to the €100 thousand allocated to organisations which facilitate the neutering of dogs, this information was not made available to the public until 16 January 2025, two weeks prior to the ban XL bully dogs who will not be neutered by this date; if this deadline will be extended to allow for these dogs to be neutered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6820/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
In late 2022, a cross-government review of legislation regarding dogs was undertaken and later in 2023, an inter-agency working group on the control of dogs issue was established.
One of the recommendations of this group was the funding of a targeted neutering scheme for dogs. In this regard, my Department provided funding of €152,500 between three charities, to support already established neutering voucher schemes supporting members of disadvantaged communities that wish to neuter their dogs but cannot afford to do so.
The scheme has a particular focus on, and priority for, XL Bully type dogs for the later part of 2024 and the early part of 2025, however it does not solely relate to neutering of XL Bully type dogs. This funding was awarded to three animal welfare organisations who had existing neutering schemes in place. The funding was provided on a one-off basis with no commitment to any ongoing funding relationship and is subject to review.
A review of this scheme is due to take place after the scheme ends. This is expected to take place in the later part of 2025.
Funding was allocated as follows;
Irish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals - €100,000
The Irish Blue Cross - €32,500
Mutts Anonymous Dog Rescue & Adoption - €20,000
The ban on XL Bully type dogs was announced last year in the interest of public safety following a number of horrific attacks. The ban was brought in over two stages to give XL Bully type dog owners who wish to keep their dog, the time to obtain a 'Certificate of Exemption'. There was a four month period between the 1st October 2024 and before 1st February 2025, where these owners were able to apply for a 'Certificate of Exemption'.
If an owner's dog was older than 18 months of age on 1 October 2024 and un-neutered, they must have applied for a Certificate of Exemption before 1st February 2025, and provide a Confirmation of Neutering Status Form countersigned by a registered veterinary practitioner by 30th June 2025.
If their dog was younger than 18 months of age on 1 October 2024, they must have applied for a Certificate of Exemption before 1st February 2025, and are required to provide the Confirmation of Neutering Status Form countersigned by a registered veterinary practitioner within one month of neutering or before 1st July 2026 at latest.
Departmental Administrative Arrangements
Ceisteanna (386)
Conor D McGuinness
Ceist:386. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development his plans to reconfigure his Department; the timeline for completion of this reconfiguration; the title of this Department, if he will provide an organisation chart for the reconfigured Department, to include name and contact details for the senior official in each section; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6954/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As announced by the Taoiseach on 23rd January last, there will be a reconfiguration in the make-up of my Department, in particular, bringing the Gaeltacht function into the Department of Rural and Community Development.
My officials are currently liaising with the other relevant Departments and are preparing Statutory Instruments to effect the Transfer of Functions and the new Department's Title. There are also detailed discussions on non-statutory administrative processes and resources. This work is ongoing and will be completed in due course. During this transitionary period the divisions of the new Department are already working closely together.
Once the formal steps are finalised the Corporate Governance Framework for my Department will be updated to reflect the changes and this will include details of the Framework of Assignments for senior officials and will be published on my Department's website: www.gov.ie/drcd and on the 'Who Does What' section of gov.ie.
Mar a d'fhógair an Taoiseach ar an 23ú Eanáir seo caite, beidh atheagrú ag tarlú i mo Roinnse, agus feidhm na Gaeltachta á tabhairt isteach sa Roinn Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail.
Tá mo chuid oifigeach i mbun plé leis na Ranna ábhartha eile faoi láthair agus tá Ionstraimí Reachtúla á n-ullmhú acu chun an tAistriú Feidhmeanna agus Teideal na Roinne nua a chur i gcrích. Tá comhráite mionsonraithe ar bun freisin ar phróisis agus acmhainní riaracháin neamhreachtúla. Tá an obair seo ar siúl i gcónaí agus críochnófar í in am trátha. Le linn na hidirthréimhse seo, tá rannáin na Roinne nua ag obair go dlúth le chéile cheana féin.
Nuair a bheidh na céimeanna foirmiúla tugtha chun críche, déanfar uasdátú ar an gCreat Rialachais Chorparáidigh do mo Roinn chun na hathruithe a léiriú, agus san áireamh ansin beidh sonraí faoin gCreat Sannachán d'oifigigh shinsearacha agus foilseofar é ar shuíomh gréasáin mo Roinne: www.gov.ie/drcd agus faoi 'Cé a Dhéanann Cad' de gov.ie.
Departmental Bodies
Ceisteanna (387)
Conor D McGuinness
Ceist:387. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to list all the agencies and other bodies under his aegis; and to detail the total budget, or part thereof, funded by the Exchequer in 2024 for each, in tabular form. [6955/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
There are currently four agencies under my Department’s remit: the Western Development Commission, Pobal, Irish Water Safety, and the Charities Regulator.
The Western Development Commission, Pobal and Irish Water Safety each receive an Exchequer budget and details can be found under Vote 42 in the Revised Estimates Volume 2024 at the link below.
https://assets.gov.ie/281010/11c793e0-5e54-40af-9468-70d42b445e50.pdf
Pobal is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee with charitable status and administers a number of programmes for multiple Government Departments to support social inclusion and local and community development. While they do not receive an annual Exchequer budget, they receive administration and service fees for each programme they manage and support from Exchequer sources. This varies by programme.
In 2024 my Department paid Pobal €13,209,059 to deliver a wide range of programmes including the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), the Community Services Programme (CSP), the Community Centre Investment Fund (CCIF), LEADER, the Senior Alerts Scheme and others.