Written Answers Nos. 425-442
425. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health if he expects to receive the report into the review of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 by 7 February 2023; when the report will be made available to the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5922/23]
View answerIt is expected that the Review of the operation of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018, will be submitted to the Minister in the coming days. The Report will then be considered by the Minister and published as soon as possible thereafter.
426. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health the number and cost of independent investigations carried out and finalised by his Department since January 2019; the persons and companies carrying out the investigations; the outcome of these investigations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5925/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
427. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Health if there is an option for reimbursement for an essential treatment paid for privately when there is no public service available in the area (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5926/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
428. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the number of ambulances involved in single vehicle accidents in each of the regions in each of the past three years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5929/23]
View answerAs this is an operational matter for the National Ambulance Service (NAS), I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible, with any pertinent information it may have.
429. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Health if he will consider establishing a fund for registered cancer support groups that would allow for the purchase of an electric vehicle to transport clients to hospital appointments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5951/23]
View answerI have been advised by the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) that there are two services administered by the Irish Cancer Society which offer financial supports towards travelling for cancer treatment.
The first of these services is the Travel2Care Scheme – a limited transportation assistance fund, funded by the NCCP. This is available to patients travelling to a designated cancer centre, approved centres, or an approved children’s hospital and will cover part of the associated costs for said travel.
The second scheme available aiding those travelling for cancer treatment is the Volunteer Driver Service. This is a volunteer delivered transport service wherein patients are driven to and from treatment in designated partner hospitals and centres. Drivers are interviewed, trained, Garda vetted and must attend annual Support & Supervision sessions run by the Irish Cancer Society to participate in the service.
The service is free to the patient, with all costs paid by the Irish Cancer Society, and applications are conducted by approaching a healthcare professional in a partnered hospital who will then discuss the suitability of it for the patient's needs and make a decision on referral. Once referred, the patient must book appointments in advance with the Irish Cancer Society to arrange transport.
Further information on both schemes can be obtained from the Irish Cancer Society, via cancer.ie, emailing travel@irishcancer.ie, or by calling 01 231 6643 / 01 231 0522 to request information.
I am advised that the Irish Cancer Society is happy to receive requests outside the guidelines on an exceptional basis.
Voluntary organisations may also be able to apply for section 39 funding, which is administered by the HSE. Applications should be made through the Community Health Organisation for the area in which the voluntary organisation is based.
430. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) has been excluded from weekend day-respite services at Galro Centre, Kilbixy Paddocks, County Westmeath; if this decision will be reversed or alternative weekend day-respite services will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5952/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
431. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) has been excluded from weekend day-respite services at Galro Centre, Kilbixy Paddocks, County Westmeath; if this decision will be reversed or alternative weekend day-respite services will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5953/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
432. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of a hospital appointment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5955/23]
View answerUnder 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.
433. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health when security staff working for a company (details supplied) in Merlin Park Hospital Galway will receive the pandemic bonus payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5956/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
434. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of a hospital appointment for a person (details supplied) in the Mercy Hospital Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5957/23]
View answerUnder 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.
435. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health if there is data within his Department as to the cause of the recent rise in excess death rates in the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5959/23]
View answerThe Department of Health and the HSE keep under review a range of population health and epidemiological indicators to assess the impact of health threats in Ireland.
The Department of Health does not produce estimates of excess mortality. However, the Department closely monitors estimates of excess mortality which are published by a range of different sources.
Ireland continues to participate in EuroMOMO, a European mortality monitoring activity, aiming to detect and measure excess deaths related to seasonal influenza, pandemics and other public health threats. The latest published data from EuroMOMO is available here.
As per previous winter respiratory viral seasons when influenza and other respiratory viruses circulate at high levels in Ireland and Europe contributing to excess mortality, it is anticipated that excess mortality during the 2022/2023 winter period will be reported as deaths from late 2022 and early 2023 are registered.
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) include an update on excess mortality in their weekly Influenza Surveillance Report.
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) publishes official statistics on mortality in Ireland and publishes quarterly and yearly statistics on registered deaths through their Vital Statistics publications. The latest published data is for Quarter 2 2022 and data is provisional. Provisional data for Quarter 3 2022 will be published in March and for Quarter 4 2022 in June. This will include data on cause of death.
The Department of Health and HSE will continue to work closely with all stakeholders to monitor trends in mortality in Ireland.
436. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the services in place for medical card holders and GPs with GMS lists who are seeking to provide vasectomies; if appropriate training is in place for GPs wishing to provide such a service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5964/23]
View answerThe development of a standard contract for the provision of vasectomy services is a component of the HSE streamlining and coordination agenda in line with the 2019 Agreement between the Department of Health, the HSE, and the IMO on Contractual Reform and Service Development. Relevant training and standards will be addressed within that process. Pending the development of the standard contract, as an interim measure local health areas can utilise the HSE’s National Service Arrangement documentation with schedules particularised to the service in question, thereby bringing to bear some degree of standardisation in approach and moving in a meaningful way towards compliance with HSE’s governance framework for service arrangements with external service providers.
437. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the way employees (details supplied) who worked alongside HSE staff throughout the pandemic can apply for the pandemic special recognition payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5990/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
438. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if a respite facility will be made available in the greater Killarney area of County Kerry as a matter of urgency (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5999/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
439. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the current status of an application for reimbursement under the Cross Border Healthcare Directive by a person (details supplied); when they will receive reimbursement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6006/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
440. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the reason students from a college course (details supplied) have been informed that they are now not entitled to the pandemic recognition payment, despite having been previously informed that they would receive the payment, if consideration would be given to granting students from this course who worked in healthcare settings during the pandemic this payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6007/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
441. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Health if there is still a delay in individuals being called for BreastCheck screening in County Wexford, since the disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic; the length of this delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6020/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
442. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 584 of 13 December 2022, if his Department is still considering a proposal to establish a working group to assist in developing an updated strategy that addresses the hearing needs of the Irish population; the timeline he is working towards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6024/23]
View answerThe National Audiology Review Group (NARG) Report, published by the Health Service Executive (HSE) in 2011, identified shortcomings in audiology services (including access issues, poor information, inadequate staffing, and unacceptable waiting times) and made recommendations to address these issues.
While many of these recommendations have been implemented, including the rollout in of a National Audiology Clinical Management system for community and acute services, there is still work to do in relation to the community audiology waiting lists. These have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the HSE is actively looking at all options to increase activity and minimise patient wait times nationally.
The World Health Organisation’s World Report on Hearing published in March 2021 recommends, among other things, that governments develop a comprehensive people-centred hearing care plan within their national health care plan.
The proposal to establish a working group, comprised of relevant stakeholders, to assist in developing such a plan for Ireland is still being considered by the Department. In the meantime, the Department continues to liaise with the HSE to improve health outcomes for all those suffering from hearing loss.
