Written Answers Nos. 654-669
654. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if he plans to increase payments to nursing homes under the National Treatment Purchase Fund to compensate for the higher payments due to health care assistants under the Medical Review and Assessment system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36063/24]
View answerThe processes and procedures of the Medical Review and Assessment Section is overseen by the Department of Social Protection and queries in respect of payments arising from those processes and procedures should be addressed by that Department.The Department of Health is supportive of any policy which ensures that healthcare staff are appropriately compensated for work which is commensurate with their skills, qualifications and experience. However, it should also be noted that privately owned and operated businesses, of which private nursing homes are included, are responsible for setting and managing their own rates of pay.The sustainability of the Nursing Home sector in Ireland is an important priority for this Government and unprecedented levels of funding; investment and support has been provided over the last number of years to stabilise the sector.The overall budget has increased from €986m in 2020 to €1.161bn in 2024. It is anticipated that the trend of allocating increased funding to the Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS) will continue in the forthcoming budget.In addition, the Government has provided the private and voluntary nursing home sector, with over €151 million in funding delivered through the Temporary Assistance Payment Scheme (TAPS) over the course of the Covid pandemic, which was extended to the end of April 2023.Other supports directly delivered through the HSE include serial testing, the provision of PPE and deployment of expert response teams. The provision of free PPE and oxygen to private nursing homes continues, and cost €77 million from 1 April 2020 to 31 October 2022. A €10 million scheme (TIPS) was established to support private and voluntary nursing homes with increases in energy costs. The scheme covers 75% of year-on-year cost increases in energy and heating, up to a monthly cap of €5,250 per nursing home, over the period of July to December 2022. TIPS was extended further, to June 2023. Budget 2023 saw over €40 million in additional funding for the NHSS which is providing for an uplift in the maximum prices chargeable by private and voluntary nursing homes, as negotiated. An additional €45.6 million has been allocated to support nursing homes in Budget 2024.This was including a new €10 million fund to support private and voluntary nursing homes with HIQA compliance. The scheme is designed to target and support structural improvements in nursing homes to assist their meeting HIQA compliance plans in respect of protection against infection and fire precautions. This is active as from 1 January 2024 and can be backdated for eligible works to 1 January 2020.
In addition, I recently announced the completion of the national rollout of a new community based mobile X-ray service which aims to reduce the number of older patients attending Emergency Departments (EDs). Following a pilot launched in 2022, from 1 March 2024 this free, community-based service is available to all residents in private and voluntary nursing homes and Community Nursing Units nationwide.
The budget to support approximately 23,000 people to live in nursing homes through Fair Deal, inclusive of client contributions, is approximately €1.5 billion this year. In late February, it was announced that over €3.2 million in State support will be provided for over 440 registered nurses in private nursing homes to obtain a Postgraduate Diploma in Gerontological Nursing. This follows similar funding provided for registered nurses in public Community Nursing Units and voluntary nursing homes.Maximum prices for individual nursing homes are agreed with the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) following negotiations and based on its cost criteria. These criteria include: costs reasonably incurred by the nursing home, local market prices, historic prices and the available budget. The NTPF has statutory independence in this regard, and neither Ministers nor the Department of Health has any role in NHSS price negotiations.The Department of Health and I have met with the NTPF Board several times to discuss ways in which to support the sector, where necessary and appropriate, to complement the normal process of negotiating rate increases when contracts are renewed. Nevertheless, nursing homes which had a scheduled renegotiation of their Deed of Agreement recently with the NTPF have seen a significant uplift (an average baseline increase in price per bed of 6%).I wish to note that the NTPF have no role in provision of funding for public beds within private Nursing Homes.In the last two years, there has been an increase in Nursing Homes moving to a 12-month duration of their deeds of agreement with the NTPF.In a 30 month period (March 2022 - July 2024), the average increase in the maximum rates a nursing home can charge for NHSS has increased approx. 12% or €122 per resident per week.The Department of Health is also examining ways in which additional supports can be provided to the sector.
655. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if the case of a person (details supplied) will be reviewed; the reason her appointment was cancelled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36067/24]
View answer“As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.”
656. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health the reason there has been no increase to the National Ambulance Service’s personnel number in 2024, given the rate at which Ireland’s population is increasing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36069/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
657. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health the reason the HSE has spent a large sum of money on a hospital (details supplied), only to increase patient numbers by approximately five patients, as a new ward is opening while one is being closed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36070/24]
View answerThere has been significant investment in Portiuncula University Hospital in recent years. A new ward block, a €35 million development, is part of a wider capital development scheme for the Hospital. This new ward block is to replace outdated wards which will result in an improved patient experience , reductions in length of stay, fewer in-house transfer of patients between wards and improved infection control.
The replacement wards each comprise of 25 single rooms with en-suite facilities.
Under the recently announced Acute Bed Expansion plan, the Government has committed to 501 new acute inpatient beds in the HSE West and North West region alone.
This ambitious plan will see 16 new beds delivered at Portiuncula over the course of the next four years and 10 of the new beds are opening in tandem with this 50 bed Ward block. These 10 beds will be enhanced by a further six new beds which will be provided between 2024 and 2028.
658. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health if the free national bowel screening process ends at the age of 65 years; if so, his views on if this is best considering people over the age of 65 years would be more prone to bowel cancer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36077/24]
View answerI am fully committed to supporting our population screening programmes, which are a valuable part of our health service, enabling early treatment and care for many people, and improving the overall health of our population.
Since October 2023, BowelScreen, the national bowel cancer screening programme, invites men and women aged between 59-69 to take the free at-home screening test. This is an important part of a phased approach to expanding the screening age, in line with available capacity and resources. When full expansion is complete, people aged 55-74 will be invited for screening.
It is important to be aware that any decisions about changes or expansion of our screening programmes will be made on the advice of the National Screening Advisory Committee (NSAC). This is an independent expert group that considers and assesses evidence in a robust and transparent manner, and against internationally accepted criteria. It is important that we have rigorous processes in place to ensure our screening programmes are effective, quality assured and operating to safe standards and that the benefits of screening outweigh the harms.
In this regard, I am pleased to report that NSAC is already progressing work to consider the further expansion of our cancer screening programmes. In 2023, the Committee asked the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) to evaluate the evidence for the further expansion of the age range eligibility for the BowelScreen programme to those aged 50-54. HIQA will complete a Health Technology Assessment and this process takes considerable time. Work has already commenced in this regard and a report is expected to be submitted to NSAC for consideration in 2025.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to ensure that we continue to encourage everyone aged 59-69 to sign up to take the screening test. The BowelScreen test can help prevent cancer from developing. If bowel cancer is found early, it is easier to treat and there's a better chance of recovery. As with any cancer screening programme, BowelScreen is for healthy people without symptoms. It is vital that anyone who has symptoms they are concerned about, at any age, contacts their GP for appropriate follow-up care.
659. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the reason there is no cardiologist based in Cavan General Hospital; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the cardiologist previously in place has moved permanently to Drogheda Hospital; if he will examine this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36084/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
660. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 877 of 11 June 2024, to provide an update on the regulations being developed under Section 23 of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018; the timeline his Department is working towards in enacting the necessary statutory instrument; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36086/24]
View answerThe development of the regulations is ongoing. It is my intention to have draft regulations finalised for submission at EU level by year end.
661. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if a young child (details supplied) will be prioritised for an urgent procedure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36105/24]
View answer“As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.”
662. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if the case of a person (details supplied) will be prioritised given that two recent hospital appointments have been cancelled at short notice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36108/24]
View answerAs Minister for Health, I deal primarily with legislation and governance issues and the Health Service Executive (HSE), under the Health Act 2004, is required to manage and deliver health and personal social services.
As Minister for Health, I am not in a position to make comment on individual cases and I have no role in the clinical decision-making process.
663. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Health the status of the sanction and resources for the appointment of a physiologist to Sligo University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36109/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
664. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Health the commencement and completion dates for the sanctioned new medical block at Sligo University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36110/24]
View answerAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
665. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Health his plans with regard to the appointment of additional advanced nurse practitioners in the area of cardiac care and other disciplines at Sligo University Hospital. [36111/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
666. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Health the way he can reconcile the approval and sanction of the appointment of additional hospital consultants without parallel sanction of additional junior doctors, advance nurse practitioners, nurses and administrative back up; if he will strategically link just sanctions together in the interests of best practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36112/24]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, the HSE has been asked to respond directly to the Deputy.
667. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Health his plans and timeline to improve the newborn screening programme in order to bring us in line with newborn screening in other EU countries, with an average of 18 conditions being screened at a minimum; the progress on screening since the establishment of the Newborn Screening Advisory Committee in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36133/24]
View answerCurrently, all newborn babies (between 3 and 5 days old) are offered newborn bloodspot screening (generally known as the ‘heel prick’) for nine rare but serious conditions that are treatable if detected early in life.
The expansion of the National Newborn Bloodspot Screening (NBS) Programme continues to remain a key objective of mine as Minister for Health, and I am pleased to note that the National Screening Advisory Committee (NSAC) has been actively progressing work in this regard.
NSAC is an independent expert group that considers and assesses evidence in a robust and transparent manner, and against internationally accepted criteria. It is important that we have rigorous processes in place to ensure our screening programmes are effective, quality assured, validated and operating to safe standards, and that the benefits of screening outweigh the harms.
Significant progress continues to be made on the expansion of the NBS Programme. As the Deputy will be aware, last year I approved two recommendations from NSAC for the addition of Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) and Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) to the NBS programme. This will bring the number of conditions screened for as part of what is commonly known as the ‘heel prick’ test in Ireland to 11, once implemented. I would highlight that this will represent a 37% increase achieved under the lifetime of this Government.
I can confirm that work commenced at the start of this year, with ongoing collaboration between officials in my Department and the HSE National Children’s Screening Programme on implementing an ambitious timeline for the introduction of screening for SMA and SCID.
In February of this year, I was pleased to allocate €1.4m of new development funding in 2024 to support the expansion of the NBS programme. This funding will allow for the rollout of testing for both SCID and SMA and represents a significant funding increase in a single year. The announcement further demonstrates my ongoing commitment to reducing the impact of these rare but serious diseases in children and infants. This investment will be crucial to providing additional funds for new equipment, staff recruitment, validation, quality assurance and training to facilitate addition of new conditions to NBS programme.
In terms of further expansion of our newborn screening programmes, Ireland has always evaluated the case for commencing a national screening programme against international accepted criteria – collectively known as the Wilson Jungner criteria. The evidence bar for commencing a screening programme should and must remain high. This ensures that we can be confident that a programme is effective, quality assured and operating to safe standards. There is no doubt that newborn screening programmes have the potential to be rapidly transformed by new technologies and new therapies but this highlights the need to continue with a robust, methodologically sound and detailed analysis of the evidence in each and every case against internationally accepted screening criteria.
Nevertheless, I am acutely aware of how difficult it is for parents, families and children who have received a diagnosis of a rare disease, and how challenging daily life can be for them. This is why I remain committed to the further expansion of screening in Ireland in accordance with internationally accepted criteria and best practice.
668. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health if his Department has a policy, or has issued guidance to staff on the use of artificial intelligence, large language model, natural language processing, generative or otherwise, or products based thereon in the course of their duties; if this has been communicated to staff; if he will publish same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36143/24]
View answerMy Department has a policy on the use of Generative AI written in line with advice and guidance issued by Government and the National Cyber Security Centre. All ICT related policies are available to all staff. For security reasons, it would not be appropriate to disclose details of the policy.
669. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health if his Department, or any agency under his auspices, has ever used any artificial intelligence software in the preparation of response to parliamentary questions, or in responses to any correspondence from outside the organisation; the details of same if applicable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36162/24]
View answerThe Department of Health has not implemented AI systems yet but recognises the possibilities offered by AI and, in particular, generative AI.
It is currently developing its own policy for the potential use of generative AI in a safe and controlled manner. The policy is based on recommendations from the National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) Cyber Security Guidance on Generative AI for Public Sector Bodies and DPENDR’s Interim Guidelines for Use of AI in the Public Service.
The default approach is that GenAI is not to be used for departmental business, unless there is an approved business case, following appropriate risk assessments.
