Written Answers Nos. 666-688
666. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if there are plans to provide dialysis treatment in Wicklow soon to accommodate people from the areas of Wicklow and Wexford who have to travel to access treatment (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41400/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
667. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Health the total expenditure for reimbursement of continuous glucose monitors on the approved medical device list for the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41425/24]
View answerUnder 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 devices; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
668. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Health the number of type 1 diabetes patients that were approved to use reimbursed diabetes technology; if he will provide a breakdown on the suppliers; the total costs provided to each supplier for this technology, between the years 2020 to 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41426/24]
View answerUnder 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 devices; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
669. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Health if he will consider matters raised in correspondence (details supplied) regarding a section 39 care unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41458/24]
View answerOrganisations who are in receipt of funding via Section 39 arrangements are not public bodies. They are privately owned and run organisations, and the terms and conditions of employment for staff in these organisations are ultimately between the employer and the employee.
Although not the employers, the Departments are aware that staff employed across the hundreds of HSE funded organisations have been employed using a multiplicity of terms and conditions, including different rates of remuneration and are dependent on Government for funding.
An agreement to increase funding for pay was reached in the WRC in October 2023. The application process is currently being managed by the HSE and KOSI Corporation.
At 23rd September, of 1,166 organisations with whom communication was made, 689 have made submissions. Since then, 407 organisations (including the largest organisations in the sector) have exited the process. So far, KOSI has recommended WRC uplift payments equating to a cumulative value of €75.83m, relating to uplifts for 22,942 workers
Negotiations regarding further pay funding for organisation in receipt of funding via section 39 arrangements are currently ongoing and it would be inappropriate to comment any further on the matter at this time.
670. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that medical card holders are regularly being charged for sick notes and other letters that were once provided free of charge by GPs; his views on this practice; if he plans to engage with GPs to ensure that those with medical cards are provided with doctor's letters without cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41461/24]
View answerThe HSE reimburses GPs for services provided under the GMS contract to medical and GP visit card holders. Under the terms of the current GMS contract, GPs are required to provide eligible patients with ''all proper and necessary treatment of a kind usually undertaken by a general practitioner...". The terms of the GMS contract provide that a GP shall furnish to a patient they’ve examined a certificate in relation to any illness noticed during the examination as reasonably required by the patient.
However, Section 11 of the GMS contract stipulates that fees in respect of certain medical certificates which may be required, for example, "under the Social Welfare Acts or for the purposes of insurance or assurance policies or for the issue of driving licences" are not covered by the contract.
The requirements to claim Illness Benefit, including the necessary submission of a ‘Certificate of Incapacity for Work’, are a matter for the Department of Social Protection and separate from the GP's obligations under the GMS contract.
If a patient who holds a medical card or GP visit card believes they have been incorrectly charged for services under the GMS contract by their GP, then that patient should report the matter to their HSE Local Health Office. The local management, upon being notified of potential inappropriate charging of GMS patients, will contact the GP concerned and carry out an investigation into each complaint and, where appropriate, will arrange for a refund of charges incorrectly applied by the GP.
671. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the health infrastructure projects currently underway in CHO8; and the projects completed since June 2022, in tabular form. [41464/24]
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.
672. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant paediatric plastic surgeons based at CHI Temple Street in 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [41465/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
673. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 463, 469, 474, 486, 488, 499 and 508 of 1 October 2024, if he will commit that the recommendations of the review will be implemented (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41475/24]
View answerThe National Radiation Therapist Review has published 16 recommendations it total which aim to help and support the Radiation Therapy profession into the future. These recommendations are currently being examined by my Department regarding implementation.
In Budget 2025, €33m has been secured for the National Cancer Strategy, including access to new cancer medicines, expansion of cancer screening, funding for community cancer support centres, and implementation of the National Cancer Strategy. This will mean over €110 million has been invested into the Strategy since 2017.
2025 funding includes 8 additional staff for radiation therapy services, and funding for 6 advanced practice posts for radiation therapy to implement one of the recommendations of the National Radiation Therapist Review.
The National Radiation Therapist Review considered important issues such as organisation structure, career development in line with Health and Social Care Professional Frameworks, strategic workforce planning, and recruitment and retention strategies. Funding has been made available for advanced practice posts, additional training places are being made available, and CORU registration requirements have been changed to bring Irish training requirements in line with international comparators (practice hours have been reduced to 1000 hours from 1200 hours).
Over 460 additional student places were provided in the Higher Education Sector on health-related courses in the academic year 2023/24. This included 5 additional Radiation Therapy places.
The number of Radiation Therapists on the CORU register has increased steadily from 431 (2019) to 467 (2020) to 499 in 2021. The latest available data shows that there were 514 Radiation Therapists registered by the end of 2022. According to the HSE census, in July 2024, there were 228 Radiation Therapists employed within the HSE.
Capital funding of over €140m has been used under the National Cancer Strategy to provide state of the art radiation oncology facilities in Galway and Cork, to update cancer infrastructure in chemotherapy wards and lab facilities for the benefit of patients, as well as investment in the new National Cervical Screening Laboratory.
New treatments are being provided to patients requiring radiation therapy, and these now cover more than 10% of patients receiving radiation therapy. Methods such as CyberKnife and SABR mean that patients are receiving more targeted treatment which reduces potential side-effects. The use of these treatments is expanding.
674. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health if botox treatment for primary and secondary hyperhidrosis is fully funded by the State; the public hospitals where it is provided to public patients at no additional cost to them; if an entitlement for GMS patients for where said treatment is recommended by a medical consultant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41482/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
675. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the reason non-EU applicants to the HSCP MSc ultrasound programme in UCD were initially offered a place on the course with a fee exemption; the reason they were subsequently informed they must pay the non-EU fee in full after being offered a place with written confirmation of a fee exemption; if there were any terms and conditions and disclaimers provided with the course information prior to applications being submitted in relation to fees for non-EU applicants; if so, at what stage the information on course fees for non-EU applicants changed during the application process; which organisation or body was responsible for any such change in fee requirements subsequent to any course place offers; if he will consider reversing the decision for any non-EU applicants who had been informed of a fee exemption at the time of a course place offer (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41483/24]
View answer676. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of sonographers employed within each public hospital; the number required to provide adequate staff levels within each hospital; and the duration of any unfilled posts for sonographers within each hospital where such exists, in tabular form. [41484/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
677. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health for an update on the provisional ambulance service from Kenmare to the surrounding areas. [41514/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to reply to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
678. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) has been waiting for cataract surgery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41524/24]
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.
679. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health if a discretionary card will be issued to a person (details supplied). [41542/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
680. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if the health service tests for Lyme disease for all blood transfusions; the accuracy of the test for Lyme disease in these tests; and if there is a danger that a person in receipt of a blood transfusion with Lyme disease could acquire the disease. [41547/24]
View answerThe Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) does not test donations for Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent that causes Lyme Disease. The IBTS are not aware of any blood service that tests donations for the agent that causes Lyme disease.
There are no reports in the literature that suggest that Lyme disease has ever been transmitted by blood transfusion. If a donor has been diagnosed with Lyme disease, they will not be accepted to donate until they have completed a course of antibiotics for a minimum of one week and have made a complete recovery for a minimum of two weeks. A donor who knows that they have chronic Lyme disease will not be accepted to donate.
In 2022 the IBTS introduced a significant policy change by introducing Individual Donor Risk Assessment (IDRA) for all donors. IDRA has enabled the IBTS to ask the same health and lifestyle criteria questions to all existing and potential new donors rather than ask different questions to different sections of donors. This means that any deferrals are applied based on the donor’s individual specific risk profile. Donors with active Lyme disease, or recent exposure, are typically flagged during this screening.
As ever, the IBTS will keep developments in this area under active review, and will continue to utilise the best medical and scientific evidence available to ensure the ongoing safety of blood and the products derived from it.
681. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if he will develop a campaign of awareness surrounding Lyme disease. [41549/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
682. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health if he will intervene with the HSE to ensure that funding is provided to SOSAD Ireland, the organisation that does so much work regarding suicide awareness and prevention; if he will ensure enhanced collaboration between the health services and the organisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41594/24]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the HSE has statutory responsibility for the planning and delivery of health services at local level, including those for Mental Health. The Department of Health does not directly fund the type of organisation referred to by the Deputy in his Question.
It is my understanding that SOSAD made an application for section 39 funding to the HSE. I must note that under Section 39 of the Health Act 2004, the HSE may support any person or body that provides or proposes to provide a service similar or ancillary to a service that the HSE may provide, and it is a therefore a matter for the HSE to make a decision in relation to this funding request. This would take account of all relevant factors including, for example, existing HSE services, how any proposal aligns with local HSE service priorities; Governance arrangements, Quality and Safety, resource availability or any other appropriate matter that normally applies to Service Level Agreements between the HSE and NGOs generally.
I have asked my Department to arrange for me to meet with SOSAD and the HSE in the coming weeks, for an update on the situation.
683. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health the international events and engagements he has attended at which members of the media were also in attendance as part of the Government delegation, since the formation of the Government; the media organisation they represented; the cost involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41604/24]
View answerSince the formation of the Government, no members of the media have been part of the Minister for Health's delegation for international events and engagements. Therefore, the issue of costs does not arise.
684. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health if funding or grants are available to help persons who need a permanent oxygen machine with the electricity costs of running oxygen machines required as part of their treatment; if this could be made a national policy, and not just a CHO9; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41615/24]
View answerThe Government is committed to providing accessible and affordable health care.
The Department of Social Protection administer the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) Scheme and the Fuel Allowance , which may assist individuals in meeting the costs associated with operating medical devices. Further information on these can be found, respectively, at:
www.gov.ie/en/collection/d5554-supplementary-welfare-allowance/
www.gov.ie/en/service/00aa38-fuel-allowance/ .
In addition, energy suppliers are required to establish, maintain and regularly update a register of vulnerable customers. Vulnerable customers include:
• Those who are critically dependent on electrically powered equipment. This includes (but is not limited to) life protecting devices, assistive technologies to support independent living and medical equipment, or
• Those who are particularly vulnerable to disconnection during winter months for reasons of advanced age or physical, sensory, intellectual or mental health.
There are a range of additional protection measures in place for registered vulnerable customers. Energy suppliers are required to provide customers with a free and easy way to register as a vulnerable customer. Further information regarding this can be found at:
www.cru.ie/consumer-information/your-rights/vulnerable-customers/.
In addition, the Government has provided energy credits to each household in budget 2024 and budget 2025. As a result of this, a further €250 will be paid to households over the coming months.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) does not provide an electricity allowance for new clients for devices within their home. Previously there was an allowance provided to some people in CHO 9 based on historic practices. This was discontinued for new clients, in line with the practice in the rest of the country. However, a small number of existing recipients remain in receipt. There currently are no plans to provide an electricity allowance via the HSE.
However, the HSE does administer schemes that may assist individuals in meeting the costs that may arise due to their medical needs.
People who cannot, without undue hardship, arrange for the provision of medical services for themselves and their dependants may be eligible for a medical card. In accordance with the provisions of the Health Act 1970 (as amended), eligibility for a medical card is determined by the HSE, based primarily on an assessment of financial means.
In certain circumstances, the HSE may exercise discretion and grant a medical card, even though an applicant exceeds the income guidelines, where he or she faces difficult financial circumstances, such as extra costs arising from illness.
The Drug Payment Scheme (DPS) ensures that no individual or family pays more than €80 a month towards the cost of approved prescribed medicines, including rental costs for oxygen. The DPS significantly reduces the cost burden for families and individuals with ongoing expenditure on medicines who are not eligible for a medical card.
685. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if recent improvements announced with regard to his Department's IVF scheme allow couples who already have one child, regardless of whether this child was conceived naturally or by way of IVF, to avail of support to try for a second child by way of IVF; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41617/24]
View answer686. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health the timeframe in which a person (details supplied) will receive surgery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41619/24]
View answerAs this is an operational matter relating to an individual case, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy, as soon as possible.
687. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an up-to-date list of the number of people and the length of time they have been waiting for home care hours in Dublin west; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41620/24]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
688. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the annual Exchequer funding provided to enable plumbers to upskill as heat pump installers via apprenticeship training or continuing professional development for qualified plumbers; and the State funding provided for upskilling in this area in 2024 and 2025, in tabular form. [40954/24]
View answerThe National Retrofit Plan sets a target of installing 400,000 heat pumps into existing homes by 2030.
My Department, working with partners in government departments, state agencies, and the tertiary education sector, has identified the shortage of skilled plumbers as a critical factor in achieving this target.
With this in mind, heat pump technologies have been included in the revised plumbing apprenticeship curriculum, thus ensuring that apprentices have familiarity with these new technologies. In order to upskill and qualify as a heat pump installer, those who have completed a National Craft Certificate can enrol in additional upskilling courses targeted towards heat pump installers.
These upskilling courses are currently provided in five locations – two in the Higher Education sector (Atlantic Technological University and Dundalk Institute of Technology) and three in the Further Education and Training Sector, through the network of NZEB/Retrofit Centres of Excellence, at Laois and Offaly ETB, City of Dublin ETB and Waterford and Wexford ETB.
Regarding provision in the Higher Education sector, the application of funding to specific programmes or for particular purposes from the total allocation provided to institutions by the Higher Education Authority is a matter to be managed by the institutions themselves. However, two courses in Atlantic Technological University have received funding in 2024 through the new Human Capital Initiative Pillar 3 Micro-Credential Learner Fee Subsidy, to subsidise fees for learners across micro-credential courses. As these courses address skills needs in a priority area, they qualify for an 80% subsidy. 15 places have been subsidised on each course, to a total value of €26,400. Full details are provided in the table below.
|
HEI |
Course Title |
Target No. of Places |
80% subsidy costs |
100% course costs |
100% cost per course |
HCI funding per course |
Learner Cost per course |
|
ATU |
Domestic Heat Pumps I |
15 |
€13,200 |
€16,500 |
€1,100 |
€880 |
€220 |
|
ATU |
Domestic Heat Pumps II |
15 |
€13,200 |
€16,500 |
€1,100 |
€880 |
€220 |
Regarding the provision of the broader suite NZEB/Retrofit training in the Further Education and Training sector, which includes upskilling courses in domestic heat pump installation, programme development and delivery costs are managed by each ETB and allocated through the existing funding protocol between them and SOLAS.
To further support upskilling and reskilling in this area my Department introduced a pilot heat pump incentivisation scheme for the FET sector in 2024 with an allocation of €150,000 to support continuing professional development for up to 300 qualified plumbers.
This pilot scheme provides plumbers with a cash incentive of up to €500 if plumbers take time off work to upskill as SEAI-registered heat pump installers through ETB-delivered courses. By helping to offset these costs, the pilot scheme aims to allow small and medium contractors with less than 250 employees (including self-employed contractors) to upskill their staff, gain extra capacity in an area that is in increasing demand, and help plumbers to future-proof their careers.
The scheme is open until December and the full impact of the scheme including take-up will be reviewed after that date.
