Jim O'Callaghan
Question:1038. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the total number of outpatient appointments provided by the HSE between 2011 and 2024 inclusive, in tabular form. [44047/24]
View answerHealth Service Executive
Questions (1038)
Written answers
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Health Service Executive
Questions (1039)
Jim O'Callaghan
Question:1039. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the total number of day cases seen/carried by the HSE between 2011 and 2024 inclusive, in tabular form. [44048/24]
View answerWritten answers
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Health Service Executive
Questions (1040)
Jim O'Callaghan
Question:1040. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the total number of inpatients seen/carried out by the HSE between 2011 and 2024 inclusive, in tabular form. [44049/24]
View answerWritten answers
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Hospital Staff
Questions (1041)
Robert Troy
Question:1041. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE staffing embargo is still in place across all hospitals; and specifically, if there is an embargo in place for the Midlands Regional Hospital, Mullingar, where there are currently severe staff shortages in various departments that urgently need to be addressed. [44056/24]
View answerWritten answers
As this is an operational matter, the HSE has been asked to respond directly to the Deputy.
Insurance Industry
Questions (1042)
James Lawless
Question:1042. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Health to examine an issue (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44060/24]
View answerWritten answers
Ireland has a voluntary community rated private health insurance market. One of its key principles is minimum benefit, whereby insurers are required, under the Health Insurance Act 1994 (Minimum Benefit) Regulations 1996, to offer a minimum level of cover in every insurance policy. This approach ensures that all consumers obtain an appropriate minimum level of health insurance cover, regardless of what plan they purchase.
Health insurance companies are free to impose certain terms and conditions in their policies, provided that they comply with these Regulations. Beyond this, I have no role to play in the commercial decisions of any health insurer and so am not in a position to direct any insurer to provide cover for any procedure, service or treatment, or how that cover is to be provided. I am not currently considering plans to make changes to the Regulations.
In general, an insurer may refuse to cover any care or treatment if it does not deem it to be medically necessary. If a claim is declined by an insurer, the insured person should initially avail of the insurer’s complaints process and if they are not satisfied with the outcome, they can take a case to the Financial Services Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO).
The issue raised by Deputy Lawless has been examined by my Department and a written reply has also been provided to correspondence I received from the individual concerned.
Medicinal Products
Questions (1043)
Michael Fitzmaurice
Question:1043. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health if urgent approval can be granted for the medicines nivolumab (opdivo) and chemotherapy, authorised by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) since October 2021 for gastric cancer with a PD less than 1 and CPS of 7.5, and pembrolizumab, authorised since December 2023 by the EMA for gastric cancer with a PD less than 1 and CPS greater than or equal to 1, as currently, neither the HSE nor the NCCP have included these drugs for the treatment of cancer on their reimbursement scheme for a person (details supplied), though both his surgeon and oncologists have strongly recommended immunotherapy as the best and most viable course of treatment for him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44066/24]
View answerWritten answers
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; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
Medicinal Products
Questions (1044)
Patrick Costello
Question:1044. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health whether he was made aware of the withdrawal from the Irish market of a number of presentations of medications (palladone, MST, oxycontin and targin) which are predominantly used by patients with life-limiting illness, by a manufacturer (details supplied), on the basis that the supply of these medications are not commercially viable in light of Brexit and the Windsor Framework; and if so, the measures he is taking to ensure that undue hardship is not caused to patients, by continuing the supply of these medications through sourcing an alternative manufacturer or supplies to the Irish market, or by making the necessary changes to the import licence requirements overseen by the Health Products Regulatory Agency, in order that these essential medications can be imported into the country from other EU Member States. [44074/24]
View answerWritten answers
Dear Deputy Costello,
In order to fully answer your questions, my Officials have engaged with the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), as medicines regulator. The HPRA have advised that with relation to a rationalisation of the Mundipharma Pharmaceuticals Limited product portfolio, their opinion is that the withdrawal of these products are neither Brexit or Windsor Framework related.
The HPRA website maintains a list of withdrawn product authorisations. The decision to withdraw a product authorisation is one taken by the Marketing Authorisation Holder (MAH), in this case Mundipharma Pharmaceuticals Limited. The MAH is continuing to market alternative presentations of Palladone, MST, OxyContin and Targin in Ireland.
My Department would advise that if patients or their carers have concerns in relation to the availability of their medicines that they engage with their primary physician who can advise of alternative treatments for them, if required.
Medical Records
Questions (1045)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:1045. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the reason it is taking so long for a person's medical records to be given to their GP (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44079/24]
View answer
Reply not received from
Department.
Hospital Appointments Status
Questions (1046)
Bernard Durkan
Question:1046. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health when an urgent hospital appointment is likely to be facilitated in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44084/24]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Hospital Appointments Status
Questions (1047)
Maurice Quinlivan
Question:1047. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Health about the case of a person (details supplied) who, having been referred to University Hospital Limerick for an internal organ examination, has yet to receive an appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44086/24]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Irish Blood Transfusion Service
Questions (1048)
Carol Nolan
Question:1048. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health whether he has confidence in a person as chairperson of an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44091/24]
View answerWritten answers
State Boards is the process through which the Public Appointments Service (PAS) select and recommend for appointment, Chairpersons and Members (Non-Executive Directors), to the boards of State Agencies. The publicjobs website is the portal where all vacancies are advertised, with information provided on the appointments process and quarterly reports on all appointments published.
PAS provide an open and transparent process to identify suitably qualified candidates for the boards of State Agencies. The State Boards process operates under the Guidelines on Appointments to State Boards 2014.
Through the publication of the IBTS’ Annual Report, the IBTS Board confirms annually that the Board adheres to the highest standards of corporate governance of state boards, and that the Board is committed to complying with the relevant provisions of the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies. In additional, a code of business conduct for the Board and an employee code of conduct are in place, and the Board has a manual for Board members.
The Board is required by SI 78 of 1965 to prepare financial statements for each financial year which, in accordance with applicable Irish law and accounting standards, give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the IBTS and of its income and expenditure for that year. The IBTS’ Financial Statements are audited externally on an annual basis by the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) and are then laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. The Financial Statements for 2023 were audited and signed off by the C&AG on 12 June 2024. The Financial Statements were laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on 10 July 2024.
Hospital Appointments Status
Questions (1049)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:1049. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health when an appointment will be given to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44095/24]
View answerWritten answers
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
Questions (1050, 1051)
David Stanton
Question:1050. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given in 2025 to the provision of a national follow-up eyecare scheme for children aged between 8-12 years under the €420 million of funding allocated to the waiting list action plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44100/24]
View answerDavid Stanton
Question:1051. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Health if there will be provision for an increase to the fee payable to contractors for standard eye examinations in 2025 under the community ophthalmic services scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44101/24]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1050 and 1051 together.
The Community Ophthalmic Services Scheme (COSS) is a national fee-per-item scheme which was introduced in 1979. Under the COSS, medical card holders aged over 16 years can be seen by ophthalmologists, community ophthalmic physicians, optometrists or dispensing opticians.
The Health Professionals (Reduction of Payments to Ophthalmologists, Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians) Regulations 2013 (SI 274 of 2013) sets the fees for optometrists and dispensing opticians under the Community Optometric Services, Community Spectacle Dispensing Services and Health Amendment Act Card Schemes.
While there was no dedicated funding allocated in Budget 2025 for increasing the fee payable to contractors for a standard eye examination under the COSS, work with stakeholders is still ongoing in this regard.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) provides optical services free of charge to pre-school children and national school children referred from child health service and school health service examinations who are discovered to have sight problems. These children are referred to the appropriate service for treatment. In such circumstances, these services will continue to be provided until the child has reached the age of 16.
The National Clinical Programme for Ophthalmology, published in 2017, developed a model of care detailing how the realignment of eye services from an acute hospital setting to the community would be undertaken. Included in the Programme is transferring the care of children aged 8+ years to the care of local private optometrists.
This transfer of care was not funded in Budget 2025, however, approximately €8.4 million was invested in 2024 to address waiting lists for Primary Care Services, including optical services. For 2025, this funding has been secured for continued investment for initiatives aimed at reducing the length of time people are waiting for primary care services.
This ongoing funding will provide an opportunity to drive innovative solutions built on the learnings from previous successful Waiting List Action Plan initiatives to address the increasing level of demand for primary care services.
Question No. 1051 answered with Question No. 1050.
Hospital Charges
Questions (1052)
Cathal Crowe
Question:1052. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 677 of 22 October 2024, if he will provide details of the remaining hospitals that have parking charges that exceed €10 per day, in tabular form; and the full-year cost to the Exchequer to implement a cap on these charges. [44107/24]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Nursing Homes
Questions (1053)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:1053. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if a long-stay bed will be considered for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44116/24]
View answerWritten answers
As this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Departmental Staff
Questions (1054)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:1054. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of staff vacancies, by grade, in his Department at the end of August 2023 and August 2024; and the number of staff, by grade, on a career break of more than five years and more than six years, at the end of August 2023 and August 2024. [44128/24]
View answerWritten answers
There were 64 staff vacancies as of the end of August 2023 made up of:
1 SO, 1 CO, 10 EO, 10 HEO, 19 AO, 14 AP, 7 PO, 2 DCMO
There were 11 staff vacancies as of the end of August 2024 made up of:
1 SO, 2 CO, 5 HEO, 1 AO, 2 DCMO
We have no staff on career breaks of more than 5 or 6 years.
Hospital Facilities
Questions (1055)
Cathal Crowe
Question:1055. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health the number of beds opened at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) under the current Government; the number of beds opened across the mid-west under the current Government; and how many beds have been committed to be scheduled to open at UHL and in other hospitals in the mid-west under the plans announced by himself up to 2030, in tabular form. [44148/24]
View answerWritten answers
This Government has acknowledged that additional bed capacity is required at University Hospital Limerick (UHL). To reduce the pressures on the Emergency Department at UHL, this Government is also investing extensively in increasing capacity in services across the Mid West region.
In May this year I announced the Acute Hospital Inpatient Bed Capacity Plan, which details transformative increases in bed capacity at UHL and across the Mid West region. Since this Plan was published, more new beds being built at UHL have been reprofiled to deliver additional capacity, rather than replacement capacity, which will increase further the beds available in the hospital.
The beds delivered from 2020-2024, those already committed at the time of publishing the Plan, the additional beds to be delivered through the Plan (which comprises two phases: 2025-2028 and 2029-2031), and the total beds anticipated to be delivered since 2020 are detailed in tabular form below:
|
|
Delivered 2020-2024 |
Committed |
Planned 2025-2028 |
Total planned 2029-2031 |
Total beds 2020-2031 |
|
University Hospital Limerick |
118* |
208 |
84 |
0 |
410 |
|
Ennis Hospital |
0 |
0 |
48 |
0 |
48 |
|
Nenagh Hospital |
3 |
0 |
24 |
0 |
27 |
|
St. John’s Hospital |
15 |
0 |
0 |
42 |
57 |
|
Croom Hospital |
24 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
24 |
|
Total Mid West |
160 |
208 |
156 |
42 |
566 |
*includes 10 Virtual Ward beds.
Hospital Facilities
Questions (1056)
Cathal Crowe
Question:1056. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health the full cost of the additional beds that have yet to be opened at University Hospital Limerick from 2023 to 2025. [44149/24]
View answerWritten answers
As 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.
Hospital Services
Questions (1057)
Cathal Crowe
Question:1057. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health the current full-year cost of trauma services in Galway, Dublin and Cork, in tabular form. [44150/24]
View answerWritten answers
This PQ has been referred to the HSE for direct response
Hospital Staff
Questions (1058)
Cathal Crowe
Question:1058. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost to the Exchequer of increasing the number of consultants in emergency medicine by a further 50%. [44151/24]
View answerWritten answers
As this is an operational matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy Directly.