Written Answers Nos. 1125-1145
1125. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health if a plan is now in place to ensure staffing levels in Ballyboden primary care centre, in particular OTs and physiotherapists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2518/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Health Service Executive (HSE) holds responsibility for the provision, along with the maintenance and operation of Primary Care Centres, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1126. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health if plans are in place to recruit additional public health nurses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2522/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this relates to a service matter we have asked the HSE to reply to the deputy directly.
1127. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Health the current status of the primary care centre in Graiguenamanag; when she expects this centre to be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2529/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Health Service Executive (HSE) holds responsibility for the provision, along with the maintenance and operation of Primary Care Centres, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1128. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Health how plans are progressing in relation to the new local injuries unit in Carlow; when she expects this unit to be available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2531/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs 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.
1129. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Health if urgent investment will be made to improve waiting lists and bed accommodation numbers, availability and accident and emergency overcrowding and waiting times at St. Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny, by providing for additional medical staff at all levels there; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2533/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1130. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Health the number of home care support hours provided for older people in the Kilkenny and Carlow area in 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2539/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is an operational matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1131. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Health for an update on legislation banning the sale of disposable nicotine inhaling products or vapes, banning the sale of flavoured nicotine inhaling products and placing restrictions on the advertising of such products; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2547/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraCabinet approval was given on 10 September to proposals for a Bill to further regulate nicotine inhaling products, including a complete ban on disposable vapes. Those proposal are now being drafted with the Office of the Attorney General. Once completed, the draft legislation will require notification at EU level under the Technical Standards Directive (Directive 2015/1535).
At this early stage in the legislative process, I do not have a timeline for the introduction of the measures in the Bill.
1132. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health to examine a case of a person in County Kerry (details supplied); if she will provide assistance in resolving the issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2560/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraGPs are private practitioners, most of whom hold a GMS contract with the HSE for the provision of medical services without charge to medical card and GP visit card holders.
Medical card and GP visit card holders who are assigned to a GP's GMS panel and wish to change their GP can do so via the “Change of GP form” available from the HSE website. The GMS scheme operates under a choice of doctor principle, meaning that patients who hold a medical or GP visit card have the freedom to choose their GP, or move from one GP to another, provided the new GP is willing to accept the patient to their panel, and that the GP concerned holds a GMS contract.
People who do not hold a medical card or GP visit card access GP services on a private basis and can make enquiries directly to any GP practice they wish to register with.
The HSE website provides a "Find a GP" facility which can assist in finding nearby GP practices.
1133. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health to address a crisis in respect of a person (details supplied) by providing a permanent bed in Dingle Community Hospital as a matter of extreme urgency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2563/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is an operational matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1134. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health to fully review the national home care waiting list with a view to correcting the urban-rural imbalance which shows a quarter of the waiting list is based in one of the nine healthcare regions, namely, Cork and Kerry with 1,160; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2566/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is an operational matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1135. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health if a medical card renewal application for a person (details supplied) will be expedited; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2570/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1136. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Health the services and supports that will be put in place for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2573/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra1137. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health her views on reports in a newspaper (details supplied) on 26 January 2025, that a dentist who is currently under inquiry by the UK’s General Dental Council is also currently providing clinical leadership to dozens of dentists, unimpeded and without supervision in the State. [2578/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Dentists Act 1985 establishes the Dental Council as the regulator of the dental profession in Ireland. Section 38 the 1985 Act sets out a series of grounds under which the Council or any person can apply to the Fitness to Practise Committee to establish an inquiry into the conduct of a registered dentist. While the dentist in question is currently under inquiry by the UK’s General Dental Council, no complaints have been received by the Dental Council of Ireland in relation to the dentist’s fitness to practice.
The Deputy will be aware that the Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Act 2020 introduces significant reforms to the regulatory processes under each of the five health regulatory Acts, including the Dentists Act. The 2020 Act amends the Dentists Act to require dentists to make statutory declarations in relation to any disciplinary or judicial proceeding in this State or in another jurisdiction which may directly or indirectly result in the dentist being prohibited or restricted from providing one or more than one kind of health or social care. It has also broadened the grounds for inquiry to include matters which might be declared by a dentist, or where a dentist fails to comply with the declarations requirements as set out in the Act. This important provision is intended to ensure that the Dental Council becomes aware of sanctions imposed in other jurisdictions that may give rise to patient safety concerns in Ireland, and to investigate accordingly.
More than half of the 2020 Act has been commenced to date and my Department is currently working toward broad commencement of the Act’s remaining provisions in 2025/26 in liaison with each of the regulators. Safe commencement is contingent on the regulators being operationally ready for the reforms being introduced. I am pleased to report that it is intended to commence the majority of sections amending the Dentists Act, including the statutory declarations provision, in quarter one 2025, with remaining provisions being commenced as soon as possible thereafter. Given the important patient safety reforms underpinning this legislation, I would like to assure the Deputy that this work is a priority for my Department.
1138. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health to confirm the Covid guidelines for staff of hospitals during the period of January to July 2022, in particular returning to work, course of action if showing Covid symptoms, etc., and if these guidelines applied to private hospitals operational in the State. [2584/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy to advise what additional guidelines they introduced for the staff of the public health service, in additional to the public health guidelines issued nationally.
Should the Deputy wish to understand if any additional guidelines were introduced in private hospital settings, he will need to engage directly with private hospitals.
1139. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health if she will provide a breakdown of palliative care services nationally, by regional health area, with an outline of the type and duration of service offered, and, in each instance, the funding commitment and the population size served by the service, in tabular form. [2590/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is an operational matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1140. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health if she will provide a breakdown of eating disorders services, including regional team staffing levels and inpatient bed numbers, in the south west regional health area, in tabular form; and how this provision corresponds to or falls short of the HSE's Model of Care for Eating Disorder Services. [2592/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
1141. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the number of psychology posts advertised within the south west regional health area primary care services since 1 July 2024; the contract type (fixed-term or permanent; full- or part-time) in each case; and the number of posts filled to date since. [2595/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1142. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health if redeployment of psychologists to primary care services in the south west regional health area will be pursued by the HSE to address critical waiting lists there; if she has engaged with unions regarding the potential impact of this workforce strategy on retention of psychologists as well as on the services from which psychologists will be redeployed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2596/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1143. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health for an update on the commencement of works on the new mental health service on the grounds of the Owenacurra Centre, Midleton, which was projected by local management to be completed by Q1 of 2025; the reason that flood risk is being cited as rationale for the delay in HSE media briefings, given that this issue was addressed in the planning application that was approved for the project in February 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2597/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
1144. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health for an update on Saol Nua mental health service in Skibbereen following plans to relocate residents in July 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2598/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
1145. Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Health the current number of professional staff vacancies within the Phoenix Centre-Longford Primary Care Centre; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2604/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
