Written Answers Nos. 1229-1248
1229. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Health the number of whole-time equivalent public and private non-acute physiotherapists in County Clare for each of the years 2020 to 2024, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2982/25]
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.
1230. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Health the number of whole-time equivalent publicly employed non-acute occupational therapists in County Clare for each of the years 2020 to 2024, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2983/25]
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.
1231. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Health the number of whole-time equivalent publicly employed non-acute speech and language therapists in County Clare for each of the years 2020 to 2024, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2984/25]
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.
1232. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Health the number of whole-time equivalent publicly employed non-acute podiatrists and chiropodists in County Clare for each of the years 2020 to 2024, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2985/25]
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.
1233. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Health the number of whole-time equivalent publicly employed non-acute counsellors and psychologists in County Clare for each of the years 2020 to 2024, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2986/25]
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.
1234. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Health the number of whole-time equivalent publicly employed non-acute social workers in County Clare for each of the years 2020 to 2024, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2987/25]
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.
1235. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Health the number of long-term residential care centres and long-term residential care beds in County Clare for each of the years 2020 to 2024, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2988/25]
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.
1236. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Health the average number of publicly financed home care hours per person by age for County Clare for each of the years 2020 to 2024, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2989/25]
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.
1237. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Health to provide a schedule of special advisors attached to her, as of 29 January 2025; and the official grade and or title held by that special advisor. [3000/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAppointments to the role of Special Adviser have not been finalised and will be in line with Instructions on Ministerial Appointments for the 34th Dáil and in accordance with the provisions of Section 11 of the Public Service Management Act 1997.
Details of appointments and relevant payscales are provided on: www.gov.ie/en/publication/9ad159-special-advisers-pay/.
1238. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health if breastfeeding support groups in Carrigtwohill primary care centre, County Cork, will be recommenced this year by the HSE; if so, the date they will recommence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3014/25]
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.
1239. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if an appointment will be expedited for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3070/25]
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.
1240. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Health to examine the case and expedite a review of an ambulance base (details supplied) in need of upgrading; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3073/25]
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.
1241. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Health the status of the case of a person (details supplied) who having undergone cataract surgeries at Kingsbridge Hospital, Lisburn Road, Belfast in 2019 has been declined reimbursement of cost having applied through the Cross Border Directive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3075/25]
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.
1242. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health the number of medical evacuations to Ireland of Palestinians in Gaza and in the West Bank to date; her plans for future evacuations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3080/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI thank the Deputy for her query in relation to the medical evacuation to Ireland of Palestinians.
I can advise the Deputy that as an EU Member State, Ireland responded to a request from the World Health Organisation (WHO) to assist in addressing the current health needs in Gaza. Government approval was secured in September 2024 for Ireland to evacuate up to 30 sick children from Gaza for treatment and care. The health needs are categorised under cancer, haemodialysis and patients with other severe medical conditions. Orthopaedic treatment is not included, and patients are selected subject to confirmation of available capacity in the HSE to treat.
Ireland has a strong tradition of providing humanitarian assistance including through the Department of Foreign Affairs Irish Aid humanitarian and development assistance programme and the HSE Global Health Programme.
The first group of Palestinian children to receive healthcare treatment in Ireland arrived in Dublin on 19 December 2024. This group consisted of eight children, eight carers and eleven siblings. The group travelled from Cairo to Dublin Airport on a medical transport plane provided by the Slovakian Government and were accompanied by three medical doctors from the Health Service Executive (HSE) and a translator.
My Department engaged with a number of Departments and Agencies for the successful evacuation including :
• Department of Justice in relation to visas for entry to Ireland, border control and registration for permission to stay in the State;
• The Department of Foreign Affairs, particularly the Irish Embassy in Egypt who facilitated the processing of Department of Justice visa applications for each patient and accompanying family members;
• HSE in relation to the selection of patients and provision of healthcare treatment services;
• Department of Social Protection in relation to registration and social protection payments to the parent or guardian;
• Irish Red Cross were contracted for provision of accommodation and ongoing case work support including translation services;
• Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage who communicated evacuation offers for patients, on behalf of Ireland, via the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM).
My Department and the HSE also engaged with the World Health Organisation in Egypt, the Ministry of Health in Egypt and the Umerto Primo Hospital (also known as the Italian Hospital) in Cairo to assess and prepare the patients, and with Children Not Numbers, an NGO in Cairo who supported with securing the necessary documentation for visa applications for entry to Ireland.
It is anticipated that the remaining 22 patients approved by Government for treatment will be evacuated to Ireland during 2025. Discussions are ongoing with the HSE in relation to planning for the next medical evacuation operation, that is currently is proposed for early March. This medevac operation will take account of lessons learned from the first evacuation operation.
Other Supports provided in response to crisis in Gaza
Ireland’s response to the crisis in Gaza has included significant humanitarian funding and the provision of in-kind assistance. A significant proportion of this funding supports the delivery of essential services including healthcare in Gaza and neighbouring countries. Ireland has provided €40 million in humanitarian assistance since last October. This includes €20 million provided in February for the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) the main agency unpinning all humanitarian efforts (including healthcare delivery) in Gaza. Irish support to UNRWA, WHO, Red Cross and through the EU ensures that healthcare continues to be delivered in Gaza even in the most difficult of circumstances.
1243. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if a regulatory impact assessment and/or the SME test were carried out in advance of the signing of Statutory Instrument No. 736 of 2024; if she intends to publish these documents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3086/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra1244. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health to detail the consultation that took place with retailers and/or their representative groups in advance of signing SI No. 736 of 2024, in line with commitments to consult that were given in Dáil and Seanad Éireann by the then-Minister; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3087/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1243 and 1244 together.
Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability and death in Ireland, with 4,500 people dying each year from tobacco-related diseases. Smoking related deaths are mainly due to cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) and heart disease. The cost to society from smoking due to healthcare costs, welfare and loss of productivity is estimated to be in excess of €10 billion per year. It is therefore the Government’s objective under the 2013 Tobacco Free Irelandpolicy to effectively eliminate smoking.
The Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Act 2023 fulfils the legislative commitments made in Tobacco Free Ireland, including introducing a licensing system for retailers with the specific intention of denormalising tobacco retailing and reflecting the seriousness of the harms caused by tobacco compared to other products. It is also a pre-requisite for Ireland to ratify the Protocol to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control which is designed to eliminate the illicit trade in tobacco products.
Consultation on this 2023 legislation took place in 2014 and 2015 with interested stakeholders, including retailers. Retailer submissions to the consultation proposed that the fee be proportionate by either number of outlets or volume of sales. Following consideration of all suggestions, the General Scheme of the Bill and accompanying Regulatory Impact Analysis were published in 2019 with a proposal to set an annual fee per outlet.
Pre-legislative scrutiny from 2021 to 2022 was conducted by the Oireachtas Health Committee, who held sessions with stakeholders from public health, retail and industry, and received further written submissions from stakeholders such as retail organisations before issuing their recommendations for the legislation.
The final Bill was debated and passed in the Oireachtas in 2023. The Act provides for an annual licence per outlet for those wishing to sell:
a) tobacco
b) nicotine inhaling products, or
c) tobacco and nicotine inhaling products.
The Act provides that the Minister for Health may set the fee for each of the three licence categories by Regulation. Those fees were set in the Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Act 2023 (Fees) Regulations 2024. As with alcohol licensing, which carries a similar fee and structure, it is a matter for each individual retailer to decide whether or not to sell these products, and to apply for the relevant licence if so.
SME Tests were completed where required for the primary legislation and the subsequent secondary legislation.
During the passage of the Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Act 2023, the Minister for Health acknowledged the need to work with retailers on the implementation of the licensing system. This will be done by the National Environmental Health Service of the HSE which will engage with retailers prior to the system coming into operation on 2 February 2026 as it has previously done on tobacco control and other public health law.
Question No. 1244 answered with Question No. 1243.
1245. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health the reason Mallow General Hospital is being used to facilitate an overflow of medical patients from Cork University Hospital; to provide a definite date when the day ward will return to normal in Mallow General Hospital; the number of patients that have been transferred to Mallow General Hospital day ward from Cork University Hospital since the beginning of 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3090/25]
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.
1246. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health what surgeries have taken place at Mallow General Hospital since the beginning of 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3091/25]
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.
1247. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health the reason the blood transfusion service has transferred to Cork University Hospital; the number of staff that have been relocated because of the change; the current staffing levels since the change of blood transfusion service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3092/25]
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.
1248. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health to outline the proposal that all routine blood services will be moved to Cork University Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3093/25]
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.
