Written Answers Nos. 859-878
859. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Health the total cost of engagement with a company (details supplied) in each of the years 2020 to 2025, across her Department, by project, year and value; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51769/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has not made any payments to Bearing Point over this period.
860. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Health the total cost of engagement with a company (details supplied) in each of the years 2020 to 2025, across her Department, by project, year and value; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51805/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe table below lists the amounts paid to the company by my Department for the period 2020-2025. All payments are in respect of the support, maintenance and licences for my Department's Financial Management System.
|
Year |
Amount |
|
2020 |
108,494 |
|
2021 |
113,794 |
|
2022 |
143,228 |
|
2023 |
108,379 |
|
2024 |
117,964 |
|
2025 |
138,040 |
861. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health to provide further details regarding a review being conducted by the HSE to ensure compliance with the terms of the public only consultant contract (details supplied); the timeline for competition of this review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51813/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
862. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health her plans to carry out a formal review of hospital services across the country with a view to upgrading current level three hospitals to level four status in the future; if she will consider upgrading Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda to a level four hospital in view of population growth in the region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51821/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe HSE has previously defined the four different hospital models, to provide a clear delineation of hospital services available in each hospital type based on the safe provision of patient care within the constraints of available facilities, staff, resources and local factors. In that regard, Model 4 hospitals provide the same care as Model 3 hospitals, however, they also provide tertiary care for certain specialised services and these typically serve the population at a national and Regional level.
Models of care are determined by the HSE including service delivery and design. In that regard, the HSE would be best placed to provide information in relation to model designation of hospitals across Regions, including Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda. For this reason, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
863. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health if a fixed-price contract awarded to a company under contract HSE 24608 relates solely to consultancy, advisory, business case, procurement, programme management and client-side support for the National Electronic Health Record programme; if any part of this contract relates to the purchase, licensing, build, configuration, deployment or maintenance of the Electronic Health Record IT system itself (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51858/26]
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.
864. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the number of personnel assigned to the €8,181,530 National Electronic Health Record strategic partner contract (details supplied), broken down by role, grade or seniority, full-time equivalent status, location and workstream; the hourly or daily rates charged for each role or grade; the total number of consultant days or hours included in the contract; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51859/26]
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.
865. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the assessment that was undertaken by the HSE before awarding the €8,181,530 a contract (details supplied) to establish whether the work could be carried out by staff within the HSE, eHealth Ireland, the Office of the Chief Information Officer, her Department or other public bodies; the specific skills or capacity gaps that required the use of an external consultancy firm; whether a cost comparison was carried out between external consultancy and direct recruitment or secondment of public-sector staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51860/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
866. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE has put in place a formal knowledge-transfer and capability-building plan as part of a strategic partner contract (details supplied) for the National Electronic Health Record Programme; the parts of the work under the contract that are intended to build permanent expertise within the HSE; whether the personnel are required to work exclusively on this programme during contracted days; the steps being taken to avoid long-term dependence on external consultancy firms for the delivery of the National Electronic Health Record; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51861/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
867. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the reasons a replacement of the Owenacurra Centre, Midleton, originally expected to be completed in Q1 2025 now has a significantly longer timeline; the way in which this timeline compares with the projected timeline for the much more extensive Midleton Primary Care Centre, where construction has not yet commenced; whether the HSE considers the current timeline acceptable given the loss of local residential mental health capacity in east Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51869/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra868. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health in respect of service-users within the Midleton / Youghal and Cobh / Carrigtwohill Adult Mental Health Service catchment areas who required residential mental health placement since the Owenacurra Centre took its last referral in February 2021; the facilities to which those service-users were referred, broken down by facility; the number of service-users and year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51870/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 867 and 868 together.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
869. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the total cost incurred by the HSE on hotel accommodation for former residents of the Owenacurra Centre from October 2023 to December 2025, broken down by month and year; the number of former residents accommodated in hotels during that period; whether they were in single or shared rooms; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51871/26]
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.
870. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the date on which the HSE purchased a property on O’Dwyer’s Road, Midleton, to accommodate former residents of the Owenacurra Centre who moved there in December 2025; the total cost including renovation of the property; the date on which works commenced to bring the property up to a standard fit for residential mental health services; the date on which the property became operational; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51872/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the management of the public healthcare estate, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
871. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health further to the estimate in the National Rare Disease Strategy 2025-2030 that 300,000 people in Ireland live with a rare disease, whether her Department or the Health Service Executive holds data on the breakdown of these conditions by disease or disease category; the status of the National Rare Disease Registry recommended in the Strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51876/26]
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.
872. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the number of rare disease conditions affecting patients in Ireland for which a licensed treatment or medicine is available; the number for which no treatment exists, as recorded by her Department, the Health Service Executive or the National Rare Diseases Office; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51877/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the matter raised is a service delivery matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
873. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the number of medicines for rare diseases or orphan conditions for which an application for reimbursement has been received by the Health Service Executive in each of the years 2021 to date in 2026; the number approved; the number refused, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51878/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder 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 medical devices; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
874. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the steps that are being taken to ensure effective and ongoing communication between the Health Service Executive, her Department and the Irish Dental Association in relation to the public dental service and the dental treatment services scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51879/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra875. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the structures or forums in place for regular engagement between the Health Service Executive and the Irish Dental Association; the principal issues and resourcing demands raised by the association through those channels; the way in which the Health Service Executive has responded; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51880/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra877. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the steps that are being taken to ensure ongoing engagement between her Department, the Health Service Executive and dental representative bodies on the implementation of the national oral health policy Smile agus Sláinte; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51882/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 874, 875 and 877 together.
On the 31st of January this year, I was pleased to attend the Irish Dental Association's National Meeting for dentists working in general practice. I welcomed the opportunity to meet with the Association and its members to discuss the challenges in providing oral healthcare and the progress that the Department is making in the sector.
I acknowledge the important role that the Association has for representing dentists in Ireland. In that regard, my Department officials have been engaging with the Association to discuss the future of oral healthcare in Ireland, particularly in relation to the upcoming Oral Health Action Plan. My officials also invited the IDA to provide a submission with regards to the Dental Treatment Services Scheme fee review. Last week my officials, along with the HSE, met with a delegation of the Association to engage on the Action Plan goals.
The Oral Health Action Plan will focus on a number of clear priorities:
Addressing waiting lists in the School Dental Programme and orthodontics
To strengthen and expand the Special Access Programme
Reviewing and improving the Dental Treatment Services Scheme
Support recruitment, education and training
Support innovation and new ways of delivering care
Over the next two years, the aim is to stabilise services, reduce waiting times, and make access measurably better for patients—while laying the groundwork for longer-term reform.
Recent engagements with the Irish Dental Association, the Irish Dental Hygienists Association and the Dental Council have ranged from addressing waiting lists and delivering near term improvements to the schools program, to improving the supply of dental team members by exploring innovative ways of broadening the educational and training options for both hygienists and dental nurses. We will also be consulting with colleagues in DFHERIS on educational opportunities for both the current and future dental workforce. My Department and the HSE will continue to engage with wider stakeholders, including representative bodies as the plan is progressed and implemented.
My Department officials are currently engaging with HSE counterparts to finalise this action plan.
876. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the number of dentists who have withdrawn from the dental treatment services scheme; the total number of dentists contracted under the scheme, in each of the years 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51881/26]
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.
878. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Health whether her Department or the HSE has engaged, or intends to engage, with An Post regarding the future of the former delivery service unit on Griffith Avenue, Dublin 9; whether the site has been considered for future primary care, community healthcare or other health service provision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51893/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the management of the public healthcare estate, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
