Written Answers. - Parliamentary Debates - Houses of the Oireachtas

[Deputy Kathleen Lynch.]
Questions— 14 February 2012. Written Answers
The Long-Stay Activity Reports are published on the Department’s website, www.doh.ie.
The Deputy should be mindful that these are survey results.
I have asked the HSE to supply the Deputy with the current number of public long-stay
beds available in Louth.
640. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health if he is committed to public provision
of nursing home beds into the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[7639/12]
Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Kathleen Lynch): Government policy
in relation to older people is to support people to live in dignity and independence in their
own homes and communities for as long as possible. Where this is not feasible, the health
service supports access to quality long-term residential care.
While the Minister and this Government continues to reiterate our commitment to the future
public provision of residential care for older people we must recognise that the HSE is facing
challenges in respect of all services in 2012. In the case of Community Nursing Units these
include challenges regarding staffing, funding and the age and structure of its units.
In this regard the HSE is carrying out a viability review of all its long stay nursing homes.
When complete, this will give a clear outline and profile of each of the public long stay units
including their status on meeting Health Information and Quality Authority standards.
Food Labelling
641. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Health his plans, if any, to introduce a proposal
that restaurants include the calorie content of each dish on their menus; and if he will make a
statement on the matter. [7646/12]
Minister for Health (Deputy James Reilly): Late last year I wrote to a range of Fast Food
Outlets and cafes requesting they, like their counterparts in the USA and UK, to take part in
an initiative to put calories on menus in Ireland. This calorie posting would be done initially
in a voluntary capacity. There has been a positive response to my request and this scheme is
an excellent opportunity to work with all stakeholders and partners in food service establishments
to tackle the ever growing problem of obesity in the Irish population.
Working with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, I launched a public consultation, “Putting
Calories on Menus in Ireland,” on 2 February 2012, which will help inform how best to
provide calorie information to consumers. The consultation period will finish at the end of
February and results are expected in April.
Departmental Schemes
642. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he will provide figures on
the total number of annually diagnosed cases of systemic lupus erythematosus here for each
year in the past decade; if his attention has been drawn to the average cost of treatment for a
person diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus; his plans to include this chronic, longterm
incurable disorder under the terms of the Health Service Executive long-term illness
scheme; if not, the measures that exist to offset the continued costs for patients with the disorder;
the measures the HSE have taken to make the public aware of the disorder; and if he
will make a statement on the matter. [7658/12]
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