Written Answers. - Parliamentary Debates - Houses of the Oireachtas

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375 Questions— 22 February 2005. Written Answers 376[Mr. S. Power.]2004 provided for the Health Service Executive,which was established on 1 January 2005. Underthe Act, the executive has the responsibility tomanage and deliver, or arrange to be deliveredon its behalf, health and personal social services.This includes responsibility for the provision ofthe housing aid scheme in County Limerick, onbehalf of the Department of the Environment,Heritage and Local Government. Accordingly,my Department has requested the chief officerfor the executive’s mid-western area to investigatethe matter raised and to reply directly tothe Deputy.Questions Nos. 106 to 108, inclusive, answeredwith Question No. 78.Health Services.109. Mr. Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Ministerfor Health and Children the progress madeby her Department in reviewing the impact of thediabetes shared care pilot scheme in northDublin; and if she will make a statement on thematter. [5710/05]Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children(Ms Harney): The Health Act 2004 provided forthe Health Service Executive, which was establishedon 1 January 2005. Under the Act, theexecutive has the responsibility to manage anddeliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf,health and personal social services. This includesresponsibility for diabetic services. Accordingly,my Department has requested the chief officerfor the executive’s eastern regional area to investigatethe matter raised and reply directly to theDeputy.110. Ms McManus asked the Tánaiste andMinister for Health and Children the action sheproposes to take to rectify a phenomenondescribed as dangerously inadequate staffing andfacilities that are seriously unsatisfactory, in viewof the external report launched on 7 February2005 by the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Irelandconfirming that Ireland has the highest incidenceof cystic fibrosis in the world. [5711/05]Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children(Ms Harney): The Health Service Executive,which has the responsibility to manage anddeliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf,health and personal social services, recently metthe Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland and hasagreed to its request to establish a working groupto consider the recommendations in the report.The report provides an assessment of need forcurrent and future cystic fibrosis patients andmakes a number of recommendations with regardto numbers and types of staff appropriate for amodern multidisciplinary cystic fibrosis service.The report concludes that in the future it will beessential to base cystic fibrosis care in fewer unitsof a more significant size in order to sustainviable staffing levels and to ensure that staff havea sufficient workload to enable them to maintaintheir skills level.I understand the Health Service Executive andSt. Vincent’s Hospital, which is designated as thenational adult cystic fibrosis centre, are pursuingproposals to improve the physical infrastructureto support the highly professional treatment andcare services provided there at present.Hospital Charges.111. Ms McManus asked the Tánaiste andMinister for Health and Children the amountspent by publicly funded hospitals in the employmentof debt collectors in the years 2003 and2004; and if she will make a statement on thematter. [5712/05]Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children(Ms Harney): The Health Act 2004 provided forthe Health Service Executive, which was establishedon 1 January 2005. Under the Act, theexecutive has the responsibility to manage anddeliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf,health and personal social services. The informationrequested by the Deputy is not routinelycollected by my Department. Therefore, myDepartment has requested the chief officer ofeach of the executive’s regional areas to replydirectly to the Deputy with the informationrequested.Health Service Staff.112. Ms Enright asked the Tánaiste and Ministerfor Health and Children when funding willbe provided to sanction staff for the remaining 20beds at Birr community nursing unit; the numberof extra staff which will be sanctioned; and if shewill make a statement on the matter. [5713/05]Minister of State at the Department of Healthand Children (Mr. S. Power): The Health Act2004 provided for the Health Service Executive,which was established on 1 January 2005. Underthe Act, the executive is required to manage anddeliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf,health and personal social services. My Departmentis awaiting the 2005 service plan from theHeath Service Executive. In the interim, myDepartment has asked the chief officer of theHealth Service Executive’s midland regional areato investigate the position regarding this projectand to reply directly to the Deputy.Health Services.113. Mr. Ring asked the Tánaiste and Ministerfor Health and Children when a person (detailssupplied) in County Mayo will be called for a psychologyappointment. [5726/05]Minister of State at the Department of Healthand Children (Mr. T. O’Malley): The Health Act2004 provided for the Health Service Executive,which was established on 1 January 2005. Underthe Act, the executive has the responsibility to
377 Questions— 22 February 2005. Written Answers 378manage and deliver, or arrange to be deliveredon its behalf, health and personal social services.This includes responsibility for the provision ofmental health services. Accordingly, my Departmenthas requested the chief officer for theexecutive’s western regional area to investigatethe matter raised and to reply directly to theDeputy.Care of the Elderly.114. Mr. Wall asked the Tánaiste and Ministerfor Health and Children the number of personsemployed as home attendants in the Kildare andwest Wicklow areas in the past three years; andif she will make a statement on the matter.[5727/05]115. Mr. Wall asked the Tánaiste and Ministerfor Health and Children the number of personsemployed as home help assistants in the Kildareand west Wicklow areas in the past three years;and if she will make a statement on thematter. [5728/05]Minister of State at the Department of Healthand Children (Mr. S. Power): I propose to takeQuestions Nos. 114 and 115 together.The Health Act 2004 provided for the HealthService Executive, which was established on 1January 2005. Under the Act, the executive hasthe responsibility to manage and deliver, orarrange to be delivered on its behalf, health andpersonal social services. This includes responsibilityfor the provision of home help service.Accordingly, my Department has requested thechief officer for the executive’s eastern regionalarea to investigate the matters raised and to replydirectly to the Deputy.116. Mr. Wall asked the Tánaiste and Ministerfor Health and Children the number of personsin receipt of home help assistance in the Kildareand west Wicklow areas in the past three years;and if she will make a statement on thematter. [5729/05]117. Mr. Wall asked the Tánaiste and Ministerfor Health and Children the amount of fundingfrom her Department regarding the home helpassistance programme in Kildare and west Wicklowin the past three years; and if she will makea statement on the matter. [5730/05]Minister of State at the Department of Healthand Children (Mr. S. Power): I propose to takeQuestions Nos. 116 and 117 together.The Health Act 2004 provided for the HealthService Executive, which was established on 1January 2005. Under the Act, the executive hasthe responsibility to manage and deliver, orarrange to be delivered on its behalf, health andpersonal social services. This includes responsibilityfor the provision of home help service.Accordingly, my Department has requested thechief officer for the executive’s eastern regionalarea to investigate the matters raised and to replydirectly to the Deputy.118. Mr. Perry asked the Tánaiste and Ministerfor Health and Children the reason the ex gratiascheme in respect of payment deducted fromthose in publicly funded long stay care facilities isrestricted to those who were alive on 9 December2004; and if she will make a statement on thematter. [5742/05]Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children(Ms Harney): An ex gratia payment scheme wasinitiated by the Government as a goodwill gesture,as it believed that some form of repaymentshould be made to those with full eligibility whohad paid long stay charges. Therefore, a decisionwas taken to make repayments to people with fulleligibility who had paid charges and who werealive on 9 December 2004, the date on which thehealth agencies were instructed to cease charging.My Department is currently studying theSupreme Court judgment in detail and will takeon board all the consequences for policy and lawarising from the judgment. The details of a repaymentscheme to address the situation followingthe Supreme Court decision are currently beingfinalised.Medical Cards.119. Mr. Costello asked the Tánaiste and Ministerfor Health and Children the reason a person(details supplied) in Dublin 9 has not beengranted the medical card; and if she will make astatement on the matter. [5743/05]Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children(Ms Harney): The Health Act 2004 provided forthe Health Service Executive, which was establishedon 1 January 2005. Under the Act, theexecutive has the responsibility to manage anddeliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf,health and personal social services. This includesresponsibility for the assessment of applicationsfor medical cards. Accordingly, my Departmenthas requested the chief officer for the executive’seastern regional area to investigate the matterraised and to reply directly to the Deputy.Health Services.120. Mr. Carey asked the Tánaiste and Ministerfor Health and Children if she will respond to theconcerns raised in correspondence (detailssupplied) and address the issues raised therein;and if she will make a statement on thematter. [5755/05]Minister of State at the Department of Healthand Children (Mr. S. Power): The nursing homesubvention scheme was introduced in 1993 withthe intention of financially helping those whochose private nursing home care over public longstay care. It was intended to help with the costsof this care for people who could not afford topay the full fees involved, but it was never envis-
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Written Answers. - Parliamentary Debates - Houses of the Oireachtas

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