Results 27,201-27,220 of 49,836 for speaker:Stephen Donnelly

Written Answers — Department of Health: Vaccination Programme (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: On 8 September, I announced an update to the Covid-19 vaccination programme following further advice from the NIAC. The Committee has recommended a booster dose of an mRNA vaccine (irrespective of whether the primary vaccination course was of an mRNA or adenoviral vector) for residents aged 65 years and older living in Long Term Residential Care Facilities and for those aged 80 years and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Facilities (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: The Health Service Capacity Review, which was noted by Government in 2018, recommended that an additional 190 critical care beds should be in place by 2031, bringing the total to 430. Accordingly, the Strategic Plan for Critical Care, which was noted by Government in December 2020, aims to increase capacity from the 2020 baseline of 255 critical care beds, to 446 over time, to fully address...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disability Services (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose, and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. Our determination to improve services and supports for people with disabilities and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I sincerely regret that children can experience a long waiting time for hospital appointments and treatment, and I remain conscious of the burden that this places on them and their families. My priority as Minister for Health, and that of this Government, is to improve waiting times for all patients accessing hospital treatment, and reducing the paediatric waiting list for orthopaedic...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Strategies (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: The implementation of the National Cancer Strategy is a Programme for Government commitment and is part of the implementation of Sláintecare. We have seen significant progress on the implementation of the Strategy over the past four years, with clear evidence-based policy direction from my Department and strong implementation by the HSE's National Cancer Control Programme...

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: Increasing access to GP care without charges for children is an important healthcare measure that will remove a potentially prohibitive cost barrier to accessing GP care and will help to improve children’s health as they develop. The expansion of GP care without fees to all children aged 12 years and under is planned on a phased basis to limit the impact the expansion might have...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Centres (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: The primary responsibility for both the provision and the maintenance and operation of primary care facilities, including Primary Care Centres (PCCs), falls to the HSE.  The HSE provide quarterly reports to the Department on the progress of the development of PCCs that show information on both operational and non-operational PCCs and allows the Department to review progress on an ongoing...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I am fully committed to supporting our population screening programmes which are a valuable part of our health service. In this regard and in line with commitments in the Programme for Government, BreastCheck are now implementing the commitment on age-extension so that all women aged between 50 to 69 years are invited for routine breast screening. It is vital we remember that breast...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: The Government has provided an additional allocation of €250 million in budget 2022, comprised of €200 million to the HSE and €50 million to the National Treatment Purchase Fund, to reduce hospital and community waiting lists. The additional funding provided to the NTPF brings its total allocation for 2022 to €150 million, and as a consequence there will be a...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Overcrowding (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I wish, at the outset, to acknowledge the distress overcrowded Emergency Departments cause to patients, their families, and frontline staff working in very challenging conditions in hospitals throughout the country. I am aware that in recent weeks, emergency department attendances have been in line with levels usually seen during the winter months. Attendance figures have now reached...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Ambulance Service (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Facilities (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 137 and 177 together. The development of elective hospital facilities in Dublin, Cork and Galway is in line with the Health Service Capacity Review, the Programme for Government, the Sláintecare Implementation Strategy & Action Plan 2021-2023 and was most recently referenced in the National Development Plan. The Elective Hospitals...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Facilities (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.  

Written Answers — Department of Health: Emergency Departments (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: The extension project to the Emergency Department at Mayo University Hospital comprises a new ground floor extension to the ED, reconfiguration of the existing ED (7 additional ED assessment & treatment spaces), and a new first floor Medical Assessment Unit (10 spaces).  It is planned that a design team will be selected, and that the design process will commence, by...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 141 and 148 together. I acknowledge and pay tribute to the dedication, professionalism and commitment of all medical scientists throughout the country. Their drive and dedication has been a key component of our managing of the pandemic. Health Management have been engaging with the Medical Laboratory Scientists Association on various industrial relations...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible. 

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: Letterkenny University Hospital (LUH) is a Model 3 Hospital, operating as part of the Saolta University Health Care Group.  The budget allocation for LUH in 2021 is €156m, a 7% increase from the €145.9m provided in 2020.  The HSE advises that, as of August 2021, 2,208 people were employed in LUH, an increase from 2,000 employees in 2020. There has been significant...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Irish Blood Transfusion Service (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: The Blood Donation Deferral Surveillance Group was established to assess the impact, if any, on the incidence of transfusion transmitted infections, following the change to MSM and STI donor deferral policies in 2017.  The Group includes representatives from the Irish Blood Transfusion Service, Health Protection Surveillance Centre, Public Health England and NHS Blood and Transplant...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Charges (19 Oct 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 150 and 163 together. The Health Act 1970 (as amended) provides that all persons ordinarily resident in the State are eligible, subject to certain charges, to public in-patient hospital services including consultant services. Persons, irrespective of illness or condition, accessing public in-patient (including day case) services in a public hospital are...