Results 37,541-37,560 of 49,836 for speaker:Stephen Donnelly

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (18 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: I have asked the HSE to respond to the deputy directly.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Tests (18 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: The Health Service Executive has adopted RNA PCR as the gold standard test for diagnosing Covid-19 cases, as part of the HSE test and trace strategy, consistent with international best practice, and approved by NPHET.  This platform is deployed in acute hospitals, the NVRL and HSE’s commercial partners. Given the volumes required, these operate as batch tests and hence take a...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Nursing Education (18 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: The HSE continues to fund the employment of fourth year student nurses and midwives who are on rostered work placements in hospital settings, including those scheduled to commence in the coming weeks and those fourth year students who are to commence rostered work placement in 2021. These fourth student nurses and midwives on rostered work placement are paid at the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Car Parks (18 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: The Programme for Government makes a commitment to introduce a cap on the maximum daily charge for patients and visitors at all public hospitals where possible, and to introduce flexible passes in all public hospitals for patients and their families. My Department and the HSE are currently engaging on this issue.

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE National Service Plan (18 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: The Legislation (Health Act 2004 as amended) outlines the timeframes that must be adhered to in the publication of the National Service Plan. This outlines that my Department must write to the Health Service Executive to notify it of its allocation for 2021 not later than 21 days after the publication by the Government of the Estimates for Public Services. I formally notified the HSE of its...

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services (18 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: The Government is aware of the workforce issues currently facing general practice, including the limited access to GP services in certain areas, and has implemented a number of measures to improve recruitment and retention in general practice. These include changes to the entry provisions to the GMS scheme to accommodate more flexible/shared GMS GP contracts, and to the retirement...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (18 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: A clear governance and accountability framework was identified as a key building block of Sláintecare by the Committee on the Future of Healthcare. As part of its recommendations in this area, the Committee called for the HSE to become a more strategic and patient-focused ‘national centre’ carrying out national level functions, and the establishment of regional bodies with...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Vaccination Programme (18 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: The Government has expanded the provision of seasonal influenza vaccination without charge to all of those in the HSE-defined at-risk groups, including healthcare workers, and to all children aged from 2 to 12 years.  By providing vaccination to those most at-risk, and those most likely to require hospitalisation if they contract influenza, it is anticipated that the programme will...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (18 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: I would like to acknowledge and commend the incredible effort made in all school communities throughout the country to continue to operate during the Covid-19 pandemic in the safest manner possible. The strong belief that schools are places of education, equity, opportunity and healthcare is coupled with the belief that they are places of safety during Covid-19 with the clear focussed...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (17 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: The public health advice relating to Covid-19, including that relating to face coverings, is kept under continuing review by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET). A person, without reasonable excuse, must now wear a face covering when using public transport, in retail outlets, shops and shopping centres, in other indoor spaces such as libraries, cinemas and cinema complexes,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (17 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: All public health sector staff, including those working in hospitals as catering employees are paid in line with the rates set out in the Department of Health consolidated salary scales which can be viewed online here:  In relation to incremental progression, each salary scale listed has either a single point, or a number of points, which an employee would progress through each year on...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Promotion (17 Nov 2020)

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: General Medical Services Scheme (17 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: Persons who are eligible for GP care without charge under the Health Act 1970 are not subject to any co-payments or other charges in respect of such services. There is no provision under the GMS GP contract for persons who hold a medical card or GP visit card to be charged for routine phlebotomy services provided by their GP which are required to either assist in the diagnosis of illness or...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (17 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: As the Deputy is aware, the situation regarding COVID-19 has been, and continues to be, an evolving situation. COVID-19 is still having a major impact both here in Ireland and elsewhere. On Tuesday 15 September the Government published ‘Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19’. This Plan outlines our medium-term strategy for COVID-19 and sets out a...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (17 Nov 2020)

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 Waiting Lists (17 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: As a result of the significant impact of COVID 19 on routine health services and the impending Winter period which brings its own pressures, the health service is facing unprecedented challenges for the delivery of services in a COVID environment. Resuming health and social care services and building the health sector capacity and capability for the pressures of Winter 2020 and into 2021...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (17 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: Reducing waiting time for patients for hospital operations and procedures is a key priority for Government. In recent years, my Department has worked with the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) and made considerable improvements to access for patients waiting for high volume procedures, including cataracts. It is recognised that waiting times for scheduled...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospice Services (17 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: On 8 November 2020, I announced the provision of €10 million in once-off funding in 2020 to support the voluntary palliative care sector to maintain critical and ongoing care services for adults and children in the context of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Voluntary organisations in the palliative care sector, funded by the HSE...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (17 Nov 2020)

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 Appointments Status (17 Nov 2020)

Stephen Donnelly: It is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been impacted as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic the HSE had to take measures to defer most scheduled care activity in March, April, and May of this year. This was to ensure patient safety and that all appropriate resources were made available for Covid-19...