Results 11,561-11,580 of 49,836 for speaker:Stephen Donnelly

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (1 Jun 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: As 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.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (1 Jun 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: It is recognised that waiting times for many scheduled appointments and procedures were too long before and have been made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Department of Health continues to work with the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) to identify ways to improve access to care. On the 7th March, I published the 2023 Waiting List Action Plan, which is the next stage of...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (1 Jun 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: Thank you for your question Deputy. Whilst there are various mechanisms whereby we can support the reduction in paper-based systems used in the health service, including fundamental redesign of processes, the most obvious way to transition away from paper is to modernise the health system through the digitisation of processes and procedures. There are clinical and non clinical areas across...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (1 Jun 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: In 2016, the Department of Health requested the HSE to establish a working group with an independent chair to conduct a comprehensive review of the role and function of the Health CareAssistant in the Health Service. This work was completed under the leadership of Mr. Sean McHugh and the report ‘Review of Role and Function of HealthCare Assistants (HCAs)’ was published in...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (1 Jun 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the important role that Section 39 organisations and staff play in our health sector. They have a key role in providing services to people with disabilities and older people. A process of engagement to examine the pay of workers in Community and Voluntary organisations was committed to by the Government in October 2022. While the Government has...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Children's Hospital (1 Jun 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: The New Children’s Hospital (NCH) project comprises the main hospital on a shared campus at St James’s, and two Outpatient and Urgent Care Centres at Connolly and Tallaght hospitals. Both satellite centres are now open and successfully delivering a new model of ambulatory and urgent care for children and adolescents in the Greater Dublin Area. I am fully committed to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (1 Jun 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: Set up under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (as amended) CORU is made up of the Health and Social Care Professionals Council and the Registration Boards. To date, registers have opened for eleven of the seventeen professions designated for regulation by CORU. These include: Dietitians/dieticians; Medical Scientists; Occupational Therapists; Optometrists &...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Healthcare Policy (1 Jun 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: International engagement in the health sector takes place across a wide range of areas and at all levels, from ministerial and official to technical and clinical. I am very supportive of Ireland’s international engagement in the health area and the clear benefit it brings, from exchange of expertise and best practice to helping address shared challenges. Much of this engagement takes...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Centres (1 Jun 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: Finglas has long been identified as a priority location for the development of a Primary Care Centre (PCC) due to the population level, care requirements for the community and the HSE Sláintecare programme which will provide care for patients closer to their home. Finglas PCC is included in the Capital Plan 2023. A design team has been engaged for the project, the preliminary design...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Cards (1 Jun 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: Medical Card provision is primarily based on financial assessment. In accordance with the Health Act 1970 (as amended), eligibility for a medical card is determined by the HSE, which assesses each application on a qualifying financial threshold. The issue of granting medical or GP visit cards based on having a particular disease or condition was previously examined in 2014 by the HSE...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Dental Services (1 Jun 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: The Dental Council's Code of Practice for Dentists currently requires that all practising dentists should be able to provide evidence that they have undertaken sufficient continuing professional development and personal development to keep their clinical knowledge and skills up to date. Although this requirement is not set down in legislation, the obligation to maintain CPD does exist and can...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Promotion (1 Jun 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: According to SLÁN Survey 1998, 33% of respondents reported being current smokers. The 2022 Healthy Ireland Survey reported that 18% of the population are current smokers. Much of this progress is attributable to the tobacco control measures introduced over the past number of years. Achievements made in this area in recent decades include:A ban on sale of tobacco products to individuals...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Children's Hospital (1 Jun 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: The New Children’s Hospital project remains the most significant capital investment programmeundertaken in the healthcare system in Ireland. It will provide world-class, state of the art facilities where our healthcare professionals will deliver optimal care, leading to better health outcomes for all. This is a much-needed and much-deserved investment in our children and young people....

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services (1 Jun 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: The Government is committed to the extension of GP visit card eligibility to those who earn the median household income or less, as announced in Budget 2023. Approximately 400,000 additional individuals are estimated to become eligible for a GP visit card under this expansion. My Department and the HSE are engaged in intensive discussions with the IMO in relation to the concerns they have...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Cannabis for Medicinal Use (1 Jun 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: The Medical Cannabis Access Programme (MCAP) was commenced in 2021 following the recommendations in the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) report “Cannabis for Medical Use – A Scientific Review” which was published in 2017. The programme is operated by the Primary Care Reimbursement Service of the HSE. The 2017 report stated that there was an absence of...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Staff (1 Jun 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly in relation to the service matters arising from this question as soon as possible. I wish to assure the Deputy of the continued commitment to developing diabetes services in Letterkenny and throughout the country. I am aware of the upcoming staffing changes in Letterkenny University Hospital. I want to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services (1 Jun 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: GPs are self-employed practitioners and therefore may establish practices at a place of their own choosing. There is no prescribed ratio of GPs to patients and the State does not regulate the number of GPs that can set up in a town or community. Under the GMS scheme, the HSE contracts GPs to provide medical services without charge to medical card and GP visit card holders. Currently there...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (1 Jun 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: I fully acknowledge the distress and inconvenience for patients and their families when elective procedures are cancelled, particularly for clinically urgent procedures. While every effort is made to avoid cancellation or postponement of planned procedures, the HSE has advised that planned procedures and operations can be postponed or cancelled for a variety of reasons including capacity...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Centres (1 Jun 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: As the Health Service Executive (HSE) holds responsibility for the provision, along with the maintenance and operation of Primary Care Centres, I have asked the HSE to reply to the deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Cancer Services (1 Jun 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the incredibly important role of Radiation Therapists in the provision of cancer services in this country. The independent review of the Radiation Therapist profession was agreed between the HSE, Department of Health and SIPTU, under the auspices of the WRC. This strategic review will consider issues such as organisation structure, career development...