Written answers

Tuesday, 27 July 2021

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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1866. To ask the Minister for Health the breakdown of the additional funding allocated in budget 2021 to the healthy Ireland fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35666/21]

Photo of Frank FeighanFrank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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The Healthy Ireland Fund was established in 2017. This amount of funding increased to €10 million in 2021. Elements of the Fund are managed by Pobal on behalf of the Department to fund the delivery of local actions in key national Healthy Ireland policy areas.

Healthy Ireland also supports a number of key national initiatives, including–- Active School Flag, - ‘Healthy Ireland at Your Library’ initiative, - Healthy Clubs and Healthy Campuses initiatives, - Healthy Workplace Framework, - Healthy Ireland Survey, and - Initiatives for increasing in physical activity in the community, in partnership with Sport Ireland.

A significant portion of the additional funding in 2021 was provided for Phase 1 of the Sláintecare Healthy Communities Programme, which seeks to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals in the most disadvantaged areas by addressing the wider determinants of health. The Programme is due to launch in Q4 2021.

The final position on the breakdown of the spend will be available at the end of year.

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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1867. To ask the Minister for Health the breakdown of the additional funding provided in budget 2021 for the national maternity strategy. [35667/21]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Women’s health is a priority for me and for this Government and one of the cornerstones in advancing women’s health is the National Maternity Strategy. This year my Department allocated very significant new development funding of €7.317m to implement the Strategy . This funding aims to ensure a renewed impetus to the implementation of the Strategy, and the ongoing roll out of the Strategy’s new model of maternity care. Specifically, the funding is designed to:

- further develop community-based midwifery services including enhancing postnatal care and early transfer home services;

- expand breastfeeding supports;

- address deficits identified in HIQA inspection reports; and

- improve specialist services, including obstetric, endocrinology, perinatal pathology, neonatology and perineal services;

- improve access to allied health professional services and supports; and

- strengthen training and education supports (e.g. CTG training).

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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1868. To ask the Minister for Health the breakdown of the additional funding provided in Budget 2021 for the national trauma strategy; and the way in which it was used. [35668/21]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The National Trauma Strategy recommended the introduction of an inclusive trauma system delivered by two regional networks, each with a Major Trauma Centre linked to a number of Trauma Units. The strategy recommended the Major Trauma Centres be based in Dublin and in Cork (Cork University Hospital). In April 2021, Government designated the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital as the Major Trauma Centre for the Central Trauma Network and St Vincent’s and Tallaght University Hospitals as the Trauma Units for Dublin.

€6m in development funding has been made available in Budget 2021 to support the implementation of the National Trauma Strategy, of which:

- €5.7m was allocated to commence the initial phase of development of the Major Trauma Centre at the Mater Hospital, and

- €0.3m was allocated to commence development of planned trauma care in the South Trauma Network at Cork University Hospital

Through implementation of the Trauma Strategy trauma services be networked and co-ordinated along standardised pathways to ensure that the right care is delivered in the right place at the right time.

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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1869. To ask the Minister for Health the breakdown of the additional funding provided in budget 2021 for the national dementia strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35669/21]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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A key commitment in the Programme for Government is the implementation of the Irish National Dementia Strategy, which aims to improve how we provide care for people living with dementia. The National Dementia Office, established within the HSE, oversees implementation of the Strategy.

As set out in the National Service Plan 2021, additional funding of €12.9 million has been allocated to further the National Dementia Strategy this year. This allocation is made up of the following key elements:

- €7m to fund 250,000 hours of home support for people living with dementia;

- €0.9m to expand the Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland Dementia Advisor Service through recruiting an additional 11 dementia advisors, resulting in a total of 29 nationally by the end of the year;

- €5m for a range of measures to enhance services and supports for people with dementia. These measures include:

(a) the further development of dementia diagnostic services through the establishment of a specialist memory clinic in Cork and progressing four new regional memory assessment and support services;

(b) enhancing acute care pathways for people with dementia through the recruitment of more clinical nurse specialists;

(c) the implementation of a National Clinical Guideline on the appropriate prescribing of psychotropic medication for non-cognitive symptoms in people with dementia;

(d) enhancing Memory Technology Resource Room services in 9 sites;

(e) provision of in-home day care for people who were impacted by the suspension of day care services during the COVID-19 pandemic; and

(f) continuation of the Dementia Understand Together Campaign.

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