Written answers

Tuesday, 27 July 2021

Department of Health

Disability Services

Photo of Pauline TullyPauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1985. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated additional cost of increasing funding for expanding the capacity of day services for persons with a disability by 5%, 10% and 25% respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36069/21]

Photo of Anne RabbitteAnne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.

Photo of Pauline TullyPauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1986. To ask the Minister for Health the unmet need in day services for persons with disabilities in 2018, 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36070/21]

Photo of Anne RabbitteAnne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.

Photo of Pauline TullyPauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1987. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated timeframe for a full return of day services for persons with a disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36071/21]

Photo of Anne RabbitteAnne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Day services re-opened at 39% capacity at service locations throughout August and early September of 2020, and by end of January 2021 this had increased to 51%. The combination of supports in the location, outreach supports, and remote supports provides an overall quantum of support to service users of over 60% at the end of January. The increase in day service capacity was supported by additional funding of €30 million provided in Budget 2021 to increase capacity in buildings and provide extra staff. This funding provided an increase in day services by an average of one day a week for 14,940 people against September 2020 service levels.

For the duration of the COVID-19 emergency day service capacity is reduced, this is due to the physical limitations of the buildings available, the lack of mainstream community activities, and the continued restrictions imposed by social distancing guidance. Many people with disabilities have underlying health conditions, and as the threat of COVID-19 remains, unfortunately so too does the need for these restrictions.

The vaccination process for staff and service users is well underway across day services, and all service providers should now be delivering a minimum of 60% of pre-COVID levels of location-based supports. For those in residential services, currently their day service supports are largely being provided in their residence, however some service users have returned to their day service location, and it is now expected that all residential service users that received their day service at a location pre-COVID should begin to resume location-based day service supports.

The HSE is in the process of establishing the vaccination status of all staff and service users in day services. Once established, the HSE will engage with Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) on what further easing of restrictions can appropriately be applied to day services. Those attending day services have been vaccinated as part of cohort 4, people aged 16-69 years and at very high risk of severe COVID-19 disease. The administration of the second vaccine dose for this cohort began in the week beginning May 10th and is expected to be complete by early July.

The IPC guidance are kept under constant review and updates will be provided in the months ahead on further restoration of day services.

Photo of Pauline TullyPauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1988. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated additional cost for the establishment of community-based neuro-rehabilitation teams in each CHO here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36072/21]

Photo of Pauline TullyPauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1989. To ask the Minister for Health the number of community-based neuro-rehabilitation teams here currently; the CHO they are based in; the estimated timeframe for the establishment of the remaining neuro-rehabilitation teams in the CHOs in which they are currently not based; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36073/21]

Photo of Anne RabbitteAnne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1988 and 1989 together.

As these Parliamentary Questions relate to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.

Photo of Pauline TullyPauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1990. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated additional cost of increasing funding for respite for persons with a disability by 5%, 10% and 25% respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36074/21]

Photo of Pauline TullyPauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1991. To ask the Minister for Health the number of additional respite hours that would be delivered by increasing the funding for respite for persons with a disability by 5%, 10% and 25% respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36075/21]

Photo of Anne RabbitteAnne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1990 and 1991 together.

As these Parliamentary Questions relate to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.

Photo of Pauline TullyPauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1992. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated additional cost of increasing funding for personal assistants for persons with a disability by 5%, 10% and 25% respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36076/21]

Photo of Anne RabbitteAnne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the Health Service Executive (HSE). However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and to resume normal services.

Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.

Photo of Pauline TullyPauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1993. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated number of additional personal assistant hours that would be delivered by increasing the funding for personal assistants for persons with a disability by 5%, 10% and 25% respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36077/21]

Photo of Anne RabbitteAnne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the Health Service Executive (HSE). However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and to resume normal services.

Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.

Photo of Pauline TullyPauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1994. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 1014 and 1015 of 31 March 2021, the breakdown by specific therapy category of the 100 therapy posts that were allocated to children’s disability services under the HSE National Service Plan 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36078/21]

Photo of Anne RabbitteAnne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.

Photo of Pauline TullyPauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1995. To ask the Minister for Health the whole-time equivalent therapy posts in the Children’s Disability Service in 2021, 2020, 2019 and 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36079/21]

Photo of Anne RabbitteAnne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.

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