Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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637. To ask the Minister for Health the breakdown of the budget for aids and appliances for persons with disabilities for each of the years 2018, 2019 and 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43485/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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638. To ask the Minister for Health if the cost of PPE has been included in the budget for appliances for persons with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43484/21]

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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641. To ask the Minister for Health if the inclusion of PPE in the budget for appliances for persons with disabilities will result in patients receiving inferior care or quality of prosthetic limbs, surgical footwear, hearing aid and personal emergency response systems; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43489/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 638 and 641 together.

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

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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639. To ask the Minister for Health the average cost of the various personal emergency response systems, surgical footwear, hearing aids and prosthetic limbs provided by the HSE, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43487/21]

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

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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640. To ask the Minister for Health the breakdown of the costs incurred with the provision and care of persons with hearing aids, surgical footwear prosthetic limbs in 2018, 2019 and 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43488/21]

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

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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642. To ask the Minister for Health if he has considered having the budget for the provision of prosthetic limbs separate to the overall budget for appliances for persons with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43486/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister has not received a request of this nature from the Health Service Executive (HSE).

However, a HSE Primary Care led National Service Improvement Programme, established in 2019, has the aim of improving the quality and sustainability of the Community Funded Schemes through the establishment of national standards. This will aim to provide equity of access, value for money, and a management system that ensures compliance with those standards and objectives. Standards will be based on clear evidence-based rationale and will include a list of approved items, national prescribing guidelines and clinical criteria for each.

Both Aids and Appliances, and Prosthetics, are being considered within this Programme. While the work of the Programme was disrupted during the Covid-19 pandemic, and further impacted by the recent cyber-attack, as the situation regarding the pandemic continues to improve, the work of the Programme will gather pace.