O'Connell, John F.Tuesday, 28 April 1992 |
Dáil Éireann Debate
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Private Members' Business. - Mental Treatment (Amendment) Bill, 1992: Second Stage.
At the outset I would like to congratulate Deputy Nuala Fennell on her initiative in bringing forward this Bill. I am aware of her genuine concern in this area, her determination to rectify the serio...
There were five different administrations in the same period. There were certain technical defects in the Bill as passed which would have caused difficulties if it had been implemented. We have a cho...
The figure is about 3,000.
Adjournment Debate. - Consultancy Appointments to Nenagh General Hospital.
I welcome this opportunity to clarify the position regarding Nenagh General Hospital which was brought to my attention two weeks ago by Deputy Michael O'Kennedy. At the outset I should say that Comha...
Adjournment Debate. - Tralee Hospital Blood Sampling Facilities.
What Deputy Moynihan has said is correct. I raised the matter with the Southern Health Board who are responsible for the provision and organisation of services at Tralee General Hospital. The board i...
Written Answers. - Health Boards' Code of Conduct.
Was asked: whether he anticipates any problems with the Irish Hospital Consultants Association and the Irish Medical Organisation regarding the attempts by the country's health boards to introduce a code of cond...
I understand that each health board already has a general code of conduct which is applicable to all staff, including consultants. As far as consultants specifically are concerned, their employment re...
Written Answers. - Language Disorder Units.
Was asked: if he will outline the progress that has been made to establish a language disorder unit in (1) Limerick, (2) Clare and (3) North Tipperary, similar to those in operation in Scoil Chaitríona in Galway...
The question of establishing language disorder units in the Mid-Western Health Board area is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Education.
Written Answers. - Orthodontic Treatment.
Was asked: when orthodontic treatment will be made available to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5 who has been seeking this treatment for a considerable time; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The provision of orthodontic treatment to eligible persons in the Dublin area is a matter for the Eastern Health Board in the first instance. I have made inquiries of the board and they inform me that...
Written Answers. - Monitoring of GP Scheme.
Was asked: if there will be round-the-clock cover by members of the Irish Medical Organisation in the GP scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I presume the Deputy is referring to cover provided by general practitioners under the General Medical Services scheme. Under the existing contract the general practitioner is required to be routinely...
Written Answers. - Nursing Posts.
Was asked: if he will outline his response to the request from the Western Health Board for the filling of two permanent nursing positions in the psychiatric section, University Hospital, Galway; and if he will ...
Was asked: if he has responded to the request from the Western Health Board with respect to the filling of two permanent posts in the psychiatric unit, University Hospital, Galway; if the full quota of permanent...
I propose to take Questions Nos. 181 and No. 188 together.
Written Answers. - MRI Scanners.
Was asked: whether the three Dublin private hospitals (details supplied) have each got an MRI scanner; if he will confirm that no public hospital in Dublin has this equipment; and if he will outline when public ...
I understand that the private hospitals mentioned by the Deputy have an MRI scanner. Beaumont Hospital is in the process of installing an MRI scanner and it is hoped that this will be in operation by...
Written Answers. - School Dental Service.
Was asked: when a comprehensive dental education scheme for primary schools to counteract the damage to young children's teeth, caused by consumption of sweets and soft drinks, will be brought forward.
All health boards provide a school dental service for children attending national school. A number of health boards are changing or have already changed from a demand based service to a planned syste...
Written Answers. - Dublin Hospital New Unit.
Was asked: when building will commence on the long awaited oncology/ haematology/bone marrow unit at St. James's Hospital, which he has already approved.
The provision of a new Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at St. James's Hospital has been accorded a very high priority within my Department. While it is difficult to indicate precisely when building will ...
Written Answers. - County Galway Hospital Funding.
Was asked: if he will outline his plans for providing financial assistance to enable the Western Health Board to bring into operation the two ultra clean air theatres at Merlin Park Hospital, Galway.
The Western Health Board recently applied to my Department for staffing and equipment to commission the new clean air theatres at Merlin Park Regional Hospital. This application is currently being ex...
Written Answers. - Training of Mentally Handicapped.
Was asked: the current position with regard to European Social Fund assistance for the training for employment of people who carry a mental handicap; when the current phase of programme funding will end; the pla...
At present there are almost 2,600 people with a mental handicap included in the European Social Fund assisted operational programme for the vocational training of people with disabilities. The progra...
Written Answers. - Speech Therapy Waiting List.
Was asked: if he will give details of the waiting list for speech therapy at the Millbrook Lawns Health Centre, Tallaght; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
There are currently 294 children on the waiting list for speech therapy in Tallaght. There are five speech therapy posts currently vacant and the Eastern Health Board has made a number of unsuccessful...
Written Answers. - Home Help Applications.
Was asked: if he will request the Eastern Health Board to review the position of six persons (details supplied) in the East Wall area of Dublin 3 who urgently require a home help, which they are fully entitled t...
The Home Help Service in the East Wall area is provided on behalf of the Eastern Health Board by the St. Laurence O'Toole Home Help organisation. Assessment of needs and decisions on allocation of sui...
Written Answers. - Beaumont Hospital (Dublin) Inquiry Costs.
Was asked: if he will confirm that, of the estimated £1 million cost of the inquiry being carried out by the Medical Council into recent events in the Beaumont Hospital controversy, no public money is involved.
There is no statutory provision for the Minister for Health to meet expenses incurred by the Medical Council. I can, therefore, confirm that no public moneys will be expended on the council's fitness...
Written Answers. - Home Maker Programme Funding.
Was asked: if he will increase the funding for the Home Maker Programme, as it provides an excellent service for families in financial and domestic difficulties; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I presume the Deputy is referring to the Home Maker Programme which is part of the overall Home Help Service operated by the Eastern Health Board in conjunction with several voluntary organisations. T...
Written Answers. - Hip Operations Waiting List.
Was asked: his views on whether those on the urgent waiting list for hip operations in the Southern Health Board area should have to wait six to eight months for an operation; and if he will make a statement on ...
The admission of a patient to hospital for hip replacement surgery is a matter for the consultant in charge of the case. Waiting lists are kept under review and urgent cases are given priority in acc...
Written Answers. - Ophthalmic Services Applications.
Was asked: his views on whether applicants who have applied for ophthalmic services from the Southern Health Board, particularly in the north Cork area, should have to endure a 15 month delay before being seen; ...
I understand from the Southern Health Board that the north Cork area is served by two sessional ophthalmologists who hold clinics at Charleville, Kanturk, Millstreet, Mallow, Fermoy and Mitchelstown a...
Written Answers. - Health Board Payments to Creditors.
Was asked: if his attention has been drawn to, (a) the difficulties being experienced by small traders because of the length of credit being taken, sometimes up to six months, by health boards and (b) the fact t...
(a) I am aware that some elements of the health service have been experiencing from time to time cash flow difficulties which has resulted in longer than normal trading terms being applied in some he...
Written Answers. - VHI Private Hospital Fees.
Was asked: if he will investigate the delay by the Voluntary Health Insurance in reaching agreement on fees for 1992 with private hospitals; his views on whether this delay threatens the viability of these hospi...
There has been no undue delay on the part of the Voluntary Health Insurance Board in its discussions with private hospitals on new contractual arrangements. VHI hospital agreements expired on 31 Decem...
Written Answers. - Ophthalmic Services for Primary Students.
Was asked: if his attention has been drawn to the fact that children diagnosed from the primary school clinic, to be in need of a referral to an eye specialist, are having to wait for up to one year for attentio...
The provision of ophthalmic services is the responsibility of the relevant health board and I have asked each health board to report to me on this matter. However, I can assure the Deputy that where t...
Written Answers. - Funding of Residential Unit for Elderly.
Was asked: if he will outline the timescale in which he will provide funding for a permanent residential unit for the elderly in Wexford town as suggested by the Minister of State at his Department (details supp...
As indicated by the Minister of State at my Department in the Seanad on 18 April last, the South Eastern Health Board is already receiving in excess of 30 per cent of the capital budget for the health...
Written Answers. - Nursing Home Care Subventions.
Was asked: the way in which he proposes to finance the proposed equitable system for the payment of subventions on standard criteria throughout the country to patients requiring long-stay care in nursing homes i...
Section 7 of the Health (Nursing Homes) Act, 1990 provides that a health board may pay a subvention towards the cost of care in a registered nursing home for a person, following an assessment of his o...
Written Answers. - Hospital Beds Statistics.
Was asked: the number of beds per thousand of population in general hospitals in each health board area which have an acute consultant on the staff.
The number of public hospital beds available for use is subject to variation over the course of any year due to factors such as seasonal bed closures or the temporary opening of additional beds to cop...
Written Answers. - Stay Safe Programme.
Was asked: if he will outline the purpose of the stay safe programme; and the reason this programme has not been extended to schools in County Meath.
The stay safe programme is a child abuse prevention programme. The programme was designed for use in primary schools and covers all forms of abuse including bullying. Its aim is to prevent child abu...
Written Answers. - Medical Cards Statistics.
Was asked: if he will outline, (a) the four counties in the State with the highest percentage of population covered by medical cards and (b) the four counties with the lowest percentage; and if his Department us...
Statistics on the distribution of medical cards are collated by the General Medical Services (Payments) Board. The most recent figures available from the board reflect the position as on 31 December, ...
Written Answers. - Meath Water Supplies Fluoridation.
Was asked: if he will outline the proportion of the samplings of flouride levels in water supplies in County Meath in 1990 and 1991 which were regarded as unsatisfactory in terms of the relevant regulations; if ...
The Health (Fluoridation of Water Supplies) Act, 1960, provides for the fluoridation of public piped water supplies to reduce the incidence of dental caries. Fluoridation is achieved through the addit...
Written Answers. - Home Help Statistics.
Was asked: if he will outline the proportion of the population in each health board area receiving home help; and if he will further outline the ratio of part-time home helps to total population in each health b...
Under section 61 of the Health Act, 1970, health boards may make arrangements to assist in the maintenance at home of persons who, but for the provision of such a service would require to be maintaine...
Written Answers. - Adult Dental Treatment Waiting List.
Was asked: the number of people on the waiting list for adult dental treatment under his Department's dental scheme; if he will give details of the amount of funding available for this scheme in 1992; whether th...
The provision of dental treatment to medical card holders and their dependants is the responsibility of the relevant health board. The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in ...
Written Answers. - Child Health Services.
Was asked: if he will establish a senior working party to review the community health services for children generally; if he will outline when the last such working party reported and its principal recommendatio...
A working party made a report to my Department in 1967 on the child health services and this report forms the basis for the services presently in operation in this country. A summary of the recommend...
Was asked: if he will outline the amount of (a) capital and (b) revenue which has been spent on child health services since the health boards were established; if he will give details of the estimated capital ba...
The information sought by the Deputy is being collated by my Department and I will have it sent to him as soon as possible.
Was asked: if he will outline the amount he proposes to spend for the next two years on child health services; and if he will further outline the development plans, if any, he has; and if he will make a statemen...
Was asked: his views on the future of the community paediatric development services; if he will outline the amount which has been spent each year in real terms per child since 1970 on this service; if he has sat...
Was asked: if he will give details of the numbers of children who availed of health services each year since 1970 classified under the headings (a) hospital, (b) family doctor and (c) health centre; and if he wi...
Was asked: if he will outline the size of the waiting list, the average waiting time and the longest waiting time for all services including consultant services, speech therapy, psychological services, occupatio...
I propose to take Questions Nos. 207, 208, 211 and 212 together. It is not possible at this time to outline the amount it is proposed to spend in the future on the child health services. The resourc...
Written Answers. - Health Centre Development Programme.
Was asked: if he proposes to honour the undertaking given in the Programme for Economic and Social Progress to implement a major programme of health centre development; if he will outline the amount he considers...
Following the publication of the Programme for Economic and Social Progress each health board was requested to provide a priority list of health centre developments for its area. The submissions made...
Written Answers. - Immunisation Statistics.
Was asked: if he has satisfied himself with the present level of uptake of immunisation in the country in general, and in respect of each health board in particular if he will outline, (a) the immunisation targe...
Statistical information on immunisation is published by my Department in its annual report on health statistics and I will arrange to have copies of the relevant statistics made available to the Deput...
Written Answers. - Departmental Staff.
Was asked: if he will outline the total numbers in general service grades who have left his Department through, (a) retirement, (b) resignation, (c) death in service, (d) career break and (e) for any other reaso...
The total number in general service grades who have left the Department of Health in each of the above categories for the years 1985 to date is as set out in the table under. The figures quoted in res...
| Last Updated: 22/05/2011 18:38:45 |
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