I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman. He sends his apologies but he had to attend a meeting. I thank the Deputy for raising this important health benefit for discussion. The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill will provide financial payments and an enhanced medical card to eligible people in recognition of the suffering they experienced in a mother and baby or county ho…

I again thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I want to clarify one point. I said earlier, "While acknowledging the challenge that healthcare costs can vary significantly across different individuals and different jurisdictions, a payment of €3,000 would represent a practical measure of acknowledgment for those who are living overseas and choose not to avail of the enhanced medical card". That €3,000 refers to the overseas piece. I want to be clear about that. The enhanced medical card is a critical component o…

The assessment is covered. Exactly as the Deputy said, if a prioritisation needs to be expedited, everybody will work to ensure that happens.

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and allowing me the opportunity to update the House on the plans to develop a 60-bed residential care centre at St. Patrick's Hospital, Cashel. In early 2016, a capital programme for older persons residential centres was developed in response to the introduction of HIQA's national residential care standards for older people and the requirement that all facilities providing long-stay beds be registered with HIQA. This is a programme to replace, upgrade and refurbish, as appr…

I am not one to defend the HSE but it has said that it got this wrong and apologised for that. Let us not go into conspiracy theories.

The HSE answered a parliamentary question incorrectly. It rectified that answer today. I am now answering the Deputy's question so that he can tell his constituents that the design of a 60-bed unit is under review. That is important.

I will read the closing statement because I am only the pigeon in the middle. Is that all right?

I again thank the Deputy for raising this issue. Work under the capital programme is progressing across the country to replace, upgrade and refurbish our current stock of community nursing units in response to the introduction of HIQA's national residential care standards for older people. The HSE is committed to the development of a new community nursing unit for Cashel. Provision has been made in the capital plan 2023 to progress a 60-bed community nursing unit for Cashel. The emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic i…

I will also be known for my brevity. Yes, I will agree to meet the family concerned. I will also take this matter up, before I meet with the family, if the Deputy will give me the case details. While he may feel this just applies to the Cavan-Monaghan region, as far as I am concerned, it is hard to believe and credit in the 21st century that the behavioural barrier is still in place in a lot of places around the country. Depending on the particular provider or organisation, its mission statement might be that it on…

Later on, and not because we are having a Topical Issue debate this morning, I am meeting CHO 1 officials as part of my monthly meetings. I will bring up the point about the discretionary element the Deputy has raised. In the case that the Leas-Cheann Comhairle and I are aware of, the child was not on the radar whatsoever of the disability manager in that region. I will raise that in my meeting with CHO 1. Discretion is required. Children should not need a diagnosis if the CDNT knows that a family is in crisis. The…

I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly so I will stick to the script so the Deputy will have his accurate answer. On behalf of the Minister, I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The Government accepts that access to appropriate care is an important part of maintaining optical health. The HSE provides these services in hospitals and in the community. This includes specialist clinics for complex issues and routine testing by optometrists. Cork Kerry Community Healt…

I thank the Deputy. The Minister and I appreciate that access to appropriate and timely optical services is a concern for many residents of Cork and Kerry. This is the second time I have answered on this. I assure the Deputy that ophthalmology is a priority issue for the Minister and his Department in 2023. He wants to see reform in this area to ensure people receive the service they require. I mentioned the HSE in my response and said that funding is an issue. Perhaps the fact that the service plan has not been si…

I, too, welcome Ms Gath. The wording of the Commencement matter is as follows: "The need for the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to make a statement on the report of the national disability inclusion strategy transport working group as it pertains to the review of the disabled drivers scheme" and the urgent need to reform same. The statement Senator Gavin has received was prepared to assist me in answering it. The working group included officials from the Departments of Finance, H…

While I would like to have all the power Senator Gavan feels I have, I do not have the final power because it sits with the Department of Finance. I pulled together all Departments where funding is spent on transport-related matters. Some €43 million is spent in health, €65 million is spent regarding the primary medical certificate, not to mind New Directions and what is spent on other transport schemes. I was collating all the evidence of what we spend in transport to support persons with disabilities to ensure th…

It will be covering all aspects.

I am taking it.

I am taking this on behalf of the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, so I will read his reply into the record. Deputy O'Gorman has had recent correspondence with a number of individuals on this subject and, in particular, the hope to establish a family resource centre at Attic House in Longford. The Minister also regularly engages with colleagues in the Dáil and other public representatives and interested parties seeking additional family resource centres in differe…

I will speak to the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, and see if he can get the Senator a copy of the report so that he has a line of sight on the situation. As I said, I will take information on the population of 10,000 back to the Minister. I totally take on board the fact that the Senator has said there are barriers in terms of transport for people in Ballymahon. The role of the family resource centre is to be a front door so that when people are in crisis they can walk in, rather than having to put transport in place …

It is seldom we hear a Minister of State say that a Deputy should continue. I am taking this important matter on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, who has a dose of flu. I thank Deputy Connolly for raising it. I will begin by acknowledging the vital healthcare role that Clifden District Hospital plays and the excellent level of care and support which it provides to patients and their families in the Clifden community and surrounding areas. I assure Deputy Connolly that there are no plans to close Clif…

The provision of short-stay beds, including respite beds, is an integral part of the integrated model of care for the provision of services for older persons. I am aware the services provided in Clifden District Hospital are highly valued by the wider community and in older person services in HSE Community Healthcare West. Unfortunately, short-stay capacity in public hospitals and community nursing units can be impacted for a number of reasons. These include HIQA. As Deputy Connolly said earlier, HIQA has found no …