I thank all the Deputies for their interesting, valuable and informative comments on this Private Members' motion on mental health. I support the opening remarks of my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, about the opportunity we have today to discuss mental health. People’s physical and mental well-being has been a priority for the Government at all times during the pandemic. This is reflected in the policies introduced to safeguard the well-being of the whole population, including targeted initiatives…

I welcome this opportunity to update the House on the impact of Covid-19 on socially excluded groups and to outline the plans for administering the vaccine to those groups. Not everyone faces the same risk from Covid-19. From the outset of the pandemic, the Department of Health identified socially excluded groups living in congregated settings as having a heightened risk due to underlying health and social factors. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre, HPSC, provides weekly updates on outbreaks among socially …

I thank the Deputy for the opportunity to address the issue of waiting lists for orthodontic services on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly. The HSE provides orthodontic treatment to those who have the greatest level of need and have been assessed and referred for treatment before their 16th birthday. An orthodontic assessment determines if the referral meets the criteria for the service and, if so, what priority the patient is given. Those with the greatest clinical need are prioritised. Orthodontic s…

I am aware of the difficulties experienced by young people, especially in Wexford, as Deputy Murphy articulated, who have been waiting a long time for orthodontic treatment. As I outlined to the House, the Department and the HSE will undertake a number of initiatives to address waiting lists for orthodontic care. Work is ongoing with Sláintecare, in conjunction with the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund, and community waiting lists will be included in the plan. The Government is committed in the coming y…

In the concluding stages of this debate it is right to acknowledge the admiration held by all Members of this House for family carers. Every day tens of thousands of people provide care for relatives, friends, neighbours and others. They may come from various walks of life and begin caring responsibilities at different points in their lives but these people share a common love for the person for whom they care. Their noble commitment to provide the best quality of care for their loved ones in the comfortable and fa…

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. Persons who are eligible for GP care without charge under the Health Act 1970 are not subject to co-payments or other charges in respect of such services. There is no provision under the general medical services, GMS, GP contract for persons who hold a medical card or GP visit card to be charged for routine phlebotomy services provided by their GP that are required to assist either in the diagnosis of illness or in the treatment of a condition. The HSE has advise…

I again thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I will bring her concerns to the Minister because she has articulated them in a passionate and informative way, and I hope this will be dealt with. The position of the Department and of the HSE has consistently been that routine blood tests are comprehended by the provisions of the GMS and that there should be no charges for routine blood tests. As I mentioned, however, the issue of GPs charging GMS patients for phlebotomy services is complex and the Depart…

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, I welcome this opportunity to update the House on drug and alcohol services and health supports for people who are homeless during the Covid-19 pandemic. Not everyone faces the same risk from Covid-19. People who use drugs or alcohol in a problematic way are at heightened risk due to underlying health and social factors. These are compounded for people who are homeless, who experience multiple morbidity and are at risk of premature death. There can also be risks associated with th…

Deputy Gould talked about addiction and gambling. It is a very serious issue that I share an interest in with the Deputy. It is also a Department of Justice issue. However, it crosses into our area. I would be happy to meet the objectives and work with them. There are other issues that we need to address and I can send the Deputy a paper on those.

Yes. I will get the Deputy a written document with the up-to-date position on gambling. It is a cross-departmental matter, given that it is for the Department of Justice but also a public health issue. I have not seen the Bill, but I would support its gist. A great deal can be done. The Deputy is right, in that the pandemic has increased online gambling. I know that myself. Many young men in particular are gambling online. It is causing major difficulties and is beginning to become a public health issue. The Labour…

Since the onset of Covid-19, 900 additional people have been seen by the opioid substitution treatment programme. They are being retained as part of the existing service level. Some €4.2 million has been provided for the service's continuation in 2021. I have met all of the drugs and alcohol task forces and we are allocating funding. However, there are many initiatives, for example, Know the Score in respect of young children, and I hope to work with them.

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I have met many of the stakeholders. It is not rhetoric. I am informed that in 2020, some 1,006 single persons exited emergency accommodation into homes in the Dublin region. A lot of work has been done regarding rough sleeping and long-term users of emergency accommodation. It is not perfect but much good work has been done and we are putting a lot of resources into achieving it.

I thank the Deputy. I had a speech prepared that would have taken 15 or 20 minutes but, as the Deputy very rightly said, I had to remove something because I only had ten minutes. Regarding drug-related intimidation, I am very aware of such activity. An active illicit drug market leads to intimidation and a frightening environment for families and communities. A key action of the national drugs strategy is to strengthen the effectiveness of the drug-related intimidation reporting programme. I will speak about this i…

I have made more than €1 million available for local drugs task forces. We also have up to €460,000 for targeted initiatives which we are seeking from various task forces. Again, I pay tribute to the great work the task forces are doing. I am aware of the awful situation in the Deputy's constituency, and the Deputy raised it with me previously. I am looking forward to a report that is due to come from the constituency. That will inform us of how best to move forward as well. I thank the Deputy for raising these iss…

First, I agree with the Deputy regarding the ring-fencing of funding. My colleague, Deputy Richmond, and others have been to the forefront in that regard, so perhaps it is time for a debate on the subject of putting the money put back into the local drugs task forces or into addressing the issues. On the funding, in November 2020 I approved one-off funding of €20,000 for each task force, including the Deputy's local task force, to assist in the continuation and restoration of drug and alcohol services during the pa…

I thank the Deputy for the measured way in which he put his views forward. We come from different perspectives, but between us we try to get the best possible answers to this very difficult problem. The national drugs strategy sets out a health-led approach to drug use and it promotes a more compassionate and humane response to people who use drugs, with drug use treated as, first and foremost, a public health issue. As the Deputy knows, the Government established a working group and that group decided it would opt…

The Department of Health harm reduction element of the health diversion programme provided €100,000 in 2020 to develop a national harm reduction campaign to raise awareness of the risk associated with drug use. The campaign will be delivered in 2021.

On the 24-7 drugs line, there is a drugs helpline in the UK that we have been trying to mirror. It is called Talk to Frank but it will not be called that here. There is a budget allocation of €170,000 for the service and the recruitment of three addiction counsellors is under way. It will not be a 24-hour service but it will be expanded to what we think will be needed, based on advice from stakeholders. On the issue of the young lady, I ask the Deputy to give me the information and we will try to determine how best…

I thank the Deputy. Portiuncula University Hospital in Ballinasloe is an acute general and maternity hospital that delivers a patient-centred, quality-driven, focused service and provides a wide range of diagnostics and support services. The hospital's catchment area includes patients residing in east Galway, Roscommon, the midlands and mid-western areas. As part of the winter 2020 plan, additional space will be provided at Portiuncula University Hospital with a prefab modular building for segregation, which will p…

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. Homelessness falls under the remit of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, but the Department of Health and the HSE are responsible for the delivery of a range of health-related services and supports for the homeless. Under health legislation, and the Health Act 1953 in particular, the HSE has a statutory obligation towards homeless persons. This is understood to mean that it has a responsibility in respect of the homeless. Together with the Minister f…