Questions

330. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the way in which the non-funding of pharmacist-prepared blister packs aligns with national home-care policy objectives that support independent living for people with disabilities and older persons; and whether her Department accepts that medication compliance supports form an integral part of safe home-based care. [10674/26]

331. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health when her Department’s examination of the use of monitored dosage systems, including blister packs, will conclude; whether formal policy proposals will be published; and if she will commit to ensuring that any future framework explicitly addresses the needs of people with disabilities and those receiving home-care supports. [10675/26]

332. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the total number of residential properties currently owned by the Health Service Executive which are vacant; the number deemed surplus to requirements; the length of time each property has been vacant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10678/26]

333. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to outline the policy framework governing the retention, disposal, or repurposing of vacant residential properties owned by the Health Service Executive; when this policy was last reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10679/26]

334. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the formal engagement that has taken place between his Department, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and the Land Development Agency regarding the potential transfer or reuse of vacant HSE-owned residential properties for housing purposes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10680/26]

335. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to identify the principal legal, financial, or administrative barriers preventing the timely reuse or disposal of vacant residential properties owned by the Health Service Executive; the steps being taken to address these barriers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10681/26]

336. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the annual cost to the State of maintaining vacant residential properties owned by the Health Service Executive, including security, insurance, and maintenance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10682/26]

974. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the criteria and process by which community based mental health and counselling services can be formally recognised by the HSE for referral purposes; and the steps being taken to ensure that primary care teams in Cork have access to and are actively referring to accredited local services to address waiting lists. [9198/26]

992. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of progress reports her Department committed to publishing under the review’s governance framework; the number that were actually published; to provide copies of same; to explain any failure to comply with the reporting commitments given to Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9295/26]

993. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health when the interRAI Single Assessment Tool will be fully operational nationwide for residents in long-term residential care; to provide the original implementation timeline; the current timeline; the reasons for repeated delays.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9296/26]

994. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the reason interRAI assessments are not currently used to determine NHSS funding levels, despite Government acceptance of needs-based funding; whether she accepts that nursing homes continue to be funded on flat-rate pricing regardless of resident dependency.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9297/26]

995. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of nursing home residents nationally have been assessed using interRAI to date; what percentage this represents of the total NHSS population; whether she accepts that the current dataset is insufficient to justify further delay in reform.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9298/26]

996. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any legislative amendments required to link NHSS funding to interRAI-determined care needs have been drafted; the reason; and when such legislation will be brought before the Oireachtas. [9299/26]

997. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the reason no resource utilisation group or case-mix pricing model has been introduced for long-term residential care, despite explicit recommendations and international precedent; and whether her Department has set a definitive implementation deadline. [9300/26]

998. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the international models of dependency-based nursing home funding have been examined by her Department; which were deemed suitable for Ireland; and why none have been adopted. [9301/26]

999. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health when a National Safe Staffing and Skill Mix Framework for nursing homes will be finalised; to provide the date the pilot commenced; the number of pilot sites;the reason the framework remains in pilot stage several years after acceptance.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9302/26]

1000. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any funding uplift has been provided to voluntary nursing homes to meet the staffing expectations emerging from safe staffing pilots; and if not, how providers are expected to absorb rising staffing costs. [9303/26]

1001. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether she accepts that voluntary nursing homes are being held to rising regulatory and clinical standards without any binding national staffing ratios or corresponding funding. [9304/26]

1002. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the average weekly cost per resident in public nursing homes compared with NHSS-funded voluntary and private homes; and whether she accepts that public units frequently operate above NHSS price ceilings. [9305/26]

1004. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health when the Department last published a full variance analysis of actual public nursing home costs against NHSS ceilings, as recommended in the value for money review; and to provide the most recent data. [9307/26]

1008. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health which recommendations from the independent review examining the role of voluntary organisations in publicly funded health and social care, published in 2019, have been implemented to date; and to provide timelines for those outstanding.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9311/26]

1009. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the reason no multi-annual funding framework has been introduced for voluntary healthcare providers despite explicit recommendations; and whether she accepts that this undermines workforce planning and financial sustainability. [9312/26]

1010. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has established the formal partnership model with voluntary providers promised in the 2019 review; and if not, the reason that commitment has not been honoured. [9313/26]

1011. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has quantified the administrative and compliance burden imposed on voluntary nursing homes in recent years; whether any funding has been provided to offset these additional requirements. [9314/26]

1012. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether she accepts that increasing reporting, compliance and governance obligations have not been matched by increased frontline funding for voluntary providers. [9315/26]