Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)

I thank Deputy Timmins. I think it may be closer to one in seven - possibly one in six - women who are affected by endometriosis, rather than one in ten. We are learning more about it together. Our specialist endometriosis services are monitored by the HSE's national women and infants health programme.

At the end of September 2025, 719 specialist endometriosis surgeries had been carried out. The most complex endometriosis surgeries are performed by multidisciplinary teams. Some 263 of the reported 719 surgeries took place in our complex centres in Tallaght and Cork. Surgeries for less complex endometriosis may also be performed in our acute gynaecology services.

I am committed to expanding the scope and standard of our endometriosis services and improving supports for women. In recent weeks, I approved a plan to expedite access to care for women with endometriosis. The HSE will, as a consequence, carry out more than 100 additional surgeries by the end of this year. We expected 1,200 but will instead have 1,300 by the end of this year, an important addition. I have provided an additional €0.5 million directly for this purpose. By way of progress update, in October, 34 additional surgeries had been completed against a target of 33. The majority of these were excision surgeries. Complex and severe cases were prioritised. An additional colorectal surgeon is also being actively recruited to try to facilitate more complex surgical treatments.

On 18 October, I launched the national framework for the management of endometriosis. It is a necessary expansion of services. The HSE’s budget will help to enable expansion and improve all of our services, including endometriosis. We have to increase awareness. I have written directly to all GPs to try to drive awareness where it is not already there and try to drive a better opportunity for women to have referral pathways much more quickly and a presumptive diagnosis, recognising that women are, of course, the most reliable narrators of their own experience and pain.

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