Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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11. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the review under way into the funding and provision of post-mastectomy products; when the review will be completed; if stakeholders, including cancer survivors and post-mastectomy product fitters, will be consulted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19294/24]

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I ask the Minister to provide an update on the review underway into the funding and provision of post-mastectomy products, when the review will be completed and if stakeholders, including cancer survivors and post-mastectomy product fitters, will be consulted? We all know the issue that blew up inside this Chamber and on the Joe Duffy show on radio. I was contacted by Alison McCabe from Breastcare by Alison. I met her at her home and can see the great work she does with women in a really difficult set of circumstances. I know the Minister has made promises so this is just about making sure we follow through on them and provide the supports people require.

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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What happened here was that the HSE published national procedures without discussing the issue with me and without proper consultation with the Department. I got a phone call from a fantastic activist who is also a Fianna Fáil councillor, Teresa Costello, asking me what in the name of God I was doing removing supports from women. I said that under no circumstances were any supports being removed from anybody. I said that a review was in place but the purpose of the review is to provide additional supports. We know that women with medical cards have some supports but those supports differ by region and very little is available for women who do not have medical cards.

I was as shocked as anybody else to hear that a policy that most certainly was not agreed had been launched. It was disappointing that information that was incorrect got covered nationally. It caused an awful lot of upset to an awful lot of women and there was no need for it. We clarified very quickly that this was not a policy and was certainly not something that was going to be authorised.

What I did on the back of that was ask the HSE to go back to the drawing board. I told it that under no circumstances was I authorising a policy that took away any existing supports. I want a policy that levels up and that considers women who do not have medical cards as well. Those options are being finalised and costed. Obviously, I will need to find money for them but then I will be reviewing them.

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Hopefully, that will be done as soon as possible. The Leas-Cheann Comhairle allowed a breach of protocol and I thought it was very useful when the Minister got up and explained that this was not going to happen. There is a need to deal with protocols regarding how stuff like this happens.

More important, we need to ensure this review involves engagement with consultants, breast care nurses and mastectomy fitting professionals, a number of whom have contacted Members of the Oireachtas about this matter. We know there is a difference depending on where people are. The Minister mentioned the need to ensure women are covered across the board regardless of whether or not they have a medical card. There is also a question about the application process. In a lot of cases, it is people like Alison McCabe who would submit the applications for the women with whom she deals, which takes that burden off them. I do not know if it is necessarily a good idea for fittings to take place in cold hospital settings where women may have had their surgery. It would be preferable if this did not happen. Is there information about a timeline?

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Regarding the proposal that was put together, the HSE did consult various stakeholders, including included service users, nurses, health and social care professionals and the Irish Cancer Society. I have also met fitters and suppliers and they asked that their views be considered, which is fine. Of course, we should listen to them and I am sure they will have something to add. Unfortunately, the HSE did not consult my Department because it would have got a very different answer.

I am very open to whatever works for women. Ultimately, all that matters is where the services are provided and where the fittings are done. As part of a big national push on women's healthcare services and also on affordability, we want to make sure we do whatever works for women who need to avail of these products. We will keep a very open mind on input from all sides.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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There was a slight problem with notifications. We will now take Question No. 9. We will probably only have time for one more question and perhaps part of another one. The notification of Deputy Stanton's substitution was sent in yesterday so we can proceed.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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In that case, my question is out.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Yes. This will save people sitting around. If we have time, we will take Deputy Mac Lochlainn's question.