Brian Walsh (Galway West, Independent)
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1000. To ask the Minister for Health the number of applications under the treatment abroad scheme refused by the Health Service Executive in each of the years 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013; and if he will provide a breakdown of these figures in accordance with the type of treatment that was sought. [33873/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The HSE Treatment Abroad Scheme (TAS) was centralised into a single office in 2012. Prior to this it was administered at various local offices. Comprehensive figures for the TAS prior to the centralisation of the Scheme are not available. The figures available identify that the numbers of declined applications were 41 in 2012 and 23 in 2013.

In the interest of patient confidentiality and data protection, the HSE has supplied guidance on patient confidentiality and data protection to its various offices, which provides that the release of statistical information is based on a volume of cases of five or greater. I regret that I am informed by the HSE that on this basis it is not be in a position to identify the treatments sought for the cases that were declined.