Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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373. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to provide funding in Budget 2022 to fund the provision of the FreeStyle Libre flash glucose monitoring system to persons with diabetes over 21 years of age based on clinical need; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48762/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Health Service Executive has now commissioned a full Health Technology Assessment of the FreeStyle Libre flash glucose monitoring system to be conducted by the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE) in collaboration with the Medicines Management Programme. The recommendations that arise will be considered once the Assessment is completed.

In the meantime, Consultant Endocrinologists / Diabetes Nurse Specialists may apply to the HSE, on behalf of specific patients, for reimbursement support of FreeStyle Libre flash glucose monitoring sensors. The application process is undertaken by means of a dedicated online portal, which has been operational since 3rd April 2018.

In line with the recommendations outlined by the Health Technology Assessment Group, access to this product was made available to children and young adults, aged 4 - 21 years. However, the application process does cater for the Consultant to make an application in very exceptional circumstances for a type 1 diabetic patient outside of this group.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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374. To ask the Minister for Health if he will ring-fence some of the anticipated 2021 cost savings from the recent HSE Medicines Management Programme preferred blood glucose strips for adults with type 1 and 2 diabetes evaluation to fund the provision of the FreeStyle Libre flash glucose monitoring system to persons with diabetes over 21 years of age based on clinical need; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48763/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Health Service Executive has now commissioned a full Health Technology Assessment of the FreeStyle Libre flash glucose monitoring system to be conducted by the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE) in collaboration with the Medicines Management Programme. This process has commenced as evidenced by the NCPE call for patient group submissions in recent weeks.

Consultant Endocrinologists/Diabetes Nurse Specialists may apply to the HSE, on behalf of specific patients, for reimbursement support of FreeStyle Libre flash glucose monitoring sensors. The application process is undertaken by means of a dedicated online portal, which has been operational since 3rd April 2018.

In line with the recommendations outlined by the Health Technology Assessment Group, access to this product was made available to children and young adults, aged 4 - 21 years. However, the application process does cater for the Consultant to make an application in very exceptional circumstances for a type 1 diabetic patient outside of this group.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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375. To ask the Minister for Health the number of applications for the FreeStyle Libre device that were submitted by individual hospitals for persons with diabetes over 21 years of age; the number approved; the number refused in each of the years 2017 to 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form; his plans to remove the age restriction on the device; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48764/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.