Martin Daly (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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598. To ask the Minister for Health what plans are in place to support critical infrastructure such as GP surgeries in the event of severe weather disruptions, particularly where they are privately owned but serve a majority of public patients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4136/25]

Martin Daly (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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599. To ask the Minister for Health whether contingency funding or emergency power backup support will be made available to GP surgeries that predominantly serve public patients, ensuring continuity of care during power and water outages; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4137/25]

Martin Daly (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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600. To ask the Minister for Health what coordination exists between her Department, ESB Networks, and local authorities to ensure that critical healthcare infrastructure, including GP practices, remains operational during extreme weather events; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4138/25]

Martin Daly (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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601. To ask the Minister for Health if her Department has assessed the feasibility of providing grant support or subsidised generator installations for GP practices that serve a majority of public patients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4139/25]

Martin Daly (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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602. To ask the Minister for Health what emergency response protocols are in place to assist GP surgeries in maintaining essential healthcare services in the event of power, water, or communication failures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4140/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 598 to 602, inclusive, together.

Officials from my Department and from the HSE have participated in the meetings of the National Emergency Coordination Group (NECG) since its first meeting related to Storm Éowyn. The NECG is the established central government platform for responding to national level emergencies and is attended by all government departments and response agencies, including local authorities, ESB Networks, Eirgrid and Irish Water. It works to coordinate and mobilise resources to support the efforts to restore power and other services, prioritising vulnerable people.

The HSE’s National Crisis Management Team met prior to Storm Éowyn to ensure a consistent and coordinated approach in dealing with the impacts of the storm, with health staff moved into place around the country in preparation for the storm. Regional Crisis Management teams were stood up in each Regional Health Area. Each region had representation on Local Coordination Groups that coordinate the local humanitarian assistance response. HSE and National Ambulance Service engaged with the NECG Infrastructure and Communications subgroups in advance of and throughout the storm alert period.

While several HSE acute hospitals lost mains power, they automatically switched over to their onsite backup generators and were able to operate as normal. The HSE worked with ESB Networks to prioritise restoration of mains power to these acute sites.

General practices are private enterprises and GPs are not employed by the HSE, although most GPs hold a GMS contract and other HSE contracts for the provision of public health services without charge on behalf of the HSE. Under the GMS contract, practice staff subsidies and grants are available, as are certain practice grants for eligible rural practices and practices in areas of urban deprivation; at present there are no infrastructural grants provided under the GMS contract.

In response to the storm, the HSE endeavoured to liaise with GP practices and offer support where possible to practices in areas without power. Alternative accommodation in HSE owned premises where suitable was made available to affected practices, with some GPs relocated to HSE premises to enable the safe delivery of GP services.

The response to the storm is currently ongoing, however it is acknowledged that broad consideration is needed regarding the response to Storm Éowyn and our preparedness for future similar events.