Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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198. To ask the Minister for Health if she will support the establishment of a national clinical programme for pulmonary arterial hypertension, along with rare heart diseases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34702/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.

Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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199. To ask the Minister for Health if she will support the development of a national patient registry for pulmonary arterial hypertension in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34703/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Continuous patient registries are evidenced to improve quality of care and patient outcomes. As set out in the National Service Plan 2025, the HSE’s National Heart Programme (NHP), in collaboration with the Irish Cardiac Society (ICS) and the Coronary Heart Attack Ireland Register (CHAIR), is developing EuroHeart in Ireland. The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) has developed the EuroHeart registry platform. EuroHeart is an IT infrastructure for continuous online registration of high-quality patient data, with real-time feedback supporting continuous improvement of care and outcomes in patients with cardiovascular diseases. Of further relevance to Ireland, EuroHeart facilitates cost-effective safety surveillance of new drugs and devices as well as registry based randomized controlled trials. The EuroHeart programme has been designed for the benefit of patients, citizens and the planning of healthcare. It addresses Ireland’s need for registry development across the cardiology landscape.

The Future of Registries Taskforce (FoRT) in Ireland recommends disease-specific registries be embedded within national clinical programmes with centralised governance and data standards aligned to international frameworks. EuroHeart provides real-world evidence to inform policy and clinical decision-making. A governance structure for EuroHeart in Ireland has been developed in which a EuroHeart Governance Board, representative of all key national stakeholders, will be responsible for strategy, oversight and decision-making, and formed under the auspices of the (ICS), as required by the ESC.

Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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200. To ask the Minister for Health if she will consider linking with pulmonary arterial hypertension specialists in Northern Ireland for an all-Ireland strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34704/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Enhancing North-South cooperation is a priority for the Government. The Government is committed to working with partners in Northern Ireland to improve cooperation in health and social care where there are clear benefits for both jurisdictions and for patients across the island.

North-South Collaboration on health is recognised in ensuring equitable access, shared expertise and coordinated responses to common health challenges across the island of Ireland. There is a renewed focus on cross border health in Ireland which offers an opportunity to fulfil the strategic direction of the Shared Island Initiative which recognises the potential for integrated care.

Through strategic partnerships, service agreements and dedicated funding, Ireland is actively working to ensure that patients in border regions have equal access to cardiac care services. There is a concerted effort and commitment to a shared healthcare approach on the Island recognising that challenges go beyond borders and require collaborative solutions.

Extensive North-South Cooperation on healthcare is realised through a number of service level agreements and memoranda of understanding in a number of areas including cancer, pre-hospital emergency care, organ transplantation and cardiology.

The North West Cancer Centre at Altnagelvin Area Hospital is a £66m sterling capital development project that has been funded on a north-south basis and commenced at the end of 2016. This cross-border initiative offers cancer patients within 90 minutes road journey of the city of Derry, access to radiotherapy in Altnagelvin. The expansion of the Centre has been a great success and over 1,400 patients have been referred there for radiation therapy treatment. The cooperation with Altnagelvin Hospital is one of the most successful examples of joint cross-border health projects to date, ensuring that patients can cross the border to receive a number of medical procedures and services, as close to their homes as possible.

In 2016, the North-West Cardiology Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) service agreement was signed. It facilitates the provision of Primary PCI to Donegal patients at Altnagelvin Hospital, particularly to patients diagnosed with a ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction condition (i.e. a heart attack). In 2023, 78 patients were transferred from Letterkenny University Hospital to Altnagelvin for PCI Services. Overall, since the inception of this agreement, an estimated 50+ cases per year are being transferred for urgent cardiac care. 561 patients have been able to avail of this service.

The Congenital Heart Disease Network continues to ensure that all children born on the island of Ireland diagnosed with congenital heart disease are cared for on the Island of Ireland. In November 2023, the CHD Network reached the significant milestone of over 1,000 children travelling from Northern Ireland for their treatment at the National Cardiac Unit at CHI Crumlin.

There are also two MOUs in place between the National Ambulance Service and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, which cover cross border assistance during exceptionally busy periods, and emergency preparedness and cooperation.

There is ongoing engagement to explore areas of health cooperation that could be further expanded to benefit residents on the island of Ireland on a cross-border basis. Working collaboratively to address healthcare challenges in both jurisdictions is of the utmost importance and, as such, enhancing North-South cooperation will continue to be a priority for the Government. At the recent North South Ministerial Council Health Sectoral meeting the Ministers of Health from both jurisdictions re-affirmed their commitment to increasing collaboration and cooperation across the full range of health services.