Written answers
Tuesday, 7 October 2025
- Covid-19 Pandemic Supports
546. To ask the Minister for Health if there are any further plans to extend the scheme of paid leave for public health employees who are still unfit for work post-Covid 19 infections; and if she... - Hospital Appointments Status
547. To ask the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Clare will receive an urgent appointment for hip surgery in Croom Orthopaedic Hospital; and if she will make a... - Primary Care Services
548. To ask the Minister for Health the reason diabetic services are no longer available at the Carrick-on-Suir primary care centre; the status of the centre of excellence for diabetic services... - Patient Safety
549. To ask the Minister for Health the date by which it is expected to publish the complaints and patient safety policy. [52940/25] - Primary Care Centres
550. To ask the Minister for Health to provide an update on the status of the proposed primary care centre at Curlew Road, Drimnagh, Dublin 12, including a timeline for when the project will... - Hospital Equipment
551. To ask the Minister for Health in the context of healthcare reforms under Sláintecare and building the capacity of public hospitals, if her department is considering allocating funding... - Hospital Services
552. To ask the Minister for Health the funding and support which will be provided to improve services and increase capacity at Beaumont hospital in the interim period before the new emergency... - Emergency Departments
553. To ask the Minister for Health to provide a progress report on the delivery of the new emergency department at Beaumont Hospital; if she will confirm that the current expected timeframe for... - Patient Transport
554. To ask the Minister for Health if her Department has, in collaboration with other stakeholders including the Department of Transport, carried out analyses of the capacity of public transport... - Emergency Departments
555. To ask the Minister for Health the number of resuscitation bays and cubicles currently within the accident and emergency department of Kerry University Hospital; and if she will make a... - Dental Services
556. To ask the Minister for Health the number of dentists working in the school dental scheme in Kerry in the years of 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a... - Health Services Staff
557. To ask the Minister for Health the number of WTE physiotherapists by grade based in each primary care centre within CHO 4 in the years of 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if... - Hospital Staff
558. To ask the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant radiologists based at Kerry University Hospital in the years of 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a... - Emergency Departments
559. To ask the Minister for Health the number on trolleys in emergency departments and wards in all model four hospitals, and Connolly Hospital, University Hospital Kerry, Letterkenny University... - Disease Management
561. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 2547 of 8 September 2025, if her attention has been drawn to the correspondence from the HSE in relation to the provision... - Emergency Departments
562. To ask the Minister for Health the number of people who presented to accident and emergency departments, per level four hospital, but leave before they are fully assessed in the years 2023,... - Health Services Waiting Lists
564. To ask the Minister for Health the measures which will be taken to ensure access for a person (details supplied) to occupational therapy without further delay; and if she will make a... - Pharmacy Services
565. To ask the Minister for Health if her Department plans to provide for the delivery of free cardiovascular health checks in pharmacies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52994/25] - Healthcare Policy
566. To ask the Minister for Health the current policy with respect to the national screening of newborns for spinal muscular atrophy and severe combined immunodeficiency; if her Department... - Healthcare Infrastructure Provision
567. To ask the Minister for Health the cost of installing bike shelters at a hospital (details supplied), including the date of installation, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on... - Hospital Appointments Status
573. To ask the Minister for Health if an appointment for surgery for a person (details supplied) will be expedited. [53005/25] - Medical Aids and Appliances
574. To ask the Minister for Health for an update on what section within the HSE is responsible for the purchase and evaluation of insulin delivery systems; and if she will make a statement on... - Ambulance Service
576. To ask the Minister for Health for an update on a project (details supplied); what is the timeframe for finalising it; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53017/25] - Hospital Waiting Lists
577. To ask the Minister for Health the number of children on the waiting lists for paediatric hip surgeries at CHI in Crumlin over the past five years; the average waiting time for children... - Primary Care Centres
578. To ask the Minister for Health for an update on the status of Mullinavat Health Centre, County Kilkenny; to confirm the capital works that are in the pipeline for this area; and if she will... - Tobacco Control Measures
579. To ask the Minister for Health if legislation is being considered, similar to that set to be introduced in the UK, that will create a smoke-free generation by banning the sale of tobacco to... - Legislative Measures
580. To ask the Minister for Health if the forthcoming Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine-Inhaling Products) (Amendment) Bill will prohibit all e-liquid flavours, bar tobacco, or will... - Health Services
581. To ask the Minister for Health if she will consider the matters raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53041/25] - Medical Aids and Appliances
582. To ask the Minister for Health if she will examine the case of a child (details supplied), with spina bifida and autism, whose occupational therapist recommended and fitted her for a... - Disease Management
583. To ask the Minister for Health her plans to update the long-term illness scheme to include asthma or eosinophilic asthma; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53045/25] - Health Services Staff
584. To ask the Minister for Health for an urgent update on the business case that has been submitted for an optometrist in South Tipperary; to provide details on when this was submitted; the... - Health Services Waiting Lists
586. To ask the Minister for Health the number of children from South Tipperary who have been given appointments with the ophthalmology services via the University Hospital Waterford... - Health Services Staff
587. To ask the Minister for Health the progress to date in the training and recruiting of therapy assistants by the HSE; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53058/25] - Hospital Charges
591. To ask the Minister for Health the total amount paid by HSE-run hospitals to debt collection agencies in each of the past five years, by hospital group; and to explain the Department's... - Healthcare Policy
597. To ask the Minister for Health if her Department has assessed the implications for public health of requiring people to work into their late sixties, in particular regarding occupational... - Care of the Elderly
598. To ask the Minister for Health if she will support the national roll-out of Age Action’s care and repair scheme, as committed to in the programme for Government, if she will outline a... - Health Services
599. To ask the Minister for Health to clarify if three children (details supplied) will be included in the next planned Gaza Medevac Initiative evacuation; when this evacuation will take place;... - Disease Management
601. To ask the Minister for Health if her Department is concerned regarding the rise in tuberculosis cases in the State, particularly drug-resistant strains; if she will commit to public funding... - Health Services
602. To ask the Minister for Health for an update on when spinal muscular atrophy screening will be included in the new born heel-prick test; the implementation for roll out; and if she will make... - Emergency Departments
603. To ask the Minister for Health for an update on the HIQA review of emergency services in the mid-west region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53163/25] - Nursing Homes
604. To ask the Minister for Health when the Nenagh community nursing home is due to open, especially now that the HSE have vacant possession of the building for the transfer of patients from a... - Medicinal Products
606. To ask the Minister for Health if a medication (details supplied) will be approved for the treatment of Von Hippel-Lindau disease in view of the fact that this medication has EU approval.... - Health Services
607. To ask the Minister for Health to ensure an individual seeking medical evacuation from Gaza (details supplied) is given a specific medical offer from CHI Crumlin, as all other prerequisites... - Disease Management
608. To ask the Minister for Health the steps being taken to address the tuberculosis (TB) crisis in Ireland; if she will confirm funding for the National TB Centre and Clinical Team, and for the... - Health Services Staff
609. To ask the Minister for Health if she will designate a liaison officer within the HSE to support survivors of industrial and reformatory schools in accessing community health and social care... - Health Services Waiting Lists
610. To ask the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive an appointment for an auditory brainstem response hearing test which the person was referred for in June 2023, or... - Medical Aids and Appliances
611. To ask the Minister for Health if she will investigate the potential cost of extending the availability of glucose monitors to persons with diabetes, other than type 1 diabetes, including... - Hospital Overcrowding
612. To ask the Minister for Health the dates/occasions upon which each hospital in the country entered surge escalation, over the past twelve months; and the number of patients in surge beds... - Health Services Waiting Lists
613. To ask the Minister for Health the average wait time for a mammogram in each county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53271/25] - Hospital Appointments Status
614. To ask the Minister for Health if an appointment for a procedure for a person (details supplied) will be expedited as a matter of urgency; and if she will make a statement on the matter.... - Mental Health Services
615. To ask the Minister for Health the supports available to families with adult children with mental health difficulties that are at risk of homelessness; and if she will make a statement on... - Health Services Waiting Lists
616. To ask the Minister for Health the average waiting time for patients referred from primary care to dermatology services for assessment of potentially cancerous moles; and if she will make a... - Nursing Homes
617. To ask the Minister for Health if supports will be made available to move people with dementia to nursing homes closer to their families; even if it is outside their catchment area; and if... - Healthcare Infrastructure Provision
618. To ask the Minister for Health when building of the surgical hub at Letterkenny University Hospital will commence; the expected time frame for completion; and if she will make a statement on... - EU Directives
619. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 953 of 30 September 2025, the reason Ireland has not advocated deletion of Article 1 paragraph 10(a). [53296/25] - Home Care Packages
620. To ask the Minister for Health the number of older persons who have applied for home care support through the HSE and who are awaiting the allocation of home care in each county, in tabular... - Nursing Homes
621. To ask the Minister for Health the number of complaints made to HIQA in respect of nursing homes in each of the years 2020 to 2024 and to date in 2025; the number of adverse findings made in... - Healthcare Infrastructure Provision
622. To ask the Minister for Health when the building of the surgical hub at Sligo University Hospital will commence; the expected time frame for the building of the surgical hub to be completed;... - Health Strategies
623. To ask the Minister for Health the engagement her Department has undertaken with racialised women in the development of women’s health policies and strategies, including through task... - Healthcare Policy
624. To ask the Minister for Health if her Department collects, ethnicity-disaggregated data in reproductive and maternal health services; if so, to outline the categories used and how the data... - Medical Qualifications
628. To ask the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to including the advanced health care apprenticeship on the list of approved courses as per the Programme for Government's plan... - Primary Care Centres
629. To ask the Minister for Health the plans to provide a public health centre within the Sandyford Business District given the rapidly growing population in the area. [53330/25] - Health Services
630. To ask the Minister for Health the actionable plans in place to improve labouring options for women in Castlebar in the context of birthing/labouring pools; and whether there has been any... - Medical Internships
631. To ask the Minister for Health to examine a serious concern affecting Irish students studying physiotherapy in the Netherlands who are seeking 12-week hospital placements in Ireland; and if... - Mental Health Services
632. To ask the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant psychiatrists based in Cork city mental health services in 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [53359/25] - Hospital Staff
633. To ask the Minister for Health the number of WTE secretaries that are part of the dermatology department of St James's Hospital in 2024 and to date in 2025; and the hours each secretary... - Mental Health Services
634. To ask the Minister for Health to provide a list of vacancies by job title within CAMHS in County Wicklow. [53361/25] - Hospital Staff
635. To ask the Minister for Health to provide a list of vacancies, by job title, within the neurosurgery department of Beaumont Hospital; the length of time each vacancy has arisen; and the... - Mental Health Services
636. To ask the Minister for Health the number of people admitted to a mental health service funded by the HSE in the past five years. [53365/25] - Primary Care Centres
637. To ask the Minister for Health the month in which the new HSE outpatients and primary care centre in Nenagh will open fully. [53367/25] - Health Services
639. To ask the Minister for Health if she will outline the areas where the HSE home birth services are available; their proposals regarding the service; and if she will make a statement on the... - Hospital Staff
640. To ask the Minister for Health the current number of maternity consultants that work under public only contract; the number that work under private only contract; the number working under... - Cancer Services
641. To ask the Minister for Health to implement the necessary measures to improve cancer services across the country and save lives (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the... - Care Services
642. To ask the Minister for Health if a business case has been presented to her department from a hospice (details supplied) for the redesignation to section 38 hospice; the communication she... - Disease Management
644. To ask the Minister for Health the current specialist services available to patients with sarcoidosis in Ireland; the hospitals/clinics designated to provide such care; the referral pathway... - Hospital Services
646. To ask the Minister for Health the current resourcing and staffing levels (consultant sessions, CNS posts, multidisciplinary supports) for interstitial lung disease/sarcoidosis services at... - Disease Management
649. To ask the Minister for Health the diagnostic supports available for suspected sarcoidosis (including access to high-resolution CT, PET-CT where indicated, tissue biopsy, cardiac MRI, and... - Insurance Industry
652. To ask the Minister for Health if her Department has carried out an assessment of the cumulative impact of recent premium increases by private health insurers on families and older persons;... - Hospital Facilities
660. To ask the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to extending the capacity at Kinsale Community Hospital by an additional 100 beds and improving both inpatient and outpatient... - National Children's Hospital
661. To ask the Minister for Health the year she expects the new national children’s office to be fully opened. [53446/25] - Health Service Executive
662. To ask the Minister for Health the details of all contracts that the HSE have entered into for the purchase of lands or buildings here in the years 2023, 2024 and to 1 October 2025. [53487/25] - Health Strategies
663. To ask the Minister for Health to provide an update on developments and progress in women’s health and, specifically, the women’s health action plan; and if she will make a... - Disabilities Assessments
664. To ask the Minister for Health the supports available through the HSE to assist with the cost of a private dyslexia assessment for a child (details supplied) given that they are not meeting... - Health Services Staff
665. To ask the Minister for Health to review issues in correspondence (details supplied) specifically in relation to Cavan Monaghan; the steps her Department has taken to fill this vacant... - Care Services
666. To ask the Minister for Health the current number and location of respite beds in Cork; the staffing numbers for respite services in Cork; and the number of unfilled posts, in tabular form.... - Health Services Waiting Lists
667. To ask the Minister for Health the current waiting lists for respite services, by LHO or the smallest possible area; and the waiting times for respite services, by LHO or the smallest... - Abortion Services
668. To ask the Minister for Health if her Department will accept the recommendations of a report (details supplied) into abortion services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53547/25] - Hospital Appointments Status
669. To ask the Minister for Health if she will urgently review the case of a person (details supplied) who has been left waiting indefinitely for necessary orthognathic surgery, despite being... - Health Service Executive
670. To ask the Minister for Health to outline all contracts entered into by the HSE for the purchase of property and land in 2022, 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, by hospital group and the... - Hospital Services
671. To ask the Minister for Health the plans in place to enhance and expand services at Our Lady's Hospital, Navan. [53609/25] - Health Services Staff
672. To ask the Minister for Health the number of WTE environmental health officers employed by the HSE based in CHO 8 in 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [53610/25] - Hospital Staff
673. To ask the Minister for Health the number of consultant cardiologists that are on call after 8 p.m. during the week and at the weekends at the Mater hospital. [53611/25] - Hospital Services
674. To ask the Minister for Health the current up-to-date position regarding a centre of excellence for diabetes care at Letterkenny University Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the... - Ambulance Service
675. To ask the Minister for Health the number of ambulances which are available on a 24-7 basis at each ambulance station within Donegal in 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she... - Dental Services
676. To ask the Minister for Health when a scheme will be operational (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53628/25] - Mental Health Services
677. To ask the Minister for Health the current wait times for a mental health crisis appointment across Galway city and county; the number of patients in each area of Galway currently awaiting a... - Healthcare Infrastructure Provision
678. To ask the Minister for Health if a decision has been reached regarding the healthcare investment framework for the supervised residential unit at a location (details supplied). [53673/25] - Hospital Staff
679. To ask the Minister for Health the number of full-time permanent job offers that Letterkenny University Hospital made to newly graduated physiotherapists to work in the hospital in 2025; and... - Ambulance Service
681. To ask the Minister for Health the ambulance response times in Cork North Central; if the response times are meeting those as set out by HIQA; and if she will make a statement on the matter.... - Mental Health Services
682. To ask the Minister for Health the current emergency out of hours mental health services that are currently available in County Donegal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53692/25] - Medicinal Products
683. To ask the Minister for Health whether her Department will include a medication (details supplied) in the drug payment scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53695/25] - Nursing Homes
684. To ask the Minister for Health if the case of a person (details supplied) who is in a nursing home and in receipt of the fair deal support will be examined. [53697/25] - Hospital Facilities
685. To ask the Minister for Health the number of inpatient beds in St. James Hospital, University Hospital Limerick, the Mater Hospital and St. Vincent's University Hospital, in tabular form;... - Hospital Procedures
686. To ask the Minister for Health to outline the number of inpatient and outpatient appointments that have been cancelled at University Hospital Limerick in quarters 1 and 2 of 2025; and if she... - Emergency Departments
687. To ask the Minister for Health the number of emergency department attendances in 2025 in St. James's Hospital, University Hospital Limerick, the Mater hospital and St. Vincent's University... - Hospital Procedures
688. To ask the Minister for Health the number of theatre appointments, by procedure type, that were cancelled at University Hospital Limerick in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a... - Emergency Departments
689. To ask the Minister for Health the number of people who have waited more than 24 hours to be treated following presentation at the emergency department of University Hospital Limerick to... - Health Services Waiting Lists
692. To ask the Minister for Health the number of people on the speech and language therapy further treatment waiting list and within that the numbers waiting less than 4 months, waiting 4-12... - Disease Management
693. To ask the Minister for Health if a range of measures (details supplied) can be introduced to support asthma sufferers. [53760/25] - Health Services Waiting Lists
694. To ask the Minister for Health to outline the gaps in health outcomes that are widening between the North and South of Ireland each year. [53761/25] - Health Services
696. To ask the Minister for Health if there has been any systematic research carried out by her Department into health services that are available in the South of Ireland and not in the north,... - Medical Qualifications
697. To ask the Minister for Health if she will consider reviewing a case (details supplied) in which a UK-trained clinical psychologist, and Irish citizen, cannot return to Ireland to practise... - Healthcare Infrastructure Provision
698. To ask the Minister for Health if urgent funding will be provided to develop a new, stand-alone oncology-haematology unit on the grounds of University Hospital Kerry (details supplied); and... - Hospital Appointments Status
699. To ask the Minister for Health for an update on an appointment for an operation for a person (details supplied). [53799/25] - Health Services Waiting Lists
700. To ask the Minister for Health if she will assist in the case of a person seeking treatment for her eyes (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53820/25] - Health Promotion
701. To ask the Minister for Health the specific State supports in place to help those looking to quit nicotine inhaling products, such as vapes and nicotine pouches; and if she will make a... - Health Services Staff
703. To ask the Minister for Health the number of trainee psychologists graduating from doctoral courses in 2024 and to date in 2025; the number of those graduates who took up positions with the... - Hospital Services
704. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 914 of 30 September 2025, to identify the regional representatives, as regards constituencies she is engaging with, given... - Disease Management
705. To ask the Minister for Health the changes to be made in the provision of DAFNE courses for Type 1 diabetic patients (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53862/25] - Misuse of Drugs
706. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 808 of 20 May 2025, for an update following the Departments consultation with it’s legal advisers (details... - Medicinal Products
707. To ask the Minister for Health the reason the HSE will not fund the prescribing of a medication (details supplied) for the treatment for severe alopecia totalis; and if the HSE have any... - Health Services
708. To ask the Minister for Health to outline the progress to date on the Programme for Government commitment to make eye care services more accessible to everyone; and to review the National... - Health Services Waiting Lists
709. To ask the Minister for Health whether data is currently compiled to track the number of patients currently travelling to Northern Ireland for cataract surgery; if that data is published;... - Laboratory Facilities
710. To ask the Minister for Health if her plans to build national capacity for clinical genetic testing includes the establishment of a public sector-run national genomics laboratory; if so, the... - Health Services Waiting Lists
718. To ask the Minister for Health the number of people on the speech and language therapy initial treatment waiting list and within that the numbers waiting less than 4 months; the number...
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