Written answers
Thursday, 20 November 2025
- Hospital Services
80. To ask the Minister for Health the efforts being made to address the issue of discharging people from acute hospitals, in particular elderly people, who need a home care package in place in... - Vaccination Programme
90. To ask the Minister for Health whether, in response to HIQA and NIAC advice supporting the roll-out of enhanced influenza vaccines for the over-65 population, HSE officials have been given... - Health Services
91. To ask the Minister for Health if she will address the recent reduction in funding for an organisation (details supplied); if she is aware that discontinuing the twelve-week introductory... - General Practitioner Services
92. To ask the Minister for Health the action being taken with regard to the recruitment of GPs in areas of urban disadvantage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63969/25] - Medicinal Products
93. To ask the Minister for Health if the decision not to reimburse for belimumab will be reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64337/25] - Healthcare Policy
94. To ask the Minister for Health if she will provide an update on the implementation of ‘Digital for Care: A Digital Health Framework for Ireland 2024-2030; and if she will make a... - Health Services
95. To ask the Minister for Health the reason clinics in Romania and Greece that currently provide the majority of treatment abroad services to women travelling from Ireland were excluded from... - Medical Aids and Appliances
97. To ask the Minister for Health if she intends to expand eligibility for funding for diabetes glucose monitors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64219/25] - Hospital Staff
98. To ask the Minister for Health to provide an update on the progress being made to fill the vacancy of clinical specialist sonographer in ultrasound at the Louth County Hospital; if the... - National Children's Hospital
99. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the National Children's Hospital; the current timelines for when the project will be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter.... - Hospital Facilities
100. To ask the Minister for Health the current status of the new critical care unit at Beaumont Hospital [64414/25] - Health Services Staff
101. To ask the Minister for Health if she will reconsider her decision not to extend the special scheme of paid leave for healthcare workers with long-Covid past 31 December 2025; if she will... - National Treatment Purchase Fund
102. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons treated under the National Treatment Purchase Fund in each of the past ten years and to date in 2025. [63788/25] - Meals-on-Wheels Services
103. To ask the Minister for Health the total amounts paid in 2024 and in 2025 to Gorey/Courtown Meals on Wheels, County Wexford; the number of service users for which meals were claimed; and if... - Qualifications Recognition
104. To ask the Minister for Health the steps she is taking to expedite the long delays in processing the applications for recognition to practice for psychologists; and if she will consider... - Health Services Waiting Lists
105. To ask the Minister for Health the waiting lists for primary care psychological services at each RHA from 2021 to date; the plans there are to deal with the backlogs, in tabular form; and if... - Community Care
106. To ask the Minister for Health the action being taken to ensure the opening of all residential beds for older people in community units in Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the... - Departmental Schemes
107. To ask the Minister for Health the details of any plans to expand the list of conditions qualifying a person for the long-term illness scheme; and if she will consider including individuals... - Hospital Services
108. To ask the Minister for Health if she will commit to a definite date for delivery of 24/7 cardiac care at University Hospital Waterford; and when the people of the South East can expect such... - Qualifications Recognition
109. To ask the Minister for Health if she will consider revising plans in place to modify standards for registration as a counsellor or psychotherapist currently under consideration by CORU, in... - Hospital Services
110. To ask the Minister for Health for an update on the elective hospital in Cork city. [63075/25] - Health Services
111. To ask the Minister for Health the plans to ensure that children in Offaly and Laois can access local primary care occupational therapy services; and if she will make a statement on the... - Hospital Facilities
112. To ask the Minister for Health the current status of the new emergency department at Beaumont Hospital. [64413/25] - Vaccination Programme
113. To ask the Minister for Health if she will provide details of plans for vaccination roll-out for the forthcoming influenza season; the additional measures, compared to previous years, that... - General Practitioner Services
114. To ask the Minister for Health the progress made on the provision of additional GPs around Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64153/25] - Medicinal Products
115. To ask the Minister for Health the up-to-date position on the MCAP review; the way in which and when the membership was constituted; the frequency with which they have met; and when they are... - Tobacco Control Measures
116. To ask the Minister for Health if she will consider including restrictions on nicotine pouch products in the public health (nicotine inhaling products) Bill when presented; the current... - Cancer Services
117. To ask the Minister for Health if she will report on the provision of breast cancer services in County Monaghan. [64519/25] - Medicinal Products
118. To ask the Minister for Health for an update on the approval status of the drug givinostat; if officials from her Department have been in contact with their counterparts in the North of... - Vaccination Programme
119. To ask the Minister for Health if she will consider the introduction of a free vaccination for shingles; and if she will consider adding coverage for shingles vaccination to the medical... - Health Services Staff
120. To ask the Minister for Health if a permanent psychologist position at Athenry primary care centre will be reinstated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63328/25] - Hospital Staff
121. To ask the Minister for Health the plans in place to improve staff morale at St. Michael’s Hospital, Dún Laoghaire. [64598/25] - Hospital Facilities
122. To ask the Minister for Health for an update on additional inpatient capacity she intends to create for people with severe eating disorders who require hospital admission; the number of... - Health Service Executive
123. To ask the Minister for Health for an update on the rollout of Regional Health Authority in Dublin north-east; the date on which issues with referral pathways between primary care and CDNTs... - Healthcare Policy
124. To ask the Minister for Health the way in which her Department plans to keep Irish residents safe and healthy in the face of other large, populous countries which have recently backed away... - Community Care
125. To ask the Minister for Health to report on the progress of the development of the community nursing unit, Midleton Community Hospital, Midleton, County Cork; and if she will make a... - Health Services
126. To ask the Minister for Health the number of children who were scheduled for scoliosis treatment or surgery in UK, the US and in private facilities in Ireland for the period January 2025 to... - Healthcare Infrastructure Provision
127. To ask the Minister for Health to provide an update on the capital investment promised for Belmullet Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64581/25] - Dental Services
128. To ask the Minister for Health the steps being taken to address ongoing shortages in dental services in Cork northwest, including long waiting times for dental treatment under the dental... - Mental Health Services
129. To ask the Minister for Health the current waiting list figures for a first assessment in child and adolescent mental health services; the number of children waiting longer than 12-months;... - Health Services Waiting Lists
130. To ask the Minister for Health the policy measures in place to ensure timely assignment of case managers or social workers for adults with complex needs who are identified as high clinical... - Mental Health Services
131. To ask the Minister for Health the progress made on recommendation 21 of the Sharing the Vision Implementation Plan 2025-2027 proposal for the completion of a situational analysis of the... - Primary Care Services
132. To ask the Minister for Health for an update on primary care psychology waiting lists and staffing levels, including vacancies in County Meath; and if she will make a statement on the... - Health Services Waiting Lists
133. To ask the Minister for Health the steps her Department is taking to address the unacceptable wait times for trans healthcare and to improve healthcare for trans people within the primary... - Hospital Services
134. To ask the Minister for Health the opening hours of the minor injuries unit in Monaghan Hospital; and the latest time at which a person may present themselves for care. [64411/25] - Health Strategies
135. To ask the Minister for Health if she will provide an update on the National Rare Disease Strategy; the status of each recommendation; if the implementation oversight group has been... - Primary Care Services
136. To ask the Minister for Health the measures her Department and the HSE are taking to recruit for the number of vacancies across all primary care roles in Balbriggan and Swords, including... - Hospital Staff
137. To ask the Minister for Health the plans to provide mental health specialist nursing teams in the emergency departments of all model 4 hospitals out-of-hours; and if she will make a... - Primary Care Services
138. To ask the Minister for Health the measures her Department and the HSE are taking to address the long waiting lists for psychology appointments in primary care in the areas of Balbriggan and... - Primary Care Centres
139. To ask the Minister for Health to provide an update on the Finglas primary care centre; the latest expected timeframe for construction; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64355/25] - Mental Health Services
140. To ask the Minister for Health the plans within her Department to increase the number of acute mental health beds within CHO2; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64326/25] - Ambulance Service
141. To ask the Minister for Health to outline the actions her Department is taking to improve ambulance response times in Dublin 15; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64636/25] - Healthcare Infrastructure Provision
142. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the 60-bed community nursing unit for Youghal project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64583/25] - Healthcare Policy
143. To ask the Minister for Health the number of people who died from lung cancer in the last full year for which statistics are available; how this compares to deaths from other cancers; the... - Public Inquiries
144. To ask the Minister for Health if she anticipates that a full public statutory inquiry into the treatment of children with scoliosis and spina bifida will commence in the new year; and if... - Ambulance Service
145. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the ambulance training base centre for Youghal project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64584/25] - Primary Care Centres
146. To ask the Minister for Health her views on whether the leasing of primary care centres represents value-for-money. [63074/25] - Nursing Homes
147. To ask the Minister for Health if work will be carried out to exclude land gifted to a grandchild from the current situation where it is included in the fair deal assessment with no time... - Health Screening Programmes
148. To ask the Minister for Health the reason the expansion of the newborn bloodspot screening programme to include spinal muscular atrophy and severe combined immunodeficiency has still not... - Healthcare Policy
149. To ask the Minister for Health her plans to establish a local nurse-led respite facility in Laois where children with complex medical needs, can access safe, medically appropriate overnight... - Cancer Services
150. To ask the Minister for Health if financial advice can be provided to cancer patients to make them aware of entitlements available to them during and after treatment; and if she will make a... - Health Screening Programmes
151. To ask the Minister for Health the resources that will be made available for the scanning of women with dense breasts, in whom cancer may not be detectable by mammogram; the protocols which... - Vaccination Programme
152. To ask the Minister for Health to consider adding the shingles vaccine to the national immunisation programme for over 70s; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64635/25] - Voluntary Hospital Sector
153. To ask the Minister for Health the up-to-date position on advancing the delivery of a day care centre at a building on the grounds of Macroom Community Hospital, Macroom, County Cork; and if... - General Practitioner Services
154. To ask the Minister for Health when the strategic review of general practice will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64095/25] - Hospital Services
155. To ask the Minister for Health the plans the Government has to address the lack of services regarding diabetes care at Letterkenny University Hospital; and if she will make a statement on... - Primary Care Centres
156. To ask the Minister for Health if her Department plans to introduce primary care centres in the towns of Leixlip and Maynooth to meet the growing population demand; and if she will make a... - Voluntary Hospital Sector
157. To ask the Minister for Health to provide an update on the operation of a community hospital Cobh Community Hospital, Aileen Terrace, Cobh, County Cork; the engagement she has had to date... - Health Services
158. To ask the Minister for Health her plans to expand regional specialist FGM services beyond a single national clinic; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64617/25] - General Practitioner Services
159. To ask the Minister for Health to provide an update on general practitioner services in Mullinavat, County Kilkenny; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64381/25] - Healthcare Infrastructure Provision
160. To ask the Minister for Health if she will provide an update on the planned redevelopment of the emergency department at Beaumont Hospital; the current status of the design and planning... - Vaccination Programme
161. To ask the Minister for Health if her Department plans to recommend that visitors from large, populous countries that have recently reduced their vaccination requirements for illnesses such... - Cancer Services
162. To ask the Minister for Health for an update on the provision of an oncology unit at University Hospital Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64092/25] - Mental Health Services
163. To ask the Minister for Health the measures being taken to ensure timely access to an initial CAMHS appointment, given that 4,047 children are currently waiting for their first appointment;... - Health Services Staff
164. To ask the Minister for Health if she will provide a detailed update on the recent targeted recruitment campaign for healthcare assistants in south Tipperary; the number of applications... - Regulatory Bodies
165. To ask the Minister for Health her plans for legislative changes to advance regulation of AHSCP in line with the requirements of CORU; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64615/25] - General Practitioner Services
166. To ask the Minister for Health the steps she will take to improve access to GP and dentistry services. [64614/25] - Healthcare Policy
168. To ask the Minister for Health her views on the merits of amending the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 to remove the loophole that allows advertising by alcohol companies to advertise 0.0%... - Legislative Measures
169. To ask the Minister for Health the reasons she has yet to bring forward interim amendments to the Dentists Act 1985 to address the priority areas identified by an organisation (details... - Public Inquiries
170. To ask the Minister for Health if her Department will hold a statutory public inquiry into issues relating to the healthcare of a child (details supplied); the timeline for this inquiry; and... - General Practitioner Services
171. To ask the Minister for Health if she will review the policy that requires GPs to prioritise GMS obligations, as this creates discrimination against individuals who do not qualify for GMS... - Hospital Services
172. To ask the Minister for Health her plans to deal with the crisis with emergency department wait times at Letterkenny University Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter.... - Health Screening Programmes
174. To ask the Minister for Health when her Department will ensure the addition of spinal muscular atrophy to the Newborn Bloodspot Screening Programme, which is crucial to early diagnosis and... - Healthcare Infrastructure Provision
175. To ask the Minister for Health to outline the plans for the promised upgrade and extension of Sacred Heart Hospital in Castlebar; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64582/25] - Hospital Facilities
177. To ask the Minister for Health for an update as of November 2025 on the commencement date for the new 24-inpatient beds in Mallow General Hospital, and the opening of the last remaining... - Primary Care Services
178. To ask the Minister for Health when primary care occupational therapy services will be restored in Offaly and Laois; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64085/25] - Hospital Equipment
179. To ask the Minister for Health the age of all 22 linear accelerators for radiotherapy across public facilities in Ireland; the expected lifetime of each machine;the specific dates by which... - Health Services Waiting Lists
180. To ask the Minister for Health the WTE orthodontist positions in County Monaghan; the WTE equivalent vacant and the duration thereof; and the number of people on waiting lists to access... - Cancer Services
181. To ask the Minister for Health the action can be taken to improve services and supports for cancer patients in Meath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64445/25] - Voluntary Hospital Sector
182. To ask the Minister for Health for an update on the new community nursing unit in Clonmel; the handover date and progress on registration with the relevant regulatory bodies; if she will... - National Treatment Purchase Fund
183. To ask the Minister for Health if her attention has been drawn to the case of a person (details supplied); and the urgent steps her Department is taking to ensure that patients who need... - Healthcare Policy
184. To ask the Minister for Health her response to the results of the 2025 Healthy Ireland survey; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63970/25] - Health Services
186. To ask the Minister for Health the action she is taking to improve stroke care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63884/25] - Dental Services
187. To ask the Minister for Health her Department’s plans to address the crisis in dental care, given access to care is becoming increasingly difficult for patients in general, as many... - Health Strategies
188. To ask the Minister for Health to provide an update on the development of the National Breastfeeding Strategy; the timeframe for its publication; and if she will make a statement on the... - Primary Care Centres
189. To ask the Minister for Health if funding has been secured to ensure the delivery of the new primary health care centre in Tubbercurry, County Sligo; the timeline for completion of the... - Ambulance Service
190. To ask the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to including a 24-hour rapid response vehicle at Tuam ambulance base in the HSE Capital Plan; and if she will make a statement... - Health Services Staff
191. To ask the Minister for Health the number of public health nurses in the Dublin mid-west area; the number of vacant positions for public health nurses in the area; when P2 and P3... - Cancer Services
192. To ask the Minister for Health the funding being provided for the national cancer strategy in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63980/25] - Healthcare Policy
193. To ask the Minister for Health for a report on introduction of the national shared care record; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64087/25] - Primary Care Services
194. To ask the Minister for Health the staffing benchmarks she is aiming to implement in primary care services for young people, where waiting-lists across the disciplines of psychology,... - Health Services
195. To ask the Minister for Health if the HSE has engaged with the private owners of a clinic (details supplied) following its closure; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63719/25] - Hospital Services
196. To ask the Minister for Health if she will report on the three options outlined by HIQA into urgent and emergency healthcare services in the HSE Midwest region; her plans for their prompt... - Hospital Facilities
197. To ask the Minister for Health if she will ensure that when the new wing of St. Vincent's Hospital, Mountmellick, is open, the existing section of the hospital that is in use continues to be... - Parking Provision
198. To ask the Minister for Health if hospital car parking charges in St. Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny will be phased out; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64382/25] - General Practitioner Services
199. To ask the Minister for Health the action being taken with regard to the recruitment of GPs in rural areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64086/25] - Mental Health Policy
200. To ask the Minister for Health the most recent statistics on mental health outcomes among the Travelling community; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64618/25] - Regulatory Bodies
201. To ask the Minister for Health if she or her Department are aware of the concerns of practicing psychotherapists with the proposed changes to CORU regulation on psychotherapy; the way in... - Food Labelling
202. To ask the Minister for Health if she is aware of the large number of small retail shops selling unregulated food and drink products, particularly energy drinks, which are not labelled in... - Medicinal Products
203. To ask the Minister for Health the progress made by her Department regarding the Programme for Government commitment to explore early access schemes for medicines; and if she will make a...
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