Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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293. To ask the Minister for Health whether consideration has been given to establishing a reimbursement mechanism for women who accessed private treatment for endometriosis due to the absence of public care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66396/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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It is recognised that endometriosis is a significant health issue for women in Ireland today and the HSE acknowledges that it is a difficult condition to diagnose and treat because of the variation of presentations which can impact the physical and mental well-being of patients. Endometriosis is a chronic disease with high recurrence rates, for which there is no definitive cure.

On 18 October I launched the National Framework for the management of Endometriosis. The Framework sets out for the first time in Ireland a defined clinical pathway for women with endometriosis, which spans primary to secondary care to specialist complex care in tertiary settings.

Most women experiencing signs and symptoms of endometriosis present to their local GP in the community. In line with clinical guidelines GPs are encouraged to initiate treatment for suspected endometriosis and may refer women with suspected endometriosis to general gynaecology services in their local hospital.

Regional Specialist Centres for moderate cases have been established in the Rotunda, the Coombe, and Limerick, with clinics under further development in Galway and the National Maternity Hospital.

Two supra-regional specialist centres, in Tallaght and Cork, have been established for the management of complex endometriosis cases.

All endometriosis sites are operational and taking referrals. Treatment including surgical intervention is being provided across the network.

Additional funding has been provided this year to expand these services through the recruitment of more personnel to provide multidisciplinary care at both supra-regional and regional level.

The Framework was officially published in October of this year. Funding of over €5 million has already been invested in specialist endometriosis services since 2021. In addition, endometriosis surgeries have been and continue to be performed in other acute gynaecology services.

The HSE has carried out an analysis of the short term and medium-term requirements to build adequate capacity, improve clinical pathways and increase expertise within our endometriosis services. The HSE’s budget for 2026 will be €27.4 billion, an increase of 6.2% on 2025. This investment will enable expansion and improvement in our health services, including endometriosis.

The Endometriosis Surgery Abroad Interim Scheme commenced from the 18 October and will operate in addition to the existing treatment abroad pathways, including the EU Treatment Abroad Scheme, the EU Cross Border Directive and Northern Ireland Planned Healthcare Schemes. The interim scheme will cover costs for the transport abroad and for healthcare provided, paid directly to the hospital.

Where a person accesses private healthcare in Ireland there is no facility for the cost of that care to be reimbursed by the public health system

Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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294. To ask the Minister for Health to outline the immediate supports currently available to women with endometriosis, in addition to planned future measures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66397/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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On 18 October I launched the National Framework for the management of Endometriosis. The Framework sets out for the first time in Ireland a defined clinical pathway for women with endometriosis, which spans primary to secondary care to specialist complex care in tertiary settings.

Central to the Model of Care is the principle of presumed diagnosis, proposing that a woman presenting with symptoms should be treated on the presumption that she has endometriosis.

This model acknowledges that women are the most reliable narrators of their own symptoms and pain and reduces delays in the management of symptoms as well as the overall impact of this disease.

Two supra-regional specialist centres, in Tallaght and Cork, have been established for the management of complex endometriosis cases.

Regional Specialist Centres for moderate cases have been established in the Rotunda, the Coombe, and Limerick, with clinics under further development in Galway and the National Maternity Hospital.

All endometriosis sites are operational and taking referrals. Additional funding has been provided this year to expand these services through the recruitment of more personnel to provide multidisciplinary care at both supra-regional and regional level. This includes clinical nurse specialists, dietitians, physiotherapists and psychologists.

Funding of over €5 million has already been invested in endometriosis services since 2021.

The HSE has carried out an analysis of the short term and medium-term requirements to build adequate capacity, improve clinical pathways and increase expertise within our endometriosis services. The expansion of endometriosis services in 2026 will be supported through the National Service Plan.

In addition to the Framework, I also mandated several actions to expedite access to care for women impacted by endometriosis. Significant progress has already been made:

• The HSE will carry out more than 100 additional surgeries this year for women waiting for surgery.
• An additional colorectal surgeon is being actively recruited to increase capacity for more complex surgical treatments.
• The HSE Endometriosis Surgery Abroad Interim Scheme was opened on 18 October.
• I have written to all GPs, consultants and other clinicians to raise awareness of endometriosis.
• A national campaign is in development around menstrual health, including endometriosis.
• An Endometriosis Advisory Group has been established, which includes patient advocates. This group held their first meeting on 30 October and will meet monthly.