Written Answers Nos. 359-381
359. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will detail whether any surveys have been carried out to estimate the amount of time taken up with administrative tasks where such time could be used more efficiently; if so, in which areas of the Department has this examination been carried out; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18482/25]
View answerThe Department continually reviews its structures, processes, staffing and skills so that these are aligned and it is best placed to deliver efficient and effective operations and achieve its goals. Staff surveys have been conducted as part of these review processes however these surveys do not extend to estimating or calculating the amount of time on administrative tasks.
360. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the average waiting time for initial appointment with the national gender service for each of the years 2020 to date. [18088/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
361. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the number of clinicians and their speciality, working for the national gender service for each of the years 2020 to date. [18089/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
362. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Health the reason public health nursing services have been removed from the local health centre in Limekiln Road to Rathfarnham Health Centre; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18091/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
363. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the number of children with an address in Cork whose parents have received notification of a review into hip dysplasia surgeries. [18106/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
364. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Health to provide a list of all vacant healthcare posts unable to be filled in County Wexford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18112/25]
View answerI thank the Deputy for the question. As it relates to an operational issue I have referred it to the HSE for direct response to you.
365. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Health the number of children waiting for psychology, speech and language therapy and occupational therapy in primary care, in County Wexford; the corresponding waiting time in weeks, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18113/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
366. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Health the number of clinical sessions typically offered to children and adolescents attending the CHO5 primary care speech and language therapy services; if these clients are placed on another waiting list following discharge in the event that they require ongoing support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18114/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
367. Deputy Natasha Newsome Drennan asked the Minister for Health when staff at a nursing home (details supplied) in County Kilkenny will receive their section 39 payment increase; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18126/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
368. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health the number of ambulances and ambulance personnel that are based in Monaghan and Castleblayney stations respectively and the corresponding figures for April 2019, April 2020, April 2021, April 2022, April 2023 and April 2024, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18127/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
369. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health the number of ambulance call-outs in County Monaghan, for each month since January 2020, and the average arrival time for each month, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18128/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
370. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a home support package, which was approved six weeks ago, will be put in place for a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18136/25]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
371. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health her plans to introduce publicly available gender affirming surgery here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18146/25]
View answerAs the deputy may be aware, a new clinical programme for gender healthcare has been initiated by the HSE, and over the next two years, an updated clinical model of care for gender healthcare services will be developed.
The model of care will be developed in a consultative way, engaging with stakeholders, healthcare professionals working in gender healthcare, those that use and receive support from the service and their families. The work on the model of care will be informed by the best evidence based clinical care for individuals who express gender incongruence or dysphoria. Emerging and evolving international evidence will be reviewed as part of this work.
Developing a Model of Care for Gender Healthcare Services is expected to be a complex process and the HSE and my department will work closely together to support the process, ensure transparency and keep the patient at the centre of the process.
It is important that the HSE is given time to develop a Model of Care that is based on the best clinical evidence and that will deliver the best outcomes for persons with gender incongruence or dysphoria. It is not possible to pre-empt the outcome of this process by determining at this stage what this model of care will look like once developed.
372. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the total number of people who attended a prostate rapid access clinic and the proportion who were offered an appointment in the Mater Hospital within 20 working days of the date of receipt of a letter of referral in the cancer office in each quarter from 2016 to 2024, in tabular form. [18149/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
373. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the total number of people who attended a lung rapid access clinic and the proportion who were offered an appointment in University Hospital Galway within ten working days of the date of receipt of a letter of referral in the cancer office, broken down by quarter from 2016 to 2024, in tabular form. [18150/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
374. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the total number of people who attended a prostate rapid access clinic and the proportion who were offered an appointment in University Hospital Galway within 20 working days of the date of receipt of a letter of referral in the cancer office, broken down by quarter from 2016 to 2024, in tabular form. [18151/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
375. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Health the current arrangements for a GP practice based in Kildare (details supplied). [18155/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
376. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Health if she has received representations from voluntary hospitals and Section 38 service providers about historic financial deficits for these organisations; the scale of any historic deficits in the sector made known to her Department; her plans for dealing with this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18157/25]
View answerMy Department received a letter on 28th February from the Irish Voluntary Healthcare Association (IVHA) in relation to financial deficits in voluntary hospitals.
It is important to note the overall context, the additional Health funding provided in Budget 2025 includes an unprecedented increase in funding for the voluntary hospital sector. Funding increased from €3.3 billion in January 2024 to €4.1 billion in January 2025, an increase of 26% year-on-year. This additional permanent funding substantially addresses many of the legacy funding issues arising from pay and non-pay cost pressures which have impacted the sector over the last number of years.
With regard to any remaining issues in relation to the voluntary hospitals’ accumulated deficits built up over the last number of years, the CEO of the HSE has been engaging in meetings with the Boards and management of the individual voluntary hospitals over the past number of months. Arising from these discussions, the CEO has briefed my Department on the issue, and discussions between the HSE, officials in my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform in relation to this issue are ongoing.
377. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health to provide a breakdown of the number of weeks each child listed as suspended on Children’s Health Ireland’s spinal service waiting list has been waiting, by category (details supplied), in tabular form. [18161/25]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
378. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health her views on a matter (details supplied) raised by an organisation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18162/25]
View answerMinimum unit pricing (MUP) came into operation in January 2022. The Public Health (Alcohol) Act provides that the Minister for Health may, by order, increase the minimum price per gram of alcohol no earlier than 3 years after commencement. The Act specifies that the Minister must take into account any expert research available on the effectiveness of the measure as well as have regard to criteria set out at section 11(5) of the Act.
In November 2024, the Alcohol Act Technical Evaluation Group (AATEG) was established to evaluate the provisions of the Public Heath (Alcohol) Act 2018, including MUP, and is required to submit an interim report on its progress to my Department by the end of the year.
379. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the number of beds which will be available to the paediatric allergy unit in the new National Children’s Hospital; the number of beds currently available to this unit across CHI sites; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18165/25]
View answerAs this is a service issue I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
380. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if she will establish a centralised electronic data collection system for timely and accurate reporting of child mortality nationally; if her Department has commenced work in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18166/25]
View answerAs this is a service issue, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
381. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the status of the inpatient mental health support mother and baby unit, as per the model of care for specialist perinatal mental health services; the estimated cost of providing this unit; if a dedicated funding allocation for its development has been agreed; if not, when she expects to announce this allocation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18167/25]
View answerWe have committed to supporting the mental health of women during and after pregnancy.
Given the documented adverse effects on separating mothers from their babies, for the small number of women who require inpatient treatment, the provision of a mother and baby unit (MBU) is recommended in the Model of Care for Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Services in Ireland.
The Model of Care identifies it as critical to the overall success of the specialist perinatal mental health services that there is access to a national tertiary inpatient mental health service in the form of a Mother and Baby Unit, and it is included in the Programme for Government as a commitment.
Progressing the MBU is a priority for Minister Butler, and the HSE are currently advancing the necessary feasibility studies to determine the location of the Unit. Work will also be undertaken this year to identify and progress an interim Mother and Baby Unit solution.
As the Estimated cost of the Unit is a service matter, I have referred this part of your question to the HSE for direct response to you.
