Peter 'Chap' Cleere
Question:174. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Health the number of children currently awaiting autism assessment through primary care in Kilkenny and Carlow at present. [21613/25]
View answerDisabilities Assessments
Questions (174)
Written answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Disabilities Assessments
Questions (175)
Peter 'Chap' Cleere
Question:175. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Health the average waiting time for children awaiting autism assessment through primary care in Kilkenny and Carlow at present. [21614/25]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Disabilities Assessments
Questions (176)
Peter 'Chap' Cleere
Question:176. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Health if plans are in place to reduce the waiting time families are experiencing for children awaiting autism assessment through primary care in Kilkenny and Carlow at present. [21615/25]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Mental Health Services
Questions (177)
Maurice Quinlivan
Question:177. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Health if she will provide an update on the case of a child (details supplied) who, having been referred to CAMHS Limerick, has yet to receive an appointment and due to behavioural issues has had their school hours cut; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21306/25]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service issue I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy.
Health Services
Questions (178)
Ken O'Flynn
Question:178. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if she will review the case of an elderly person (details supplied) who was recently removed from the public health nurse (PHN) service, and a nurse had been providing essential vitamin B12 injections on a three-week cycle; if, in view of these circumstances, she will confirm that the decision to remove this patient from the PHN service will be reviewed as a matter of urgency; her views on the broader implications of such decisions for vulnerable elderly patients who rely on community-based services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21307/25]
View answerWritten answers
As this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Hospital Staff
Questions (179)
Darren O'Rourke
Question:179. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant cardiologists based at St. James's Hospital in 2023, 2024 and to-date in 2025, in tabular form. [21321/25]
View answerWritten answers
“As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.”
Hospital Procedures
Questions (180)
Darren O'Rourke
Question:180. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the number of hip and knee replacement surgeries carried out at the National Orthopaedic Hospital in 2024 and to-date in 2025, in tabular form. [21322/25]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Hospital Staff
Questions (181)
Darren O'Rourke
Question:181. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant neonatologists based at the Coombe Maternity Hospital in 2024 and to-date in 2025, in tabular form. [21323/25]
View answerWritten answers
“As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.”
Hospital Procedures
Questions (182)
Aindrias Moynihan
Question:182. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the rationale on the restriction on the types of MRIs offered under GP access to community diagnostics; the reason below-the-knee MRI is no longer available under this type of diagnostics; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21339/25]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Hospital Appointments Status
Questions (183)
Eoghan Kenny
Question:183. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health if a person (details supplied) will be provided with an appointment for a scan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21343/25]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Hospital Services
Questions (184)
Roderic O'Gorman
Question:184. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health the number of people who attended a prostate rapid access clinics 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 2022 to date in 2025 in tabular form. [21344/25]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Official Engagements
Questions (185)
Roderic O'Gorman
Question:185. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health if she has spoken with the UK Health Secretary since her appointment. [21345/25]
View answerWritten answers
I have not yet spoken with Secretary of State for Health and Social Care in the UK, Wes Streeting, since my appointment. However, I look forward to engaging with him and hope to do so at the earliest opportunity.
In the meantime, officials from my Department will continue close and productive cooperation with their counterparts in the Department of Health and Social Care in the UK.
Ambulance Service
Questions (186)
Roderic O'Gorman
Question:186. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health the full year costs of providing three additional 24-7 HSE critical care ambulances. [21346/25]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Hospital Services
Questions (187)
Roderic O'Gorman
Question:187. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health when the project for a new critical care unit at Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown will move to the next stage of works. [21347/25]
View answerWritten answers
As the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
Hospital Staff
Questions (188)
Roderic O'Gorman
Question:188. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant ENT surgeons based at Beaumont Hospital in 2023, 2024 and to-date in 2025, in tabular form. [21348/25]
View answerWritten answers
“As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.”
Health Services Staff
Questions (189)
Roderic O'Gorman
Question:189. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health if she will consider the provision of additional funding to appoint clinical psychologists dedicated to supporting adults with epidermolysis bullosa. [21349/25]
View answerWritten answers
An EB care pathway, approved by the HSE Clinical Forum under the Chief Clinical Officer (CCO) as a national paediatric and adult care pathway in May 2023, sets out the recommended steps in care for people living with EB. However, this care pathway is currently not fully implemented.
The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth have confirmed that €3m was ring-fenced in the Budget 2025 for targeted services for children under a number of projects. As part of this €3m funding, €125,000 in core-funding has been made available to Debra Ireland, a charity supporting those living with EB in Ireland, this year and going forward.
With respect to the provision of an additional Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) clinical psychologist, this is an identified need for the service. Currently, an EB clinical psychologist (0.25 WTE) is available for EB patients when they are in crisis.
The Deputy will be aware that €1.5 million has been allocated to rare diseases as part of budget 2025, with an additional €5 million for the implementation of the new Rare Disease Strategy for Ireland. This funding will be utilised for the benefit of all people living with a rare disease including those living with EB. support the provision of care through Ireland’s European Reference Networks (ERNs) for Rare Diseases, bolster the HSE’s National Rare Disease Office, and lay a strong foundation upon which to build following the publication of an updated National Rare disease Strategy. As part of the €5m funding, €700,000 was specifically allocated for EB services. My Department and the HSE are continuing to engage with the stakeholders to ensure that this funding is utilised to deliver the best possible impact for EB services and those living with EB in Ireland.
Health Services
Questions (190)
Roderic O'Gorman
Question:190. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health for an update on the expansion of IVF support to include secondary infertility as announced in Budget 2025; if a timeline for this can be shared; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21350/25]
View answerWritten answers
The Model of Care for Fertility was developed by the Department of Health in conjunction with the HSE’s National Women & Infants Health Programme (NWIHP) in order to ensure that fertility-related issues are addressed through the public health system at the lowest level of clinical intervention necessary.
This Model of Care comprises three stages, starting in primary care (i.e., GPs) and extending into secondary care (i.e., the six Regional Fertility Hubs located across the country) and then, where necessary, AHR (assisted human reproduction) treatment (e.g., IVF (in-vitro fertilisation) and ICSI (intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection)), with patients being referred onwards through structured pathways.
Phase One of the roll-out of the Model of Care involved the establishment, at secondary care level, of six Regional Fertility Hubs within maternity networks covering the entire country, in order to facilitate the management of a significant proportion of patients presenting with fertility-related issues at this level of intervention. Patients are referred by their GPs to their local Regional Fertility Hub, which provides a range of treatments and interventions. These Hubs have been fully operational for a number of years now.
Phase Two of the roll-out of the Model of Care relates to the introduction of AHR treatment, including IVF, provided through the public health system at tertiary level.
Appropriate funding has been made available to support access to AHR treatment via HSE-approved private providers. As well as IVF and ICSI, this allocation is also being used to provide IUI (intrauterine insemination), which can, for certain cohorts of patients, be a potentially effective, yet less complex and less intrusive form of treatment.
Referrals for publicly-funded, privately-provided AHR treatment commenced in September 2023. Criteria prospective patients should meet in order to access fully-funded AHR services were agreed by the Department and the HSE and subsequently approved by Government in July 2023.
The criteria were agreed following consultation with experts in the field of reproductive medicine and include limits in respect of the age of the intending birth mother, body mass index (BMI) and the number of children a couple already have. They are very much in keeping with those applied in other jurisdictions, even though in most European countries, for instance, such treatments are only partially funded and require often significant out-of-pocket payments by patients. More details on public fertility services, including information on the publicly-funded AHR treatment initiative, are available from the HSE at: https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/fertility-problems-treatments/fertility-treatment/.
Over 2,200 couples have been referred to date by a Reproductive Specialist Consultant for AHR treatment following extensive investigations and/or secondary level treatment within the Regional Fertility Hubs. Furthermore, the Hubs have successfully and directly managed numerous of patients presenting with fertility-related issues who have been referred by their GP. Not all couples experiencing fertility challenges actually require such advanced and invasive interventions as IVF.
The access criteria for public patients to avail of services provided at a Regional Fertility Hub are less stringent than those required to be met in order to avail of free AHR treatment. Therefore, it is advised that if a couple is experiencing fertility challenges, and they meet the access criteria for care and management at Regional Fertility Hub level, then they should seek a referral from their GP. Each Regional Fertility Hub is positioned to provide a suite of investigations and tests free of charge and can commence working with the couple to identify next appropriate clinical steps, many of which may be available within the Hub itself or by means of a referral to another public service, for example, endocrinology or urology.
Decisions in respect of any proposed changes to the access criteria and/or the range of services provided through the publicly-funded AHR treatment initiative require further extensive consultation between Department of Health officials, colleagues in the HSE and also with relevant specialists in the field of reproductive medicine. This process is underway.
I want to reassure the Deputy that my Department and the Government are focused, through the full implementation of the Model of Care for Fertility, on ensuring that patients receive care at the appropriate level of clinical intervention and then those requiring, and eligible for, advanced AHR treatment such as IVF will be able to access same through the public health system.
Health Services Waiting Lists
Questions (191)
Darren O'Rourke
Question:191. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the current audiology waiting lists for both adults and children in each CHO area, by age and length of time waiting; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21383/25]
View answerWritten answers
“As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.”
Health Services
Questions (192)
John McGuinness
Question:192. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if the HSE will respond to the extensive correspondence from a person (details supplied); if an unreserved apology and refund of fees will be issued by the HSE to the person; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21398/25]
View answerWritten answers
The Department has contacted the Deputy in relation to this PQ to seek further clarity in relation to this matter and will progress this request once this additional information has been received.
Health Services
Questions (193)
James O'Connor
Question:193. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Health if she will review correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21408/25]
View answerWritten answers
Medical Card provision is primarily based on financial assessment. In accordance with the Health Act 1970 (as amended), eligibility for a medical card is determined by the HSE, which assesses each application on a qualifying financial threshold.
Persons aged 70 or older are assessed under medical card income thresholds which are based on gross income. The weekly gross medical card income thresholds for people aged 70 and over are currently €550 per week for a single person and €1050 for a couple.
Persons under 70 are assessed under the general means tested medical card thresholds which are based on an applicant’s household income after tax and the deduction of PRSI and the Universal Social Charge. Certain expenses are also taken into account. Examples of allowable expenses include rent, mortgage, certain insurance costs, childcare, maintenance, nursing home net costs which help to increase the amount a person can earn and still qualify for a medical card. Detailed guidelines are available at: https://www2.hse.ie/services/schemes-allowances/medical-cards/applying/assessment/.
The issue of granting medical cards on the basis of illness or a disability was previously examined in 2014 by the HSE Expert Panel on Medical Need and Medical Card Eligibility. The Group concluded that it was not feasible, desirable, nor ethically justifiable to list medical conditions in priority order for medical card eligibility. In following the Expert Group’s advice, a person’s means remains the main qualifier for a medical card.
However, every effort is made by the HSE, within the framework of the legislation, to support applicants in applying for a medical card and, in particular, to take full account of the difficult circumstances in the case of applicants who may be in excess of the income guidelines. The HSE may exercise discretion and grant a medical card, even though an applicant exceeds the income threshold where they face difficult financial circumstances, such as extra costs arising from an illness. Social and medical issues are also considered when determining whether undue hardship exists for an individual accessing general practitioner or other medical services.
Separately, under the Long-Term Illness Scheme, patients (including those diagnosed with multiple sclerosis) receive drugs, medicines, and medical and surgical appliances directly related to the treatment of their illness, free of charge. In 2023, GP visit card means-tested eligibility was extended to those who earn up to the median household income, and public in-patient charges in public hospitals were abolished.
I can assure the Deputy that, to ensure the medical card system is responsive and sensitive to people's needs, my Department keeps medical card issues under review and any proposals are considered in the context of any potential broader implications for Government policy, the annual budgetary estimates process and legislative requirements arising.