Wednesday, 30 Apr 2025

Medical Aids and Appliances

Questions (194)

Séamus McGrath

Question:

194. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Health if she will outline any reimbursement or subsidy scheme available for the payment of hearing aid batteries (details supplied). [21412/25]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Medical Cards

Questions (195)

David Cullinane

Question:

195. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if she intends to index medical card income thresholds to annual social welfare increases to prevent the loss of medical card access for low-income individuals with disabilities. [21418/25]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

Eligibility for a Medical Card is primarily based on a financial assessment which is conducted by the HSE in accordance with the Health Act 1970 (as amended). The HSE assesses each medical card application on a qualifying financial threshold. This is the amount of money that an individual can earn a week and still qualify for a card. It is specific to the individual’s own financial circumstances.

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/.

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. Furthermore, the Deputy may be aware that, since 2015, every individual aged 70 and over has automatic eligibility for a GP visit card. However, it should be noted that those aged over 70 can also be assessed under the general means tested scheme where there are particularly high costs, e.g., medication, nursing home fees.

Every effort is made by the HSE, within the framework of the legislation, to support applicants in applying for a medical card - in particular, to take full account of difficult circumstances in the case of applicants who may be in excess of the income guidelines. In such circumstances, the HSE may exercise discretion and grant a medical card, for example:

• Discretionary medical cards issued to patients with significant medical expenses but who do not satisfy the means test.

• Emergency medical cards are issued to patients that are terminally ill, or are seriously ill, and in urgent need of medical care that they cannot afford.

Since December 2018, the medical card earnings disregard for people in receipt of Disability Allowance was increased from €120 to €427 per week and applies to the assessment process for single people and to family assessments. This substantial increase in allowable earnings acknowledges that a Medical Card is a particularly significant support and ensures that people with disabilities can continue to be supported to access care when needed.

Furthermore, people who are unemployed and have been on a full rate of disability payment for at least a year can retain a Medical Card for a further three years on return to work, provided they were in receipt of the payment for a period of at least 12 months prior to commencing employment. Where a person's sole income is derived from a social protection payment, even where this is more than the current means threshold, he/she will be awarded a medical card.

I can assure the Deputy that, in order 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.

Medical Aids and Appliances

Questions (196)

Donna McGettigan

Question:

196. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Health the status her promised inquiries into the lack of insulin pump treatment for adults in the mid-west HSE area; when she will be able to provide an update; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21427/25]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

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 (197)

Alan Kelly

Question:

197. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant ophthalmic surgeons based at University Hospital Limerick in 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [21452/25]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

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 (198)

Alan Kelly

Question:

198. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health if there are plans to roll out dialectical behaviour therapy in Tipperary. [21453/25]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

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 (199)

Alan Kelly

Question:

199. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE physiotherapists by grade working in Nenagh General Hospital in 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [21454/25]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Questions (203)

Aidan Farrelly

Question:

203. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant urologists based at St. Vincent's University Hospital in the years of 2024 and to-date in 2025, in tabular form. [21502/25]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

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 Waiting Lists

Questions (204)

Aidan Farrelly

Question:

204. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on the waiting list for the Centre of Obesity Management; and the average waiting time for access services once a referral has been made. [21503/25]

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Written answers

Written answers

Minister for Health

This Government fully acknowledges the distress and inconvenience for patients and their families when hospital appointments and procedures are cancelled.

While every effort is made to avoid these postponements of planned procedures, the Health Service Executive (HSE) has advised that planned procedures and operations can be postponed or cancelled for a variety of reasons including capacity issues due to increased scheduled and unscheduled care demand, and unforeseen circumstances that may impact a service.

Patient safety remains at the centre of all hospital activity and elective care scheduling. To ensure services are provided in a safe, clinically aligned and prioritised way, hospitals follow HSE clinical guidelines and protocols.

In respect of reporting of cancellations, to improve the long-term efficiency of the service the HSE worked with hospitals and hospital groups in 2022 to develop a process for the collection and collation of data on cancellations. The cancellation data does not measure that a procedure or appointment did not go ahead, rather that the procedure/appointment did not go ahead on the date originally scheduled.

Cancelled hospital procedures/appointments are, where appropriate, rescheduled as early as possible with priority given to patients requiring time-sensitive and urgent treatment

The National Inpatient, Day Case, Planned Procedure (IDPP), and GI Endoscopy waiting list management protocol 2024 issued by the National Treatment Purchase Fund requires hospitals to reschedule elective care appointments within six weeks of cancellation, subject to patient confirmation regarding their availability to attend.

In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Hospital Services

Questions (212)

David Cullinane

Question:

212. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of hospital-initiated scheduled care cancellations, by appointment type, for Quarter 1 of each year 2022-2024, inclusive, by hospital group and hospital, in tabular form. [21517/25]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

This Government fully acknowledges the distress and inconvenience for patients and their families when hospital appointments and procedures are cancelled.

While every effort is made to avoid these postponements of planned procedures, the Health Service Executive (HSE) has advised that planned procedures and operations can be postponed or cancelled for a variety of reasons including capacity issues due to increased scheduled and unscheduled care demand, and unforeseen circumstances that may impact a service.

Patient safety remains at the centre of all hospital activity and elective care scheduling. To ensure services are provided in a safe, clinically aligned and prioritised way, hospitals follow HSE clinical guidelines and protocols.

In respect of reporting of cancellations, to improve the long-term efficiency of the service the HSE worked with hospitals and hospital groups in 2022 to develop a process for the collection and collation of data on cancellations. The cancellation data does not measure that a procedure or appointment did not go ahead, rather that the procedure/appointment did not go ahead on the date originally scheduled.

Cancelled hospital procedures/appointments are, where appropriate, rescheduled as early as possible with priority given to patients requiring time-sensitive and urgent treatment

The National Inpatient, Day Case, Planned Procedure (IDPP), and GI Endoscopy waiting list management protocol 2024 issued by the National Treatment Purchase Fund requires hospitals to reschedule elective care appointments within six weeks of cancellation, subject to patient confirmation regarding their availability to attend.

In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Hospital Transfers

Questions (213)

David Cullinane

Question:

213. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of delayed transfers of care for each March for each year 2019-2024, inclusive, at each location, in tabular form; the number of delayed discharges and the number as a percentage of all discharges; and the number of bed days lost and the number as a percentage of all bed days available for the period. [21518/25]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is an operational matter, I am referring the question to the HSE for a direct reply to the Deputy.