Written Answers Nos. 42-61
42. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health the measures that will be taken to improve emergency department, maternity and radiotherapy services at University Hospital Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34869/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
43. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the engagement her Department has had with Beaumont Hospital in relation to the hospital capital projects. [34917/25]
View answerThere are a number of proposed capital developments at Beaumont Hospital, including a new Emergency Department (ED), a 95-bed Ward Block, a 64-bed Critical Care Unit (CCU) Block, and an extension to the Radiation Oncology Department.
The process for these proposals is being managed through the HSE capital development process rather than requiring direct submission to the Department of Health or Government for consent. This is in line with the provisions of the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery, and Reform’s updated Infrastructure Guidelines.
44. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Health to provide waiting lists and times for ten-day emergency oncology appointments at the Mater Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34883/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
45. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health the measures she is taking to attract and retain staff in the health and social care sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34808/25]
View answerThe HSE continues to operate within an increasingly competitive global landscape for healthcare talent, where the international mobility of healthcare professionals presents growing challenges across all disciplines. This dynamic is further compounded by evolving workforce expectations, which demand greater flexibility, agility and innovation in how we attract and retain staff.
In response, the HSE has increased its overall workforce by more than 3,000 WTEs since 2023 through a range of strategic initiatives. Our focus remains on identifying and implementing opportunities not only to attract and recruit talent, but also to develop, engage and retain a highly skilled workforce capable of delivering safe, high quality care to patients, service users and their families across acute, community and residential care settings.
The HSE has a number of initiatives to maximise this valuable candidate pool. All nursing / midwifery graduates and health and social care professional graduates in key priority areas have been offered permanent contracts of employment in our health service in advance of their graduation and subsequent registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) and CORU. Every support and encouragement is being afforded to these graduates to encourage them towards employment in the Irish health services.
This approach is important not only to the supply into our health service from our domestic labour market, but also for our graduates, as it signals ahead of their graduation the roles and careers available to them in our health service.
As the implementation of Sláintecare progresses and global competition for healthcare talent intensifies, the HSE is focusing on initiatives that address both current and future organisational need. The HSE Career Hub (https://careerhub.hse.ie/) provides a portal allowing candidates to access information about the organization, our regions, our culture, career pathways and services that are spotlighted to enhance their profile.
To build a sustainable and diverse talent pipeline, the HSE has implemented a range of targeted attraction measures, including:
• Graduate engagement through tailored webinars and follow up communication with all nursing, midwifery and HSCP graduates post qualification.
• Delivery of webinars aimed at both domestic and international candidates to enhance visibility of opportunities within the health service.
• The development of virtual career fairs, the first of these had a specific focus on attracting staff to Disability Services.
• The expansion of apprenticeship programmes for HSCP roles, designed to reach under-represented populations reflective of the diversity of the communities we serve.
• Strategic profiling of specific services and professions on the HSE Career Hub.
• Use of a broad range of media platforms, including LinkedIn, to promote high priority vacancies.
• Ongoing collaboration with CORU to streamline recognition and registration processes for international applicants.
• Proactive engagement with second and third level education providers and the Institute of Guidance Counsellors, to raise awareness of careers within the HSE and its partner organisations.
• Provision of sponsorship for nursing and HSCP students as part of the long term workforce development strategy.
• Supports for international recruits, including relocation packages and onboarding assistance, to facilitate a smooth transition into the Irish health system.
In addition to our attraction strategies the HSE is progressing a number of retention focused actions, including:
• The development of a comprehensive HSE Retention Toolkit to support services develop local retention strategies.
• A review of flexible working arrangements and work life balance policies to align with evolving staff needs and expectations.
• Continued development of structured career pathways to support professional growth and long term service within the organisation.
• Ongoing investment in learning and development opportunities for our existing staff.
Finally, information gleaned from the 2025 HSE Staff Survey, which measures workforce satisfaction, will be utilized to further inform evidence based retention initiatives.
46. Deputy Edward Timmins asked the Minister for Health if she plans to roll out hospital transport services for patients attending regular hospital appointments who are not cancer or dialysis patients. [34975/25]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
47. Deputy Seán Fleming asked the Minister for Health her response to the ESRI’s health service capacity review on future capacity requirements for public acute hospitals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34615/25]
View answerThe Department of Health is committed to building a demand and capacity modelling capability, necessary for any modern health system. The Department commissioned the ESRI as part of the Department of Health-ESRI ‘Joint Research Programme in Healthcare Reform’ to develop this modelling capability and support the Department through a new Capacity Review to inform longer-term strategic planning.
The ESRI has built out their Hippocrates projection model that provides base year estimates and projections of demand, capacity and expenditure. The Hippocrates model is a tool that can: inform health and social service planning in Ireland; inform financial planning for the healthcare system; inform planning for capacity, services and staffing; identify future demand pressures; and provide a framework in which to analyse the effects of potential system changes and reforms.
The Hippocrates projection modelling estimates activity rates on a 2023 baseline by age and sex and taking into account utilisation of services. Demand is then projected by multiplying activity rates by projected population in 2040 to align with the National Planning Framework. Various assumptions and scenarios are applied to give a range of projections for services and bed capacity. These findings will make our planning process more responsive to new data, evidence, and policies as they emerge, helping to inform future policy decisions and interventions.
The Capacity Review will not be a one-off stand-alone piece of work, but rather the Hippocrates projection model will be developed over time to allow for the inclusion of future additional data (e.g. census 2026) and policy considerations as required, to produce regular capacity projections in the future.
The ESRI report on public acute hospitals highlights the capacity challenges we face in meeting the needs of our growing and ageing population. Increasing bed numbers and the necessary resources and workforce will require careful long-term planning. We are already making significant strides to increase patient capacity. Between 2020 and 2024, the Health Service opened 1,218 new acute inpatient beds, and the Programme for Government has committed to continue to deliver much needed acute in-patient bed capacity. With unprecedented uplift in funding and workforce increases in recent years, we are targeting future capital investment where it is needed most. Indeed, the Hospital In-Patient Bed Capacity Plan published in 2024 aligns with the review by ESRI and funding of this capacity is being considered in the context of the National Development Plan review underway.
While it sets out projected capacity ranges, the ESRI’s report also considers health policies that reduce potential demand. Investing in improved population health, increased productivity, reducing avoidable hospitalisations and moving care into the community will help us make the best use of acute in-patient bed capacity to meet future demand.
48. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Health the expected timeline for developing a new national cardiovascular policy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34832/25]
View answerCardiovascular disease (CVD) encompasses a range of conditions including heart attack and stroke. It remains a leading cause of death in Ireland and significant hospital bed days. CVD claimed the lives of almost 10,000 people in Ireland in 2023 and is estimated to cost the Irish state €1.7 billion annually, with 46% of this being direct healthcare costs.
Ireland has made progress in tackling CVD. Today, CVD mortality is about half of the levels of 1995, however, CVD still accounts for 27.8% of all deaths in Ireland. However, the absolute number of CVD cases has increased due to the rise in population and Ireland’s ageing demographics. CVD imposes significant social and personal costs for patients including reduced quality of life, and potential lost earnings.
Irish officials working with EU colleagues contributed to a new Council Conclusion on the improvement of cardiovascular health adopted on 3rd December 2024, marking a strong political commitment towards improving cardiovascular health across Europe.
CVD and its management are prioritised through national policy, strategies, and clinical programmes, which include models of care for stroke, acute coronary syndromes, heart failure and chronic disease management. The Programme for Government (PfG) 2025 commits to “Building on the existing National Cardiovascular Policy, we will develop a new and more ambitious plan enhancing patient care and timely access across all regions.”
On April 8th, the National Review of Adult Specialist Cardiac Services was published. This comprehensive, evidence-based report provides 23 key recommendations to inform future cardiac health policy. It offers both a data-driven analysis and a clear roadmap for reforming cardiac services across the country. DoH officials are now working closely with the HSE to progress the implementation of these recommendations, and the Minister expects to receive an update on the next steps in the coming days.
Cardiovascular health has been prioritised in Budget 2025, which allocates over €9 million in full-year funding to support vital cardiovascular initiatives. Budget 2025 allocated €4 million full year costs, and 45 WTEs to progress cardiac services. This investment facilitates the initial steps in cardiac services reform and will support the development of a new cardiovascular strategy in the longer term. In the short term, we will deliver enhanced cardiac services and develop the necessary structures to ensure success in the longer term.
With regard to services for stoke, the National Stroke Strategy was published in 2022 and over €13m has been allocated to its implementation to date. The Stroke Strategy aims to modernise our Stroke services in line with Sláintecare and ensure the future readiness of services given our ageing demography and the predicted rise in stroke incidence in coming decades. Most recently in Budget 2025, of the €9m invested in Cardiovascular Health, full year costs of €5m were allocated which will provide 56 WTEs to strengthen Acute Stroke units and expand the Early Supported Discharge Team network from 11- 15 teams nationally.
49. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Health for an update on the efforts to reform the oral healthcare, including the new national oral health policy, Smile and Sláinte; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34600/25]
View answerThe National Oral Health Policy, Smile Agus Sláinte, sets out the vision for oral healthcare services in Ireland and has two key goals:
1. To provide the supports to enable every individual to achieve their personal best oral health; and
2. To reduce oral health inequalities across the population, by enabling vulnerable people to access oral healthcare and improve their oral health.
Budget 2025 allocated €2m for 2025, increasing to €4m in 2026, to continue the implementation of the National Oral Health Policy. The implementation plan for the first phase of policy rollout to end-2027 is being finalised by my Department and the HSE, following targeted consultation in Q3 2024. Once published, the plan will set out the priorities for this first phase of implementation, which include reform of services for adults and children.
This Budget 2025 investment is also supporting the recruitment of an additional 15 HSE oral healthcare staff to deliver oral healthcare in the community for children and for adult medical card holders with additional needs, thereby supporting access to the current model of service while policy implementation proceeds.
The Policy also contains a range of strategic workforce planning actions to increase national workforce capacity, in support of improving patient access to care. My Department has recently finalised a workforce census framework for oral healthcare and work is progressing on a scoping project for a mid-level professional grade for oral healthcare, as an additional measure to increase capacity in the workforce. A programme to encourage the redistribution of oral healthcare professionals to underserved areas is also a key action in the Policy. For oral healthcare professionals working in isolated rural areas far away from centres of education, it will be essential to provide support in the form of mentoring programmes as well as by introducing long-distance and accessible continuing development education programmes.
50. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Health if her Department currently has an action plan in place to develop a framework for responding to patients presenting with a mental health crisis at accident and emergency departments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34538/25]
View answerIt is widely accepted that Emergency Departments are an inappropriate environment for people in a mental health crisis, and that alternative care pathways and therapeutic environments should be developed. People experiencing mental health distress and illness often find busy Emergency Departments the wrong setting for their needs and evidence indicates this is often the reason some people leave before meeting a clinician.
Supporting the development of real alternatives to Emergency Departments is a priority for Government: the Department of Health and the HSE continue to work to expand alternative care pathways and therapeutic environments for people presenting to Emergency Departments in mental health crisis, and to prioritise securing additional funding to continue their expansion. The Government remains firmly committed to enhancing all aspects of mental health services. The total allocation for mental health services is just under €1.5 billion for 2025.
Supports have been put in place so people presenting to Emergency Departments (EDs) receive a compassionate response, as well as a therapeutic assessment and intervention from a suitably trained mental health professional. This programme is delivered in all 26 adult Emergency Departments that are operating 24/7 and in one paediatric hospital.
The Model of Care for Self-Harm and Suicide Related Ideation was updated in 2022 and incorporates the Suicide Crisis Assessment Nurse (SCAN) service, which provides a critically important safety net for people in suicidal crisis. The ambition of the new Sharing the Vision Implementation Plan (2025-2027), published on 9th April 2025, is to expand these services to provide full coverage nationwide. The SCAN service provides a timely response to requests for assessment of patients in suicidal crisis from GPs, and the assessments often take place in primary care settings. In addition, Budget 2025 provided funding for a further six SCAN nurses, and work is ongoing to ensure full access to the service across the country.
The model of care for the service envisages a dedicated mental health assessment room within hospitals to provide a more appropriate environment for assessments to take place. Given most acute mental health in-patient units are co-located with our acute hospital network, it is important that people in distress are assessed in clinically appropriate environments when they present for support.
Over the course of the second implementation plan for Sharing the Vision, a new National Clinical Programme for Self-Harm and Suicide Related Ideation will be published and will include a scaling up of the Suicide Crisis Assessment Nurse service. To support this continuous service improvement, an online data capture tool will provide valuable insights into population needs, service user experiences and the effectiveness of the service.
The policy also commits to providing an alternative to Emergency Departments for people in a mental health crisis. The Emergency Department is not an appropriate environment for supporting people in acute mental health distress, and work is ongoing to shift supports for those in crisis away from hospitals and into services in our communities.
The development of the new model of care for Crisis Resolution Services has been delivered, which has two components:
1) Crisis Resolution Teams: teams of mental health professionals who work out of hours to meet people in a crisis and provide rapid assessment and intensive intervention. There are six pilot Crisis Resolution Teams currently operational in Sligo/Leitrim, Cork city (two teams), Waterford City and County, South Dublin/Wicklow and Limerick.
2) Crisis Cafés: a welcoming, non-clinical safe environment in the style of a café where people can go at evenings and weekends. These are known as 'Solace' cafés, and a number are now open in different locations.
The model of care for Crisis Resolution Services was developed as a direct recommendation of Sharing the Vision (Recommendation 24). It recognises that people who are experiencing a mental health crisis need specialist services to provide timely brief intensive supports to keep people safe. Work is ongoing with the HSE to speed up the expansion of these services for people in a mental health crisis.
In addition, the Child & Youth Mental Health Office published a 3-year action plan in February of this year which commits to developing an Integrated Crisis Response Pathway for children and young people experiencing a mental health crisis across the 24/7 continuum of care, including an improved child and youth liaison service with Emergency Departments.
Limerick City also has a pilot project known as the Community Access Support Team (CAST), a partnership between An Garda Síochana and the HSE to establish an appropriate co-response approach to calls relating to mental health and situational trauma. The CAST team are working to enhance diversionary practices for those experiencing crisis and situational trauma that leads to mental health difficulties, with the shared goal of providing a compassionate and effective response to people in distress and improving their experience and outcomes.
My ambition to expand the range of alternative care pathways for people in suicidal and self-harm crisis is demonstrated in the range of services being developed. I will continue to work closely with the HSE and the Department of Health to ensure that there are real alternatives to Emergency Departments and more appropriate treatment environments for people in mental health distress.
51. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Health for an update on latest developments with regard to the planned new 95 en suite bed residential care centre in Thomastown; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34438/25]
View answerIn 2016 a Capital Programme for Older Persons Residential Centres was developed in response to the introduction of HIQA’s National Residential Care Standards for Older People and the requirement that all facilities providing long stay beds be registered by HIQA. This is a programme to replace, upgrade and refurbish Community Nursing Units (CNUs), as appropriate, at 89 locations.
The new 95 bedded CNU in Thomastown is part of this Programme.
As of end-2024:
• 51 projects under the Programme are completed.
• 17 CNUs are currently under construction. 7 of these, including the CNU at Thomastown, are being delivered through Public-Private Partnership (PPP).
• The remaining 21 are at various stages of appraisal, review, design or tender.
The new CNU in Thomastown is anticipated to complete construction in Q3 2025. This will be a purpose-built facility to support the older population of South and Central Kilkenny. It will support discharges from St Luke's Kilkenny and University Hospital Waterford.
Following construction completion and commissioning of the new build, the new building must be registered with HIQA as per the legislation set out in Schedule 1 of the Health Act 2007 (Registration of Designated Centres for Older People) Regulations 2015, as amended.
Workforce planning is progressing across all staff disciplines to ensure the required complement and skill mix of staff is in place to facilitate the operational schedule.
Once the Community Nursing Unit is registered, a timeline will be confirmed for services to be put in place.
52. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health if she will ensure that a sustainable funding stream will be provided to a centre (details supplied) in Tipperary that provides training, support and employment for people with mental health issues in south Tipperary to ensure the sustainability of the centre; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33914/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
53. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health if her Department is considering amending the Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Act 2023 to ensure that this includes the advertising of all nicotine products, including nicotine pouches; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34931/25]
View answerMy current legislative priority is our proposals, approved by Government on 10 September, to further regulate nicotine inhaling products. These measures are now being drafted with the Office of the Attorney General with the objective of reducing youth use of nicotine inhaling products and include:
- a ban on point-of-sale display and advertising of these products in most shops,- restrictions on the colours and imagery used on nicotine inhaling products and their packaging,- a ban on devices resembling toys or games,- restrictions on flavours, and- a ban on disposable vapes.
Once completed, the draft legislation will require notification at EU level under the Technical Standards Directive (Directive 2015/1535) and the EU Tobacco Products Directive (Directive 2014/40/EU).
The regulation of newer nicotine products such as pouches is being discussed at EU level, both in terms of how these products are categorised and in the context of the review of the Tobacco Products Directive. An EU public consultation was carried out in 2023 to gain views on further regulation of novel products and it is expected that they will be included in the next iteration of the Directive.
54. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the reason the new sexual health strategy has still not been published; the definitive timeline for its approval by Government and subsequent publication; if the strategy is still at design stage, as was the case in May of this year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34816/25]
View answerSexual health is a priority for this Government. The National Sexual Health Strategy, 2025-2035 and the first National Sexual Health Action Plan, 2025-2028 were approved by Government on the 10th of June, 2025 and published on 25th June, 2025.
The drafting process for the National Sexual Health Strategy, 2025-2035, commenced in 2023, following a review of the previous Strategy. The Drafting Committee included policy, service delivery and clinical leads, working within the Department and HSE, and the Strategy underwent an additional round of stakeholder consultation and feedback, completed in mid-2024.
It was decided that the Strategy should be launched under the new Government in order to incorporate priorities from the Programme for Government, Securing Ireland’s Future, 2025 . The Strategy is supported by the National Sexual Health Action Plan, 2025-2028, that maps out implementation plans for the first 3 years of its term. The Action Plan is included in the Strategy document: both are available from the 25th June on the Healthy Ireland website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/healthy-ireland/policy-information/national-sexual-health-strategy/.
Service improvements detailed in the Strategy have been ongoing in the meantime; an additional €1.35m has been allocated to free home STI testing, HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and the free contraception scheme in 2025.
The Press Release for the Strategy can be accessed here: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-health/press-releases/ministers-for-health-publish-the-national-sexual-health-strategy-2025-2035/.
55. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the measures being taken to increase clinical trials and better support clinicians, researchers and staff to focus on clinical trial activity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34618/25]
View answerI thank the Deputy for creating this opportunity for me to provide an update on the ongoing work within my Department to increase Clinical Trials in Ireland. The National Clinical Trials Oversight Group (NCTOG) was set up in July 2024 to investigate the challenges of undertaking clinical trials in Ireland, and to formulate solutions to meet those challenges. The Group published its interim recommendations in October 2024, and these were noted by Government on 7th November 2024.
As a focused group of experts in the area of clinical trials of investigational medicinal products, the NCTOG is well-placed to make recommendations that will have a transformative impact on the clinical trials landscape in Ireland, helping improve access to life-saving cutting-edge medicines and ultimately providing better patient outcomes. I had the pleasure of meeting with them in February, and their commitment to achieve these core objectives is clearly evident.
The NCTOG's Interim Recommendations directly address core administrative barriers hindering our clinical trial capabilities. Improvements in areas such as contracts, costings, and data protection are already evident, signaling that we are on the right track in looking to boost our competitiveness as a premier destination for high-quality clinical trials.
In the area of streamlining clinical trials agreements, a revised Clinical Trial Agreement contract template has been created by the HSE in partnership with the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association. This is now in use at HSE hospitals, and thanks to the efforts of the NCTOG, discussions are underway to implement these contracts more widely across our healthcare system. These solutions are being applied in real-world settings, and users are reporting that it is improving the speed at which contracted parties can reach agreement to undertake clinical trials and thus provide the potential for better patient outcomes.
This measurable progress has also been noted by the recent "Clinical Trials Activity Comparison Report" published by the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA) in May 2025 which highlighted encouraging trends across Ireland's clinical trial landscape.
Key Findings from the IPHA Report:
• Increase in Trials: There was a 34% increase in the number of pharmaceutical industry-sponsored clinical trials commenced in Ireland between 2023 and 2024.
• Faster "First Patient In": The average time to recruit the first patient into a trial significantly improved, dropping by 31% from 67 days in 2023 to 46 days in 2024.
The NCTOG has also established sub-groups to work on costings and workforce planning, which are currently finalising their recommendations to be included in the final report of the Group. These recommendations will aid in establishing a standardised model of clinical trials costing, to increase predictability and help ease the process of setting up trials. The recommendations are also looking to support clinicians and research staff through supportive frameworks that will improve recruitment, reduce attrition rates, and support career pathways for researchers. In this regard, it is imperative that we continue to do all we can to ensure that both rewarding and sustainable career pathways are in place for those wishing to pursue and maintain careers across clinical research, including clinical trials.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the Data Protection Commission (DPC), who have contributed significantly to the work of the NCTOG in creating clarity and guidance on the various parties' responsibilities in relation Data Protection, the various interpretations of which have been a serious impediment to progressing clinical trial agreements in the past.
Notwithstanding the progress that has been made, challenges remain. The Group is currently deliberating on their final recommendations which will build on the successes to date achieved with the publication of the Interim Recommendations. I hope to be in position shortly to bring the final recommendations to Government for approval and I look forward to implementing next steps and continuing this journey in seeking to transform the clinical trials landscape in Ireland for the benefit of Irish society.
56. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the status of the rollout of the specialist perinatal mental health service and the establishment of an inpatient mother and baby unit, including projected timelines and measures in place to ensure equitable access across all maternity hubs and spokes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33951/25]
View answerThe Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Services (SPMHS) is now available in all 19 maternity hospitals nationwide, SPMHS provides support to pregnant women and women with a baby up to one year old, with an existing or new mental health problem. Funding to date of €3.6 million has resulted in 6 consultant led multidisciplinary teams are in place across major maternity hospitals (Coombe, NMH, Rotunda, Galway, Cork, Limerick), with 13 spoke sites staffed by perinatal mental health midwife posts.
A key priority in the Model of Care is to develop a Mother and Baby Unit. Work is ongoing by the HSE to progress the development of a Mother and Baby Unit (MBU) for Ireland, an inpatient mental health service with relevant maternity support to allow women to stay with their babies during their mental health treatment. A feasibility study on the MBU at St Vincent’s Hospital is currently under consideration by the HSE. My Department continues to support the HSE as it aims to put in place an MBU as soon as possible.
With reference to the information requested as this is an operational issue, I have referred it to the HSE for direct reply to you.
57. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health for an update on the follow-up for hip dysplasia patients at CHI arising out of the recently published review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33556/25]
View answerThe clinical follow-up and care for patients who have undergone pelvic osteotomy surgery will be in accordance with best practice and the recommendations of the Thomas Audit Report.
Clinical follow up to skeletal maturity in CHI Crumlin is already underway for patients, many of whom are almost at skeletal maturity and will likely need just one appointment.
Clinical follow up is also underway for CHI Temple Street and National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh (NOHC) patients; these children have been identified and categorised by age; again a proportion here are also close to skeletal maturity.
The clinic is structured as a one-stop multidisciplinary team model for assessment, and includes consultation with a doctor, a physiotherapy assessment, an x-ray (if clinically indicated) , and immediate documentation of findings and further referral if required. After this, patients enter the recommended normal follow up process.
In relation to retrospective reviews of cases to determine the indications for surgery, the HSE is establishing an Expert Panel for this purpose. The HSE is engaging with international experts and expects to have this process established this year.
58. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health to comment on the timeline and implementation of adult safeguarding legislation, particularly in light of recent abuse within care homes. [32472/25]
View answerSafeguarding adults who may be at risk of abuse is a key objective of my Department, every statutory body under its aegis and every relevant service that interacts with such adults. A framework of standards, policies and procedures for safeguarding adults in the health and social care sector is in place, and further measures are being developed to strengthen this framework.
The Programme for Government 2025 "Securing Ireland’s Future" includes a commitment to publish a national policy on adult safeguarding for the health and social care sector. This policy will provide a framework for strengthening safeguards across all care settings. My Department, in liaison with the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, is currently finalising this new safeguarding policy and I expect this sector wide policy will be brought before Government shortly.
The new policy will build on the structures and processes that are already in place to protect against abuse. Importantly, it will commit to the introduction of safeguarding legislation in the sector and will set out, at a high level, proposed new legislative provisions.
To facilitate the development of appropriate legislation to underpin this sectoral policy, the Government has included a Health (Adult Safeguarding) Bill in its current Legislation Programme. Preparation of this legislation will commence once the national policy has been approved by Government.
59. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Health her views on the significant growth in procurement expenditure by the HSE in recent years, rising from €1.29 billion in 2020 to over €4.19 billion in 2024,and to explain what mechanisms are in place to ensure value for money, transparency, and oversight in light of the fact that the HSE has confirmed it cannot currently track whether spending exceeds original contract award values due to the lack of an integrated financial system. [34996/25]
View answer60. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the action that is being taken in hospitals to improve the awareness amongst healthcare staff of the needs of visually impaired patients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34624/25]
View answer61. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health if the strategic review examining issues affecting general practice in the State has been completed, given the serious shortage of GPs and appointment availability in the State; if so, the findings made in the review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34864/25]
View answer334. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the status of the strategic review of general practice; the steps concluded thus far; the steps remaining; the timeline for completion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35073/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 61 and 334 together.
The Strategic Review of General Practice is currently underway, led by the Department of Health and supported by the HSE. With input from key stakeholders, the review is examining a range of issues affecting general practice including GP training, GP capacity, Out of Hours services reform, the eHealth Agenda, and the financial support model for general practice. The Review will identify the arrangements necessary to improve the current system of GP care as part of a primary care-focused health service.
Significant progress has been made under the review which is to be completed this year. Following its completion, a final report will be presented to me outlining the findings of the review and setting out recommended actions for a more sustainable general practice. The report will be published subsequently.
