Written Answers Nos. 841-857
841. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health if there are plans to provide routine blood tests free of charge for all, as currently, the fee, ranging from €25 to €55, is causing a lot of stress, in both health and financial terms; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36097/25]
View answerGPs are private practitioners, most of whom hold a GMS contract for the provision of GP services without charge to medical card and GP visit card holders.
Eligibility for a medical card or GP visit card is based primarily on residency and means, while certain groups are automatically eligible for either card. All children under 8 years and all persons aged 70 years and over are eligible for a GP visit card. Eligibility for a GP visit card through means testing was expanded in 2023 to include all persons earning up to the median household income.
GP services to medical card and GP visit card holders are provided through the General Medical Services (GMS) scheme. Under the terms of the current GMS contract, GPs who hold a GMS contract are required to provide eligible patients with ''all proper and necessary treatment of a kind usually undertaken by a general practitioner and not requiring special skill or experience of a degree or kind which general practitioners cannot reasonably be expected to possess". Persons who hold a medical card or a GP visit card are not subject to any co-payments or other charges in respect of such services.
The issue of GPs charging GMS patients for blood tests is complex given the numerous reasons and circumstances under which blood tests are taken. Clinical determinations as to whether a blood test should be taken to either assist in the diagnosis of illness or the treatment of a condition are made by the GP concerned. There is no provision under the GMS GP contract for persons who hold a medical card or a GP visit card to be charged for clinically necessary blood tests. In addition, blood tests undertaken in the context of the GP Chronic Disease Management programme are covered by the fees paid to GPs by the HSE for this care.
Any fees charged by GPs for services provided outside the terms of the GMS contract are a matter of private contract between the GP and the patient concerned. The HSE does not have any role in relation to fees charged to patients on a private basis.
At present, there are no plans to provide access to routine blood tests free of charge for all through GP services.
842. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the number of long-stay and short-stay beds that remain unused in Kenmare Community Hospital County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36103/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
843. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if all the beds in Kenmare Community Hospital Kerry have ever been used since it was opened; if not, the reason; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36104/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
844. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the complement of nursing staff required in Kenmare Community Hospital, Kerry in order to open all the beds there. [36107/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
845. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the number of beds used at one time for respite in Kenmare Community Hospital, Kerry. [36108/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
846. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the number of vacant beds in the district Killarney community hospital Kerry during April and May 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36109/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
847. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the current number of vacant beds at a nursing home (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36110/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
848. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in the opening of the community hospital Killarney; if this opening will be expedited; the current expected date for opening; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36112/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
849. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Health the number of children under 13 awaiting dental screening; the length of time they are waiting, by CHO, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36143/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
850. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Health the number of people employed at the University Limerick Hospitals Group on career break, by length of time, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36144/25]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, this PQ has been referred to the HSE to respond.
851. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Health the number of calls responded to by paramedic crews from Tuam ambulance base in 2022, 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36163/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
852. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Health the number of ambulance calls responded to by the rapid response vehicles in based in Galway and Clifden in 2022, 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36164/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
853. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will be admitted to a centre; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36169/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
854. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health when 2025 jobs for radiography and radiation therapy graduates in Ireland will be approved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36170/25]
View answerThe role of the Minister for Health is primarily to deal with legislation, policy, overall budgetary allocation, and corporate governance. The HSE is a separate entity to the Department of Health and as such, the HSE has responsibility for matters relating to the staff within their employ or staff going through the process of recruitment with the HSE's National Recruitment Service.
The department have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter.
855. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health if there are any plans to make the meningococcal B (MenB) vaccine available free of charge to older citizens; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36177/25]
View answerThe immunisation programme in Ireland is based on the advice of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC). The Committee's recommendations are based on the prevalence of the relevant disease in Ireland and international best practice in relation to immunisation.
NIAC continues to revise recommendations to allow for the introduction of new vaccines in Ireland and to keep abreast of changes in the patterns of disease. It also considers emerging evidence and therefore the immunisation schedule will continue to be amended over time.
In Ireland, all children are offered the MenB vaccine at 2 and 4 months of age via the Primary Childhood Immunisation Programme. A booster dose of the MenB vaccine is offered at 12 months of age.
Meningitis B disease is most common in babies under the age of 1 year old which is reflected in the timing of the administration of the vaccine under the childhood immunisation programme.
856. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health if she is aware of section 9D of the Official Languages Act 2003; and if the new name proposed for the national children’s hospital complies with this section by being in the Irish language only. [36178/25]
View answerChildren’s Health Ireland was established as a statutory body on 1 January 2019 under the Children’s Health Act. This brought together Temple Street, Crumlin, and the paediatric service at Tallaght Hospital into the new statutory entity. Children’s Health Ireland is also responsible for the Outpatient and Urgent Care Centre at Connolly Hospital, and the new Outpatient and Emergency Care Unit located at the Tallaght Hospital campus. Children’s Health Ireland will provide health services to children and young people in the National Children's Hospital Ireland.
The establishment of Children's Health Ireland as a statutory body predates the Section 9D amendment to the Official Languages Act, which states that the name of a statutory body established, on and from the commencement of section 4 of the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021, shall be in the Irish language.
857. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health her response to the request by an organisation (details supplied) for a €9 million investment in dementia-specific supports in budget 2026, including community daycare, home support, and dementia advisory services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36182/25]
View answer859. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health if she will outline plans to expand counselling supports for people living with dementia and family carers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36184/25]
View answer860. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health if funding has been allocated in budget 2026 to support the implementation of the national dementia registry and the continued roll-out of the memory assessment support services model of care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36185/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 857, 859 and 860 together.
Since becoming Minister of State with responsibility for Older People, I have been working to support people with dementia and their families and will continue to prioritise their needs and build on the existing provisions that focus on person-centred care.
On 23 May 2025, I announced that implementation of the National Dementia Registry for Ireland had commenced. The HSE through National Dementia Services, the Enhanced Community Care Programme and the National Centre for Clinical Audit, has commissioned the National Office for Clinical Audit, to develop, implement and maintain the Registry, with the development phase due to take approximately three years. The Registry is intended to improve patient care quality and clinical outcomes for people with dementia, provide data for service planning, feed into policy development, and facilitate research.
Over the past five years, €19 million in new funding for dementia has been provided, including €2 million in Budget 2025, focusing both on community-based services and new diagnostic and post-diagnostic support services, which I will work to progressively increase and improve upon.
Additionally, since Budget 2021, funding has been provided for the Carer’s Guarantee to provide a core basket of services to family carers across the country, regardless of where they live. Annual funding of €2.6 million is currently provided towards delivering the Carer’s Guarantee, in tandem with the community and voluntary sector across five areas of activity, including: counselling and psychosocial supports, education and training, community carer supports, intensive and emergency supports and a freephone careline. The Programme for Government 2025 commitment to “fully fund the Carer’s Guarantee,” will be delivered over the lifetime of the Government.
As part of the 2026 Estimates process, my department will fully consider the requests set out by the Deputy in relation to further expanding and progressing dementia services to support people with dementia and their families, in order to ensure that they can live as well and as independently as possible.
