Written Answers Nos. 334-353
334. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the counselling services that are required to be provided to women prior to undergoing an abortion; the counselling and after-care services that are provided following an abortion; whether these services are actively offered or only made available on request; and the data available on the number of women who avail of such services. [49346/25]
View answerAs this question relates to a service matter, I have referred to the HSE for direct reply.
335. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health in respect of the 12 cases reported in 2022 in which babies were born alive following abortion, whether the women in those cases were offered counselling before and after the procedures; whether any of those mothers availed of counselling; if her Department has reviewed the adequacy of psychological and emotional supports in these specific cases; and whether any follow-up or welfare checks were carried out to support those women. [49347/25]
View answerAs this question relates to a service matter, I have referred it to the HSE for direct reply.
336. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the counselling and psychological supports that are available for medical staff, including doctors, nurses and operating theatre staff, who participate in abortion procedures; whether specific supports were offered to staff involved in the 12 cases in 2022 in which babies were born alive; and the details of how staff are informed about these supports and the level of uptake. [49348/25]
View answerAs this question relates to a service matter, I have referred it to the HSE for direct reply.
337. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the national guidelines that govern the provision of counselling in the context of abortion; whether these guidelines have been updated in light of the 12 cases in 2022 in which babies were born alive; and if not, whether the Minister intends to review or amend the guidelines to ensure that adequate psychological support is guaranteed to both patients and staff. [49349/25]
View answerAs this question relates to a service matter, I have referred it to the HSE for direct reply.
338. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department maintains statistics on counselling sessions offered and availed of in abortion cases; whether anonymised data is published on post-abortion mental health outcomes; whether the provision of counselling in cases of babies born alive will be included in any forthcoming review or report; and if she will make such information publicly available in the interests of transparency. [49350/25]
View answerAs this question relates to a service matter, I have referred it to the HSE for direct reply.
339. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Health the services and supports that will be provided to a child (details supplied) through their CDNT in Cork; if she will provide information on the roll-out of these services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49359/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
340. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the implementation of the safe staffing framework at Mayo University Hospital; the findings of any audit or assessment conducted into staffing levels at the hospital; the timeline for full implementation of the framework at Mayo University Hospital; to estimate the number of additional staff expected to be allocated under the framework; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49365/25]
View answerThe HSE have been asked to reply to the Deputy directly.
341. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health if she will provide a timeline for the CHI's and HSE's plans for developing a sustainable and robust psychological support service for the families being reviewed for developmental dysplasia of the hip surgery, DDH. [49367/25]
View answerAs this is an operational matter for the Health Service Executive (HSE), the HSE has been asked to reply directly to the Deputy.
342. Deputy Ann Graves asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE social workers, by grade posts that were actually filled within the primary care system in CHO9 in 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [49396/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
343. Deputy Ann Graves asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant psychiatrists posts that were actually filled in Swords CAMHS in 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [49397/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
344. Deputy Ann Graves asked the Minister for Health the amount of revenue generated through public car-parking charges at Beaumont Hospital in 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [49398/25]
View answerThis PQ has been referred to the HSE to respond.
345. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Health the number of approved play specialist posts in Cork University Hospital; the number of posts that are in place and filled; the number that are vacant; if there are plans for recruitment to vacant posts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49399/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
346. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Health her plans to recruit a dedicated consultant paediatric gastroenterologist for Cork University Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49400/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
347. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the current inpatient bed capacity across Cork University Hospital, Mercy University Hospital and Mallow General Hospital, as of September 2025; the way in which this compares with her Department's population-based target; and the plans in place to expand capacity, including staff recruitment before winter 2025-26. [49413/25]
View answerThe Acute Inpatient Bed Capacity Expansion Plan 2024 – 2031 aims to deliver an additional 3,438 acute inpatient beds nationally including an additional 341 beds for CUH, 82 beds for Mercy University Hospital and 24 for Mallow General Hospital.
Under the Health Regions Implementation Plan, Health Regions are taking a population-based approach to how services are planned, funded and delivered. The Department are developing a Population-Based Resource Allocation (PBRA) model with the aim of fairly and equitably distribute available healthcare funding to the health regions on the basis of population health need and the cost of providing services to meet those needs.
To complement this work the Health Service Capacity Review being carried out by the DoH and ESRI is a more detailed analysis of the capacity requirements for the health system over the next 15 years. The PBRA model and the Capacity Review are complementary tools for health system planning and funding as both make use of the ESRI’s population projections, ensuring that decisions on resource allocation and long-term planning are aligned.
As the planning and delivery of beds is a matter for the HSE, I have asked the HSE to provide additional information to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
348. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in providing a carer's business plan promised by the HSE, Limerick, relative to a person (details supplied) while they resided in the county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49416/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
349. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of persons currently eligible under the expanded general practitioner visit card scheme, announced in August 2023, who have not yet applied; and if she will provide a breakdown, by age group, income band and county. [49419/25]
View answer350. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the stages in the general practitioner visit card application process at which the greatest number of applicants fail to complete their applications; and the reasons identified for such non-completion, including concerns about financial data disclosure, complexity of the process and time requirements. [49420/25]
View answer351. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department has examined the use of existing State financial data sources, such as income tax returns, to reduce the requirement for general practitioner visit card applicants to submit detailed financial information manually; and the legal, privacy and logistical implications of such an approach. [49421/25]
View answer352. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department has considered simplifying or removing non-essential expenses and outgoings in the means test, or increasing the threshold limits, to reduce the rate of disqualification of otherwise eligible general practitioner visit card applicants. [49422/25]
View answer353. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the financial, staffing and information technology resources that would be required to implement a streamlined general practitioner visit card application process; and whether there is an estimate of the likely benefits in terms of increased uptake and improved health outcomes. [49423/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 349 to 353, inclusive, together.
Eligibility for a GP visit card for those aged between 8 and 69 years of age is primarily based on financial assessment. In 2023, under the 2023 GMS GP Agreement, GP visit card eligibility based on financial assessment was expanded to all those earning up to the median household income. The Agreement also expanded GP visit card eligibility to all children under 8 years of age from all children under 6 years. All persons aged 70 years and over are also eligible for a GP visit card.
It is not possible to provide the current number of persons eligible for a GP visit card under the median household income expansion as the final assessment is based on personal circumstances. However, it was initially estimated 430,000 persons would be newly eligible under the median household income expansion, and 78,000 children aged 6 and 7 would be newly eligible under the under 8s expansion.
As of the start of September, there are 1,551,694 medical card holders and 766,069 GP visit card holders – an increase of 213,165 GP visit card holders since August 2023, prior to the commencement of both the under 8s and median household income GP visit card expansions.
The under 8s and median household income expansions were accompanied by an extensive and wide-ranging public information campaign to encourage eligible persons to take up the cards. Subsequent 6-week public information campaigns commenced in autumn last year and the same time this year.
In 2024, the HSE commissioned research, conducted with members of the public, to better understand why potentially eligible individuals may not have applied for a GP visit card. The findings of the research helped refine the subsequent public information campaigns to better encourage uptake of the means tested GP visit card.
A dedicated and simplified application process was made available through the HSE website for means tested GP visit card applications. While this does include some personal information and information regarding income and expenses, such information is necessary to validate the applicant’s eligibility for a GP visit card.
The granting of eligibility through means testing is considered an objective, fair and equitable approach to granting eligibility to persons with lower incomes. To be eligible for a means-tested GP visit card the applicant’s weekly net income must be below their qualifying financial threshold. The qualifying threshold calculation takes into consideration the applicant’s particular expenses as well as their income, allowing for those who have a higher income but who also experience high expenses to potentially qualify. This method helps to ensure that those with the least means to pay for GP services are eligible for GP care without charges. My Department and the HSE regularly examine ways in which application processes can be made simpler, including by linking applicants with financial information already available. However, this is not a straightforward process and it is not possible to do this at the present time.
Importantly, the research conducted found the application process to be considered easy to complete, to take less time than expected, to be straightforward and that it required minimum effort for most.
