Written Answers Nos. 301-323
301. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Health which of the community health organisations within the HSE offer specific mental health services for members of the Travelling community; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55655/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
303. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the funding in Budget 2026 that was allocated to local drug and alcohol taskforces; the funding for the previous five years; in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55676/25]
View answerThe Department of Health and HSE provides €28m in funding to approximately 280 projects under the remit of the 24 drug and alcohol task forces that operate throughout the country in defined geographical areas. The Department engages with key stakeholders in the network of drug and alcohol task forces and takes input on the level of need in local communities, from those service providers working in the community. This in turn informs decision-making relating to the allocation of funding and provision of services.
Budget 2026 provided an additional €11 million in recurring funding for drugs and inclusion health services. The allocation includes €4 million for service enhancement measures and will address regional disparities in availability of drug and inclusion health services, with a strong focus on the provision of services in disadvantaged and rural areas. It also aims to enhance prevention measures, including through early intervention measures to improve child health and wellbeing.
Further details, including a Budget factsheet, are available here: [Copy of Budget 2024] (https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/6e56264b/Budget_2026_Factsheet_for_National_Drugs_Strategy_and_inclusion_health.pdf) .
The additional funding I have secured for 2026 will address disparities in the availability of and access to drugs and inclusion health services across the six HSE health regions.
304. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health the reason there is no acute asthma management plan in place, in and being adhered to in University College Hospital Galway; or if there is such a plan, if she could provide a copy of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55678/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
305. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if she will reconsider the decision to introduce a €5 weekly charge per patient for blister pack preparation from January 2026, in light of the impact this will have on elderly patients, many of whom rely on blister packs to safely manage complex medication routines; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55679/25]
View answerThe Community Pharmacy Agreement 2025 does not remove phased dispensing nor does it introduce a €5 weekly charge per patient.
Phased dispensing was introduced in 1996 for patient safety reasons. The supply of medication in instalments can support patients prescribed certain high-risk medications who are at risk of medication misadventure if these medications were to be supplied on a monthly basis, as is the norm under the community drug schemes. Where a phased dispensing claim is submitted, the current requirement is that an item must be dispensed across multiple supply occasions. Community pharmacies receive additional payments in respect of phased dispensing.
Monitored Dosing Systems are systems that enable the individual medicine doses to be organised according to the prescribed dose schedule. These are sometimes referred to as blister packs. The State has never agreed to fund Monitored Dosing Systems.
However, a practice has built up whereby the use of Monitored Dosing Systems are charged as if for phased dispensing. The State has never agreed to this. Phased claiming was never intended to be used to submit claims in lieu of the provision of Monitored Dosing Systems.
Whilst Monitored Dosing Systems may have a role for some patients there is significant uncertainty around the robustness of the evidence supporting its use. The National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics carried out an evidence assessment which indicated that the evidence was, at best, equivocal to support such a programme.
Significant expenditure is therefore being incurred where it was never intended by the State. It has been agreed to introduce improved controls in this regard and to limit the use of phased dispensing to specified high risk drugs, where a patient safety concern may exist.
Phased dispensing support is currently available under the GMS (medical card) Scheme for the following reasons:
• Reason 1 - at the request of a patient's physician.
• Reason 2 - due to the inherent nature of a medicinal product i.e. product stability and shelf life.
• Reason 3 - where a patient is commencing new drug therapy with a view to establishing patient tolerance and acceptability before continuing on a full treatment regime.
• Reason 4 - in exceptional circumstances where the patient is incapable of safely and effectively managing the medication regimen.
Under the Community Pharmacy Agreement 2025, from January 2026, phased dispensing under reason 1 and 4 will be limited to a defined set of high-risk medication classes. These are:
• Psychotropics;
• Opioids;
• Codeine; and
• Pregabalin and gabapentin.
The approved list of medications under these classes will be provided by the HSE in due course.
For reasons 1 and 4, by focusing phased dispensing reimbursement on the medication categories on the approved list, phased dispensing payments can be targeted to medications with the highest risk or potential for misuse.
Phased dispensing fees will remain payable as per current arrangements under reasons 2 and 3 and will not be subject to the approved list.
The salient point here is that appropriate phased dispensing is not being removed in this Agreement.
The introduction of improved controls around phased dispensing is being done in a way which puts patient safety first and allows the State to repurpose €20m of funding to be used to implement new patient-centred services.
It remains open to pharmacies to charge patients for the use of Monitored Dosing Systems as a private service.
306. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Health if her Department is using agentic AI in the delivery of its services or operations; if it is considering the use of agentic AI, and in what contexts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55700/25]
View answerMy Department is not currently using agentic AI in the delivery of its services or operations. There is an approved policy on the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence which is based on recommendations from the National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) Cyber Security Guidance on Generative AI for Public Sector Bodies and DPENDR’s Interim Guidelines for Use of AI in the Public Service.
A pilot implementation regarding possible use cases of Gen AI, including improved efficiency and productivity is currently under way. This will inform decisions regarding the potential use of Gen AI in the future.
307. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Health to provide the direct web links to the All Agencies Prompt Payments Returns for Q2 2019 through Q4 2020 (details supplied). [55724/25]
View answerPrompt payment reports from Q2 2019 through to Q4 2020 are available at the following link Department of Health Prompt Payment – Agencies
308. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to including fees charged by nursing homes for social events to be included in an allowable deduction under the fair deal scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55725/25]
View answerThe Fair Deal Scheme, officially the Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS), covers the cost of the standard components of long-term residential care which are:
• Nursing and personal care appropriate to the level of care needs of the person
• Bed and board
• Basic aids and appliances necessary to assist the person with the activities of daily living
• Laundry service.
It excludes other costs such as therapies, more specialised aids and appliances, social activities, transport and individual items and services such as specialised laundry, newspapers and hairdressing. Some of these items were excluded from the definition of long-term residential care because they relate to services covered under the medical card or other eligibility schemes.
Other services such as specialised laundry, hairdressing, therapies, newspapers and hairdressing were excluded as these are discretionary charges that should only be applied when the resident chooses to avail of the service. Typically, social charges are levied on all residents to cover the cost of activities.
Part 7 of the Health Act 2007 (Care and Welfare of Residents in Designated Centres for Older People) Regulations 2013 (as amended) stipulates that the registered provider of the nursing home must agree a contract in writing with each resident on their admission to the nursing home. This contract must include details of the services to be provided to that resident and the fees to be charged and is inclusive of all additional charges. Residents should never be charged fees which are not set out in the contract. Prospective residents should examine this contract carefully to ensure they understand the details of additional charges that they may be required to pay. Prospective residents are also advised to retain a copy of the contract for information for their records.
The Department of Health and the HSE are not a party to such contracts which are concluded between each resident and their nursing home. It is clear that under the terms of the NHSS Act 2009, private nursing homes should not levy additional charges on NHSS residents for services coming within scope of the Nursing Home Support Scheme.
The Department of Health is consistently seeking to identify improvements and introduce enhancements to ensure that long-term nursing home care is sustainable, accessible and affordable for everyone and that people continue to be cared for in the most appropriate settings. The issue of additional charges is multifaceted; there are a number of separate factors driving this issue. Currently, the Department of Health is reviewing the available evidence and potential actions to address the different factors are being considered.
309. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if she will review the case of a person (details supplied) who has a severe visual impairment and a neurological muscular condition that affects his ability to walk, and who has been awaiting a suitable wheelchair and power assist device since 2023; if the Minister will investigate the repeated delays and lack of communication from the HSE occupational therapy service in Cavan; if steps can be taken to ensure this person receives the correct equipment and support without further delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55753/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
310. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the reason the HSE applies such short timeframes for parents or guardians to return additional information forms requested after a referral has been made for a child to child mental health services; if she accepts this practice can cause distress to families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55782/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
311. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Health when the HSE primary care child psychology service in Dublin west was paused; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55783/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
312. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the recruitment efforts being undertaken to ensure the primary care child psychology service in Dublin west can be reopened; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55784/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
313. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the number of child psychologist vacancies which exist in the primary care child psychology service in Dublin west; if these are currently being recruited for; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55785/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
314. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the number of children which have been referred to the primary care child psychology service in Dublin west in the past year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55786/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
315. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the number of children that were referred to the primary care child psychology service in Dublin west in the past year but not placed on the service waitlist; the number deemed not in need of these services; the number whose parents subsequently indicated that they were not consenting to the service; the number removed from the list due to non-response to a HSE request for additional information, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55787/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
316. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the number of children currently on the waitlist for primary care child psychology services in Dublin west; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55788/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
317. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the number of graduates which were in the academic year 2024-2025 through the sponsorship scheme for public health nurses; the number which were located in the Dublin south city and west integrated health area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55789/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
318. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the number of nurses who have been accepted onto the 2025-2026 sponsorship scheme for public health nurses; the number of those who are located in the Dublin south city and west integrated health area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55790/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
319. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Health for a progress report on the recruitment of CDNT staff in teams 6 Palmerstown, 4 Clondalkin, 5 Rossecourt, 8 Chamber House; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55791/25]
View answerThis is a matter for Department of Children, Disability and Equality and should be redirected to that Department.
320. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Health the number of registered general practitioners, by county from 2022 to 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55792/25]
View answerGPs are self-employed practitioners, most of whom hold a contract(s) with the HSE for the provision of health services on its behalf. Currently there are 2,576 GPs contracted to provide services under the GMS Scheme, and there are a further 634 GPs that do not hold a GMS contract but hold at least one other contract with the HSE for the provision of health services.
As the question relates to service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly in regard to HSE contracted GPs, as soon as possible.
321. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Health the average ambulance response times in County Kildare for each year from 2022 to 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55793/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
322. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Health the number of home care hours delivered in County Kildare from 2022 to 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55794/25]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
323. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if she will intervene to facilitate the return of historic human remains from the Royal College of Surgeons to a family (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55803/25]
View answer357. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if she will intervene to facilitate the return of historic human remains from the Royal College of Surgeons to the family; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56035/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 323 and 357 together.
The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) is an independent organisation and not under the remit of my Department. I encourage those involved to continue to engage with RCSI on this matter with the hope of reaching a resolution.
