Written Answers Nos. 867-886
867. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Health the number of staff recruited to deliver adult ADHD services in CHO7; the training provided to these staff; and the number of patients who have accessed the service since the funding allocation commenced. [65577/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
868. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in processing an application for a person (details supplied) under the Northen Ireland Planned Healthcare Scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65608/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
869. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health to urgently address the long wait time for urgent knee replacements for a person, as outlined in correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65610/25]
View answerUnder the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. The Minister for Health is prohibited from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
870. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if the HSE provides car safety harnesses or grants for car safety harnesses for children with disabilities and/or additional needs, such as ASD, as is done in other European countries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65615/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
871. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if she can ensure that person (details supplied) is transferred to a more suitable residential care facility as a matter of urgency. [65654/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
872. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Health the number of midwifery-led clinics operational in Galway currently; and the WTE staff levels in each clinic; and hours each clinic is operational for, in tabular form. [65656/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
873. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultants in respiratory medicine based at Galway University Hospital in 2023, 2024 and to-date in 2025, in tabular form. [65657/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
874. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Health the locations within CHO2 where HSE substance misuse teams are located; and the number of WTE staff, by job title working in each of those teams, in tabular form. [65658/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
875. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE speech and language therapists posts that were based at Loughrea primary care centre in 2024 and to-date in 2025, in tabular form. [65659/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
876. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE physiotherapists based at Gort health centre in 2024 and to-date in 2025, in tabular form. [65660/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
877. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE nurses based at Portiuncula University Hospital as of 10 November 2025; and if she will provide the same figures as of 10 November 2023, in tabular form. [65661/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
878. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE dietitians based at Athenry primary care centre in 2024 and to-date in 2025, in tabular form. [65662/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
879. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health if blister-packing of medications by pharmacists will be charged for in the near future (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65697/25]
View answer905. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health if the free pharmacist blister packing service will be available in January 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65900/25]
View answer906. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1825 of 4 November 2025, if she will insure that the most vulnerable and disadvantaged people that are incapable of safely and effectively managing their medication regimen, will not be impacted by the ceasing of free dispensing of prescription medication in blister packs in January 2026 (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65924/25]
View answer907. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health if there is an established set of criteria put in place to assist pharmacies when assessing eligibility to receive free dispensing of prescription medication in blister packs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65925/25]
View answer931. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health the reasons for the introduction of a charge for blister packaging by pharmacists from January 2026; if she acknowledges that many of the people who rely on this service live with serious medical conditions and have very limited income; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66130/25]
View answer932. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health if she will consider introducing financial supports or exemptions for patients who rely on blister packaging because of complex medical conditions, cognitive difficulties or disability, given that any additional charge would disproportionately impact those on low incomes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66131/25]
View answer933. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health if she will engage with the pharmacy sector to ensure that any changes to blister packaging provision do not reduce medication safety for vulnerable patients who depend on organised dosing systems; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66132/25]
View answer934. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health if her Department carried out any assessment of the financial or clinical impact of introducing a blister pack charge, particularly for older people and people with disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66133/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 879, 905, 906, 907, 931, 932, 933 and 934 together.
The Community Pharmacy Agreement 2025 was published on the 18th of September 2025, following the successful conclusion of negotiations with the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU). The Agreement is supported by a €75 million new investment across 2025 and 2026.
The Agreement marks a significant milestone in the strategic collaboration between the Department of Health, the Health Service Executive (HSE), and the IPU. It sets out a comprehensive and ongoing pathway to modernise and expand the role of community pharmacy in Ireland’s healthcare system.
The Agreement is available on the Department of Health’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-health/publications/community-pharmacy-agreement-2025/.
It is important to note that the Community Pharmacy Agreement 2025 does not remove phased dispensing.
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 monthly, 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 in the pharmacy 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 for medical card holders under the General Medical Services (GMS) 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;
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.
880. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health to urgently expedite assistance for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65701/25]
View answerUnder the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. The Minister for Health is prohibited from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
881. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the full projected impact of the proposed rise in the health-insurance levy for 2026; the expected increase in annual costs for adult and child policyholders; the total number of policyholders affected; the financial effect on families on modest incomes; the basis on which her Department approved the rise; whether any assessment was carried out on the effect on hospitals that rely on privately insured patients; and whether her Department examined options to reduce the levy or to introduce offsetting measures for policyholders. [65723/25]
View answer882. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the expected impact of the increase in stamp duty on health insurance policies from 1 April 2026; the number of adult and child policyholders affected on advanced and non-advanced plans; the average additional cost per policy per year; the projected extra revenue for the risk equalisation fund; and whether any assessment has been carried out on the effect on families on modest incomes who already face premium increases from insurers. [65736/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 881 and 882 together.
The Minister for Health is responsible for the legal framework governing the health insurance market in Ireland. This is a voluntary market operating under the principles of community rating, open enrolment, lifetime cover and minimum benefit. Community rating ensures that everyone can buy the same policy at the same price, regardless of age, gender or health status.
Community rating is enabled through the Risk Equalisation Scheme. Under the Scheme funds are redistributed in the form of credits to compensate insurers for the additional cost of insuring older and sicker members. The credits are funded by a stamp duty levy which is payable by health insurance providers for each health insurance policy issued.
Each year, the Health Insurance Authority analyses the market and makes recommendations on the credit and stamp duty amounts to the Minister for Health. The Minister for Health approves the updated risk equalisation credits and requests the Minister for Finance to approve the corresponding stamp duties required to fund the credits. Approved credits and stamp duty amounts should have a neutral impact on the Risk Equalisation Fund i.e. it should neither produce a surplus nor a deficit. The stamp duty levy relates solely to the operation of the Risk Equalisation Scheme.
Various options for resetting credits and corresponding stamp duties were considered. The level of credits and stamp duty approved was deemed necessary to ensure the continued sustainability of community rating and adequate support for insurers with higher-risk customers.
If the stamp duty levy was not approved this would leave a deficit in the Risk Equalisation Scheme Fund which would then either have to be funded through higher increases in stamp duty in future years or directly by the Government.
Private health insurance companies operate as commercial entities in a competitive market. The Minister does not have a role in the commercial decision-making of insurers and cannot direct pricing or coverage beyond prescribing minimum benefit requirements under the Health Insurance Acts.
Premium setting is a matter for insurers, who consider multiple factors including claims experience, benefit changes, and operating costs. While increases to stamp duties may affect insurance premium costs, stamp duty is a ring-fenced contribution to the Risk Equalisation Fund and supports the credits to enable fairness and sustainability in the private health insurance market.
There are currently 1,769,340 adults and 496,140 children on advanced plans, as well as 133,176 adults and 37,344 children on non-advanced plans. Stamp duty is not automatically applied to each health insurance premium. Insurers decide how to build it into their pricing structures across their portfolio of policy types. For this reason, it is not possible to answer the Deputy’s questions about additional costs per policy or financial impact on families. These decisions are commercial and vary by insurer and product.
To support policy holders, tax relief at source is available on medical or dental insurance policies under the provisions of section 470 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997. Income tax relief is granted at the standard rate of tax (currently 20%), subject to certain limitations, on the amount of the premium that covers benefits which are the reimbursement or discharge of health expenses within the meaning of section 469 TCA 1997 (health expenses tax relief).
883. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the main cost drivers behind the need for a supplementary estimate for the health budget in 2025, by acute hospitals, primary care, agency staffing, and temporary schemes; the specific management or efficiency measures introduced to control these costs; and the means by which the Department will ensure that further overspends in 2026 do not lead to new charges or indirect increases in costs for patients and health insurance customers. [65737/25]
View answerThe 2025 Supplementary Estimate is mainly driven by:
Acute hospitals – driven by overspends on pay costs, particularly the higher usage of agency and overtime, combined with the impact of reductions in private income arising from Public Only Consultant Contract; also includes additional funding to cover higher costs and accounting deficits in voluntary hospitals.
Primary Care Reimbursement Service (PCRS) – driven by overspends on non-payroll costs (drugs and medicines), particularly due to higher numbers of medical cards, reimbursements under the drug payments scheme costs, and HSE direct expenditure on high-tech drugs.
The forecasted deficit for Primary Care of €15m is primarily driven by non-pay pressures, arising from an increase in demand plus inflationary price increases (the non-pay inflation rate in Primary Care is estimated at 4.6%, based on year-on-year growth from 2024 to 2025).
Agency spend in 2025 is forecast to be approximately €800 million, up 9% on 2024. Approximately 3.3% of this increase is due to wage inflation under public sector pay agreements, with the remainder related to combination of increases in volume (more hours worked) and mix (higher proportion of agency worked by higher paid agency staff, such as doctors, IT specialists and lower proportion on clerical staff).
By staff category, most of the agency cost of €609.4 million incurred to date to September 2025 is for Support staff €197.8 million (33%) and Nurses €151.9 million (25%).
By Service Area, agency is used most frequently in Acute Services €314.9 million (52%), Older Persons €104.3 million (17%) and Mental Health €92.6 million (15%).
The overspends in agency costs were offset by lower expenditure on National/Corporate primarily driven by under-recruitment as budget for new posts has historically been held centrally until the posts are in place, as well as lower expenditure on the State Claims Agency arising from a lower volume of high-cost claims.
There are no temporary schemes in 2025.
The Productivity and Savings Taskforce was set up to drive savings and productivity efficiency measures across the HSE. It is chaired by the Secretary General and CEO of the HSE. The Taskforce is a key reform initiative for the Health service, which focuses on implementation of existing and new additional reforms with a particular emphasis on value for money and better services within our existing resources. There are no plans for new charges or indirect increases for patients in 2026.
884. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the approved whole-time equivalent staffing levels for Arbour House, St Finbarr’s Hospital, for each year 2023, 2024 and 2025, broken down by role, and the number of posts that remain unfilled in each year. [65758/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the HSE to respond to the deputy as soon as possible.
885. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the average number of service users assigned to each addiction counsellor in Arbour House in each of the years 2023, 2024 and 2025. [65759/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the HSE to respond to the deputy as soon as possible.
886. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of service users waiting for an initial assessment in Arbour House who have been waiting more than 12 weeks, more than 24 weeks and more than 36 weeks. [65760/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the HSE to respond to the deputy as soon as possible
