Written Answers Nos. 524-547
524. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to publish the underlying actuarial modelling, market projections, and equality assessment used by the Health Insurance Authority in recommending the 2026 stamp-duty increases; and to detail the Department’s own evaluation of affordability risks for policyholders with low or modest incomes. [68918/25]
View answer525. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has conducted an impact study on the effect of increased stamp duty on private health insurance on hospitals that rely on privately insured patients for elective activity, including expected reductions in private-patient throughput. [68919/25]
View answer532. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the projected total revenue in 2026 from the stamp-duty increase on health-insurance policies, as approved under the Risk Equalisation Scheme; and to provide the Department’s modelling of the expected impact on the Risk Equalisation Fund balance. [68927/25]
View answer533. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department prepared any distributional analysis of the levy increase on households earning between €30,000 and €70,000, including the estimated annual cost per policyholder for adults and children used in internal decision-making. [68928/25]
View answer534. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Department conducted any assessment of the potential impact of higher levies on private hospital activity levels, including projected changes in insured patient volumes for 2026 and the expected financial effect on hospitals. [68929/25]
View answer535. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to publish the Health Insurance Authority’s underlying modelling for the 2026 levy recommendation, including the sensitivity tests relating to premium increases and policyholder retention. [68930/25]
View answer536. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any options were considered to mitigate the effect of the levy increase on policyholders, including phased introduction, reduced levies for child policies, or offsetting measures through tax relief adjustments. [68931/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 524, 525, 532, 533, 534, 535 and 536 together.
As Minister for Health, I am 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. In a risk-rated market, older and sicker people would pay much more for health insurance than they do in a community-rated market.
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 paid into the Scheme by health insurance providers for each 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. I approve the updated risk equalisation credits and request the Minister for Finance to approve the corresponding stamp duties required to fund the credits. The risk equalisation credits and stamp duty levies are carefully calibrated to ensure that the Risk Equalisation Fund is self-funding and does not require funds from the Exchequer. The stamp duty levy relates solely to the operation of the Risk Equalisation Scheme.
The Health Insurance Authority’s recommendation for the 2026 stamp duty was based on the actuarial modelling and market analysis contained in its Autumn RES Report (Report of the Authority to the Minister for Health on an evaluation and analysis of returns from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025). This report includes an evaluation and analysis of information collected by the HIA from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025. The Health Insurance Authority considered various approaches in making its recommendation to the Minister for Health. This report will be published on the Health Insurance Authority website shortly, subject to the redaction of commercially sensitive information.
In respect of policies to be written between 1 April 2026 and 31 March 2027, it is projected that €1,020 million in credits will be paid out of the Risk Equalisation Scheme. The level of credits and stamp duty was deemed necessary to ensure the continued sustainability of community rating and adequate support for insurers with higher-risk customers.
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 needed to enable fairness and sustainability in the voluntary private health insurance market. 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.
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. Non-advanced contracts mainly cover treatment in public hospitals. They provide a more basic level of cover and are generally less expensive. Advanced contracts offer a higher level of cover, including access to private hospitals and additional benefits. There are 4 different rates of stamp duty depending on whether the policy is advanced or non-advanced and whether the customer is an adult or a child. The rates for non-advanced policies and children are lower, reflecting lower levels of claims.
To support policyholders, tax relief at source is also available on medical or dental insurance policies under 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.
The Department monitors market trends and coverage levels through quarterly data published by the Health Insurance Authority. As of Quarter 3 2025, 2.54 million people hold private health insurance in Ireland, representing an increase of 13,166 from Quarter 2. Year-on-year growth stands at 1.2%. These figures indicate continued stability in the insured population.
The Health Insurance Authority does not collect household earnings data on people with private health insurance, and is not in a position to conduct any distributional analysis of the levy increase or assess affordability risks for policyholders/households with specific incomes.
526. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health when the HSE will provide the full breakdown of approved whole-time equivalent posts and filled posts in Arbour House for 2023, 2024 and 2025; and to confirm whether staffing plans for 2024 and 2025 have been met or remain in deficit. [68920/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
528. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has instructed the HSE to provide monthly reports on 2024 development posts filled by temporary or agency staff; and the date on which these data will be supplied to the Oireachtas as requested. [68922/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
529. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health when she last met senior HSE officials regarding delays in pre-employment clearances for 2024 development posts, the specific actions now underway to shorten clearance timelines; and the monthly KPIs introduced to monitor improvements. [68923/25]
View answerCurrently the HSE does not have a KPI against which to measure levels of stages of recruitment, due to multiple data systems. The implementation of new data systems will assist in bring all this data together. HSE Regional management have the necessary information available to them to manage their recruitment processes locally as this is a delegated activity with the HSE.
530. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of funded 2024 posts that remained unfilled as a direct result of the employment control measures applied in 2024 and 2025, the projected timeframe to lift remaining restrictions; and the expected date for full staffing against approved WTE levels. [68924/25]
View answerOf the 3,310 additional posts required to support new initiatives agreed in the 2024 Budget settlement, 818 remain to be recruited at the end of October 2025.
In July 2024 the recruitment embargo that was in place at the time was lifted. Currently, there are no restrictions on recruitment other than the obligations to stay within WTE and funding limits.
Filling vacancies is an operational issue and involves the filling of other vacancies that arise as a knock-on effect of filling the initial vacancy. Between the normal process of retiring, transferring, leaving and being promoted there will always be unfilled posts.
531. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to publish the current national performance against all monthly recruitment KPIs for replacement vacancies and development posts, including the KPI governing the elimination of the 6,852 funded WTE staffing gap reported in September 2025; and to provide the Department’s expected timeline to close this gap. [68925/25]
View answerCurrently the HSE does not have a KPI against which rates of recruitment are measured. Filling of vacancies is an operational issue and involves filling of other vacancies that arise as a knock-on effect of filling the initial vacancy. Between the normal process of retiring, transferring, leaving and being promoted there will always be unfilled posts.
537. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health her plans to increase staff for the public health nurse network in an area (details supplied) given the cessation of child development checks due to staff shortages; if her Department plans to ensure adequate and sustained funding and staffing at the location to ensure community health services are available; when full child health and developmental screening services will be reinstated at the centre; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68948/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
538. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Health the availability of ultrasound imaging services in publicly funded acute hospitals; the hospitals which do not provide ultrasound on either/both a seven-day and out-of-hours basis; and for how long each such hospital has been without weekend and/or out-of-hours ultrasound, in tabular form. [68960/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
539. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health if dupilumab will be made available through the HSE for the treatment of juvenile eosinophilic oesophagitis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68978/25]
View answerUnder the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on the pricing and reimbursement of medicines and medical devices; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
540. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to allowing older persons to apply for a medical card through their local community welfare officer, in light of the significant difficulties many older persons experience in completing the required paperwork and navigating the current application process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68981/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
541. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health to outline any engagement her Department has had with the Irish Pharmacy Union to encourage the use of European made pharmaceuticals wherever possible; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68984/25]
View answerThe medical decision to prescribe or not prescribe any treatment for an individual patient is strictly a decision for the treating clinician, in consultation with their patient. Similarly, the decision to dispense or not dispense a prescribed medicine, is a decision made by individual pharmacists in the exercise of their professional judgement. The Minister for Health has no role in either decision-making process including the sourcing of medicinal products.
Negotiations are currently ongoing between EU member states on the Critical Medicines Act which includes tools to leverage the full potential of the EU single market, to encourage manufacturing activity in the EU and to boost EU competitiveness.
542. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health her views on the merits of establishing a priority for the acquisition of EU made pharmaceuticals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68985/25]
View answerIn relation to the procurement of medicines the Department of Health does not have a role in the procurement of any medicine under the EU Procurement Directive 2014/24/EU. The directive applies to the procurement of medicines using public funds.
It outlines the rules for competitive tendering, transparency, and equal treatment of all suppliers. These guidelines must be followed when purchasing medicines for health systems in Europe.
Negotiations are currently ongoing between member states on the Critical Medicines Act which includes tools to leverage the full potential of the EU single market, encourage manufacturing activity in the EU and boost EU competitiveness.
543. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health to detail any research carried out by her Department into ending the acquisition of Israeli made pharmaceuticals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68986/25]
View answerIn relation to the procurement of medicines the Department of Health does not have a role in the procurement of any medicine under the EU Procurement Directive 2014/24/EU. The directive applies to the procurement of medicines using public funds.
It outlines the rules for competitive tendering, transparency, and equal treatment of all suppliers. These guidelines must be followed when purchasing medicines for health systems in Europe.
544. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if a performance and evaluation framework has been approved for the National Demonstration Park for Modern Methods of Construction at Mount Lucas, including baseline data, target indicators, and reporting mechanisms; and if not, to explain why construction has proceeded in the absence of defined metrics. [68903/25]
View answerIn order to help the adoption of innovative solutions in housing delivery, the Government’s Housing for All and the Roadmap for Increased Adoption of MMC in Public Housing Delivery detailed a National Demonstration Park for MMC as a deliverable.
Located at the National Construction Training Campus in Mount Lucas, the Park will serve as a national hub to showcase MMC housing and systems. The Park will be central to advancing the take-up of MMC in Ireland as a physical showcase for these technologies and processes.
The project is being led by the Laois–Offaly Education and Training Board (LOETB), which manages the National Construction Training Campus, and which also delivers relevant MMC course provision.
Underlining the unique nature of the project, joint ministerial approval for completion of Phase 1 was granted by Minister Lawless, Minister Burke and Minister Browne in March 2025 and I was delighted to attend the official breaking of the ground ceremony in June 2025.
The Project Advisory Group is co-chaired by SOLAS and LOETB and comprised of my Department; Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment; Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage; SOLAS, and LOETB.
This group fulfils the role of ‘Steering Group’ as per the Capital Works Management Framework project hierarchy requirements. The Approving / Sanctioning Authority (DFHERIS) has devolved the role of overseeing the project to the Project Advisory Group, as per section 3.2 of the CWMF Guidance Note 1.1.
Under this arrangement, LOETB (as the contracting authority) brings proposed actions to the Advisory Group for review by the three Departments (as the funders) and SOLAS (as the funding authority). The Group recommends actions to DFHERIS or requests more information in order to make a recommendation. LOETB then progresses the project in line with existing established capital project management process between the capital units of SOLAS and DFHERIS.
Construction of the Demonstration Park is progressing, with the enabling groundworks for Phase 1 on track for completion by year end. These initial construction activities have been carried out onsite to prepare for the MMC units and are essential to ensure that the site is safe, stable, and ready for further development.
The first of the demonstration units to be built as part of the Phase One of the Park are projected to be onsite in Q1 2026, with activity scaling throughout 2026.
The development of the Park is aligned with the Government’s broader MMC ambitions, which, through my Department, includes the rollout of the Skillnet MMC Accelerate online platform in February 2025 and the launch of an MMC Action Plan in June 2025 to address the skills needs identified by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN).
At the same time, my Department is working with partners to develop a wider plan for development of the Campus as a whole, including, now, the Demonstration Park. This will ensure sound investment in these facilities, fully aligned with achieving Government targets.
545. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if students attending private tutorial colleges (details supplied) are eligible to apply for SUSI grants; the criteria governing eligibility for students enrolled in such institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68926/25]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware SUSI supports which are governed by the Student Grant Scheme are only for students in further and higher education. The college in question caters for post primary students in 5th, 6th and repeat 6th year and therefore does not meet the eligibility requirements of the Student Grant Scheme.
546. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Barry Heneghan den Aire Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail, agus Gaeltachta an bhfuil sé sásta an chumhacht reachtúil a thabhairt d’Údarás na Gaeltachta atá i mBille Údarás na Gaeltachta chun talamh agus réadmhaoin a cheannach ar mhaithe le tithíocht, seirbhísí, áiseanna sóisialta nó cultúrtha a chur ar fáil; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [68857/25]
View answerChríochnaigh an Bille um Údarás na Gaeltachta (Leasú) 2024 Céim an Choiste i nDáil Éireann níos túisce i mbliana. Tógfar an Bille ag Céim na Tuarascála in am trátha. Leanfar leis an mbille a chur tríd an bpróiseas reachtach agus na leasuithe a bhí luaite agam ag Céim an Choiste a thabhairt chun cinn.
Is é athbhunú toghcháin chuig bord an Údaráis an príomhchuspóir atá i gceist le Bille Údarás na Gaeltachta (Leasú) 2024 agus tá sé i gceist ról tanaisteach maidir le soláthar tithíocht sa Ghaeltacht a bhronnadh ar an eagraíocht chomh maith. Chuige sin, déantar leasú sa Bhille ar Alt 8 den phríomh-acht, sin í Acht Údarás na Gaeltachta, 1979, agus cuirtear an méid seo a leanas san áireamh:
Féadfaidh an tÚdarás talamh a dhíol le comhlacht tithíochta ceadaithe (de réir bhrí Acht na dTithe (Comhlachtaí Tithíochta Ceadaithe a Rialáil), 2019) nó le húdarás tithíochta (de réir bhrí Acht na dTithe (Forálacha Ilghnéitheacha), 1992), nó a dhiúscairt ar shlí eile chuig an gcéanna, chun tithíocht a sholáthar sa Ghaeltacht.
Ó achtú Acht na Gaeltachta 2012, féadfaidh an tÚdarás cibé scéimeanna, tionscadail, cláir agus saoráidí is cuí leis a sheoladh, a rialú agus a bhainistiú sa Ghaeltacht i leith fhorbairt teanga, chultúir, shóisialta, fhisiciúil agus eacnamaíoch na Gaeltachta. Tá cumhachtaí leathan, mar sin, ag Údarás na Gaeltachta mar a bhaineann sé le seirbhísí ar leith a chur ar fáil sa Ghaeltacht.
Tá obair thábhachtach ar bun ag Údarás na Gaeltachta ar mhaithe le fóstaíocht a chur ar fáil do phobal na Gaeltachta agus ní bheadh sé cuí aon rud a dhéanamh a laghdódh an bhéim atá ag an eagraíocht ar chomhlíonadh an róil sin. Dá bharr seo, níl i gceist agam aon fhorálacha breise seachas an méid atá sa Bhille cheana féin maidir le cúrsaí tithíochta a chur san áireamh sa Bhille agus é ag dul tríd an Oireachtas.
547. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht when he will announce the grants for community centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68990/25]
View answerSince becoming Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, I have prioritised investment in community infrastructure. As part of Budget 2026, I was delighted to announce increased funding for the programmes that are delivering on this priority. This includes an increase in the annual budget for the Community Centre Investment Fund (CCIF) by €3 million to €20 million.
The CCIF was introduced to provide high quality, accessible, community spaces that are available to all groups in all communities in both rural and urban areas. Some €110 million has been allocated since 2022 for the enhancement and refurbishment of existing community centres and the construction of new centres where such a need has been identified.
The last tranche of announcements was in respect of category 2 projects under the 2024 refurbishment measure, in March this year I approved funding of over €26 million for almost 370 projects providing funding of up to €100,000 for enhancement works to existing community centres.
I am committed to delivering further iterations of the fund in the coming years in line with the commitment in the Programme for Government for this to become a permanent rolling fund.
