Written Answers Nos. 365-385
365. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of older people awaiting a home help package in Kerry, by area and by length of time, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72942/25]
View answerWhile home support services for people with disabilities fall under my remit as Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, home help as it relates to older persons services is a matter for my cabinet colleague, the Minister for Health.
As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
366. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of vacancies that exist in CDNTs in County Kerry, by CDNT region, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72943/25]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
367. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the actions her Department will take to address the shortage of creche places in north Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73058/25]
View answerImproving access to quality and affordable Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare is a key priority of Government.
Early learning and childcare capacity is increasing. Data from the Annual Early Years Sector Profile 2023/24 shows that the estimated number of enrolments increased by approximately 19% from the 2021/22 programme year. However, it appears that demand for early learning and childcare remains higher than available supply in certain parts of the country, particularly for younger children.
A Forward Planning and Delivery Unit in this Department is progressing an important programme of work focused on identifying areas of need, forecasting demand, and planning for the delivery of public supply within the early learning and childcare sector where required.
The Department continues to support the ongoing development and resourcing of Core Funding which has given rise to a significant expansion of places since the scheme was first introduced. Core Funding, which is in its fourth programme year, funds services based on the number of places available.
This provides stability to services, and reduces the risk associated with opening a new service or expanding an already existing service. For the third programme year (2024/25), the allocation for Core Funding allowed for a 6% increase in capacity. Budget 2025 secured funding for the fourth programme year (2025/6) to facilitate a further 3.5% increase from September 2025. Budget 2026 has made provision for the fifth programme year (2026/7) for a further expansion in supply of 4.2%.
This increased investment will allow increases in the natural growth of the sector driven both by new services joining the sector and existing services offering more places and/or longer hours to families.
The Government is also supporting the expansion of capacity through capital funding. The Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme is designed to increase capacity in the 1–3-year-old, pre–Early Childhood Care and Education, age range for full day care. Core Funding Partner Services could apply for capital funding to physically extend their premises or to construct or purchase new premises.
Capital funding allocated to the early learning and childcare sector under the National Development Plan has enabled significant investment in early learning and childcare. This allows existing Core Funding Partner Services to extend their existing premises or, in the case of community services, to construct or purchase new premises. The Scheme will deliver up to 1,500 full-day care places for 1- to 3-year-olds which will begin coming on stream from 2026. Two services in North Kildare are working to complete the legal formalities for the scheme.
The Programme for Government commits for the first time to provide capital investment to build or purchase state-owned early learning and childcare facilities, to create additional capacity in areas where unmet need exists. State ownership of facilities is a very substantial and significant development and offers the potential for much greater scope to influence the nature and volume of provision available and to ensure better alignment with estimated demand. This work will be supported through capital investment under the revised National Development Plan.
As announced in the context of Budget 2026, €36 million will be available in 2026 for early learning and childcare capital programmes. This will include investment in new buildings through the State-led early learning and childcare programme, investment in expansion of existing early learning and childcare operators through the Building Blocks scheme and a number of quality initiatives including supports to childminders.
The Department funds 30 City/County Childcare Committees, which provide support and assist families and early learning and childcare providers. The network of 30 City/County Childcare Committees across the country can assist in identifying vacant places in services for children and families who need them and engage proactively with services to explore possibilities for expansion among services, particularly where there is unmet need.
Parents experiencing difficulty in relation to their early learning and childcare needs should contact their local City/County Childcare Committee for assistance. Contact details for the Kildare County Childcare Committee may be found at www.kccc.ie.
368. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if funding awarded to organisations through the Children’s Disability Grant Fund has been received by the organisations; to provide details of the amounts awarded; if no funds have yet been awarded, when all successful applicants will receive their award; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73103/25]
View answerAs this question refers to funding matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
369. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if TUSLA intends on maintaining its services at Liberty Street House, Liberty Street, Cork city; whether she is aware of any upcoming changes to its service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73119/25]
View answerAs this question relates to operational information held by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, the question has been referred to the Agency to reply directly to the Deputy.
370. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the projected number of children on the waiting list for assessment of needs by the end of 2025; her Department’s plans to clear this waiting list; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73272/25]
View answerThe Government recognises that there are unacceptable delays in accessing Assessments of Need. The Department and the HSE are committed to addressing these delays.
It is important to note that children do not require an Assessment of Need to access health services, including Primary Care, Children’s Disability Network Teams or Mental Health Services. However, the number of Assessment of Need applications has increased significantly in recent years, with applications this year expected to be in excess of 11,000 compared to 4,700 in 2020.
There has been a noted improvement in the number of completed applications in recent years with over 4,100 completed in 2024, an increase of 30% compared to 2023. This trend is continuing this year, with a 57% increase in completed assessments in the first nine months of the year compared to the same period in 2024.
This improvement has been achieved by a number of measures, including the Assessment of Need Targeted Waitlist Initiative which focuses on those families waiting longest for Assessments of Need. Under this Initiative, the HSE procures clinical assessments from approved private providers. Over 6,300 clinical assessments have been commissioned from private providers since the Initiative started in June 2024. Budget 2026 provides for the continuation of this Initiative next year with €20 million provided for the delivery of some 6,000 clinical assessments.
Despite this, the number of applications overdue for completion has grown and the HSE has estimated that over 22,000 applications will be overdue by the end of 2025.
On December 9th, Government announced a series of reforms to the Assessment of Need process which will make the process more effective and efficient for children and families and move towards more assessments being delivered within the statutory 6-month timeframe.
These reforms will include legislative changes to Part 2 of the Disability Act 2005, which addresses Assessment of Need. These changes will not remove any rights for parents to apply for an Assessment of Need for their child, nor will they alter the statutory six-month timeline set out in the Disability Act.
The Department is working with the HSE to identify further opportunities to enhance processes, improve training, and increase administrative supports for HSE Assessment Officers who are responsible for the production of assessment reports. This includes the establishment of working groups to address learning and development needs and to develop statutory guidelines.
The provision of an effective and efficient Assessment of Need system continues to be a priority for the Government.
371. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Health if she will intervene to ensure that patients are not charged for blister packs of medications prepared by pharmacists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72621/25]
View answer374. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health if she will introduce a scheme to cover the costs associated with blister packs, as the majority of senior citizens simply cannot afford this payment and are already struggling with the cost-of-living crisis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72677/25]
View answer391. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if the HSE will provide State funding for the preparation of blister packs in pharmacies to ensure that elderly and vulnerable patients who depend heavily on this service for their health are not impacted financially; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72796/25]
View answer398. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on a matter regarding blister packaging (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72860/25]
View answer410. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health if she will ensure that funding for blister packing services will continue as this has been an important support for many people in ill health, as outlined in correspondence from persons who rely on this service to sort their medicine (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73036/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 371, 374, 391, 398 and 410 together.
Monitored Dosage Systems, known as “blister packs” or compliance aids, are systems that enable the individual medicine doses for any medication to be organised according to the prescribed dose schedule. These are ordinarily provided once a month and packaged to indicate when medication should be taken.
The State has never agreed to fund this and there has never been a fee associated with monitored dosage systems under the Pharmacy contract. This has always been the case and has been repeated in several HSE circulars to pharmacists.
I recognise that for certain patients, or their carers, the use of blister packs to simplify adherence with their dosage schedule can be helpful and they rely heavily on the provision of these products.
However, it is important to recognise that phased dispensing and blister packing are not the same thing. The State funds phased dispensing for medical card holders. It does not, however, fund Monitored Dosage Systems.
The community pharmacy contract has supported phased dispensing since 1996 for patient safety reasons and will continue to do so. Phased dispensing requires the patient to present to the pharmacy on multiple occasions in the month (e.g., each week) when it would be unsafe for the patient to receive the totality of their medication in one supply occasion, or if the shelf life of the medicine requires it. Community pharmacies receive additional fees for this service – which has only ever been in place for medical card holders.
The changes agreed under the Community Pharmacy Agreement – now paused until later in quarter 1 2026 – will introduce improved controls to align phased dispensing to specified high risk drugs, where a patient safety concern may exist. This will ensure that patients on high-risk medicines, such as anti-psychotics or opioids, are appropriately targeted with support.
Psychotropic medications represent a class of medication that are high risk, have a high dependency potential, and carry a significant risk of misuse. They are often prescribed in the management of conditions where cognitive or functional impairments justify closer monitoring through phased supply.
The State has not imposed a new charge on blister packs. This remains a private service provided by pharmacies. It is also understood that different approaches are taken by community pharmacies in respect of funding the use of Monitored Dosage Systems for medical card holders.
• Some have been blister packing their patient’s medicines for free,
• Some have been charging the patient privately for providing that service, and,
• Some have submitted claims for phased dispensing to the HSE when in reality they were using Monitored Dosage Systems. The State has never agreed to this last practice, and it is inappropriate claiming to do so.
It remains open to pharmacies to charge patients or not for the use of Monitored Dosage Systems as a private service, as many currently do. It is important where a pharmacy charges a fee for any professional service, that they provide updated information to patients in line with the new Pricing Transparency Guidelines, which came into effect on 1st December.
In addition, community pharmacies can, and do, use a variety of means to assist their patients including:
• counselling,
• reminder charts,
• the “Know Check Ask system” with the HSE, and
• tools like picture or large-print labels and alarms.
All of these are aimed at improving understanding and adherence to medication. This remains a key part of the service and support that pharmacies provide to patients. There is no change in that regard.
The HSE Health App ‘My medicines list’ provides a secure place for patients to record a list of their medicines, which can be useful for pharmacy or hospital visits. It also allows people to see a list of their medicines received through the Drugs Payment Scheme or Medical Card Scheme. Keeping a list can help patients know their medicines. It can also help when patients are discussing their medicines with a healthcare professional.
These measures can assist older people, people with disabilities, and people with multiple conditions, to ensure that they manage their medicines safely. Patients should talk to their pharmacist directly about the best way to manage their medicines.
372. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if the PCRS is instructing pharmacists participating in the free HRT to investigate their patients' sex assigned at birth where they suspect it differs from the gender on their medical records; if so, the legal basis on which this is done; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72622/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
373. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health if she will increase the qualifying income limits for a medical card in respect of senior citizens (over 70), as these limits have not been increased in years and are totally out of line with the cost of living crisis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72676/25]
View answerMedical Card provision is primarily based on financial assessment. In accordance with the Health Act 1970 (as amended), eligibility for a medical card is determined by the HSE, which assesses each application on a qualifying financial threshold. This is the amount of money that an individual can earn a week and still qualify for a card. It is specific to the individual’s own financial circumstances.
Persons aged 69 and under are assessed under the general means tested medical card thresholds which are based on an applicant’s household income after tax and the deduction of PRSI and the Universal Social Charge. Certain expenses are also taken into account. Persons aged 70 or older are assessed under medical card income thresholds which are based on gross income. However, it should be noted that those aged over 70 can also be assessed under the general means tested scheme where there are particularly high medical costs. Detailed guidelines are available at: www.hse.ie/eng/staff/pcrs/medical-card-and-gp-visit-card-assessment-guidelines.pdf
Furthermore, the Deputy may be aware that, since 2015, every individual aged 70 and over has automatic eligibility for a GP visit card.
Every effort is made by the HSE, within the framework of the legislation, to support applicants in applying for a medical card and, in particular, to take full account of the difficult circumstances in the case of applicants who may be in excess of the income guidelines. In such circumstances, the HSE may exercise discretion and grant a medical card, for example:
• Discretionary medical cards issued to patients with significant medical expenses but who do not satisfy the means test.
• Emergency medical cards are issued to patients that are terminally ill, or are seriously ill, and in urgent need of medical care that they cannot afford.
Where a person's sole income is derived from a Social Protection payment, he/she will be awarded a medical card.
It is important to acknowledge that the administration of medical card exists within a wider eligibility framework, and that a range of other measures have also been implemented over recent years to help increase access to and the affordability of healthcare services, for example:
• since 2015, every individual aged 70 and over has automatic eligibility for a GP visit card.
• under the Long-Term Illness Scheme, patients receive drugs, medicines, and medical and surgical appliances directly related to the treatment of their illness, free of charge.
• under the Drugs Payment Scheme (DPS) no individual pays more than €80 a month towards the cost of approved prescribed medicines. The DPS is not means tested and is available to anyone ordinarily resident in Ireland. The DPS significantly reduces the cost burden for families and individuals with ongoing expenditure on medicines.
• In 2023, GP visit card means-tested eligibility was extended to those who earn up to the median household income.
• GP visit card eligibility was extended from all children under 6 to children under 8.
• Public in-patient charges in public hospitals have been abolished.
• Individuals may also be entitled to claim tax relief on the cost of qualifying health expenses, including medicines prescribed by a doctor, dentist, or consultant. Relief is at the standard tax rate of 20%.
I can assure the Deputy that my Department keeps medical card issues under review in order to ensure the medical card system is responsive and sensitive to people's needs. There is a programme of work currently underway in my Department which is reviewing the existing eligibility framework, to clearly assess what is working well and to inform future policy proposals regarding the eligibility framework based on robust evidence. This is an important step towards delivering on universal healthcare in Ireland.
375. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health if assistance can be provided to a patient in long-term care who urgently requires dental treatment (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72682/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
376. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 734 of 27 May 2025, the latest update on the expected timeline of delivery for the vaccine damage scheme; if she expects this scheme to be open within the coming year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72683/25]
View answerSignificant work has been completed by my Department to develop a model for a vaccine damage scheme and officials are continuing to refine the proposed model. It is my intention to bring the model to Cabinet for discussion and consideration in due course. Until the model has been considered and approved by Government, it is not possible to provide any further information in relation to the scheme's implementation.
377. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the number of vacancies currently existing across the HSE and in agencies under her Department's remit; the recruitment plans in place; and the expected timeline for filling these posts. [72685/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
378. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the current waiting times for access to health services, including outpatient, inpatient, and diagnostic services; the measures being implemented to reduce these delays; and the projected improvements for the year ahead. [72686/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
379. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health to issue a report (details supplied) on the North Kerry CAMHS Lookback Review without any further delays; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72748/25]
View answerBoth I, and the Department of Health, await submission by the HSE of the Final Report by Dr. Halpin in relation to the North Kerry Lookback Review.
I am closely monitoring developments on Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in North Kerry, including the timeline for the completion of the Lookback Review. The HSE has indicated that the Review will be made available as soon as possible, acknowledging that necessary due diligence and related processes must be adhered to in the finalisation of the Review. The HSE has confirmed that it will expedite this as much as possible.
I understand that all file reviews have now been completed, and all children, young people and their families have been communicated with directly in relation to the outcome of their file review. My main concern throughout this process has been to ensure that children, young people and their families are communicated with directly in advance of the publication of the Lookback Review.
I will continue to work closely with the HSE Child and Youth Mental Health National Office to drive reform of CAMHS nationally, to ensure that this key specialist service which benefits so many young people and their families each year is safe, accessible, child-centered, and delivered to the highest of standards.
380. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Health her plans in place to provide designated beds for adults with eating disorders in Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72761/25]
View answerThe National Clinical Programme on Eating Disorders has progressed really well with 14 of the 16 teams envisaged by the Model of Care now funded. Most teams are fully operational and seeing people with ED every day, including in Co. Cork; other teams are at different stages of recruitment and preparation for being operational. The most effective treatment setting for eating disorders is in the community, and the roll out of community teams under the National Clinical Programme for Eating Disorders continues apace.
While a small number of people benefit from inpatient treatment, research shows the most effective treatment setting for eating disorders is in the community. The HSE works hard to meet the needs of people with eating disorders in the setting most appropriate to their needs.
On the issue of inpatient capacity, a key priority for me is ensuring bed capacity is in place for people requiring inpatient treatment for eating disorders. With that objective in mind, I requested the HSE to conduct a review to identify the appropriate level of adult bed capacity needed for people requiring inpatient treatment for an eating disorder. The HSE have now completed a report on inpatient eating bed disorder bed capacity required for the future, and this report remains under consideration by the Department of Health. This involves engagement between my Department and the HSE how best to operationalise the eating disorder bed plan capacity report in a sustainable way, taking account of demographic and wider geographical needs; and to ensure equity of access, and the delivery of safe, evidence-based treatment for adults with eating disorders. I will be making an announcement on this issue in due course.
381. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Health the number of persons currently on the waiting list for home help services within CHO 3; the total number of hours allocated currently; the total number of hours actually being provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72764/25]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
382. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE dentists and dental nurse posts filled at Sixmilebridge Health Centre in 2024 and to-date in 2025, in tabular form. [72765/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
383. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant otolaryngologist based at University Hospital Limerick in 2024 and to-date in 2025, in tabular form. [72766/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the HSE to respond to the deputy as soon as possible.
384. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE psychologists based at Shannon Health Centre in 2024 and to-date in 2025, in tabular form. [72767/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
385. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health her Department's plans on supporting mobile lung cancer screening vehicles, in view of the fact that these units help with the early detection of lung cancer; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72777/25]
View answer386. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if the recent budget accounted for funding towards screening and diagnosis of lung cancer at earlier stages, in view of the fact that 60% of lung cancer patients are found at a later stage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72778/25]
View answer390. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if consideration would be given by her Department to provide funding for the lung health check pilot programme, in view of the fact that lung cancer is responsible for 20% of all cancer deaths in the country which equates to 2,000 deaths per annum; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72782/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 385, 386 and 390 together.
I am committed to supporting Ireland’s population screening programmes, which are a valuable part of our health service, enabling early treatment and care for many people, and improving the overall health of our population.
The Programme for Government commits to evaluate the current lung cancer screening pilot in line with WHO criteria and develop recommendations for a way forward.
The ‘Lung Health Check’ pilot, an Irish-based prospective study involving Beaumont Hospital and the RCSI, was launched in March 2025 under the EU4Health-funded SOLACE project. It aims to assess the feasibility of instituting a community-based lung health check programme in Ireland by inviting individuals in the North Dublin and the North-East region who are identified as being of higher risk of lung problems to attend their mobile screening unit for breathing tests and a low-dose chest CT scan.
The pilot is primarily funded by the Irish Cancer Society and supported by the SOLACE consortium, with funding provided by my Department’s Women’s Health Fund. I have also been informed that the research team involved in the Lung Health Check is actively considering involvement in a successor initiative to SOLACE and I welcome this move.
In response to requests for additional funding, my Department allocates funding for research in health and social care to its statutory agency, the Health Research Board (HRB). The HRB is the largest funder of research in this area in the state. The HRB’s mission is to support research that improves people’s health, promotes evidence-informed care and create solutions to societal challenges. It does this by offering a portfolio of health research funding schemes. These schemes provide funding in all areas of disease and 20% of funding is awarded to cancer-related research. HRB funding is awarded via open, competitive calls and, as such, is accessible to researchers working in the area of lung cancer.
It should be emphasised that any proposed changes to Ireland’s screening programmes will be considered through established, evidence-driven protocols.
The National Screening Advisory Committee (NSAC), an independent expert group, assesses evidence rigorously and transparently against internationally accepted criteria before making recommendations to me as Minister for Health.
The robust processes used by NSAC are essential to ensure screening programmes are effective, quality assured, and safe and that the benefits of screening outweigh potential harms. This is determined through a Health Technology Assessment (HTA), which is undertaken by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), on behalf of NSAC.
HTAs facilitate the assessment of relevant evidence and knowledge on the effects and consequences of healthcare technologies to guide decisions regarding the appropriate use of technology and efficient allocation of resources. They involve a multi-disciplinary assessment of the clinical, economic, ethical, legal and societal perspectives that may be impacted by the introduction of a new technology. They are time intensive and rigorous processes.
Across Europe, several major research initiatives are underway to assess the feasibility of lung cancer screening programmes, many involving Irish-based researchers. The findings from these studies will contribute to the evidence base for future consideration by NSAC. I look forward to receiving a recommendation from the Committee in due course.
Finally, I would emphasise that screening programmes are for people without symptoms. If anyone becomes aware of symptoms, or if they have concerns or worries, they should contact a medical professional immediately.
