Written Answers Nos. 710-729
710. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the dental service capacity and access, including DTSS participation, claims activity and waiting lists for dental, orthodontic, and dental surgery services, by area, quarterly for 2025 and for quarter four of 2024, in tabular form. [73627/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
711. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of GPs and GPs providing GMS services, by local health area and per 10,000 population, from 1 December 2020–2025, in tabular form. [73628/25]
View answer733. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the total number of GPs, and the number of GPs providing GMS services, in County Waterford, by local health area and per 10,000 population, at 1 December for each year from 2020 to 2025, in tabular form. [73703/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 711 and 733 together.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to reply to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
712. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the total spend by the HSE and section 38 hospitals on agency staffing and recruitment services annually from 2019-2025, in tabular form. [73629/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible
713. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the management consultancy and external professional services spend by the HSE, by firm and service type, annually from 2019–2025, in tabular form. [73630/25]
View answerAs this is an operational matter this PQ has been referred to the HSE to respond.
714. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the management consultancy and external professional services spend by each section 38 organisation, by firm and service type, annually from 2019–2025, in tabular form. [73631/25]
View answerThe Department does not hold the requested information on consultancy expenditure for Section 38 and Section 39 organisations. This is because Section 38 bodies are independent entities that provide health and social care services under the Health Act 2004. They receive the majority of their funding from the Health Service Executive (HSE) under formal Service Arrangements, which set out governance, compliance, and reporting obligations. These arrangements are managed directly by the HSE, not the Department.
Section 39 bodies are private organisations that deliver certain health and social care services. They may receive grant funding from the HSE under Grant Agreements, but they are not part of the public service and are not subject to the same governance framework as Section 38 bodies. The Department does not have a direct governance or oversight relationship with these organisations.
Accordingly, any data on consultancy spend would rest with the HSE in respect of Section 38 bodies and may not be available for Section 39 bodies, as they are independent entities.
715. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the reporting requirements in place for spend on management consultancy and external professional services spend by section 39 organisations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73632/25]
View answerThe Department does not hold the requested information on consultancy expenditure for Section 38 and Section 39 organisations. This is because Section 38 bodies are independent entities that provide health and social care services under the Health Act 2004. They receive the majority of their funding from the Health Service Executive (HSE) under formal Service Arrangements, which set out governance, compliance, and reporting obligations. These arrangements are managed directly by the HSE, not the Department.
Section 39 bodies are private organisations that deliver certain health and social care services. They may receive grant funding from the HSE under Grant Agreements, but they are not part of the public service and are not subject to the same governance framework as Section 38 bodies. The Department does not have a direct governance or oversight relationship with these organisations.
Accordingly, any data on consultancy spend would rest with the HSE in respect of Section 38 bodies and may not be available for Section 39 bodies, as they are independent entities.
716. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the total cost of medical negligence litigation, including settlements, awards, and legal fees, annually from 2014–2025, in tabular form. [73633/25]
View answerThe State Claims Agency (SCA) has a statutory remit to manage personal injury and third-party property damage claims on behalf of State authorities. The SCA has provided me with the information set out below.
The information contained within this response was extracted from the National Incident Management System (NIMS) as per the below criteria.
The following table contains the transactional amounts paid by the State Claims Agency under the Clinical Indemnity Scheme, that are associated with claims and a small number of incidents and inquests. It excludes claims recorded against other designated schemes. This amount includes damages, agency legal and other costs, and plaintiff legal costs and is inclusive of VAT.
It includes payments between 01/01/2025 and 31/11/2025 and is correct as of 01/12/2025.
Please note that the amounts between 01/01/2014 and 31/12/2024 remain unchanged from those provided under references PQ 38143/25 and PQ 3529/25. Please refer to the published information for further details.
|
Transaction Reporting Year |
Amount paid |
|
2025 (to end of November) |
€269,716,739 |
717. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether she considers it appropriate that elective, non medically indicated circumcision procedures may be authorised in public hospitals in the absence of any national policy, national ethical framework, or centrally issued clinical guidance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73636/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
718. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department has issued any guidance, circulars, memoranda, policy notes, or informal instructions to the HSE or to any health region since 2020 regarding the provision, refusal, consent standards, or ethical basis for elective male circumcision where no medical indication exists, and if so, to provide details. [73637/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
719. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department exercises any oversight role in relation to decisions by health regions to authorise elective, non medically indicated circumcision procedures in public hospitals, and if not, the rationale for the absence of such oversight. [73638/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
720. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether public funds are used to support elective male circumcision procedures in public hospitals where no medical indication exists; and if so, under which budget headings or service categories such expenditure arises. [73639/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
721. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department has assessed the consistency of regional decision making on elective, non medically indicated circumcision procedures with national consent policy, child safeguarding standards, and international best practice; and if not, whether she intends to initiate such an assessment. [73640/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
722. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if she intends to develop or commission a national policy governing the provision or refusal of elective male circumcision procedures in public hospitals where no medical indication exists; and if not, to set out the reasons. [73641/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
723. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health the current waiting list for audiology services broken down by county and by location, age, assessment type and procedures; and the length of time individuals have been waiting, in each of the years 2020 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73658/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
724. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health the current average waiting time for audiology appointments broken down by CHO the number currently waiting to be seen in each of the years 2020 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73659/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
725. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health the waiting list for AON assessments broken down by county and by length of time waiting for an assessment in three month intervals; the waiting list for those who have been waiting longer than 6 months; 9 months, 12 months, 15 months, 18 months, 21 months, 24 months, 27 months, 30 months, 36 months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73660/25]
View answerThis PQ should be directed the Department of Children, Disability and Equality.
726. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health to reply to correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73689/25]
View answerI recognise that the waiting times for Primary Care therapy services are too long and that there is an urgent need to improve timely access to services across the country.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) has advised that Primary Care therapy services are experiencing increased pressure due to an increase in referrals, alongside increasing complexity of presentations (leading to longer interventions), and challenges related to the recruitment and retention of health and social care professionals. The HSE further advised that efforts to recruit Primary Care Occupational Therapists in Laois/Offaly are ongoing and these posts are currently a high priority for senior management.
In response to the current challenges, I have asked the CEO of the HSE to put measures in place to scale-up successful local initiatives to the national level to address the Speech & Language Therapy, Physiotherapy, and Occupational Therapy waiting lists in order to reduce the waiting times for these three Primary Care therapies to less than 10 months. It is expected that between now and December 2026, over 60,000 people will be removed from these three waiting lists.
I expect that this initiative will result in a significant improvement on where we are now as waiting times for these three therapy services improve for all, including service users in County Laois. I would like to assure you that this Department will continue to engage with, and support, the HSE to address the current challenges in Primary Care therapy services.
727. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the number of discretionary medical card applications received for persons aged over 70 in 2025; the number approved; the number refused; the number of appeals lodged following refusals; and, of those appeals, the number granted on review; and the number in which the original decision was upheld; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73690/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
728. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of people in County Waterford waiting for home support at December 2022–2025 (or latest comparable date), in tabular form; and the number of people receiving less than their allocated hours. [73698/25]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
729. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of people in County Waterford waiting for CAMHS, broken down by length of wait, on a quarterly basis for 2022–2025, in tabular form. [73699/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
