Written Answers Nos. 2259-2280
2259. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the actions she and her Department are taking to address the 18 month waiting times for children who require dental treatment under general anaesthetic. [74831/25]
View answerI am aware of delays in accessing oral healthcare for patients with additional needs under general anaesthesia. I acknowledge that the current model of oral healthcare service provision, which was developed in the 1990s in response to the identified oral healthcare needs at that time, needs to be modernised and aligned with current needs.
The Government is committed to reforming oral healthcare services, including special care services, through the implementation of the National Oral Health Policy, Smile agus Sláinte. In Budget 2025, €2 million was allocated for 2025, increasing to €4m in 2026, to continue the implementation of the National Oral Health Policy. This investment has also provided an additional 15 HSE staff to deliver oral healthcare services, in addition to efforts to address current vacancies.
The National Oral Health Policy has two key goals:
• to provide the supports to enable every individual to achieve their personal best oral health.
• to reduce oral health inequalities across the population, by enabling vulnerable patients to access oral healthcare and improve their oral health.
These new oral healthcare services will be prevention-focused and will be tailored to each age group across the life course from birth to old age. Patients with additional needs will be supported to mainstream to a local general dental practice of their choosing as much as is possible, while the HSE Oral Healthcare Service will reorient to provide the additional time, technology and skills to provide care for those who can't receive the entirety of their care in a general dental practice. The HSE will also develop the necessary models of care, clinical guidelines and care pathways to support provision of services.
The implementation plan for the first phase of policy implementation, is at an advanced stage and includes reform and expansion of services for children as one of several priority actions.
2260. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Health the way in which a GP can proceed to be considered to lease space for their practice to allow them to increase capacity for new patients (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74832/25]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the HSE to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
2261. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if the €5 million budget for the rare disease strategy has been carried over into 2026 and added to the €8 million allocated for 2026; if not, the reasons; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74833/25]
View answerAs you will be aware, funding of €1.5m was provided in Budget 2025 for the development of supports and services for people living with a rare disease in Ireland. This includes the allocation of approximately 34WTE to support staffing services. An additional €5m in recurrent funding provided to support the implementation of the National Rare Disease Strategy, across all 11 of its recommendations. These funds were allocated to the HSE in 2025 for the development of rare disease services.
The HSE has published its National Service Plan for 2026, setting out how the HSE will operationalise the Department’s priorities funded in Budget 2026, including the key priorities of improved access, quality and safety for those who use our services and value for money for the public more broadly.
In line with the annual estimates and service planning process specific operational detail and budgetary management of allocated funds is a matter for the HSE, and as such I have referred query to the HSE for direct response.
2263. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 378 of 16 October 2025, if the HSE Service Improvement Programme’s review of the existing provision of limb prosthetic services has been completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74858/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
2264. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if a decision not to reimburse a treatment will be reviewed (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74859/25]
View answerThe Health Service Executive (HSE) has statutory responsibility for pricing and reimbursement decisions, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. Therefore, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
2265. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health her views on matters raised in correspondence (details supplied); if she has been made aware of the concerns raised with the service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74860/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
2266. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health when a new consultant will be appointed for the pain clinic in the Mater Hospital. [74865/25]
View answerAs this is a service issue we have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.
2267. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health the current wait time for a person to receive an appointment for the pain clinic in the Mater Hospital. [74866/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
2268. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health when a person (detailed supplied) will receive an appointment to attend the pain clinic in the Mater Hospital. [74867/25]
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.
2269. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the current cost of the seasonal influenza vaccine for students who do not qualify under the HSE free scheme; and if she will consider measures to reduce or subsidise this cost to encourage uptake among the student population. [74875/25]
View answerThe National Immunisation Programme in Ireland, which includes the influenza immunisation programme, is based on the advice of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC). The committee's recommendations are based on the prevalence of the relevant disease in Ireland and international best practice in relation to immunisation. NIAC make recommendations on vaccination policy to the Department of Health.
The National Influenza Vaccination Programme ensures that those most vulnerable to the effects of influenza have access to the flu vaccine, free of charge. By providing vaccination to those most at risk, and those most likely to require admission to hospital should they contract influenza, the programme aims to prevent, as far as possible, the need for influenza-related hospital admissions, as well as to reduce the overall spread of influenza in the community.
For the 2025/2026 flu season, the flu vaccine is available free of charge to adults over 60 years, individuals in specified at-risk groups and children aged from 2 to 17 years.
The flu vaccine is available from local GPs or pharmacies throughout the flu season.
It is open to individuals who are not eligible for free immunisation under the national influenza immunisation programme to access the flu vaccine privately from GPs or pharmacies.
2270. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health the minimum qualifications required for individuals providing crisis counselling through a platform (details supplied); the proportion of staff or volunteers who hold accredited mental health or counselling qualifications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74877/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
2271. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health the escalation protocols used by a service (details supplied) when a texter presents with imminent risk of suicide or self harm; and the number of such escalations recorded annually. [74878/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
2272. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health whether artificial intelligence or automated decision support tools are used in any part of a service (details supplied), including message triage, risk assessment, suggested responses, or supervision of counsellors; if so, the specific functions performed by AI; the safeguards in place to prevent inappropriate or unsafe use; and whether any independent clinical or ethical review has been conducted on the deployment of such technologies. [74879/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
2273. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health the average number of simultaneous conversations each counsellor is expected or permitted to manage at any one time at a service (details supplied); the maximum number allowed; and the evidence base used to determine these thresholds. [74880/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
2274. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal will be referred to another hospital under the NTPF by Galway University Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74883/25]
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.
2275. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the number of data breaches recorded by her Department in 2025; and the number that were reported to the Data Protection Commissioner. [74898/25]
View answer2276. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Health the number of patients on the waiting list for partial knee replacement surgery at Letterkenny University Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74908/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
2277. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Health the percentage of children who received developmental checks carried out within 72 hours, at three months old, at six months old, at one year old, at two years old and at four years old, in Donegal in the years of 2022 to 2025 inclusive, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74918/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
2278. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant anaesthesiologists posts that were filled at Letterkenny University Hospital in the years of 2024 and to-date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74919/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
2279. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the number of dentists which are providing care to medical card patients under the dental treatment service scheme, by county, in tabular form; the number of referrals for each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74924/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
2280. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Health the number of people which are detained in the Central Mental Hospital, other than under the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act 2006, as amended by the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act 2010, and the route(s) by which each of those people have been detained. [74925/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
