Written Answers Nos. 2461-2483
2461. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health the reason more than 70,000 HPV vaccines were left to expire in 2024 instead of being diverted to a catch-up programme for people up to age 25 or to women with CIN1 or CIN2+ lesions as recommended by NIAC; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1767/26]
View answerThe Laura Brennan HPV Catch-up Vaccination Programme ran from December 2022 to December 2023. This programme offered free HPV vaccines to:
• females who are 24 years of age or younger.
• males who are 21 years of age or younger.
Approximately 11,000 people received HPV vaccination through this programme.
Increasing vaccination uptake rates in the routine HPV vaccination programme is vital in order for Ireland to achieve elimination of cervical cancer by its target date of 2040. The World Health Organisation has set a target for all countries to ensure that 90% of girls are vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by the age of 15 years.
The ages at which vaccines are recommended in the immunisation schedule are recommended by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC), in order to give each child the best possible protection against vaccine preventable diseases. As the HPV vaccine is a preventative measure, it is intended to be administered, if possible, before a person becomes exposed to HPV infection. Therefore, the gender-neutral HPV vaccination programme targets all girls and boys in first year of secondary school.
In relation to the use of HPV vaccines as a treatment for women with CIN1 or CIN2+ lesions, I have referred this part of the question to the HSE for a direct reply.
2462. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health the price paid per HPV vaccine vial in each of the years 2015-2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1768/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have referred the question to the HSE for a direct reply.
2463. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Health the date on which a supplementary estimate or supplementary estimates was sought in respect of her Department’s Vote for each of the past ten years, and to the date in 2026; the gross and net amount involved in each case; and the Vote subheads to which each supplementary estimate related. [1797/26]
View answerThe date and each supplementary for the past ten years by subhead is contained in the attached document.
Please note that there was no supplementary sought in 2021.
To further note there was no supplementary sought in 2016, but a €500m mid year adjustment based on June 2016 Revised Estimates.
The Supplementary figures can also be found in the Appropriation accounts which are published on the gov.ie website and audited by the C&AG. Please see link: www.audit.gov.ie/en/publications/appropriation%20accounts/.
2464. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Health the value of expenditure originally allocated in the Estimates to specific programmes or staffing measures that could not be spent as planned within the year for each of the past five years; and whether such underspends were surrendered, carried forward, or reallocated to other areas within the Vote. [1818/26]
View answerPlease see the attached document below containing links to:
• The Departments Appropriation accounts.
• HSE Audited Financial statements.
• Financial statements for all aegis bodies funded by the Department.
These documents contain all the relevant information on the Health vote underspends and related surrenders for each of the past five years. The data for 2025 will be not available until later in the year.
2465. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health when the proposal to provide a new healthcare facility will progress to the next stage (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1880/26]
View answerThis is a matter for the Department of Children, Disability and Equality.
2466. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health the progress to date in developing a service in Cavan-Monaghan similar to such provision in the north west (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1881/26]
View answerAs Minister, I have overseen the rollout of a range of out of hours supports for people experiencing mental health difficulties as alternatives to Emergency Departments.
I am keen to accelerate the pace of change so there are real alternatives to emergency departments and more appropriate treatment environments for people in mental health distress.
This includes the Crisis Resolution Services Model of Care.
The model of care for Crisis Resolution Services was developed as a direct recommendation of Sharing the Vision, Ireland’s national mental health policy. It recognises that people who are experiencing a mental health crisis need specialist services to provide timely brief intensive supports to keep people safe.
Crisis Resolution Teams: These comprise of teams of mental health professionals who work out of hours to meet people in a crisis and provide rapid assessment and intensive intervention. There are 6 pilot Crisis Resolution Teams currently operational in Galway, Sligo/Leitrim, Cork city (two teams), Waterford City and County, South Dublin/Wicklow. The Limerick Crisis Resolution Team is due to commence operations in due course.
Crisis Cafés: Solace Cafes provide a welcoming, non-clinical safe environment in the style of a café where people can go at evenings and weekends. The Cafés provides a range of support for those who needed to use its services including crisis support, signposting, peer support, and community support. The Cafes are now open in Cork City, South Dublin, Sligo and Limerick A Solace Café is due to be established in Waterford in the near future.
Additional funding was provided in Budget 2026 for three new Crisis Resolution Services including drop-in ‘Solace’ Crisis Cafes to support people in distress in Donegal, Kerry and the Midlands, in Tullamore/Westmeath.
As part of future Estimates processes, I will be considering future service developments for Crisis Resolution Services for areas with no access to teams to date, including Co. Cavan and Co. Monaghan.
With reference to the specific additional information requested as this is an operational issue, I have referred it to the HSE for direct reply to you.
2467. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the total number of new critical care beds delivered in 2025; the number of replacement critical care beds delivered in 2025; the total current number of operational critical care beds; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1892/26]
View answer2486. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health when she expects the target of 446 beds, as committed to in the strategic multi-year plan to expand adult critical care capacity published in 2020, will be reached; the timeframe to reach that target of 446 critical care beds; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2156/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 2467 and 2486 together.
The Government is committed to increasing critical care capacity to ensure the best outcomes for patients with life-threatening injuries and illnesses. This is being achieved through the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Critical Care which was brought to Government in 2020 in the context of COVID-19. The Plan aims to increase capacity to 458 critical care beds over two phases.
To date, progress has been substantial. Before the pandemic, we had 258 critical care beds. As a result of investment under Phase 1 of the Strategic Plan, 340 beds are now open and operational. This is an increase of 82 critical care beds, or 31.7%.
A further 12 critical care beds are included in the HSE's National Service Plan for 2026. This will bring capacity to 352 beds and complete Phase 1 of the Strategic Plan for Critical Care.
In addition, project planning processes are underway for Phase 2 of the Strategic Plan. This will deliver a further 106 beds, bringing total adult critical care capacity to 458 beds, fully addressing and, indeed, surpassing the recommendation of the 2018 Health Service Capacity Review.
2468. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the timeline for the inclusion of SMA in the national newborn screening programme and to implement the heelprick test; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1914/26]
View answer2500. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Health for an update on the introduction of spinal muscular atrophy screening to the national newborn heel-prick programme, further to its approval for inclusion; the expected timeline for rollout; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2282/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 2468 and 2500 together.
As Minister for Health, I am determined to support our 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.
Currently, all babies (between 3 and 5 days old) are offered newborn bloodspot screening (generally known as the ‘heel prick’ test), which tests for nine rare but serious conditions that are treatable if detected early in life. The Programme for Government commits to continually reviewing the number of conditions babies are screened for.
Incremental progress continues to be made on the expansion of the National Newborn Bloodspot Screening Programme (NNBSP). In 2023, two recommendations from the National Screening Advisory Committee (NSAC) on the addition of Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) and Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) to the NNBSP were approved.
In Budget 2024, an additional €1.4 million of new development funding was provided to support the SMA/SCID implementation process. Once both conditions have been fully implemented, the number of conditions screened for in Ireland will increase to 11.
In terms of the current implementation status, the HSE has advised that the equipment needed to enable the roll-out testing for SMA and SCID has been purchased, delivered and successfully installed at the newborn screening laboratory and significant progress continues with regards to the laboratory verification process. The recruitment process to hire the additional staff required to support the expansion of the NNBSP has been completed and work continues on developing screening pathways for both conditions.
In relation to concerns raised around the length of the implementation process, it should be emphasised that Ireland is not taking longer than other comparable countries to assess and implement additions to the NNBSP.
The Health Council of the Netherlands first recommended screening for SMA in 2019 and implementation was completed three years later in October 2022. In the United States of America, it took six years to fully implement SMA screening after it was added to the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP) in 2018. In the United Kingdom, screening for SCID and SMA have been under consideration by the UK National Screening Committee since 2017 and 2018 respectively.
Nevertheless, I am acutely aware of how difficult it is for parents, families and children who have received a diagnosis of a rare disease, and how challenging daily life can be for them. This is why I remain committed to the further expansion of screening in Ireland in accordance with internationally accepted criteria and best practice.
2469. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if a more urgent hospital appointment will be offered to a person (details supplied). [1926/26]
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.
2470. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 2533 and 2534 of 8 September 2025 and No. 3368 of 29 July 2025, the total number of children diagnosed with DMG and DIPG over the past ten years; and the total number of children diagnosed with DMG and DIPG who have undergone biopsies over the past ten years. [1927/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
2471. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 2533 and 2534 of 8 September 2025 and No. 3368 of 29 July 2025, the percentage of children diagnosed with DMG and DIPG who have undergone biopsies over the past ten years. [1928/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
2472. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if she will review correspondence (details supplied) regarding a request for nursing home care in a facility which operates under the fair deal scheme; if clarification can be provided as to whether a person may be accommodated in such a facility on a private, self-funded basis outside of the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1972/26]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
2473. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health the position regarding any product or service purchased from Israel or the Occupied Territories by her Department in 2025, broken down by description and amount paid; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1983/26]
View answerMy Department did not purchase any product or service from Israel or the Occupied Territories in 2025.
2474. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Health whether her Department, or any body under its aegis, has funded, or is funding, other than where legal costs were awarded against the employer by a court or tribunal, the legal costs of any current or concluded litigation taken by an employee or former employee against that Department or body, in each of the past five years; if so, to provide details of the number of such cases, the bodies involved, and the total costs incurred in each year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2023/26]
View answer2476. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Health whether the funding of employee legal costs in disputes against her Department, or a body under its aegis, is standard practice; if not, the circumstances in which such funding may be permitted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2059/26]
View answer2477. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Health to outline the guidance, codes, circulars or directions that govern the payment of legal costs by her Department, and bodies under its aegis, in employment-related disputes, including any requirements under the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies or Departmental sanction arrangements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2077/26]
View answer2478. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Health whether the funding of employee legal costs in litigation against the employing body could give rise to governance, accountability, or value for money concerns; whether her Department has issued any guidance in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2095/26]
View answer2479. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has reviewed, or intends to review, the practice of Departments, and bodies under their aegis, funding legal costs in employment disputes involving those same bodies; and if so, the outcome or timeline for such a review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2113/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 2474, 2476, 2477, 2478 and 2479 together.
The funding of employee legal costs in disputes against the Department of Health or bodies under its aegis is not standard practice and would only occur in exceptional circumstances, requiring sanction and subject to strict governance. Over the past 5 years the Department has not funded the legal costs of any current or concluded litigation taken by an employee or former employee, other than those directed by a court or tribunal, nor has it conducted or intends to conduct a review of funding legal costs.
The payment of legal costs in employment-related disputes is governed by Public Financial Procedures, Public Expenditure & Reform Circular 17/2017 on mediation, the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies, and Departmental sanction arrangements. Public Financial Procedures require that all expenditure is properly sanctioned, economically justified, and recorded in line with delegated authority and audit standards. Circular 17/2017 promotes mediation as an alternative to litigation and requires that any related costs, including legal fees, follow formal approval and value-for-money principles. The Code of Practice sets out principles of accountability, transparency, and value-for-money, requiring State bodies to maintain clear delegated authority, oversight agreements, and audit processes for such expenditures. Departmental sanction arrangements require prior approval for significant legal costs in accordance with delegated financial authority and ensure compliance with governance and reporting obligations. These frameworks ensure that any legal costs are subject to prior approval, comply with governance standards, and are properly recorded and reported.
While no additional guidance has been issued beyond these established frameworks, annual assurances are sought from all heads of business units to support the Accounting Officers Certified Statement of Internal Financial Control.
I have asked the HSE to reply directly to the Deputy with confirmation as to whether it is funding or has funded any employee litigation in the past five years.
Details for other bodies under the aegis of my Department are operational matters for the bodies concerned and the Deputy should contact the relevant Director/CEO/Registrar directly.
2475. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Health the basis on which her Department, or a body under its aegis, may fund the legal costs of an employee or former employee in litigation where that employee is in dispute with, or taking proceedings against, the same body; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2041/26]
View answerSettlements over 50K require the prior approval of the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation.
2480. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Health whether arrangements to fund legal costs in employment disputes involving her Department, or bodies under its aegis, require the prior approval of her Department or the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2131/26]
View answerSettlements over 50K require the prior approval of the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation.
This rule ensures compliance with public financial procedures and accountability for significant expenditure.
2481. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the total number of new acute hospital beds that are to be delivered through the National Development Plan 2026-2030; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2139/26]
View answerThe NDP Review, concluded in July 2025, provides an enhanced investment allocation of €9.25 billion for health infrastructure and digitalisation between 2026 and 2030.
The annual HSE Capital Plan sets out details of beds under construction, while the annual HSE National Service Plan sets out the number of beds to become operational (i.e. bringing the capacity into service).
The HSE Capital Plan 2026 will published in the coming weeks.
The HSE National Service Plan 2026 is available at the following link: about.hse.ie/publications/hse-national-service-plan-2026/
2482. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the total amount that is to be spent from the NDP sectoral plan for 2026-2030 funding of €9.25 billion on new acute hospital bed capacity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2140/26]
View answerThe NDP Review, concluded in July 2025, provides an enhanced investment allocation of €9.25 billion for health infrastructure and digitalisation between 2026 and 2030.
The annual allocations for each capital programme (including acute capacity) are set out in the annual HSE Capital Plan.
The HSE Capital Plan 2026 will be published in the coming weeks.
2483. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the reason for the current pause in recruitment of physician associates within the HSE; when the review of the profession will be concluded; and when recruitment is expected to resume. [2142/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
