Written Answers Nos. 279-299
279. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children currently on a waiting list in County Kildare for early learning and childcare places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11031/26]
View answerEach year, Pobal compiles data from Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) providers as part of the Early Years Sector Profile. At the time of the most recent Profile survey for 2024/25, there were 196 service providers that had a contract for at least one DCDE funded programme/scheme in County Kildare.
The most recent published capacity data for the 2024/25 programme year estimated that there were 12,087 children enrolled in ELC and SAC services in County Kildare. This data also indicated that 43% of service providers in County Kildare had at least one vacant place and 52% had a waiting list.
It is important to note that waiting list data should not be used as a measure of overall demand for ELC and SAC places. While waiting list data can be used to give an indication of demand for places for a given age group or service type there is no centralised waiting list, each waiting list is managed at service level and an individual child may be on multiple waiting lists in different services and may remain on one or multiple service lists after taking up a place. Additionally, not all services operate a waiting list.
Further information can be found on the Early Learning and Childcare data website. The Capacity Section of the website provides information on the number of children enrolled, services with vacant places, and services with a waiting list.
280. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children on the waiting list for an assessment of need in County Kildare; the number waiting more than three, six and 12 months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11032/26]
View answerThe delivery of an effective, efficient Assessment of Need system is a priority for the Government. There has been intensive work by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality and the HSE to address delays in the provision of Assessments of Need.
Under the Disability Act, an Assessment of Need is an assessment process carried out by the HSE where a person is of the opinion that he/she may have a disability, for anyone born after 1st June 2002. It first establishes whether the person has a disability (as defined within the Act). It then identifies the health and education needs of the person with a disability and the services required to meet those needs.
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, demand for Assessments of Need has increased significantly in recent years, reflecting both the increase in population and the number of families exploring all options to access services for their child. Applications for Assessment if Need have risen from 4,700 applications in 2020 to over 13,000 applications received in 2025. The impact of this increased demand has contributed to there being over 20,200 applications overdue for completion nationwide at the end of last year, according to the most recently available HSE data.
More positively, there has been continued improvement in the number of completed assessment of need reports. Over 5,900 reports were completed in 2025 – a 43% increase compared to 2024.
The HSE provides Assessment of Need data on a quarterly basis, the most recent of which is for Q4 2025. This data is not available on a county level but is available at Local Health Office (LHO). It should be noted that, as Kildare and West Wicklow are in the same LHO, it is not possible to provide data only for Kildare.
The number of applications which are overdue to receive an assessment of need report for Kildare/West Wicklow are provided in Table 1 below. This number includes all assessment reports that were not completed within 6 months of receipt of an Assessment of Need application.
This number reflects the high number of applications for an Assessment of Need in the LHO, with 858 applications received in 2025 and 726 in 2024. However, there has been a noted improvement in the number of assessment reports completed with 162 completed in 2025, compared to 65 in 2024 – an almost 150% increase on the previous year.
Table 1: Applications overdue to for completion by end of Quarter 4, 2025
|
LHO |
Total Overdue end Q4 2025 |
<1 month |
1-3 months |
>3 months |
|
Kildare/West Wicklow |
2125 |
70 |
137 |
1918 |
In December 2025, 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. Over time, this should lead to a reduction in the waiting time to receive an assessment.
This reform includes changes to Part 2 of the Disability Act 2005, which provides for Assessments of Need. The General Scheme of the Disability (Amendment) Bill 2026 which outlines these proposed changes was approved by Government on 9 December and will be published on the Department’s website shortly.
Any proposed legislative 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.
Other aspects of the reform include:
• The development of statutory guidelines to ensure that Assessments of Need focus on identifying a child’s needs, engaging in more intensive assessments only where required to identify need. This should help reduce delays and allow therapists to spend more time delivering services.
• The establishment by the HSE of eleven new teams, initially, to support HSE assessment processes, including Assessments of Need. Each team will include a psychologist, a speech and language therapist, an occupational therapist, and an administrator, providing clinical guidance throughout the process.
281. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children on CDNT waiting lists in Kildare, by team, by length of time, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11033/26]
View answerAs this question refers to the service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
282. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the data collected by her Department and the HSE relating to disabled drivers and primary medical certificates. [10728/26]
View answerResponsibility for the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Scheme, operated by the Revenue Commissioners, falls under the remit of the Minister for Finance. To qualify for the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers scheme, an individual must first apply for a Primary Medical Certificate assessment, at which a Health Service Executive (HSE) Medical Officer determines if the individual is ‘permanently and severely disabled’, as defined by satisfying at least one of six medical criteria set out in primary legislation.
However, in the event that a Primary Medical Certificate is not granted by the relevant HSE Senior Medical Officer, an appeal of this decision may be made to the independent Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeal (DDMBA). At an appeal hearing, the Board reviews the decision made by the HSE Senior Medical Officer and determines if an appellant does or does not meet the criteria. As Minister of Health, my sole role under the legislation is to nominate to the Minister of Finance members of the Board, following an Expression of Interest (EOI) process.
The assessment process for Primary Medical Certificates is the responsibility of the HSE and as such, the Department does not collect data on Primary Medical Certificates. Therefore, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to your question directly, and as soon as possible.
283. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on the waiting list to see a speech and language therapist for a first appointment at a care centre (details supplied); and the average waiting time for same. [10802/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
284. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health when the current pause in recruitment of physician associates is expected to be lifted; when the physician associates review is due to be published; and the HSE CEOs plans for the recruitment and deployment of PAs within the National Service Plan 2026, particularly in the context of an under-resourced and understaffed health service. [10518/26]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.
285. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the measures being taken to fill the staff vacancies in St Joseph's Hospital, Stranorlar, County Donegal, given that a considerable number of beds are empty, while Letterkenny University Hospital is consistently one of the most overcrowded hospitals in the State. [10553/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
286. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Health the average time to admission, the waiting-time distribution, and the number of patients leaving without being seen via the emergency department at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, for each of the years 2022 to 2025 and to-date in 2026, with separate figures for all patients aged 75 years and over, in tabular form. [10575/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
287. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Health the number of hospital-initiated scheduled care cancellations at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, by appointment or procedure type, by adult/child, for each of the years 2022 to 2025 and to-date in 2026, in tabular form. [10576/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
288. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Health the number of delayed transfers of care, delayed discharges as a percentage of total discharges, and bed days lost as a percentage of total bed days at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, for each of the years 2022 to 2025 and to-date in 2026, in tabular form. [10577/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
289. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Health the bed occupancy rates at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda; and the number of days full capacity protocols which were in operation at the hospital, for each of the years 2022 to 2025 and to-date in 2026, in tabular form. [10578/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
290. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Health the number of assaults recorded against patients and staff at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda and other HSE facilities in County Louth, for each of the years 2022 to 2025 and to-date in 2026, in tabular form. [10580/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
291. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Health the ambulance response performance for clinical status 1 incidents in the north-east region, including response times, proportions met, and incident volumes by clinical status, for each of the years 2022 to 2025 and to-date in 2026, in tabular form. [10581/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
292. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Health the percentage of ambulance crews available to respond within 20 minutes of emergency department handover at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda and each hospital in the north-east, by location, on a quarterly basis for 2023 to 2025, in tabular form. [10582/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
293. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Health the number of patients in County Louth on primary care and community services waiting lists, by service type, age group, and length of wait, in each of the years from December 2022 to 2025 or latest comparable date, in tabular form. [10583/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
294. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in County Louth waiting for home support each year from December 2022 to 2025, or latest comparable date, and the number of people receiving less than their allocated hours, in tabular form. [10584/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
295. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Health the number of people in County Louth waiting for CAMHS, by length of wait, on a quarterly basis for each of the years 2022 to 2025, in tabular form. [10585/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
296. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in County Louth waiting for an appointment with an organisation (details supplied) by length of wait, on a quarterly basis for each of the years 2022 to 2025, in tabular form. [10586/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
297. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in County Louth waiting for diagnostic tests, including MRI, CT, ultrasound and endoscopy, at the latest available data point, in tabular form. [10587/26]
View answerWaiting times for radiology and diagnostic services have been recognised as an issue for some time. This Government is committed to the implementation of the 2017 Sláintecare Report, which includes a maximum waiting time target of 10 days for a diagnostic test.
The roll out of National digital platforms such as the National Integrated Medical Imaging System (NIMIS) and the National Laboratory Information System (MedLIS) are reducing duplication, improving diagnostic accuracy, and enabling secure, rapid information sharing across all public hospitals. In 2026, the use of digital diagnostic tools will be further expanded under the Productivity and Savings Taskforce Action Plan to increase the number of diagnostic scans, alongside measures to improve the utilisation of diagnostic equipment supporting increased diagnostic capacity.
The NTPF is working to support access to radiology and in October 2024 it published a National Radiology Diagnostic Waiting List Management Protocol. As well as ensuring that patients seeking access to Radiology Diagnostic services are administratively managed in a safe, timely, fair, and equitable manner whilst waiting, the protocol will facilitate improved data collection and reporting about patients on Radiology Diagnostic waiting lists.
In the interim, the information that is currently being collected as part of a pilot project is being tested and validated at hospital, hospital region and national level and as such should not be used/reported without the context of the caveats set out below:
• Data is subject to inclusions and exclusions which are documented in the Data Profile Document. This document is available from Acute Operations and has been circulated to all Hospital Regions.
• Data contains urgent, routine and surveillance/planned activity which is currently not broken down in detail, as such this includes surveillance/planned activity which may not be exceeding planned date.
• Data is still undergoing validation at Hospital and Hospital Region level. Data does not take into account local nuances at site level (Site profile developed to support understanding of same).
• The purpose of this aggregate data is to provide a National Level overview of the number of patients waiting for modalities of CT, MRI and Ultrasound.
• This report is not intended to be used for the active management of hospital diagnostics waiting list, local reports and mechanisms should continue to be used for the management of diagnostics waiting lists at hospital level.
The NTPF provides my Department with quarterly reports which set out waiting list data for CT, MRI and Ultrasound by hospital and time band. The most recent report available for Quarter 4 2025 indicates there was a total of 10,756 patients waiting for these diagnostic tests in hospitals in County Louth. It should be noted that this figure includes all outpatients waiting, urgent, semi urgent, routine and planned/surveillance (where diagnostic access is planned at particular time intervals).
In relation to GI Scopes, adult and child waiting list information by hospital is published monthly by the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) on its website: www.ntpf.ie/home/nwld.htm. Information from April 2021 is now being made available through an interactive visual tool which provides users with a much-improved way of accessing and analysing waiting list information.
298. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Health the capacity and access to public dental services in County Louth, including DTSS participation, claims activity, and waiting lists for dental, orthodontic, and dental surgery services, for quarter 4 2024 and quarterly in 2025, in tabular form. [10588/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
299. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Health the number of GPs and GPs providing GMS services in County Louth, by local health area and per 10,000 population, as of 1 December for each of the years from 2020 to 2025, in tabular form. [10589/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to reply to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
Please note that as GPs are private practitioners, accordingly it may only be possible for the HSE to respond in relation to HSE contracted GPs.
