Written Answers Nos. 608-630
608. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of occasions in the past three years on which medicines listed on the Community Drug Schemes Reimbursement List were formally declared in shortage by the Health Products Regulatory Authority; in how many such cases substitute reimbursement required discretionary approval; and whether her Department maintains a central register of such occurrences. [13657/26]
View answerMy Department is aware of the stress that shortages of medicines can cause for patients and healthcare professionals alike, therefore mitigating medicine shortages and strengthening security of supply is the subject of several workstreams in my Department, the wider health service and across Europe.
Unfortunately, medicine shortages are a feature of modern health systems worldwide. There are a multitude of reasons why a medicine may not be available including: shortages of raw materials; manufacturing difficulties; or product recalls due to potential quality issues.
Ireland has a multi-stakeholder Medicines Shortages Framework in place operated by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) on behalf of the Department of Health. This framework aims to help prevent potential shortages from occurring and to reduce the impact of shortages. Stakeholders include the HPRA, the Department, the HSE, healthcare professionals, manufacturers, wholesalers, patient representative groups and marketing authorisation holders. Details of this framework can be found on the HPRA website.
In European law, pharmaceutical companies and wholesalers should ensure an appropriate and continuous supply of the medicines they market. Companies are required to notify the HPRA of medicines shortages or potential shortages impacting the Irish market.
In relation to the number of occasions in the past three years on which medicines listed on the Community Drug Schemes Reimbursement List were formally declared in shortage by the Health Products Regulatory Authority; in how many such cases substitute reimbursement required discretionary approval I have asked the HSE to reply directly to the Deputy.
609. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has conducted any value-for-money or cost-comparison analysis between maintaining automatic substitute reimbursement mechanisms during shortages and operating the current discretionary case-by-case approval model; and if she will provide details of any such analysis undertaken since 2020. [13658/26]
View answerMy Department is aware of the stress that shortages of medicines can cause for patients and healthcare professionals alike, therefore mitigating medicine shortages and strengthening security of supply is the subject of several workstreams in my Department, the wider health service and across Europe.
Unfortunately, medicine shortages are a feature of modern health systems worldwide. There are a multitude of reasons why a medicine may not be available including: shortages of raw materials; manufacturing difficulties; or product recalls due to potential quality issues.
Ireland has a multi-stakeholder Medicines Shortages Framework in place operated by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) on behalf of the Department of Health. This framework aims to help prevent potential shortages from occurring and to reduce the impact of shortages. Stakeholders include the HPRA, the Department, the HSE, healthcare professionals, manufacturers, wholesalers, patient representative groups and marketing authorisation holders. Details of this framework can be found at: www.hpra.ie/regulation/human-medicine/patients-and-healthcare-professionals/medicines-shortages
In European law, pharmaceutical companies and wholesalers should ensure an appropriate and continuous supply of the medicines they market. Companies are required to notify the HPRA of medicines shortages or potential shortages impacting the Irish market.
610. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any equity impact assessment has been conducted to determine whether patients without medical cards or without established drugs payment scheme eligibility face additional barriers in accessing substitute medicines during shortages; and whether she will outline any measures in place to prevent differential access arising from reimbursement mechanisms. [13659/26]
View answerThe Minister has no powers over the commercial decision-making of how individual pharmacies allocate medicines to private customers. Pharmacies operate as commercial entities in a competitive pharmacy market.
There is no evidence or data available to the Department indicating that current reimbursement mechanisms create differential or delayed access for either GMS or non-GMS patients. The Department of Health has not conducted a specific equity impact assessment examining whether patients without medical cards, or those who rely on the Drugs Payment Scheme (DPS) or pay privately (GMS versus non-GMS/DPS/private), face additional barriers in accessing substitute medicines during supply shortages.
The recent Framework Agreements on the Supply and Pricing of Medicines for which agreements in principle have been made with the pharmaceutical industry will emphasise the importance of the security of supply for medicines, and aim to reduce the risk of shortages for all patients in Ireland.
Ireland has a multi-stakeholder Medicines Shortages Framework in place operated by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) on behalf of the Department of Health. This framework aims to help prevent potential shortages from occurring and to reduce the impact of shortages. Stakeholders include the HPRA, the Department, the HSE, healthcare professionals, manufacturers, wholesalers, patient representative groups and marketing authorisation holders.
In European law, pharmaceutical companies and wholesalers should ensure an appropriate and continuous supply of the medicines they market. Companies are required to notify the HPRA of medicines shortages or potential shortages impacting the Irish market. The HPRA maintains a list of current and resolved shortages of products on its website.
611. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has engaged with representative bodies for community pharmacists, respiratory clinicians, or patient advocacy groups in relation to reimbursement continuity during medicine shortages; whether any formal consultation process has been undertaken since 2020; and if she will provide details of the outcome of any such engagement. [13660/26]
View answerMy Department is aware of the stress that shortages of medicines can cause for patients and healthcare professionals alike, therefore mitigating medicine shortages and strengthening security of supply is the subject of several workstreams in my Department, the wider health service and across Europe.
Unfortunately, medicine shortages are a feature of modern health systems worldwide. There are a multitude of reasons why a medicine may not be available including: shortages of raw materials; manufacturing difficulties; or product recalls due to potential quality issues.
Ireland has a multi-stakeholder Medicines Shortages Framework in place operated by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) on behalf of the Department of Health. This framework aims to help prevent potential shortages from occurring and to reduce the impact of shortages. Stakeholders include the HPRA, the Department, the HSE, healthcare professionals, manufacturers, wholesalers, patient representative groups and marketing authorisation holders. Details of this framework can be found at Medicines shortages on the HPRA website (www.hpra.ie/regulation/human-medicine/patients-and-healthcare-professionals/medicines-shortages).
In European law, pharmaceutical companies and wholesalers should ensure an appropriate and continuous supply of the medicines they market. Companies are required to notify the HPRA of medicines shortages or potential shortages impacting the Irish market.
The HSE has advised that medicines not on the formal Reimbursement List are considered on an individual patient basis. Community pharmacy contractors can contact PCRS Pharmacy Function Unit regarding reimbursement support. Individual applications can also be submitted by the dispensing pharmacy to PCRS.IndividualRequest@hse.ie.
Community pharmacy contractors can also submit queries relating to reimbursement of Exempt Medicinal Products (EMPs) to PCRS.ExemptMed@hse.ie.
612. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether she will commit to publishing a formal contingency reimbursement protocol setting out clear, automatic procedures for substitute medicine reimbursement where a reimbursable product is listed in shortage by the Health Products Regulatory Authority; and if she will indicate a timeframe for the development and publication of such a protocol. [13661/26]
View answerMy Department is aware of the stress that shortages of medicines can cause for patients and healthcare professionals alike, therefore mitigating medicine shortages and strengthening security of supply is the subject of several workstreams in my Department, the wider health service and across Europe.
Unfortunately, medicine shortages are a feature of modern health systems worldwide. There are a multitude of reasons why a medicine may not be available including: shortages of raw materials; manufacturing difficulties; or product recalls due to potential quality issues.
Ireland has a multi-stakeholder Medicines Shortages Framework in place operated by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) on behalf of the Department of Health. This framework aims to help prevent potential shortages from occurring and to reduce the impact of shortages. Stakeholders include the HPRA, the Department, the HSE, healthcare professionals, manufacturers, wholesalers, patient representative groups and marketing authorisation holders. Details of this framework can be found at Medicines shortages on the HPRA website (www.hpra.ie/regulation/human-medicine/patients-and-healthcare-professionals/medicines-shortages).
In European law, pharmaceutical companies and wholesalers should ensure an appropriate and continuous supply of the medicines they market. Companies are required to notify the HPRA of medicines shortages or potential shortages impacting the Irish market.
The HSE has advised that medicines not on the formal Reimbursement List are considered on an individual patient basis. Community pharmacy contractors can contact PCRS Pharmacy Function Unit regarding reimbursement support. Individual applications can also be submitted by the dispensing pharmacy to PCRS.IndividualRequest@hse.ie.
Community pharmacy contractors can also submit queries relating to reimbursement of Exempt Medicinal Products (EMPs) to PCRS.ExemptMed@hse.ie.
613. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 2074 of 13 January 2026, to list all written directions, circulars, guidance notes, governance frameworks or performance requirements issued by her Department to the HSE since 2018 concerning the treatment abroad scheme, including prior authorisation governance, escalation rules for high-cost approvals, and the reporting of approvals and expenditure to the Department; and, if none, to state how her Department ensures formal oversight of high-cost overseas referrals funded from the Health Vote. [13690/26]
View answer614. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 2074 of 13 January 2026, whether her Department receives any routine dataset or report from the HSE on treatment abroad scheme approvals and expenditure, including the number of applications received, the number approved, the number refused, the average cost per approval and total spend by year since 2018; and if so, to specify the reporting frequency, the responsible unit in her Department and the date on which such reporting commenced. [13691/26]
View answer615. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has issued any written requirement to the HSE since 2018 to categorise treatment abroad scheme expenditure by procedure type for departmental governance and cost control purposes; and, if not, to state the reason her Department does not require procedure-level categorisation for Exchequer oversight. [13692/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 613 to 615, inclusive, together.
The HSE funds treatment for patients in the EU/EEA under the governing EU Social Security Co-ordination Regulations and Guidelines.
The HSE operates the EU Treatment Abroad Scheme (TAS) for persons entitled to treatment in another EU/EEA Member State, UK or Switzerland under EU Regulation (EC) No. 883/2004, as per the procedures set out in EU Regulations (EC) No. 987/2009. The EU TAS is a consultant led scheme and allows for an Ireland-based public consultant to refer a public patient who is normally resident in Ireland for treatment in the public healthcare system of another EU member state, the UK or Switzerland. Subject to the EU Regulations and Guidelines, the EU TAS provides for the cost of approved public treatments in another EU/EEA member state, the UK or Switzerland through the issue of form S2 (IE) where the treatment is:
• among the benefits provided for by Irish legislation;
• not available in Ireland;
• not available within the time normally necessary for obtaining it in Ireland, taking account of the patient's current state of health and the probable course of the disease;
• medically necessary and will meet the patient’s needs;
• a proven form of medical treatment and not experimental or test treatment;
• provided in a recognised public hospital or other institution that will accept EU/EEA form S2 (IE) and;
• is under the control of a registered medical practitioner.
Information and guidelines on the EU Social Security Co-ordination governing legislative framework are available on the European Commission website:
• employment-social-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies-and-activities/moving-working-europe/eu-social-security-coordination/specialised-information/eu-legislation_en
• employment-social-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies-and-activities/moving-working-europe/eu-social-security-coordination/specialised-information/official-documents_en
The HSE is responsible for implementing the Regulations in Ireland and provides further information for patients on the HSE TAS website: www2.hse.ie/services/schemes-allowances/treatment-abroad-scheme/
In relation to arrangements in place within the department for performance oversight of the EU TAS, as the Deputy may be aware, my Department monitors and assesses HSE performance in relation to the delivery of services set out in the annual HSE National Service Plan (NSP), which includes the financial allocation for Treatment Abroad and Cross Border Healthcare. The HSE NSP is available here: about.hse.ie/publications/hse-national-service-plan-2026/
The HSE reports monthly on its performance against the NSP and this forms the basis of ongoing engagement between the Department and the HSE. Through the Performance Engagement Model, a structured, tiered approach to assessing performance is implemented.
Internally, the HSE implements the Performance and Accountability Framework which includes National Services and Schemes. The Framework is available here: about.hse.ie/publications/performance-and-accountability-framework-2026/
In addition to the NSP, the HSE collects data for a broad range of other service performance metrics that inform its own performance oversight and operational planning processes. This includes HSE activity and expenditure data related to the EU TAS.
The Department currently receives an HSE Activity and Expenditure Data Report, which includes TAS information, from the HSE on a quarterly basis. Officials from my Department engage in quarterly performance oversight meeting with the HSE TAS office, with additional engagement as required.
In addition, Ireland, like all EU Member States, participates in the collection and reporting of statistics on the application of the EU social security coordination rules, including planned treatment authorised under the TAS (S2) route. The data is compiled by the European Commission and published on its website: employment-social-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies-and-activities/moving-working-europe/facts-and-figures-intra-eu-labour-mobility-and-eu-social-security-coordination_en
616. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has approved any national governance, safeguarding, and clinical governance framework for gender identity services for children and young people, including required standards, audit arrangements, and lines of accountability; and if so, to provide the title, date of approval, and the name of the unit responsible for monitoring compliance. [13693/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
617. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has conducted or commissioned, since 2019, any risk assessment, safeguarding assurance review, or governance assessment of gender identity services for children and young people, including assessment of diagnostic governance, consent safeguards, data completeness, and clinical oversight; and if so, to provide the date, the commissioning body, and whether recommendations were issued to the HSE for implementation. [13694/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
618. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has completed any formal assessment since 2018 of the WPATH Standards of Care for the purposes of alignment with Irish health governance frameworks, including appraisal methodology, conflicts-of-interest screening, and evidence grading; and if so, to provide the date and the governance route by which the assessment was approved. [13695/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
619. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has issued any written instruction to the HSE to establish a national dataset for gender identity services for minors, including referral volumes, diagnostic profiles, treatment pathways, and outcomes; and if so, to specify the minimum dataset fields required, the legal basis relied upon, and the target date for national coverage [13696/26]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware and as set out in the Programme for Government 2025, this Government is committed to ensuring a transgender healthcare service that is based on clinical evidence, respect, inclusiveness and compassion.
It is in this context that my department has provided funding to the HSE in 2024, 2025 and this year for the establishment and development of the National Clinical Programme for Gender Healthcare. This programme is developing an updated clinical Model of Care with the aim of designing clinical pathways to deliver safe and effective health and social care for those seeking gender affirming healthcare services. This work will also inform an implementation plan for its delivery.
In the context of current services, there is no specialist gender service for children and young people (under the age of 16). The current pathway for children and young people is to attend their GP who may refer the patient to their local CAMHS service. The HSE National Clinical Programme for Gender Healthcare will include a clinical framework for the clinical support and management of children and young people in primary, secondary and specialist care settings, and matters such as the collection of clinical data will be considered in the development of this model of care.
Developing a model of care for Gender Healthcare Services is a complex process and the HSE and my department are working closely together to support the process, ensure transparency and keep the patient at the centre of the process.
It is important that the HSE is given time to develop a model of care that is based on the best clinical evidence and that will deliver the best outcomes for persons with gender incongruence or dysphoria.
620. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has approved a national KPI set for recruitment governance across services funded under the Health Vote, including vacancy definitions, clearance timelines, time-to-hire, and development post delivery; and if so, to list the KPIs, the definitions used, and the date of departmental approval. [13697/26]
View answerThe role of the Minister for Health is primarily to deal with legislation, policy, overall budgetary allocation, and corporate governance. The HSE is a separate entity to the Department of Health and as such, the HSE has responsibility for matters relating to the staff within their employ or staff going through the process of recruitment with the HSE's National Recruitment Service.
The Department have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter.
621. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 2162 of 13 January 2026, whether her Department requires the HSE to provide recruitment and vacancy data to the Department on a standardised national template with consistent definitions across all regions; and if so, to provide the date such standardisation was introduced and the compliance arrangements in place. [13698/26]
View answerThe HSE’s monthly Limits File provides D/Health with data on staffing levels for D/Health funded HSE services against an agreed annual recruitment ceiling.
The monthly staffing figures are derived from payroll data compiled by the HSE, whilst the recruitment ceiling for D/Health funded HSE services for 2026 is 136,606 Whole Time Equivalents (WTE). This ceiling is calculated by combining the number of staff in place at the end of December 2023 (126,442 WTE) with subsequent annual increases of 3,310 WTE in 2024, 3,554 WTE in 2025 and 3,300 WTE in 2026.
The annual increases in the staffing ceiling are agreed with the Department of Public Expenditure Infrastructure Public Service Reform and Digitalisation (DPEIPSRD) as part of the annual Budgetary Estimates process. This approach to setting an annual staffing ceiling was originally introduced in July 2024, as part of the trilateral funding settlement between the D/Health, HSE and DPEIPSRD.
Details of how the total recruitment ceiling for 2026 is split across the various Regional Health Authorities will be detailed in the HSE's 2026 Pay and Numbers Strategy.
622. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 2164 of 13 January 2026, whether her Department will require the HSE to report quarterly to the Department the estimated cost to the Health Vote of bed days lost associated with delayed transfers of care, including type E homelessness and housing support categories; and, if not, to state the reason cost reporting is not required for a clearly identified driver of hospital capacity loss. [13699/26]
View answerThe Department’s focus is on the active management of hospital capacity and patient flow, and on ensuring that patients are discharged as promptly as possible to the most appropriate care setting. In that context, the Department and the HSE place greater emphasis on operational performance and patient flow indicators rather than routine cost-based reporting. These include the number of patients experiencing delayed transfers of care, average and extended lengths of stay, levels of weekend discharges, and trends in these indicators over time. These metrics are routinely monitored by the HSE and are used to support discharge planning, improve patient flow, and relieve pressure on acute hospital capacity.
While delayed transfers of care are recognised as a contributor to hospital congestion, assigning a notional financial cost to individual bed days does not address the underlying causes of delay. For this reason, the Department prioritises the use of operational and performance information that supports practical interventions to reduce delays and improve outcomes for patients, rather than the routine production of estimated cost figures.
623. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 2164 of 13 January 2026, whether her Department has approved any standard national methodology for calculating bed-day cost for governance and planning purposes, including the cost basis used and whether it is applied consistently across hospital groups; and if so, to provide the methodology reference and the date it was approved. [13700/26]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
624. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department requires maternity services to record and report, as a national patient safety governance measure, any instance where signs of life are observed following a termination of pregnancy, including whether any national data return is required from maternity hospitals to the Department or to a national programme; and if not, to state the policy basis for the absence of a mandatory national governance return. [13701/26]
View answerAs the Deputy's question relates to a service matter, I have referred it to the HSE for direct reply.
625. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has commissioned or overseen since 2019 any national clinical audit, serious incident learning review, or patient safety governance review in relation to reporting and governance arrangements for cases where signs of life are observed following a termination of pregnancy; and if so, to provide the number of reviews, the dates, and whether findings were provided to her Department. [13702/26]
View answerAs the Deputy's question relates to a service matter, I have referred it to the HSE for direct reply.
626. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to the reply to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 2312 to 2316 of 13 January 2026, whether her Department holds the HSE tender evaluation summary, cost-effectiveness analysis, and decision documentation underpinning the decision not to procure enhanced influenza vaccines for the 2025 to 2026 season; and if so, to state whether she will publish the non-commercially sensitive elements of that documentation in the interests of transparency. [13703/26]
View answerThe Influenza Vaccination Programme provides a free flu vaccine to those most vulnerable to the effects of the flu. The HSE is responsible for the implementation of the Influenza Vaccination Programme, in line with Department of Health policy and funding, which includes procurement of the flu vaccines in line with EU and National Procurement rules.
Every year the WHO reviews global surveillance data and recommends the specific influenza strains that manufacturers should include in the season's vaccines based on the flu strains that are considered most likely to circulate. Vaccine production takes several months and this allows the manufacturers sufficient time to have vaccine available in time for the start of the flu season. All licensed influenza vaccines included for the 2025/2026 season comply with WHO and NIAC recommendations.
In 2024, HIQA carried out a Health Technology Assessment, or HTA, on enhanced flu vaccines. The HTA noted that studies on the effectiveness of enhanced flu vaccines are limited due to the small number of studies and a paucity of data over multiple seasons. Due to the variability of seasonal influenza, a single study may misrepresent the 'on average' vaccine effectiveness.
Based on the limited data available, the HTA found that switching from a standard to an enhanced flu vaccine for those aged 65 and older would likely reduce the burden of flu. Whether such a switch would represent a good use of public monies would depend on the price of these enhanced vaccines compared with the standard flu vaccine.
The HSE was asked to commence a tender process to determine if the enhanced vaccines could be purchased at a price that was cost effective and from within their existing budget. The HSE carried out an analysis of the tenders received and on 4 February 2025, advised the Department that neither of the enhanced vaccines for older people met the criteria set out in the HTA for net monetary benefit compared to standard flu vaccine and was over twice the price of the standard flu vaccine.
The HIQA HTA estimates increasing costs of procurement of the enhanced influenza vaccines at between approximately 4 and 19 million euros/year. Actual costs are commercially confidential and are not known until tenders are evaluated each year.
The healthcare budget is finite. Decisions regarding increased spending in one area could impact the provision of other health technologies and treatments within the healthcare system. Therefore, cost-effectiveness must be considered in any decision-making process.
627. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the Government’s long-term approach to supporting people suffering from long-Covid, in circumstances where specific illness benefit arrangements for long-Covid ended on 31 December 2025 (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13704/26]
View answerAfter a hearing in June, the Labour Court recommended that the Special Scheme would come to an end on the 31st of December 2025, therefore, the scheme has formally concluded. Importantly, this does not mean that supports will end. Employees who remained unfit to return to work moved into the Public Service Sick Leave Scheme, ensuring continuity of care and financial protection. The sick leave scheme provides full pay for three months, followed by half pay for three months, and after that, Temporary Rehabilitative Remuneration may be applied for, which, if granted, provides up to a further 547 days of paid leave. The Critical Illness Protocol that forms part of the sick leave scheme may also provide additional supports if granted. The HSE have been instructed to advise Managers to look favourably at requests for CIP.
628. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the efforts being made to secure the services of an orthodontist for the regional orthodontic service based at Louth County Hospital, Dundalk; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13733/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
629. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Health to provide the number, age range and category of patient currently waiting for orthodontic assessment and orthodontic treatment at the regional orthodontic centre based at Louth County Hospital, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13734/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
630. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the full list of national workforce Key Performance Indicators currently agreed between her Department and the HSE for 2025; the date on which each KPI was formally approved; the reporting frequency for each; and whether each KPI is published, in tabular form [13740/26]
View answerThe full suite of key performance indicators agreed between the Department and HSE for 2025 reporting are captured in the National Service Plan. The workforce-related metrics as per the 2025 NSP are detailed below.
The 2025 NSP is available here: about.hse.ie/publications/hse-national-service-plan-2025/
The 2026 National Service Plan has also been approved and published and is available here: about.hse.ie/publications/hse-national-service-plan-2026/
The NSP indicators were approved by the Minister for Health as part of the NSP process and published on 14 January 2025. Other indicators are reported in the Management Data Report (MDR) and National Performance Report (NPR) on a monthly basis by the HSE.
