Written Answers Nos. 795-814
795. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE staff, by job title, working in each perinatal mental health team; and the number of vacancies, by job title, currently in each perinatal mental health team, in tabular form. [16341/26]
View answerThe Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Services (SPMHS) is now available in all 19 maternity hospitals nationwide, providing support to pregnant women and women with a baby up to one year old, with an existing or new mental health problem. Funding of €5 million annually has established 6 consultant led multidisciplinary teams across major maternity hospitals (Coombe, NMH, Rotunda, Galway, Cork, Limerick), and 13 spoke sites staffed by perinatal mental health midwife posts. There are now over 75 funded posts in SPMHS nationally.
Under Budget 2026, I secured an additional €640,000 to recruit two additional consultant psychiatrists for the Programme’s busiest sites, the Rotunda and Holles Street, to meet growing demand for the service.
The HSE are progressing a review of the Model of Care for SPMHS, with a Steering Group due to be established shortly and a refreshed model published later this year. The key objective of this refresh is the provision of equivalent service to the major hospital sites as for the other 13 spoke sites, and this will be the focus of this second phase of the Model of Care.
With reference to rest of the information requested as this is an operational issue, I have referred it to the HSE for direct reply to you.
796. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health the number of consultant neurosurgeons, neurosurgeon registrars and senior house officers in neurosurgery that were on call between the hours of 8pm-8am at Beaumont Hospital for each night of the week commencing 16 February 2026, in tabular form. [16343/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
797. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE community development workers based at Blanchardstown Local Drugs and Alcohol Task Force as of 20 February 2026, in tabular form. [16345/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
798. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE chefs, by grade, employed by the HSE, working at St. Mary's Hospital, Phoenix Park as of 20 February 2026, in tabular form. [16346/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
799. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health when the Temple Street Children's Hospital site will be fully decanted; and the plans in place for the site afterwards; and if the HSE can engage immediately with Dublin City Council to bring together a plan for the site which addresses needs in the wider area. [16348/26]
View answerThe National Children’s Hospital Ireland (NCHI) is a much-needed investment in healthcare services for our children and young people which is now in the final stages of construction.
Once NCHI is open and fully operational, the three existing children’s hospitals at Temple Street, Crumlin and the paediatric inpatient unit at Tallaght will close. Children’s Health Ireland’s (CHI’s) Urgent Care Centre at Connolly Hospital and CHI's Emergency Care Unit at Tallaght University Hospital will remain open and continue to provide ambulatory care for children from the Greater Dublin Area.
Following CHI’s move to the NCHI and decommissioning of Temple Street, the building will revert to the ownership of the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital.
800. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of doctors working for Children’s Health Ireland at consultant level who are not registered on the Medical Council’s specialist division register, by specialty, in tabular form. [16352/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
801. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of doctors working for Children’s Health Ireland at consultant level who are not registered on the Medical Council’s specialist division register, by location, in tabular form. [16353/26]
View answerAs this is a service issue, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
802. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of doctors working for HSE statutory hospitals at consultant level who are not registered on the Medical Council’s specialist division register, by specialty, in tabular form. [16354/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
803. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of doctors working for public voluntary hospitals, to be requested from each, at consultant level who are not registered on the Medical Council’s specialist division register, by specialty, in tabular form. [16355/26]
View answerI have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.
804. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Health her views on the adequacy of dementia and Alzheimer's care in south Dublin; and on the need for HSE-led day care services for people with dementia in south Dublin. [16356/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
805. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Health the supports available to people who cannot afford the cost of residential treatment for alcohol addiction; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16357/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
806. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Health whether there is State-funded residential treatment spaces for people who suffer an addiction to alcohol; whether there are any such spaces in treatment centres based in counties Galway, Roscommon or Mayo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16358/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
807. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health following the findings of an audit (details supplied), the steps she is taking to ensure that all consultants practicing across the HSE, voluntary groups, and Children’s Health Ireland are appropriately registered with the Irish Medical Council; if she will conduct an audit of the unaudited Health Regions, and of Children’s Health Ireland, for compliance with legal, regulatory, and governance standards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16359/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
808. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health to urgently arrange the necessary services required by a child (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16361/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
809. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Health to review the removal of a medical card from a person (details supplied); and whether the card can be reinstated on the basis of the holder's disability. [16362/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
810. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health the actions being taken to ensure that mental health services in north Tipperary are adequately resourced, in light of current deficits in psychiatry, occupational therapy and social work positions; the measures in place to recruit and retain staff across these disciplines; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16364/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
811. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Clare who has been allocated 21 hours home help but is currently only in receipt of four hours per week will receive their full allocation hours as a matter of urgency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16372/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
812. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Health if the HSE has plans to reimburse omaveloxolone, a drug used to treat Friedrichs ataxia; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16376/26]
View answer876. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health if she will consider making the drug Omaveloxolone available to the approximately 200 people in Ireland currently living with Friedreich's Ataxia, given the life-changing impact this drug can have; if she will reconsider her position that the drug is not ‘economically viable’, in light of the relatively small number of people whose lives can be changed by making this drug available to them; if she will consider their quality of life above the cost of the drug; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16678/26]
View answer899. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to making the medication Skyclarys (omaveloxolone) available to Irish Friedreich’s Ataxia patients under the current drugs reimbursement process; if she recognises the clinical necessity of this request as this drug is the only proven treatment to slow the progression of this debilitating condition; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16880/26]
View answer943. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health when Skyclarys (omaveloxolone), the first approved treatment for Friedreich’s ataxia, will be made available to patients in Ireland through reimbursement; if she will prioritise the assessment and reimbursement process given the urgent clinical need for the approximately 200 people living with this progressive condition; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17050/26]
View answer951. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health if she will commit to prioritising the reimbursement process for omaveloxolone to ensure that it is made available to the approximately 200 people in Ireland living with Friedreich’s ataxia; if she recognises the clinical necessity of this treatment for a community that currently has no other therapeutic options; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17107/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 812, 876, 899, 943 and 951 together.
The National Rare Disease Strategy 2025 – 2030 was launched on August 27th, 2025. The Department of Health will now ensure its implementation and vision to ensure that all people living with a rare disease have access to equitable, inclusive, safe and cross-sectoral care throughout their life journey. To enable them to reach their full potential and to live their best lives.
Since the launch of the Strategy, an Implementation Oversight Group has been launched and met in February to begin work planning for the 11 recommendations. As implementation of the Strategy progresses, it is intended that patient representation is a key feature and will be embedded in all structures.
Under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on the pricing and reimbursement of medicines and medical devices; therefore, I have asked the HSE for an update in this matter.
The HSE has advised that it is committed to providing access to as many medicines as possible, in as timely a fashion as possible, from the resources available (provided) to it.
The HSE must robustly assess applications for pricing and reimbursement to make sure that it can stretch available resources as far as possible and to deliver the best value in relation to each medicine and ultimately more medicines to Irish citizens and patients.
HSE decisions on which medicines are reimbursed by the taxpayer are made on objective, scientific and economic grounds.
There are formal processes which govern applications for the pricing and reimbursement of medicines, and new uses of existing medicines, to be funded and / or reimbursed.
The HSE considers the following criteria prior to making any decision on pricing / reimbursement, in line with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013:
(1) The health needs of the public,
(2) The cost effectiveness of meeting health needs by supplying the item concerned rather than providing other health services,
(3) The availability and suitability of items for supply or reimbursement,
(4) The proposed costs, benefits, and risks of the item or listed item relative to therapeutically similar items or listed items provided in other health service settings and the level of certainty in relation to the evidence of those costs, benefits and risks,
(5) The potential or actual budget impact of the item or listed item,
(6) The clinical need for the item or listed item,
(7) The appropriate level of clinical supervision required in relation to the item to ensure patient safety,
(8) The efficacy (performance in trial), effectiveness (performance in real situations) and added therapeutic benefit against existing standards of treatment (how much better it treats a condition than existing therapies) and,
(9) The resources available to the HSE.
In terms of the specific details of the application for pricing and reimbursement of omaveloxolone (Skyclarys®):
The HSE received an application for pricing and reimbursement of omaveloxolone (Skyclarys®) on the 1st August 2024 from Biogen Idec (Ireland) Limited (the applicant) for the treatment of Friedreich’s ataxia in adults and adolescents aged 16 years and older. The first step in the process is the submission of a Rapid Review dossier (a clinical and economic dossier) to the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE) for assessment. The HSE commissioned the Rapid Review process on the 2nd August 2024.
• The NCPE Rapid Review assessment report was received by the HSE on the 29th August 2024. The NCPE advised the HSE that a full Health Technology Assessment (HTA) was recommended to assess the clinical effectiveness and cost effectiveness of omaveloxolone compared with the current standard of care.
• The HSE commissioned a full HTA on the 25th September 2024 as per agreed processes.
• The NCPE HTA Report was received by the HSE on the 16th December 2025. The NCPE recommends that omaveloxolone not be considered for reimbursement: [www.ncpe.ie/omaveloxolone-skyclarys-hta-id-24033/] .
• The HSE Corporate Pharmaceutical Unit (CPU) is the interface between the HSE and the Pharmaceutical Industry in relation to medicine pricing and reimbursement applications.
• The Drugs Group is the national committee which the HSE has in place to make recommendations on the pricing and reimbursement of medicines. The membership of the HSE Drugs Group includes public interest members. Pharmacoeconomic reports are reviewed by the HSE Drugs Group along with the outputs of commercial negotiations, and any patient group submission(s) received. The HSE Drugs Group considers all of the evidence and makes a recommendation to the HSE Senior Leadership Team.
• The decision making authority in the HSE is the HSE Senior Leadership Team. The HSE Senior Leadership Team decides on the basis of all the demands it is faced with (across all services) whether it can fund a new medicine, or new use of an existing medicine, from the resources that have been provided to it in line with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.
This application remains under consideration with the HSE. The HSE cannot make any comment on possible outcomes from the ongoing process. 951. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health if she will commit to prioritising the reimbursement process for omaveloxolone to ensure that it is made available to the approximately 200 people in Ireland living with Friedreich’s ataxia; if she recognises the clinical necessity of this treatment for a community that currently has no other therapeutic options; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17107/26]
813. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the number of trolleys currently in each accident and emergency department, by hospital; and the average length of time patients waited on a trolley in each hospital over the past 12 months. [16383/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
814. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question Reference No. 371 of 11 February 2026, if a psychologist could be granted to Adult Mental Health Services in north Kerry (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16386/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
