Written Answers Nos. 383-402
383. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health whether she is satisfied that NIMIS is currently operating safely and reliably across all HSE facilities; and, if not, to identify the hospitals, regions or services where system failures, outages or performance issues have been recorded. [22805/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
384. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health whether she is aware of reports that failures of NIMIS have resulted in surgical procedures proceeding without access to required imaging, including X-rays, particularly in paediatric settings. [22806/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
385. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health whether she is aware of allegations that IT staff have been required to restore imaging systems while patients were undergoing surgery; and if so, the investigations that have been carried out into these incidents. [22807/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
386. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health whether any patient safety incidents, adverse outcomes, or near-misses have been formally recorded in connection with NIMIS failures, including harm to patients (adult or paediatric), and delays, cancellations, or postponements of procedures. [22808/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
388. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if she is aware of any policies within CHI or the HSE requiring that NIMIS or equivalent imaging systems are checked, verified, and formally signed off as operational prior to surgical procedures; if so, to provide details of such policies; and the way compliance is monitored. [22810/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
389. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health whether any external review or escalation to the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has been made in relation to NIMIS failures; and if so, the outcome of any such review. [22811/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
390. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the total cost of implementing NIMIS, including procurement and rollout; the annual operating, maintenance, and support costs; and the identity of the bodies or individuals responsible for procurement decisions, system oversight and governance and ongoing operation and maintenance. [22812/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
391. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health whether she is aware of any formal training, guidance, or protocols that have been provided, either historically or currently, to IT staff who may be required to enter operating theatres or critical care environments to address system failures; and if so, to provide details of such training. [22813/26]
View answer392. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health whether she will ensure that appropriate professional training and clear protocols are in place for IT personnel required to enter live surgical or critical clinical settings, including training in patient safety, infection prevention and control, and interaction within multidisciplinary clinical teams. [22814/26]
View answer397. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health whether she is aware of any formal training, qualifications, or protocols in place for senior IT personnel, including IT managers and Chief Information Officers (CIOs), within CHI and the HSE, to equip them to operate safely and effectively within intensive care unit (ICU) or other critical clinical environments; and if so, to provide details of such training and how competency is assessed and maintained. [22819/26]
View answer399. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the training, guidance, or policies in place within the Human Resources departments of CHI and the HSE to ensure that IT staff are appropriately recruited, assessed, and provided with ongoing training and competency development for working in intensive care units (ICU), operating theatres, and other critical clinical environments; and the way compliance with such requirements is monitored and enforced. [22821/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 391, 392, 397 and 399 together.
As this is a service matter we have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.
393. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health whether she is aware of reported mortality figures within Children’s Health Ireland facilities, including those associated with Temple Street and Crumlin hospitals; and if so, to provide the annual mortality rates for paediatric patients in those hospitals. [22815/26]
View answer394. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health whether any audit, review, or investigation has been conducted into mortality rates, surgical outcomes, or procedure cancellations within CHI or the HSE, including any assessment of whether IT system failures, including issues relating to NIMIS or other critical systems, have contributed to adverse clinical outcomes, delays or cancellations of surgery, or risks to patient safety. [22816/26]
View answer395. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if no such audit or review has been conducted if she will initiate an independent review into the potential impact of IT system performance and resilience on clinical outcomes, including mortality rates and surgical delays; and whether such a review will examine both historical and current outcomes within CHI and the HSE. [22817/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 393 to 395, inclusive, together.
The report of the National Paediatric Mortality Register (NPMR), published by the National Office of Clinical Audit (NOCA), analyses data relating to mortality in children and young people aged under 19 years in Ireland. The last NPMR report was published in February 2025 and included detailed analysis of data on mortality in children and young people in Ireland from 2019 to 2023.
As this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
396. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health whether she is aware of any recorded incidents within Children’s Health Ireland hospitals where surgical items, including swabs or medical instruments, were unintentionally retained in paediatric patients following procedures; if so, to provide details of the number of such incidents recorded to date; the clinical impact on patients; whether such incidents were subject to incident reporting, investigation, or external review, and the measures implemented to prevent recurrence. [22818/26]
View answerAs this is an service matter, I have asked the HSE to reply directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
398. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health whether she is aware that the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of Children’s Health Ireland holds or has held an external academic position, including with University College Dublin; if so whether such an arrangement has been formally approved; the governance, oversight, and conflict-of-interest policies apply to such dual roles; and the way in which it is ensured that the full-time demands and responsibilities of the CIO role are not adversely affected. [22820/26]
View answerAs this is an operational issue I have asked the Health Service executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
400. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health in view of matters outlined and the reported availability of multiple IT staff witnesses, whether she will consider referring any potential matters of concern to An Garda Síochána for appropriate assessment or investigation; and, if not, the reasons for that decision. [22822/26]
View answer401. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if she is aware of any instances, historically or currently, of IT staff entering operating theatres or intensive care unit, ICU, environments without appropriate Garda vetting while addressing issues with NIMIS or other critical systems; if so, the safeguards, policies and oversight mechanisms in place to ensure patient safety and compliance with vetting requirements; and whether any such matters have been or will be referred to An Garda Síochána. [22823/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos 400 and 401 together.
As this is a service matter we have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.
402. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health whether she is aware of any instances where IT personnel, including permanent and contract staff, were deployed within CHI hospitals without appropriate Garda vetting, including staff provided by external contractors. [22824/26]
View answer403. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health whether she is aware of the use of third-party contractors in the provision of IT services within CHI; and the Garda vetting requirements and verification processes that were applied. [22825/26]
View answer405. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the policies, controls, and verification procedures in place within CHI and the HSE to ensure that all staff, including contractors, are appropriately Garda vetted prior to being granted access to clinical areas. [22827/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 402 to 405, inclusive, together.
As this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
