Written Answers Nos. 194-217
195. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the implementation of the State-led Early Learning and Childcare Capital Programme announced in January 2026, and specifically its implementation as it applies to rural areas and particularly Offaly; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29116/26]
View answerI recently announced €135 million in capital investment in buildings for high-quality, accessible State-led early learning and childcare. The process will begin in 2026 with investment in buildings in what will be a ground-breaking initiative for this government. Capital funding will be used to acquire and/or fit out the building, depending on requirements.
Up to eight buildings will be selected for investment this year and the State-led initiative will provide thousands of places up to 2030 using the €135 million provided in the National Development Plan. The level of investment will ramp up over the lifetime of the Government.
There will be a particular focus in the new State-led facilities on providing places for 1–3-year-old children, with capacity for these children to continue in the service until they start school, because this is where the need is greatest. The aim of delivering additional supply of this type in suitable locations will include both rural areas and urban areas which are not well served at the moment.
A core objective of the capital programme is to deliver additional supply where required in areas of disadvantage and rural areas where there is evidence of unmet need.
A suite of appraisal tools have been developed, including a forward planning model, in order to select projects that align the with programme objectives. Other programme objectives include ensuring cost effectiveness and timeliness of delivery.
The Department has received project proposals from a number of sources since the programme was launched which, along with projects which the Department was aware of prior to the programme launching, includes 82 potential projects across the country to date. One project proposal has been received from Co Offaly.
These projects are in very different stages of development. Some relate to existing buildings ready to occupy or fit out, while others are longer-term prospects for future years. Not all proposals align with the programme objectives and some may be funded by other means including the next round of Building Blocks. Some projects are proposed by an existing early learning and childcare service provider, while others relate to a building or property only and a separate process to identify an operator would be required.
The Department is continuing to seek potential projects for consideration.
Local City and County Childcare Committees are supporting the development of projects. In the first instance, anyone who might have a suitable premises or project should contact their local City/County Childcare Committee whose details can be found here: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/publications/city-and-county-childcare-committees
196. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality given the recent government approval of the Disability (Amendment) Bill 2026 and the planned rollout of the HSE's 'Single Point of Access' system in 2026, the specific guarantees that can be made to parents that these legislative changes will successfully reduce the current assessment of need backlogs without compromising a child's statutory right to timely intervention; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29142/26]
View answerUnder the Disability Act, an Assessment of Need is an assessment process carried out by the HSE where a person is of the opinion that they 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.
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 families exploring all options to access services for their child.
Unfortunately, this demand is outpacing the capacity of the system to respond. However, there has been continued improvement in the number of completed Assessment of Need reports with 5,939 reports completed in 2025. This is a 43% increase nationally compared to the number completed in 2024
On December 9th 2025, Government announced a series of changes to the Assessment of Need process which will make it more effective and efficient for children and families. These changes include amendments to Part 2 of the Disability Act 2005, which provides for Assessments of Need.
The General Scheme of the Disability (Amendment) Bill has been published on the Department’s website. The Joint Committee on Disability Matters has published its report, following pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill, and the Department is considering its recommendations. An www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/publications/from-subject-received-size-categories-aoife-carragher-dcde-fw-dcde-website-aon-1532-1-mb/has also been published, providing information on Assessment of Need and the proposed changes for families and other stakeholders.
Key features of the bill are to include:
• An increased focus on the identification of a person’s needs and the services to meet those needs, rather than on the nature of their disability.
• The creation of statutory guidelines to support and enhance the decision-making capacity of HSE assessment officers, who are responsible for the production of assessment of need reports.
• A focus on the use of appropriate and proportionate clinical assessment(s) during the assessment of need process to ensure that they should only be used where required to establish the child’s needs.
These 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.
It is important to recognise that legislation is only a part of the response. The Department is working with the HSE to identify further opportunities to enhance processes, improve training, and increase administrative supports for HSE Assessment Officers who are responsible for the production of Assessment of Need reports. This includes the establishment of working groups to address learning and development needs and to develop statutory guidelines.
The HSE is also implementing actions to address the wider issue of access to services and supports for children with disabilities including:
• Introduction of a Single Point of Access system. This should make it easier for families to be referred to the right service, whether that is primary care, CDNT or mental health services. It aims to streamline referrals and reduce duplication, so children do not end up on multiple waiting lists.
• Implementation of the Autism Assessment and Intervention Pathways Protocol. The Protocol will provide a standardised assessment process across primary care, mental health and disability services. It will be the preferred assessment route for autism.
• The creation of eleven new HSE teams, initially, to support assessment processes, including AON, providing clinical guidance and administrative supports.
Over time, these improvements to the AON process should result in a noticeable reduction in waiting times for children and their families across the country.
197. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality in light of ongoing delays in accessing disability services such as assessments of need, therapies and respite, the specific actions her Department is taking to reduce waiting times; the way in which she is ensuring that children and adults are supported at key transition points where delays may have long term developmental or social impacts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29200/26]
View answerThis Government and I recognise the importance of early intervention and therapy input for children with disabilities and is committed to ensuring that children and their families can access that support in a timely way.
The Government has provided funding for additional posts to enhance the capacity of Children's Disability Network Teams and shorten the waiting times in recent years, with further investment in both Budgets 2025 and 2026 to fund additional therapy posts and clinical trainee places. Funding of €2.85m was made available in 2025 for Children’s Services to build on existing recruitment initiatives, with funding focusing on various positions across CDNTs. A further €8 million has been secured in Budget 2026 to allow for the funding of 150 posts to CDNTs.
Despite sustained pressures, waiting lists were reduced by 28% in 2025, whilst in the National Service Plan for 2026 the HSE has committed to a further 25% reduction. HSE preliminary data indicates that the national CDNT waiting list has reduced by 48% from 16,522 children awaiting an initial contact with a CDNT in 2023 to 8,648 children at the end of February 2026. HSE preliminary data for February 2026 also indicates that CDNTs are providing services and supports nationally for 45,141 children and strategies and supports for waitlisted children with urgent needs, where staffing resources allow.
Progress is also being made on the recruitment of staff to CDNTs, with the HSE reporting a 28% increase in staffing levels nationwide from October 2023 to October 2025. This equates to an additional 448 Whole-Time Equivalents (WTE), including an additional 321 Health and Social Care Professionals (HSCPs).
To continue this growth, the HSE is driving intensive domestic and international recruitment efforts and will undertake a variety of workforce initiatives to support sustained growth of CDNTs and the wider disability service. A dedicated Disability Workforce Strategy will be developed by the HSE in 2026 to meet growing service demands and address recruitment and retention challenges across specialist disability services, including CDNTs. The Strategy will be developed as a distinct and visible strand within the new HSE Resourcing Strategy 2026-2029, detailing specific actions for Disability services while remaining fully aligned with national workforce reform
In addition, placements on CDNTs will continue to be expanded, alongside a continued expansion in the number of places in higher education, to develop the pipeline of future therapists. The Programme for Government commits to doubling the number of college places for speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dietitians, psychologists and social workers. This expansion will provide up to 461 additional student places by 2028, with the majority commenced in 2025.
In 2026, the HSE will develop targeted retention actions and innovative recruitment campaigns to address persistent vacancies and optimise recruitment across all service providers, ensuring the workforce reaches its funded level.
While demand for Assessment of Need continues to rise, there has been a welcome increase in the number of completed assessment reports, especially over the last two years. Over 5,900 assessment reports were completed by the end of 2025, representing a 43% increase year-on-year compared to 2024. Additionally, since June 2024, 7,700 clinical assessments have been commissioned privately through the AON Targeted Waitlist Initiative to support the delivery of AON reports at a cost of €27.8 million.
HSE Disability Services recognises the importance of support during transition between child and adult services. CDNTs work with families to prepare for this change through Individual Family Support Planning, which includes goal setting, skills development, and referral to appropriate adult services. Transition planning is recognised as a gradual process that supports young people and families to prepare for adulthood and lifelong wellbeing. The HSE Day Opportunities Team works closely with CDNTs to support transfer to HSE funded adult day services where this is the appropriate pathway.
198. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health when she intends to publish a new Obesity Policy and Action Plan; if she will publish a report on her Department’s public consultation on the matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28779/26]
View answerThe Obesity Policy Action Plan (OPAP) is currently under development. The new iteration of OPAP will be informed by the outputs of the extensive stakeholder and public consultations which were undertaken in 2025. The final consultation process report will be published on the gov.ie platform in due course. Feedback from the public consultation and its outputs, will be included in the new Obesity Policy and Action Plan. My department is working on delivering the new obesity policy and action plan this year.
199. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the annual funding allocated to obesity prevention and weight-management programmes; the number of patients accessing HSE weight-management or obesity services each year; the estimated cost savings to the health service from prevention interventions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28780/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
200. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the estimated economic cost of obesity-related illness due to workforce absenteeism, reduced productivity; the number of working days lost annually due to obesity-related illness; the estimated cost to the State and the economy arising from these productivity losses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28781/26]
View answerA Healthy Weight for Ireland, the Obesity Policy and Action Plan (OPAP), was launched in September 2016 under the auspices of the Healthy Ireland Framework (Healthy Ireland: A Framework for Improved Health and Wellbeing 2013-2025). OPAP covers a 10-year period up to 2025 and aims to reverse obesity trends, prevent associated health risks, and reduce the overall burden for individuals, families, the health system, and the wider society and economy. It recognises that obesity is a complex, multi-faceted challenge and needs a multi-pronged response, with every sector of society playing its part.
Since the implementation of OPAP, levels of obesity and overweight have stabilised.
According to the Healthy Ireland Survey 2024, the rate of obesity (for all ages from 15 years old) is at 21% and the rate of overweight at 35%. This data is collected every second year of the Healthy Ireland survey and overweight and obesity rates have been just under 60% for a number of years. There has been little change in our rates since OPAP was launched.
Data for children is collected separately through the WHO Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI). The WHO COSI have completed its 6th round of data collection in 2022 and the results demonstrated that rates of overweight and obesity in children have stabilised overall in the last twenty years.
It is welcome that obesity rates are not rising. However, given the projected increase to the overall population and in particular the aging profile of our population, with greater numbers of older adults living with the health impacts of overweight and obesity in the coming decades, it is key that we seek to reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity to reduce associated risks and costs.
There are a number of reports for Ireland which calculate the overall cost of obesity. A 2012 study by University College Cork for Safefood entitled "The Cost of Overweight and Obesity on the Island of Ireland” estimated that adult overweight and obesity cost the healthcare services in Ireland just under €400 million every year. Overweight and obesity combined accounted for an estimated 2.7% of total health expenditure in the Ireland (2.8% in Northern Ireland). Total annual costs were estimated at €1.13 billion – the majority attributed to loss of productivity and absenteeism.
A further study in 2017 for Safefood, entitled “Lifetime Costs of Childhood Overweight and Obesity” put the total lifetime cost of childhood overweight and obesity in Ireland at almost €5 billion - €1 billion in direct healthcare costs and €4 billion in indirect costs including productivity losses, increased morbidity and premature mortality.
There are also international studies into the cost of obesity. In 2019, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published a report entitled "The Heavy Burden of Obesity”, which examined the effect of obesity from a number of different perspectives, including economic, social and healthcare costs across OECD, European Union and Group 20 countries. The report found that treating diseases caused by overweight and obesity will cost USD 425 billion a year, and that “treating high BMI and associated conditions will cost more than USD 200 per person per year, on average, across the OECD” (OECD (2019). The OECD is currently examining the economic and policy implications of breakthrough obesity treatments and expects to publish a report in due course.
The Department of Health commissioned an independent Evaluation of the Sugar Sweetened Drinks Tax (SSDT) which was and completed by Munster Research Consultancy. Following this my predecessor, Minister Donnelly in his capacity as Minister for Health at the time, published the results of this independent review on the Department’s website. This document contains figures relating to obesity prevalence and costs, amongst other measures and indicators.
Further information on the Evaluation of the Sugar Sweetened Drinks Tax can be found on the Gov.ie website.
The Obesity Policy Action Plan (OPAP) is currently under development. My Department aims to publish this document by Q4 2026. The OPAP will be informed by the outputs of the extensive stakeholder and public consultations which were undertaken in 2025. The Department aims to include details of the consultation process and its outputs in the next OPAP.
201. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the number of hospital admissions in public hospitals between 2020 to date, where obesity was recorded as a primary or secondary diagnosis; the average length of stay for patients with obesity-related conditions; and the estimated cost to the HSE of these admissions, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28782/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
202. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the number of hospital bed days associated with obesity-related conditions, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease; the estimated cost to the HSE of these bed days; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28783/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
203. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health the data collected on patient outcomes following ophthalmology procedures in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28791/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
204. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health whether Ireland benchmarks ophthalmology surgical outcomes against international clinical standards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28792/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
205. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has assessed the future demand for ophthalmology services over the next 10–15 years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28793/26]
View answer207. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health whether Ireland has sufficient ophthalmology capacity to meet projected demand from an ageing population; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28795/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 205 and 207 together.
There are various public services to ensure that appropriate eye care is delivered to patients across the country.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) provides optical services free of charge to pre-school children and national school children referred from child health service and school health service examinations who are discovered to have sight problems. These children are referred to the appropriate service for treatment. In such circumstances, these services will continue to be provided until the child has reached the age of 16.
Under the Community Ophthalmic Services Scheme (COSS), medical card holders aged over 16 years can be seen by local ophthalmologists, community ophthalmic physicians, optometrists or dispensing opticians. Eligible patients can receive an eye examination and be provided with prescribed optical appliances in accordance with a national schedule of approved optical appliances.
In 2017, the HSE published a National Clinical Programme for Ophthalmology, which set out a model of care regarding how the realignment of eye services from an acute hospital setting to the community would be undertaken.
The HSE has been developing multidisciplinary Integrated Eye Care Teams in accordance with this model of care. These teams facilitate assessment, diagnoses, management and treatment, and in some cases pre-op/post-op care, enabling most patients to be seen in their own locality. Where necessary, patients can be referred onwards to acute ophthalmology services to receive the necessary specialist input.
The Programme for Government: Securing Ireland’s Future contains a commitment to review the National Clinical Programme for Ophthalmology to respond to future demand for ophthalmology services and to ensure more eye services are provided in the community. Engagement with relevant stakeholders regarding this is ongoing.
206. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health whether she has considered the use of mobile clinics to address high ophthalmology waiting lists in the community; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28794/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
208. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health the total number of persons on ophthalmology waiting lists as of April 2026, by county; the number awaiting cataract surgery, including those waiting longer than 12 months, by county; the breakdown of waiting lists by sub-specialty, including medical retina, diabetic eye disease, cataract, paediatric ophthalmology, glaucoma, cornea and refractive surgery, by county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28796/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
209. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health if she will advise on the CORU registration adaptation requirements for individuals who have moved to the State (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28798/26]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, officials in my Department have contacted CORU and asked that a response to the question raised be communicated directly to the Deputy.
210. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health if she will advise on the CORU registration period of adaption requirements for an individual regarding a case (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28801/26]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, officials in my Department contacted CORU and asked that a response to the question raised be communicated directly to the Deputy.
211. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) diagnosed with an aggressive cancer in County Donegal will receive a date for urgent scans having been referred to a hospital in Dublin by Letterkenny University Hospital; if referrals to other hospitals is being considered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28802/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
212. Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Health if she will provide an urgent update on the case of a person (details supplied) who is awaiting an outpatient appointment in the Mater Hospital; the current status of this referral; the expected timeframe for same; and if any steps can be taken to expedite the appointment given the serious and time-sensitive nature of the patient’s condition. [28808/26]
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.
213. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health to provide details of the number of legal actions against her Department that have been resolved without going to court in line with the 2023 State Litigation Principles; if her Department is fully applying the State Litigation Principles in seeking to resolve any current or outstanding legal actions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28837/26]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is not readily available. However, I have asked the State Claims Agency to provide this and I will respond directly to the Deputy upon receipt.
214. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive a neurology appointment in Galway University Hospital, given they have been waiting for two years; the current waiting times for neurology appointments at the hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28846/26]
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 individual 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.
National waiting list information by hospital, specialty, and time band is published monthly by the NTPF on its website: www.ntpf.ie/home/nwld.htm
The information 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.
215. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if hearing aids can urgently be supplied to a person (details supplied). [28849/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
216. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Health if she will review mileage rates for home help carers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28854/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
217. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Health the supports available to a person (details supplied) who is experiencing adverse dental issues as a result of drug addiction recovery. [28857/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
