Written Answers Nos. 1218-1237
1218. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any review has been undertaken by her Department into the adequacy of existing safeguarding arrangements in respect of minors accessing gender-related healthcare pathways; and if so, to provide the date and outcome of that review. [33192/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1219. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to outline what measures are currently in place to ensure consistency of clinical practice across regions in respect of gender-related assessment and referral pathways for minors in the absence of a finalised national model of care. [33193/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1221. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any formal risk assessment was conducted prior to permitting ongoing gender-related assessment and referral pathways for minors in the absence of a completed national model of care, national dataset, or audit framework; and if she will provide details. [33200/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1222. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health who holds ultimate legal and clinical accountability for decisions made in respect of gender-related assessment and referral of minors in the absence of a designated national governance authority. [33201/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1223. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether she is satisfied that current arrangements meet the State’s obligations in respect of clinical governance, patient safety, and safeguarding, given the absence of national data systems and audit mechanisms. [33202/26]
View answerOver recent years the health service has placed an important emphasis on quality and patient safety by developing an infrastructure for integrated quality, safety and risk management with the aim of achieving excellence in clinical governance. The Chief Clinical Officer and his team oversee the whole system of clinical governance within the HSE, ensuring safe ways of working and setting quality and patient safety guidelines.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) National Centre for Clinical Audit (NCCA) was established within National Quality and Patient Safety (NQPS) in 2022. This marked an important step in the HSE’s continued efforts to improve the quality and safety of healthcare for patients. Under the Patient Safety (Notifiable Incidents and Open Disclosure) Act 2023, clinical audit is specifically acknowledged and safeguarded, enabling it to contribute effectively to patient safety and quality assurance.
The National Open Disclosure Framework aims to promote clear and consistent communication between healthcare providers, patients/service users, and their support persons when something goes wrong during healthcare provision. The Framework also guides relevant health and social care service providers through the substantial cultural change required to improve patient/service user outcomes and experience in this area.
It is the policy of the Health Service Executive (HSE) that all Patient Safety Incidents are identified, reported and reviewed so that learning from events can be shared to improve the quality and safety of services. In addition to the requirements set out in the HSE Incident Management Framework, patient safety incidents require disclosure in accordance with the requirements of the HSE Open Disclosure Policy. The HSE informs the Department of Health of major/significant patient/service user safety incidents and issues of concern through the communications protocol.
Patient Safety continues to be a fundamental component in the creation and maintenance of safe healthcare systems. Quality improvement for patient safety is embedded at every level of the health service through providing effective leadership, empowering, and supporting staff and meaningful engagement with patients.
1224. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any adverse event monitoring system exists specifically for gender-related clinical pathways for minors; and if so, to provide details. [33203/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1225. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any cost tracking mechanism exists for gender-related referrals or treatments involving minors, including under the Treatment Abroad Scheme. [33204/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1226. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the plans being considered to put no wait cards on a statutory footing to address the needs of people with chronic illnesses (details supplied). [33205/26]
View answerMy Department recognises the challenges faced by people living with chronic and invisible medical conditions, including those which may require urgent access to toilet facilities. For many individuals, timely access to appropriate facilities is essential to maintaining dignity, independence and full participation in daily life.
‘No Wait Cards’ are currently issued by a number of patient advocacy organisations to support individuals in requesting access to toilet facilities where required. While these cards do not have a statutory basis, they can assist in raising awareness and facilitating understanding of the needs of people living with certain medical conditions.
The provision and management of toilet facilities in private establishments is generally a matter for the premises concerned, subject to relevant equality and health and safety legislation. However, the Department of Health remains supportive of initiatives that promote accessibility, inclusion and reasonable accommodation for people with health conditions and disabilities.
My Department will continue to engage with relevant stakeholders and organisations in relation to measures that may support improved awareness and access for those affected.
1227. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health to review the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33225/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible
1228. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the elective surgical hospital for Cork (details supplied). [33226/26]
View answerI have asked the HSE, as Sponsoring Agency with day-to-day responsibility for the delivery of the Elective Treatment Centres to respond to you directly in relation to the matters raised.
1229. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Health if she is aware of a shortage of librium medication that is impacting detox and stabilisation services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33227/26]
View answerMy Department is aware of the stress that shortages of medicines can cause for patients and healthcare professionals alike, thusly mitigating medicine shortages and strengthening security of supply is the subject of several workstreams in my Department, the wider health service and across Europe.
Ireland has a multi-stakeholder Medicines Shortages Framework in place, operated by our medicines regulator, the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) on behalf of the Department of Health. The framework aims to help prevent potential shortages from occurring and to reduce the impact of shortages on patients by coordinating the management of potential or actual shortages as they arise. Stakeholders in this framework 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 on its website and is in regular contact with suppliers in relation to these shortages with a view to minimising their duration and impact on patients. The webpage is updated daily as the HPRA receives new information.
Viatris Healthcare Limited, the company responsible for supplying Librium, has notified the HPRA of a shortage of Librium 5mg Hard Capsules. This shortage was notified on the 10th of April 2026 and is affecting multiple countries. Viatris Healthcare Limited, has also notified the HPRA of a shortage of Librium 10mg Hard Capsules. This shortage was notified on the 9th of March 2026 and is affecting multiple countries.
Viatris Healthcare Limited have reported the 31st of July 2026 as the expected return date for both presentations. In the event that patients are unable to source a medicinal product due to supply constraints, they are advised to discuss possible alternatives with their healthcare professional pending the resumption of normal supply.
1230. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the full target of 960 whole-time equivalent agency staff conversions to direct employment will be achieved; if not, the revised completion date; and the reasons for the shortfall to date. [33237/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1231. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the total expenditure on agency staffing in each year from 2023 to 2025 and to date in 2026; and the extent to which this expenditure has reduced in line with the agency conversion programme. [33238/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1232. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the conversion of agency staff to direct employment has resulted in any net increase in frontline staffing capacity; or whether such conversions are being accommodated within existing workforce ceilings. [33239/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1233. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the current maximum whole-time equivalent workforce ceiling for 2026 constrains the completion of the agency conversion programme; and whether any adjustment to this ceiling is under consideration. [33240/26]
View answerThe current HSE Whole Time Equivalent ceiling for 2026 is 136,606.
The number of WTE employed by the HSE at the end of March 2026 was 130,843, an increase of almost 2,000 since the beginning of the year.
This means that, subject to fiscal rules on public spending, the HSE can hire a further 5,763 WTE without breaching the existing ceiling.
1234. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether a national policy framework governs how Health Regions prioritise and implement agency staff conversions; and how consistency across regions is ensured. [33241/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1235. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether posts identified for agency conversion may be reconfigured by Health Regions into different grades or service areas; and if so, the number of such reconfigurations to date. [33242/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1236. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any assessment has been carried out on the impact of the agency conversion programme on service delivery, including waiting times, patient access, or staffing stability; and if so, the findings of that assessment. [33243/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1237. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health to provide the full name, job title, employing organisation, and professional qualifications of each member of the evaluation panel or evaluation team appointed to assess tenders received under the Health Service Executive's procurement of a national Electronic Health Record (EHR) system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33256/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
