Written Answers Nos. 721-740
721. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Health Service Executive maintains any central register, log, database or reporting mechanism recording instances where concerns have been raised regarding inconsistent interpretation or application of national policy across health regions; and, if so, to provide details. [36285/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
722. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any key performance indicators currently used within the Health Regions framework specifically measure consistency of decision-making, policy application, or service eligibility across regions; and if so, to provide details of those indicators. [36286/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
723. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any regional variance analysis has been undertaken in respect of waiting times, service access criteria, funding approvals, or operational decision-making since the establishment of the Health Regions model; and if so, to provide the findings. [36287/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
724. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE Performance and Accountability Framework contains defined escalation thresholds for intervention where material regional disparities emerge; and if so, to provide those thresholds. [36288/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
725. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health number of formal escalations, interventions, corrective actions, or performance management measures initiated under the Performance and Accountability Framework in respect of Health Regions since their establishment. [36289/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
726. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any independent external evaluation has been commissioned regarding governance consistency within the Health Regions model; and if not, whether such an evaluation is planned. [36290/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
727. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Department has assessed the risk that increased regional autonomy could result in unequal access to services or inconsistent operational interpretation of national policy across different parts of the State. [36291/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
728. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether patients or service users currently have any formal mechanism to challenge regional inconsistencies in service access, eligibility determinations, or operational decisions between Health Regions. [36292/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have askedty as soon as possible. the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
729. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether comparative regional dashboards exist showing differences in operational approvals, expenditure patterns, staffing allocation, or service delivery outcomes between the six Health Regions. [36293/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
730. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE intends to publish periodic comparative reports assessing consistency of service delivery and operational governance across all Health Regions [36294/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
731. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE maintains any centralised audit mechanism to assess whether local decisions regarding agency staffing comply with national policy restrictions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36306/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
732. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any written national framework exists governing exemptions, approvals, or derogations from agency staffing restrictions within the HSE; and to provide copies of any such framework [36307/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
733. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of occasions on which Health Regions exceeded their agency spend reduction targets since the introduction of the current controls, broken down by region and quarter. [36308/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
734. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE has assessed the governance risks associated with the absence of a central reporting system for monitoring compliance with agency staffing controls; and if so, to provide details of that assessment. [36309/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
735. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any internal audit, external audit, or review has been conducted regarding compliance with agency staffing restrictions since their introduction; and if so, to provide details and findings. [36310/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
736. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether regional variations exist in the implementation or enforcement of agency staffing restrictions across the six Health Regions; and if so, the measures in place to ensure national consistency. [36311/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
737. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any patient safety incidents, service disruptions, or staffing escalations have been linked to agency staffing restrictions since their introduction; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36312/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
738. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the total agency spend for each Health Region for 2023, 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026, together with the reduction targets assigned to each region during those periods.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36313/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
739. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE records the number of unfilled posts or vacancies arising from restrictions on agency staff recruitment; and if so, to provide the figures by region and staff grade. [36314/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
740. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any national KPI framework exists to measure the operational effectiveness of agency staffing restrictions beyond expenditure reduction targets; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36315/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
