Jen Cummins
Question:237. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to increase employment opportunities for autistic people. [38122/26]
View answerDisability Issues
Questions (237)
Written answers
I thank the Deputy for this question. Government is absolutely committed to enhancing employment opportunities for disabled people, including autistic people. Pillar 2 of the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030 is dedicated to the topic of Employment and, through a suite of measures being led by the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment and the Minister for Social Protection, aims to reduce the employment gap between disabled people and others who are in employment.
Specifically in relation to autistic people, Government's Autism Innovation Strategy was published in August 2024. The Strategy contains 83 actions, committed to by 11 Government Departments and several public bodies. Pillar two of the Strategy contains a number of actions directly addressing employment opportunities for autistic people.
These actions are being led by relevant Government Departments, such as the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, and relevant State agencies such as the Public Appointments Service.
Disability Services
Questions (238)
Aisling Dempsey
Question:238. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to confirm the staffing of Trim CDNT; the number of positions; the number that are filled; and the number that are being actively recruited. [38135/26]
View answerWritten answers
As this question refers to the service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Disability Services
Questions (239, 240)
Emer Currie
Question:239. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the funding allocated to CDNTs in CHO 9 in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38191/26]
View answerEmer Currie
Question:240. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the funding allocated to CDNTs in CHO 9 per year from 2019 to 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38193/26]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 239 and 240 together.
As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Question No. 240 answered with Question No. 239.
Health Services Waiting Lists
Questions (241)
Pádraig O'Sullivan
Question:241. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if she will provide details on the number of children currently waiting for a psychology assessment through primary care and Children's Disability Network Teams in the HSE South West region covering Cork and Kerry; if she is aware that Cork and Kerry had the highest regional psychology waiting list in the country with 6,216 children awaiting assessment as of April 2025, while nationally 11,552 children had been waiting more than one year for a psychology assessment; the specific investment that has been directed to that region to address this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38080/26]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Disability Services
Questions (242)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:242. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the progress to date on Action 13 of the HSE Position Paper on FASD Prevention, published in September 2022 (details supplied); the specific measures undertaken to date; the current status of implementation; the timelines for any outstanding elements due to be completed within five years of publication; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37948/26]
View answerWritten answers
“As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.”
Medicinal Products
Questions (243)
Marie Sherlock
Question:243. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health if there has been engagement by the corporate pharmaceutical unit in the HSE with the manufacturers of miglustat with regard to juvenile Batten disease; if such medication can be reimbursed for an individual with the life limiting condition on compassionate grounds; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37963/26]
View answerWritten answers
The State recognises the importance of timely access to innovative medicines for patients in Ireland, particularly patients with rare diseases.
Budgets 2021-2025 allocated an additional €158 million for new drugs, which has facilitated the introduction of 263 new medicines, to date, 72 of these new medicines were for rare diseases. Budget 2026 allocated €30 million of funding available for new drugs to be allocated from the overall additional €217 million in funding allocated for medicines.
The Year 1 cost of a new drug comes from the allocation for new medicines, but it should be noted that once these medicines are approved for reimbursement the full cost of providing them can reach multiples of this initial cost as their uptake increases.
Ireland is among the highest spenders on health across the EU (OECD), with the third-highest rate of State coverage of pharmaceutical expenditure in Europe.
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 is the statutory decision maker for the pricing and reimbursement of new medicines under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. The HSE considers the criteria set out in the Act. The Minister for Health has no role in decisions on pricing and reimbursement.
There is no hierarchy of disease and pricing and reimbursement applications are considered in order of application.
The HSE must comply with the relevant legislation when considering investment decisions around new medicines. Pharmaceutical companies are required to submit formal applications to the HSE if they wish their medicines to be added to the list of reimbursable items / funded via hospitals and must continue to engage with the HSE throughout the process. In order to submit a formal application the medicine must hold a marketing authorisation.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is a centralised agency of the European Union (EU) responsible for the scientific evaluation, supervision and safety monitoring of medicines in the EU. The EMA plays an integral role in the authorisation of medicines in the EU.
To date, the EMA has not granted a marketing authorisation for Miglustat for the treatment of Juvenile Batten Disease. As outlined above, the national assessment and decision process cannot commence in the absence of a marketing authorisation.
Compassionate Use arrangements are between the pharmaceutical company and the individual patients. Compassionate Use Programmes are entirely at the discretion of the manufacturer.
The State has successfully negotiated new Framework Agreements on the Supply and Pricing of Medicines with the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association and Medicines for Ireland. These Agreements include commitments that will enable faster medicines access for patients in Ireland.
As part of the Agreement talks, the State and the pharmaceutical sector have agreed to establish a strategic partnership on the development of a sandboxed early access programme for rare diseases.
This will be a proof of concept initiative, aligned with the commitments in the Programme for Government. The mechanisms involved are complex, and the potential impacts must be carefully considered to ensure any future system is fair, effective, and sustainable.
Hospital Admissions
Questions (244)
Pádraig O'Sullivan
Question:244. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health when a child will receive a bed in a Dublin hospital (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37968/26]
View answerWritten answers
“As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.”
Care Services
Questions (245)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:245. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if emergency respite care will be granted to a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37984/26]
View answerWritten answers
As this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Health Services Staff
Questions (246)
Mattie McGrath
Question:246. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the current position with regard to the recruitment of a consultant ophthalmologist in south Tipperary, given the ongoing failures to recruit the urgent measures that will now be taken to address the ever growing waiting lists; the proposals in place to resolve this as a matter of urgency; the number of children now waiting to see an ophthalmologist in south Tipperary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37985/26]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Healthcare Policy
Questions (247)
Robert Troy
Question:247. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if she will urgently expedite an appointment for surgery for a person (details supplied); the reason this surgery has been cancelled on three occasions; and if she will ensure there will be no further cancellations in this case. [38008/26]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Healthcare Policy
Questions (248)
Mairéad Farrell
Question:248. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health following the Pans Pandas event in Brussels (details supplied), if she will commit to meet families in Ireland affected by Pans Pandas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38026/26]
View answerWritten answers
Thank you for raising this important matter following the PANS/PANDAS event in Brussels.
As Minister for Health I meet with patient advocacy and representative groups from time to time, including those suffering from rare diseases. In addition, officials in my Department, the HSE and CHI have regular engagement with patient advocacy and representative groups.
A very high volume of meeting requests are received by my office from patient advocates wishing to meet with me, diary schedule permitting.
My office has engaged with the group for further information arising from the meeting in the EU Parliament with a view to arranging a meeting with officials in the near future.
Legislative Measures
Questions (249)
Aisling Dempsey
Question:249. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Health if she will urgently enact section 12 of the Assisted Human Reproductive Act 2024. [38039/26]
View answerWritten answers
The Deputy will be aware that the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 – including Part 12, which has the heading “Past Domestic and International Surrogacy” – was enacted, having passed all stages in both Houses of the Oireachtas, and then signed into law by the President in July 2024.
The establishment of the Assisted Human Reproduction Regulatory Authority (AHRRA), as provided for in the legislation, is a vital component in the effective regulation of this sector.
While the 2024 Act was progressing through the Houses of Oireachtas, issues were identified which required further consideration and consultation with the Office of the Attorney General. The formal drafting process for the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) (Amendment) Bill is in its final stages, led by the Office of Parliamentary Counsel, along with officials from my Department, the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, and the Department of Children, Disability and Equality. I expect to be in a position to introduce the published Bill to the Dáil this term.
The AHR Amendment Bill is a very substantive piece of legislation. It is largely concerned with outstanding issues of parentage and citizenship, particularly in respect of children born as a result of a DAHR procedure or surrogacy arrangement undertaken abroad by Irish resident parents or undertaken by Irish citizen parents living abroad. It also seeks to make other necessary amendments to various other sections of the 2024 Act, including in respect of the “past” surrogacy provisions in Part 12.
As the Deputy may be aware, it was necessary to commence some sections of the 2024 Act which relate to basic administrative functions of the AHRRA in order to be able to formally establish the body. I also signed an Order last month to commence three subsections of section 232 of the 2024 Act. This allows for the parentage of some donor-conceived children not covered by the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 to be recognised.
However, practically the entire remaining provisions in the 2024 Act are inter-connected, are largely contingent on the AHRRA being suitably operational and are subject to further amendment through the AHR Amendment Bill.
For instance, it was decided that the “prospective” and “past” international surrogacy provisions in the complete AHR legislation (as amended by the new Bill) must be commenced concurrently to ensure their proper operation.
A further concern is that a legal “lacuna” would be created in respect of surrogacy arrangements undertaken in any “interim” period between the time of the commencement of the “prospective” provisions and that of the “past” provisions, if the latter were to be commenced at an earlier point.
At a broad level, the importance of ensuring that parentage can be recognised in a wide set of circumstances is acknowledged.
As I understand, the current position in respect of the parentage of a child born as a result of a surrogacy arrangement, for example, is that most commonly an intending male parent who is genetically related to the child applies to the Courts for a Declaration of Parentage based on being the biological father of that child.
In this regard, it is also worth noting that where the child has a genetic father from surrogacy, that parent’s partner or spouse, if parentage has not been formally assigned to him or her, can apply for guardianship of the child, which affords many of the responsibilities of a parent and the protections that come with it.
Furthermore, my officials inform me it is probable that if the intending parent(s) who have undertaken a surrogacy arrangement abroad were issued with a birth certificate by the jurisdiction in which the child was born which names the intending parent(s) as the parents of that child, the parental status of those so named on such a foreign birth certificate may in effect be accepted by public or State bodies in a number of instances currently.
Finally, I want to reassure you that further progressing the entire AHR legislation and making the AHRRA fully operational are Government priorities and key commitments in the Programme for Government. Every effort will continue to be exerted to ensure that all outstanding work in this regard is concluded as soon as practicable.
Dental Services
Questions (250)
Jennifer Whitmore
Question:250. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Health the current waiting times for children's dental care; the steps her Department is taking to address resourcing and capacity issues in the HSE Dental Service and the challenges in the recruitment and retention of clinical staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38043/26]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
Medicinal Products
Questions (251)
Ruairí Ó Murchú
Question:251. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Health if she will consider purchasing from source, medication for people who are subsequently reimbursed by the State for the medication when they buy it in any case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38052/26]
View answerWritten answers
The State is committed to providing timely access to new and innovative medicines to benefit patients in Ireland.
Budgets 2021-2025 allocated an additional €158 million for new drugs, which has facilitated the introduction of 263 new medicines, to date. Budget 2026 allocated €30 million of funding available for new drugs to be allocated from the overall additional €217 million in funding allocated for medicines.
The Year 1 cost of a new drug comes from the allocation for new medicines, but it should be noted that once these medicines are approved for reimbursement the full cost of providing them can reach multiples of this initial cost as their uptake increases.
A record almost €3.3 billion, representing 13.5% of health expenditure, was spent on medicines in 2024. This unprecedented level of investment - which has almost doubled in the last ten years - is supporting patients through the availability of the latest and wide range of medicines.
Ireland is among the highest spenders on health across the EU (OECD), with the third-highest rate of State coverage of pharmaceutical expenditure in Europe.
Individuals and families in Ireland may be entitled to the following schemes:
• General Medical Services (GMS) Scheme (medical card), entitles eligible persons to free GP visits, approved prescription medicines and public hospital care. Eligibility for a medical card is determined by the HSE, in accordance with the provisions of the Health Act 1970 (as amended). In certain circumstances the HSE may exercise discretion and grant a medical card, even though an applicant exceeds the income guidelines, where he or she faces difficult financial circumstances, such as extra costs arising from illness.
• In circumstances where an applicant is still over the income limit for a medical card, they are then assessed for a GP visit card, which entitles the applicant to GP visits without charge.
• Under the Drugs Payment Scheme (DPS), no individual or family pays more than €80 a month towards the cost of approved prescribed medicines. The DPS is not means tested and is available to anyone ordinarily resident in Ireland.
• Under the Long-Term Illness (LTI) Scheme, patients receive drugs, medicines, and medical and surgical appliances directly related to the treatment of their illness, free of charge. Further information, including the list of conditions covered under the scheme, can be found at: www2.hse.ie/services/schemes-allowances/lti/about/
The reimbursement list is the full list of all the medicines or aids that are provided under the GMS or DPS schemes. Further details can be found here: healthservice.hse.ie/staff/information-healthcare-workers/pcrs/pcrs/
Pharmaceutical companies are required to submit formal applications to the HSE if they wish their medicines to be added to the list of reimbursable items / funded via hospitals and must continue to engage with the HSE throughout the process. There are formal processes which govern these applications. The HSE is the statutory decision maker for the pricing and reimbursement of new medicines under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. The HSE considers the criteria set out in the Act when considering investment decisions around new medicines. The Minister for Health has no role in decisions on pricing and reimbursement.
Primary Care Centres
Questions (252)
Seamus Healy
Question:252. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Health the primary care centres and health centres within Tipperary that currently provide smoking cessation services; and the referral process for same. [38063/26]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Health Services
Questions (253)
Michael Cahill
Question:253. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health when works will commence on the Killarney minor injuries unit; when works will be completed; when this important facility for Killarney, east, mid and south Kerry will be opened; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38065/26]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the deputy directly.
Health Services Staff
Questions (254)
Pádraig O'Sullivan
Question:254. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health whether the workforce projection model published in December 2025, which projects a shortfall across all modelled professions including nurses, midwives, and medical practitioners by 2040, has been updated to incorporate data from each of the past five years; the professions beyond the seven currently modelled that are expected to be included in the next iteration of the model; when the next published update of the workforce projections will be available; whether a feasibility analysis on the education expansion required to close projected gaps has been completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38066/26]
View answerWritten answers
Ireland’s Future Health and Social Care Workforce paper sets out an evidence-based strategic direction for the health and social care workforce for the next 15 years. The paper sets out the vision and long-term plan for the health and social care workforce and focuses on the long-term demand and supply of health and social care workers out to 2040. It covers the entire health and social care sector, including public, private and voluntary. The paper details twenty actions to be taken in the years ahead to address future workforce challenges. These actions sit under five interconnected pillars; Plan, Build, Optimise Performance, Recruit & Retain and Invest. The modelling work informing the paper aligns with broader research, highlighting that if we continue as we are, we will have an insufficient supply of health and social care workers to deliver our health and care agenda. It is important to note that the demand and supply projections set out in this paper are estimates rather than targets. The scenarios modelled are based on the current care pathways and skill mix which may change in the years ahead.
Regarding the key datasets incorporated, the starting stock is the number on the professional register, adjusted for the proportion practising – for medical practitioners, nursing and midwifery and pharmacists, the data used was from the relevant 2023 professional register. The proportion of the workforce in each care area is estimated using HSE census data, regulator data, and assumptions where necessary. For the published workforce projections, these have a base year of 2023 and include historical data up to that point where available and where data quality is sufficient.
This is the first iteration of our workforce planning projections, and the intention is that our modelling work will produce projections for a broader range of professions over time as data access and quality improve. Work is underway to expand the professional coverage of the workforce models to include a wider range of Health and Social Care Professionals regulated by CORU. This includes updating and developing models to incorporate more recent granular data from CORU and identifying parameters requiring further investigation and developing preliminary results. Initially, this will include dieticians, radiographers, radiation therapists, speech and language therapists, medical scientists, podiatrists and physiotherapists. Social Care Workers, also a registered profession with CORU, will be included when they have been regulated long enough for sufficient data to be available for incorporation into the models.
The projections in “Ireland’s Future Health and Social Care Workforce” paper show that population growth and ageing drive increased need. It is important to note that these projections are estimates rather than targets, based on current care pathways and skill mix, which are expected to evolve alongside workforce reforms and digital health transformation. Even with ongoing investment and reforms, the analysis indicates an average annual workforce growth of 1.4–2% to 2040 across key professions to meet projected demand. These projections are useful as they demonstrate the scale of domestic student expansion required to meet our future needs. This analysis allows us to plan a staged increase in student places up to 2030 to allow time for capacity in the higher education system to increase, while increasing supply and reducing our high reliance on foreign educated professionals. For example, by 2035, we anticipate that we will need approximately 1,220 medical interns which means a corresponding increase in the number of medicine student places is required by 2030 to allow for the education lag.
Department of Health officials engage on an ongoing basis with colleagues in the HSE, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS) and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that we train enough graduates with the skills necessary to support the delivery of health and social care services and to develop a strategic approach to workforce planning for the health sector. Significant Government investment is being provided to expand healthcare education provision from 2025–2026 as a key part of addressing future supply of healthcare professionals and ensuring Ireland can meet growing healthcare needs.
The Minister for Further and Higher Education recently announced €28.5 million investment in 2026 to support the delivery of more than 1,100 additional healthcare training places over the next three years across medicine, nursing, therapy professions, pharmacy, dentistry. This investment includes a major expansion in Health and Social Care Profession Training Places announced by the Government in 2025, with 461 new places to be delivered in nine priority disciplines by 2028. A further Expressions of Interest (EOI) for priority HSCP disciplines was launched by the Higher Education Authority on 30th April 2026. This provides an opportunity for Higher Education Institutions to propose new training programmes or expand existing programmes in high-priority areas related to the health, disability and education sectors.
Health Services Staff
Questions (255)
Pádraig O'Sullivan
Question:255. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the measurable targets and timelines that have been set to reduce Ireland's reliance on internationally-educated health workers in line with Ireland's obligations under the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of health personnel; the year in which Ireland is projected to reach the self-sufficiency definition set out in the December 2025 workforce paper, namely reducing inward migration to between 10% and 20% of annual inflows; the data that has been submitted to the WHO via the National Reporting Instrument in recent years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38067/26]
View answerWritten answers
Ireland’s Future Health and Social Care Workforce paper, published in December 2025, sets out an evidence-based strategic direction for the health and social care workforce for the next 15 years. It details twenty actions to be taken in the years ahead to address future workforce challenges. These actions sit under five interconnected pillars; Plan, Build, Optimise Performance, Recruit & Retain and Invest.
As part of our commitment to the WHO Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel, this paper includes an action to address the current and historic high reliance on international recruitment of health and social care workers. The projections set out in this paper are to 2040 and time will be required to reduce our high reliance on foreign educated health and social care workers. To achieve this, work will continue to build our domestic supply of health and social care workers. However, it must be acknowledged that due to education lags and capacity constraints within our higher education institutions, it will take several years to gradually reduce our high reliance.
According to the workforce modelling published in this paper, if we continue with current trends, the proportion of our health and social care workforce that is domestically educated will continue to decrease over a 15-year projection period. These projections are useful as it helps to demonstrate the scale of domestic student expansion required to meet our future needs. This allows us to plan a staged increase in student places up to 2030 to allow time for capacity in the higher education system to increase, while increasing supply and reducing our high reliance on foreign educated professionals. Further information is detailed in Ireland’s Health and Social Care Technical Note (assets.gov.ie/static/documents/5c7b3e74/Future_HSC_Workforce_Technical_Note.pdf).
Department of Health officials engage on an ongoing basis with colleagues in the HSE, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS) and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that we train enough graduates with the skills necessary to support the delivery of health and social care services and to develop a strategic approach to workforce planning for the health sector. Significant Government investment is being provided to expand healthcare education provision from 2025–2026 as a key part of addressing future supply of healthcare professionals and ensuring Ireland can meet growing healthcare needs.
The Minister for Further and Higher Education recently announced €28.5 million investment in 2026 to support the delivery of more than 1,100 additional healthcare training places over the next three years across medicine, nursing, therapy professions, pharmacy, dentistry. This investment includes a major expansion in Health and Social Care Profession Training Places announced by the Government in 2025, with 461 new places to be delivered in nine priority disciplines by 2028. A strong regional focus underpins current and future expansion efforts. The aim is to align training provision with geographic workforce needs by strengthening regional access to programmes, improving placement coordination across HSE Health Regions, and supporting workforce sustainability in underserved areas.
A further Expressions of Interest (EOI) for priority HSCP disciplines was launched by the Higher Education Authority on 30th April 2026. This provides an opportunity for Higher Education Institutions to propose new training programmes or expand existing programmes in high-priority areas related to the health, disability and education sectors. There will be close collaboration and a shared commitment across government to ensure that this EOI led expansion proceeds in line with regional capacity and workforce requirements.
Data that has been submitted to the WHO via the National Reporting Instrument in recent years is available on the National Reporting Instrument reports database. The online link for this database is: extranet.who.int/dataformv6/index.php/481216?langen