Written Answers Nos. 678-701
678. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE maintains a central data set of treatment abroad scheme approvals including procedure type, jurisdiction, provider, cost, clinical indication, approval date and outcome data. [41247/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
685. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any formal evidential appraisal framework was applied before WPATH Standards of Care Version 7 was referenced within the 2019 CAAC application underpinning the National Gender Service Model of Care. [41254/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
686. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any independent systematic evidence review was undertaken by the HSE, Department of Health, CAAC, or any external adviser before reliance was placed upon WPATH Standards of Care within the consultant child and adolescent psychiatry post application approved under the 2018 National Gender Service Model of Care. [41255/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
687. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE conducted any written clinical safety assessment, medico-legal assessment, child safeguarding assessment, or governance review concerning the use of WPATH Standards of Care in services relating to children and adolescents prior to the approval of the consultant psychiatry post referenced in Parliamentary Question No. 304 of 10 December 2025. [41256/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
688. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the names and governance positions of the individuals, committees, or national clinical structures involved in approving the wording contained in the 2019 CAAC application referencing WPATH Standards of Care Version 7. [41257/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
689. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE retains copies of the full CAAC application submitted in December 2019 relating to the consultant child and adolescent psychiatry post approved under the National Gender Service Model of Care; and whether the Minister will arrange for a copy to be furnished. [41258/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
690. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any concerns, objections, reservations, or governance issues were recorded internally during the approval or recruitment process relating to the proposed consultant child and adolescent psychiatry post approved under the National Gender Service Model of Care. [41259/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
691. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any external professional body, advocacy organisation, international clinical body, or external adviser was consulted regarding the wording or clinical framework used within the 2019 CAAC application relating to the consultant child and adolescent psychiatry post. [41260/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
692. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE has undertaken any retrospective review of the evidential basis underpinning the 2018 National Gender Service Model of Care following publication of the Cass Review and subsequent international developments. [41261/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
693. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to provide the regional allocation breakdown of the 12 additional Suicide Crisis Assessment Nurse posts funded under Budget 2026, including the number allocated to each HSE Health Region. [41262/26]
View answer695. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to provide the projected operational commencement date for SCAN services associated with each of the additional posts funded under Budget 2026. [41264/26]
View answer696. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether a national implementation framework or governance structure exists for the expansion of the SCAN service and if so to provide details. [41265/26]
View answer698. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the key performance indicators, response targets, and outcome metrics which will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the SCAN expansion funded under Budget 2026. [41267/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos 693, 694, 696 and 698 together.
The SCAN service provides a short-term, specialist, community-based clinical response for individuals presenting in primary care with suicidal ideation or self-harm that does not require acute hospital intervention. SCAN operates as a defined pathway within the National Clinical Programme for Self-Harm and Suicide-Related Ideation (NCPSHI) and is aligned with national mental health policy, including Sharing the Vision and Connecting for Life.
Data relating to self-harm and suicide-related ideation is supported by a Data Manager on the NCPSHI team.
The Model of Care for SCAN includes nationally agreed KPIs designed to support service consistency and quality. These include, among others:
• timely clinical assessment in line with the Model of Care
• development and provision of an individualised care plan
• communication of assessment outcomes to the referring GP
• follow-up contact with service users following assessment
• involvement of family members or a supportive adult, where appropriate
Performance against these indicators is monitored through programme governance structures. Consolidated national reporting on KPI performance will be included in the forthcoming national SCAN report.
Data governance and validation fall within the remit of the data management function of the NCP SHI. Nationally standardised SCAN data collection commenced in 2025.
SCAN posts recruited in 2026 will fall under the same framework of indicators and metrics as outlined above.
The additional 12 SCAN posts I have allocated this year are broken down as 2 x Traveller Youth SCAN, 2 x CAMHS SCAN and 8 x Adult SCAN. Regionally, they are allocated to HSE Dublin Midlands (6 posts), HSE South and West (2), HSE Midwest (2) and HSE North and North West (2). I have directed the HSE that posts should be assigned to counties that currently have no SCAN services.
Operational commencement of the posts is subject to HSE Regional recruitment processes, however I expect all posts to be recruited as swiftly as possible.
Expansion of SCAN services will take place under the framework of the Model of Care, subject to future estimates processes and aligned to our national policies Sharing the Vision and Connecting for Life.
694. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to provide the recruitment status of each of the 12 additional SCAN posts funded under Budget 2026, including whether each post has been advertised, shortlisted, interviewed, filled, or deployed. [41263/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
697. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the membership, reporting structure, and terms of reference of the SCAN steering group referenced by HSE South-West. [41266/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
699. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 539 of 19 February, whether any formal national clinical governance approval process existed governing the inclusion of WPATH Standards of Care Version 7 within the Consultant Applications Advisory Committee submission; and to identify each HSE or Departmental governance body involved in reviewing or approving that inclusion. [41268/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
700. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 539 of 19 February, whether the Office of the Chief Clinical Officer, the National Clinical Advisor and Group Lead for Mental Health, the National Clinical Advisor and Group Lead for Children and Young People, or any national HSE governance structure formally approved reliance upon WPATH Standards of Care Version 7 in connection with the consultant child and adolescent psychiatry post referenced; and if so, the date of each approval. [41269/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
701. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 539 of 19 February, whether any written evidential review, literature review, clinical assessment, governance memorandum, safety analysis, or policy briefing was prepared specifically concerning reliance upon WPATH Standards of Care Version 7 during preparation or approval of the Consultant Applications Advisory Committee submission referenced. [41270/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
