Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 10 June 2026
268. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health her role in overseeing the implementation of the independent review on the physician associate profession; and whether she will set a definitive deadline for the HSE to lift the recruitment pause and employ qualified graduates. [44514/26]
View answer269. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the reason responsibility for implementing the independent review of the physician associate role has been deferred to the HSE without a defined timeline; and the actions she will take to ensure accountability and timely recruitment of qualified graduates. [44515/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 268 and 269 together.
As committed in the 2025 National Service Plan, the HSE commissioned an independent review of the Physician Assistant role with the aim of making recommendations regarding the governance of the role, scope of practice, and appropriate and safe deployment. The HSE paused the recruitment of Physician Assistants pending the outcome of the review.
The Independent Review of the role of Physician Assistant in the Irish Public Health System was published on the HSE website on 6 May 2026. The report is available at: [].https://about.hse.ie/publications/report-of-the-independent-review-of-the-pa-role-in-the-irish-public-health-system/.
The HSE is moving to an implementation phase focused on strengthening governance, role clarity and national consistency. Engagement is ongoing between the HSE and officials in my department to facilitate a recruitment pathway for Physician Assistants. Once finalised, a new HSE grade code and salary scale will require approval from my department and the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. Every effort will be made to expedite this process. However, it is not possible to give an exact timeline at this point.
I expect that patient safety in service delivery will continue to be prioritised by the HSE in relation to any workforce roles, including Physician Assistant. My officials and I continue to engage with colleagues in the HSE on the Physician Assistant role in Ireland, including implementation of the review’s recommendations.
