Written Answers Nos. 254-273
254. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1086 of 24 February 2026, if the total spend in 2025, by each public hospital on private ambulances and taxis respectively is now available, in tabular form (detail supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44426/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
255. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if she will provide ring-fenced funding and nationally coordinated oversight of the development of mental health intellectual disability services (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44427/26]
View answer256. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if she will provide for the creation of new allied health profession posts in mental health intellectual disability services in the upcoming Budget (details supplied); the steps she is taking to address the deficit in these posts; the steps she is taking to respond to the shortages in Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44428/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 255 and 256 together.
In 2021 the Model of Care for Mental Health Intellectual Disability was published by the HSE, to improve the mental health service experience and outcomes for people with an intellectual disability.
Approximately four in every ten people with intellectual disability can experience a mental illness in their lifetime, and under the Model of Care the HSE are working to roll out a national network of multi-disciplinary teams – 31 for adults, and 16 for children. Currently there are 20 Adult teams and 10 CAMHS-ID teams servicing 15 areas.
Under Budget 2026, I have allocated funding for two new Mental Health Intellectual Disabilities teams for children (CAMHS-ID teams), in addition to further posts to enhance some existing teams.
As you are aware , responsibility for the provision of health services, including mental health services has now been devolved to the relevant HSE Region which is HSE South West. However, as Minister I maintain an active role in engagement with the HSE to ensure that services are in place to meet peoples mental health needs.
The HSE have confirmed that Cork’s Adult Mental Health Intellectual Disability (MHID) service remains committed to delivering specialist care and support to adults with an intellectual disability who present with co-occurring mental health difficulties and complex clinical needs. Despite ongoing national workforce pressures, the service has achieved a number of important recruitment successes in recent years, including the appointment of two permanent Consultant Psychiatrists over the past four years, in addition to the recruitment of an Advanced Nurse Practitioner and a Clinical Nurse Specialist.
These appointments have strengthened medical and nursing leadership within the service and have supported the continuation of specialist care provision across Cork.
However, the HSE state that significant challenges remain in relation to the availability of Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) within multidisciplinary teams . These workforce challenges are not unique to Cork and are being experienced across MHID services nationally.
Notwithstanding these constraints, the Cork MHID Service continues to deliver important positive clinical outcomes for a highly vulnerable cohort of service users. The service currently supports approximately 700 individuals and has worked successfully to promote evidence-based prescribing practices, including reducing or discontinuing medication where clinically appropriate, while ensuring robust physical health monitoring for those who require ongoing treatment.
Finally, in relation to future funding of posts for this Programme, as Minister this will be given consideration at the appropriate time later during the year at the Estimate process.
257. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Health if an organisation (details supplied) received section 39 funding in each of the years 2024, 2025 and 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44437/26]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
258. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health the provision being made for women who currently choose and avail of private maternity care in circumstances where there is no private maternity hospital in the State and where private practice is being removed from public maternity hospitals under the public only consultant contract; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44439/26]
View answerAll women who are ordinarily resident in Ireland are entitled to access hospital services as public patients and the public hospital system has a responsibility to provide that public healthcare.
A key objective of the POCC is to support equitable access to high-quality maternity care for all women and babies, regardless of their ability to pay. Its consistent implementation is central to that aim. Women should never feel they should have to pay for high quality, safe maternity care.
Since 2016, €28 million has been invested in new development funding through the National Maternity Strategy 2016-2026, transforming our maternity services for women, infants and families. This investment is improving the infrastructure of our maternity services by providing additional home-from-home birthing suites, upgrades to theatres and wards, as well as additional training and supports for our maternity staff.
The National Maternity Strategy has delivered a new model of care with appropriate care pathways to ensure that mothers, babies, and families get the right care, at the right time, by the right team and in the right place. The Strategy makes it clear that women should be offered a choice regarding their preferred pathway of care, in line with their clinical needs and best practice, including regarding the birth setting.
Care is delivered through three pathways, tailored to the clinical needs and risk profile of each woman and her baby:
The Supported Care Pathway – for normal-risk pregnancies, led by midwives within a multidisciplinary team.
• The Assisted Care Pathway – for medium-risk pregnancies, or normal-risk pregnancies where obstetric care is chosen.
• The Specialised Care Pathway – for high-risk pregnancies, led by a named consultant obstetrician with midwives and other specialists.
• Women are offered a choice of pathways where clinically safe, with a focus on the normalisation of pregnancy and birth, continuity of care, and one-to-one support in labour. While women’s choice is facilitated wherever possible, patient safety is our overall priority in the delivery of services.
Women across the country now have access to a standardised Model of Care, with enhanced access to midwife-led care supported by Directors of Midwifery in every unit and hospital. All women on the Specialised Care Pathway (women who are at higher levels of risk) receive multidisciplinary care led by a named consultant in the public system.
This Government will continue to listen to women and drive improvements across our maternity services for all women, building on the significant progress and investment to date delivered through the National Maternity Strategy.
259. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health if her Department has specifically assessed the position of maternity services, given that the removal of private practice from public hospitals under the public only consultant contract cannot, in the case of maternity care, result in a transfer of that activity to a private setting as no private maternity hospital exists in the State; the steps being taken to ensure continuity and equity of maternity care. [44440/26]
View answerThis Government is committed to the progressive development of maternity services and progressing women's health continues to be a priority.
The Government introduced the Public Only Consultant Contract (POCC) on the 8th of March 2023. This contract is a key step in the move towards universal, single-tier healthcare with public hospitals exclusively used for the treatment of public patients and where care is based on medical need, not on the ability to pay, as envisaged in the Sláintecare Report.
A key objective of the POCC is to support equitable access to high-quality maternity care for all women and babies.
Since the launch of the National Maternity Strategy in 2016, significant progress has been made in the development and improvement of public maternity services.
€28 million has been invested in new development funding through the strategy.
This funding has enabled recruitment of over 567 full-time health professionals across our maternity services. This recruitment crosses a broad range of specialties of care. Over 390 midwives and nurses, 53 health and social care professionals, 44 consultants, and a range of support staff. This investment forms part of an overall €80 million invested across our maternity and gynaecology services since the start of the strategy.
Under the strategy care is delivered through three pathways, tailored to the clinical needs and risk profile of each woman and her baby:
• The Supported Care Pathway – for normal-risk pregnancies, led by midwives within a multidisciplinary team.
• The Assisted Care Pathway – for medium-risk pregnancies, or normal-risk pregnancies where obstetric care is chosen.
• The Specialised Care Pathway – for high-risk pregnancies, led by a named consultant obstetrician with midwives and other specialists.
While women’s choice is facilitated wherever possible, patient safety is our overall priority in the delivery of services.
This Government will continue to listen to women and drive improvements across our maternity services for all women, building on the significant progress and investment to date delivered through the National Maternity Strategy.
260. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health the number of women accessing private care in maternity hospitals during the period 2020 to 2025, by maternity hospital, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44441/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
261. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if a hospital appointment will be expedited for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44452/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
262. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health if the HSE considers young onset Alzheimer's a disability; the HSE service responsible for supporting a person with young-onset Alzheimer's who has significant disability arising from dementia; if her attention has been drawn to families affected by young-onset dementia being excluded from disability supports while also struggling to access adequate dementia-specific supports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44501/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
263. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health to provide a list of all recruitment pauses, embargoes or restrictions currently in place across all HSE grades, including the date introduced, the grades affected; and the expected timeline for review or lifting. [44509/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
264. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health to confirm whether recruitment pauses affecting newly qualified healthcare professionals are currently in place across multiple grades, including physician associates and paramedics, and to outline all affected roles. [44510/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
265. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health when the HSE will begin implementing the findings of the independent review into the physician associate role, published in May 2026; and to provide a clear timeline for recruitment to commence. [44511/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
266. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the reason for the continued recruitment pause affecting physician associates in the public sector, while recruitment in the private sector is not subject to the same restriction; and whether this disparity will be addressed. [44512/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
267. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the total cost to the Exchequer of training the recent cohort of physician associate graduates, estimated at €560,000; and the measures being taken to ensure this public investment is not lost due to delays in recruitment. [44513/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
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.
270. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Health the criteria used to determine eligibility for specific medications to treat Parkinson’s disease on the long-term illness scheme; the frequency with which the list is reviewed to include new medications; when the next review will take place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44516/26]
View answerUnder the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on the pricing and reimbursement of medicines and medical devices; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
271. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if respite will be granted for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44517/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
272. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health if the shingles vaccine will be provided free of charge for patients with multiple myeloma as sought by an organisation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44592/26]
View answerThe immunisation programme in Ireland is informed by the advice of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC). NIAC considers the prevalence of the relevant disease in Ireland as well as international best practice in relation to immunisation when developing its advice
The current NIAC guidelines state that the shingles vaccine may be considered for those aged 65 years and older, due to the greater burden and severity of disease in this age group and in those aged 18 years and older at increased risk of shingles.
The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has carried out a Health Technology Assessment (HTA) on the herpes zoster vaccine which protects against shingles. A HTA is a multidisciplinary research process that collects and summarises information about a health technology. HIQA’s HTA examined the evidence on the clinical effectiveness and safety of shingles vaccines. The cost effectiveness and budget impact were also reviewed, along with the ethical, social and organisational implications of including the vaccine in the adult immunisation schedule.
HIQA published this HTA on 19 July 2024. The HTA found that adding the shingles vaccine to the routine immunisation schedule, at the vaccine price at the time, for all adults aged 65 years and over would not be cost effective and would be associated with a substantial budget impact.
While the vaccine is considered safe and effective, its protective effect diminishes over time. HIQA also noted the substantial budget impact associated with vaccination. If made available to everyone aged 65 and older, vaccination would cost €218 million over five years.
Whilst the HTA found that the introduction of the shingles vaccine was not cost effective based on the cost of the vaccine, it found that it could be cost effective for vaccination of those at 75 years and 80 years if the cost of the vaccine was reduced by 80%.
Given that the healthcare budget is finite and decisions regarding increased spending relating to a change in one area could impact the provision of other health technologies and treatments within the healthcare system, the cost-effectiveness must be considered in any decision-making process.
My Department considered the findings of this HTA in 2024 and determined that the introduction of the vaccine could be reconsidered when the cost effectiveness of the vaccine is confirmed as being more favourable
I can confirm that the introduction of the shingles vaccine to the immunisation schedule in Ireland is again being actively considered for a cohort of immunocompromised individuals, in line with NIAC advice and cognisant of the cost effectiveness of market pricing and available funding.
273. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health to address an issue regarding emergency calls for an ambulance (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44608/26]
View answer274. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the reason the NAS is not hiring EMT's in Kerry; if more resources or incentives be given to the private ambulance sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44609/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 273 and 274 together.
As these are service matters I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
