Written Answers Nos. 594-613
594. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of children on primary care dental waiting lists in the midwest region and by county, IHA, and local area as appropriate at the end of July 2026 compared to end December 2025 and July 2025, in tabular form; the average and longest waiting time in each area for an appointment; the number of dentists operating on the DTSS scheme in the county and a summary of the claim activity. [54726/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
595. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of children on primary care dental waiting lists in the south-west region and by county, IHA, and local area as appropriate at the end of July 2026 compared to end December 2025 and July 2025, in tabular form; the average and longest waiting time in each area for an appointment; the number of dentists operating on the DTSS scheme in the county and a summary of the claim activity. [54727/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
596. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the average time to admission, waiting-time distribution, and the number leaving without being seen via emergency departments, year to date 2026, statewide and by hospital, with separate figures for all patients and patients aged 75 and over, in tabular form. [54728/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
597. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of hospital-initiated scheduled care cancellations in quarter 1 and quarter 2 of 2026 by hospital and appointment/procedure type, with adult/child breakdowns, in tabular form. [54729/26]
View answerI fully acknowledge the distress and inconvenience for patients and their families when hospital appointments are cancelled, particularly in the case of clinically urgent procedures.
While every effort is made to avoid cancellation or postponement of planned procedures, the Health Service Executive (HSE) has advised that planned procedures and operations can be postponed or cancelled for a variety of reasons including capacity issues due to increased unscheduled care demand.
Patient safety remains at the centre of all hospital activity and elective care scheduling. To ensure services are provided in a safe, clinically aligned and prioritised way, hospitals follow HSE clinical guidelines and protocols.
Cancelled hospital procedures/appointments are, where appropriate, rescheduled as early as possible with priority given to patients requiring time-sensitive and urgent treatment. Patients that are cancelled are rescheduled with the next available appointment based on their clinical prioritisation, with urgent patients prioritised for access.
In relation to the particular queries raised, as these are service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
598. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the bed occupancy rates of all public and voluntary hospitals, and the number of days full capacity protocols that were in operation in Model 3 and Model 4 hospitals, in quarter 1 and quarter 2 2026, in tabular form. [54730/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
599. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of assaults recorded against patients and staff in HSE facilities, in quarter 1 and quarter 2 2026, in tabular form. [54731/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
600. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the ambulance response performance for clinical status 1 incidents, including response times, proportions met, and incident volumes by clinical status, in quarter 1 and quarter 2 2026, nationally and by region, in tabular form. [54732/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
601. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the percentage of ambulance crews available to respond within 20 minutes of ED handover, by hospital, in quarter 1 and quarter 2 2026, in tabular form. [54733/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
602. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the status of outsourcing for children’s spinal surgery and paediatric orthopaedics; the details of participating hospitals, including international hospitals; and the number of children treated or seen at clinics at each hospital, in quarter 1 and quarter 2 2026 in tabular form. [54734/26]
View answerI am cognisant of the challenges families have faced in relation to paediatric orthopaedic services, in particular spinal services, and I am actively driving multiple efforts to address these challenges.
Several initiatives are underway to help improve access to services including a ringfenced theatre, additional outpatient clinics, and national and international outsourcing to maximise capacity.
As this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
603. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting for home support, and those receiving less than their allocated hours, at the end of quarter 2 2026 in tabular form. [54735/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
604. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of people on CAMHS waiting lists, by CHO and length of wait, at the end of July 2026 compared to end of July 2025, in tabular form. [54736/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
605. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting for diagnostic tests at the end of quarter 2 2026, in tabular form. [54737/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
606. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health the number of vacancies within University Hospital Kerry, broken down by specific role and department, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54745/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
607. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health the number of children on CAMHS waiting lists in Kerry, broken down by area and by length of time, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54746/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
608. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health the number of people on occupational therapy waiting lists in Kerry, broken down by area and by length of time, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54747/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
609. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health the number of children awaiting dental appointments in Kerry, broken down by area and by length of time, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54748/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
610. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health the number of people on physiotherapy waiting lists in Kerry, broken down by area and by length of time, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54749/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
611. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health the number of vacancies that exist within CAMHS in County Kerry, broken down by area, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54750/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
612. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps being taken to expand eligibility for student grants under the student grant scheme; whether consideration is being given to increasing the income thresholds and maintenance grant rates given the rising cost-of-living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47549/26]
View answerFinancial supports such as the Free Fees scheme and SUSI student grant scheme are critical to supporting learners. As the Deputy will be aware, potential adjustments to the current student support allocation require consideration as part of the budgetary and Estimates process.
For example, in Budget 2026, after considering a range of options I was pleased to introduce additional supports for students. These included a €500 permanent reduction to the Free Fees initiative student contribution charge. That flat-rate reduction has reduced the top rate from €3,000 to €2,500. That is the first permanent cut and it has benefited an estimated 108,000 undergraduate students and 14,000 apprentices in 2025/26. This reduction had a cost of €55.4m this year and is an ongoing cost.
As I look ahead to the next Budget it is a priority for me to again examine all options available to improve supports to students. I have engaged with students and key stakeholders at a recent cost of education event in Portlaoise and I will continue to engage with them in the coming weeks and months leading up to the budget in October. These discussions help to identify what are the key measures that can be implemented to reduce the cost of education for students and their families.
While I cannot confirm specific items that will be included in the next Budget, I can assure the Deputy that options to support students, and reduce financial barriers, will be a key consideration for me as part of Budget negotiations.
613. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will confirm that appropriate adult guidance is available in each ETB; the qualification requirement expected to be held by such guidance officers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54521/26]
View answerAdult guidance services are available across all 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs). Information and Guidance Services within the Further Education and Training (FET) sector provide impartial careers and education information, one-to-one guidance and group guidance, supporting individuals to make informed educational, career and life choices. These services are available to adults aged 18 years and over, and to those aged over 16 years who participate in FET programmes such as Youthreach. The delivery of these services forms an important component of the FET system and supports access, participation and progression for learners across the country
With regard to qualifications, Circular Letter 70/04 sets out the qualification requirements applicable to Adult Guidance Counsellors and Adult Guidance Coordinators. Recruitment and appointment processes are a matter for the individual ETBs as employers, who are responsible for ensuring that staff appointed to guidance roles meet the relevant qualification and competency requirements.
In addition, the Department of Education and Youth led the development of the Standards and Qualifications in Guidance Counsellor Education and Training (SQGCET) framework, which was published in 2026 as a Government of Ireland document, incorporating the DFHERIS sector as well as the education sector. The framework establishes nationally agreed standards, competencies and qualification requirements for guidance counsellors and supports providers of guidance counsellor education and training programmes in developing the knowledge, skills and professional competencies required for guidance practice.
My Department will continue to work with SOLAS, ETBs and other stakeholders to support the delivery of high-quality guidance services across the FET sector, ensuring that learners and prospective learners can access appropriate guidance and information to support their educational, training and career decisions.
