Written Answers Nos. 723-742
723. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Health if an orthodontist patient on the public list who is undergoing treatment can be seen and receive assistance from a different orthodontist in the same public hospital in the case where their assigned orthodontist is on extended sick leave; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68277/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
724. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Health for a breakdown of the number of children under the age of 18 years-of-age that received braces on the public list at Navan Hospital for each of the years 2020 to 2025, and to date in 2026, in tabular form. [68275/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
725. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Health the number of children under the age of 18 years-of-age that are on a waiting list for an appointment with an orthodontist in Navan Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68274/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
726. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Health the number of full time and part time orthodontists that are employed in Navan Hospital; if she plans to recruit additional orthodontists in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68273/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
727. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Health the current average waiting times for counselling and psychological services; the current waiting times for psychiatric assessment where such assessment is deemed clinically necessary; the procedures in place for reassessment where a person's mental health deteriorates while awaiting treatment or assessment; the interim supports and services available to individuals during this waiting period; and the measures being taken to reduce waiting times and improve access to mental health services. [68272/26]
View answerExpanding access to community-based talk therapy supports is a key objective under both Sharing the Vision, a Mental Health Policy for Everyone 2020-2030 and Ireland’s Strategy to Reduce Suicide and Self-harm, Connecting for Life 2026-2035.
Talk therapies are becoming a core component of mental health service provision across all levels of care, with medical card holders eligible for free counselling through Counselling in Primary Care (CiPC), and with significant funding for NGO partners to deliver supports to priority groups.
Building on this, I have worked with my department and the HSE to develop a significant talk therapies fund of €3m recurring annually.
• I announced €2m in funding in 2025 to provide access to a suite of new talk therapies and counselling supports specifically tailored for men. Access to the services began in September 2025. The funding is targeted at assisting with stigma reduction and to actively encourage men who otherwise would not usually avail of counselling to seek help with their mental health, to assist men in accessing mental health services, and to provide much-needed support for men experiencing a mental health crisis.
• This year, an additional €1m recurring funding was allocated support a new partnership between the HSE and Community Therapy Ireland (CTI), a national association of counselling and psychotherapy providers. It is envisaged that 29 CTI member organisations will deliver 9,000 counselling sessions as a result of the partnership. CTI and the national network of Family Resource Centres will be key partners in this, as providers with best practice Clinical Governance frameworks that are aligned with national policy.
Mental Health Crisis Supports
Mental health crisis supports, including those with 24/7 coverage, are currently provided across a number of settings and services, including hospital-based services, out of hours services such as CAMHS on call, and non-governmental organisation services such as crisis phone and text supports, funded by HSE Mental Health Services.
The National Implementation and Monitoring Committee for Sharing the Vision, a Mental Health Policy for Everyone 2020-2030 is currently overseeing work by the HSE to bring together the range of available out-of-hours and crisis services and supports, with a view to aligning and streamlining supports and identifying any potential gaps in service provision. It is envisaged that this work will form the basis of an Adult Crisis Response Framework. This project is currently in an advanced state of preparation and is expected to be initiated formally before end-2026.
In addition, as Minister, I have overseen the rollout of a range of out of hours supports for people experiencing mental health difficulties as alternatives to Emergency Departments.
Crisis Resolution Services
The model of care for Crisis Resolution Services was developed as a direct recommendation of Sharing the Vision, a Mental Health Policy for Everyone 2020-2030. It recognises that people who are experiencing a mental health crisis need specialist services to provide timely brief intensive supports to keep people safe.
• Crisis Resolution Teams: These comprise of teams of mental health professionals who work out of hours to meet people in a crisis and provide rapid assessment and intensive intervention. There are 7 pilot Crisis Resolution Teams currently operational in Galway, Sligo/Leitrim, Cork city (two teams), Waterford City , County, South Dublin/Wicklow, and Limerick.
• Crisis Cafés: Solace Cafes provide a welcoming, non-clinical safe environment in the style of a café where people can go at evenings and weekends. The Cafés provides a range of support for those who needed to use its services including crisis support, signposting, peer support, and community support. The Cafes are now open in Cork City, South Dublin and Sligo and Waterford. An additional Solace Café has opened this year in Limerick.
Additional funding has been provided for more Crisis Resolution Teams and Solace Cafes in Budget 2026, for Donegal, Kerry and the Midlands (Tullamore/Westmeath).
Suicide Crisis Assessment Nurse (SCAN) Service
The Suicide Crisis Assessment Nurse (SCAN) service is critically important safety net for people in suicidal crisis and I fully support the intention within the second Sharing the Vision implementation plan to expand these services to provide full coverage nationwide. These services provide a timely response to requests for assessment of patients in suicidal crisis from GPs, and the assessments often take place in primary care settings.
The SCAN service was originally developed under the National Clinical Programme for Self-harm and Suicide-related Ideation (NCPSHI) which was introduced in Irish public hospital emergency departments in 2014. Primarily delivered by clinical nurse specialists with support from a consultant psychiatrist in each hospital area, the programme supports people presenting with suicidal ideation as well as self-harm.
The model of care for the service envisages a dedicated mental health assessment room within hospitals to provide a more appropriate environment for assessments to take place. Even when the full network of alternative Crisis Resolution Services is in place, we know people in distress will still present to emergency departments for support. Given most acute mental health in-patient units are co-located with our acute hospital network, it’s important people in distress are assessed in clinically appropriate environments when they present for support. I have allocated funding for the recruitment of additional SCAN nurses in 2026.
Specialist Crisis Nurses in hospitals
Under funding which I allocated in Budget 2026, the HSE will establish specialist nursing teams in the emergency departments of all Model 4 hospitals out-of-hours, made up of Advanced Nurse Practitioners and Clinical Nurse Specialists to support people in crisis. By placing specialist nursing teams in our emergency departments out-of-hours, coupled with the expansion of community alternatives such as crisis resolution teams and crisis cafes, we are fundamentally changing how we respond to the needs of people in distress.
As your question raises specific operational issues, I have also referred it to the HSE for direct reply to you.
728. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health in view of the plans to close unit 1 (dementia unit) and relocate patients from another ward in Sarsfield Court, whether she is aware that a similar unit remains closed (unit 5); and her views on the capacity therefore to move patients to unit 5. [68269/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
729. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the number of units or wards currently vacant or used for administrative or training purposes on the Sarsfield Court site; and the date of closure of the unit or ward to patients, in tabular form. [68267/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
730. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1184 of 16 September 2026, staffing in Nenagh CMHT, ongoing recruitment efforts for the Social Worker post, and with regards to the three panels being exhausted, the number of offers that were issued to candidates on said panels; if the reasons are known to the HSE that no candidates accepted the role; and for an update on the supplementary panel that is being formed. [68161/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
731. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health the services that are available to Parkinson’s patients in the South East; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68160/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
732. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if she will provide a breakdown of the numbers of Parkinson’s disease sufferers known to the HSE in the South East, including specific breakdowns for Kilkenny, Carlow, Waterford and Wexford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68157/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
733. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the way in which her Department and the HSE are ensuring that statutory minimum rates of pay and other conditions of employment for workers employed in the contract cleaning industry in publicly funded health settings are being adhered to; the inspection regime currently in place to ensure these workers are not being exploited; and to detail the number of breaches identified over the course of 2026. [68154/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter we have asked the HSE to respond to you directly on this matter.
734. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Health her plans to ensure that there are sufficient dementia care beds in Cork, if there are any planned closures and what alternatives will be put in place for dementia patients. [68297/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
735. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the current staffing levels in hospital laboratory services, including haematology, microbiology and biochemistry departments, in each acute hospital; the number of laboratory staff rostered for overnight and out-of-hours on-call services; the number of vacant laboratory posts nationwide; and the measures being taken to ensure adequate staffing levels and rest periods for staff working extended shifts. [68293/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
736. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE has examined the introduction or expansion of routine blood sampling at patient triage in emergency departments to ensure laboratory results are available at the time of first medical assessment; the hospitals in which such a model is currently in operation; the evaluation undertaken regarding its impact on patient waiting times and flow through emergency departments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68292/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
737. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health whether an assessment has been carried out at Mayo University Hospital regarding the potential for blood samples to be taken at triage in the emergency department in advance of medical assessment; the estimated impact such a process could have on patient waiting times; and whether consideration is being given to implementing such a measure as a cost neutral service improvement. [68291/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
738. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health whether consideration is being given to introducing a policy whereby blood samples are taken as early as possible during a patient's attendance at an emergency department, including at triage where appropriate, so that blood test results are available during the patient's initial medical assessment; whether this has been identified as a means of reducing delays associated with waiting for laboratory results and repeat medical reviews; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68290/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
739. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health whether an assessment has been carried out at Mayo University Hospital regarding the routine taking of blood samples at the point of triage in the emergency department; whether it is estimated that having blood results available at the patient's first consultation with a doctor could reduce waiting times and the need for multiple medical reviews; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68289/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the deputy directly.
740. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Health if there are any plans to locate a Stem Cell Transplant and Cellular Therapy Unit at Cork University Hospital. [68296/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
741. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Health if she intends to alter the income limit threshold for over 70 medical cards, that was last set in November 2020. [68287/26]
View answerMedical Card provision is primarily based on financial assessment. In accordance with the Health Act 1970 (as amended), eligibility for a medical card is determined by the HSE, which assesses each application on a qualifying financial threshold. This is the amount of money that an individual can earn a week and still qualify for a card. It is specific to the individual’s own financial circumstances.
Persons aged 70 or older are assessed under medical card income thresholds which are based on gross income. However, it should be noted that those aged over 70 can also be assessed under the general means tested scheme where there are particularly high medical costs. Details are available at: Medical card for over 70s https://www2.hse.ie/services/schemes-allowances/medical-cards/other-types-of-medical-card/over-70s/.
Every effort is made by the HSE, within the framework of the legislation, to support applicants in applying for a medical card and, in particular, to take full account of the difficult circumstances in the case of applicants who may be in excess of the income guidelines. In such circumstances, the HSE may exercise discretion and grant a medical card, for example:
• Discretionary medical cards issued to patients with significant medical expenses but who do not satisfy the means test.
• Emergency medical cards are issued to patients that are terminally ill, or are seriously ill, and in urgent need of medical care that they cannot afford.
In addition, where a person's sole household income is derived from a social protection payment, he/she will be awarded a medical card.
I can assure the Deputy that, in order to ensure the medical card system is responsive and sensitive to people's needs, my Department keeps medical card issues under review and any proposals are considered in the context of any potential broader implications for Government policy, the annual budgetary estimates process and legislative requirements arising.
742. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of corneal specialists who cover the north Dublin area; and if funding will be provided to increase this number. [68298/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
