Tuesday, 29 Sep 2026

Home Care Packages

Questions (808)

Aisling Dempsey

Question:

808. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Health the reason Louth Meath HSE Integrated Health Area has one of the highest waiting lists in the country for home care support. [68716/26]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Home Care Packages

Questions (809)

Aisling Dempsey

Question:

809. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Health to ensure that all home care workers are paid for cancelled appointments, for example, in the case that a client is taken to hospital. [68715/26]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.

810. Reply not received from Department.

Health Services Staff

Questions (811)

Ken O'Flynn

Question:

811. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of consultant posts advertised in each of the years 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026 which remained unfilled at the close of the recruitment campaign, by specialty and health region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68801/26]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.

Home Help Service

Questions (812)

Aisling Dempsey

Question:

812. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Health to introduce a national mileage payment scheme for all home care workers. [68710/26]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.

Health Services Staff

Questions (813)

Ken O'Flynn

Question:

813. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 63083/26, the number of consultant appointments made in each of the years 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026 where the appointee was a registrant of the HSE career hub; the total cost of developing and operating the career hub to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68799/26]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Health Services Staff

Questions (814)

Ken O'Flynn

Question:

814. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 63083/26, whether the HSE has carried out a value for money assessment, review or evaluation of expenditure on advertising consultant posts in medical journals since 2020; if not, the reason no such assessment has been made; whether one will now be commissioned; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68798/26]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.

Healthcare Policy

Questions (815)

Denise Mitchell

Question:

815. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the progress being made towards making the drugs enhertu, zongertinib and sevabertinib, which are used to treat HER2 cancers, available for use in Ireland; her plans to make enhertu - which has been recommended for approval by the European medicines agency- available via an early access scheme; her plans to conduct clinical trials using these drugs in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68774/26]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

Under 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 of enhertu, zongertinib and sevabertinib has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to you.

For a medicine to be reimbursed by the HSE it must undergo HSE’s pricing and reimbursement process for medicines.

• Budgets 2021-2025 allocated €158 million for new drugs. This has facilitated the introduction of 250 new medicines / new uses for existing medicines, including 101 for oncology and 70 for rare diseases. As you will be aware, this €158 million investment largely reflects the initial in year expenditure associated with a drug approved in any given year - the actual budget implications for each drug approval are considerably higher over a number of years, particularly the first five following its introduction.

• Budget 2026 allocated €30 million of funding available for new drugs to be allocated from the overall additional €217 million in funding provided this for the medicines budget. This has enabled the funding of 40 new medicines/ new uses for existing medicines, including 17 for oncology and 9 for rare diseases, for the period from January 2026 to September 2026.

There is a suite of measures, that have been implemented and are to be implemented to shorten the timeframe from the issue of a Marketing Authorisation on foot of a positive opinion by the European Medicines Agency to a decision on whether to reimburse the medicine by the HSE's Senior Leadership Team.

These measures include:

• Funding by the Government to an almost doubling of capacity in the HSE’s pricing and reimbursement system with 34 additional staff

• New Framework Agreements on the Supply and Pricing of Medicines with Medicines for Ireland (MFI) and the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA) which provide commitments and towards achieving a 180-day timeline for completing health technology assessments (HTA) and reimbursement decisions following application by the Marketing Authorisation Holder.

• A commitment from Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA) member companies to aim to shorten the timeline to submit reimbursement applications in Ireland to within six months of formal authorisation of medicines by the European Commission.

A key priority and area of focus is to reduce the timeline for reimbursement decisions to consistently meet 180 days. The recently commissioned end-to-end process review of the reimbursement system is primarily targeted at supporting this objective.

The Programme for Government contains a commitment to examine the development of early access schemes for rare diseases. The State and the pharmaceutical sector have agreed to establish a strategic partnership on the development of a sandboxed early access programme for rare diseases. This will be a proof-of-concept initiative, aligned with the commitments in the Programme for Government and recommendations in the National Rare Disease Strategy 2025–2030. Scoping and research work is underway by the Department, including examining models in other jurisdictions.

We are now finalising the appointment of the Clinical Trials Advisory Council (CTAC) to oversee the implementation of the NCTOG’s Final Recommendations. The CTAC will include expert membership drawn from across the sector, and will commence activities in the coming weeks. These activities will have a forward-facing, long-term, and sustainable focus, and include the establishment of a National Clinical Trials Body to oversee our clinical trials sector. The NCTOG's 20 key recommendations, across six priority areas, will create a more agile and streamlined regulatory system for clinical trials whilst maintaining the highest standards of data and patient protection, in addition to supporting the expert workforce needed to administer growing numbers of clinical trials. The resulting reduction in start-up times for clinical trials, and standardisation of the regulatory processes, will enable greater numbers of clinical trials to be conducted in Ireland, also helping strengthen Irish participation in multinational trials and increasing Irish patients' access to innovative life-changing treatments.

Health Services Staff

Questions (816)

Ken O'Flynn

Question:

816. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 2282 of 9 June 2026, which reported that 1% of 2,216 applicants stated they saw the advertisement in a journal, and the reply to Parliamentary Question No. 63082/26 stating that no applicant can be attributed to an individual publication, the way in which the HSE collected the applicant source data cited in the reply; whether applicants are asked to state where they saw the advertisement in all consultant recruitment campaigns; the full breakdown of source responses for the 2,216 applicants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68796/26]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Health Services Staff

Questions (817)

Ken O'Flynn

Question:

817. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 63082/26 and 63083/26 and Parliamentary Question No. 2282 of 9 June 2026, the total expenditure by the HSE, nationally and in each health region, on advertising consultant posts in medical journals and other paid print or online publications in each of the years 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026, broken down by publication; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68795/26]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

818. Reply not received from Department.

Health Services Staff

Questions (819)

Paul Lawless

Question:

819. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken to maintain and improve physiotherapy services at Swinford Hospital, County Mayo, in light of reports of a recent reduction in physiotherapy staffing levels and the potential loss of administrative support staff; whether the HSE has assessed the effect such staffing changes may have on patient access, waiting times and service delivery in the Swinford catchment area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68808/26]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Health Services Staff

Questions (820)

Paul Lawless

Question:

820. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if she is aware of reports that administrative staff within the physiotherapy department at Swinford Hospital, County Mayo, are due to be made redundant or reassigned; the rationale for this decision; the impact assessment that has been carried out regarding the transfer of administrative duties to physiotherapy staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68807/26]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Primary Care Services

Questions (821)

David Cullinane

Question:

821. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health for an update on HSE plans for primary care accommodation in Lismore and west Waterford; whether the HSE has completed its review of current and future service and accommodation needs; whether a property (details supplied) has been formally assessed as a potential location for primary care services; and the next steps and the timeline for progressing additional accommodation. [68815/26]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

As the Health Service Executive (HSE) holds responsibility for the provision, along with the maintenance and operation of Primary Care Centres, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Health Services

Questions (822, 823, 824)

Paul Lawless

Question:

822. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the timeline of reinstating psychology services for older persons in Ballina, county Mayo, which were withdrawn by the HSE; the measures being taken to restore the service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68722/26]

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Paul Lawless

Question:

823. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the reasons the HSE withdrew psychology services for older persons in Ballina, county Mayo; when the decision to discontinue the service was made; the consultation undertaken with service users and stakeholders prior to its withdrawal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68723/26]

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Paul Lawless

Question:

824. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health whether commitments were given by the HSE that psychology services for older persons in Ballina, county Mayo, would be reinstated following their withdrawal; if so, when those commitments were made; the reasons the service has not yet been restored; and the timeframe for its reinstatement. [68724/26]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 822, 823 and 824 together.

With reference to the specific information requested, as this relates to a service matter, it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to you.

Question No. 823 answered with Question No. 822.

Question No. 824 answered with Question No. 822.

Healthcare Policy

Questions (825)

Micheál Carrigy

Question:

825. Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Health the total number of patients travelling from county Longford to a hospital (details supplied) for appointments weekly in each of the years 2023 to 2025 and to date in 2026, in tabular form; and the cost to the HSE of such transport annually. [68788/26]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Healthcare Policy

Questions (826)

Paul Nicholas Gogarty

Question:

826. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Health whether consideration is being given to the development of a national framework to support access to GPS locating technology and other assistive safeguarding devices for vulnerable children who are assessed as being at significant risk of wandering or absconding; whether any pilot projects or reviews are underway in this area. [68826/26]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

This PQ is not for the Department of Health. We respectfully request that this Parliamentary Question be redirected to the Department of Children, Disability and Equality as the matters raised fall under their remit.

Hospital Waiting Lists

Questions (827)

Cormac Devlin

Question:

827. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on a case (details supplied). [68736/26]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. The Minister for Health is prohibited from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.

In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Hospital Charges

Questions (828)

Roderic O'Gorman

Question:

828. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health the recommendations of the 2018 review on hospital car parking charges; and which of these have been actioned since that time. [68823/26]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.