Written Answers Nos. 164-184
164. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant plastic surgeons and specialist registrar in plastic surgery posts filled at St Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny as of 23 September 2026; and if she will provide the same figures as of 30 September 2023, in tabular form. [69000/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
165. Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Health if there is a urologist position in Mullingar Regional Hospital which has 204 beds and six critical care beds, or Tullamore Regional Hospital which has 232-beds. [68996/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
166. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health if consideration is currently being given to the use of cannabis-based medicines for chronic pain relief, specifically in relation to endometriosis. [68992/26]
View answerThe purpose of the Review of Access to Cannabis for Medical Use is to provide evidence-informed advice to my Department and I on access to cannabis-based products for medical use in Ireland, including the operation of the Medical Cannabis Access Programme (MCAP) and the Ministerial Licence Scheme, and to make recommendations to inform long-term national policy.
The Group will:
• Review the current operation of the Medical Cannabis Access Programme and the availability of Schedule 2 Cannabis products.
• Examine the appropriateness to expand the range of conditions covered by the programme, where sufficient evidence exists that cannabis may prove beneficial.
• Review the current access to Schedule 1 Cannabis products and the current operation of the ministerial licence.
• Develop a national policy on access to, and the administration of cannabis products that are subject to ministerial licence.
The Review Group is comprised of a range of medical specialists and experts and patient representation.
To support the Review of Access to Cannabis for Medical Use my Department commissioned the Health Research Board (HRB) to undertake an international evidence review as a key input to the process.
The HRB subsequently published its review in 2024, entitled The Efficacy and Safety of Medicinal Cannabis in Adult Populations.
The Review group will consider the evidence included therein and will also engage with relevant expert stakeholders, including patients and/or their families, to inform the Review through consideration of lived experience.
Finally recommendations will be made to the Minister in relation to the topics listed above, including any proposed expansion of the programme.
167. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Health if a GP practice can ask a prospective patient whether they hold a medical card, GP visit card or are a private patient; if a practice can refuse or restrict access to an appointment on this basis; and if she will clarify the rules governing this practice. [69040/26]
View answerGPs are private practitioners, most of whom hold a GMS contract with the HSE for the provision of GP services without charge to medical card and GP visit card holders.
Under the terms of the GMS contract, GPs are required to provide eligible patients with ''all proper and necessary treatment of a kind usually undertaken by a general practitioner and not requiring special skill or experience of a degree or kind which general practitioners cannot reasonably be expected to possess". Persons who hold a medical card or a GP visit card are not subject to any co-payments or other charges in respect of such services.
It would be necessary for the GP practice to know whether a prospective patient is eligible for services under the GMS contract, i.e. whether they hold or are eligible for a medical card or GP visit card, in order to accept them to the GP's GMS panel.
The GMS contract sets out the requirements for GPs in dealing with patients who hold medical cards and GP visit cards. Under the terms of the contract GPs are not permitted to make surgery arrangements that discriminate between GMS patients and private patients. The scheduling of individual patient appointments is a matter for the GP or GP practice concerned.
168. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Health for an update on the emergency medical card application for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69070/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
169. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1218 of 12 May 2026, to provide an update on the final evaluation report into the 18-month pilot phase of the supervised injecting facility in Dublin; and if it will be completed and published by year end. [69072/26]
View answerThe expansion of harm reduction was a significant accomplishment of the national drugs strategy, Reducing Harm Supporting Recovery, as assessed by an independent evaluation of the strategy. It found that harm reduction initiatives were a central component of the health-led approach to drug use, with a focus on reducing the adverse health and social impacts associated with drug use.
One significant harm reduction initiative is the establishment of a supervised injecting facility. In December 2024, the Department of Health granted a licence to operate Ireland's first supervised injecting facility to Merchants Quay Ireland for a pilot 18-month period. From December 2024 to the end of 24th September 2026 there has been a consistently high demand for the SIF, with:
• 27,800 attendances at the facility
• 2,000 clients have used the facility
• 560 interventions in drug overdoses (all non-fatal)
In June I granted a twelve-month extension (https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/a42d21a1/Licence_Extensions_June_2026_Signed_by_Minister_Murnane_OConnor.pdf) to Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI) to continue to operate the facility. It has now been licenced to operate until 21 June 2027.
The HSE is overseeing an evaluation of the 18-month pilot phase of the facility. The evaluation commenced in March 2025 and is ongoing. An interim evaluation report, covering the first six months of the operation of the facility (December 2024 to June 2025) has been published. It documents early evidence of the impact and effectiveness of the facility. (https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/8d8b010d/MSIF_Interim_Report_Exec_Summary_Infographic_FINAL_2026.pdf)
I look forward to receiving the report of the evaluation of the 18-month pilot phase of the supervised injecting facility which is due to be submitted by the HSE at the end of September. Publication of the evaluation is a matter for the HSE.
170. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health if she will review the drugs payment scheme to examine whether the purchase cost of a prescribed CPAP machine can be included under the scheme, rather than limiting support to rental costs. [69099/26]
View answerThe Health Service Executive (HSE) has statutory responsibility for medicine pricing and reimbursement decisions, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.
The HSE also have responsibility for the administration of the Community Drug Schemes, including the Drug Payment Scheme (DPS).
Under the DPS, no individual or family pays more than €80 a month towards the cost of approved prescribed medicines and medical appliances. The DPS is not means tested and is available to anyone ordinarily resident in Ireland. Further information can be found at: https://www2.hse.ie/services/schemes-allowances/drugs-payment-scheme/card/.
The rental costs for a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines are included under the DPS. Further information, including how to claim, can be found at: https://www2.hse.ie/services/schemes-allowances/drugs-payment-scheme/refunds/.
There are currently no plans to refund the purchase cost of CPAP machines under the Drug Payment Scheme.
171. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the amount of the €30 million allocated in Budget 2026 for new and innovative medicines that has been spent to date; the number and names of medicines approved for reimbursement using this allocation; the number of patients who have benefited; the amount remaining unspent; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69130/26]
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; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
172. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health the reason a new primary care centre in Urlingford which was identified previously as a need, and fell through due to not being economically viable to construct, the HSE needs to facilitate a re-advertisement of this primary care centre, only after another full review of the current and future service needs for the Urlingford area has been undertaken with relevant stakeholders (details supplied); her views that the primary care centre should now be expedited without delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69126/26]
View answerAs 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.
173. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 66202/26, the reason the HSE is not in a position to provide a projected figure for the associated cost of the growth in demand across all existing acute health services for 2027. [69125/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
174. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Health the supports provided to mothers and children who do not receive a public health nurse visit due to understaffing. [69121/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
175. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if a medication (details supplied) will be included as a reimbursable medicine under the drugs payment scheme. [69120/26]
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.
176. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Health the percentage of babies that received a public health nurse visit within their first six months in the past two years in Dublin south central, in tabular form. [69119/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
177. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the number of people that have received or are receiving treatment in Ireland specifically for ketamine dependence in each of the years from 2023 to date in 2026; and if there is an established clinical pathway for the treatment of ketamine addiction. [69131/26]
View answerReferred to the HSE for a direct reply.
178. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health to consider the introduction of a 'pre-registration flag' for candidate registrations to CORU, for persons who have active complaints against them in order that they are heavily vetted before a license is granted. [69152/26]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, CORU is Ireland's multi-profession health and social care regulator. CORU’s role is to protect the public by regulating the health and social care professions designated under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (as amended).
CORU already has several established processes in place to support public protection and to identify applicants for registration who may be subject to complaints, investigations, or other regulatory concerns. These include;
Criminal Clearance - Applicants who have resided in another country for a period of one year and one day or more since the age of 18 are required to provide a certified copy of a criminal clearance certificate. A certificate must be provided for each country in which they have lived for that period.
Professional Registration and Regulatory Status - Applicants are required to provide a “Letter of Good Standing” from the relevant regulatory authority in every jurisdiction where they have practised their profession. This requirement also extends to any other regulated profession or occupation in which the applicant has been registered.
Regulatory Information Sharing - CORU checks applicants against alert and information-sharing systems used by other regulators. This includes alerts shared by regulatory bodies such as the UK Health and Care Professions Council and information available through the EU Internal Market Information system. These checks assist in identifying applicants who may be subject to regulatory restrictions, ongoing investigations, or disciplinary proceedings.
Concerns Raised During the Application Process - CORU may receive concerns regarding individuals who are undergoing the registration process. Where relevant concerns are raised, applicants are afforded the opportunity to respond. Any information received, together with the applicant's response, is considered by the relevant Registration Board when determining the application.
179. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Health the reason a persons application (details supplied) for a CGM monitor has been denied. [69148/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
180. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health the interim protections currently in place for patients who wish to take a fitness to practice complaint against a psychologist before CORU formally commences in 2027. [69147/26]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, CORU is Ireland's multi-profession health and social care regulator. CORU’s role is to protect the public by regulating the health and social care professions designated under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (as amended), including setting the standards that health and social care professionals must meet to be eligible for registration and maintaining registers of persons who meet those standards.
The Psychologists Registration Board (PSRB) was established in 2017. The work of the PSRB includes setting the Standards of Proficiency for entry to its register and Criteria for Education and Training Programmes, establishing a Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics that registrants must adhere to, and approving and monitoring education and training programmes.
Regulating a new profession is a complex and lengthy process, requiring careful consideration and preparatory work to ensure that it is effective in protecting the public. Psychology has been a uniquely challenging profession to regulate due to the diversity of its specialisms and the fact that there is no common education pathway or standards for entry to the profession.
A significant body of work has been undertaken by CORU and the PSRB in the last number of years to progress the opening of the psychology registers, including extensive research, public consultation, detailed risk analysis, and the establishment of an expert advisory group to make recommendations on a bespoke regulatory model.
A regulatory model has been developed that will facilitate the protection of the title ‘psychologist’ in Ireland. Regulation will be introduced in two phases. The first phase will see registers opened for clinical, counselling and educational psychologists, with the second phase encompassing all other psychology specialisms.
The PSRB’s statutory remit is to ensure the competence of registrants to practice safely in any setting where they engage with vulnerable service users. This is inextricably bound with its legal object and remit to ensure protection of the professional title; namely, that all who use the protected title of educational psychologist have the same threshold knowledge, skills and competence to ensure a consistent, safe level of practice.
Significant progress has been made towards opening the registers of clinical, counselling, and educational psychology, and it is anticipated these registers will open next year.
As you are aware, Fitness to Practise is concerned with those issues that affect a person's ability to practise in their profession, not just in their current job. This includes professional misconduct and poor professional performance. It does not replace the existing complaints processes to employers.
Whilst work to regulate the psychology profession is ongoing, patients and service users also have existing rights and access to remedy under consumer protection law, specifically the Consumer Protection Act 2007 and the Consumer Rights Act 2022. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is the statutory body responsible for promoting compliance with, and enforcing, competition and consumer protection law in Ireland. The CCPC operates a consumer helpline to provide information to consumers about their rights.
In addition to consumer protection measures, consumers entering into contracts may also have remedies under contract law and should seek independent legal advice. Where a crime may have been committed by a practitioner a report should be made to An Garda Síochána.
Finally, I wish to assure the Deputy that my Department and CORU are fully committed to delivering regulation of this very important profession.
181. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on an orthopaedic appointment for a person (details supplied); if the persons appointment will be expedited; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69229/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
182. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health to provide a date for an appointment with a paediatric endocrinologist for a person (details supplied). [69153/26]
View answerUnder 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.
184. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the restrictions on child visitations in place in Irish maternity hospitals; the existence of protocols in place to accommodate circumstances where a patient’s child must be in attendance due to exceptional circumstances, particularly in the case of emergency referrals. [69192/26]
View answerAs the National Women and Infants Health Programme leads on the management, organisation and delivery of maternity, gynaecological and neonatal services, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
