Written Answers Nos. 287-307
287. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE nurses based at Killarney Community Hospital; if this number will be further increased before the end of 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30744/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
288. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health if wheelchairs, rollators and other such mobility equipment supplied by the HSE are recycled; if so, the number of such units that are put back into use; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30745/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
289. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant respiratory physicians based at Kerry University Hospital in 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30746/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
290. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health the cost of a 20% increase in clinical training places for medical interns, initial specialist training, higher specialist training and clinical psychology; the number of extra places this would result in; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30754/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis is a matter for the Health Service Executive. Accordingly, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
291. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health the number of people on the waiting list for Jigsaw in CHO 4 as off 31 May 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30755/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
292. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health the number of doctors who successfully completed specialist training for general practitioners in the years of 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30756/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
293. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health the number of consultants in critical care employed by the HSE from January 2020 to 31 May 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30757/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is an operational issue, this PQ has been referred to the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.
294. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health the number of wrist surgeries performed at Kerry General Hospital in 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30758/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
295. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health when the vaccine injury compensation scheme will be made available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30761/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraSignificant work has been completed by my department to develop a model for a vaccine damage scheme. It is my intention to bring the model to Cabinet for discussion and consideration shortly.
296. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Health if measures are being considered and taken to review the criteria that determine the access of adults with spinal muscular atrophy to approved treatment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30765/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicines under the community drugs schemes, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. Therefore, I have asked the HSE to provide an update in relation to treatments for SMA patients.
The HSE has advised that once a medicine is approved by the European Medicines Agency, the HSE is dependent on a pharmaceutical company making an application to Ireland for its drug or new indication to be assessed for reimbursement. All medicines are considered for pricing of reimbursement in order of application.
While many companies engage proactively with the HSE, Ireland, by virtue of its size and market share, may not always be prioritised by some companies in the first stages of marketing a new medicine. Reports describing timelines for reimbursement from EMA approval to HSE reimbursement approval do not consider this important factor, as statutorily the HSE are not able to add a new medicine to the reimbursement list until an application is received.
The HSE has advised that it is committed to providing access to as many medicines as possible, in as timely a fashion as possible, from the resources available (provided) to it.
The HSE must robustly assess applications for pricing and reimbursement to make sure that it can stretch available resources as far as possible and to deliver the best value in relation to each medicine and ultimately more medicines to Irish citizens and patients. HSE decisions on which medicines are reimbursed by the taxpayer are made on objective, scientific and economic grounds. There are formal processes which govern applications for the pricing and reimbursement of medicines, and new uses of existing medicines, to be funded and / or reimbursed.
In terms of the specific details of the application for pricing and reimbursement of risdiplam (Evrysdi®):
Reimbursement approval is in place for risdiplam (Evrysdi®) for the treatment of 5q spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) under the High Tech arrangements from the 1st September 2023. Reimbursement support is for a subgroup of the licensed indication.
As a condition of reimbursement, an individual patient approval system has been put in place by the HSE, to enable reimbursement for patients who meet the pre-defined criteria as per a HSE devised managed access protocol.
If the manufacturer of Risdiplam(Evrysdi®) (Roche) submits a de novo application for adult patients with a clinical diagnosis of SMA Type 1, Type 2 or Type 3, that application will be duly progressed through the formal processes governing the pricing and reimbursement of medicines.
In terms of the specific details of the application for pricing and reimbursement of onasemnogene abeparvovec (Zolgensma®):
In October 2021, onasemnogene abeparvovec (Zolgensma®) was approved for reimbursement in Ireland following joint assessment and negotiations under the Beneluxa initiative for the treatment of patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) with a bi-allelic mutation in the SMN1 gene and a clinical diagnosis of SMA type 1, or pre-symptomatic patients with 5q SMA with a bi-allelic mutation in the SMN1 gene and up to 3 copies of the SMN2 gene.
As a condition of reimbursement, an individual patient approval system has been put in place by the HSE, to enable reimbursement for patients who meet the pre-defined criteria as per a HSE devised managed access protocol.
Managed Access Protocol – Onasemnogene abeparvovec (Zolgensma®) for the treatment of 5q Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)
In terms of the specific details of the application for pricing and reimbursement of nusinersen (Spinraza®) for adult patients (>18 years):
The HSE approved funding of nusinersen (Spinraza®) effective 1st July 2019 for the treatment of 5q Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type I, Type II and Type III in children under 18 years.
The first step in the process is the submission of a Rapid Review dossier (a clinical and economic dossier) to the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE) for assessment. The HSE commissioned the Rapid Review process on the 28th September 2020.
The NCPE Rapid Review assessment report was received by the HSE on the 29th October 2020. The NCPE advised the HSE that a full Health Technology Assessment (HTA) was recommended for nusinersen (Spinraza®) to assess the clinical and cost-effectiveness compared to the current standard of care for adult patients (>18 years).
Nusinersen (Spinraza®). HTA ID: 20044 | National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics
The HSE commissioned a full Health Technology Assessment on the 9th November 2020 as per agreed processes.
The HSE Corporate Pharmaceutical Unit (CPU) is the interface between the HSE and the Pharmaceutical Industry in relation to medicine pricing and reimbursement applications. The CPU met with Biogen regarding their application for Nusinersen (Spinraza®).
The Drugs Group is the national committee which the HSE has in place to make recommendations on the pricing and reimbursement of medicines. The membership of the HSE Drugs Group includes public interest members. The pharmacoeconomic report will be reviewed by the HSE Drugs Group along with the outputs of commercial negotiations, and any patient group submission(s) received. The HSE Drugs Group will consider all of the evidence and make a recommendation to the HSE Senior Leadership Team.
The decision-making authority in the HSE is the HSE Senior Leadership Team. The HSE Senior Leadership Team decides on the basis of all the demands it is faced with (across all services) whether it can fund a new medicine, or new use of an existing medicine, from the resources that have been provided to it in line with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.
A completed HTA is required from the applicant (Biogen) to progress this application, as per the formal processes governing the pricing and reimbursement of medicines. In the absence of a completed HTA the pricing and reimbursement application cannot progress.
The application remains under consideration with the HSE. The HSE cannot make any comment on possible outcomes from the ongoing assessment processes.
297. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health to provide an updated list of all email and phone lines for use of Oireachtas Members within her Department, including all subsidiary bodies, in tabular form. [30776/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe following table sets out the detail as requested.
|
- |
|
Landline |
Mobile Phone |
|
Minister for Health |
Departmental email address |
Departmental Landline |
Departmental Mobile Phone |
|
Minister of State with responsibility for Mental Health |
Departmental email address |
Constituency Office Landline Departmental Landline |
Departmental Mobile Phone |
|
Minister of State with responsibility for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy |
Departmental email address |
Departmental Landline |
Departmental Mobile Phone |
|
Minister of State with responsibility for Older People |
Departmental email address |
Constituency Office Landline Departmental Landline |
Departmental Mobile Phone |
298. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health if she will provide the list of capital projects for IT services, by her Department or bodies under its aegis, which had contracts valued in excess of €1 million and which failed to reach completion; the value that was written off, for the years 2022, 2023 and 2024, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30806/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to inform the Deputy that the Department of Health had no IT projects which have been allocated funds in excess of €1 million in the years 2022 to 2024.
I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible. Details for other bodies under the aegis of my Department are operational matters for the bodies concerned.
299. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health if she will provide the list of capital projects, by her Department or bodies under its aegis, which had contracts valued in excess of €5 million and which ran over cost in 2023, along with a description of the contract, the initial price and final price provided, in tabular form. [30824/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
With regard to other bodies under the aegis of the Department, queries related to projects undertaken or commissioned by any state or semi-state body under the aegis of my Department should be answered separately by the relevant body. The Deputy's question should contact the relevant Director/CEO/Registrar directly in relation to this matter.
300. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health the reason a type of medication (details supplied) is not currently available in Ireland; if consideration will be given to approving the medication urgently in light of the reported benefits to people living with a specific progressive neuromuscular disease; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30839/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn 2023 a record €3.2 billion, nearly €1 in every 8 of public funding spent on health, was spent on medicines. This is an unprecedented level of investment in supporting patients through the availability of the latest and wide range of medicines.
From January 2021 up to December 2024 the State made an additional €128 million available for new drugs which has seen 194 new medicines or new uses for existing medicines approved for reimbursement by the HSE. This includes 74 medicines for oncology and 49 new drugs for rare diseases. .Budget 2025 includes an allocation of €30m for new medicines, to be generated from efficiencies.
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a rare disease affecting fewer than 200 people in Ireland. The State acknowledges the importance of access to medicines and is aware of the plight of patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).
Givinostat, sold under the brand name Duvyzat®, is a medication used to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in patients aged 6 years and older. Conditional marketing authorisation was granted on the 6th June 2025 by the European Commission for this medicine as a treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in patients from the age of six who are able to walk.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicines under the community drugs schemes, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.
The National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE) conducts the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) of drugs for the health service in Ireland in collaboration with the HSE's Corporate Pharmaceutical Unit (CPU). They assess comparative clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of drugs compared to current standard of care. The NCPE engages with stakeholders, including patients and clinicians, throughout the assessment process.
The HSE’s CPU is the interface between the HSE and the Pharmaceutical Industry in relation to medicine pricing and reimbursement applications.
As conditional marketing authorisation has now been granted to the marketing authorisation holder for Givinostat(Duvyzat®) the company must now apply to the HSE for the treatment to be reimbursed through the public health system.
If the company chooses to submit a pricing and reimbursement application, the HSE will give fair consideration to the application with consideration for the criteria detailed in the 2013 Act.
The State encourages all marketing authorisation holders of new medicines to apply to the HSE for reimbursement once marketing authorisation is granted by the European Medicines Agency.
301. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the actions she is taking to ensure equitable access to treatments for all adults with spinal muscular atrophy, regardless of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30840/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra302. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the actions she is taking to ensure equitable access to treatments for all adults with spinal muscular atrophy, regardless of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30841/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra315. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Health her views on age-based exclusion for adults with SMA and if she believes a fairer criteria is introduced to ensure all adults with SMA are treated equally under the healthcare system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30953/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra365. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Health her plans to review and reform the age-based exclusion criteria for adults living with spinal muscular atrophy to ensure a fairer and more equitable approach; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31073/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 301, 302, 315 and 365 together.
The HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicines under the community drugs schemes, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. Therefore, I have asked the HSE to provide an update in relation to treatments for SMA patients over 18 years of age.
The HSE has advised that once a medicine is approved by the European Medicines Agency, the HSE is dependent on a pharmaceutical company making an application to Ireland for its drug or new indication to be assessed for reimbursement. All medicines are considered for pricing of reimbursement in order of application.
While many companies engage proactively with the HSE, Ireland, by virtue of its size and market share, may not always be prioritised by some companies in the first stages of marketing a new medicine. Reports describing timelines for reimbursement from EMA approval to HSE reimbursement approval do not consider this important factor, as statutorily the HSE are not able to add a new medicine to the reimbursement list until an application is received.
The HSE has advised that it is committed to providing access to as many medicines as possible, in as timely a fashion as possible, from the resources available (provided) to it.
The HSE must robustly assess applications for pricing and reimbursement to make sure that it can stretch available resources as far as possible and to deliver the best value in relation to each medicine and ultimately more medicines to Irish citizens and patients. HSE decisions on which medicines are reimbursed by the taxpayer are made on objective, scientific and economic grounds. There are formal processes which govern applications for the pricing and reimbursement of medicines, and new uses of existing medicines, to be funded and / or reimbursed.
In terms of the specific details of the application for pricing and reimbursement of Risdiplam (Evrysdi®):
Reimbursement approval is in place for Risdiplam (Evrysdi®) for the treatment of 5q spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) under the High Tech arrangements from the 1st September 2023. Reimbursement support is for a subgroup of the licensed indication.
As a condition of reimbursement, an individual patient approval system has been put in place by the HSE, to enable reimbursement for patients who meet the pre-defined criteria as per a HSE devised managed access protocol.
If the manufacturer of Risdiplam(Evrysdi®) (Roche) submits a de novo application for adult patients with a clinical diagnosis of SMA Type 1, Type 2 or Type 3, that application will be duly progressed through the formal processes governing the pricing and reimbursement of medicines.
In terms of the specific details of the application for pricing and reimbursement of onasemnogene abeparvovec (Zolgensma®):
In October 2021, onasemnogene abeparvovec (Zolgensma®) was approved for reimbursement in Ireland following joint assessment and negotiations under the Beneluxa initiative for the treatment of patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) with a bi-allelic mutation in the SMN1 gene and a clinical diagnosis of SMA type 1, or pre-symptomatic patients with 5q SMA with a bi-allelic mutation in the SMN1 gene and up to 3 copies of the SMN2 gene.
As a condition of reimbursement, an individual patient approval system has been put in place by the HSE, to enable reimbursement for patients who meet the pre-defined criteria as per a HSE devised managed access protocol.
Managed Access Protocol – Onasemnogene abeparvovec (Zolgensma®) for the treatment of 5q Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)
In terms of the specific details of the application for pricing and reimbursement of nusinersen (Spinraza®) for adult patients (>18 years):
The HSE approved funding of nusinersen (Spinraza®) effective 1st July 2019 for the treatment of 5q Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type I, Type II and Type III in children under 18 years.
The first step in the process is the submission of a Rapid Review dossier (a clinical and economic dossier) to the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE) for assessment. The HSE commissioned the Rapid Review process on the 28th September 2020.
The NCPE Rapid Review assessment report was received by the HSE on the 29th October 2020. The NCPE advised the HSE that a full Health Technology Assessment (HTA) was recommended for nusinersen (Spinraza®) to assess the clinical and cost-effectiveness compared to the current standard of care for adult patients (>18 years).
Nusinersen (Spinraza®). HTA ID: 20044 | National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics
The HSE commissioned a full Health Technology Assessment on the 9th November 2020 as per agreed processes.
The HSE Corporate Pharmaceutical Unit (CPU) is the interface between the HSE and the Pharmaceutical Industry in relation to medicine pricing and reimbursement applications. The CPU met with Biogen regarding their application for Nusinersen (Spinraza®).
The Drugs Group is the national committee which the HSE has in place to make recommendations on the pricing and reimbursement of medicines. The membership of the HSE Drugs Group includes public interest members. The pharmacoeconomic report will be reviewed by the HSE Drugs Group along with the outputs of commercial negotiations, and any patient group submission(s) received. The HSE Drugs Group will consider all of the evidence and make a recommendation to the HSE Senior Leadership Team.
The decision-making authority in the HSE is the HSE Senior Leadership Team. The HSE Senior Leadership Team decides on the basis of all the demands it is faced with (across all services) whether it can fund a new medicine, or new use of an existing medicine, from the resources that have been provided to it in line with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.
A completed HTA is required from the applicant (Biogen) to progress this application, as per the formal processes governing the pricing and reimbursement of medicines. In the absence of a completed HTA the pricing and reimbursement application cannot progress.
The application remains under consideration with the HSE. The HSE cannot make any comment on possible outcomes from the ongoing assessment processes.
303. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of medical card patients seen through the MRI scanner in Our Lady’s Hospital Navan in the past two years. [30843/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
304. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the reason there is no pelvis MRI scanning done for medical card holders in Our Lady’s Hospital Navan. [30844/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
305. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the MRI scans that are done in Navan for medical card holders. [30845/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is an operational matter, I have referred the question to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
306. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health if the adult ADHD HSE service in Cork is currently taking referrals; the current staffing levels for the service; the wait time to be offered an initial appointment; and the wait time for psychology if applicable. [30851/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
307. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health to outline the progress made to date in delivering the national bioinformatics roadmap, including key milestones achieved; to provide details on the current number of full-time equivalent bioinformaticians employed in the National Genetics and Genomics Office; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30875/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra308. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health to outline the roll-out plan and associated timelines for the genetics data infrastructure roadmap, including expected phases of implementation, target milestones, and how this will support national genomics capacity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30876/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra309. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the implementation of the first phase of the national test directory for rare diseases, which was launched in January 2025; whether the directory reflects the priority rare conditions identified by an organisation (details supplied) and clinical experts in the field; to outline the extent of its current usage by clinicians and services; which of the gene panels included are specifically for rare diseases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30877/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra310. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health if the National Genetics and Genomics Programme has been opened to a formal procurement process involving all competent service providers, both public and commercial; if not, whether preferred bidders have been identified or announced prior to a transparent and competitive tendering process being undertaken in line with public procurement rules; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30878/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 307 to 310, inclusive, together.
Harnessing the power of genomics for improved patient outcomes requires a supporting infrastructure to collect, test, store, process, analyse and report on samples for both patient care and research. Bioinformatics and genetic data infrastructure and data storage needs to be secure, scalable, accessible and with an analytic capacity to support genomics testing and clinical service delivery. In 2025 the NGGO is working to progress a harmonised Bioinformatics and Genetic Data Infrastructure Roadmap. This Roadmap will set out the requirements and coordinated timelines for the delivery of the bioinformatics and data infrastructure in line with the Strategy’s vision and HSE’s Digital Health Strategic Implementation Roadmap. With funding received from the 2025 National Service Plan the NGGO is in the process of recruiting a National Bioinformatics Director and will look to recruit additional bioinformatics support later this year.
The National Strategy for Accelerating Genetic and Genomic Medicine in Ireland (the Strategy) sets out a vision for an enhanced laboratory infrastructure that will see Ireland providing most of the genomic testing for its population. Data infrastructure to manage the volume of data generated from genomic testing and to enable bioinformatic interpretation of this data is a key component of the required laboratory infrastructure. Implementation of the Strategy will include the development of a centralised solution for delivering genomic testing and bioinformatics, which will sit under the governance of the HSE. A single centralised laboratory for all genomic testing will present an opportunity for future proofing Ireland’s genomic testing capabilities. The laboratory infrastructure will support on-going research and data generated within the centre will be a resource for researchers. This aligns with the participation of the National Genetics and Genomics Office (NGGO) in working groups for the 1+ Million Genome (1+MG) Initiative, a European collaboration that encourages Member States to share and learn from each other’s experiences in this rapidly evolving field.
The development of a National Genomic Test Directory for Rare and Inherited Disease (Test Directory) was identified as a way forward in enhancing genetic and genomic clinical services by promoting evidence based, equitable, and timely access to genetic and genomic tests. Through a series of collaborative workshops with clinical specialists and their laboratory colleagues, the NGGO worked to identify the appropriate test, requesting specialties and clinical indications relevant to the population of Ireland and the Irish health care system. Version 1 of the Test Directory includes tests for clinical indications for rare and inherited disease from the specialties of Cardiology, Lipids, Metabolic, Mitochondrial, and Ophthalmology. Clinicians and laboratories can use the Test Directory to identify the most appropriate genomic test for a clinical indication they may be investigating.
In implementing the National Strategy and where procurement of services is deemed necessary, the process is governed by the Office of Government Procurement's guidelines to ensure transparency, efficiency, and value for money.
