Written Answers Nos. 499-518
501. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health the amount of money spent on taxi fares between hospitals (details supplied) covered by the HSE; to breakdown the reasoning behind the fares, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31400/25]
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.
502. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health if the approval of a drug will be expedited considering its urgent need by a person (details supplied). [31405/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra534. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Health if she will examine and expedite the approval of a new drug givinostat which has been approved in the UK and US for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31509/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra542. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health her plans to expedite the national assessment and decision process for the use of duvyzat (givinostat) to treat patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31557/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 502, 534 and 542 together.
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 devices; therefore, I have asked the HSE for an update in this matter.
The HSE has advised that there is a National Application, Assessment & Decision Process for new medicines which is underpinned by Primary Legislation (Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013) put in place by the Oireachtas. The HSE must comply with the relevant legislation when considering investment decisions around new medicines.
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.
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.
Pharmaceutical companies are required to submit formal applications to the HSE if they wish for their medicines to be added to the list of reimbursable items / funded via hospitals. The decision of pharmaceutical companies to market licensed medicines i.e. whether or not to submit a formal application, is outside the control of the HSE.
In terms of the specific details of an application for pricing and reimbursement of Givinostat (Duvyzat®):
On 25th April 2025, the EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) adopted a positive opinion, recommending the granting of a conditional marketing authorisation for Givinostat (Duvyzat®) for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in ambulant patients, aged 6 years and older, and with concomitant corticosteroid treatment. On the 6th June 2025 the European Commission granted EU conditional marketing authorisation for Givinostat (Duvyzat®) for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).
A pricing and reimbursement application has not yet been received by the HSE for Givinostat (Duvyzat®).
As outlined above, the national assessment and decision process cannot commence in the absence of a pricing and reimbursement application submission to the HSE.
503. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health to advise on the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31410/25]
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.
504. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health if she will investigate the circumstances around the recent admission to a Dublin hospital for treatment for chronic pain, the management of the case and the subsequent discharge of a person (details provided); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31416/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
505. Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Health if she will provide a breakdown of staffing levels at a care centre (details supplied) for the years 2023, 2024, and to date in 2025; if she will outline the number and types of vacant posts currently within the centre; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31418/25]
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.
506. Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Health if she will provide an updated position on the future of the physiotherapy service currently based at a location (details supplied); if she is aware that the service remains at risk due to the planned demolition of its existing premises and the absence of a confirmed alternative location; noting previous meetings and ongoing discussions regarding the matter, if she will outline the current status of efforts by the HSE to identify and secure a suitable local facility to ensure the continuation of the service in Longford and avoid displacement of staff and service users to Athlone or Mullingar; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31419/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
507. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the action being taken to reopen podiatry services in the Mayfield area in Cork in view of the fact it was temporarily closed and the patients transferred to Saint Mary’s Campus, Gurranabraher to which no additional staff have been assigned to cater for the increase in numbers that they now have to deal with; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31433/25]
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.
508. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if financial support is available to reimburse a person (details supplied) for expenses incurred; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31441/25]
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.
509. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health if the HSE board has submitted a comprehensive plan to her Department to help monitor and measure the value gained as a result of the implementation of the new consultant contract, as directed in the letter of determination that issued in November 2024. [31442/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs of 28th May 2025, 2,970 Consultants are now working on a Public Only Consultant Contract. This is made up of 855 new entrants since its inception in 2023 and 2,115 who Consultants who have switched to the new contract. This means 64% of all Consultants are working on a POCC. Under the terms of the POCC, consultants can be rostered to work Monday to Friday, 8am-10pm and on Saturdays, 8am-6pm.
Monitoring of the progress of POCC falls under the of the Productivity and Savings Taskforce that is co-chaired by the HSE and the Department of Health. The HSE recently undertook an exercise to review all consultant rosters which highlighted the low number of consultants currently rostered in the evenings and on Saturdays despite the positive uptake of the POCC. These rosters are currently being reviewed to ensure we are maximising the available hours of our consultant workforce. Progress on this will continue to be fed into the Productivity & Savings Taskforce.
510. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health if the HSE has adopted a standardised approach regarding the number of outpatient clinics, consultants in their respective specialties would be expected to provide, in a given week, as directed in the letter of determination that issued in November 2024. [31443/25]
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.
511. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health if the HSE has issued detailed guidance to hospitals around outpatient targets under any standardised approach to consultants working in individual specialties, as directed in the letter of determination that issued in November 2024. [31444/25]
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.
512. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health if consultants, across all specialities that have outpatient clinics, are now automatically receiving monthly data showing how their outpatient data compares with their peers in the same specialty, as directed in the letter of determination that issued in November 2024. [31445/25]
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.
513. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the action the HSE board has taken on foot of concerns raised by her predecessor in relation to the lack of a standardised approach to large variations in the volume of outpatient work being carried out (details supplied). [31446/25]
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.
514. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the quantitative data the HSE has sought from hospitals to ensure the phasing out of private practice for consultants who have moved to the new POCC contract. [31447/25]
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.
515. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the quantitative data the HSE board has submitted to demonstrate the effective phasing out of private practice by consultants who switched to the new POCC contract, as requested in the letter of determination that issued in November 2024. [31448/25]
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.
516. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the funding allocated to the Access to Care fund from 2021 to date, broken down by year, by hospital, by amount allocated to each hospital, public and private each year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31457/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
517. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of consultants paid in bands (details supplied) on an annual basis from the access to care fund from 2021 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31458/25]
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.
518. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the work and remit of the HSE Access Programme team; the number of staff employed in the team, the total salary cost of the team since its inception, broken down by year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31459/25]
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.
