Written Answers Nos. 327-347
327. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if she was aware of a pilot scheme in operation in Navan Hospital currently running that has reduced the visiting hours for families (details supplied); the reasoning for such a measure; and if she will consider that many relatives are elderly and would consider this time late to travel to the town. [35046/25]
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.
328. Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Health if she will urgently investigate the delay in reviewing an MRI scan for a person (details supplied); the reasons for the delay in the scan being read, which is preventing the patient from returning to work as a professional driver; if she will ensure that the scan is prioritised given the impact on the individual’s employment and income; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35054/25]
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.
329. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the status of the Sláintecare recommendation to remove private care from public hospitals on a phased basis; the timeline now being worked towards to implement this recommendation; the steps that have been taken to progress the matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35055/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn line with Sláintecare, a number of additional proposals to remove private practice from public hospitals are currently under consideration.
One of the proposals that has already been implemented is the Public Only Consultant Contract. The Public Only Consultant Contract was introduced in March 2023. The primary objective of the Public Only Consultant Contract is to enable the move towards universal, single-tier healthcare, with public hospitals exclusively used for the treatment of public patients. The latest data indicates that 64% of consultants are now on this new contract. This significant uptake is enabling the removal of private practice from public hospital. Consultants who have signed up to the POCC since January 2024 have 6 months to phase out their private practice.
330. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the specific funding allocated to the implementation of Sláintecare; if a ring-fenced budget has been provided to implement ‘Path to Universal Healthcare: Sláintecare and Programme for Government 2025+’; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35056/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra331. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if she will commit to producing an updated series of costings for Sláintecare; if her Department has carried out work to revise the costings originally provided for in appendix three of the 2017 Sláintecare report produced by the Committee on the Future of Healthcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35057/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 330 and 331 together.
On 14 May, 2025 I published Path to Universal Healthcare: Sláintecare & Programme for Government 2025+ (Sláintecare 2025+).
Sláintecare 2025+ sets out an integrated and whole of system reform programme to be implemented over the period 2025–2027, recognising that some of these reforms will continue over a longer timeframe.
Sláintecare 2025+ comprises 23 individual Sláintecare Projects and the milestones to be achieved on the path to achieving universal healthcare across three priority areas:
• Improve access
• Improve service quality
• Increase capacity
Underpinning the delivery of Sláintecare projects across these three areas, are critical enabling reform programmes. These are designed to transform the delivery of health and social care services through digital transformation and innovation with an increased focus on achieving greater levels of productivity. The new HSE Health Regions is a particular enabling reform that will reorganise the overall health and social care service to one better aligned to meet the specific needs of the population.
Sláintecare 2025+ is designed to address challenges in the health service and builds on the progress made in implementing successive Programmes for Government and Sláintecare Implementation Strategies between 2018 and 2024. It is an ambitious and multifaceted programme designed to move Ireland towards a universal healthcare service. It has been developed following extensive stakeholder engagement and under the direction and oversight of the Sláintecare Programme Board.
Delivery of Sláintecare 2025+ is a core focus of the work of Department of Health and the HSE, and funding for Sláintecare is embedded within the overall Health Vote allocation, rather than being allocated a separate ring-fenced budget. The investment of €24.3 billion in Budget 2025 in Ireland’s Health and Social Care Services is the highest allocation of funding to the health service in the history of the state. The Government is fully committed to the continued delivery of Sláintecare reform and to the Sláintecare vision of a universal health and social care system where everyone has equitable access to services based on their need, and not on their ability to pay.
The Sláintecare Programme Board, established in 2021, is co-chaired by the Secretary-General of the Department of Health (DoH) and Chief Executive Officer of the Health Service Executive (HSE) and provides senior official interagency strategic leadership, oversight, and accountability for delivery of the Sláintecare reform programme. The Board ensures overall coherence in the design and delivery Sláintecare 2025+, the associated alignment of constituent programme elements and stakeholders.
The Sláintecare Implementation Progress Report 2024 was published last month. It shows that the reform measures taken so far are making a positive impact on patient’s lives. It presents the work undertaken to deliver foundational long-term change that will significantly enhance overall capacity and will deliver patient-centred care. The report highlights significant achievements made in improving access, affordability building capacity and improving service quality.
332. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the steps that have been taken to address the serious issues identified in safety audits at Cork University Hospital (details supplied); if HIQA or the Health and Safety Authority are actively monitoring works to ensure that the hospital becomes compliant; if any regulatory enforcement action has been taken against the hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35059/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) is responsible for assessing compliance with the National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare in healthcare services. Where a hospital or healthcare provider is found to be non-compliant or partially compliant against any of the National Standards, HIQA works with the hospital to produce a compliance plan to address issues highlighted by the inspection. These plans form part of any future or follow up inspections where progress against the compliance plan is inspected and measured as part of the overall monitoring programme.
The audit referred to was carried out at the request of Cork University Hospital (CUH) management and HIQA was not involved in the process. HIQA’s most recent published report on CUH, from an inspection in July of 2023, was published in December 2023 and the audit identified in the newspaper article is not referenced in the report.
As the matter relating to the steps that have been taken to address the issues identified in the audit are service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
333. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Health the number of active fair deal cases where a family home is involved in the financial assessment; the number of those cases where the person availing of the scheme was the only occupant of the property; and the number of these properties are now vacant or rented out. [35064/25]
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.
335. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health further to the report of the expert taskforce to support the expansion of the role of pharmacy, the cost of a common conditions scheme; if her policy on this scheme has changed from her predecessor; if her Department has completed the work referred to in response to Parliamentary Question No. 366 of 10 July 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35074/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs was noted in Parliamentary Question No. 366 of 10 July 2024
(www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2024-07-10/366/?highlight%5B0%5D=30376&highlight%5B1%5D=24), following the completion of the work of the Taskforce, the focus turned to implementation of Taskforce recommendations.
The priority focus is the development and introduction of a Common Conditions Service in community pharmacy. This service will be the first step in enabling full independent pharmacist prescribing. It will allow pharmacists in Ireland to treat the patients for common conditions such as shingles, urinary tract infections, and conjunctivitis. It will also support the development of new revenue streams for pharmacies.
The development of the Common Conditions Service is well under way, led by the Community Pharmacy Expansion Implementation Oversight Group. This group meets monthly with the aim to develop the necessary enablers for required to establish the Common Conditions Service. These include clinical protocols, education and training for pharmacists and a package of required regulations.
I want to have all the enablers for this service in place within 2025, so that pharmacists are enabled to offer the Common Conditions Service to their patients. It will provide community pharmacies with new business and revenue generating opportunities to contribute towards sustainable business models. In the context of a sustainable reform and expansion of pharmacy services, such as common conditions services, this will provide and enable community pharmacies to seize opportunities to diversify their health service offerings, business models and revenue streams.
336. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Health the most up-to-date list of dentists contracted by the HSE under the dental treatment services scheme in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35075/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
337. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the implementation of electronic prescriptions; if she will outline the expected impact on patient care and pharmacy efficiency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35091/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraePrescribing is a very important foundational component of the future digital health landscape in Ireland.
The Department of Health introduced legislative changes during the COVID-19 pandemic to enable the electronic transfer of prescriptions (ETP) via Healthmail, allowing GPs to securely send prescriptions directly to patients’ pharmacies of choice. This measure significantly reduced reliance on paper, streamlined administrative processes, and improved patient access to medications.
Building on this success, the national ePrescribing system is being developed as part of the wider ePharmacy programme and is being delivered under the remit of the Health Service Executive (HSE). The programme is established, an ePrescribing project team is in place, being led by experienced pharmacists and supported by the technology team.
In an important milestone on our way to digitised patient records under Digital for Care, in May 2025, the HSE published the tender for the delivery of a National Electronic Prescribing (NEP) service. This will lead to a shortlisting of potential vendors for the national ePrescribing solution in July 2025 with a competitive dialogue procurement process undertaken by the HSE to follow.
The National Electronic Prescription Service will be a secure, efficient, and fully integrated digital service for the transmission and storage of electronic prescriptions and electronic dispensations generated for patients in ambulatory care in both public and private settings across Ireland’s health service.
It will enable accurate, timely access to medication information, which will empower patients and improve overall patient care and pharmacy efficiency by enhancing clinical decision-making, reducing medication errors, and streamlining clinical workflows.
This service will provide a critical piece of information for digital health records and the data from this service (prescription and dispensing data) will be available to patients and healthcare workers through the HSE Health App and the National Shared Care Record in the future.
338. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health whether women who have undergone surgery and now require support services, including breast protheses, can access those support services with a supplier of their choice, and that the HSE South/Southwest cannot dictate the supplier that they must attend for such services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35097/25]
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.
339. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health if her Department will intervene urgently to provide the required treatment in respect of a patient who was recently diagnosed with aggressive lung cancer (details supplied) and take into consideration that any delays will have enormous consequences; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35105/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis question relates to a clinical decision making matter and is therefore referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
340. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health to urgently review a proposal (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35108/25]
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.
341. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health for a detailed progress report in regard to the new minor injuries unit in Killarney, County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35109/25]
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.
342. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health for a detailed progress report in regard to the new community hospital in Killarney, County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35110/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
343. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health for a detailed report in regard to her plans for the St. Columbanus Home site when the patients are transferred over to the new Killarney Community Hospital, when completed, in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35111/25]
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.
344. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health to urgently review and approve, a full medical card to be issued to a person in County Kerry (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35125/25]
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.
345. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health if the shingles vaccination can be included in the national immunisation programme (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35126/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe immunisation programme in Ireland is based on the advice of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC). NIAC considers the prevalence of the relevant disease in Ireland as well as international best practice in relation to immunisation when developing its advice.
The current NIAC guidelines state that the shingles vaccine may be considered in those aged 65 years and older, due to the greater burden and severity of disease in this age group and in those aged 18 years and older at increased risk of shingles.
Shingles vaccination is not currently provided as part of the national immunisation programme.
The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) recently carried out a Health Technology Assessment (HTA) on the herpes zoster vaccine which protects against shingles. A HTA is a multidisciplinary research process that collects and summarises information about a health technology. The information can cover a range of fields, including clinical effectiveness and safety, cost-effectiveness and budget impact, organisational and social aspects, and ethical and legal issues. The information is collected and presented in a systematic, unbiased and transparent manner.
HIQA’s HTA examined the evidence on the clinical effectiveness and safety of shingles vaccines. The cost effectiveness and budget impact were also reviewed, along with the ethical, social and organisational implications of including the vaccine in the adult immunisation schedule.
HIQA published this HTA on 19 July 2024. The HTA found that adding the shingles vaccine to the routine immunisation schedule, at the vaccine price at the time, for all adults aged 65 years and over would not be cost effective and would be associated with a substantial budget impact.
Whilst the HTA found that the introduction of the shingles vaccine was not cost effective based on the cost of the vaccine, it found that it could be cost effective for vaccination of those at 75 years and 80 years if the cost of the vaccine was reduced by 80%.
Given that the healthcare budget is finite and decisions regarding increased spending relating to a change in one area could impact the provision of other health technologies and treatments within the healthcare system, the cost-effectiveness must be considered in any decision-making process.
My Department considered the findings of this HTA and determined that the introduction of the vaccine could be reconsidered when the cost effectiveness of the vaccine is confirmed as being more favourable.
346. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the medical card policy towards funding to replace a prosthetic limb in adults in circumstances including natural lifespan of the prosthetic of circa five years, damage beyond repair to the prosthetic and need for different prosthetic arising from surgery. [35127/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Service Executive (HSE) provide an extensive range of aids and appliances to individuals living with a wide variety of different medical conditions. These support individuals to continue living within their communities and to enjoy a greater quality of life than would otherwise be the case. This includes the provision of prosthetics to medical card holders.
As the Deputy raises questions regarding the administration of these services, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
347. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the medical card policy towards funding to replace a prosthetic limb in children in circumstances including damage beyond repair to the prosthetic and need for different prosthetic arising from surgery. [35128/25]
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.
