Written Answers Nos. 397-421
398. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason parents have to renew their NCS eligibility every eight weeks; and the plans she has to lengthen this period. [52808/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraTo confirm, subsidies awarded under the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) typically last 12 months. Every NCS award has an end-date which is clearly stated on the award. Applicants must renew their application before this end-date if they wish to continue receiving a subsidy for their child. If they do not renew, the award will expire and the subsidy payment will stop at the end date i.e. the service provider will no longer receive payments towards the cost of the child's place.
What the Deputy may be referring to is the Scheme's under-attendance rules, which have been designed in recognition that there are many reasons why a child's attendance may occasionally be less than their agreed hours. This may be, for example, due to a parent being able to collect their child earlier than usual or illness. However, this does not impact a child's eligibility nor is there a need to renew an award.
To explain, where a child attends fewer than their agreed hours for a consecutive eight week period, a warning will issue to parents alerting them to the situation. At this point, if the child attends their agreed hours for a full week then no further action is taken and the cycle resets.
It is only the under-attendance continues for a further four weeks (i.e. 12 weeks under-attendance total) then the number of subsidised hours awarded under the Scheme will be revised. The hours are revised to reflect the average number of hours that were actually attended by the child over the previous 12-week period. These rules strike a fair and appropriate balance between flexibility for families' everyday lives while at the same time taking the necessary steps to protect State finances.
To reiterate, once the under-attendance is broken by one full week of attendance within this cycle, the subsidy is unchanged and parents need not take any further action. Subsidies are only reduced if a child is continuously under-attending or not using the agreed hours for a period of 12 consecutive weeks.
Finally, it may also be of interest to note that early learning and childcare providers can round up part hours of daily attendance to the next whole hour (once still within the service's operating hours). This means that if a child attends 4 hours and 1 minute (or more), it is recorded as 5 hours of attendance for that day.
399. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when exactly early years services will receive the additional supports committed to them on foot of the reduction in the fee cap from 1 September 2025; and if such support will be backdated to 1 September. [52809/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn June, I confirmed the introduction of maximum fee caps for all Partner Services in Core Funding from September 2025. These new maximum fee caps will place a limit on the fees that can be charged across all types of provision. This will reduce costs for families who are facing the highest fees across the country, while promoting fairness in the market by addressing fee income disparity.
|
Fee Band |
Hours per week purchased under fee option |
Maximum allowable fee for Partner Services |
|
A |
Less than 10 hours |
€59 |
|
B |
Between 10 hours and 19 hours 59 minutes |
€118 |
|
C |
Between 20 hours and 29 hours 59 minutes |
€177 |
|
D |
Between 30 hours and 39 hours 59 minutes |
€236 |
|
E |
Between 40 hours and 49 hours 59 minutes |
€295 |
|
F |
50 hours or more |
€354 |
The introduction of Core Funding in 2022 brought a significant increase in investment for the sector, with €259 million of funding paid directly to services in year 1 of the scheme, of which €210.8 million was entirely new funding. This allocation has since risen to over €390 million in year 4, which is inclusive of €45 million in State funding to support services to meet costs of increased minimum rates of pay in the sector. This ring-fenced funding will be made available to services once the new rates, proposed by the Early Years Services Joint Labour Committee, are approved and the new Employment Regulation Orders (EROs) are given effect.
The Department has no control over the process by which EROs are given effect, though officials are hopeful that this will occur in the coming weeks, and when the EROs are in effect the associated funding will flow.
Fee caps were first introduced in September 2024, applying initially only to First-Time Partner Services, meaning services that were contracting to the scheme for the first time in year 3. It was clearly signalled in the July 2024 announcement of fee caps on First-Time Partner Services and in the 2024/2025 Core Funding Partner Service Funding Agreement that fee caps would apply to all Partner Services from September 2025.
Under these new fee caps for year 4, the maximum fee for a full day place – of between 40-50 hours per week, the most common full day care operating hours – can be no more than €295 per week (before State subsidies under the National Childcare Scheme and the ECCE programme are deducted), which remains significantly (49.7%) higher than the average fee for a full day place which is €197. Any fee which is impacted by the fee caps will still be significantly higher than the average fee, with this applying across all Fee Bands.
Approximately 10% of services will have at least one fee impacted by the fee caps, however it should be noted that in most cases impact is clustered around the lower Fee Bands A-C, which are typically not primary income drivers in an early years service. The fee freeze will remain in place for all Partner Services with fees that fall below the caps.
The new maximum fee cap and increased State investment are important steps towards the Government’s commitment to progressively reduce the cost of early learning and childcare to €200 per month per child during the lifetime of the government.
Supports are available from the Department where a service is experiencing financial difficulty or has concerns about their viability, accessed through Pobal and local CCC. Any service who would like to avail of advice or supports on a concern regarding their sustainability, is encouraged to reach out to their local CCC. Contact details for their local CCC can be found at www.myccc.ie.
400. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason for the discrepancy in funding available to providers of after-school services for between junior and senior infants and first to sixth class students in the case of a childcare service (details supplied) and that funding for first to sixth class children does not cover operating costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52814/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraMany families avail of the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) as a way to reduce the cost of their early learning and childcare. The purpose of the NCS is to reduce the cost of childcare for parents by way of a subsidy paid directly to the childcare provider. The NCS does not purport to cover the operating costs of the childcare provider.
Core Funding is a grant for early learning and childcare (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) providers towards their operating costs. It is funding directly to providers (supply-side funding) and is designed to improve affordability for families, quality in services and sustainability for providers. In addition, there are wider financial supports available from the Department where a service is experiencing financial difficulty or has concerns about their viability, which can be accessed through their local City/County Childcare Committee while remaining within Core Funding.
In the case of children sponsored by approved bodies, the NCS also covers the full cost of childcare. The rate of this coverage increased in 2024 to reflect a €5.30 hourly rate for all children over 1 year old. Sponsored children under 1 year old continue to receive an hourly rate of €5.87.
NCS subsidies are awarded as an hourly rate, along with a maximum number of weekly hours that the subsidy will be paid for. It is between the parent and provider to agree on the hours of childcare based on the family's requirements and what sessions the provider can offer. As per NCS rules, Providers should not register children for subsidised hours while they are availing of education (i.e. school or ECCE) at the same time. This would result in double funding, as the Exchequer is already funding a school or ECCE place for the child. This is a key financial and governance control to ensure that Exchequer funding is used responsibly.
Moving forward, the Department is commencing a larger evaluation of the NCS. This will include consultation and engagement with parents, educators and representative organisations. This evaluation will examine how the NCS is performing currently and identify ways in which the NCS can better support families. As part of this evaluation, the hours-based model of the NCS, and how it affects children of different age groups, will be reviewed.
401. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of pre-school places in each county in 2020 to 2024 and to date in 2025; and her definition of pre-school in terms of age. [52855/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra402. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of school age childcare places in each county in 2020 to 2024 and to date in 2025; and her definition of pre-school in terms of age. [52856/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 401 and 402 together.
Each year, Pobal compiles and publishes data from Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) providers as part of the Early Years Sector Profile. While the allocation of ELC or SAC places is flexible, the published capacity data provides an estimate of the number of children enrolled in ELC and SAC at a given time.
The most recently published capacity data for the 20232/24 programme year estimated that there were an estimated 234,597 children enrolled in ELC and SAC services nationally.
In relation to capacity ELC refers to all children aged zero to four years and non-school going children aged between four and six years. SAC refers to school going children aged between four and six years and all children over six years of age.
The capacity data for 2020/21 to 2023/24 is summarised in the table below.
|
- |
2020/21* |
2021/22 |
2022/23 |
2023/24 |
|
ELC |
|
|
|
|
|
Estimated enrolments |
137,933 |
146,338 |
148,998 |
155,414 |
|
% of services with at least one vacant place |
50% |
51% |
45% |
38% |
|
% of services with a waiting list |
38% |
47% |
47% |
48% |
|
SAC |
|
|
|
|
|
Estimated enrolments |
44,984 |
50,847 |
64,156 |
79,183 |
|
% of services with at least one vacant place |
51% |
43% |
37% |
30% |
|
% of services with a waiting list |
24% |
31% |
37% |
40% |
Notes: *The number of enrolments during 2020/21 were impacted by Covid-related restrictions. ELC services are those offering care to children in the following age groups: Up to 1 year; 1 year+ to 2 years; 2 years+ to 3 years; 3 years+ to 4 years; 4 years+ to 5 years Non-school going; 5 years+ to 6 years Non-school going. *SAC services are those offering care to children in the following age groups: 4 years+ to 5 years School going; 5 years+ to 6 years School going; 6 years+ to 8 years; 8 years+.
It is important to note that in relation to waiting lists, the data should not be used as a measure of overall demand for ELC and SAC places. While waiting list data can be used to give an indication of demand for places for a given age group or service type not all services operate a waiting list. In addition, an individual child may be on multiple waiting lists in different services.
Further information can be found on the Early Learning and Childcare data website. The Capacity Section of the website provides information on the number of children enrolled, services with vacant places, and services with a waiting list. Data cleaning for the 2024/2025 AEYSP is currently in progress and the results will be published on the Early Learning and Childcare Data website as soon as they are available.
403. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health the number of public patients in each of the years 2021 to 2024 and to date in 2025, on waiting lists in University Hospital Limerick who have received care via third party insourcing activity, in tabular form; the extent to which this activity has reduced waiting lists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52625/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is acknowledged that many patients are still waiting too long for hospital appointments and treatments. I am conscious of the burden that this places on patients and their families.
I published the Waiting List Action Plan (WLAP) for 2025 in February, representing this Government’s commitment to reducing waiting times for patients and improving access to hospital care.
In keeping with this commitment, significant funding of €420m was allocated to the Waiting List Action Plan for 2025, €190m for the HSE and €230m for the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF).
With the 2025 plan, we are continuing to build upon the progress delivered to date under the multi annual action plan approach, progressing towards the ultimate vision of a public healthcare service in which everyone has timely access to high-quality scheduled care, where and when they need it.
In relation to the particular query raised about insourcing activity in University Hospital Limerick, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
405. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health given that the HSE has yet to provide dedicated mental health support to families affected by the unnecessary DHH surgeries and, in the interim, the HSE has advised the relevant advocacy group that medical card holders may seek a referral through their GP, if she can provide an update on how much longer affected families will have to wait for this support; when the necessary funding will be approved to ensure the provision of this much needed mental health service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52645/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is an operational matter for the Health Service Executive (HSE), the HSE has been asked to reply directly to the Deputy.
406. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health if her attention has been drawn to requests to add the device (details supplied) to either the drugs payment scheme or the long-term illness scheme; the actions she will take to address these concerns; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52650/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder 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.
407. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on an appointment for a person (details supplied) for a pain management clinic; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52653/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder 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 Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
408. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Health if an appointment for a person (details supplied) will be expedited.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52654/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder 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 Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
409. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the steps her Department is taking to reduce the rate of male suicide; and the specific supports available to men experiencing mental ill health. [52668/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFor a decade now, Connecting for Life has provided us with a comprehensive plan for how we can reduce levels of suicide in our country. Reducing deaths by suicide is a very complex task, but evidence and experience internationally shows that real reductions in suicide rates can be achieved by involving the whole community, the whole of government, and all of society working in unison.
We do know already that suicide rates in Ireland are reducing. However, even one death is one too many and in absolute terms it remains the case that approximately 500 people in Ireland take their own lives each year.
Too many men die by suicide in this country, with 78% of all deaths due to suicide occurring amongst men. We need to do a lot more to encourage men to seek support and avail of services.
Men are a priority group under Connecting for Life, and there are a number of initiatives ongoing to enhance supports for and engagement with this group.
As part of a broader effort to support men in need, I recently announced €2 million in funding for new counselling supports for men. The funding is targeted at reducing stigma, encouraging counselling uptake among men, assisting men in accessing mental health services more generally, and providing much-needed support for men experiencing a mental health crisis. This initiative will support men by providing easier access to supports and greater choice for how men access them and when.
With regard to other initiatives aimed at reducing the rate of male suicide, the HSE would be better placed to expand on these and I have forwarded this question to the HSE for response in relation to these other supports.
410. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if her Department has undertaken any study to determine which age cohorts are most at risk of suicide; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52669/25]
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.
411. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if her Department holds any statistics on the number of suicides which occurred in each of the past ten years; if a breakdown can be provided by age, gender, geography and social class; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52670/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Health is not responsible for the publication of statistics on the number of suicides. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) publishes Vital Statistics for the Minister for Social Protection in accordance with the provisions of Section 2 of the Vital Statistics and Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act, 1952 and Government Order SI 831 of 2007. Vital Statistics include statistics on deaths by cause of death.
The CSO publishes quarterly Vital Statistics on all registered deaths as well as a Yearly Summary (available here: www.cso.ie/en/statistics/birthsdeathsandmarriages/vitalstatistics/). These reports record the number of deaths registered in that quarter or year by cause of death. Information on deaths is only available for deaths which have been registered with the General Registers Office (GRO).
Data on deaths by date of occurrence is published by the CSO in the Vital Statistics Annual Report where all figures are classified by year of occurrence i.e. the year in which the death occurred (available here: www.cso.ie/en/statistics/birthsdeathsandmarriages/vitalstatisticsannualreport). Deaths not registered with the GRO during the year of occurrence or the subsequent 22 months are not available for the Vital Statistics Annual Report and not included.
All deaths attributable to external causes are referred to the Coroner. Investigations can take a protracted length of time to complete. As such, these deaths are registered after the standard three-month time period, and often much later than the 22-month deadline for CSO annual Vital Statistics publications.
Data on deaths registered with a cause of death of ‘intentional self-harm’ are reported in all the CSO’s quarterly and annual Vital Statistics publications. However, as all deaths due to external causes are reported to the Coroner's Office for further investigation, the number of registrations for any given period will likely underrepresent the number of deaths which have occurred due to accidents, suicide, or other external causes of mortality.
To address this, the CSO publish a dedicated annual release on Suicide Statistics (available here: www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-ss/suicidestatistics2021/). The latest release was published in November 2024 and includes data up to the year 2021. The next release is due to be published in November 2025 to include data up to 2022. Given the impact of late registrations, the CSO introduced a range of tables for ‘Revised Deaths Occurring’ to take account of late registered deaths.
The CSO-Suicide Mortality Statistics Liaison Group (see here: www.cso.ie/en/aboutus/lgdp/cgt/ocg/csogroups/smslg/) also works with a range of stakeholders, including the Department of Health, to improve the quality of suicide statistics and their dissemination.
In response to the question, please find, at the links below, data extracted from the CSO’s database Table VSA35 (data.cso.ie/table/VSA35) Revised Deaths Occurring on the number of deaths with a cause of death of ‘X60-X84 Intentional self-harm’ by sex and age group for the ten years 2012-2021, the most recent available in the ‘Revised Deaths Occurring’ series.
Also find at the links below data extracted from the CSO’s database Table VSA112 (data.cso.ie/table/VSA112) Revised Deaths Occurring on the number of deaths with a cause of death of ‘X60-X84 Intentional self-harm’ by sex and Local Authority area for the seven years 2015-2021 which is the full time series available in this Table.
Data on suicides by social class is not available in the CSO Suicide Statistics annual release.
In addition, in the last year, the Department of Health have established the National Probable Suicide Monitoring System (NPSMS) within the Health Research Board (HRB). The NPSMS is a new database which will collect and publish data on deaths by probable suicide in Ireland. As researchers will collect data from coronial files, including on probable suicides, i.e. not solely where the Coroner has determined a verdict of suicide, the NPSMS will provide data on more deaths than those recorded in the CSO data, and will have more in-depth information on the characteristics of people who have died by probable suicide.
Connecting for Life(CfL), Ireland’s national suicide reduction strategy, which came to an end in 2024, has guided suicide reduction efforts for the last decade. Reducing deaths by suicide is a very complex task, but evidence and experience internationally shows that measurable improvements in suicide prevention can be achieved through effective cross-governmental work. Connecting for Life adopted this approach and suicide reduction initiatives have been advanced in many areas, including health, local government, justice, media, and agriculture.
Work to develop a successor suicide reduction strategy is well advanced. Connecting for Life has been formally evaluated, and the Department of Health has recently run a public consultation survey, which received approximately 1,900 submissions, and held 7 in-person consultation sessions. The significant response by the public to this consultation demonstrates the strength of feeling to reducing lives lost to suicide in our country. The voices of those with lived experience will be central to shaping our next national strategy.
The reports arising from the various aspects of the public consultation were recently published and these, along with the findings from the evaluation of Connecting for Life,will be invaluable in the development of Ireland’s next suicide reduction strategy.
412. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if she will expedite an appointment for a person (details supplied). [52671/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder 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 Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
413. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if the pay imbalances for healthcare assistants in Cork and Kerry will be reviewed (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52684/25]
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.
414. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health for an update on non-emergency ambulance patient transport in the greater Dublin area; if the contract for this will remain with the National Ambulance Service; if any changes will be made to this service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52693/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
415. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Health the number of permanent admin staff in Ennis hospital, Nenagh hospital and UHL; if permanent admin positions are being filled by agency staff in Ennis and if so the reason; the reason for many agency staff in positions as secretary consultants; the plans to replace permanent staff with agency staff in Ennis hospital; if the local management have been made aware of this; if the ratio of permanent admin staff to agency staff in these locations is similar in each location or if the ratio in Ennis is different; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52695/25]
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.
416. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Health the status of the introduction of ehealth records; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52698/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraDigital for Care: A Digital Health Framework for Ireland 2024-2030 reflects the changing landscape of health and social care in Ireland and sets out a roadmap to digitally transform health services and improve access for patients. This framework, combined with the corresponding HSE implementation roadmap, sets out a very clear path for the full digitisation of healthcare records and information systems in Ireland, as stated in the Programme for Government. Implementation of Ireland’s Digital for Care strategy is progressing at pace following its publication in May 2024. It sets out vision to enable better health outcomes through seamless, safe, secure, and connected digital health services that support both patients and providers. This vision is grounded in the principles of Sláintecare.
On foot of the publication of Digital for Care and the commitment under the Programme for Government to ‘continue to work towards the full digitisation of Irish healthcare records and information systems’. Ireland is pursuing a three-step approach to the delivery of electronic health records in Ireland, comprising a National Patient App, the National Shared Care Record and an enterprise level Electronic Health Record that will be centrally procured and configured, but regionally deployed and owned by each of the six health regions.
Launched in February 2025, the HSE Health app has now been downloaded by 140,000+ people, with 91,524 users accessing their personal health information. The v3.0 (in August 2025) release significantly expands coverage—over 1.3 million appointments for more than 870,000 patients will be visible in-app—alongside feature upgrades that deepen patient engagement and reduce missed appointments. The app has also been recognised with three national awards in 2025, underscoring its role in empowering patients and improving access. The app has been co-designed with a wide range of people who use our services, staff, and advocacy organisations, who have been active partners throughout the process. Future app features will be guided by ongoing research and engagement with patients, staff, advocacy organisations, and the public.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) completed the procurement for the National Shared Care Record (NSCR) earlier this year. The NSCR programme has now been mobilized, with the contract for building the NSCR technology platform awarded to EY, Better and Kainos. The NSCR brings together healthcare information from various sources such as hospitals, GP practices, and Community care into a single place, making them available at the point of care and self-care in read only format. By having access to key healthcare information in one place means healthcare professionals will be able to make more informed, safer decisions and to focus more time on direct patient care while patients will be better informed and empowered to manage their own healthcare.
The technology underpinning the National Shared Care Record was procured in 2024 (contract Q1 2025) and a phased rollout of the national shared care record is due to commence in Q4 2025 in the South-East region with University Hospital Waterford and surrounding community areas. The system will then extend to other regions from 2026 with additional patient data /information being added over time. Together with the HSE Health App, investing in a NSCR means unlocking fragmented data into a powerful tool for safer, coordinated patient-centred care while laying the foundation for a modern, connected and more efficient health service as we plan for a National Electronic Health Record.
The Enterprise Electronic Health Record (EHR) is intended to support integrated care across all settings. A preliminary business case (PBC) for the National EHR has been developed by the HSE, setting out the case for the most ambitious transformation programme in the history of the health service. In accordance with DPER’s infrastructure guidelines the EHR PBC went through an independent, external assurance process (EAP) review in July and was considered COMPLIANT in all areas. There were a series of recommendations arising from the EAP process and these were accepted and will be implemented. Also, in accordance with Infrastructure Guidelines, the PBC and EAP report were reviewed by the Major Projects Advisory Group (MPAG) and we expect to see their report completed in the coming weeks.
A national enterprise EHR will allow healthcare staff to access a patient’s full medical history to support timely and appropriate care, with the ability to update information in real time. EHRs not only provide a complete digital health record of a patient’s health journey, recorded by healthcare professionals across all health and social care settings, they also incorporate workflow capabilities to automate the patient pathway and facilitate the implementation of standardised models of care. This means the EHR can map out the next steps in a patient’s treatment plan in the various care setting and support automatic referrals, ordering of diagnostics, lab tests, etc. To realise the benefits of an investment in EHRs, they must be underpinned by a clear roadmap, agreed up-front interoperability and data standards, appropriate governance and a robust business case. Deploying an EHR is not just about the technology. These are significant change programmes to transform and move from a paper based to a digitised care model.
The national EHR will be implemented across Health Regions and designed to interoperate with existing systems in acute and community services. Delivering an enterprise level EHR such as this, in every one of the six health regions, is a major undertaking and represents a significant investment by the state. Multi-year funding as part of the National Development Plan is required to ensure financing is secured, sequenced and managed against clear milestones. Delivery of the EHR is not a digital project. It is a large scale transformation project that will be delivered through the State’s Infrastructure Guidelines process, with appropriate levels of assurance and governance.
A PIN (Prior Information Notice) was published in June 2025 informing EHR suppliers about the health service's interest in a national enterprise-level EHR systems. This process is open to all potential vendors willing to engage through this process. The consultation seeks supplier input to inform the upcoming procurement, with a contract award expected by the end of 2026 and phased implementation through to 2032.
In another important step on our way to digitised patient records, in May the HSE published the tender for the delivery of a National Electronic Prescribing (NEP) service with vendors currently being shortlisted. The new fully integrated e-prescription service will enable the secure and efficient transmission and storage of electronic prescriptions and dispensations for patients. Digital versions of medications information is a foundational component of a digital health record and importantly, a key starting point for national health services on a journey to deliver wider electronic health records for all. Data from this service (prescription and dispensing data) will be available through the HSE Health App and the NSCR in the future.
417. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Health the cost of the eHealth record project to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52699/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe preliminary business case for a national electronic health record programme represents a very significant investment by the state and as such, is currently subject to the Infrastructure Guidelines (IG) established to assess proposals of this scale. The business case is well advanced and in accordance with IG has been subjected to the external assurance process where it was deemed compliant. It is now being considered by the Major Projects Advisory Group who will shortly complete their report for DPER and help inform Government on how best to proceed.
On the basis that the national electronic health record (EHR), as a distinct and standalone programme, is subject to further approvals – and to ensure tangible progress in the meantime, the HSE has progressed the following tactical EHR projects, that have all been funded through investment by Government in digital health systems:
• St James Hospital, Dublin.
• Largest Maternity Hospitals (70% of births).
• National Rehabilitation & National Forensics Hospitals.
• Community Connect (Discovery Phase).
• New National Children's Hospital – EPIC (live 2026).
In additional, the following private healthcare providers have implemented electronic health records, albeit not funded directly by Government:
• Private Hospitals (HIMSS Level 6).
• GP Practices (2 vendors, 4 products, 98% coverage).
• Community Pharmacy (4 vendors, 98% coverage).
Investment by Government in digital health has increased significantly over the past 7 years, recognising the need to invest in digitisation as a key enabler for reform of the health service, as prescribed under Sláintecare. This has led to an increased allocation for ICT capital in the health sector from €60 million in 2018 to €190 million in 2025. Further investment will be required to implement a national EHR, deployed and owned on a regional basis (aligned with the new health regions) as prescribed under ‘Digital for Care’ and aligned with the Programme for Government.
In summary, while a specific total cost for the digitalisation of patient records to date is not isolated within the broader digital health funding, the increased allocations for ICT capital and revenue since 2018 reflect the ongoing expenditure and government commitment to this critical initiative. The Department of Health, together with the HSE, continues to prioritise funding and resource planning to ensure the successful rollout of digital patient records through a phased, three step approach enhancing the HSE Health App (Release 3 now live), delivering the National Shared Care Record (pilot in Waterford by year end), and then rolling out the Enterprise Level EHR region by region—so that integration is proven, benefits arrive early, and technical risk is reduced.
418. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health if she is aware of the case of person (details supplied) diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, who is currently ineligible for CAR T-cell therapy due to the treatment being licensed in Ireland only for individuals under the age of 26; if she will clarify the basis for this age restriction; the reason Ireland differs from other jurisdictions in this regard; if urgent consideration will be given to approving access to this treatment in this specific case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52701/25]
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.
419. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Health the reason the HSE’s IT payment systems are not fully operational, resulting in delays to small medical supply companies receiving payment for goods and services provided; and when the system will ensure payments are made within 30–40 days, in line with the principle that these payments are made from taxpayers’ money. [52703/25]
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.
420. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health if her Department will review a decision not to include a glucose monitoring system (details supplied) for persons with type two diabetes for reimbursement under either the DPS or the long-term illness scheme; if she will explain the rationale for excluding it; her views on the prohibitive costs, especially in the case of older persons in receipt of a State pension who have to pay €400 per month, and the financial burden this places on them in trying to manage their diabetes effectively; if she will commit to making a strong case for its inclusion as a matter of priority given the health costs to the State as a result of mismanagement of diabetes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52708/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder 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.
421. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health for an update on the waiting list for benign brain tumour surgery for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52709/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder 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 Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
