Written Answers Nos. 656-676
660. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to extending the capacity at Kinsale Community Hospital by an additional 100 beds and improving both inpatient and outpatient services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53435/25]
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.
661. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the year she expects the new national children’s office to be fully opened. [53446/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraOpening the National Children’s Hospital Ireland (NCHI) is a Government priority. Everything possible is being done to ensure this world-class hospital will open as quickly as possible, on behalf of children, young people, and their families. It is expected to open in 2026. The two satellite centres at Connolly and Tallaght University Hospital that were developed as part of the programme are complete and open, delivering care to the children of the Greater Dublin Area. The facility at Connolly Hospital recently hit a milestone with 100,000 children having been treated there.
At the St James’s site, work towards substantial completion of the hospital is continuing and approaching its final stages. The National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) is focused on ensuring all rooms and spaces within the hospital are completed to the high-quality standard set out in the Contract and befitting a world class healthcare facility. In addition, the technical commissioning of the hospital’s mechanical and electrical systems is underway and will continue until substantial completion.
Ultimately, substantial completion is informed by the main contractor BAM’s programme of works and its delivery against that programme. On 28 August 2025, BAM provided the NPHDB with an updated programme of works. The Employer’s Representative-(ER) the independent third party responsible for administering the contract, has since determined this not to be compliant with the contract. The NPHDB have advised that BAM has committed to provide a further programme update in mid-October.
The NPHDB continues to engage with BAM and to apply all possible contractual levers available to it to ensure substantial completion can be achieved with minimal further delays. The NPHDB has previously and more recently exercised its contractual entitlement to withhold 15% of payments to BAM because of its failure to supply a compliant programme.
The NPHDB has consistently advised that the largest factor contributing to delay on the project is BAM’s continued failure to manage and supervise project execution on site and its failure to resource the project appropriately. The NPHDB reports that productive resources on site for August 2025 were on average 460, compared to approximately 541 in June 2025 and to 900 at the start of December 2024. BAM continues to fall behind its own programme and is not delivering against additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) monitored by the NPHDB.
I have been clear that BAM’s focus should now be on enabling phased and methodical additional early access to the appropriate completed areas of the building as soon as possible. This will enable Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) to minimise potential challenges during the post substantial completion phase by easing operational commissioning pressure.
On 18 September, BAM committed to new dates to provide additional early access beginning on 3 November for Phase 1. BAM also committed to provide the balance of the additional early access areas (Phase 2) by the end of November. NPHDB is actively working with BAM to identify all the matters that BAM must resolve to achieve its new stated additional early access dates.
I welcome the fact that BAM has now committed to enabling additional early access for CHI in early November. I expect them to honour this commitment and to substantially complete the hospital soon thereafter.
Once substantial completion is achieved, the rest of the hospital will be handed over to CHI for onsite operational commissioning. In preparation for this operational commissioning phase, CHI started the pre-commissioning phase in July 2023. There is a significant and ongoing programme of work to prepare for the opening, which includes the merge and integration of the three existing hospitals and workforces into one, commissioning of the new hospital site, the build and integration of extensive ICT systems and the electronic healthcare record and migration of staff and services over to the new digital facility on the St James’s campus.
While much focus has been on the challenges faced by the project, it is important to note that once open and operational, the hospital will provide world class facilities to its patients. NCHI will be transformational in how we treat and deliver care to children and their families for decades to come.
662. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the details of all contracts that the HSE have entered into for the purchase of lands or buildings here in the years 2023, 2024 and to 1 October 2025. [53487/25]
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.
663. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on developments and progress in women’s health and, specifically, the women’s health action plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53531/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraA second Women’s Health Action Plan for 2024-2025 was published in April 2024. This continues to embed the initiatives of the first plan, the Women’s Health Action Plan 2022-23, while also introducing new areas of focus.
Significant progress and investment have been made in Women’s Health since the publication of the Women’s Health Action Plan. Underscoring the Government’s commitment to Women’s Health has been the investment of dedicated additional funding of over €180 million since 2020.
This significant investment in recent years is aligned to the Government’s continued strong commitment in the Programme for Government to ”further developing the transformation in women’s healthcare”.
Progress/Achievements since 2020:
Developments from the additional €180 million investment include:
• The establishment of 9 Postnatal Hubs giving women access to postnatal care in community setting. Additional funding of €2 million in 2025 will initiate four further Hubs, bringing the national network to 13.
• A total of €28 million in new development funding has been invested to the National Maternity Strategy transforming our maternity services for women and babies. Through this funding, over 550 additional full-time staff have been funded across maternity services, including 44 consultants and 381 nurses and midwives.
• The Free Contraception Scheme launched 2022, has been expanded and now includes women aged 17-35.
• Additional ‘See-and-Treat’ Ambulatory Gynaecology Clinics have been opened bringing the total to 18 clinics, with three more in development.
• From July 2024, over €830,000 has been provided by the Women’s Health Action Plan in funding to drug services for women with complex needs. This is part of an initiative to reduce drug-related harms and premature deaths among this cohort.
• There are 2 supra-regional Specialists Endometriosis Centres supported by 5 regional specialist centres.
• 6 Specialist Menopause Clinics are operational.
• A government Menopause campaign was launched in October 2022. The campaign was a direct response to the demand from Irish women for greater knowledge and understanding of menopause as well as better access to accurate information and supports so that they can proactively manage their experience.
• From the 1st of June 2025, free HRT has been provided to women experiencing menopause. Free HRT is available where it has prescribed to a woman by her healthcare provider for the purpose of alleviating the symptoms associated with all stages of Menopause.
• 6 Regional Fertility Hubs are now in operation in public maternity hospitals.
• The first public National Assisted Human Reproduction Centre to provide publicly funded, publicly delivered treatment is scheduled to open on a partial basis later in 2025.
• Referrals for publicly funded, privately provided assisted human reproduction (AHR) treatment commenced in September 2023. This initiative has proven to very successful, with 3,047 couples having been referred up to the end of September 2025 by a Reproductive Specialist Consultant for AHR treatment. This follows extensive investigations and/or secondary level treatment within one of the six HSE-run Regional Fertility Hubs located across the country.
• From 30th June 2025, an important criterion for accessing state-funded AHR treatment has been broadened. Couples with one existing child in their relationship, and who meet all the other current access criteria, can now access publicly funded AHR treatment, including one full cycle of IVF or ICSI.
• A new National Perinatal Genomics Service is being established to ensure women have access to critical testing both during pregnancy, and in planning for future pregnancies.
• All 19 maternity hospitals are providing full Termination of Pregnancy services.
• Legislation providing for Safe Access Zones has been enacted and came into operation in October 2024.
• A target date for the elimination of Cervical Cancer date (2040) was announced in November 2023 and in March 2025, funding of €530,000 for cervical cancer elimination was allocated from the Women’s Health Fund. The Cervical Cancer Elimination Action Plan 2025-2030 sets out the next steps, which include an emphasis on increasing vaccination and screening rates in underserved communities.
• A National Cervical Screening Laboratory was opened in December 2022.
• Period Dignity initiatives have been supported annually since 2022, in line with the Women’s Health Action Plans. These measures are aimed at people living with consistent poverty, homelessness and addiction and at minority groups including Travellers and Roma. Period dignity supports are provided through the HSE Health Regions, Local Authorities, Family Resource Centres and other community partners
• In March 2025 the Minister for Health launched funding for three applied University College Dublin Projects on Women’s Heart Health aimed at improving cardiovascular health in women. These initiatives focus on, postpartum cardiovascular risk assessment, addressing social determinants of health in heart failure (HF) and enhancing early cardiovascular diagnostic strategies for women.
• 6 Mental Health Multidisciplinary Teams have been put in place for pregnant women and women with a baby up to one year old who may have an existing or new mental health problem. In addition, Perinatal Mental Health Midwife posts are now in place across 13 sites.
• There are now 12 multidisciplinary Eating Disorder Teams in place across the country, with 2 more coming on stream in 2025.
• We have established a National Venous Thromboembolism Programme which focuses on pregnant women and women experiencing menopause.
• The provision of scalp cooling for cancer patients to help prevent hair loss due to chemotherapy.
• The Women’s Health Fund was established in Budget 2021 and has supported a range of priority services for Women’s Health. Over 100 initiatives have been supported to date through this fund.
The Minister for Health and the Government continue to work to improve the health, wellbeing and healthcare experiences of girls and women in Ireland.
664. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health the supports available through the HSE to assist with the cost of a private dyslexia assessment for a child (details supplied) given that they are not meeting developmental milestones and face long delays in the public system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53540/25]
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.
665. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health to review issues in correspondence (details supplied) specifically in relation to Cavan Monaghan; the steps her Department has taken to fill this vacant position since January 2024; if she will provide a timeframe for recruitment of this much needed counsellor; if she will review the shortfalls in funding and numerous business cases submitted particularly in relation to Cavan Monaghan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53543/25]
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.
666. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the current number and location of respite beds in Cork; the staffing numbers for respite services in Cork; and the number of unfilled posts, in tabular form. [53545/25]
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.
667. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the current waiting lists for respite services, by LHO or the smallest possible area; and the waiting times for respite services, by LHO or the smallest possible area, in tabular form. [53546/25]
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.
668. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if her Department will accept the recommendations of a report (details supplied) into abortion services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53547/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraA review of the operation of the Health(Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 was completed in 2023. The final report of the review made a range of recommendations, most of which are operational in nature and are focused on increasing access to services. Significant progress has been made, in this regard. Termination services in early pregnancy (up to 12 weeks) are currently provided in all maternity hospitals.
There has also been a sustained increase in community providers, which currently stands at 468.
Furthermore, the revised model of care introduced in response to the Covid pandemic was approved as the enduring model of care. Under this blended approach, it is possible for one of the two consultations required for termination in early pregnancy to take place remotely. This alleviates the time and expense involved in travelling to the doctor’s surgery twice.
Safe Access Zones legislation came into effect on Thursday, 17 October 2024, under the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services) (Safe Access Zones) Act 2024.
My department will continue to work with HSE, to ensure that there is safe and equitable access to termination of pregnancy, for those who need it.
669. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if she will urgently review the case of a person (details supplied) who has been left waiting indefinitely for necessary orthognathic surgery, despite being placed on a priority list; the steps she is taking to address the absence of an orthodontic consultant in Dundalk since 2022; if she will arrange for this patient to be treated in another HSE facility, or alternatively facilitate access through the Cross-Border Directive or other suitable arrangements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53586/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
670. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Health to outline all contracts entered into by the HSE for the purchase of property and land in 2022, 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, by hospital group and the locations of property and land, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53608/25]
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.
671. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the plans in place to enhance and expand services at Our Lady's Hospital, Navan. [53609/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraServices are being enhanced in Our Lady’s Hospital Navan under a number of different national health programmes and plans. Our Lady's Hospital Navan has received a significant increase in funding from 2020 to 2025 at almost 50%. In the same period, staffing has increased by 14% and bed numbers by 30%. Under the Acute Hospital Bed Expansion Plan a total of 46 new and replacement beds will be delivered at Our Lady's Hospital Navan by 2031. This includes 31 beds delivered between 2021-2024 and 15 beds between March 2025 – 2028.
In 2024, the hospital completed a Rheumatology Day Centre and refurbished the Orthopaedic Theatres. The refurbishment of the hospital’s Outpatient Department is expected to be completed in the coming weeks. Ongoing capital investment projects in the Capital Programme also include an extension to the rear of the outpatient department (Rheumatology Day Centre) and an upgrade of Electrical Power Infrastructure including a new Main Distribution Board and upgrade of electrical backup provision.
Future plans include a new Pulmonary Function Laboratory and public car park refurbishment both due for completion later this year.
672. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE environmental health officers employed by the HSE based in CHO 8 in 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [53610/25]
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.
673. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the number of consultant cardiologists that are on call after 8 p.m. during the week and at the weekends at the Mater hospital. [53611/25]
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.
674. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Health the current up-to-date position regarding a centre of excellence for diabetes care at Letterkenny University Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53618/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to reply to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
675. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Health the number of ambulances which are available on a 24-7 basis at each ambulance station within Donegal in 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53619/25]
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.
676. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health when a scheme will be operational (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53628/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe HSE provides orthodontic treatment to those who have the greatest level of need and have been assessed and referred for treatment before their 16th birthday. Referrals for HSE orthodontic assessment are made at the sixth-class oral health assessment appointment, if the dentist determines that the child may meet the HSE's criteria. All referrals to the HSE Orthodontic Unit are assessed by an orthodontist using standardised clinical criteria. Children whose treatment need is assessed by a HSE orthodontist as being Grade 4 or Grade 5 according to the HSE’s criteria are offered treatment through the HSE. No medical card is required for this treatment.
However, there are currently delays in accessing this service and the HSE has put in place a number of measures to address waiting times. These include treatment waiting list initiatives, services improvement initiatives and access to orthodontic services outside the jurisdiction for patients who meet the HSE's criteria.
In particular, there has been significant investment of €17m between 2022 and 2024 to support access to children’s orthodontic treatment. This funding has seen the creation of a new initiative supporting access to jaw surgery for orthodontic patients and the transfer of over 4000 patients into private, community-based orthodontic treatment. These successful initiatives are being continued this year through the provision of €2.85 million in funding nationally. Through these initiatives, 144 patients have been transferred to private orthodontic care and 51 patients have received jaw surgery nationally as part of their orthodontic treatment so far this year.
To support continued access to our HSE Regional Orthodontic Units, the HSE is also progressing recruitment of 3 vacant specialist orthodontist and 2.2 supporting dental nurse whole-time-equivalents.
