Written Answers Nos. 348-359
349. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if there are plans to develop a national strategy to reduce sudden unexpected death in epilepsy and epilepsy-related deaths; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55949/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis government is also committed to improving services for people with Epilepsy through the implementation of the HSE Epilepsy Model of Care (2016).
DOH officials engage with the HSE National Clinical Programme for Epilepsy who are responsible for implementation of the Epilepsy Model of Care. We understand that key priorities for the HSE include strengthening and training for the epilepsy nursing workforce, roll out of neurologist and advance nurse practitioner roles in our maternity hubs, addressing the shortage in paediatric neurology and epileptology, reducing the risk of sudden unexplained deaths in epilepsy and implementation of the PREVENT programme for women with epilepsy.
Since the roll out of the Model of Care, the HSE advise that key advances include the development of 6 Epilepsy centres in Beaumont Hospital, St. James Hospital, Mater Hospital, Sligo General Hospital, University Hospital Limerick and Cork University Hospital.
The Epilepsy nursing workforce has also been strengthened with an additional 9 posts since the Model of Care was published. Budget 2025 provided for a further 2 Epilepsy Advance Nurse Practitioners.
The national Epilepsy Electronic Patient Record has rolled out nationally enabling clinicians across Ireland to access complete patient records when and where required.
In respect of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). I can confirm that officials from the Department met with Epilepsy Ireland in August to discuss the SUDEP Incidence Study. Officials welcomed the research and had positive discussion with the group with a view to engaging further.
Regarding your specific question reduce sudden unexpected death in epilepsy and epilepsy-related deaths. I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the you directly, as soon as possible.
350. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the position in relation to a drug (details supplied); if it will be available through the HSE; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55951/25]
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, 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.
On the 29th May 2024 the European Commission granted EU marketing authorisation for tofersen (Qalsody®) indicated for the treatment of adults with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), associated with a mutation in the superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) gene.
As of the 10th October 2025, a pricing and reimbursement application has not been received by the HSE for tofersen (Qalsody®).
As per the processes outlined above, the HSE will process and assess any pricing and reimbursement application received from a company as efficiently as possible within the resources available to the HSE.
351. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the measures her Department is taking to stop novel nicotine products, such as nicotine pearls, from entering and being sold on the marketplace; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55963/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra352. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the powers she has to prevent novel nicotine products being sold on the market before they have been regulated as genuine tobacco cessation products; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55964/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 351 and 352 together.
The EU Tobacco Products Directive regulates all tobacco products, including novel tobacco products, as well as electronic cigarettes containing nicotine and herbal products for smoking. It does not currently apply to novel nicotine products, and as such these products are not regulated by EU or domestic tobacco control legislation.
This is a separate regulatory framework to medical products which are licensed for smoking cessation, such as Nicotine Replacement Therapies.
It is recognised that EU-wide regulation on novel nicotine products would be more effective than individual Member States taking action as it ensures that measures cannot be avoided through cross-border purchases. As a revision of the EU Tobacco Products Directive has been long awaited, I have, on behalf of Ireland and several other Member States, recently called on the European Commission to bring forward the revised Directive as soon as possible. I have called for that proposal to include all novel nicotine products and for this measure to include a ban on cross-border distance sales so that national measures cannot be avoided through purchases from other jurisdictions.
My current legislative priority is the comprehensive regulation of nicotine inhaling products such as e-cigarettes, addressing point of sale display, the appearance of these devices, packaging, flavours and a ban on disposable vapes. Drafting is significantly advanced and this legislation is prioritised for publication in the Autumn Legislative Programme.
The broader focus of policy in this area continues to be ending the immense harms caused by tobacco, which continues to be the most widely used and most harmful nicotine product in Ireland, causing almost 100 deaths and 1000 hospitalisations every single week. The Tobacco Free Ireland policy is currently being revised, in order to set out clear steps to bring us to the tobacco-free goal, and effectively protect young people from nicotine products and potential harm.
353. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Health the plans, and consideration being given, to assigning a social worker (within primary care teams or older persons services) dedicated to the care of older people in south Tipperary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56006/25]
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.
354. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the new laboratory IT system (details supplied) ; the length of time this system has been in development, the timeline for rollout, the cost of this project to date, and the expected total cost; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56012/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraMedLIS is a national programme that underpins Ireland’s broader investment in digitising the health system and is a national laboratory system intended to serve the needs of all laboratory sites well into the future. Our legacy of different laboratory information systems deployed across different sites is not conducive towards delivering consistent digital health records for all patients, regardless of where they are treated or where they have their lab tests conducted.
MedLIS aims to modernize laboratory services, ensuring high-quality, efficient, and patient-centered care across Ireland.
Contracts with the HSE and the successful vendor for a new laboratory IT system were signed in 2015. A subsequent report commissioned by the project board to assess progress up to 2018, highlighted several findings and suggested a series of recommendations on how to improve delivery of the programme. Based on these findings, the HSE made a number of significant changes which, notwithstanding significant delays caused by the pandemic and subsequent, criminally motivated cyberattack on the health service, culminated in MedLIS successfully going live at Beaumont hospital in August 2024.
The system deployed at Beaumont is one of the most widely used laboratory systems in the world (1500+ plus sites). Because it operates differently from the system it replaces, it requires changes in how people do their work. Because MedLIS is a national programme, it also requires alignment with processes across all sites. The team are actively engaged locally, working through system optimisation to streamline labour intensive tasks and improve how the system works to benefit all staff on all sites.
Now that MedLIS is deployed in Beaumont the focus is to accelerate deployment across all regions, starting with Dublin North East. The best way to secure value from the investment to date is to deploy the system widely and spread the cost across all sites. MedLIS will be deployed across 43 laboratory sites when the programme is complete.
As part of the deployment in Beaumont, the requirement to address digital pathology was identified, as the opportunities offered by the latest technological solutions available for pathology are extensive. Accordingly, the HSE is now progressing the procurement of a Digital Pathology solution. Digital Pathology focuses on managing and analysing information generated from digitised specimen slides. It is planned to be integrated with MedLIS, which will further future proof the overall investment in Digital for Care.
The department are referring this PQ to the HSE for further information.
355. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Health if she will conduct a review of the school meals and place mandatory minimum nutritional and quality guidelines in place for service providers when contracting with individual schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56018/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe objective of the School Meals Programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children to support them in taking full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement.
The Nutritional Standards for School Meals have been in place since its inception and were developed by a technical Nutrition Subgroups comprised of:
• Dieticians from the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute of Ireland,
• The HSE,
• Safefood, and
• The Food Safety Authority of Ireland.
These standards are available to all schools, organisations and suppliers and are publicly available on gov.ie.
The Department of Social Protection provides the funding for the School Meals Scheme directly to schools. The primary relationship is between the school and supplier. All schools who wish to avail of funding under the programme are responsible for choosing their schools meals supplier on the open market, in a fair and transparent manner in accordance with public procurement rules. These rules clearly define the successful tenderer’s responsibilities and obligations, including in relation to compliance with Nutritional Standards for School Meals and Nutritional Standards for Hot School Meals.
In December 2024, the Department of Social Protection established an interdepartmental working group, which includes the Department of Health, the Department of Education, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and the Department of Children, Equality and Disability, to oversee and make recommendations on the operation of the scheme, including nutrition inspection and evaluation. This is a standing group which will make recommendations on matters within its remit on an ongoing basis.
In 2025, the Minister for Social Protection requested a review of the scheme’s nutritional standards, and this is being conducted by a dietitian, supervised by the Department of Health, and in coordination with the Interdepartmental Group on School Meals. A report on nutritional standards will be submitted to the Minister of Social Protection by the end of this year.
In the meantime, the Minister for Social Protection has requested that items that are high in saturated fat, sugar and salt be removed from school meals menus from September 2025. Up to now this food had been permitted once a week at most and only when selected by the child's parents. The technical nutrition sub group are tasked with updating the Nutrition Standards for school meals.
The Department of Social Protection has an oversight role in relation to the School Meals Programme and conducts regular inspections of schools which includes reviewing the menu. Under the existing audit process, some 400 schools are inspected onsite annually by that department. In total, 121 desk assessments were carried out in 2024. This represents a 20% total check on schools. For 2025, 400 schools will be inspected, and the desk assessments will be increased to circa 250 cases as more schools become eligible to join the programme. Ongoing audits can increase or decrease based on risk assessments levels.
These inspections assist the Department of Social Protection in ensuring standards are being met in relation to different areas of the School Meals Programme.
356. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health whether an agency, and all other private nurse and carer providers that the HSE outsource work to, are fully regulated and vetted; where a public patient is outsourced to a private nursing company or private carer provider by the HSE, the oversight the HSE has of the services that are delivered; if the HSE is ultimately responsible for public patients that they outsource to private nursing or carer providers; and if the HSE will provide a clinical review over the care and death of a person (details supplied). [56033/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
358. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Health if there is a policy within CORU not to recognise degree programmes from universities in illegal settlements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56057/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraOfficials in my Department have been in touch with CORU on the matter raised. CORU does not have a policy which directly addresses recognition of degree programmes from universities in illegal settlements. Each recognition application is considered on a case-by-case basis by the relevant CORU registration board based on its own merits.
359. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the plans for the allocation of the €810 million in capital funding announced in Budget 2026; if investment is planned for the development of innovation and incubation hubs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55628/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs I stated in the House last week, during the discussions earlier this year on the National Development Plan, I secured an allocation amounting to some €4.55bn over the coming five year period. I also noted that I intend to allocate €2.3bn of this to funding for Ireland’s research system.
In 2026, my Department will have a total capital allocation of €810m. I intend to direct over €425m of this to the Research area. This funding will enable continued support for the programmes delivered by Research Ireland, including new items such as the Global Talent Initiative. It will also support the next generation of Research Centres, which are currently being assessed through a rigorous process of peer review. I also intend to direct the commencement of a new programme of investment in Research infrastructure and equipment for the sector, with officials of my Department advancing planning in this regard on an urgent basis.
In addition, I will also oversee the continuation of a significant level of investment in Higher Education and in Further Education and Training. In 2026, significant capital funding will be provided for the development and enhancement of higher education and Further Education and Training infrastructure. This investment will deliver new and upgraded facilities, modernised campuses and additional capacity to meet growing regional and national demand. This capital investment will focus on key programmes in the following Higher and Further Education programmes; Higher Education Strategic Infrastructure Fund, Infrastructure Upgrade and Refurbishment Fund, Apprenticeships, Public Private Partnership Programmes, Technological Sector Strategic Projects Fund, Energy Efficiency Decarbonisation Pathfinder Programme, Strategic Infrastructure Upgrade Fund, Devolved Grant, Student Accommodation, Emergency Health & Safety Works and the Colleges of the Future Programme.
It will also support continued investment in healthcare and veterinary education, with funding approved for the expansion of medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, nursing and veterinary education. Officials in my Department are advancing this work in collaboration with the HEA, SOLAS and with the institutions.
