Malcolm Byrne
Ceist:980. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Health the measures in place to support section 39 organisations in transitioning to using renewable sources of energy. [62848/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraEnergy Usage
Ceisteanna (980)
Freagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Nursing Homes
Ceisteanna (981)
Michael Cahill
Ceist:981. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health to assist the Nursing Homes Ireland residents forum that was established in 2025 (details supplied) in addressing common issues and concerns; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62855/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra
Reply not received from Department.
Health Services
Ceisteanna (982)
Donna McGettigan
Ceist:982. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Health the reason a psychiatric patient in UHL from County Clare has been informed they cannot be seen by a doctor because they are from Clare and not under the care of a doctor from Clare; if this has occurred with other patients from Clare; the interventions she will take to ensure patients are treated regardless of home address; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62858/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Hospital Appointments Status
Ceisteanna (983)
Peadar Tóibín
Ceist:983. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if an appointment for an operation will be expedited for a child (details supplied). [62861/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is an operational matter relating to an individual case, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy, as soon as possible.
Disability Services
Ceisteanna (984)
Erin McGreehan
Ceist:984. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the instructions issued to the HSE and Section 38/39 organisations regarding the operationalisation of the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People; and the reporting system that will monitor progress at service-delivery level under the strategy. [62882/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
This PQ should be directed the Department of Children, Disability and Equality.
Departmental Schemes
Ceisteanna (985)
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn
Ceist:985. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health when an application under the Northern Ireland planned healthcare scheme, will be processed for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62888/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Departmental Strategies
Ceisteanna (986)
Erin McGreehan
Ceist:986. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health if her Department is currently on schedule to meet its obligations under the first Programme Plan of Action of the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People; and to outline any risks to delivery that have already been identified. [62892/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The First Programme Plan of Action for the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People is currently under development with extensive collaboration ongoing with all government departments and relevant public bodies and agencies leading on the delivery of commitments and priority actions across the five pillars of the Strategy.
The department is working cooperatively and in partnership with the Department of Children, Disability and Equality to deliver on Pillar 4, focussed on Wellbeing and Health.
The First Programme Plan of Action will cover the period to 2026 and it is expected that Government will publish it in Q4 2025. This will be the first of three Programme Plans of Action, each of which will ensure an agile and reflexive approach to delivery that is capable of tackling policy issues as they arise across the lifetime of the Strategy.
These Programme Plans are currently under development and will set out how the key priority actions under each commitment will be delivered on, by whom, the timeframe for delivery, and relevant Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and take into account risks to delivery.
Departmental Strategies
Ceisteanna (987)
Erin McGreehan
Ceist:987. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the timelines for agreeing joint delivery plans with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for Pillar Four (Wellbeing and Health), including the assignment of measurable targets and KPIs under the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People. [62909/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The First Programme Plan of Action for the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People is currently under development with extensive collaboration ongoing with all government departments and relevant public bodies and agencies leading on the delivery of commitments and priority actions across the five pillars of the Strategy.
The department is working cooperatively and in partnership with the Department of Children, Disability and Equality to deliver on Pillar 4, focussed on Wellbeing and Health.
The First Programme Plan of Action will cover the period to 2026 and it is expected that Government will publish it in Q4 2025. This will be the first of three Programme Plans of Action, each of which will ensure an agile and reflexive approach to delivery that is capable of tackling policy issues as they arise across the lifetime of the Strategy.
These Programme Plans are currently under development and will set out how the key priority actions under each commitment will be delivered on, by whom, the timeframe for delivery, and relevant Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and take into account risks to delivery.
Departmental Strategies
Ceisteanna (988)
Erin McGreehan
Ceist:988. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the instructions which have been issued to the HSE and Section 38/39 organisations regarding the operationalisation of strategy; and the reporting system which will monitor progress at service-delivery level under the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People. [62910/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
This PQ should be directed the Department of Children, Disability and Equality.
Vaccination Programme
Ceisteanna (989, 990, 991, 992, 993, 1152)
Emer Currie
Ceist:989. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health whether any research has been carried out to comparing the findings of Ireland’s health technology assessment, HTA, for the shingles vaccine to the HTAs carried out in the 15 counties in Europe that have shingles national immunisation programmes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62913/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraEmer Currie
Ceist:990. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has examined additional factors considered by European counties outside of HTAs in making their decision to launch their shingles national immunisation programmes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62914/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraEmer Currie
Ceist:991. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of including the shingles vaccine as part of the national immunisation programme for over 70s; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62915/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraEmer Currie
Ceist:992. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of including the shingles vaccine as part of the national immunisation programme for over 60s; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62916/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraEmer Currie
Ceist:993. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of including the shingles vaccine as part of the national immunisation programme for over 50s; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62917/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra
Cathal Crowe
Ceist:1152. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health whether she plans to provide the shingles vaccine to older people free of charge; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64015/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 989 to 993, inclusive, and 1152 together.
The 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.
The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has 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. 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.
While the vaccine is considered safe and effective, its protective effect diminishes over time. HIQA also noted the substantial budget impact associated with vaccination.
At the time the HIQA HTA was published in 2024, vaccination against shingles was recommended and publicly funded in five countries in the EU and partially funded in two. HTAs were conducted in Belgium and Sweden. Both HTAs found that routine immunisation against shingles was not an efficient use of resources at the estimated vaccine price. To date, I understand that neither country has funded shingles vaccination
A decision on whether or not to introduce a specific immunisation programme is based on many factors, including the burden of disease on individuals and the health service, the clinical effectiveness and safety of the vaccine, and the cost-effectiveness and budget impact of the programme. Successful price negotiation can also have an important impact on decision making. The price paid for the vaccine is generally confidential, so it is not known what price reductions may have been achieved in individual countries.
HIQA advise that the HTA assessed costs based on a vaccine price of €151 per dose ex-VAT, plus €25 per dose to administer the injection. The estimated cost of including the shingles vaccine as part of the national immunisation programme for over 50s, over 60s, and over 70s was not reported in the HIQA HTA. The HIQA HTA estimates were based on providing the vaccine to people turning 50, turning 60, and turning 70. The estimated five year cost was €76.8 million for those turning 50, €61.2 million for those turning 60, and €45.4 million for those turning 70.
Vaccinating everyone over a given age would increase the cost substantially. For example, vaccinating people turning 65 years of age would cost €53.3 million over five years, while vaccinating everyone aged 65 and over would cost €218 million over five years.
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.
Question No. 990 answered with Question No. 989.
Question No. 991 answered with Question No. 989.
Question No. 992 answered with Question No. 989.
Question No. 993 answered with Question No. 989.
Health Services
Ceisteanna (994)
Eoghan Kenny
Ceist:994. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health for a detailed update on a CAMHS assessment for a child (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62941/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
Health Service Executive
Ceisteanna (995)
Carol Nolan
Ceist:995. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 894 of 14 October 2025, if she will direct the HSE to provide an answer to the question; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62944/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
Dental Services
Ceisteanna (996)
Carol Nolan
Ceist:996. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the number of dentists currently offering services to medical card holders in County Offaly; the number of dentists that have exited from the scheme offering dental care to medical card holders in Offaly in 2024 and to date in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62945/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
Infectious Diseases
Ceisteanna (997)
Carol Nolan
Ceist:997. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if she will address concerns that the incidence rate of tuberculosis is increasing among the general population; if she will provide data on the number of reported cases in each of the years 2021 to date in 2025; her views on the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control Tuberculosis Surveillance and Monitoring that the incidence level of TB is likely to be highest among migrant populations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62946/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Hospital Equipment
Ceisteanna (998)
Rose Conway-Walsh
Ceist:998. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health the current number of functioning hemodialysis machines at Mayo University Hospital; the number of hemodialysis machines which have reached the end of their lifespan and have not been replaced; if there are delays in supplying MUH with new hemodialysis machines; the reason for any potential delays; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62950/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Dental Services
Ceisteanna (999)
Brian Stanley
Ceist:999. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health if the orthodontic section of Tullamore Hospital is currently operating at full capacity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62959/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
Hospital Services
Ceisteanna (1000)
Brian Stanley
Ceist:1000. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health the number of joint replacements carried out in Tullamore Hospital since 1 January 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62960/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter I have asked the HSE to respond to the deputy as soon as possible.