Thomas Gould
Ceist:629. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the action needed to be taken to register a death (details supplied). [67965/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraRegistration of Deaths
Ceisteanna (629)
Freagraí scríofa
This is a matter for Department of Social Protection and should be redirected to that Department.
Health Service Executive
Ceisteanna (630)
Peadar Tóibín
Ceist:630. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if she will arrange an appointment with the HSE (details supplied). [67982/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
In the first instance, the Deputy should write directly to the CEO of the HSE requesting a meeting with the CFO.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Ceisteanna (631)
Michael Cahill
Ceist:631. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health the estimated waiting times for required appropriate plastic surgery, surgical intervention, for patients in University Hospital Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67983/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
In relation to the particular query raised, adult and child waiting list information by hospital, specialty, and time band is published monthly by the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) on its website: www.ntpf.ie/home/nwld.htm.
The information is now being made available through an interactive visual tool which provides users with a much-improved way of accessing and analysing waiting list information.
It should be noted that the NTPF publish information in respect of the length of time that patients on waiting lists have been waiting, and the time to treatment of patients who have received their care is not collected.
Medicinal Products
Ceisteanna (632)
Claire Kerrane
Ceist:632. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health if a drug (details supplied) can be made available under the HSE drugs scheme given the very high monthly cost of €7,600 which is out of reach, given this drug provides lifesaving treatment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67985/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Under 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.
Medicinal Products
Ceisteanna (633)
Aengus Ó Snodaigh
Ceist:633. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health the reason for the continued failure to approve and purchase the drug selpercatinib as a targeted treatment for medullary thyroid cancer and small cell lung cancer for patients in Ireland; the number of patients undergoing treatment for these forms of cancer who would benefit from such treatment; the cost of providing it; if she will ensure the approval and funding are provided to facilitate the provision of this treatment in Ireland; and if not, if she will amend the criteria for the treatment abroad scheme to allow such patients to receive this medication elsewhere in the European Union or in the United Kingdom.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67988/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on the pricing and reimbursement of medicines.
The HSE is committed to providing access to as many medicines as possible, in as timely a fashion as possible, from the resources available (provided) to it.
The HSE robustly assesses 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.
HSE decisions on which medicines are reimbursed by the taxpayer are made on objective, scientific and economic grounds.
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.
The HSE considers the following criteria prior to making any decision on pricing / reimbursement in line with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013:
(1) The health needs of the public,
(2) The cost effectiveness of meeting health needs by supplying the item concerned rather than providing other health services,
(3) The availability and suitability of items for supply or reimbursement,
(4) The proposed costs, benefits, and risks of the item or listed item relative to therapeutically similar items or listed items provided in other health service settings and the level of certainty in relation to the evidence of those costs, benefits and risks,
(5) The potential or actual budget impact of the item or listed item,
(6) The clinical need for the item or listed item,
(7) The appropriate level of clinical supervision required in relation to the item to ensure patient safety,
(8) The efficacy (performance in trial), effectiveness (performance in real situations) and added therapeutic benefit against existing standards of treatment (how much better it treats a condition than existing therapies), and
(9) The resources available to the HSE.
In terms of the specific details of the application for pricing and reimbursement of selpercatinib (Retsevmo®):
Medullary Thyroid Cancer
• The HSE received a complete application for pricing and reimbursement on the 27th June 2025 from Eli Lilly (the applicant) for selpercatinib (Retsevmo®) indicated for adults and adolescents 12 years and older with advanced rearranged during transfection (RET)-mutant medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) (HTA ID 25034a).
• Further information on the progress of selpercatinib (Retsevmo®) through the HSE assessment and approval processes for the above indication is available via the Pricing and Reimbursement Application tracker available at: www.hse.ie/eng/about/who/cpu/. []HSE application ID HSE100051 has been assigned to this application.
Thyroid Cancer
• The HSE received a complete application for pricing and reimbursement on the 27th June 2025 from Eli Lilly for selpercatinib (Retsevmo®) indicated for adults and adolescents 12 years and older with advanced RET fusion-positive thyroid cancer (TC) who are radioactive iodine-refractory (if radioactive iodine is appropriate) (HTA ID 25034b).
• Further information on the progress of selpercatinib (Retsevmo®) through the HSE assessment and approval processes for the above indication is available via the Pricing and Reimbursement Application tracker available at: www.hse.ie/eng/about/who/cpu/. HSE application ID HSE100052 has been assigned to this application.
NSCLC
• The HSE received a complete application for pricing and reimbursement on the 27th June 2025 from Eli Lilly for selpercatinib (Retsevmo®) indicated as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with advanced RET fusion-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) not previously treated with a RET inhibitor (HTA ID 25035).
• Further information on the progress of selpercatinib (Retsevmo®) through the HSE assessment and approval processes for the above indication is available via the Pricing and Reimbursement Application tracker available at: www.hse.ie/eng/about/who/cpu/. HSE application ID HSE100050 has been assigned to this application.
These applications remain under consideration with the HSE. The HSE cannot make any comment on possible outcomes from the ongoing process.
The HSE operates the EU Treatment Abroad Scheme (TAS), for persons entitled under EU Regulation 883/04. The TAS is a consultant led scheme and allows for an Ireland-based public consultant to refer a public patient who is normally resident in Ireland for treatment in the public healthcare system of another EU member state, the UK or Switzerland. Subject to the EU Regulations and Guidelines, the TAS provides for the cost of approved public treatments in another EU/EEA member state, the UK or Switzerland through the issue of form S2 (IE) where the treatment is:
• among the benefits provided for by Irish legislation;
• not available in Ireland;
• not available within the time normally necessary for obtaining it in Ireland, taking account of the patient's current state of health and the probable course of the disease;
• medically necessary and will meet the patient’s needs;
• a proven form of medical treatment and not experimental or test treatment;
• provided in a recognised public hospital or other institution that will accept EU/EEA form S2 (IE) and;
• is under the control of a registered medical practitioner.
Legislative Programme
Ceisteanna (634)
David Cullinane
Ceist:634. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health whether she intends to progress legislation to provide for assisted dying in line with the Report of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Assisted Dying; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67990/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
This PQ is relevant to the Dept. of Justice. As such the Deputy should direct this question to my colleague, the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration.
Departmental Correspondence
Ceisteanna (635)
Sean Fleming
Ceist:635. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health if a reply will issue to a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67991/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Health Service Executive (HSE) provides hearing aids and associated maintenance free of charge to children under the age of 18 and to adults with a medical card. Further information regarding the HSE's audiology service can be found at: www2.hse.ie/services/audiology/.
In accordance with the provisions of the Health Act 1970 (as amended), eligibility for a medical card is determined by the HSE. In certain circumstances, the HSE may exercise discretion and grant a medical card, even though an applicant exceeds the income guidelines, where he or she faces difficult financial circumstances, such as extra costs arising from illness. Further information can be found at: www2.hse.ie/services/schemes-allowances/medical-cards/.
The Treatment Benefit Scheme, operated by the Department of Social Protection, provides for healthcare services to qualified people who have the required number of PRSI contributions. This includes up to €1,000 for a pair of hearing aids, and up to €100 toward repairs, within a 4-year calendar period. Further information can be found at: www.gov.ie/en/service/1fb655-treatment-benefit-scheme/. Any changes to these grants would need to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context.
Individuals who do not possess a medical card or who are not eligible for the Treatment Benefit Scheme would have to purchase hearing aids privately from a commercial provider. If the individual has private health insurance, it may cover hearing aid costs. Hearing aids are exempt from VAT. People may also be entitled to claim tax relief at the standard rate of tax (20%) on the purchase of hearing aids where prescribed.
The Minister for Health established the National Hearing Care Plan Working Group in August 2024. The Group is jointly chaired by the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive (HSE).
Membership of the Working Group is drawn from relevant stakeholders, including HSE clinicians and management, the Irish Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists (ISHAA), the Irish Academy of Audiology (IAA), and the Department of Social Protection.
The Hearing Care Plan Working Group has been tasked with developing recommendations for a holistic model of hearing care in Ireland. To support this, a structured workstream has been developed, including subgroups focused on progressing priority issues. Significant progress has been made to date. There have been 16 meetings of the Working Group and associated subgroups since formation.
The Group is examining:
• The existing level of hearing care provision in Ireland.
• Capacity constraints and opportunities within the HSE.
• Workforce planning, including improved recruitment and retention in the public system.
• The appropriate level of regulation of the audiology profession.
• Improving referral pathways and the integration between acute and community care.
• The effective linkage between public and private care to improve patient outcomes, including reductions in waiting times.
This is wide-ranging work, and it is the intention of the Group to ensure that the final report is comprehensive in its treatment of these matters.
A public consultation will be launched soon. This will further inform the Group’s final recommendations.
Health Services Waiting Lists
Ceisteanna (636)
Pearse Doherty
Ceist:636. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health if a person (details supplied) in County Donegal is on the urgent or routine adult audiology waiting list; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67994/25]
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.
Health Services Waiting Lists
Ceisteanna (637)
Pearse Doherty
Ceist:637. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the current waiting times for adult audiology appointments in County Donegal per category for 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67995/25]
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.
Health Services
Ceisteanna (638)
Cathal Crowe
Ceist:638. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if she will address an issue (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68010/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Under 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.
Abortion Services
Ceisteanna (639)
Mattie McGrath
Ceist:639. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the number of babies born alive after an abortion procedure at 24-weeks' gestation or later; the number of these cases which involved babies diagnosed with major congenital anomalies; the number of babies born alive after abortion earlier than 24-weeks' gestation; the number of them which had been diagnosed with major congenital anomalies, from 2022 to date in 2025, by year, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68011/25]
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.
Abortion Services
Ceisteanna (640)
Mattie McGrath
Ceist:640. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the number of abortion cases in which feticide was carried out in each of the years from 2019, to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68012/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As the Deputy's question relates to service matters, we have referred it to the HSE for direct reply.
Health Service Executive
Ceisteanna (641)
Pádraig Rice
Ceist:641. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if private practice will take place in the new HSE surgical hubs; if private work has been conducted in the South Dublin Surgical Hub since it opened in February; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68031/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Surgical Hubs will treat all patients as public patients. However, I have asked the HSE, which has responsibility for the operation of the surgical hub at Mount Carmel in south Dublin, to respond to you directly on the matters raised.
Healthcare Policy
Ceisteanna (642)
Pádraig Rice
Ceist:642. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to Early Onset Parkinson's Disease in Ireland's call for community-based exercise supports (details supplied); if she has any plans to fund these measures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68032/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I recognise the significant challenges highlighted by Early Onset Parkinson’s Disease Ireland, particularly the financial and practical barriers to accessing community-based exercise supports.
I’m advised by the HSE that the National Clinical Programme for Neurology (NCPN) programme aims to develop a multispecialty and interdisciplinary pathway for care of people with Parkinson’s Disease in Ireland in collaboration with relevant stakeholders including patient advocates. The pathway will provide a uniform approach that will standardise the care irrespective of geographical location. The working group has held preliminary meetings and this work remains ongoing.
Budget 2025 provided €4m for the recruitment of 5 consultant neurologists and 25 specialist neurology nurses to support the implementation of the Neurology Model of Care and development of the Hub and Spoke Model for neurology services. The 30 WTEs are spread across the Regional Health Area’s (RHAs). It is important to highlight that 5 of these are consultant posts and are part of the first phase of implementation for the Hub and Spoke model. The remaining 25 WTEs consist of Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS), and Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANP), and of these, 6 WTEs have been assigned to support patients with Parkinson’s Disease. These posts will play a vital role by increasing access to specialist assessment for newly diagnosed patients and ongoing management of patients with an existing diagnosis including Parkinson’s Disease.
In respect of community-based exercise supports I am advised by the HSE that they do not have a defined or ring-fenced budget to consistently fund delivery of or access to community based physical activity opportunities across the country for prevention or management of chronic disease.
Through the Making Every Contact Count programme the HSE trains healthcare professional to sign-post to community participation opportunities. Many of the opportunities for community participation are funded through other sources, including Sport Ireland, Local Sports Partnerships, and National Governing Bodies. The HSE occasionally funds physical activity programmes on a time limited basis. The HSE is required to adhere to public procurement rules, and a formal tender process has been used to deliver physical activity programmes in the Dublin and Mid East Region.
In 2024, the HSE published Physical Activity Pathways in Healthcare Model, including a 3-year action plan to progress implementation. In parallel, some funding was secured from the Department in 2023 to enable a series of projects to support its implementation. The Physical Activity Pathway in Healthcare programme is a series of steps an individual clinician can take in everyday practice to promote physical activity. This includes screening for inactivity, brief intervention, signposting/referral to participation opportunities outside of health services, and follow-up/review at subsequent appointments.
In relation to tax rebates on gyms I have reached out to the Department of Finance regarding the Programme for Government commitment to consider tax relief for gym membership which was examined as part of this year’s Tax Strategy Group (TSG) process. By way of background, the TSG is not a decision-making body and the papers produced by the Department are options and issues to be considered as part of the Budgetary process. The TSG did not recommend the introduction of tax relief for gym membership for a number of reasons. The full review is included in the Income Tax TSG paper which may be of interest (pages 68 to 79): https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/TSG_25-01_Income_Tax.pdf.
I wish to assure you that I am committed to making further progress on developing services for those with Neurological Disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease and I will continue to work with the HSE to ensure improvements in Neurology services as a whole.
Health Service Executive
Ceisteanna (643, 644, 645, 646, 647, 648, 649, 651)
Ken O'Flynn
Ceist:643. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to specify the projected date by which duplicate financial reporting requirements between the HSE and voluntary hospitals will be eliminated, and to confirm whether interim milestones have been set for the removal of parallel reporting structures pending full IFMS deployment. [68034/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraKen O'Flynn
Ceist:644. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to provide the annual estimated cost of maintaining parallel financial systems in voluntary hospitals, including software licences, staffing time and manual reporting processes, and to set out the projected savings associated with eliminating these duplicated systems. [68035/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraKen O'Flynn
Ceist:645. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to publish the monthly IFMS compliance metrics for statutory sites, including the percentage of sites achieving full utilisation, and to provide the projected compliance rate for voluntary hospitals once deployment begins. [68036/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraKen O'Flynn
Ceist:646. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to outline the savings originally projected in the 2015 business case for the Integrated Financial Management System, to identify the year in which those savings were expected to be realised, and to confirm whether these projections have since been revised. [68037/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraKen O'Flynn
Ceist:647. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to confirm whether participation in the Integrated Financial Management System will be made an explicit condition of annual service-level agreements and the release of Exchequer funding to voluntary hospitals. [68038/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraKen O'Flynn
Ceist:648. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to confirm whether her Department or the HSE has carried out any governance risk assessment relating to voluntary hospitals that have not yet been integrated into the Integrated Financial Management System, and to state whether any such assessment will be published. [68039/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraKen O'Flynn
Ceist:649. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to outline the factors delaying the finalisation of the Integrated Financial Management System rollout schedule for voluntary hospitals, and to provide the expected completion date for full deployment. [68040/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraKen O'Flynn
Ceist:651. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the real-time financial oversight mechanisms that will apply to voluntary hospitals once IFMS is deployed, and to set out how this data will be used to strengthen governance, auditing and expenditure control. [68042/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 643 to 649, inclusive, and 651 together.
IFMS is fundamentally changing how we manage finances across the health service. By moving from a patchwork of legacy systems to a single, integrated platform, the HSE is now able to produce financial reports, plan, and analyse spending in a much more joined-up way. This means the HSE, and in future Section 38 voluntary hospitals and larger Section 39 organisations, will all be working from the same, up-to-date information.
Since IFMS went live, HSE managers and decision-makers now have access to over 400 standard reports and custom dashboards, with the ability to drill right down to transaction level. This gives much greater transparency and allows issues or opportunities to be identified much sooner.
The quality of HSE data has improved, thanks to better validation and reconciliation processes built into the system. This is vital for both day-to-day management and longer-term planning. The HSE can now report on cash and balance sheet positions at hospital, care group, and Health Region level, which helps with forecasting and managing working capital.
Procurement is another area that will benefit. By using unique material and service codes, the HSE will be able to analyse prices and quantities in detail, track compliance with contracts, and identify where further savings can be made.
The integration with HR and payroll means better transparency of workforce costs enabling more robust workforce planning.
Looking ahead, IFMS will continue to evolve. The HSE is developing functionality for analytics, predictive forecasting, and enhanced procurement tools, and as the system is extended to voluntary providers, these benefits will be felt right across the health service.
As of July 2025, IFMS has been deployed to all statutory sites – that is, all sites directly managed by the HSE – so over 80% of all health expenditure is now managed through IFMS. Planning is underway to extend IFMS to voluntary hospitals and other voluntary providers, which will cover the remaining 20% of health expenditure.
In 2026, the IFMS is expected to deliver more timely monthly financial reporting, including expenditure, cash, and balance sheet reporting to the Department within 10–12 working days of month end. A revised control framework for expenditure approvals has been built into IFMS and will be embedded in 2026.
The business practice changes enabled by IFMS will allow the HSE to report on spend against compliant contracts in detail, helping to identify and deliver further procurement savings. The HSE is also working towards a centralised procurement catalogue for better price and volume analysis and greater compliance.
Implementation in the voluntary sector is expected to begin in early 2026. As planning for this rollout is not yet complete, I will provide a timeline for full implementation shortly.
All voluntary organisations are required to proactively cooperate with the implementation of IFMS and other key national systems. This requirement is reinforced in the Health Information Bill, which is expected to be enacted in early 2026. Part 4 of the Bill will give the HSE the legal authority to request and receive the information needed for service planning and accountability, including specifying the form and format of the information required.
The total cost incurred to date on IFMS implementation is approximately €220 million, which remains within the original 2015 business case limits. Additional costs for the next phase, rolling out to the voluntary sector, are subject to a further business case currently under consideration. The €220 million spent so far breaks down as follows:
• €114 million on ICT capital expenditure for core technology infrastructure, including SAP software licences, hardware, and systems integration.
• €21 million on ICT revenue expenditure for ongoing software maintenance, managed services, and subscriptions.
• €26 million on ICT operations, funding the SAP Centre of Excellence team and third-party support for day-to-day management and technical maintenance.
• €59 million on project implementation, covering staffing, training, change management, and other resources needed to roll out IFMS and ensure successful adoption.
Question No. 644 answered with Question No. 643.
Question No. 645 answered with Question No. 643.
Question No. 646 answered with Question No. 643.
Question No. 647 answered with Question No. 643.
Question No. 648 answered with Question No. 643.
Question No. 649 answered with Question No. 643.