Written Answers Nos. 730-749
730. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of people in County Waterford waiting for Jigsaw, broken down by length of wait, on a quarterly basis for 2022 to 2025, in tabular form. [73700/25]
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.
731. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of people in County Waterford waiting for diagnostic tests, including MRI, CT, ultrasound and endoscopy, at the latest available data point, in tabular form. [73701/25]
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
732. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the capacity and access to public dental services in County Waterford, including DTSS participation, claims activity, and waiting lists for dental, orthodontic, and dental surgery services, for quarter 4 2024 and quarterly in 2025, in tabular form. [73702/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
734. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the average time to admission, the waiting-time distribution, and the number of patients leaving without being seen via the emergency department at University Hospital Waterford, for year-to-date 2022–2025, with separate figures for all patients and patients aged 75 and over, in tabular form. [73705/25]
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.
735. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of hospital-initiated scheduled care cancellations at University Hospital Waterford, for year-to-date 2022–2025, broken down by appointment or procedure type and by adult/child, in tabular form. [73706/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI fully acknowledge the distress and inconvenience for patients and their families when hospital appointments are cancelled, particularly in the case of clinically urgent procedures.
While every effort is made to avoid cancellation or postponement of planned procedures, the Health Service Executive (HSE) has advised that planned procedures and operations can be postponed or cancelled for a variety of reasons including capacity issues due to increased unscheduled care demand.
Patient safety remains at the centre of all hospital activity and elective care scheduling. To ensure services are provided in a safe, clinically aligned and prioritised way, hospitals follow HSE clinical guidelines and protocols.
Cancelled hospital procedures/appointments are, where appropriate, rescheduled as early as possible with priority given to patients requiring time-sensitive and urgent treatment. Patients that are cancelled are rescheduled with the next available appointment based on their clinical prioritisation, with urgent patients prioritised for access.
In relation to the particular queries raised, as these are service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
736. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of delayed transfers of care, delayed discharges as a percentage of total discharges, and bed days lost as a percentage of total bed days at University Hospital Waterford, for year-to-date 2022–2025, in tabular form. [73707/25]
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.
737. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the bed occupancy rates at University Hospital Waterford, and the number of days full-capacity protocols were in operation at the hospital, for year-to-date 2022–2025, in tabular form. [73708/25]
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.
738. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of assaults recorded against patients and staff at University Hospital Waterford and other HSE facilities in County Waterford, for year-to-date 2022–2025, in tabular form. [73709/25]
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.
739. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the ambulance response performance for Clinical Status 1 incidents in the south east region, including response times, proportions met, and incident volumes by clinical status, for year-to-date 2022–2025, in tabular form. [73710/25]
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.
740. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the percentage of ambulance crews available to respond within 20 minutes of emergency department handover at University Hospital Waterford and each hospital in the south east, by location, on a quarterly basis for 2023–2025, in tabular form. [73711/25]
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.
741. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of patients in County Waterford on primary care and community services waiting lists, broken down by service type, age group, and length of wait, at December 2022–2025 (or latest comparable date), in tabular form. [73712/25]
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.
742. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Health if the HSE has a policy on drug addiction prevention; and if so, if a policy document is available; and if she will provide the same. [73716/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra743. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Health if the HSE has a policy on harm reduction in relation to drug taking; and if so, if a policy document is available; and if she will provide the same. [73717/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra744. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Health the sums paid via the clinical indemnity scheme for Mid-West HSE settled claims; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73722/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe State Claims Agency (SCA) has a statutory remit to manage personal injury and third-party property damage claims on behalf of State authorities including the Health Service Executive (HSE). The SCA has provided me with the information set out below. As of 01/12/2025, the State Claims Agency has paid €159 million to date under the Clinical Indemnity Scheme relating to claims finalised in respect of the HSE Mid West Region. This amount includes damages, agency legal and other costs, and plaintiff legal costs and is inclusive of VAT.
745. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Health the number of claims which were not settled in the period 2015-2020 for the Midwest region and are still outstanding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73723/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe State Claims Agency (SCA) has a statutory remit to manage personal injury and third-party property damage claims on behalf of State authorities, including the Health Service Executive (HSE). The SCA has provided me with the information set out below. As at 17/12/2025, the State Claims Agency has 123 claims, that were created during or before 2020 that relate to the HSE Mid West Region, which have not been concluded. These claims are under active management at various stages of the claim lifecycle.
746. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health when an overall organ transplant strategy will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73727/25]
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.
747. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health for a breakdown of the total amount spent by her Department on social media, TV, print, and so on, to inform the public of the commencement of the Human Tissue Act 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73728/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Human Tissue Act 2024 is comprehensive legislation that addresses the donation and transplantation of organs, tissues, and cells, as well as post-mortem practices, anatomical examination, and the public display of bodies following death.
Significantly, the Act enshrines consent as the central principle governing all these sensitive domains. Families will continue to be consulted as part of a safe and respectful organ donation process, and the wishes of the deceased should be central to any decision. Guidelines have been published to assist in understanding this process.
It is important that the changes contained in the Act are brought into operation in a coherent manner. For this reason, the Act was commenced on a phased basis. These changes were subject to extensive consultation during the creation of the legislation and throughout the development of the necessary supporting legislation, guidelines, and other practical arrangements including the HSE’s Relevant Organ Donation Opt-Out Register.
In May 2025, the Department of Health implemented a public awareness campaign to communicate the Act’s implications for the public, provide reassurance, and encourage individuals to seek further information at gov.ie. The campaign was delivered through a wide variety of channels, including television, radio, outdoor advertising, social media, and online platforms.
Please see below for a breakdown of spend per medium:
|
Medium |
Price |
|
TV |
€171,994.07 |
|
Radio |
€117,953.12 |
|
Out of Home |
€64,309.24 |
|
Digital |
€59,933.32 |
|
Search |
€2,989.02 |
|
|
€31,411.62 |
|
Total |
€448,590.39 |
748. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health whether the independent panel, as required under the Human Tissue Act 2024, has been created; if so who the members of this panel are; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73729/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Human Tissue (Transplantation, Post-Mortem, Anatomical Examination and Public Display) Act 2024 is a composite piece of legislation that includes provisions around donation and transplantation of organs, tissues, and cells, post-mortem practice and procedures, anatomical examination, and public display of bodies after death.
Crucially, it embeds in legislation the idea that consent is the defining principle across all these sensitive areas. Part 2 of the Human Tissue Act 2024, which commenced on 17 June 2025, provides for the first time a national legislative framework for organ donation and transplantation services in Ireland. One of the new features provided for under Part 2 of the Act is the establishment of an independent panel to authorise living donation of organs, tissues and cells in scenarios which involve non-directed altruistic living donation of organs by adults, living donation of tissues and cells by adults who lack capacity, and living donation of tissues and cells by children under the age of 18.
The purpose of the Panel is to provide additional safeguards to protect the potential donor, to ensure that donation is being entered into voluntarily and without duress or coercion. The Panel will assess applications to ensure that the conditions, including those around consent and medical need, are met and that no payment or non-financial inducements have been given to the donor.
The Panel has not yet been established. My Department is actively considering approaches for its establishment. Every effort is being made to ensure that the Independent Panel is established in a timely manner, while ensuring that it is set up for success by having the relevant prerequisites in place to enable it to operate effectively.
749. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health the communications that took place with health care professionals on the Human Tissue Act 2024; how it will impact their approach; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73730/25]
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.
