Wednesday, 14 Jan 2026

Written Answers Nos. 182-201

• Díospóireachtaí
• Aimsigh díospóireacht
  • Díospóireachtaí na Dála
  • Díospóireachtaí an tSeanaid
  • Díospóireachtaí Coiste
• Aimsigh vótáil
  • Vótálacha na Dála
  • Vótálacha an tSeanaid
  • Vótálacha Coiste
• Ceisteanna Parlaiminte
  • Ceisteanna scríofa
  • Ceisteanna ó bhéal
• Leideanna cuardaigh
• Nuair a bhíonn tionchar tromchúiseach ag aithrisí

Legislative Measures

Ceisteanna (182)

Emer Currie

Ceist:

182. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health the timeline for publication and introduction of the public health (tobacco products and nicotine-inhaling products) (amendment) Bill; to outline the scope of measures on newer products such as nicotine pouches which the Government agreed in November 2025 to add to the Bill; the way in which the proposed measures will align with review of the EU Tobacco Products Directive and the development of a harmonised EU-wide framework for regulating novel nicotine products which Government stated would be more effective than individual Member State action. [2742/26]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

On the 18th of November 2025 the Government approved the addition of measures to the draft Public Heath (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) (Amendment) Bill to regulate all non-medicinal nicotine products, such as pouches. These measures are a minimum legal age of sale, restrictions on point of sale display and a prohibition on advertising in retail outlets. As with tobacco and nicotine inhaling products, these provisions fall to domestic legislation. Drafting of this legislation is at a very advanced stage.

Nicotine pouches are not currently subject to regulation under European Union tobacco control legislation. A harmonised EU-wide framework for regulating novel nicotine products would be more effective than individual Member State action, as it prevents regulatory circumvention through cross-border purchases.

In this context and representing the views of Ireland and several other Member States, I have urged the European Commission to introduce new legislation at the earliest opportunity. Furthermore, I also have advocated for the inclusion of all novel nicotine products—such as nicotine pouches—within the scope of this proposal. I have also called for a prohibition on cross-border distance sales to ensure the integrity of national regulatory measures.

Tobacco Control Measures

Ceisteanna (183)

Emer Currie

Ceist:

183. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health if practical guidance on the operation of the retail licensing system for the sale of tobacco and vaping products will issue to retailers ahead of the February 2026 introduction date. [2743/26]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Civil Registration Service

Ceisteanna (184)

Colm Burke

Ceist:

184. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the action being taken by her Department and the HSE to deal with the backlog in marriage notification appointments and interviews of convenience in Cork civil registration offices in view of the 18 month waiting list; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2799/26]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Civil Registration Service

Ceisteanna (185)

Colm Burke

Ceist:

185. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the action being taken by her Department and the HSE to deal with the backlog in marriage notification appointments and interviews of convenience in civil registration offices across the country, in view of the current waitlists and backlogs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2800/26]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Civil Registration Service

Ceisteanna (186)

Colm Burke

Ceist:

186. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the current number of vacancies in each HSE civil registration office, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2801/26]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Civil Registration Service

Ceisteanna (187)

Colm Burke

Ceist:

187. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if consideration would be given to the provision of a cancellation list mechanism for marriage notification appointments and interviews of convenience in view of ongoing waitlists and backlogs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2802/26]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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 (188)

Sorca Clarke

Ceist:

188. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the number of adults and children currently on waiting lists for public dental services, including orthodontics, by RHA; the average and longest waiting times for treatment; and the measures being taken to reduce these waiting lists in 2026. [2803/26]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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 (189)

Sorca Clarke

Ceist:

189. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE dentists, dental nurses and hygienists employed in the public dental service in each of the past five years; the number of sanctioned but unfilled posts; and the steps being taken to address recruitment and retention issues. [2804/26]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.

Dental Services

Ceisteanna (190)

Sorca Clarke

Ceist:

190. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the proportion of children receiving school based dental screening at ages 6,12 and 15 in each RHA in the past five years; the number of schools not reached. [2805/26]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.

Dental Services

Ceisteanna (191)

Sorca Clarke

Ceist:

191. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the number of medical card holders refused dental treatment in each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2806/26]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

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 (192)

Sorca Clarke

Ceist:

192. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the availability of emergency and out of hours public dental services by RHA; the number of patients that presented to EDs with dental pain or infection in the past five years; and the cost to the health system of treating preventable dental conditions in hospitals. [2807/26]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.

Hospital Overcrowding

Ceisteanna (193)

Maurice Quinlivan

Ceist:

193. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Health the number of days in 2025, that the full capacity protocol has been utilised at University Hospital Limerick; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2813/26]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Health Strategies

Ceisteanna (194)

Pádraig Rice

Ceist:

194. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 240 of 26 March 2025, to identify the recommendations which still need to be fully implemented in the National Maternity Strategy 2016-2026; the actions required to fully implement each of the outstanding recommendations, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2814/26]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

The Department of Health and the HSE are currently assessing the outstanding actions of the current Strategy in preparation for 2026.There is ongoing work assessing any outstanding actions to be completed as the Strategy enters its final year. At the end of 2025, 98% of actions of the current Strategy were either implemented or in progress. Over 560 additional WTE staff have been brought into maternity services over the course of the Strategy to the end of 2025, driving these improvements and reforms. Recommendations 62-66, as referenced by the Deputy, detail that a review of the Maternity and Infant Care Scheme be undertaken to reflect the new maternity Model of Care. In 2025, the HSE's National Women and Infants Health Programme convened a review group, conducted a literature review and engaged with key stakeholders to progress this review. The report and recommendations are due to be published in early 2026.

General Practitioner Services

Ceisteanna (195)

Pa Daly

Ceist:

195. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health if she will report on GP waiting lists; the breakdown of GP waiting lists in each county in each of the years 2020 to date, in tabular form. [2828/26]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

Under the GMS scheme, the HSE contracts GPs to provide medical services without charge to medical card and GP visit card holders. As of the 1st of January, there are 2,598 GPs contracted to provide services under the GMS Scheme and a further 634 GPs do not hold a GMS contract but hold at least one other contract with the HSE for the provision of health services.Where a person that holds a medical card or GP visit card experiences difficulty in finding a GP to accept them as a patient, the person concerned having unsuccessfully applied to at least three GPs in the area (or fewer if there are fewer GPs in the area) can apply to the HSE Eligibility Unit which has the power to assign a GMS patient to a GP's GMS patient list in accordance with the GMS contract.Persons who do not hold a medical card or GP visit card access GP services on a private basis and can make enquiries directly to any GP practice they wish to register with. As private practitioners, it is a matter for each individual GP to decide whether to accept additional private patients.As GPs are private practitioners, the Department of Health and the HSE have no role in relation to the scheduling of GP/practice nurse consultations and do not monitor appointment waiting times. Similarly, the Department and the HSE do not monitor the length of time it may take for a person who does not hold a medical card or GP visit card to be accepted to a GPs list of private patients. GPs prioritise appointments based on urgency and health need, and issues regarding the scheduling of consultations should be raised directly with the practice concerned. The HSE website provides a "find a GP" facility which can assist in locating and contacting GP in or around the area concerned.Several measures have been taken in recent years to increase the number of GPs practicing throughout the country and thereby improve GP access. The measures taken include significantly increasing investment in general practice to improve the attractiveness of working in this sector, increasing the number of GP trainees, and recruiting GPs from abroad under the International Medical Graduate (IMG) Rural GP Programme.

Health Services Waiting Lists

Ceisteanna (196)

Pa Daly

Ceist:

196. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health number of patients on primary care and community services waiting lists, by service, age, and length of wait from December 2022-2025 or latest other comparable date, in tabular form. [2832/26]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Mental Health Services

Ceisteanna (197)

Pa Daly

Ceist:

197. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health the number of people on CAMHS and Jigsaw waiting lists, by CHO and length of wait, quarterly from 2012–2025, in tabular form. [2833/26]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Mental Health Services

Ceisteanna (198)

Pa Daly

Ceist:

198. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health the number of people in County Kerry waiting for Jigsaw, broken down by length of wait, on a quarterly basis for 2022 to 2025, in tabular form. [2843/26]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Hospital Waiting Lists

Ceisteanna (199)

Pa Daly

Ceist:

199. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health the number of people in County Kerry waiting for diagnostic tests, including MRI, CT, ultrasound and endoscopy, at the latest available data point, in tabular form. [2844/26]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Education and Training Provision

Ceisteanna (200, 201, 202)

Colm Burke

Ceist:

200. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department will engage with Cork Dental Hospital with a view to increasing the number of training places for dental hygienists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2562/26]

Colm Burke

Ceist:

201. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department will engage with Cork Dental Hospital to increase the number of training places for dental nurses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2563/26]

Colm Burke

Ceist:

202. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department will provide additional finance to University College Cork and Cork Dental Hospital to increase the number of trainee places for dental students in view of the fact that the number of places currently available is the same number as 20 years ago; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2564/26]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science

I propose to take Questions Nos. 200 to 202, inclusive, together.

The Government is committed to expanding dental training capacity to meet growing oral healthcare needs. Officials in my Department have engaged with the higher education sector, the Higher Education Authority and the Department of Health regarding increasing the training places of all dentistry disciplines. including dental nurses, dental hygienists and dentists. Discussions are ongoing between the Department of Health, my Department, the HEA and UCC to progress the proposed expansion of dental training to ensure the best possible value for money and the maximum number of places for Irish/EU students.Targeted expansion of training in key healthcare areas has resulted in the establishment of a new Bachelor of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), which started in September 2025. This programme commenced with 20 places in 2025, which will rise to 28 in 2026 and 35 in 2027. This represents a landmark 60% increase in dental training places for Irish and EU students.

Question No. 201 answered with Question No. 200.

• Written Answers Nos. 161-181
• Written Answers Nos. 202-206