Peadar Tóibín
Ceist:583. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if she will meet with the Confidential Recipient. [3242/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraPatient Safety
Ceisteanna (583)
Freagraí scríofa
Dear Deputy, I will consider any meeting request which is submitted through the appropriate channel. For any meeting requests, please contact my Diary Team at MinistersDiary@health.gov.ie, the request will then be reviewed.
Health Services Staff
Ceisteanna (584)
Marie Sherlock
Ceist:584. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the rate of accrual for access to the public sector pension for those signing POCC23. [3251/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
On behalf of the Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD, I would like to thank you for your correspondence. Consultants appointed under the Public Only Consultant Contract 2023 (POCC 23) have access to the public service pension on the same statutory basis as other eligible public servants. Where a consultant is a member of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme, which applies to most new entrants to the public service since 1 January 2013, pension benefits accrue on a career-average basis at a rate of 0.58% of pensionable remuneration per annum for pension, and 3.74% of pensionable remuneration per annum for the retirement lump sum, in accordance with the provisions of the Scheme. POCC 23 does not provide for any alteration to pension accrual rates, which are set out in primary legislation and apply uniformly across the public service. Yours faithfully, Private Secretary
Hospital Staff
Ceisteanna (585)
Marie Sherlock
Ceist:585. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the number signing up to POCC23 for each of the years 2023, 2024 and 2025. [3252/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.
Hospital Staff
Ceisteanna (586)
Marie Sherlock
Ceist:586. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the number of consultants aged over 55 years who signed the POCC23 by the end of 2025. [3253/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.
Hospital Staff
Ceisteanna (587)
Marie Sherlock
Ceist:587. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the number of consultants aged between 45 and 55 years who signed the POCC23 by the end of 2025. [3254/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.
Nursing Homes
Ceisteanna (588)
Michael Murphy
Ceist:588. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Health for an update on progress regarding the proposed new 60-bed community nursing unit for Cashel, County Tipperary; if the site option appraisal and architect’s report referred to in correspondence to this Deputy on 2 September 2025 have now been completed; if a preferred site has been identified; and the next steps and indicative timeframe for advancing the project to design and construction stages. [3258/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
Health Services
Ceisteanna (589)
Michael Healy-Rae
Ceist:589. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if baby formula can be obtained from the UK through a scheme (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3267/26]
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.
Hospice Services
Ceisteanna (590)
Erin McGreehan
Ceist:590. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the expected completion date for the new hospice facility in Drogheda; whether an interim community palliative care model will be funded and operational in the Ardee–Drogheda–Dundalk corridor pending its opening; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3280/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The government is committed to the development of a new hospice in Drogheda. It is a strategic goal and a priority of the HSE to develop a 36 bed Specialist Palliative Care Unit in Drogheda to service the population of Louth and Meath. This is in line with the Department of Health’s 2024 National Adult Palliative Care Policy, the HSE 2017 Development Framework for Palliative Care and the HSE Capital Plan 2025.The HSE have been working in partnership with a registered charity - Newgrange Hospice Foundation – to deliver the hospice. The partnership with Newgrange Hospice will mean construction costs of the new hospice being covered by the charity and its donors. The HSE will fund the fit out and operating costs (both pay and non-pay).The tender is expected to be published in Q1 2026. It is anticipated the build out will be Q2 2026 to Q2 2028. The aim is to open the new hospice and admit patients in Q4 2028. The new Drogheda Hospice will be under HSE Governance and will provide integrated and high-quality palliative care to patients in the North-East.There are two community specialist palliative care teams in Louth and Meath which operate in line with the HSE Model of Care for Adult Palliative Care and the Department of Heath’s National Adult Palliative Care Policy. There is also access to six palliative care support beds which provide an intermediate level of care to patients with palliative care needs based in the Louth County Hospital in Dundalk. The Louth specialist community palliative care team deliver care in the community including patients’ homes, nursing homes and other residential care settings to patients with life limiting conditions. The multidisciplinary team consists of 20 staff including a clinical nurse manager and 7.8 clinical nurse specialists. This team works very closely with staff of the Specialist Palliative Care Team in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital to ensure delivery of integrated care across all care settings in the region. The Meath specialist community palliative care team have 19 posts including 8.8 clinical nurse specialists. Over the last 12 months, the Louth/Meath community specialist palliative care teams combined cared for on average 172 patients in their normal place of residence per month, which is an increase of 13% from 2024.
Hospice Services
Ceisteanna (591)
Erin McGreehan
Ceist:591. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health to provide a regional breakdown of palliative care service availability, staffing levels, and operating hours showing Ardee, Dundalk, and the Drogheda catchment areas, including comparison with national averages; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3281/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Hospice Services
Ceisteanna (592)
Erin McGreehan
Ceist:592. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the current level of out-of-hours and weekend community palliative nursing provision available in counties Louth, Meath, Cavan and Monaghan; how this compares with national standards and other regions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3282/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Hospice Services
Ceisteanna (593)
Erin McGreehan
Ceist:593. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the number of emergency department attendances and unplanned hospital admissions in the northeast, in the past three years, that were clinically attributable to the absence of out-of-hours community palliative care, broken down by county; and the steps being taken to reduce these admissions. [3283/26]
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.
Hospice Services
Ceisteanna (594)
Erin McGreehan
Ceist:594. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the way in which the continued absence of out-of-hours community palliative care in the northeast is consistent with commitments under Sláintecare, the National Adult Palliative Care Policy, and the Programme for Government to shift care from hospitals into the community. [3284/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Home Care Packages
Ceisteanna (595)
Mark Wall
Ceist:595. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Health the progress made to date in advancing the Programme for Government commitment to increase ring-fenced home care hours and funding for dementia intensive home care packages; the breakdown of the number of dementia intensive home care hours delivered nationally in 2024 and 2025, respectively; the number of recipients of these intensive home support hours in 2024 and 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3285/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As these are operational matters I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
First Aid Training
Ceisteanna (596)
Niamh Smyth
Ceist:596. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health to provide a list of funding open to first responders groups in order to facilitate training and the upkeep of such a vital service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3289/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence
Ceisteanna (597)
Liam Quaide
Ceist:597. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the reasons survivors of rape and sexual assault in Limerick, Clare and Tipperary are required to make a report to the Gardaí before they can access treatment at a SATU (sexual assault treatment unit) and if they are not ready to report it they are required to travel to a SATU in Galway or Cork; her plans to open a sexual assault treatment unit in the midwest to support survivors of rape and sexual assault; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3295/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
There are six Sexual Assault Treatment Units (SATUs) nationally, located in Donegal, Galway, Cork, Waterford, Dublin, and Mullingar. These units provide responsive, patient-centred care for people of all genders and gender identities aged 14 years and over who have experienced rape or sexual assault. SATUs operate in accordance with a nationally agreed model of care, underpinned by defined multi-agency guidelines and referral pathways. People are offered a choice of care pathways according to their own preference and services are delivered in close partnership with key agencies, including the Rape Crisis Network Ireland, An Garda Síochána, and Tusla. All units within the SATU network respond in line with national guidelines developed through collaborative inter-agency engagement. SATUs offer a range of services, including health assessments, medication, and forensic examinations - including options for people to access care without the need to engage with An Garda Siochana. SATU also provide opportunities for people to store evidence for up to one year, to give them time to consider their reporting intentions in more detail. Patients aged 16 years and over may access SATU services without the accompaniment or involvement of An Garda Síochána, although for patients under 18 years of age, statutory child protection obligations apply. Detailed information is available on hse.ie/satu.The service in Limerick operates independently of the national SATU network and SATU governance structures. It provides a local out-of-hours Forensic Medical Examination (FME) service for individuals aged 14 years and over but does not currently provide health checks or options for storage of evidence. All patients must be accompanied by An Garda Síochána, who initiate access to the service. An Garda Síochána contact Shannon Doc, who in turn liaises with the on-call GP regarding provision of care. Regarding the location and number of SATUs nationally, these were determined based on the sustainability of existing services, geographical accessibility, travel time to the nearest SATU, and historical reporting rates. Units are geographically distributed to ensure that patients can access services within a three hour travel window. This access timeframe is a national Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for the service, with a target of 90%, which has been consistently achieved since 2018. The HSE has indicated that there are currently no plans to expand the number of SATUs, however, the 24/7/365 nature of the SATU service necessitates ongoing monitoring of accessibility and a sustained focus on both infrastructure and workforce.
Patient Transport
Ceisteanna (598)
Peter 'Chap' Cleere
Ceist:598. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the tender contract in UHW regarding taxis for dialysis patients and patients in general; when the contract is up for renewal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3306/26]
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.
Grant Payments
Ceisteanna (599, 600)
Donna McGettigan
Ceist:599. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department will provide a detailed explanation about the ongoing technical issues with a new student record system at TU Dublin affecting all five campuses; of the 321 unregistered TU Dublin students impacted, if these students are still eligible to apply for SUSI grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2934/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraDonna McGettigan
Ceist:600. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps his Department can take to support further and higher education students who because of college or university technical problems are unable to register and therefore cannot access their SUSI grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2935/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 599 and 600 together.
I will respond to this question along with related PQ 2935/26. As is appropriate for an anonymous higher education institution, TU Dublin independently procured a project for a new Student Records Management System (SRMS) through EduCampus centralised procurement frameworks. The project is being delivered by TU Dublin in conjunction with EduCampus and the Department has no role in its delivery or implementation.The Department was made aware of issues with student registrations on the new Student Records Management System (SRMS) late last year. Subsequently, an update on the project was provided by TU Dublin and its governing authority to the HEA in December 2025. At this point my Department understands that registration has been confirmed for the majority of students, including students who may be eligible for SUSI maintenance grant applicants. TU Dublin has advised that it is actively working to rectify all issues as a matter of priority; a contingency plan is also in place with respect to exams, progression and testing.TU Dublin and SUSI have worked closely to ensure registration confirmation is returned for eligible students to receive their maintenance grant payment. As at the 8th January 2026 SUSI have received a registration decision for 5,185 students attending TU Dublin. Confirmation in respect of circa 320 maintenance students is still awaited. However, there can be a number of reasons for a pending registration decision including for example, some students may not attend their course while others may be repeating a year and are no longer eligible for funding. I would encourage any student who is attending TU Dublin and awaiting registration confirmation to receive a maintenance grant, to get in touch with TU Dublin immediately. TU Dublin have made efforts to contact over 300 students who have yet to register through email and text and are attempting to engage with any student who has been unable to register to date.