Written Answers Nos. 1070-1089
1070. 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, for each quarter of each full year 2022–2025, by hospital, in tabular form. [6232/26]
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.
1071. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the bed occupancy rates of all public and voluntary hospitals; the number of days full capacity protocols were in operation in Model 3 and Model 4 hospitals, for each quarter of each full year 2022–2025, in tabular form. [6233/26]
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.
1072. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of assaults recorded against patients and staff in HSE facilities, for each quarter of each full year 2022–2025, in tabular form. [6234/26]
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.
1073. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the ambulance response performance for clinical status 1 incidents, including response times, proportions met, and incident volumes by clinical status, for each quarter of each full year 2022–2025, nationally and, by region, in tabular form. [6235/26]
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.
1074. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the percentage of ambulance crews available to respond within 20 minutes of ED handover, by hospital, quarterly 2023–2025, in tabular form. [6236/26]
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.
1075. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of patients on primary care and community services waiting lists, by service, age, and length of wait at end December 2022-2025. in tabular form. [6237/26]
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.
1076. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting for home support, and those receiving less than their allocated hours, at December 2022-2025 or latest other comparable date, in tabular form. [6238/26]
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.
1077. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of people on CAMHS and Jigsaw waiting lists, by CHO and length of wait, at December 2025, in tabular form. [6239/26]
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.
1078. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if she has given consideration to providing drug payment scheme cover for GLP-1 receptor agonists and similar for metabolic management for PCOS and similar endocrine conditions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6250/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder 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.
1079. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if she will review the case of a person (details supplied); if she will outline the specialist treatment options or referral pathways available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6253/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 18 October 2025, I launched the National Framework for the management of Endometriosis. The Framework sets out for the first time in Ireland a defined clinical pathway for women with endometriosis, which spans primary to secondary care to specialist complex care in tertiary settings.
Implementation of the Framework is ongoing. Specialist regional centres, which provide interdisciplinary care to women experience moderate stages of endometriosis, have been established in the Rotunda Hospital, the Coombe Hospital, the National Maternity Hospital, University Hospital Limerick, and University Hospital Galway. Severe cases can be referred to two tertiary specialist centres in Dublin (Tallaght University Hospital) and Cork (Cork University Maternity Hospital).
The specialist centres in Tallaght and Cork are designed to manage the complex, severe and deeply infiltrating cases of endometriosis that often require multi-speciality surgical expertise e.g. gynaecology, colorectal and urology.
All endometriosis sites are operational and taking referrals. Additional funding was provided last year to expand these services through the recruitment of more personnel to provide multidisciplinary care at both supra-regional and regional level, including clinical nurse specialists, dietitians, physiotherapists and psychologists.
The Government is committed to expanding our specialist endometriosis services, improving support services for women and promoting awareness of endometriosis both among the public and within our health services.
As the individual case referenced here is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1080. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the status of a reimbursement application for the drug vyloy zolbetuximab which is used for gastric and gastroesophageal cancers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6270/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder 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 devices; therefore, I have asked the HSE for an update in this matter.
The HSE has advised that there is a National Application, Assessment & Decision Process for new medicines which is underpinned by the 2013 Act. The HSE must comply with the relevant legislation when considering investment decisions around new medicines.
The HSE must robustly assess 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 patients.
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.
Pharmaceutical companies are required to submit formal applications to the HSE if they wish for their medicines to be added to the list of reimbursable items / funded via hospitals. The decision of pharmaceutical companies to market licensed medicines i.e. whether or not to submit a formal application, is outside the control of the HSE.
The HSE have advised as of 22 January 2026, a pricing and reimbursement application has not been received for Zolbetuximab (Vyloy®).
As outlined above, the national assessment and decision process cannot commence in the absence of a pricing and reimbursement application submission to the HSE.
1081. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken to remedy the situation with a building (details supplied); if the building will continue to be used in the support of people with mental health illness; and to outline any future plans for the building; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6271/26]
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.
1082. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the way in which the HSE can do more to recognise and assist qualified equine-assisted learning facilitators working with children, young people, and vulnerable adults, including those with additional and mental health needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6272/26]
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.
1083. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health whether the external expert panel review of pelvic osteotomy procedures carried out in CHI has commenced; if not, when it will commence; and the reason for the delay. [6279/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is an operational manner, I have asked the HSE to reply directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1084. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health the number of public operations on children which took place in the Mater Private over the past five years. [6280/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1085. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health whether she considers it appropriate for a person to continue in a particular position (details supplied) given their involvement in potentially unnecessary pelvic osteotomy procedures, while the review is ongoing. [6281/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am informed by the HSE that the Medical Board of the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh, referred to by the Deputy, is a committee comprising of the hospital consultants. While this Medical Board reports to the Hospital Board on clinical operational matters relating to the Hospital, it is not a sub-committee of the Hospital Board. The Executive Management Team, led by the CEO, provides a supportive role to the Hospital Board, being responsible for the day-to-day operations of Cappagh.
As the Deputy can appreciate it is not appropriate for me to comment on individual employees.
Regarding the review referred to by the Deputy, my immediate priority following the publication of the Thomas Audit was to ensure that there was clinical follow-up and care for patients who had undergone pelvic osteotomy surgery. Multi-disciplinary team clinics have been underway since June for clinical reviews of patients who had osteotomy surgery at Cappagh.
The External Expert Panel Review is commissioned by the HSE and will be fully independent. Work to establish the External Expert Panel to review cases to determine the indications for surgery is advancing and it is expected that the Panel will be established imminently.
1086. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health whether she has enquired if the leadership of a hospital (details supplied) had concerns about the unusually high numbers of pelvic osteotomy procedures taking place. [6282/26]
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.
1087. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health whether any investigation has taken place at the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh in relation to unnecessary surgery potentially carried out by a surgeon (details supplied) separate from the already established hip dysplasia scandal. [6283/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is an operational manner, I have asked the HSE to reply directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1088. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health the number of patients currently under the care of a person (details supplied) at Children's Health Ireland, including those seen or treated at CHI Crumlin, Cappagh and Temple Street; if she will provide a breakdown by case type and complexity (minor, moderate, complex); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6289/26]
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.
1089. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the percentage of children with complex needs that receive dietetic input as part of their assessment and intervention plan. [6302/26]
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.
