Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 February 2026
1049. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether his Department has examined emergency department wait-time reporting standards in comparable health systems; whether the non-recording of maximum trolley wait durations aligns with international best practice; and if not, what steps are planned to address this gap. [9482/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Health, HSE and HIQA through the guises of the Health Technology Assessment continually seek out ways and means to improve the performance of our health system. We proudly work with our partners in the Europe Union through the European Union Health Initiative.
The European Health Union Initiative aims to strengthen health cooperation among EU member states, enhance preparedness for health crises, and ensure equitable access to healthcare for all Europeans.
The Health Information Quality Authority (HIQA) explore advances in health policy and technology through Health Technology Assessment (HTA). The HTA operates under the following frameworks to deliver the best advances in healthcare.
HTAR (HTA Regulation) (https://health.ec.europa.eu/health-technology-assessment/regulation-health-technology-assessment_en) is an EU regulation designed to improve the availability for EU patients of innovative technologies in the area of health, such as medicines and certain medical devices. The regulation provides a transparent and inclusive framework by establishing a Coordination Group of HTA national or regional authorities. This Regulation replaces the voluntary network of national authorities (HTA Network), and the EU-funded project-based cooperation (Joint Actions EUnetHTA) with a permanent framework for joint work. The HTAR will also reduce duplication of efforts for national HTA authorities and industry, facilitate business predictability and ensure the long-term sustainability of EU HTA cooperation. HIQA is an active participant in HTAR-related work, contributing to process and methodological guidance and, once commenced, to joint clinical assessments.
HTAi (www.htai.org/) is the global scientific and professional society for those who produce, use, or encounter HTA. Its members include researchers, agencies (including HIQA), policy-makers, industry, academia, health service providers, and patients and or consumers. HIQA hosted the annual scientific meeting of HTAi in Dublin in June 2010 which was attended by over 1,200 delegates.
INAHTA (International Network of Agencies in HTA) (www.inahta.org/) is a collaboration of 52 HTA agencies, including HIQA, from more than 50 countries around the world. The network aims to accelerate exchange and collaboration among agencies and promotes information sharing to prevent duplication of activities.
[]HAG (Head of Agencies Group) (https://htahag.eu/) is a network of health technology assessment agencies from across Europe. The group is a HTA-focused collaborative network for high level strategic exchange and discussion. It has a keen focus on supporting the development of joint HTA at an EU level and advising policy-makers and relevant EU and national institutions on matters regarding HTA, particularly cooperation in HTA.
The Unscheduled Emergency Care Plan 2025-2026 had key performance indicators that set focused targets to meet the rising number of patients presenting at Emergency Departments.
The Patient Experience Time (PET) target is set at 97% of all attendees are see within 24 hours and for the over 75s cohort that target is set at 99%.
There was a 16% decrease in the number of patients that exceeded the 24hr breach threshold in 2025 compared to 2024. Similarly, there was a 16% decrease in the same category for over 75s over the same timeframe.
The Department is implementing several initiatives to improve data visibility and operational oversight, to help address gaps in wait-time information:
• Demand and Capacity Visualisation Platform (HPVP): This platform provides real-time data and trends across EDs and bed management to identify "bed-flow blockages" and support "operational decisions regarding patient flow".
• Centralised Operational Hubs: The UEC Operational Plan 2025 calls for hubs to provide a "shared view of real-time capacity" for all teams, which is intended to support active surge management and reduce long wait times.
• Digital Health Transformation: The rollout of the National Shared Care Record and the HSE Patient App aims to consolidate healthcare information and improve the aggregation of health data across the system.
• Productivity Reporting Model: A new dynamic reporting model is being developed to measure and monitor progress against activity targets at the national, regional, and site levels.
It is unacceptable for any patient to have to wait over 24hrs for care and progress has been made year on year to reduce instances of this occurring. A strong operational grip with a particular focus on patient flow is the key to achieving the PET KPIs.
