Written Answers Nos. 1083-1103
1083. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the total level of Exchequer funding spent by her Department on funding NGOs, by organisation, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11800/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra1084. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the total level of Exchequer funding spent on funding NGOs by her Department, in each of the years since 2022, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11818/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra1085. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the assessments that are carried out to determine the level of Exchequer funding that any NGO receives from her Department on an annual basis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11836/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra1086. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health the position regarding any direct lobbying she has received from any NGO in relation to her annual funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11860/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1083, 1084, 1085 and 1086 together.
My Department, and the bodies under its aegis, fund a wide range of organisations.
NGOs is not a category of funding recipient that is distinguished within the programmes, in which my Department operates.
Officials have identified the below payments made to charities and other organisations over the period 2022-2025 for your attention. This list is not necessarily exhaustive.
Payments made to charities and other organisations 2022-2025
1087. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health the current status of the assessment and decision making process (details supplied) in the treatment of young children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy; the timeline for completion of the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics review and subsequent HSE reimbursement decision; the steps being taken to ensure that children with progressive and life limiting conditions can access approved medicines without undue delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11879/26]
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.
1088. 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 of the years 2022 to 2025, in tabular form. [11884/26]
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 Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health if she will provide an update on the implementation of SMA screening within the national newborn bloodspot screening programme as rare disease day on 28 February approaches; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11942/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra1090. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health the position regarding any target date or timeline for the rollout of SMA screening to all newborns; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11943/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra1092. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health if her attention has been drawn to the case of a family (details supplied); if she plans to meet with this family to discuss their situation with regards to the delayed SMA diagnosis for their son; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11945/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra1093. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health if her attention has been drawn to the case of a family (details supplied); if she plans to meet with an organisation to discuss this case and other similar cases ongoing in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11946/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra1127. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health when screening for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a rare genetic condition affecting approximately six babies born in Ireland each year, will be included in the national newborn bloodspot screening programme; if SMA screening will be implemented before the end of March 2026, as cited by a leading paediatric clinician in recent media coverage; the preparations that are currently underway to ensure this timeline is met, given that more than two years have elapsed since the decision was taken to include SMA in the heelprick test; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12116/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra1144. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health when screening for spinal muscular atrophy, a rare genetic condition affecting approximately six babies born in Ireland each year, will be included in the national newborn bloodspot screening programme; if SMA screening will be implemented before the end of March 2026, as cited by a leading paediatric clinician in recent media coverage; the preparations currently underway to ensure this timeline is met, given that more than two years have elapsed since the decision was taken to include SMA in the heelprick test; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12188/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra1172. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health as Rare Disease Day approaches on 28 February 2026, if she will provide an update on the implementation of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) screening within the national newborn bloodspot screening programme; whether she will confirm a target date for the rollout of SMA screening to all newborns; to outline the Government’s ongoing commitment to expanding the newborn screening programme to include additional rare diseases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12317/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra1237. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health when screening for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a rare genetic condition affecting approximately six babies born in Ireland each year, will be included in the national newborn bloodspot screening programme; if SMA screening will be implemented before the end of March 2026, as cited by a leading paediatric clinician in recent media coverage; the preparations currently underway to ensure this timeline is met, given that more than two years have elapsed since the decision was taken to include SMA in the heelprick test (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12849/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1089, 1090, 1092, 1093, 1127, 1144, 1172 and 1237 together.
As Minister for Health, I am determined to support our screening programmes, which are a valuable part of our health service, enabling early treatment and care for many people, and improving the overall health of our population.
Currently, all babies (between 3 and 5 days old) are offered newborn bloodspot screening (generally known as the ‘heel prick’ test), which tests for nine rare but serious conditions that are treatable if detected early in life. The Programme for Government commits to continually reviewing the number of conditions babies are screened for.
Incremental progress continues to be made on the expansion of the National Newborn Bloodspot Screening Programme (NNBSP). In 2023, two recommendations from the National Screening Advisory Committee (NSAC) on the addition of Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) and Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) to the NNBSP were approved.
In Budget 2024, an additional €1.4 million of new development funding was provided to support the SMA/SCID implementation process. Once both conditions have been fully implemented, the number of conditions screened for in Ireland will increase to 11.
In terms of the current implementation status, the HSE has advised that the equipment needed to enable the roll-out testing for SMA and SCID has been purchased, delivered and successfully installed at the newborn screening laboratory and significant progress continues with regards to the laboratory verification process. The recruitment process to hire the additional staff required to support the expansion of the NNBSP has been completed and work on developing screening and treatment pathways for both conditions is in its final stages.
It is expected that screening for both SCID and SMA will commence later this year.
In relation to concerns raised around the length of the implementation process, it should be emphasised that Ireland is not taking longer than other comparable countries to assess and implement additions to the NNBSP.
The Health Council of the Netherlands first recommended screening for SMA in 2019 and implementation was completed three years later in October 2022. In the United States of America, it took six years to fully implement SMA screening after it was added to the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP) in 2018. In the United Kingdom, screening for SCID and SMA have been under consideration by the UK National Screening Committee since 2017 and 2018 respectively.
Nevertheless, I am acutely aware of how difficult it is for parents, families and children who have received a diagnosis of a rare disease, and how challenging daily life can be for them. This is why I remain committed to the further expansion of screening in Ireland in accordance with internationally accepted criteria and best practice.
1091. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the Government’s commitment to expanding the newborn screening programme to include additional rare diseases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11944/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Health, I am determined to support our screening programmes, which are a valuable part of our health service, enabling early treatment and care for many people, and improving the overall health of our population.
Currently, all newborn babies (between 3 and 5 days old) are offered newborn bloodspot screening (generally known as the ‘heel prick’), which tests for nine rare but serious conditions that are treatable, if detected early in life. The Programme for Government commits to continually reviewing the number of conditions babies are screened for.
As the Deputy may be aware, a new National Rare Disease Strategy was launched in August 2025. This Strategy aims to ensure that all people living with a rare disease, and their families, have access to equitable, inclusive and cross-sectoral care throughout their life journey that will enable them to reach their full potential and to live their best lives. Work is ongoing to ensure that the full implementation of the Strategy including the establishment of an Implementation Oversight Group and the development of a detailed implementation plan outlining the actions required to fully achieve the Strategy's 11 recommendations.
I would highlight that any changes to Ireland’s screening programmes will be facilitated through established protocols. The National Screening Advisory Committee (NSAC) is the independent expert group that considers proposed changes to Ireland’s screening programmes. NSAC assesses the evidence in a robust and transparent manner, and against internationally accepted criteria, before making recommendations to myself as Minister for Health.
The rigorous processes utilised by NSAC are critical to ensure that our screening programmes are effective, quality assured and operating to safe standards, and that the benefits of screening outweigh the harms.
Incremental progress continues to be made on the expansion of the National Newborn Bloodspot Screening Programme (NNBSP). In 2023, two recommendations from NSAC on the addition of Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) and Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) to the NNBSP were approved.
In Budget 2024, an additional €1.4 million of new development funding was provided to support the SCID and SMA implementation process.
In terms of the current status, the HSE has advised that the equipment needed to enable the roll-out testing for SCID and SMA has been purchased, delivered and successfully installed at the newborn screening laboratory and significant progress continues with regards to the laboratory verification process. The recruitment process to hire the additional staff required to support the expansion of the NNBSP has been completed and work on developing screening and treatment pathways for both conditions is in the final stages. It is expected that screening for both SCID and SMA will commence in early Q2 this year.
Once both conditions have been fully implemented, the number of conditions screened for in Ireland will increase to 11.
In terms of calls for the further expansion of the NNBSP, in 2024, NSAC established a Newborn Screening Subgroup to provide additional expertise to support the Committee’s decision-making processes.
In May 2025, the Newborn Screening Subgroup completed work on developing a framework for the prioritisation of proposals related to newborn screening. This framework was subsequently used to identify 10 conditions. These conditions have now been referred by NSAC to the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) to undergo a Health Technology Assessment (HTA), as resources allow.
HTAs facilitate the assessment of relevant evidence and knowledge on the effects and consequences of healthcare technologies in order to guide decisions regarding the appropriate use of technology and efficient allocation of resources. They involve a multi-disciplinary assessment of the clinical, economic, ethical, legal and societal perspectives that may be impacted by the introduction of a new technology. They are time-intensive and rigorous processes.
I am glad to note that the first of the aforementioned HTAs, to consider the addition of Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia to the NNBSP, has now commenced and I look forward to receiving a recommendation from NSAC in this regard before the end of the year.
Nevertheless, I am acutely aware of how difficult it is for parents, families and children who have received a diagnosis of a rare disease, and how challenging daily life can be for them. This is why I remain committed to the further expansion of screening in Ireland in accordance with internationally accepted criteria and best practice.
1094. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Health the reason insulin pump therapy is not currently accessible to eligible type 1 diabetes patients attending Tipperary University Hospital, Clonmel; whether this is due to the absence of dietetic support or other staffing deficits; the contingency arrangements in place to support high-risk diabetes patients in the interim; the steps being taken to restore full multidisciplinary diabetes services at the hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11948/26]
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.
1095. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health the plans in place to urgently improve ambulance cover to the Caherciveen/Iveragh region in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11949/26]
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.
1096. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health the plans in place to urgently improve SouthDoc cover to the Caherciveen/Iveragh region in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11950/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to reply to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
1097. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Health the systems in place to agree performance metrics of Chief Executives of agencies within the aegis of her Department; the way in which these are measured; the person or body that carries out the assessment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11961/26]
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.
1098. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Health the immediate contingency arrangements now in place for children awaiting community ophthalmology services in south Tipperary, in circumstances where recruitment of a consultant community ophthalmologist has repeatedly failed and the previous postholder has retired; if weekend clinics, private provision, cross-HSE-area referrals, temporary contracting, or emergency outsourcing are currently being utilised; to explain how it is acceptable that 1,449 children under four years of age are on a waiting list, with some waiting since 2021; when children referred in 2023, including named cases already supplied to the Department, will receive appointments; and the urgent intervention she will now direct to ensure children are not left without timely eye care. [11987/26]
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.
1099. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the guidelines for e-cigarettes/vaping on public transport, in hospitals, and so on; her plans to update these guidelines; the mechanisms for enforcement of such measures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12005/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has not issued any central guidelines in relation to vaping in public or shared spaces. Guidelines issued in various sectors are a matter for those sectors themselves.
My immediate focus in relation to vaping is to reduce youth uptake. In that context, the Public Health (Single Use Vapes) Bill will shortly enter Committee stage in Dail Eireann. In addition, I will bring the draft Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) (Amendment) Bill to Government in the coming weeks. These measures together reduce the availability and attractiveness of these products for our young people.
My Department is currently in the process of reviewing our national tobacco control policy, Tobacco Free Ireland. As part of this process, consideration will be given to legislative and non-legislative initiatives on smoke and aerosol free areas, taking into account the 2024 EU Council Recommendation on smoke-and aerosol-free environments.
1100. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will be called for a procedure in the Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar. [12009/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. The Minister for Health is prohibited from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
In 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.
1101. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if she will provide the average occupancy rates for model four hospitals on a monthly basis from January 2024 to December 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12015/26]
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.
1102. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if she will ensure the HSE transfer a property (details supplied) to Longford County Council for continued use as a community facility. [12024/26]
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.
1103. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the reason the Nayagam review into paediatric spinal surgery at Children’s Health Ireland, commissioned in September 2023, remains at phase one with no completion date provided to the HSE; and the steps being taken to ensure full accountability and appropriate scope given its linkage with ongoing hip surgery probes. [12035/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraPhase 1 of the independent external review of the paediatric orthopaedic surgery service at CHI and Dublin Hospitals that is being led by Mr Nayagam has been completed. On the 28th January I received a high level brief from the HSE CEO on Phase 1, and as part of this briefing I received the Phase 1 Report. I immediately requested a more detailed clinical briefing with the author of the report Mr Nayagam. For this to take place legal advice had to be sought given the significant legal constraints regarding this Report. The clinical briefing then took place on Friday the 6th February.
As with all matters, my priority is timely and appropriate engagement with patients and families.
Letters issued to the 91 patients and families involved in the review on the 10th of February. Patients and families are also being contacted directly by phone.
Mr Nayagam has recommended that 62 of these patients receive further clinical follow-up, and these appointments are being held as soon as possible.
The HSE will also be conducting a wider look-back review at the individual consultant’s practice.
Phase 2 of the Nayagam review continues. As per the terms of reference, the final report will be submitted to the review’s Commissioner at the conclusion of the Independent Review and published thereafter.
