Edward Timmins
Ceist:165. Deputy Edward Timmins asked the Minister for Health the plans there are to provide and expand services at existing primary care centres; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28463/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraPrimary Care Centres
Ceisteanna (165)
Freagraí scríofa
As the Health Service Executive (HSE) holds responsibility for the provision, along with the maintenance and operation of Primary Care Centres, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Hospital Services
Ceisteanna (166)
Brian Stanley
Ceist:166. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health the current status of plans to provide a new daycare centre at Abbeyleix Hospital, otherwise known as Abbeyleix nursing unit; the progress that has been made; the stage the project is at; the next steps for the project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28406/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Departmental Strategies
Ceisteanna (167)
John Connolly
Ceist:167. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Health for an update on the development of the new National Drugs Strategy 2026-2029; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28221/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra
Reply not received from Department.
Healthcare Infrastructure Provision
Ceisteanna (168)
Donna McGettigan
Ceist:168. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Health the decision-making process behind the recent announcement of a 200-bed hospital unit in Raheen in Limerick; when she informed the Taoiseach; the amount of input he had in the decision; when the Cabinet was informed; the date the process of purchasing the site commenced; the date was it was completed; and the reason the needs of residents in County Clare, especially those in the north and west of the county, have been ignored. [21760/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Government is working to address the challenges facing acute care in the Mid West. This is in line with the Programme for Government commitments to increase capacity and open more beds across the Mid West, and to consider all of the HIQA recommendations.
In September 2025, the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), published its independent and expert review and advice to the Minister for Health, informing decision-making around the design and delivery of urgent and emergency healthcare services in the Mid West Region. HIQA’s review identifies three potential options for the region:
• expand capacity at the UHL Dooradoyle site (Option A),
• extend the UHL hospital campus to comprise the existing Dooradoyle site and another site (Option B),
• develop a Model 3 hospital in the HSE Mid West, providing a second ED for the region (Option C).
In December 2025, the Minister for Health, having considered the expert advices from HIQA, received Government support for her proposal to adopt a blended approach to the progression of Options A, B and C.
Option A, as presented by HIQA, is being progressed at pace, with 128 additional beds having already been delivered in the Mid West since 2023. All avenues are being explored to deploy additional bed capacity as soon as possible. Current plans to increase capacity at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) will deliver up to 306 beds by the end of 2029. With additional beds planned for other Model 2 Hospitals in Ennis, Nenagh and St John’s, this would represent 420 additional beds in the region from 2024 to the end of the Acute Hospital Inpatient Bed Capacity Expansion Plan in 2031.
Other measures are being advanced to cumulatively reduce pressure on acute hospital beds, including:
• A Virtual Ward at UHL, operational since July 2024, with capacity for up to 40 virtual beds.
• Development of additional residential care capacity and enhanced primary and community care services.
• Expansion of National Ambulance Service alternative care pathways.
• Progression of integrated care across the Mid West.
Under Option B, following Government approval, the Minister immediately mandated the HSE to secure a suitable adjacent site for the expansion of the UHL campus. During the first half of 2025, the HSE had already engaged in market research, consultation, review and analysis of the market and potential available sites in the Limerick area to inform its contribution to the HIQA review. Given the preliminary work it carried out, the HSE responded to this mandate at pace. On 10 March, the Minister announced that the HSE had successfully secured a site in Raheen, Limerick. The HSE purchased the site in line with its own internal governance arrangements. The newly acquired, 44-acre site, is just 2km from UHL. This is in line with the HIQA recommendation under Option B and in line with the approach approved by Cabinet in December 2025.
A project board will be established to develop a comprehensive strategic plan for the organisation of services and investment in the Mid West to ensure a sustainable, region-wide model of care. This plan will determine which services must remain on the UHL Dooradoyle campus, which can be relocated to the new Raheen site, and which are appropriate for transfer to Ennis, St John’s, or Nenagh. It will also set out the accelerated infrastructure, bed expansion and hospital capacity required to progress Option C.
These steps will inform plans for service and infrastructure capacity for all the residents of the Mid West region.
Mental Health Services
Ceisteanna (169)
Claire Kerrane
Ceist:169. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health to advise if a business case for a CAMHS Clinic in Ballinasloe will be supported and expedited as quickly as possible to ensure a service is returned; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27847/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond direct to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Question No. 170 answered with Question No. 163.
Dental Services
Ceisteanna (171)
Brian Stanley
Ceist:171. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health the improvements that have been made to provide additional dentists in County Laois, operating the dental treatment services scheme and the treatment benefit scheme respectively; the steps being taken in terms of recruitment and the availability of dentists for those two schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28403/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
It is heartening to note that there are 3,909 dentists on the Dental Council register as of 16th of April 2026 which is an increase of 86 since this time last year, April 2025. This reflects ongoing upward trends regarding registered dentists in the State, and compares favourably with the numbers in April 2019, when Smile agus Sláinte was published – 3,100, an increase of over 26%. However, it is unknown how that figure translates into capacity in terms of dental appointments and the ranges of treatments available.
Discussions are currently ongoing with the Dental Council with a view to reforming the current Register for Dentists. In order to support this, a workforce skills assessment census framework for the oral healthcare sector has been designed. The workforce census is intended to gather information including the number of registered oral healthcare professionals who are practicing in their registered profession, the location of their practice, services they provide, hours worked and the skills they have.
There are currently 232 Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) dentists in the HSE's Oral Healthcare Service, across the various grades of dentist. Specifically, in the HSE Dublin and Midlands region which includes Laois there are currently 33 WTE dentists across the various dental grades.
Funding of €4m has been invested by the Government to support the addition of 15 HSE dental staff across dentists and dental nurses to deliver oral healthcare in the community. Of these 15 posts, 8 have been on boarded/recruitment complete, 6 have campaigns underway, and 1 post has been approved. Specifically, in the HSE Dublin and Midlands region which includes Laois currently 1 position has been recruited with 2 campaigns underway.
Further, the HSE has sanctioned filling 34.7 existing WTE vacancies in the Oral Healthcare Service and have advised that the recruitment has commenced. My Department is supportive of the recruitment of 49.7 WTE identified through these two processes, which will improve the staffing levels currently available to provide service including the former Community Health Organisation (CHO) 8 which includes Laois.
In terms of the Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS), a package of measures was introduced in 2022 to expand the care available under the Scheme and significantly increase the fees paid to contractors. These measures are having an impact, with access to care continuing to increase each year since they were introduced. In 2025, over 241,000 additional treatments were provided under the DTSS supporting over 50,000 extra patients compared with 2022.
Fees paid to dentists for DTSS care are now aligned with other European countries which provide comparable public dental care, noting that many European countries, especially in the southern and eastern regions, don’t have any scheme in place for adults, which is free at point of access.
I acknowledge that the current public dental service, which was developed in the 1990s in response to the identified oral healthcare needs at that time, needs to be modernised and aligned with current needs. I am committed to reforming oral healthcare services through the implementation of the National Oral Health Policy, Smile agus Sláinte. The National Oral Health Policy sets out the vision for oral healthcare services in Ireland and has two key goals:
• to provide the supports to enable every individual to achieve their personal best oral health.
• to reduce oral health inequalities across the population, by enabling vulnerable groups to access oral healthcare and improve their oral health.
Reform of our services is vital to enable people of all ages to access modern, prevention-focused care. The National Oral Health Policy contains a range of strategic workforce planning actions to increase national workforce capacity, in support of improving patient access to care.
Cancer Services
Ceisteanna (172)
Catherine Callaghan
Ceist:172. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Health for an update on the work being done to ensure the Hereditary Cancer Steering Group includes next generation sequencing testing in its model of care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28382/26]
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.
Healthcare Infrastructure Provision
Ceisteanna (173)
Peter 'Chap' Cleere
Ceist:173. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Health for an update on developments at St. Columba's Hospital, Thomastown; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28343/26]
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.
Hospital Services
Ceisteanna (174)
Michael Cahill
Ceist:174. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health when additional inpatient beds will be provided in Kerry University Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28348/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As the Health Service Executive is responsible for the management of the public healthcare estate, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
Healthcare Infrastructure Provision
Ceisteanna (175)
Noel McCarthy
Ceist:175. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 79 of 5 March 2026, to provide an update on the proposed opening of the Midleton Community Hospital, Midleton, County Cork; when she expects patients to be admitted to the facility; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28351/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter I have requested the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Mental Health Services
Ceisteanna (176)
Roderic O'Gorman
Ceist:176. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health the number of persons awaiting a CAMHS appointment in CHO9; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28452/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The current Programme for Government makes several commitments to improving all aspects of youth mental health care, including the specialist HSE CAMHS service.
This has been underpinned by the significant additional funding I have secured for youth mental health over recent years, including under Budget 2026, and the emphasis I have placed on better outcomes for mental health under the agreed HSE Service Plan 2026. The objective of improving access to care, and of reducing waiting lists, is also being progressed in the context of implementation of Sharing the Vision 2020-2030 and the three year HSE Child and Youth Mental Health Action Plan published in February 2025.
I, and the Government, fully appreciate the significant service improvements that have been made by all CAMHS staff over recent times and the real difference that this continues to make for many vulnerable children and their families.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond direct to the Deputy as soon as possible in relation to the operational details sought.
Hospital Services
Ceisteanna (177)
Erin McGreehan
Ceist:177. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the plans to enhance services in Louth County Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28342/26]
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.
Health Services
Ceisteanna (178)
Sean Fleming
Ceist:178. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health her plans to develop a network of rapid outpatient clinics; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28357/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Government is fully committed to increasing elective-only day-case capacity through the Elective Ambulatory Care Programme. This is being delivered in two phases: a national network of Surgical Hubs in the first instance to meet medium-term demand and capacity, and then a national network of Elective Treatment Centres, also known as Elective Hospitals, in Galway, Cork and Dublin. These new ‘elective-only’ facilities are for day-case patients, they are not for acute or emergency care. Significant international evidence supports the separation of scheduled (elective) and non-scheduled (emergency) care, leading to improved care for all patients.
Two Surgical Hubs are already operational, at the Reeves Centre in Tallaght and Mount Carmel Hub in South Dublin. A further five hubs are expected to open this year in Limerick, Swords, Galway, Cork and Waterford. Plans are also in development for Surgical Hubs in Letterkenny and Sligo.
The Hubs will comprise operating theatres, procedure rooms, consultation and assessment rooms, recovery bays and functional support space. They will improve access to day surgery in multiple surgical specialties for large numbers of routine day case patients, freeing up hospital capacity for more complex procedures and helping people get surgery sooner.
Alongside delivery of the Surgical Hubs, planning is underway through the Elective Care Programme for the new national Elective Treatment Centres (also known as Elective Hospitals). These are being developed to provide capacity to sufficiently meet the country’s longer term elective care capacity needs out to 2045 and beyond. Over the course of NDP 2026-2030, plans for the Elective Treatment Centres (Elective Hospitals) will be progressed through detailed design and statutory planning, with the ambition to progress these to shovel ready (and get construction underway).
Following detailed design, the HSE’s objective is to submit planning applications for both Cork and Galway Elective Treatment Centres in mid-2026, and get procurement underway. In relation to Dublin, demand modelling is underway, ahead of detailed design. This modelling includes an assessment of current and planned capacity/infrastructure and how it can be best utilised to meet future capacity needs.
These new facilities will not be regional-only, but rather as a comprehensive national network, with the new Surgical Hubs and the Elective Treatment Centres (Elective Hospitals) in Cork, Galway and Dublin providing national coverage and enabling delivery of care for all patients now and into the future.
Cancer Services
Ceisteanna (179)
Richard Boyd Barrett
Ceist:179. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health her plans to ensure that PET-CT scanners are available in every public hospital providing cancer treatment services and reduce reliance on private healthcare providers for this service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28467/26]
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.
Question No. 180 answered with Question No. 163.
Health Services
Ceisteanna (181)
Peter Roche
Ceist:181. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Health if her Department has considered developing a standard operating procedure or patient information document to support outpatients in understanding their care pathway, including next steps following hospital discharge, the purpose of tests undertaken, and other key information, particularly given that many patients leaving hospital are post treatment and may be affected by anaesthesia or medication, and therefore unable to fully absorb verbal instructions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28466/26]
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.
Health Services
Ceisteanna (182)
Pádraig Rice
Ceist:182. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if, following the interim evaluation of the first supervised injection facility in Dublin, work has been carried out to progress a similar facility in Cork; to provide an outline of the findings of that interim evaluation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28362/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The independent evaluation of the national drugs strategy, Reducing Harm Supporting Recovery, assessed the expansion of harm reduction as a significant accomplishment. It found that harm reduction initiatives were a central component of the health-led approach to drug use, with a focus on reducing the adverse health and social impacts associated with drug use.
One significant harm reduction initiative is the establishment of a supervised injecting facility. In December 2024, the Department of Health granted a licence to operate Ireland's first supervised injecting facility to Merchants Quay Ireland and the facility opened on 22 December.
I am happy to report that between launch and 13th April 2026, the facility has been attended by 1,700 individual clients who have made a total of 19,700 visits. Crucially, there were over 300 successful interventions to prevent a fatal overdose. I provided additional funding to extend the opening hours of the facility to meet presenting demand.
The HSE is overseeing an evaluation of the 18-month pilot phase of the facility. An interim evaluation was completed following 6 months of operation of the facility.
The final evaluation of the 18-month pilot phase of the facility will inform decisions on whether to continue to licence this facility and to licence the establishment of similar facilities in other areas of need, such as Cork.
I am committed to a health led response to drug use including the provision of harm reduction initiatives based on population need.
Medicinal Products
Ceisteanna (183, 872)
Aindrias Moynihan
Ceist:183. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the measures being taken by the Health Products Regulatory Authority to control the illegal sales of prescription medications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28385/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAindrias Moynihan
Ceist:872. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the measures being taken in digital interventions by HPRA to shut down websites, social media and e-commerce listings promoting illegal medicines in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28386/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 183 and 872 together.
As part of its enforcement remit, the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) conducts ongoing monitoring to identify illegal online activity promoting prescription medicines and other substances to consumers. It routinely intervenes to disrupt this online promotion through website closures and social media page removals and actively works with e-commerce platforms and social-media companies to identify illegal content.
In 2025, the HPRA shutdown or amended 4,762 such websites, e-commerce listings and/or social media pages. This compares to 2,553 websites shutdown or amended in 2024 and 2,348 websites in 2023.
The HPRA continually warns the public that sourcing prescription medicines outside of a registered pharmacy and without appropriate medical supervision poses a significant risk to health. Products obtained through online or other unauthorised channels fall outside the regulated supply chain, meaning their quality, safety, and origins cannot be assured. These medicines may be counterfeit, mislabelled, or contain harmful or ineffective ingredients. Using such products can result in serious adverse effects and represents a real but fully avoidable danger to public health.
Medicinal Products
Ceisteanna (184)
David Cullinane
Ceist:184. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if she will review the approval process for reimbursement of orphan medicines; her plans for providing access to life changing, high cost medical products for people with rare diseases who currently cannot access medicines which have regulatory approval but do not have a reimbursement arrangement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28497/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Government is committed to investing in medicines and supporting the development of the reimbursement system.
Budgets 2021-2025 allocated an additional €158 million for new drugs, which has facilitated the introduction of 263 new medicines, to date. The Year 1 cost of a new drug comes from the allocation for new medicines, but it should be noted that once these medicines are approved for reimbursement the full cost of providing them can reach multiples of this initial cost as their uptake increases.
Budget 2026 allocated €217 million in additional funding for drugs, with €30 million of this allocated for new drugs funding.
A central component of pharmaceutical expenditure is the HSE’s pricing and reimbursement process for medicines. To commence the pricing and reimbursement process, a pharmaceutical company must submit an application for a new medicine or a new use of an existing medicine, that has been granted European Medicines Agency (EMA) or Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) authorisation, to the HSE’s Corporate Pharmaceutical Unit.
Applicants must continue to engage through-out the process to ensure that the necessary evidence is available for the HSE to carry out its statutory role as a decision-maker with respect to the reimbursement of new medicines, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.
There is no hierarchy of disease and pricing and reimbursement applications are considered in order of application.
There are a suite of measures, that have been implemented and are to be implemented to shorten the timeframe from the European Medicines Agency authorisation to a decision on whether to reimburse the medicine by the HSE's Senior Leadership Team.
These measures include funding by the Government to an almost doubling of capacity in the HSE’s pricing and reimbursement system with additional staff and added increased transparency through a medicines application tracker.
The State has successfully negotiated new Framework Agreements on the Supply and Pricing of Medicines with Medicines for Ireland (MFI) and the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA). IPHA member companies will aim to shorten the timeline to submit reimbursement applications in Ireland to within six months of formal authorisation of medicines by the European Commission.
These Agreements provide commitments and a structured process towards achieving a 180-day timeline, for completing health technology assessments (HTA) and reimbursement decisions.
As part of the Agreement talks and aligned with the commitments in the Programme for Government, the State and the pharmaceutical sector have agreed to establish a strategic partnership on the development of a sandboxed early access programme for rare diseases.
Healthcare Infrastructure Provision
Ceisteanna (185)
Cormac Devlin
Ceist:185. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health for an update on capital plans at the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28349/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
In 2024, the new National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) was officially opened by the then Taoiseach, Simon Harris. It comprises 120 single, ensuite bedrooms with integrated rehabilitation-specific treatment and therapy spaces, representing an investment of €129 million by the State to accommodate the complex needs of patients requiring specialist rehabilitation services.
NRH has significant ambitions for further phases of its redevelopment and expansion that would see the relocation of all remaining therapies and support facilities to serve the new 120-bed hospital.
Hospital campuses, including the NRH, require a clear, coherent master planning approach to sequencing and phased expansion. Development Control Plans (DCPs), shaped by clinically informed regional priorities, will enable the advancement of a pipeline of projects positioned for delivery.
The HSE is working closely with the NRH on the DCP for the campus to ensure future developments (Phases 2 and 3 of development proposals) are aligned with Departmental and HSE priorities and represent a logical, deliverable and affordable plan to develop further infrastructure and services in an iterative way. In parallel, proposals for Phase 2 are currently being developed by the project team.
Health Services Staff
Ceisteanna (186)
Roderic O'Gorman
Ceist:186. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the filling of three presently vacant consultant child psychiatrist roles in CHO9; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28451/26]
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.
Hospital Services
Ceisteanna (187)
Matt Carthy
Ceist:187. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health the status of a new psychiatric unit at Cavan Hospital; the timeframe within which it is expected to be delivered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28364/26]
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.
Mental Health Services
Ceisteanna (188)
Liam Quaide
Ceist:188. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the current level of investment in Specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services for Children with Intellectual Disability (CAMHS-ID) in each HSE health region; within each region, each integrated health area; the level of investment required in each such area to achieve the service, staffing and team targets envisaged in the CAMHS-ID National Model of Service; the national planning or service documents that are relevant to this cohort of young persons; and to explain the shortfall between current investment and the investment required to meet the staffing targets set out in that document. [28473/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The current Programme for Government makes several commitments to improving all aspects of youth mental health care, including the specialist HSE CAMHS service.
This has been underpinned by the significant additional funding I have secured for youth mental health over recent years, including under Budget 2026, and the emphasis I have placed on better outcomes for mental health under the agreed HSE Service Plan 2026. The objective of improving access to care, and of reducing waiting lists, is also being progressed in the context of implementation of Sharing the Vision 2020-2030 and the three year HSE Child and Youth Mental Health Action Plan published in February 2025.
I, and the Government, fully appreciate the significant service improvements that have been made by all CAMHS staff over recent times and the real difference that this continues to make for many vulnerable children and their families.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond direct to the Deputy as soon as possible in relation to the operational details sought.
Medical Cards
Ceisteanna (189)
Séamus McGrath
Ceist:189. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Health the number of persons currently availing of GP cards in Cork South Lee; the way this compares to 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28379/26]
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.