Written Answers Nos. 461-474
461. Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of civil and public servants employed by her Department in each of the past ten years, in tabular form. [33945/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs of the end of March 2026, there were 640 fulltime equivalent (FTE) employees in this Department. The table below shows the total fulltime equivalent employees from the end of 2015 to the end of 2025.
|
Year End |
Employees - Fulltime Equivalent |
|
2015 |
150 |
|
2016 |
177.6 |
|
2017 |
229.7 |
|
2018 |
267.6 |
|
2019 |
277.6 |
|
2020 |
368.5 |
|
2021 |
486.3 |
|
2022 |
610 |
|
2023 |
769 |
|
2024 |
976.1 |
|
2025 |
618.6 |
462. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Health for an update on the case of a person (details supplied). [33462/26]
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.
463. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Health her plans to appoint a new orthopaedic surgeon in University Hospital Limerick following the retirement of a surgeon (details supplied) in order that patients are not faced with lengthy delays for surgery; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33463/26]
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.
464. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Health the status of a referral to the HSE special care dental service for a person (details supplied) who is a medical card holder with complex health needs; the steps she will take to ensure this high-risk patient is prioritised for hospital-based dental care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33464/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
465. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Health her plans to appoint a permanent principal dental surgeon (PDS) for the mid-west region following the recent retirement of the previous incumbent; the steps being taken to ensure that temporary cover arrangements (details supplied) have the administrative capacity to process urgent exceptional case dental funding for County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33465/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
466. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether she is satisfied that a national Integrated Model of Care for Acute and Chronic Pain Services can be developed and implemented effectively where the HSE has confirmed that national data relating to the funding of individual regional chronic pain services is not available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33470/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
467. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the forthcoming Integrated Model of Care for Acute and Chronic Pain Services will require each HSE Health Region to maintain dedicated cost centres for chronic pain medicine outpatient services and interventional pain procedures [33471/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
468. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department or the HSE intends to introduce a national reporting framework for chronic pain services covering expenditure, staffing, outpatient activity, interventional procedure activity, waiting times and cancellations by HSE Health Region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33472/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
469. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any baseline assessment of existing chronic pain services, including funding, staffing, capacity, waiting lists and regional variation, has been completed to inform the forthcoming Integrated Model of Care for Acute and Chronic Pain Services; and if so, whether she will publish it. [33473/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
470. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the absence of specific cost centres for pain medicine and interventional pain procedures has been identified as a barrier to planning, funding or evaluating chronic pain services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33474/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
471. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE has estimated the annual cost of providing chronic pain services across acute hospitals and community settings; and if no such estimate exists, whether she will request that such an estimate be prepared. [33475/26]
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.
472. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the forthcoming Integrated Model of Care for Acute and Chronic Pain Services will include minimum staffing standards for each Health Region, including consultant pain medicine, nursing, psychology, physiotherapy and occupational therapy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33476/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
473. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the forthcoming Integrated Model of Care for Acute and Chronic Pain Services will include implementation timelines, regional funding requirements and measurable performance indicators; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33477/26]
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.
474. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has assessed the risk that patients with chronic pain are subject to unequal access to services depending on their Health Region, given the absence of nationally available funding data for regional chronic pain services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33478/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service and operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
