Written Answers Nos. 1198-1216
1198. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Health the total amount paid to agencies for the supply of healthcare assistants to all hospitals in the State in each of the years 2023, 2024 and 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35131/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1199. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Health the total amount paid to agencies for the supply of nurses to all hospitals in the State in each of the years 2023, 2024 and 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35132/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1200. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health if she will include the Varicella-Zoster (shingles) inoculation jab on the drug payments scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35145/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe HSE Primary Care Reimbursement Service does not supply vaccines or provide reimbursement support for vaccines through community pharmacies under the Statutory Drug Schemes.
When the public health imperative to support particular vaccines to defined cohorts becomes national policy, vaccines are directly procured by the HSE and supplied through the national vaccine distribution arrangements to GPs and pharmacies for eligible cohorts.
Therefore, the Shingles vaccine is not reimbursed under Community Drug Schemes including both the General Medical Services and Drugs Payment Scheme.
The immunisation programme in Ireland is based on the advice of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC). NIAC considers the prevalence of the relevant disease in Ireland as well as international best practice in relation to immunisation when developing its advice.
The current NIAC guidelines state that the shingles vaccine may be considered for those aged 65 years and older, due to the greater burden and severity of disease in this age group and in those aged 18 years and older at increased risk of shingles.
The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has carried out a Health Technology Assessment (HTA) on the herpes zoster vaccine which protects against shingles. A HTA is a multidisciplinary research process that collects and summarises information about a health technology. HIQA’s HTA examined the evidence on the clinical effectiveness and safety of shingles vaccines. The cost effectiveness and budget impact were also reviewed, along with the ethical, social and organisational implications of including the vaccine in the adult immunisation schedule.
HIQA published this HTA on 19 July 2024. The HTA found that adding the shingles vaccine to the routine immunisation schedule, at the vaccine price at the time, for all adults aged 65 years and over would not be cost effective and would be associated with a substantial budget impact.
While the vaccine is considered safe and effective, its protective effect diminishes over time. HIQA also noted the substantial budget impact associated with vaccination. If made available to everyone aged 65 and older, vaccination would cost €218 million over five years.
Whilst the HTA found that the introduction of the shingles vaccine was not cost effective based on the cost of the vaccine, it found that it could be cost effective for vaccination of those at 75 years and 80 years if the cost of the vaccine was reduced by 80%.
Given that the healthcare budget is finite and decisions regarding increased spending relating to a change in one area could impact the provision of other health technologies and treatments within the healthcare system, the cost-effectiveness must be considered in any decision-making process.
The Department considered the findings of this HTA in 2024 and determined that the introduction of the vaccine could be reconsidered when the cost effectiveness of the vaccine is confirmed as being more favourable.
The introduction of the shingles vaccine to the immunisation schedule in Ireland is again being actively considered for a cohort of immunocompromised individuals, in line with NIAC advice and cognisant of the cost effectiveness of market pricing and available funding.
1201. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Health if she is considering an expert psychiatric service to be available on 24-hour basis to individuals who may require it, rather than a service only provided through accident and emergency departments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35156/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraCrisis mental health supports, including those with 24/7 coverage, are currently provided across a number of settings and services, including hospital based services, out of hours services such as CAMHS on call, and non-governmental organisation services such as crisis phone and text supports, funded by HSE Mental Health Services.
The National Implementation and Monitoring Committee for Sharing the Vision: A Mental Health Policy for Everyone (2020-2030) is currently overseeing a piece of work by the HSE Implementation Group to bring together the range of available out-of-hours and crisis services and supports, with a view to aligning and streamlining supports and identifying any potential gaps in service provision. It is envisaged that this work will form the basis of an Adult Crisis Response Framework. This project is currently in an advanced state of preparation and is expected to be initiated formally before end-2026.
In addition, as Minister, I have overseen the rollout of a range of out of hours supports for people experiencing mental health difficulties as alternatives to Emergency Departments.
Crisis Resolution Services.
The model of care for Crisis Resolution Services was developed as a direct recommendation of Sharing the Vision, Ireland’s national mental health policy. It recognises that people who are experiencing a mental health crisis need specialist services to provide timely brief intensive supports to keep people safe.
• Crisis Resolution Teams: These comprise of teams of mental health professionals who work out of hours to meet people in a crisis and provide rapid assessment and intensive intervention. There are 7 pilot Crisis Resolution Teams in Galway, Sligo/Leitrim, Cork city (two teams),Waterford City and County, South Dublin/Wicklow, and Limerick.
• Crisis Cafés: Solace Cafes provide a welcoming, non-clinical safe environment in the style of a café where people can go at evenings and weekends. The Cafés provides a range of support for those who needed to use its services including crisis support, signposting, peer support, and community support. The Cafes are now open in Cork City,South Dublin and Sligo and Waterford. An additional Solace Café has opened this year in Limerick.
Additional funding has been provided for more Crisis Resolution Teams and Solace Cafes in Budget 2026, for Donegal, Kerry and the Midlands (Tullamore/Westmeath).
Suicide Crisis Assessment Nurse (SCAN) Service.
The Suicide Crisis Assessment Nurse (SCAN) service is critically important safety net for people in suicidal crisis and the Minister fully supports the intention within the second Sharing the Vision implementation plan to expand these services to provide full coverage nationwide. These services provide a timely response to requests for assessment of patients in suicidal crisis from GPs, and the assessments often take place in primary care settings.
The SCAN service was originally developed under the National Clinical Programme for Self-harm and Suicide-related Ideation (NCPSHI) which was introduced in Irish public hospital emergency departments in 2014. Primarily delivered by clinical nurse specialists with support from a consultant psychiatrist in each hospital area, the programme supports people presenting with suicidal ideation as well as self-harm.
The model of care for the service envisages a dedicated mental health assessment room within hospitals to provide a more appropriate environment for assessments to take place. Even when the full network of alternative Crisis Resolution Services is in place, we know people in distress will still present to emergency departments for support. Given most acute mental health in-patient units are co-located with our acute hospital network, it’s important people in distress are assessed in clinically appropriate environments when they present for support. I have allocated funding for the recruitment of additional SCAN nurses in 2026.
Specialist Crisis Nurses in hospitals.
Under funding which I allocated in Budget 2026, the HSE will establish specialist nursing teams in the emergency departments of all Model 4 hospitals out-of-hours, made up of Advanced Nurse Practitioners and Clinical Nurse Specialists to support people in crisis. By placing specialist nursing teams in our emergency departments out-of-hours, coupled with the expansion of community alternatives such as crisis resolution teams and crisis cafes, we are fundamentally changing how we respond to the needs of people in distress.
1202. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Health the steps her Department is taking to support engagement between service providers and service users and their families to enhance the delivery of targeted supports to service users and provide a more impactful service overall; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35157/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1203. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Health the steps her Department is taking to consider the provision of mental health service access for people aged 65 years and older, acknowledging that needs extend beyond just dementia care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35158/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMental health policy is guided by Sharing the Vision the national mental health policy , which promotes tailored, community-based services for older adults and better integration between primary care and specialist mental health teams. Over 30 Psychiatry Later Life Teams are currently in operation in the community assessing and treating mental health issues for adults over the age of 65.
Community based Psychiatry of Later Life services are also supported by Day Hospitals who work through activities and interventions matched to the needs of the patient, such as group therapies, skills training to maintain quality of life and independence, and individual therapy, including bereavement therapy.
These services provide more intensive supports as needed, as do acute inpatient mental health services for older people, associated consultation Liaison Services, outpatient clinics, and Nursing Home Liaison Services.
In addition, the Model of Care for Specialist Mental Health Services for Older People (2019) is being implemented, with five demonstration sites delivering liaison psychiatry services have established. Expansion of these services is ongoing, with additional teams planned based on identified needs and staffing gaps. Under Budget 2026, I have funded two additional teams for this Programme.
1204. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Health the supports currently available from her Department and the HSE to organisations that raise public awareness of serious illnesses, including meningitis, and that provide information and support including aftercare services to individuals and families affected by such illnesses; whether any recurring or sustainable funding pathways are available to such organisations where existing funding streams have closed (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35159/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1205. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if she will provide details on the number of pharmacy graduates registered with the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland in each of the past five years; if she will outline what analysis, if any, has been undertaken by her Department on the capacity of the Irish healthcare system to absorb the growing number of pharmacy graduates entering the workforce each year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35170/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs of December 5th 2025, there were 388 first time registrants with PSI that year, 117 of which were national graduates. The number of new registrants in previous years were as follows; 421 in 2024, 529 in 2023, 357 in 2022, and 530 in 2021. National graduates made up 173, 185, 156, and 144 of these cohorts respectively.
It is anticipated that there will be a growing demand for pharmacists in the years ahead due to a rising and ageing population. Additionally, The Expert Taskforce to Support the Expansion of the Role of the Pharmacy published in 2023 details the ways in which pharmacists’ contributions to healthcare are recommended to expand over the coming years, which will generate the need for a larger workforce.
Following on from analysis and research carried out by my Department, it is expected that the demand for pharmacists will increase by 28% between the years 2023 and 2040.
Further information on workforce planning across the health and social care workforce, including pharmacy, was published by the Department in December, and is available at: assets.gov.ie/static/documents/c68b88d0/Irelands_Future_Health_and_Social_Care_Workforce.pdf
1206. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if she will provide details on the number of pharmacy technicians who have completed accredited training programmes in Ireland in each of the past three years; if her Department has assessed demand for pharmacy technician employment across community and hospital pharmacy settings in Ireland, particularly in light of the graduation of approximately 170 pharmacy technicians at the IPU Professional Academy in April 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35172/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraPharmacy technicians are not regulated or registered with a regulatory body, and the qualification is not standardised. Accordingly, data on pharmacy technicians who have completed accredited training programmes is not available.
In its recent workforce report: "Ireland’s Future Health and Social Care Workforce" (December 2025), however, the Department recognises that the role of Pharmacy Technicians should be considered, particularly as the role of pharmacists expands.
As part of its work to examine the development of a national strategy for the future role of pharmacy technicians within the Irish health system (Reference: Recommendation 2.4 Workforce Intelligence Report),
my Department will commission initial research this year. This research will examine topics such as scope of practice, the need for regulation of the role, and standardisation of the qualification, which will assist to inform future policy in that regard.
1207. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if she will outline the policy framework governing hospital pharmacy workforce planning in Ireland; if her Department has assessed current and projected demand for clinical pharmacists across acute hospital settings, including Cork University Hospital, which serves as a Level 3 paediatric cardiology centre for the Munster region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35175/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra“As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.”
1208. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if she will provide a breakdown by county of the number of pharmacies currently participating in the Common Conditions Service; if she will specifically outline the uptake rate in County Cork; the steps that are being taken to maximise participation among pharmacies that have not yet joined the service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35176/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe issues of the numbers of pharmacies participating in the Common Conditions Service (CCS) in each county, and the uptake rate in Co. Cork, are operational matters. For this reason, we have referred them to the HSE for direct reply .
On the issue of maximising participation in the CCS; of the 1,912 community pharmacies in Ireland, a total of 1,810 pharmacies have signed up to provide the Common Conditions Service. I welcome the fact that such a high percentage (94.6 %) of community pharmacies are providing this service.
1209. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if her Department has reviewed the findings of previous annual medicine shortages surveys conducted by the Irish Pharmacy Union in collaboration with University College Cork; the specific measures have been taken to address medicine shortages that have been identified as placing additional workload on community pharmacists; if she will outline whether a national medicines shortage response plan is being developed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35177/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is aware of the stress that shortages of medicines can cause for patients and healthcare professionals alike, and mitigating medicine shortages and strengthening security of supply is the subject of several workstreams in my Department, the wider health service and across Europe.
To address these challenges in Ireland, a Medicines Shortages Framework, operated by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) on behalf of the Department of Health, has been established. This aims to help prevent potential shortages from occurring and to reduce the impact of shortages on patients by co-ordinating the management of potential or actual shortages across the health service as they arise. The HPRA maintains a list of current and resolved shortages on its website. The webpage is updated daily as the HPRA receives new information. Healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, can also assist by reporting possible shortages not currently included on the HPRA shortages list.
Additionally, the Strategic Medicines Access and Availability Group (SMAAG) is a working group established by the Department of Health in November 2025 to help shape national policy on medicines shortages, access and availability. The group is pursuing all appropriate measures that could improve the availability of medicines in Ireland by strategically addressing medicines shortages and gaps in availability, encouraging an increase in the number of authorised and marketed medicines in Ireland and reducing our national reliance on Exempt Medicinal Products (EMPs). The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) are members of this working group, along with the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), the Health Service Executive (HSE), the Irish Medicines Verification Organisation (IMVO), and the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE).
It is acknowledged that medicine shortages, when they occur, present significant challenges for patients and healthcare professionals. My department remains committed to managing these situations effectively so as to minimise their impact on patients and on healthcare professionals, including hospital and community pharmacists.
1210. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if she will provide an update on the timeline for the introduction of legislation to enable pharmacists to prescribe contraception under the free contraception scheme, given that the Heads of this Bill were approved in March 2026 and identified as priority legislation in the Government Summer 2026 Legislative Programme; what consultations have taken place with community pharmacists regarding the design of this service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35178/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department Officials are currently liaising with the Office of the Attorney General to draft a Bill to enable pharmacists to prescribe contraception under the free contraception scheme. It is anticipated that the draft Bill will be made available in the coming months.
Key enablers for the proposed service, including operational supports and regulatory guidance is overseen by the Community Pharmacy Expansion Implementation Oversight Group. Members of this group include practising pharmacists; representatives from the Irish Pharmacy Union; the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (the pharmacy regulator); and HSE representatives, all of whom contribute to the design of the proposed service.
1211. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if she will outline the projected number of pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine administrations expected to be delivered through community pharmacy in 2026 under the new publicly funded service introduced under the Community Pharmacy Agreement 2025; the monitoring arrangements that are in place to evaluate uptake among eligible GMS cardholders over 65 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35179/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraCommunity pharmacists now administer 1 in every 3 vaccinations under the influenza and COVID-19 vaccination programmes. Additionally, under Schedule 8 of the Medicinal Products (Prescription and Control of Supply) Regulations 2003 (as amended) they can supply and administer pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines (PPV23) without the need to obtain a prescription.
Heretofore, the administration of the PPV23 by community pharmacists was on a private pay basis. The Community Pharmacy Agreement 2025 formally expands the role of community pharmacists in public PPV23 administration as part of the national immunisation programme.
From 1st May 2026, community pharmacists have been enabled and funded to administer the PPV23 free-of-charge to healthy over 65-year-olds who hold a GMS Card, GP Visit Card (GPVC) or Health Amendment Act (HAA) Card. This will help to increase the uptake of PPV23 in eligible individuals.
The National Immunisation Information System (NIIS) currently collects vaccination data for example, related to influenza and COVID-19 vaccines administered to the Irish population by GPs, pharmacies, hospitals and community vaccinators. The HSE also provides the Health Protection Surveillance Centre with weekly pseudonymised datasets based on NIIS data for analysis. For example, the influenza dataset includes records on HSE scheme (public) and private (paid) vaccinations.
As the recording of data relating to the PPV23 administration is a service matter, I am requesting HSE colleagues to revert to the Deputy directly with further information.
1212. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health in light of the recent HIQA recommendation to extend BowelScreen eligibility to those aged 50 to 54, the specific role community pharmacists are envisaged to play in supporting awareness, registration, and patient navigation within the expanded programme; the timeline for formalising this pharmacy involvement as committed to under the Community Pharmacy Agreement 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35180/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraCommunity pharmacists and their teams, as trusted healthcare professionals, are envisaged to play an important role in supporting increased uptake through promoting the national BowelScreen programme at population level. In addition, community pharmacies will enhance access by supporting individuals to register and participate in the programme. This will help to support the programme’s aim of reducing colorectal cancer mortality in the eligible age range.
There are a number of specific areas in which the BowelScreen community pharmacy intervention will assist individuals in accessing and navigating the programme:
• Opportunistic promotion regarding participation in the BowelScreen programme as part of other consultations.
• Providing the necessary clinical information to enable informed consent to be obtained for participation in the programme.
• Assisting individuals, including those in vulnerable and hard to reach groups, who have been sent an invitation letter for the screening programme, and who are clinically eligible, to register their participation and to be supplied with the Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) kit.
• To check, input or amend eligible individual’s details on the BowelScreen register.
• Educating patients about the importance of bowel screening and how to use the FIT kit, including familiarity through demonstration kits where appropriate.
The HSE will provide pharmacists and their teams with training modules and educational materials to ensure readiness for implementation of this service in the coming months. The HSE will also supply appropriate information resources and promotional materials for use in pharmacies (both digital and printed).
The BowelScreen community pharmacy intervention will be rolled out in a phased basis across 2026, starting with the training and health promotion activity in the coming months.
1213. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if she will provide an update on the timeline for pharmacy software vendors to implement the system changes required before community pharmacies can avail of the new electronic record keeping provisions signed into law by her Department in April 2026, effective from 30 June 2026; whether her Department is actively engaging with vendors to prevent a gap between legislative enactment and practical implementation for community pharmacy teams; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35181/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Health is committed to enabling electronic record keeping practices in community pharmacy practice, as set out in the Community Pharmacy Agreement 2025 and the Workforce Intelligence Report 2023.
To support the implementation of these changes, the Department established a multi-stakeholder Electronic Record Keeping Implementation Group (ERKIG). This group includes representatives from the Irish Pharmacy Union, the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (the pharmacy regulator), practising pharmacists, and patient representative.
The ERKIG has played a key role in supporting implementation by contributing to the development of legislation, and the development of documentation designed to ensure clear interpretation of this legislative and associated regulatory guidance. This work is intended to assist pharmacy software vendors in developing and updating their systems to meet the new requirements.
The specific timeline for implementation of the necessary system changes will be determined by individual software vendors, having regard to their own development schedules and system updates. While the Department does not directly control vendor timelines, it is actively engaged through the ERKIG process to support readiness and facilitate as smooth a transition as possible.
The ERKIG continues to meet regularly and remains focused on supporting stakeholders, including vendors and pharmacy teams, in progressing implementation of the new electronic record keeping provisions.
1214. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the total funding claimed through the new Pharmacy Training Grant portal since it went live in March 2026; the number of pharmacy contractors who have submitted claims to date; whether her Department has assessed if the current grant levels are sufficient to meet the professional development needs of pharmacists, particularly in rural communities across Cork and the wider Munster region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35182/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe matters relating to the total funding claimed through the new portal, and the number of contractors who have submitted claims for the Pharmacy Training Grant, are operational matters. For this reason, these issues have been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
On the matter of the current grant levels; in September 2025, the Community Pharmacy Agreement (CPA25) introduced, among many other measures, an increased HSE Pharmacy Training Grant. The CPA25 was agreed by the Department of Health, the Health Service Executive (HSE), and the Irish Pharmacy Union. In the past, this training grant funding had a maximum limit of €1,270 per pharmacy per calendar year. Under CPA25, this training grant was uplifted to €3,060 per pharmacy per calendar year, and commenced in January 2026.
This training grant helps to support pharmacists and their teams in delivering new clinical pharmacy services. As the scope of practice of community pharmacists widens so does the need to develop and empower pharmacy support staff, as well as pharmacists, to ensure the success and sustainability of these changes. This shift requires upskilling and formal recognition of various staff roles to maintain safety and efficiency.
The CPA also stated that HSE will provide a contribution, under the HSE Training Grant and within its confines, towards the time costs required to provide study leave for pharmacists. This supports pharmacists to undertake required training and to ensure that their professional development needs are met.
As per CPA25, the HSE will put in place a new annual process to review the operation of the Grant and the list of approved training courses and costs claimable.
1215. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if she will outline what steps her Department is taking to address the fact that brexpiprazole and lurasidone, two antipsychotic medicines now recommended as first-line treatment options for females with first-episode psychosis in the first international clinical guideline of its kind published in March 2026, are currently licensed in Ireland but not reimbursable under community drugs schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35183/26]
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.
