Written Answers Nos. 941-963
941. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of additional residential beds that were to be delivered via Tusla’s plan in the voluntary residential sector; the way in which these beds were to be delivered without any funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37763/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question relates to operational information held by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, the question has been referred to the Agency to reply directly to the Deputy.
942. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has visited any special emergency arrangements; if not, if she plans to; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37833/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am scheduled to visit a Special Emergency Arrangements (SEA) setting next week as part of extensive and ongoing engagement with a variety of Tusla services.
Each SEA has a full time rostered Social Care worker and a health care assistant on site at all times. This is supplemented by weekly visits from Tusla social work to have their voice heard and check on the care being provided.
Both Tusla and I as Minister share a common aim to meet the needs of all children in mainstream alternative care placements, and to reduce Tusla's operation of Special Emergency Arrangements (SEAs), which is being supported by the Department of Children to improve the availability of placements and expand capacity across its network. Efforts are made to move the young people from special emergency arrangements to regulated settings as soon as possible, once alternative placements become available.
As part of the process of reducing reliance on SEAs, Tusla has advised that its Alternative Care Inspection and Monitoring Service (ACIMS) has met with each SEA provider to support transition of these providers to registered regulated services.
In the interim, specific measures have and are being taken by Tusla to promote and support the quality and safety of SEA placements.
HIQA carries out announced and unannounced inspections of statutory Children’s Residential Centres. HIQA carries out these inspections against the identified Regulations and Standards. Tusla is the statutory regulator of Private and Voluntary Children’s Residential Centres, and is therefore responsible for the registration and inspection of these centres in accordance with the relevant regulations, standards, and the provisions of the Child Care Act 1991.
943. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has visited any TUSLA offices; if not, if she plans to; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37834/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have recently visited the Tusla Child & Family Agency, Southwest Regional Offices in Glanmire, Cork for the launch of the Social Care Apprenticeship, which will provide 55 additional training places for social care workers from September 2026. This new Social Care apprenticeship creates an additional pathway into the profession, allowing individuals to earn while they learn.
Both I and the Department also have open lines of communication with the Chairperson of Tusla, its Board, its CEO, its Management Board and the broader organisation.
I met with the CEO on several occasions throughout 2025, specifically in February, May, September, October, November, and December. In 2026, I continued these engagements, meeting with the CEO in January, February, March, April, and May.
I also met separately with the Chairperson of the Board in March and November 2025, and again in February 2026.
In addition, I attended meetings with the full Board, including the Chairperson and other Board members, in May and November 2025. These meetings were also attended by the CEO, Departmental officials, and other Tusla officials. A further meeting is scheduled for 19 May 2026.
In addition to regular scheduled meetings that promote mutual understanding of operations and support sound governance and performance oversight of Tusla, we arrange meetings and calls at short notice to address topical and important issues as they arise.
I recognise the challenging work Tusla does and am eager to work with the CEO and Tusla Board in further supporting and developing the Agency.
944. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she recognises the role of the proposed AgoraEU programme in supporting democracy, equality, civil society organisations and fundamental rights initiatives across the European Union, including support for organisations working with marginalised communities such as LGBTQ+ people; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38479/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Culture, Communications and Sport is the lead Department on the AgoraEU negotiations. That Department has been closely engaged to-date in the negotiations on the proposal for a Regulation establishing the AgoraEU programme 2028-2034, which would serve as a successor to the current Creative Europe (C.E) and Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) funding programmes.
This Department is active in an ad-hoc inter-Departmental AgoraEU working group which has supported the development of positions on the programme. Working closely with the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, the Department of Children, Disability and Equality has led coordination on the aspects of AgoraEU which relates to new CERV+ funding programme.
I recognise the important role that dedicated EU funding can play in supporting the fundamental EU values of democracy and equality. Within AgoraEU, the intended purpose of the CERV+ programme, as supported by the Council, is to promote and protect EU values. If adopted, AgoraEU would promote actions to address all forms of discrimination and intolerance, include those that impact LGBTIQ+ people. AgoraEU would also support the vital role of civil society organisations across the EU and seek to support a thriving civic space.
At its most recent meeting on 12 May 2026, the Education, Youth, Culture and Sport (EYCS) Council agreed a partial general approach (PGA) on the proposed Regulation. This PGA will be the basis for all future negotiations by the Council on AgoraEU.
945. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health if she is aware of concerns regarding the sale of products commonly referred to as "CALI pens", marketed as CBD vapes, including reports that some may contain synthetic cannabinoids; the legal status of such products under current drugs legislation; the enforcement powers available to An Garda Síochána in relation to their sale, particularly to minors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37073/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra946. Deputy Máire Devine asked the Minister for Health whether she, or appropriate senior management staff from her Department, will meet with a person regarding issues experienced using the redress medical card programme (details supplied).; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37617/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra947. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any service-specific clinical governance framework exists in areas where the HSE has confirmed that no structured national data collection system is currently in place; and if she will provide copies of any such framework. [36532/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
948. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any formal risk assessment has been undertaken regarding the absence of national audit and monitoring systems in certain healthcare pathways; and if so, to provide the date and findings of such assessments. [36533/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
949. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Department has received legal advice regarding the State's safeguarding and patient-safety obligations in circumstances where national audit mechanisms are absent. [36534/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra951. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any external or independent review has been commissioned into the adequacy of governance and safeguarding arrangements in healthcare pathways where national data systems remain under development. [36536/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra952. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Department considers reliance on general HSE governance structures, without dedicated national audit systems, sufficient to satisfy the State's obligations under patient-safety and safeguarding frameworks. [36537/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 949, 951 and 952 together.
Continuous quality improvement is embedded across all levels of our health service through strong leadership, the empowerment and support of staff, and meaningful engagement with patients.
The HSE operates under a robust governance framework, combining Board oversight, executive leadership, and statutory committees, all aligned with legal and regulatory requirements to ensure strong accountability, transparency, and high-quality service delivery.
In recent years, the HSE has strengthened its focus on quality and patient safety by establishing an integrated infrastructure for quality, safety, and risk management, with the goal of achieving excellence in clinical governance. The Chief Clinical Officer and his team provide system-wide oversight, ensuring safe practices are upheld and clear, high standards for quality and patient safety are consistently set and maintained.
The HSE, through its Incident Management Framework, requires that all patient safety incidents are identified, reported, and reviewed to ensure that learning is captured and shared, driving continuous improvements in the quality and safety of services.
The establishment of the HSE National Centre for Clinical Audit (NCCA) within the National Quality and Patient Safety (NQPS) in 2022 marked a significant advancement in strengthening patient care. Furthermore, the Patient Safety (Notifiable Incidents and Open Disclosure) Act 2023 formally recognises and protects clinical audit, reinforcing its vital role in enhancing patient safety and supporting quality assurance.
HIQA is responsible for setting standards, inspecting and monitoring health and social care services, and advising on safety and quality in Ireland. HIQA is responsible for developing evidence-based standards and guidance for health and social care services, including hospitals, nursing homes, childcare centres, and other residential services. These standards cover governance, staff competency, safety, and person-centred care, providing benchmarks for service quality and safety. To ensure compliance, HIQA conduct inspections assessing whether service providers comply with national standards and regulation.
Safeguarding adults who may be at risk of abuse, harm, and neglect by others in the context of their interactions with the health and social care sector, is a key objective of the Department of Health, every statutory body under its aegis and every relevant service that interacts with such adults.
Currently, there are various structures and processes in place within the health and social care sector, to protect against abuse and ensure prompt action. This includes the HSE National Safeguarding Office under the governance of the Chief Social Worker, specialist Safeguarding and Protection Teams in each health region, designated Safeguarding Officers within services, specific regulatory requirements for residential care services which are inspected against by HIQA and the Mental Health Commission.
In 2024, the HSE implemented a single digital platform (Adult Safeguarding Portal) to standardise the reporting and referral of adult safeguarding concerns or allegations of abuse to Regional Adult Safeguarding and Protection Teams. The referral portal is a key element of the Online System for Adult Safeguarding (OSAS), which combines case management, referral and delegation functions.
In December 2025, the Government approved Ireland’s first ever National Policy Framework for Adult Safeguarding in the Health and Social Care sector. The policy framework will extend across all public, private and voluntary health and social care services.
Included are a range of both legislative and non-legislative commitments that will significantly expand and strengthen existing supports and protections for adults at risk of harm across the health and social care sector.
The Government has also approved the development of legislation to underpin these commitments, and my Department is actively working on drafting a General Scheme.
The HSE’s Chief Social Worker is developing an implementation plan for the policy framework and has established a HSE Implementation Oversight Group established to support the development of the implementation plan and to coordinate, monitor and drive delivery of the implementation plan.
950. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health how the HSE measures compliance with clinical governance standards in service areas where no national outcome dataset or audit infrastructure currently exists. [36535/26]
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.
953. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department considers it acceptable that it does not receive national waiting-list data for PrEP services; whether this limits ministerial oversight of access to HIV prevention; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36538/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra954. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether she will require the HSE to provide quarterly national reporting on PrEP waiting times, demand, capacity and unmet clinical need. [36539/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra955. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the estimated excess demand of approximately 30% for PrEP services has now been eliminated following additional capacity introduced in Q3 and Q4 2025; and if not, the current estimated level of excess demand. [36540/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra956. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether a national maximum waiting-time standard for access to PrEP services will be introduced under the forthcoming sexual health Model of Care. [36541/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra957. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has set any national target for the number of public and private PrEP providers required to meet demand in each region. [36542/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra958. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether she has received any assessment from the HSE on geographic disparities in access to PrEP services, including rural and regional access gaps. [36543/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra959. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether a centralised national PrEP access register or demand-tracking system will be established. [36544/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra960. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has assessed the public-health risk arising where clinically eligible individuals cannot access PrEP within a clinically appropriate timeframe. [36545/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra961. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the date by which the sexual health Model of Care will be completed; and whether it will include specific capacity targets, access standards, and reporting obligations for PrEP services. [36546/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra962. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department will publish annual national data on PrEP access, including provider numbers, waiting times, regional capacity, expenditure and unmet demand. [36547/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 953, 954, 955, 956, 957, 958, 959, 960, 961 and 962 together.
Further to PQRef: 32899/26 and others of 06/05/2026, to which we provided a comprehensive response and to which the HSE are also responding, we can add the following information in respect of PQ36545/26 and others composited above.
We understand from HSE colleagues that excess demand of approximately 30% was estimated, prior to additional capacity coming on stream in Q3-4 2025. The training framework for GPs and other private providers has expanded the numbers of GPs and other primary care healthcare providers providing PrEP from 17 in late 2023, with more providers likely to complete training in the current year. Details of current providers, both public and private, can be accessed at: www2.hse.ie/conditions/hiv/where-to-get-prep/.
The HSE estimates that, following additional staffing in 4 public, Dublin region STI clinics and privately, through the training and recruitment of additional GPs, family planning and student health clinics to the PrEP scheme, that capacity in the wider Dublin region and, separately, in private services in many locations, has significantly improved. Work is ongoing to consolidate waiting list and unmet demand information on a nationwide and regional basis. However, while supply in some areas has improved, demographic increases are impacting on demand, so further assessment is required and will be progressed.
A Model of Care for sexual health is currently in development; plans are currently being drawn up as to how best to collate data across public STI services around geographical disparities and capacity issues. The data collation, as part of the Model of Care, is commencing and will be completed as outlined in the National Sexual Health Strategy, 2025-2035.
In parallel, following a stakeholder consultation, the HIV Action Plan is being developed by an expert sub-Group working under the National Sexual Health Strategy Implementation Group. Many issues relating to HIV testing, diagnosis, treatment, care, information, stigma reduction, resourcing and research will be included in this Action Plan, including, but not limited to PrEP.
Within the scope of the Model of Care and/or the HIV Action Plan, matters such as national standards around waiting list data, access times for those clinically suitable for PrEP and other KPIs will be considered in more detail. The HSE is already working, as part of a wide group working on service KPIs, to expand on the numbers of sexual health related KPIs, many of which (e.g. numbers of people accessing PrEP, numbers of kits dispatched and percentages of reactive results under the free home STI testing service, use data and costs under the Free Contraception Scheme, numbers of condoms distributed under the National Condom Distribution Service etc.) are already reported to the Department on a quarterly basis.
It should also be noted that, in line with commitments in the NSHS, significant volumes of research are being undertaken in order to better understand need and access to sexual and reproductive health services in Ireland. For example, the Healthy Ireland Survey 2025 contained modules on menopause and HRT, and contraception. The NWCI last month published qualitative research examining marginalised women's access to contraception, and the findings of that report are being considered in terms of future planning.
The HSE, in partnership with the University of Galway, are working on delivering the Irish National Survey of Sexual Health (INISH). The Department is working with the University of Galway and with TCD and St. James's University Hospital, under the HRB's Evidence for Policy Programme, to investigate behavioural drivers of HIV and STI spread (SHIFT study, U of G), and to develop a hybrid model of PrEP delivery that has the potential to improve access (PrEPtimise). All of these sources of information will help to improve service delivery, looking forward.
Finally, it should be noted that, according to the National Census and CSO population estimates, our population has risen by over 820,000 people since 2015, and by over 530,000 since 2019, when the PrEP scheme was launched, with a significant proportion of that increase, driven by both natural increase and migration, occurring in the 17-50 age-ranges most likely to need a wide range of sexual and reproductive health services, including, but not limited to PrEP. We have an increasingly vibrant, dynamic and diverse society that is operating at full capacity and full employment. As noted in the NSHS, we are aware of these demographic changes and are working to expand capacity.
In terms of further detail on:
• patient registers;
• data collation for PrEP;
• national standards, HIV and PrEP treatment and supports;
• clinical standards concerning waiting times;
• methodology of quantifying geographic disparities;
• HSE/DoH reporting structures;
• Clinical capacity;
• Sexual Health Model of Care.
As the detail raised in these questions are service matters, I have asked the HSE to respond directly and in more detail to the Deputy, as soon as possible.
963. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the current availability of child psychology, occupational therapy and physiotherapy services in Cherry Orchard Primary Care Centre; the number of children awaiting each service; the average waiting times for assessment in each discipline in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36559/26]
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.”
