Written Answers Nos. 1051-1071
1051. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE has conducted any assessment of the potential public health risks associated with long-term exposure to manganese levels between 50 µg/l and 80 µg/l in drinking water. [36800/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1052. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE has issued any specific guidance for infants, pregnant women, immunocompromised persons or vulnerable groups in areas where manganese levels exceed 50 µg/l. [36801/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1053. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of manganese exceedance notifications received by the HSE in each year from 2020 to 2026, in tabular form. [36802/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1054. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE records the geographic location of manganese exceedance notifications received from water suppliers. [36803/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1055. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any internal protocol, standard operating procedure or risk assessment framework governs how the HSE assesses manganese exceedance notifications on a case-by-case basis. [36804/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1056. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE has considered establishing a national centralised database of heavy metal exceedances in drinking water and associated public health advice. [36805/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1057. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any interagency review has taken place between the HSE, EPA and Uisce Éireann regarding public communication on manganese contamination in drinking water. [36806/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1058. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any cases of suspected illness or adverse health outcomes linked to manganese exposure in drinking water have been reported to the HSE since 2020. [36807/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1059. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE distinguishes between aesthetic water discolouration complaints and laboratory-confirmed manganese exceedances in its public communications. [36808/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1060. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE intends to revise or update its July 2024 FAQ guidance on manganese in drinking water. [36809/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1061. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of theatre slots for respiratory procedures that were allocated each week to date in 2026 at the Mater Hospital. [36832/26]
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.
1062. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE advanced nurse practitioners in diabetes posts filled at North Dublin Chronic Disease Hub as of 11 May 2026, in tabular form. [36833/26]
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.
1063. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of persons that presented at the urgent care centre at CHI Connolly for each month of 2025 and to-date in 2026, in tabular form. [36834/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1064. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the number of occupational therapist vacancies currently existing in County Longford; the number of approved posts filled and unfilled; the measures being taken by the HSE to recruit and retain occupational therapists in Longford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36840/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1065. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Health if additional resources will be allocated to the HSE fertility hub in Galway, where waiting lists for appointments are currently at seven months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36841/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1066. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Health if each WTE consultant neurologists based at Beaumont Hospital carry out daily ward rounds in additional to doing outpatient clinics; and whether some consultant neurologists just carry out outpatient clinics, theatre time and do not carry out daily ward rounds. [36896/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1067. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Health the number of major treatment bays currently within the accident and emergency departments of both CHI Temple Street and CHI Crumlin. [36897/26]
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.
1068. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Health the average waiting time to see a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at St. James's Hospital for a first appointment. [36898/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is acknowledged that many patients are still waiting too long for hospital appointments and treatments. I am conscious of the burden that this places on patients and their families.
I published the Waiting Time Action Plan (WTAP) for 2026 on January 30th, as part of this Government’s ongoing commitment to improving access to hospital care and reducing waiting times for patients.
The multi-annual Action Plan approach was implemented in September 2021 to sustainably reduce and reform hospital waiting lists and waiting times. Significant progress has been made under this approach in reducing the length of time patients are waiting.
With the 2026 plan, we will continue to build upon the progress delivered to date under the multi annual action plan approach, moving towards the ultimate vision of a public healthcare service in which everyone has timely access to high-quality scheduled care, where and when they need it.
National waiting list information by hospital, specialty, and time band is published monthly by the NTPF on its website: www.ntpf.ie/home/nwld.htm
The information is now being made available through an interactive visual tool which provides users with a much-improved way of accessing and analysing waiting list information.
The specific information requested by the Deputy which is not readily available on the NTPF website is set out in the following table.
The health system does not collect the data necessary to calculate the time to treatment of patients who have already received their care, which would be necessary to calculate the average waiting time for patients. The mean and median average waiting times provided to my Department by the NTPF and set out in the table, are in respect of how long patients on lists have been waiting.
The average waiting time to see a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at St. James's Hospital for a first appointment as at 30/04/2026
|
- |
Report |
Date |
Hospital |
Specialty |
Average Wait Time (Days) |
Median Wait (Days) |
|
Inpatient |
IPDC |
30/04/2026 |
St. James's Hospital |
Orthopaedics |
153 |
81 |
|
Outpatient |
OP |
30/04/2026 |
St. James's Hospital |
Orthopaedics |
174 |
154 |
Notes: The health system does not collect the data necessary to calculate average wait times. In particular, the time to treatment of patients who have already received their care is not collected. The NTPF collects data on patients.
In official reporting of hospital waiting times, the median is considered more accurate than the mean because it reflects the midpoint of all patients' wait times, minimising the impact of exceptionally long or short waits that can distort the average and providing a more representative measure of typical patient experience.
1069. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Health the supports currently provided by her Department or agencies within her Department to support BOTPs and Ukrainian citizens; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36909/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra1070. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the total number of pharmacy claims rejected by the Primary Care Reimbursement Service in each month of 2024 and 2025, in tabular form, broken down by rejection category. [36911/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1071. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the percentage of rejected pharmacy claims subsequently resubmitted and approved by the Primary Care Reimbursement Service in 2024 and 2025. [36912/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
