Written Answers Nos. 1161-1180
1161. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Department has conducted any governance risk assessment regarding publicly funded bodies that are legally independent of the State but depend primarily on Exchequer funding; and if so, to provide details. [38923/26]
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.
1162. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health which specific body or office holds ultimate responsibility for approving, setting, reviewing, and enforcing national ambulance dispatch standards in Ireland. [38924/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra1163. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Priority Dispatch Standard published by the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council contains defined maximum permissible time thresholds for emergency call handling, triage, dispatch allocation, or mobilisation; and if so, to provide details. [38925/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra1164. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the September 2025 review of the Priority Dispatch Standard identified any recommendations, deficiencies, operational concerns, governance gaps, or patient safety risks relating to ambulance dispatch practices; and if so, to provide details. [38926/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1162, 1163 and 1164 together.
As outlined in previous answers to the Deputy, the Prehospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC) is the independent statutory body that sets the standards for the delivery of prehospital emergency care in Ireland.
Key performance indicators relating to the despatch of ambulance emergency resources, as published in the HSE's National Service Plan and based on the HIQA standard, fully align to the Priority Dispatch Standard as published by PHECC.
As also previously outlined, the PHECC Dispatch Standard was last reviewed in September 2025. The Department has been informed that response/call handling time was not highlighted as an area for revision.
1165. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any formal audit, external review, internal review, incident analysis, or governance assessment of ambulance dispatch delays has been conducted by the HSE, National Ambulance Service, HIQA, PHECC, or any external body since 2020; and if so, to provide details, including dates and findings. [38927/26]
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.
1166. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the absence of defined national maximum ambulance dispatch-time thresholds has been recorded on any HSE, National Ambulance Service, Department of Health, or associated risk register since 2020; and if so, to provide the risk category, current status, and mitigation measures. [38928/26]
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.
1167. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of introducing free MART (ICS-formoterol) inhalers for children aged 12-17 years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38931/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAffordable access to medicines is a priority for the Government. Budgets 2021-2025 allocated an additional €158 million for new drugs, which has facilitated the introduction of 270 new medicines, to date. 74 of these new medicines were for rare diseases. Budget 2026 allocated €30 million of funding available for new drugs to be allocated from the overall additional €217 million in funding allocated for medicines.
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.
There are a range of health supports available for patients with asthma under the GMS Scheme (Medical Cards) and the Drugs Payment Scheme (DPS) which reduce the cost of asthma medicines, including Maintenance and Reliever Therapy (MART) combination inhalers.
The HSE has statutory responsibility for medicine pricing and reimbursement decisions under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. The HSE has added the following medicines combining inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and long-acting beta-2 agonists to the reimbursement list for eligible patients in Ireland:
• Symbicort Turbohaler (Formoterol/Budesonide)
• Airbufo Forspiro (Formoterol/Budesonide)
• Duoresp Spiromax (Formoterol/Budesonide)
• Trixeo Aerosphere (Formoterol/Budesonide/Glycopyrronium Bromide)
Medicines on the reimbursement list for medical card holders are available free from a pharmacist on payment of the statutory prescription charge, while under the Drug Payment Scheme (DPS), no individual or family pays more than €80 a month towards the cost of approved prescribed medicines.
In addition, individuals may also be able to claim tax relief on their medicines expenditure at the standard rate of 20%.
Consideration of any future changes to the eligibility for medicines will be made in the context of current healthcare priorities and the budget available.
The State continues to invest in making asthma medicines affordable for patients with over €100m in expenditure per annum within the community, new and innovative treatments continuously being added to the reimbursement list, and a suite of measures in the new Framework Agreements on the Supply and Pricing of Medicines to strengthen affordability and availability across the coming years.
1168. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health if she will consider introducing free MART (ICS-formoterol) inhalers for children aged 12-17 years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38932/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAffordable access to medicines is a priority for the Government. Budgets 2021-2025 allocated an additional €158 million for new drugs, which has facilitated the introduction of 270 new medicines, to date. 74 of these new medicines were for rare diseases. Budget 2026 allocated €30 million of funding available for new drugs to be allocated from the overall additional €217 million in funding allocated for medicines.
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.
There are a range of health supports available for patients with asthma under the GMS Scheme (Medical Cards) and the Drugs Payment Scheme (DPS) which reduce the cost of asthma medicines, including Maintenance and Reliever Therapy (MART) combination inhalers.
The HSE has statutory responsibility for medicine pricing and reimbursement decisions under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. The HSE has added the following medicines combining inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and long-acting beta-2 agonists to the reimbursement list for eligible patients in Ireland.
• Symbicort Turbohaler (Formoterol/Budesonide)
• Airbufo Forspiro (Formoterol/Budesonide)
• Duoresp Spiromax (Formoterol/Budesonide)
• Trixeo Aerosphere (Formoterol/Budesonide/Glycopyrronium Bromide)
Medicines on the reimbursement list for medical card holders are available free from a pharmacist on payment of the statutory prescription charge, while under the Drug Payment Scheme (DPS), no individual or family pays more than €80 a month towards the cost of approved prescribed medicines.
In addition, individuals may also be able to claim tax relief on their medicines expenditure at the standard rate of 20%.
Consideration of any future changes to the eligibility for medicines will be made in the context of current healthcare priorities and the budget available.
The State continues to invest in making asthma medicines affordable for patients with over €100m in expenditure per annum within the community, new and innovative treatments continuously being added to the reimbursement list, and a suite of measures in the new Framework Agreements on the Supply and Pricing of Medicines to strengthen affordability and availability across the coming years.
1169. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health if the HSE is considering funding the use of 'focal therapy' for the treatment of prostate cancer; the timeline for a decision on this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38934/26]
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.
1170. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if measures have been put in place to prevent persons entering the State who are travelling directly or indirectly from the Congo and other countries impacted by the current Ebola outbreak; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38941/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra1171. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the contingency measures in place at Irish ports and airports to screen for potential imported cases of the Bundibugyo Ebola strain from the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Uganda, in light of the confirmed cross-border spread and the PHEIC declaration; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38944/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra1172. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the specific advice that has been issued to the public and healthcare professionals regarding travel to or from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, following the WHO’s determination of the Ebola outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38946/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra1173. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if Ireland’s national pandemic and infectious disease preparedness plans have been reviewed in light of the recent Ebola outbreak which lacks a specific licensed vaccine; the lessons from previous Ebola responses that are being applied; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38949/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra1174. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the current stock of personal protective equipment and any Ebola-specific medical countermeasures held in Ireland’s strategic national reserve; whether additional procurement is planned in response to the declared international health emergency in central Africa; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38952/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1170, 1171, 1172, 1173 and 1174 together.
The outbreak of Ebola Bundibugyo Virus disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organization (WHO), but it has not been classified as a pandemic. The WHO defines a PHEIC as an extraordinary event which is determined to constitute a public health risk to other countries through the international spread of disease and to potentially require a coordinated international response.
The WHO’s risk assessment indicates that while the national and regional risk is high, the global risk remains low due to limited international transmission. Similarly, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has assessed the risk to Europe as very low.
My Department, together with the HSE’s National Health Protection Office (NHPO), is working closely with the European Commission, EU Member States, the ECDC, and the WHO, as well as other international and national partners with regard to this outbreak. This collaboration ensures that emerging information is continuously incorporated into Ireland’s national risk assessment and informs any necessary public health response.
At EU level, DG SANTE is coordinating preparedness measures and aligning Member State response through the Health Security Committee, with a focus on ensuring rapid laboratory diagnosis and heightened hospital vigilance. Ad-hoc senior level meetings of the Health Security Committee, chaired by DG Sandra Gallina, took place on 20th and 24th May and a HSC Opinion on current recommendations for a common EU approach in response to the Ebola Bundibugyo virus outbreak was finalised on 20th May. In parallel, DG HERA is monitoring the availability of medical countermeasures and engaging with regulatory partners to assess potential experimental therapeutics relevant to the Bundibugyo strain.
At a national level, the HSE maintains a national operational pandemic plan, which provides a comprehensive framework for responding to major infectious disease events at both national and regional levels, including scenarios where a vaccine may not be available. This plan was tested during Exercise Pandora in March 2025 and subsequently reviewed in July 2025. Regional pandemic plans are currently being finalised. The framework reflects lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as experience gained in managing a range of public health events, including previous Ebola outbreaks, mpox, and seasonal respiratory virus surges.
The HSE has sufficient stock of PPE to meet the needs of providing care for any person(s) with Ebola virus infection or other high-consequence infectious diseases (HCIDs) in line with national guidance. Although there is a vaccine active against the Zaire Ebola virus strain, no meaningful protection is provided by this vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain. There are currently no other approved treatments or vaccines for Bundibugyo virus disease.
Ireland also has an established national framework for the management of High Consequence Infectious Diseases (HCIDs), including designated clinical care pathways and infection prevention and control guidance. Comprehensive advice on viral haemorrhagic fevers, including Ebola, is available on the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) website and was most recently updated in October 2025.
During the 2014 Ebola outbreak—the largest recorded—Ireland did not introduce airport screening measures such as temperature checks or entry screening, in line with EU and WHO guidance. Instead, emphasis was placed on exit screening in affected countries. Domestically, measures focused on the provision of information and public health advice at points of entry.
Public health guidance for both the general public and healthcare professionals has been developed by the NHPO and is available on the HPSC website, including information on the WHO declaration, affected regions and associated risks. The NHPO is also developing targeted communications and FAQs for the public and returning travellers.
Specific guidance has been issued for humanitarian aid workers (HAWs) travelling to affected areas, who face an increased risk of exposure. The HPSC operates a voluntary reporting system for HAWs deployed by Irish NGOs, Irish Aid, or the WHO Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN). This system supports risk assessment on return and facilitates appropriate follow-up, including 21-day monitoring where high-risk exposure has occurred. HAWs travelling to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) or Uganda are strongly encouraged to register their deployment details with the HPSC. Irish NGOs are also encouraged to engage with the HPSC to receive alerts and updates on emerging infectious disease threats.
Travellers are advised to consult country-specific guidance on the Department of Foreign Affairs website. A registration system is available for Irish citizens travelling abroad, and all individuals travelling to or residing in affected regions are strongly encouraged to register their details. The Department has updated its travel advice for the DRC to reflect the current outbreak, with a “Do Not Travel” advisory in place, representing the highest level of warning.
In accordance with the International Health Regulations (2005), the WHO Director-General has activated the relevant emergency framework. The Emergency Committee has concurred with the PHEIC designation and has characterised the outbreak as a high-risk regional threat rather than a global pandemic. The Committee has issued targeted temporary recommendations to guide the international response, while advising against unnecessary travel or trade restrictions, noting that such measures may disrupt aid delivery, harm economies, and lead to unmonitored cross-border movement. Instead, the WHO recommends robust exit screening and targeted 21-day monitoring and movement restrictions for confirmed cases and exposed contacts.
Finally, officials in my Department are progressing the development of a National Health Threats Prevention, Preparedness and Response Plan. This work will be informed by a WHO Health Threats Workshop hosted by my Department in March this year and the forthcoming Public Health Emergency Preparedness Assessment (PHEPA) mission by the ECDC to Ireland in June 2026 and its subsequent recommendations. The PHEPA process aims to strengthen prevention, preparedness and response capabilities across EU Member States through evidence-based guidance.
1175. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the current waiting list numbers for scoliosis treatment and spinal surgery for children in the midlands; the average wait time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38970/26]
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.
1176. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Health if advice will issue to a person (details supplied) in relation to a matter regarding HSE staff who continue to have health issues post-Covid infection; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38981/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Taoiseach met with health unions on Thursday, 30 April. Following that engagement, the Taoiseach has asked the HSE to ensure that management discretion under the Critical Illness Protocol is actively and compassionately applied in cases involving long COVID, so that staff continue to be supported while Government considers what further longer-term measures may be appropriate.
This matter remains under active consideration across Government, including by the Department of Health, the HSE and the Department of Social Protection.
1177. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Health the steps a person (details supplied) can take and the steps she will take to ensure they can access the surgery they require as quickly as possible; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38983/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. The Minister for Health is prohibited from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1178. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the number of patients currently awaiting a first outpatient ophthalmology appointment at St. Conal’s Hospital, Letterkenny; the number awaiting follow-up ophthalmology appointments; the length of time patients have been waiting, by waiting time bands, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38984/26]
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.
1179. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the reason ophthalmology waiting lists at St. Conal’s Hospital, Letterkenny are not published through the National Treatment Purchase Fund waiting list system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38985/26]
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.
1180. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the specific evidence of Hantavirus risk in Ireland that prompted its addition as a notifiable disease under the Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Regulations 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38986/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra1182. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if the inclusion of updated references to Covid-19 variants and influenza in the 2026 Regulations indicates any planned reintroduction of enhanced surveillance, testing or public health restrictions for respiratory viruses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38988/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra1183. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the circumstances in which a person diagnosed with Hantavirus could be subject to detention or isolation under the amended regulations; the safeguards in place to protect the rights of the individual and the appeal mechanisms available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38989/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra1185. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if the Government has assessed the potential impact of the Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Regulations 2026 on farmers, rural communities and people working with rodents given that Hantavirus is primarily rodent-borne; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38991/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra1187. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the reason Hantavirus has been prioritised for mandatory notification and potential isolation powers at this time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38993/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra1188. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if she will confirm that the expanded powers in the Infectious Diseases Regulations will not be used to impose restrictions similar to those experienced during the Covid-19 period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38994/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra1189. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health to provide a full breakdown of all diseases added to or removed from the notifiable list in the past ten years; the rationale for each change; the criteria used to determine which diseases warrant mandatory notification and isolation powers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38995/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1180, 1182, 1183, 1185, 1187, 1188 and 1189 together.
All medical practitioners, including clinical directors of diagnostic laboratories, are required to notify the Medical Officer of Health/Director of Public Health of certain notifiable Infectious Diseases. This information is used to investigate cases, thus preventing the spread of infection and further cases. The information is also used to monitor the burden and changing levels of diseases, which provides evidence for public health interventions.
The 1947 Health Act entitles the Minister for Health to specify by Regulation the diseases that are Infectious Diseases and covered by legislation, so-called notifiable diseases. The Principal Regulations are the Infectious Diseases Regulations 1981. The list of diseases (and their respective causative pathogens) that are notifiable diseases is contained in the Schedule to the Infectious Diseases Regulations. The most recent amendment to the Regulations is the Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (S.I. No. 209 of 2026).
The Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Regulations 2026 amend the Regulations only to provide for the inclusion of hantavirus disease and do not introduce any changes in relation to COVID-19 or influenza.
Over the past ten years, the following diseases were added to the notifiable diseases list: Zika virus infection (2016); carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae, herpes simplex (neonatal), MCR-positive Enterobacteriaceae, and novel or rare antimicrobial-resistant organisms (NRAO) (2018); COVID-19 (2020); mpox (monkeypox) (2022); and hantavirus disease (2026).
A limited number of diseases are included amongst the list of Infectious Diseases for which a person who is a probable source of infection may, as a necessary safeguard against the spread of the disease, be detained and isolated in accordance with Section 38 of the Health Act 1947. To justify an order under Section 38, a person cannot be effectively isolated at their home, and their detention must be necessary to safeguard against the spread of infection. Orders made under Section 38 are subject to statutory safeguards, and a detained person has the right to have the order reviewed and to avail of appeal mechanisms provided for under the Act.
Following public health assessment and engagement between the Department of Health and the HSE, Hantavirus disease was added as a notifiable disease, to be immediately notifiable and included among those diseases to which Section 38 powers may apply. These changes were made in response to a cluster of hantavirus cases linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius. The inclusion of hantavirus disease is intended to support rapid public health response and control measures. The inclusion of diseases within the notifiable diseases framework does not, of itself, provide for or signal the introduction of public health restrictions. Decisions to include a disease as notifiable are based on a precautionary, evidence-informed approach, enabling timely detection and effective public health response.
These Regulations do not impose direct new obligations on farmers, rural communities or individuals working with rodents. Rather, they place responsibilities on medical practitioners, laboratories and public health authorities to notify and monitor cases. As such, no impacts on these groups have been identified.
