Written Answers Nos. 836-858
836. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Health the adequacy of diagnostic equipment in maternity hospitals; and the quality of imaging, in particular; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51598/26]
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.
837. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Health her plans to ensure adequate healthcare for persons in disadvantage; and her plans to expand the Inclusion Health programme between the Mater and St. James’s Hospitals, Dublin. [51599/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this refers to a service mater, I have referred to the HSE for direct response.
838. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if she will assist in scheduling an urgent appointment for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51601/26]
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.
839. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Health when section 226 of the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 will be commenced. [51602/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis PQ is not for the Department of Health. We respectfully request that this Parliamentary Question be redirected to the Department of Justice as the matters raised fall under their remit.
841. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health her views on matter raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51616/26]
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.
842. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if she will provide an update on the steps being taken by her Department to ensure healthcare professionals suffering from long-Covid can qualify for a critical illness payment; if she is aware that there are currently over 150 such employees of the HSE suffering from long-Covid who have been deemed ineligible for this payment recently (details supplied). [51620/26]
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. Following this meeting the HSE issued a Circular to all staff managers advising that those applying for CIP in this cohort should have their application looked at favourably.
This matter remains under active consideration across Government, including by the Department of Health, the HSE and the Department of Social Protection, with the Minister for Health and the Minister for Social Protection having met in recent weeks to discuss ongoing supports; they welcomed the progress to date, noting that a significant number of staff have been supported in returning to work, with others continuing to receive support through the public service sick leave scheme.
843. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 995 of 19 May 2026, the number of minors referred from Ireland to NHS children and young person gender services in the United Kingdom from 2020 to 2025 and to date in 2026, by age and sex, as this information was not provided in the response of 30 June 2026. [51622/26]
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.
844. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1809 of 9 June 2026, the number of minors referred outside the State for gender-related assessment, consultation, intervention, or treatment in the years 2021 and 2022; the jurisdictions involved in all such referrals from 2021 to date in 2026; and the multidisciplinary assessment requirements applying prior to referral abroad, as this information was not provided in response to the question of 30 June 2026. [51623/26]
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.
845. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1809 of 9 June 2026, whether any State-funded mechanism other than the treatment abroad scheme has been used to refer minors outside the State for gender-related assessment, consultation, intervention, or treatment in any of the past five years, as this information was not provided in response to the question of 30 June 2026. [51624/26]
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.
846. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1820 of 9 June 2026, the terms of reference, membership, and findings of the expert group convened by the HSE Chief Clinical Officer in 2024 to consider the implications of the Cass Review for gender healthcare services in Ireland; the date this work concluded; and whether the findings will be published, as confirmed in the HSE reply of 30 June 2026. [51625/26]
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.
847. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health to urgently review the case of a person (details supplied); if she will allocate an appointment urgently; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51638/26]
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 HSE to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
848. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if the HSE will introduce a specific field within the National Incident Management System to identify patient safety incidents involving agency, panel, or locum staff where a service user was harmed; the reason this distinction is not currently recorded centrally; if the HSE can produce an aggregate figure of such incidents using local records, notwithstanding the absence of a dedicated NIMS field; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51643/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
849. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health if she will intervene to expedite an urgent appointment for a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [51646/26]
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 HSE to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
850. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health the current waiting time for an outpatient orthopaedic appointment for a person (details supplied); and if the case will be reviewed in order to determine if an earlier appointment can be facilitated. [51647/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
851. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Health if the HSE provides financial assistance, reimbursement, or funding supports to families where a child is on a waiting list for assessment and intervention through a children's disability network team, is not expected to receive an assessment until December 2026, and where the family has no reasonable option other than to access private assessment or therapeutic services (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51691/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
852. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health whether it is her intention to commence Section 226 of the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024; to outline the work conducted by her Department on this issue to date; and to provide a timeline for commencement. [51701/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis PQ is not for the Department of Health. We respectfully request that this Parliamentary Question be redirected to the Department of Justice as the matters raised fall under their remit.
853. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Health if she will provide an update on a hospital transfer for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51705/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
854. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Health the number of rapid assessment spaces currently available within the Accident and Emergency Department of University Hospital Limerick; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51715/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
855. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE paediatric urology registrar posts filled at University Hospital Limerick as of 29 June 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51716/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
856. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health if she will intervene with the HSE to urgently review the case of a person (details supplied) in Killarney Community Hospital; if consideration will be given to extending the persons stay pending the provision of adequate home supports; if she will ensure that the necessary home help package, twice daily, seven days per week, is expedited to facilitate a safe discharge; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51752/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs these are operational matters I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
857. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Health if a pricing and reimbursement application has been received by the HSE for zolbetuximab (vyloy); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51755/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
858. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Health for an update on the pricing and reimbursement application for omaveloxolone (skyclarys); if the commercial proposal has yet been received from the company; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51756/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the Health Service Executive (HSE), through its Senior Leadership Team has statutory responsibility for decisions on the pricing and reimbursement of medicines and medical devices.
The HSE has advised that it is committed to providing access to as many medicines as possible, in as timely a fashion as possible, from the resources available (provided) to it.
The HSE robustly assesses applications for pricing and reimbursement to make sure that it can stretch available resources as far as possible and to deliver the best value in relation to each medicine and ultimately more medicines to Irish citizens and patients.
To commence the pricing and reimbursement process, a pharmaceutical company must submit an application for a new medicine or a new use of an existing medicine, that has been granted European Medicines Agency (EMA) or Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) authorisation, to the HSE’s Corporate Pharmaceutical Unit.
Applicants must continue to engage through-out the process to ensure that the necessary evidence is available for the HSE to carry out its statutory role as a decision-maker with respect to the reimbursement of new medicines, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.
In terms of the specific details of the application for pricing and reimbursement of omaveloxolone (Skyclarys®):
The HSE received an application for pricing and reimbursement of omaveloxolone (Skyclarys®) on the 1st August 2024 from Biogen Idec (Ireland) Limited (the applicant) for the treatment of Friedreich’s ataxia in adults and adolescents aged 16 years and older.
• The first step in the process is the submission of a Rapid Review dossier (a clinical and economic dossier) to the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE) for assessment. The HSE commissioned the Rapid Review process on the 2nd August 2024.
• The NCPE Rapid Review assessment report was received by the HSE on the 29th August 2024. The NCPE advised the HSE that a full Health Technology Assessment (HTA) was recommended to assess the clinical effectiveness and cost effectiveness of omaveloxolone compared with the current standard of care.
• The HSE commissioned a full HTA on the 25th September 2024 as per agreed processes.
• The NCPE HTA Report was received by the HSE on the 16th December 2025. The NCPE recommended that omaveloxolone not be considered for reimbursement: www.ncpe.ie/omaveloxolone-skyclarys-hta-id-24033/ .
• The HSE Corporate Pharmaceutical Unit (CPU) is the interface between the HSE and the Pharmaceutical Industry in relation to medicine pricing and reimbursement applications.
• Upon receipt of the HTA report on the 16th December 2025 the HSE immediately offered the company a suite of dates to attend a commercial meeting. The first commercial meeting was held on 12th February 2026 with a further meeting on the 18th May 2026.
• The HSE received a commercial proposal on the 27th May 2026 from the company Biogen(Idec)Ireland Limited. Following the conclusion of commercial negotiations the application will be progressed via the Drugs Group who will make a recommendation to the HSE Senior Leadership Team who have final decision making authority on whether to reimburse a medicine.
• The Drugs Group is the national committee which the HSE has in place to make recommendations on the pricing and reimbursement of medicines. The membership of the HSE Drugs Group includes public interest members. Pharmacoeconomic reports are reviewed by the HSE Drugs Group along with the outputs of commercial negotiations, and any patient group submission(s) received. The HSE Drugs Group considers all of the evidence and makes a recommendation to the HSE Senior Leadership Team.
• Skyclarys® is scheduled for consideration at the next Drugs Group meeting in July.
• The decision making authority in the HSE is the HSE Senior Leadership Team. The HSE Senior Leadership Team decides on the basis of all the demands it is faced with (across all services) whether it can fund a new medicine, or new use of an existing medicine, from the resources that have been provided to it in line with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.
While the HSE cannot comment on commercial negotiations as these are commercially confidential, it will continue to process and assess the application as efficiently as possible. This application remains under consideration with the HSE.
