990. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to confirm whether any aggregate figures are currently available to her Department on the number of minors referred, assessed or treated under gender-related pathways in the past five years, even on a partial or regional basis. [32529/26]
991. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any external or independent clinical audit of gender-related assessment or referral pathways for minors has been commissioned or considered since 2020; and if not, the rationale for this position. [32530/26]
992. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health what specific safeguarding protocols are currently mandated for clinicians when assessing minors presenting with gender-related distress, in the absence of a finalised national model of care. [32531/26]
993. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether compliance with evidence-based clinical standards in gender-related care for minors is currently subject to any formal monitoring, inspection or performance review mechanism; and if so, to detail same. [32532/26]
994. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any timeline has been set for the establishment of a national data system, audit framework and governance structure for gender-related healthcare pathways for minors, and if so, to provide the expected delivery dates. [32533/26]
995. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to provide a breakdown of agency staffing expenditure within the HSE by staff category, including consultants, non-consultant hospital doctors, nurses, healthcare assistants and administrative staff, on a monthly basis for 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32534/26]
996. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to provide a breakdown of agency staffing expenditure within the HSE by hospital group and Community Healthcare Organisation area, on a monthly basis for 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32535/26]
997. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health how many agency staff have been converted to permanent HSE contracts under the July 2025 agency conversion framework, broken down by staff category and location; the estimated savings achieved to date from these conversions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32536/26]
998. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE has set annual or monthly targets for reducing agency staffing expenditure; if so, to provide those targets for 2024, 2025 and 2026 and the actual outturn against those targets; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32537/26]
999. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the average hourly cost of agency staff compared to directly employed staff across key grades within the HSE; and the estimated additional cost incurred through agency staffing in 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32538/26]
1000. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the extent to which agency staffing expenditure is linked to delivery under the Waiting List Action Plan; and whether any analysis has been carried out on the cost-effectiveness of agency staffing in reducing waiting times; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32539/26]
1001. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to provide a breakdown of agency staffing expenditure in the HSE by staff grade and category, including consultants, non-consultant hospital doctors, nurses, healthcare assistants, health and social care professionals, administrative staff and support staff, for 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026, broken down by month and HSE Health Region; and if she will make a sta…
1002. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health how many agency staff have been converted to permanent HSE employment under the July 2025 agency conversion framework, broken down by staff grade, HSE Health Region and month; the estimated savings achieved to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32541/26]
1003. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE has set monthly or annual targets for reducing agency staffing expenditure in 2025 and 2026; the target and actual expenditure for each month; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32542/26]
1004. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the average hourly cost to the HSE of agency staff compared with directly employed staff across the main staff categories; the estimated additional cost arising from agency staffing in 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32543/26]
1005. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Department or HSE has carried out any audit, review or evaluation of the July 2025 agency conversion framework; if so, to provide the findings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32544/26]
1008. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to provide a copy of any formal written policy, guideline or standard operating procedure governing eligibility decisions under the Treatment Abroad Scheme; and if none exists, to confirm this. [32561/26]
1009. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health who holds ultimate decision-making authority for approving funding under the Treatment Abroad Scheme, including whether this rests with individual consultants, HSE management, or a defined approval panel. [32562/26]
1010. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any national clinical criteria, thresholds, or evidentiary standards are formally defined for determining what constitutes a “proven treatment” under the Treatment Abroad Scheme. [32563/26]
1011. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Department or HSE has conducted any audit or review of approval decisions under the Treatment Abroad Scheme since 2020; if so, to provide dates and findings. [32564/26]
1012. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether decisions under the treatment abroad scheme are subject to any centralised review, appeal mechanism, or consistency check across cases. [32565/26]
1013. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any cost ceilings, budget controls, or value-for-money assessments are applied to approvals under the Treatment Abroad Scheme. [32566/26]
1014. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has considered developing a national policy definition or classification framework for surgical procedures by clinical priority, medical necessity, quality-of-life impact, and elective status; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32577/26]
1015. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether she accepts the HSE position that there is currently no agreed or standardised definition of a procedure that is not medically necessary; whether her Department intends to address this policy gap; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32578/26]
1016. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Department has issued any guidance to the HSE on how theatre capacity should be prioritised where demand exceeds available capacity; and if she will publish any such guidance. [32579/26]