455. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department or the HSE have issued any internal guidance, instructions or circulars to deciding officers and medical officers on the treatment of older applicants whose modest pension increases place them marginally above the medical card income threshold, specifically in relation to high medical needs and essential living costs such as heating, utiliti…
456. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of whole-time equivalent consultants delivering chronic pain services in each hospital group; the number of vacant posts in these services in Q4 2025; and the actions her Department is taking to expand consultant capacity in line with population need. [68700/25]
457. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the current waiting times for first-time chronic pain appointments in each hospital group; the number of people aged over 65 on each waiting list; and the measures being introduced to reduce these waiting times. [68701/25]
458. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the funding allocated to chronic pain services in 2023, 2024 and 2025; the planned allocation for 2026; and whether additional funding will be ring-fenced to support older adults identified as having untreated chronic pain. [68702/25]
459. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health when her Department last assessed unmet need for chronic pain treatment in adults aged over 65, in light of TILDA Wave 6 findings that two-thirds of older adults with moderate to severe chronic pain receive no medication; and the actions taken following this assessment. [68703/25]
460. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department plans to introduce a dedicated older persons pain strategy aligned with Sláintecare’s integrated-care objectives; and if so, the planned scope, timelines and implementation milestones. [68704/25]
461. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of applications from persons aged 70 years and over that were refused any form of card, including a GP visit card, in each of the years 2020 to 2025; and the recorded reasons for refusal. [68706/25]
462. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of appeals lodged by persons aged 70 years and over following the refusal of a medical card or GP visit card in each of the years 2020 to 2025; and the number of appeals upheld. [68707/25]
463. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the current income thresholds used for assessing medical card eligibility for persons aged 70 years and over; when they were last reviewed; and the evidence base used in that review. [68708/25]
464. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department has conducted any assessment of whether the current income thresholds for over-70s are aligned with the cost of living for that age group; and if she will provide details of any such assessment. [68709/25]
465. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of over-70s whose applications for a medical card were reclassified to GP visit card awards due to marginal threshold exceedance since 2020, broken down by year. [68710/25]
466. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of over-70s whose medical card applications were discontinued due to incomplete documentation or verification requests in each of the years 2020 to 2025; and the number subsequently resubmitted. [68711/25]
467. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the average processing time for medical card applications submitted by persons aged 70 years and over in each of the years 2020 to 2025, including the longest recorded waiting time. [68712/25]
468. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of over-70s who reported financial hardship, delayed medical care, or difficulty accessing medication following the refusal of a medical or GP visit card since 2020; and if such data is recorded. [68713/25]
469. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department has carried out any review of the decision-making accuracy in over-70s medical card assessments since 2020; and the findings of that review, including identified error rates. [68714/25]
470. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of over-70s who had an existing medical card withdrawn following a means review in each year since 2020, broken down by year. [68715/25]
471. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the income bands of applicants aged 70 or over whose medical card or GP visit card applications were refused in each of the past four years, in order to identify the financial proximity to the threshold. [68716/25]
472. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of appeals lodged by persons aged 70 or over following a refusal of a medical card or GP visit card in each of the past four years, and the number of appeals subsequently upheld. [68717/25]
473. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if she will provide a table showing changes to income thresholds for over-70s medical cards and GP visit cards since 2019, alongside the Consumer Price Index over the same period. [68718/25]
474. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of over-70s who were subject to a means review more than once within a 24-month period in each of the past four years. [68719/25]
475. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of medical card and GP visit card holders aged 70 or over who incurred out-of-pocket medical expenses exceeding one thousand euro in the past year following a refusal or withdrawal of their card. [68720/25]
476. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the formal mechanisms her Department has in place to obtain assurance that the HSE is monitoring governance, audit, and compliance issues in voluntary hospitals; the process by which her Department is notified of any significant governance risks or failures identified by the HSE in those hospitals; and the actions her Department takes when such risks or failures a…
477. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the procedure within her Department for responding to serious governance concerns in voluntary hospitals when such issues are escalated by the HSE; and the criteria her Department uses to determine when further action or intervention is warranted. [68738/25]
478. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of inspections, compliance notices, closure orders or enforcement actions issued by the FSAI and authorised officers in meat processing facilities over the past three years; the types of breaches detected; and the follow-up actions taken in each category. [68741/25]
479. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the reason her Department holds no independent records on the adequacy of the HSE's financial reporting, audit controls or compliance systems for voluntary hospitals, given that voluntary hospitals receive more than €7 billion annually in State funding; and if she will confirm whether any Department-led assurance, verification or risk assessment has taken place in…