Ken O'Flynn

2025. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any national written guidance, circular, framework, or policy document governs the application of precautionary measures in cases where healthcare workers are subject to Garda investigation for serious offences; if so, to provide details and copies of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42438/26]

2026. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE has carried out any review, audit, legal assessment, or governance examination regarding consistency of decision-making across HSE regions in relation to precautionary administrative leave or reassignment decisions involving healthcare professionals under criminal investigation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42439/26]

2027. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE records whether a healthcare professional subject to criminal investigation continues to have patient-facing duties during the course of that investigation; whether any national risk assessment framework applies in such circumstances; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42440/26]

2028. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE has identified any governance, legal, HR, or patient-safety risks arising from the absence of a centralised national reporting mechanism for healthcare professionals under criminal investigation; whether the matter has appeared on any internal risk register, audit plan, or governance review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42441/26]

2029. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE or Department of Health has engaged with professional regulators, including the Medical Council, Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland, CORU, or Dental Council, regarding information-sharing arrangements where registrants are subject to criminal investigation for serious offences; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42442/26]

2030. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any national oversight mechanism exists to monitor the consistency of precautionary measures applied by Regional Directors of People in cases involving serious allegations against healthcare staff; whether any reporting obligations apply to Regional Health Areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42443/26]

2031. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Department of Health has considered introducing statutory reporting obligations or mandatory notification requirements where healthcare workers funded by the State are subject to criminal investigation for offences involving patient safety, abuse, sexual offending, exploitation, or violence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42444/26]

2032. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE can confirm that employees in Section 38 organisations are classified as public servants for pay purposes while employees in Section 39 organisations are not; whether any legal or policy review has been undertaken regarding disparities in pay, conditions, pension entitlement, or recruitment impact between directly employed HSE staff and Section 39 staff performing equivalent functions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42445/26]

2033. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Department or HSE has undertaken any workforce impact assessment regarding recruitment and retention difficulties arising from pay and conditions disparities between Section 38, Section 39, and directly employed HSE disability service staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42446/26]

2034. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any formal national policy objective exists to achieve parity of pay and conditions between directly employed HSE disability staff and staff employed by Section 39-funded organisations delivering equivalent publicly funded services; whether costings have been prepared; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42447/26]

2035. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the estimated annual Exchequer cost of extending full public sector pay parity, pension arrangements, and conditions to all Section 39 disability service staff funded by the HSE; whether modelling or scenario analysis has been carried out; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42448/26]

2036. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE or Department of Health maintains a national breakdown of working hours, paid breaks, unpaid breaks, and average rostered hours across all public health service staff categories; if so, to provide details by staff category and service area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42449/26]

2037. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any categories of public health service staff currently work roster patterns or contracted arrangements which bring average weekly working hours close to or above the limits set out under the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997; whether any exemptions, derogations, or compliance concerns have been identified; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42450/26]

2038. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE has conducted any audit, compliance review, or governance assessment regarding adherence to Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 obligations across HSE-funded services, including Section 38 and Section 39 organisations; if so, to provide details and findings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42451/26]

2039. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether unpaid break arrangements across public health service grades have been assessed in terms of their impact on recruitment, retention, fatigue management, and workforce wellbeing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42452/26]

2040. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any national policy differences exist regarding working hours, rest breaks, or overtime arrangements between directly employed HSE staff and employees in Section 38 and Section 39 organisations providing publicly funded disability services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42453/26]

2048. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the estimated annual gross expenditure under the GMS, DPS, LTI and High-Tech Drug Scheme in each year since 2020; and what proportion of that expenditure has been subject to any formal medicines waste analysis. [42485/26]

2049. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the forthcoming national medicines disposal programme will include medicine-level cataloguing, reimbursement category tracking, estimated retail value assessment, or analysis of prescribing source; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42486/26]

2050. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department or HSE has conducted any international benchmarking regarding medicines waste reduction strategies in comparable EU jurisdictions; and if so, to provide details. [42487/26]

2051. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any estimate exists of medicines dispensed under State-funded schemes but not consumed due to non-adherence, therapy change, duplication, early discontinuation, death, hospital admission, or over-prescribing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42488/26]

2052. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE intends to publish annual reports arising from the new national medicines disposal programme, including estimated financial value and environmental impact of returned medicines. [42489/26]

2053. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the proposed rare disease early-access framework will include formal eligibility criteria, maximum decision timelines, independent clinical oversight arrangements, and national equity safeguards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42490/26]

2054. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has conducted any estimate of the potential annual cost exposure associated with a rare disease early-access framework; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42491/26]

2055. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any ethical or legal review has been conducted regarding prioritisation criteria within the proposed early-access framework for rare diseases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42492/26]

2056. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether patient registries or national prevalence datasets will form part of the planned rare disease reimbursement reforms; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42493/26]