Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

I thank the Deputy for his ongoing work on this. Safeguarding adults who may be at risk of abuse is a very important objective for me, my Department and all health and social care services. A framework of standards, policies and procedures for safeguarding adults in the health and social care sector is already in place. This includes a national safeguarding office in the HSE, specialist safeguard…

I agree with the Deputy. I also want to reflect the work of the Law Reform Commission report in this regard. I hear what the Deputy is saying with regard to policy. Of course, the policy analysis is to bring us to the legislative path, because that has to be agreed across the different Departments with regard to that. It is also important to note, though I know the Deputy is already aware, that wh…

I agree and accept that. The health (adult safeguarding) Bill is in the current legislative programme, but the policy must be considerably settled and developed on a cross-departmental basis. This is as much a question for the committees on disability and children as for the Joint Committee on Health-----

-----because the roles of the Departments are equally important in how we take this forward and they must be clearly working together on it. This would be an important piece of work for the committee and I look forward to working with it on it.

The programme for Government commits to ensuring a transgender healthcare service that is based on clinical evidence, respect, inclusiveness and compassion. A new model of care is currently under development to strengthen and standardise care, ensuring safety and best practice. My Department provided €770,000 in budget 2025 to support this. The clinical lead has been appointed, a cross speciality …

I fully hear what the Deputy is saying. His feedback is important to me, as is everyone's. I did not congratulate him on his new position as Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Health. I look forward to working with him on this and many other issues. We have a similar approach to these issues. It is important to recognise that demand for transgender healthcare services has increased and I acknow…

I agree with the Deputy and the person-centred approach is what we want to get to. Everyone is entitled to healthcare. I agree completely with him on the points he raised and I hear his important perspective on the national gender service. It is important that it be articulated here this evening and I hear him clearly on it. I do not want to get distracted by the WHO definition, which is slightly…

I thank the Deputy for her question. It is timely, as I will visit University Hospital Galway, UHG, on Thursday as it happens. The Deputy will be aware of proposals for further significant capital investment there. That includes additional bed capacity, a new emergency department, new paediatric and maternity facilities, a new helipad, replacement laboratories and a cancer centre at UHG. A surgic…

Deputy-----

I appreciate the Deputy's frustration. I appreciate that there needs to be a major plan. I also appreciate that this has to be done in a sequencing way so that the hospital can continue to function. The information I have for her is that it will be presented to the HSE board for approval at the end of this month. I cannot put it further than that. I am attending the hospital, as I attend many hos…

Sure.

I know.

I appreciate that the Deputy has been raising this for many years. I appreciate the reasons for that, and I have huge respect for that. This is the approach that has been taken. From my perspective as Minister, I will be keen to see this move forward as quickly as possible with what sits within my control. I am concerned about the interaction with the infrastructure guidelines and the revision pro…

I thank the Deputy. The Government is committed to the ongoing development of Sligo and our other regional hospitals. As he said, I am aware that there were issues with water leaks at the hospital and that in particular on 18 April, the leak led to the temporary closure of the orthopaedic theatre for eight days to allow for cleaning and air sampling to be undertaken, and I am told that additional …

The HSE's capital plan for 2025 details the planned infrastructure investments for Sligo University Hospital. We have discussed the roof but there are also plans for a multi-service block development that will encompass a wide range of services, including a theatre department. Plans for that multi-service block are currently at detailed design stage. There has been significant investment in Sligo …

I agree with the Deputy. It is my intention to do that, along with expanding surgical capacity more broadly in the north west, which we will speak about further. I agree about the need for an innovative approach. Already, some measures have been put in place in that regard. I want to see the immediate issues resolved very quickly in order that the surgeons are not dealing with them going into the …

The Government approved the preliminary business cases for Cork and Galway, and the preferred sites for the two Dublin facilities. Following a public tender competition, the HSE appointed a design team and project controls team at the end of 2024. The design team is progressing design and engagement to inform statutory planning submissions and the regulatory approvals required. I go back again to …

I completely agree. It is important to note that engagement with planning authorities is under way on agreement in regard to the principle of design once, build four times. I really cannot overstate that there is no room for local variation or perspectives. This is about doing something in the most efficient way and also having the ability to move between the different elective hospitals without a…

While I agree with the Deputy, local issues that come up, including site selection and other questions like that, all delay the delivery of the different hospitals. We simply need to move forward with all of them in the most efficient way. In Cork, the HSE is progressing that enabling package in advance of the main construction, including pitch and putt relocation, site clearance and demolition w…

The Government is committed to the implementation of the national cancer strategy and to improving the services patients receive. Infrastructural developments are a key enabler of timely cancer detection and treatment. Since the launch of the strategy in 2017, more than €140 million has been invested in capital infrastructure. This funding has improved cancer facilities throughout the country. It …

The Deputy raised a number of issues, which I will try to take in turn. On medicines, approval for reimbursement by the HSE was given for 74 cancer drugs between 2021 and 2024. The total spend on cancer drugs in that period exceeded €645 million. We have launched an application tracker and have recruited an additional 34 staff, which is a 100% increase. I expect to see that move more quickly. It i…

I agree with the Deputy. The point about diagnostics is important. It is one of the reasons it is important for me to visit different hospitals and understand the efficiency of their work. Sligo hospital, for example, has two CT machines beside each other, which allows staff to move back and forth between them and thereby increase the number of scans being conducted. Some hospitals use their CT ma…

I thank the Deputy. In 2016 a capital programme for older persons residential centres was developed in response to the introduction of HIQA's national residential care standards for older people and the requirement that all facilities providing long-stay beds be registered with HIQA. This is a programme to replace, upgrade and refurbish community nursing units as appropriate at 89 locations. The n…

I will address the delay, such as it is. We want to anticipate the workforce planning is there to ensure it is operational. The delay is one that is essential for HIQA. On the Deputy's question about the plan, when a HSE-owned property has been vacated by a health service, we have to determine whether it is surplus to health requirements in the area. That involves HSE engagement with other HSE se…

A scoping exercise with regard to the existing Midleton Community Hospital site is under way to identity possible future uses which align with existing service needs. My view is that we need healthcare capacity and we need to think about that in every way. There are multiple stakeholders. The Deputy's voice and view will be important in relation to that. With a rising population, we are trying to …