Questions

651. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health when planning and design will commence for a project and the estimated time for completion of this project (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73408/25]

652. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health to expedite a fair deal appeal (details supplied) as this family cannot afford the costs of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73409/25]

653. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if supports will be allocated to home carers for changes that must be made in line with HIQA's draft national standards for home supports services (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73425/25]

654. Deputy Máire Devine asked the Minister for Health for assistance in relation to a hospital discharge (details supplied). [73430/25]

655. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health the alternative options for a health centre which is being explored by the HSE in respect of the improvement works or an extension (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73431/25]

656. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health to provide a breakdown of the wait times to see a consultant at all HSE fertility hubs across the country, in tabular form; the measures taken to ensure the waitlists for childless couples in particular do not increase; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73432/25]

657. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if she is aware of any scheme or funding stream for the provision of guide dogs for a visually impaired person living in a rural area who is no longer working but who still wants to be able to leave the house and cannot do so safely without the assistance of a guide dog; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73439/25]

658. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Health if phased dispensing will still be provided free of charge for patients at the request of their physician; whether the HSE expects this to take place for many existing patients; when the approved list of medications will be provided in these cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73443/25]

659. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Health to provide a schedule of campaigns over the last five years aimed at attracting medical professionals working abroad to come back to work in Ireland; the duration of the campaigns; the format they took; the total expenditure associated with each; a schedule of external parties used in respect of the campaigns; and the jurisdictions in which campaigns were run.;…

660. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 264 of 3 December 2025, if measures will be taken with the changes in prices of blister packs from January 2026 to counter the impact for vulnerable patients (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73451/25]

661. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the number of registered nursing homes by county (and if possible, local electoral area) in each year between 2013 and 2023, split by sector (HSE, private and voluntary); the number of beds in these nursing homes by county (and if possible, local electoral area) in each year between 2013 and 2023, split by sector (HSE, private and voluntary); and the occupancy …

662. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health to put a system in place whereby any incremental rise in the old-age pension is matched by a similar rise in the qualifying income for the medical card, as it cannot be allowed to continue that any rise in the old-age pension, the right to which has been earned over a lifetime, should be the cause of disqualifying a person close to the threshold from being enti…

663. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Health the estimated price, per patient, of the standard flu vaccine and of the enhanced flu vaccine; if she will introduce a policy of offering both and allowing patients decide if they want to pay the extra cost of the enhanced vaccine; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73478/25]

664. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health to provide further details with respect to a person’s new role within the HSE (details supplied); if they retain the salary from their previous role; to provide details of the renumeration attached to their new role; to provide a description of their new role and her responsibilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73486/25]

665. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the annual cost to the State of reimbursement for monitored dosing systems, or blister packs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73487/25]

666. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 458 of 6 November 2025, the status of the estimated 390 posts required to achieve baseline implementation of Phases 1 and 2 of the Framework for Safe Nurse Staffing and Skill Mix; the number still outstanding; the timeline for completion of recruitment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73488/25]

667. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 2883 of 29 July 2025, if she stands by her statement that alcohol health information labelling will be implemented in 2028; how this tallies with recent reports (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73489/25]

668. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the development of a new model of care for trans healthcare; the timeline for same; the consultation and collaboration taking place with the trans community and relevant stakeholders; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73491/25]

669. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health her views on the closure of the national gender service’s waiting list to new clients from 1 March 2026; the engagements she has had with the national gender service and the HSE in respect of this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73492/25]

670. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Health if she will address the concerns regarding the treatment of women with endometriosis raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73493/25]

671. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Health if she will address the request for reimbursement of costs incurred for endometriosis treatment raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73494/25]

672. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any gaps, deficiencies, or capacity constraints were identified during the national pandemic command post exercise conducted in March 2025; to list each issue identified under the headings staffing, laboratory capacity, IT systems, public health infrastructure, and points of entry; and to outline the remedial actions approved by her Department in response.…

673. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department received a written report, lessons learned document, or formal evaluation arising from the March 2025 national pandemic command post exercise; the date it was received; which senior officials reviewed it; and whether the report is available for publication. [73500/25]

674. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the current surge staffing capacity available to the HSE for infectious disease screening during periods of elevated risk, expressed in whole time equivalent posts, by staff grade, and by region; and to state whether her Department has identified any staffing shortfalls relative to surge planning assumptions. [73501/25]

675. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the maximum laboratory surge capacity available nationally for infectious disease testing during an elevated risk event, including PCR and genomic sequencing; the maximum weekly throughput assumed in national planning; and the turnaround times used by her Department for preparedness modelling.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73502/25]