Questions

464. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if there are proposals to take private maternity care away as an option for women with high risk pregnancies; and the alternatives that will be put in place to give women the option of choosing private maternity care on health grounds such as high risk pregnancies. [75203/26]

1040. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the number of hospital beds occupied by persons medically fit for discharge on the latest available date. [74289/26]

1041. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the number of HSE staff whose primary role is administration, management, communications, policy, equality, sustainability or planning functions, as distinct from frontline clinical care. [74312/26]

1053. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the number of elective procedures cancelled due to bed shortages in each hospital group during 2025 and 2026. [74288/26]

162. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the number of applications for reimbursement under the Cross Border Healthcare Directive and related treatment abroad reimbursement schemes that are currently awaiting processing for more than six weeks; the average processing time for reimbursement claims at present; the reason patients are being asked to resubmit documentation already provided; and the steps bei…

782. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the extent to which the additional costs associated with cancer, including travel, accommodation, parking, medication and loss of income, are taken into account when assessing eligibility for a medical card; and the number of cancer patients who were refused a medical card. [68597/26]

783. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the number of applications for medical cards received from persons diagnosed with cancer in each of the past five years; the number approved, refused and granted on a discretionary basis; and the average processing time for such applications. [68595/26]

664. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health to clarify the national budgetary restrictions or expenditure controls currently limiting the HSE’s ability to fill essential frontline posts in community nursing units, including Riada House in Tullamore; the steps being taken to address these constraints; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67215/26]

666. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the actions being taken to address staff burnout, sickness levels and the sustainability of current staffing arrangements at Riada House Community Nursing Unit; the supports being provided to frontline staff working under severe pressure; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67213/26]

667. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the immediate intervention measures that will be put in place to ensure that Riada House Community Nursing Unit has sufficient staff to provide safe and appropriate care to elderly and vulnerable residents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67212/26]

668. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health to confirm the current staffing levels at Riada House Community Nursing Unit, including the number of funded posts, the number of vacancies, and the measures being taken by HSE Midlands management to address the impact of these pressures on resident care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67211/26]

669. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the recruitment restrictions, budgetary controls or staffing ceilings that are currently in place within the HSE that affect the ability of Riada House Community Nursing Unit, Tullamore, County Offaly, to recruit and retain sufficient nursing and care staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67210/26]

1128. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if her Department has received complaints from midwives, nurses or lactation consultants regarding the inclusion of a speaker (details supplied); the number of complaints received; and the actions taken in response. [64336/26]

1129. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if she will clarify the extent to which gender mainstreaming is being applied within maternal, perinatal and infant feeding policy; if she will provide details of any HSE funded training relating to gender diverse lactation; and if she will address concerns raised by clinicians regarding the appropriateness of such training. [64335/26]

1131. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the standards and criteria used by the HSE when assessing the appropriateness of training content delivered by publicly funded lactation support organisations (details supplied). [64333/26]

1132. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the oversight mechanisms in place to ensure that organisations receiving HSE funding do not promote or endorse practices that may present safeguarding risks to infants; the specific oversight applied in respect of an organisation (details supplied); and whether her Department will review the organisations funding in view of recent concerns raised by healthcare pr…

3250. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health her views on whether the current regulatory framework governing minimum benefits under the Health Insurance Act 1994 provides sufficient flexibility for older or vulnerable policyholders who do not require maternity or addiction related mental health cover (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55417/26]

3251. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if she will consider initiating a review of the minimum benefit regulations to assess whether mandatory maternity and mental health cover should continue to apply uniformly to all policyholders, including elderly customers who have no realistic prospect of availing of such benefits (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55418/26]

3252. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if her Department has received any representations from private health insurers regarding the need for greater flexibility in the application of minimum benefit requirements, particularly in cases where policyholders can demonstrate that certain benefits are unnecessary or unused; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55419/26]

3253. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if she is aware of concerns that older policyholders may be effectively paying for benefits they neither need nor use due to rigid minimum benefit rules (details supplied); the steps she intends to take to ensure that consumers are not subject to inadvertent mis-selling or inappropriate product bundling; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55420/26]

3254. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if she will engage with the Health Insurance Authority to ensure that stronger consumer protection measures are in place to prevent situations where policyholders feel they are being charged for benefits that do not reflect their actual healthcare needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55421/26]

3255. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the recourse that is available to policyholders who believe they have been mis-sold or incorrectly assigned benefits within their health insurance plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55422/26]

3256. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if she will clarify whether private health insurers have any discretion under existing legislation to offer partial refunds or premium adjustments to policyholders who can demonstrate that they did not require or avail of mandatory minimum benefits; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55423/26]

3257. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if she will consider amending legislation to allow insurers to provide refunds or tailored adjustments for elderly policyholders who are obliged to pay for maternity or addiction related mental health cover despite having no need for such services (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55424/26]

3721. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the number of complaints received by Beaumont Hospital's PALS service in each of the past three years; if she will confirm the average response time; the number of complaints that were escalated due to lack of follow up; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57468/26]