Questions

171. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health if funding will be put in place for primary care paediatric occupational therapists in Laois as it currently has no funded vacancies. [72223/26]

188. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health if she is aware that the CDNT team in Laois is having to take on cases to review as there are currently no paediatric occupational therapists in primary care. [72222/26]

622. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health to outline and clarify charges regarding GMS patients for routine blood tests; and the steps her Department are taking to make sure people are not being improperly charged for routine tests. [66895/26]

3287. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health if she will consider extending the age for free contraception, which is currently from 17 years to 35 years, to at least 40 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55642/26]

3288. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health if she will consider lowering the eligibility age for women to receive BreastCheck to those under 50 years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55643/26]

3289. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health if she will consider allowing pharmacists to administer HRT to women who have had their primary consultation and initial prescription with their GP; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55644/26]

540. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health the reason a second health technology assessment (HTA) is required from the producers/suppliers of spinraza to treat those over 18 years with spinal atrophy when it is already approved and administered to those over 18 who commenced the treatment prior to their 18th birthday; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54504/26]

214. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health if she will include the shingles vacation for adults aged 65 years and over free of charge at the point of delivery in the national immunisation programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51994/26]

215. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health if her Department will publish the independent review of HIQA on nursing homes; to publish HIQA's action plans and implementation; the timeframes to implement each recommendation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51995/26]

521. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1136 of 19 May 2026, the medical criteria under which the HSE may assign a general practitioner to a patient on the basis of urgent medical need; the process by which such medical need is assessed and verified; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46636/26]

1000. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health if a medication (details supplied) is a reimbursable medication under the drugs payment scheme; the qualifying criteria a patient must meet in order to be approved for reimbursement of this medication; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45780/26]

333. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken by her Department and the HSE to address the waiting times for patients to have their first neurology consultation, given 24,000 people are reported to be currently waiting for an appointment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44727/26]

334. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health the plans there are to increase the staffing levels, in particular specialist nurses in neurology services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44728/26]

1363. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health the last date on which a full contingency of staff was in place for paediatrics within primary care services in County Laois; the staffing levels in place at that time by role (including occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, psychology, and social work); the current staffing deficit by role; the steps being taken to restore …

1134. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health the current capacity to provide an update regarding the assignment of patients to a general practitioner under the Primary Care Reimbursement Service (PCRS); the number of people currently awaiting assignment; the average waiting time; the number of participating GPs in the county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37150/26]

1135. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health the guidance or interim care pathways that are available to parents whose children have not been assigned a GP through the PCRS, despite eligibility; the measures being taken to ensure that every child in County Laois has timely access to a GP; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37151/26]

1136. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health the escalation procedures in place within the HSE when a patient particularly a child cannot be assigned a GP through the PCRS within a reasonable timeframe; the statutory obligations on the HSE to ensure access to a GP for eligible patients; the actions being taken to address any gaps in service provision in County Laois; and if she will make a statement on th…

1186. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health the criteria used by the HSE to determine which posts are designated as non-frontline; if she will provide a comprehensive list of all roles currently categorised as non-frontline; and if she will clarify the operational or policy basis for these classifications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37473/26]

1187. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health if any HSE roles would be exempt from a potential pause in the recruitment of non-frontline staff; if so, if she will provide a list of the exempted roles and the criteria used to determine such exemptions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37475/26]

514. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health if the currently used RSV vaccination will continue to be administered going forward for children born during the winter months of September to February; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35818/26]

515. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health if, following the completion of the pilot programme for the RSV vaccination, a decision has been reached to include this vaccination in the long-term national immunisation programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35819/26]

516. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health if a decision has been reached regarding the inclusion of the RSV vaccination in the long-term national programme; if she will outline the expected timeframe for when this decision will be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35820/26]

519. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health if melatonin and magnesium preparations are currently covered under the long-term illness scheme; if they were previously included; if so, the date and basis on which they were removed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35829/26]

520. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health if she will undertake a review of the clinical and policy basis for excluding melatonin and magnesium from the long-term illness scheme; and if she will consider reinstating these medications to the approved list; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35830/26]

521. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health if her Department has assessed the impact on patients, particularly those with neurological, developmental, or sleep-related conditions, of melatonin and magnesium not being covered under the long-term illness scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35831/26]