Parliamentary questions

2233. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on services for eating disorder treatment; in particular the number of in-patient beds available in the State; if there are plans to increase these; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43305/26]

2234. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Health to outline the actions her Department is undertaking to support those who suffer from foetal alcohol spectrum disorder; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43308/26]

2235. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Health the intervention she will make in the case of a person (details supplied) who has been refused carer hours despite multiple medical conditions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43310/26]

2236. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health when a request by an organisation (details supplied) to the manager of Letterkenny University Hospital first made in September 2025 and clarified in November 2025 will receive a response. [43340/26]

2237. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if she will provide a comprehensive outline of the current HSE orthodontic treatment policy for children, including the clinical criteria and scoring systems used to determine eligibility; the rationale behind restricting access primarily to cases deemed 'severe' or 'very severe'; and if she will consider revising these thresholds in light of…

2238. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the total number of children referred to HSE orthodontic services in each of the past five years; the number of those who attended assessment appointments; the number subsequently approved for treatment; the number refused on the grounds that their condition did not meet the required severity threshold; if she will provide a breakdown of thes…

2239. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the average length and clinical scope of orthodontic assessment appointments carried out within the HSE; whether standardised assessment protocols are in place to ensure thorough and consistent evaluations, if she is aware of concerns from families that such assessments are often extremely brief and result in immediate decisions of ineligibil…

2240. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the annual cost to the HSE of providing orthodontic assessment clinics, including staffing and operational expenses; the proportion of these assessments that do not lead to treatment being approved; whether any cost-benefit analysis has been conducted on this model of service delivery; and if she will consider reforms to ensure better value f…

2241. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if she will initiate an urgent review of HSE orthodontic services nationwide, including examination of referral pathways, eligibility thresholds, clinic capacity, staffing levels, waiting times, and overall patient experience; if she will address concerns regarding overcrowded clinics, long waiting times despite scheduled appointments, and th…

2242. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Health the plans in place to expand housing provision for young people with additional needs in Manorhamilton; whether discussions have taken place with Leitrim County Council regarding the potential purchase of properties (details supplied) in the town to accommodate members of the National Learning Network; and if she will make a statement on the…

2243. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the reason an Adult Nursing NMBI application for qualification recognition for a person (details supplied) was unsuccessful; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43351/26]

2244. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant paediatric ophthalmologists and WTE paediatric ophthalmologists based at South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital as of 1 June 2026, in tabular form. [43352/26]

2245. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health the number of consultant gastroenterologists working in the Public Health Services; her plans to expand this number; and the international recommended best practice ratio for consultant gastroenterologists to population and Ireland's ratio. [43353/26]

2246. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant posts by speciality currently signed to public only consultant contracts and are based at South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital. [43354/26]

2247. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Health the criteria used by the HSE to approve cholesterol-lowering injections for patients who are unable to tolerate statins; whether the cost of such treatment is covered by the HSE where a patient is deemed clinically eligible; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43355/26]

2248. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the measures currently in place to ensure adequate access to essential health services for people with physical impairments, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, mental health supports and post acute rehabilitation; the current waiting times for these services nationwide; and her plans to address the documented gaps in service provi…

2249. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Health the number of patients referred to the primary care occupational therapy service in Clare who have been triaged as priority 2; the waiting times for initial assessment for each year from 2020 to date; the steps being taken to reduce waiting times, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43381/26]

2250. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Health if there are plans to approve skyclarys (omaveloxolone) for Friedreich's ataxia; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43394/26]

2251. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if other maternity hospitals and units have been found to be allowing on-site private practice by public-only consultant contract (POCC) holders; if she has sought confirmation from each; if other facilities have been found to be in breach of the POCC; if so, to identify them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43396/26]

2252. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the up-to-date position in respect of the application for pricing and reimbursement of skyclarys (omaveloxolone) for the treatment of Friedreich’s ataxia in adults and adolescents aged 16 years and older; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43399/26]

2253. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the rollout of the ADHD National Clinical Programme in Galway; if funding is available to those seeking assessment privately while services are not available in the region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43402/26]

2254. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health to respond to matters raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43404/26]

2255. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if she is aware that according to a survey published by an organisation (details supplied) in May 2026, only 27% of orphan medicines for rare diseases approved between 2021 and 2024 were available to patients in Ireland as of January 2026, compared to an EU average of 43%; the steps being taken to improve access to orphan medicines for …

2256. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if she is aware that according to a survey published by an organisation (details supplied) in May 2026, patients in Ireland wait on average approximately 801 days for access to orphan medicines for rare diseases, compared to an EU average of 614 days; the measures being taken to reduce this waiting time; and if she will make a statement…

2257. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the specific provisions of the Framework Agreement on the Supply and Pricing of Medicines agreed in March 2026 that will address the finding in a survey (details supplied) that Ireland has an orphan medicine availability rate of 27% against an EU average of 43%; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43429/26]