Parliamentary questions

642. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether minutes, reports, briefing documents, dashboards, or expenditure summaries arising from quarterly treatment abroad scheme oversight meetings with the Department of Health Eligibility Unit are retained centrally. [41208/26]

643. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the treatment abroad scheme maintains outcome-monitoring data regarding procedures funded abroad, including complication rates, revision procedures, adverse events, or follow-up care requirements. [41209/26]

644. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE intends to establish a formal national reporting framework for the treatment abroad scheme including standardised activity, expenditure, and governance reporting. [41210/26]

645. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Comptroller and Auditor General audit of the treatment abroad scheme conducted in 2022 identified any governance, procedural, administrative, documentation, authorisation, oversight, compliance, or record-keeping observations, recommendations, or weaknesses, notwithstanding the statement that there were no findings regarding expendi…

646. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the 2022 Comptroller and Auditor General audit of the treatment abroad scheme examined specific procedure categories or referral pathways and, if so, to provide details of the categories examined. [41212/26]

647. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the 2022 audit of the treatment abroad scheme included examination of prior authorisation processes, consistency of decision-making, regional variations, documentation standards, consultant referral verification, MDT governance procedures, and post-treatment outcome monitoring. [41213/26]

648. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any internal HSE audit, compliance review, governance review, risk assessment, or assurance exercise relating to the treatment abroad scheme has been conducted since the 2022 Comptroller and Auditor General audit. [41214/26]

649. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any recommendations, observations, action points, or governance improvements arose from the 2022 audit of the treatment abroad scheme; and, if so, whether all such actions have been implemented. [41215/26]

650. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE maintains a formal audit trail for all treatment abroad scheme approvals, including consultant recommendations, MDT documentation, authorisation decisions, expenditure approvals, and post-treatment verification documentation. [41216/26]

651. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health the current wait times for appointments at the epilepsy monitoring unit at Cork University Hospital; the number of patients currently awaiting appointments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41219/26]

652. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health the number of the 24 newly opened inpatient beds at Mallow General Hospital that are currently operational; the extent to which these beds are being utilised for step-down transfers from Cork University Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41220/26]

653. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health whether she is aware of concerns raised regarding the absence of overnight anaesthetic cover at Mallow General Hospital; whether this lack of cover is impacting the ability to safely accept transfers from Cork University Hospital; and if she will outline any plans to address this staffing deficit. [41221/26]

654. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health the number of occasions in the past 12 months where patients deemed clinically suitable for transfer from Cork University Hospital to Mallow General Hospital were not accepted; the reasons recorded for those refusals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41222/26]

655. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health if the clinical governance process that was followed prior to the opening of 24 additional inpatient beds at Mallow General Hospital; the person or body that authorised the opening of these beds; whether concerns were raised regarding the absence of overnight anaesthetic cover prior to their opening; and if she will make a statement on the mat…

656. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health whether a formal patient safety or risk assessment was conducted before the opening of the new inpatient beds at Mallow General Hospital; whether this assessment considered emergency deterioration of inpatients overnight; and if she will publish or provide details of the findings. [41224/26]

657. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health the patient cohort that the 24 newly opened inpatient beds at Mallow General Hospital is intended to accommodate; whether these beds are intended for step-down transfers from Model 4 hospitals, direct admissions, elective activity, rehabilitation, or other purposes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41225/26]

658. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health the number of the 24 newly announced inpatient beds at Mallow General Hospital that are considered fully operational for the purposes of accepting transfers from Cork University Hospital on a 24-hour basis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41226/26]

659. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health the alternative rehabilitation capacity has been provided to Cork University Hospital following the loss of Level 2 rehabilitation beds at South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital since December 2025; the estimated additional bed-day burden this has placed on CUH; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41227/26]

660. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health when the Mercy University Hospital regional rehabilitation unit in Blarney is expected to become operational for the acceptance of Level 2 neurorehabilitation patients from Cork University Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41228/26]

661. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health the reason a decision was taken to cease insourcing arrangements at Cork University Hospital without agreed replacement capacity being put in place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41229/26]

662. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health whether she is aware that the cessation of insourcing arrangements at Cork University Hospital has resulted in the loss of approximately 140 endoscopy patient slots per month, including capacity for Priority 1 patients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41230/26]

663. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health whether she is satisfied with the value for money associated with externally provided endoscopy services currently operating in Bantry; the daily cost associated with these services; the number of patients treated per list compared with equivalent services in Cork University Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41231/26]

664. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health if there has ever been precedent set to name a part of a hospital or State owned healthcare facility after a particular individual; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41232/26]

665. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to identify the official, office, unit or governance structure with final responsibility for oversight of the treatment abroad scheme; and to set out the reporting line between that function, the HSE and their Department. [41234/26]

666. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the treatment abroad scheme is subject to a formal written governance framework, programme charter, oversight protocol or internal control framework; if so, when it was approved and last reviewed. [41235/26]