Parliamentary questions

234. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Health the steps needed to ensure the timely provision of a new ambulance station in Drogheda; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40500/26]

235. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the provision of treatment to adults with SMA, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, that is available to under-18s; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40525/26]

236. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Health the reason the HSE decided not to proceed with the proposed outsourcing of occupational therapy and speech and language therapy services for the Children’s Disability Network Team in North Kildare; to detail the criteria and assessment processes applied in reaching this decision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40533/26]

237. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health for an update in relation to an assessment of needs request (details supplied). [40540/26]

238. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if she will provide a full update on the status of the new dementia-specific residential care unit currently awaiting HIQA registration in the Cork region; the expected timeline for the unit to become operational and begin admitting residents into its 20-bed capacity; the specific HIQA registration requirements that remain outstanding; a…

239. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the current waiting times for processing fair deal scheme applications through the HSE South West Nursing Homes Support Office, given that approximately 558 applications were processed in Cork and Kerry to date this year; if she will confirm whether her Department is satisfied that the current common summation process does not cause undu…

240. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the number of adults with disabilities in the HSE South-West region who are currently on waiting lists for residential respite placements; the average waiting time for such placements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40566/26]

241. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the reason a facility (details supplied) operates four nights per week rather than seven nights per week in line with other residential respite providers in Cork; if she will confirm whether additional funding is being considered to extend the operating hours of this facility to meet local demand; and if she will make a statement on the …

242. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if she will outline the current status of the Community Neuro-Rehabilitation Team established in the HSE South West region; the number of posts allocated and filled to date across all disciplines including consultant in rehabilitation medicine, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, psychology, social work, nur…

243. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if she will provide a full update on a respite project in Cork (details supplied); if she will confirm that the design team tender was lodged in May 2026 as planned; whether the projected completion date of Q4 2026 remains on track [40577/26]

244. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if she will outline the current waiting list for the CUMH Complex Menopause Clinic at the Kinsale Road Clinic in Cork; if she will confirm whether the reduction in waiting list numbers from 382 patients in May 2025 to 149 patients in May 2026 is sustainable given growing demand for specialist menopause services; and if she will make a st…

245. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the current capacity of the Regional Fertility Hub at the Lee Clinic in Cork given that referrals increased from 710 in 2023 to 1,144 in 2024 before reducing to 1,010 in 2025; whether the reduction in referrals in 2025 reflects a capacity constraint rather than a reduction in demand; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40579…

246. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE has conducted any analysis of cumulative exposure patterns arising from repeated manganese exceedances in drinking water supplies serving Cork city since 2024; and if she will provide details of any such analysis. [40592/26]

247. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE has independently verified assurances provided by Uisce Éireann that consumers in Cork city are not being exposed to manganese concentrations above 80 µg/l on an ongoing basis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40593/26]

248. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any epidemiological, toxicological, neurological or environmental-health expertise was consulted before determining that no population-level public health risk assessment was indicated in relation to repeated manganese exceedances in Cork city drinking water supplies. [40594/26]

249. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE maintains any centralised dataset tracking repeated manganese exceedances by location, duration, recurrence frequency and estimated population exposure. [40595/26]

250. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether precautionary guidance was considered for vulnerable groups, including infants, children and pregnant women, in areas affected by repeated manganese exceedances in Cork city drinking water supplies since 2024. [40596/26]

251. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the total expenditure incurred by the HSE on consultant recruitment advertising in each year since 2021, broken down by publication, online platform and recruitment channel, including the British Medical Journal, LinkedIn, Publicjobs and international medical journals. [40602/26]

252. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE has undertaken any value-for-money assessment of consultant recruitment advertising expenditure in medical journals where only 1% of applicants reported seeing advertisements through journal publications. [40604/26]

253. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of interviews conducted arising from consultant recruitment campaigns in 2025 and to date in 2026; the proportion resulting in appointments; and the average time from advertisement to contract issue. [40605/26]

254. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of consultant candidates who declined offers of appointment in 2025 and to date in 2026; the primary reasons identified; and whether consultant contract terms, pay competitiveness or workload concerns were cited. [40606/26]

255. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any analysis has been conducted on the effectiveness of Publicjobs compared with international journal advertising in generating consultant appointments. [40607/26]

256. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of consultant recruitment campaigns in 2025 which fail. [40608/26]

257. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the total annual expenditure under the treatment abroad scheme in each year since 2020; the number of approved patients in each year; and the average approved expenditure per patient annually. [40614/26]

258. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether expenditure and activity data reviewed during quarterly treatment abroad scheme oversight meetings with the Department of Health is recorded in a standardised reporting format; and if she will provide copies of the reporting templates used. [40615/26]