Parliamentary questions

259. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the treatment abroad scheme records activity data by clinical speciality, treatment category, age cohort or referral pathway; and if she will provide a breakdown of the categories currently recorded. [40616/26]

260. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the dates on which the treatment abroad scheme was audited by the HSE Internal Audit function or the Comptroller and Auditor General since 2020; the scope of each audit; and whether any recommendations or governance concerns were identified. [40617/26]

261. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any internal reports, dashboards, expenditure summaries or performance-monitoring documents relating to the treatment abroad scheme are routinely furnished to the Department of Health; and if she will provide details of the documents concerned. [40618/26]

262. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the treatment abroad scheme maintains separate expenditure or activity reporting for referrals involving minors. [40619/26]

263. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of treatment abroad scheme applications submitted, approved, refused and withdrawn in each HSE health region in each year since 2020. [40620/26]

264. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any internal analysis has been conducted comparing treatment abroad scheme referral rates per capita across HSE health regions. [40621/26]

265. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any equality impact assessment or access equity review has been conducted in relation to regional variation in treatment abroad scheme utilisation. [40622/26]

266. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the dates and titles of all Internal Audit Office or Comptroller and Auditor General audits relating to the treatment abroad scheme since 2020. [40623/26]

267. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any approval-rate benchmarking exists between specialties, consultants or regions under the treatment abroad scheme. [40624/26]

268. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health which officer or division holds responsibility for monitoring consistency of treatment abroad scheme decision-making nationally. [40625/26]

269. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the reason for the high number of urgent day case breaches recorded at Cork University Maternity Hospital as reflected in the Sláintecare KPI data contained in the HSE South-West Cork Oireachtas briefing of 18 May 2026; the steps being taken to reduce the number of urgent breaches at that hospital; and if she will make a statement on the…

270. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the reason the number of inpatient beds at Cork University Maternity Hospital has remained static at 143 beds from 2020 to 2025 despite outpatient referrals to the hospital increasing by 53% from 12,599 in 2023 to 19,272 in 2025; her plans to increase inpatient bed capacity at CUMH to meet this growing demand; and if she will make a stat…

271. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the reason South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital recorded the lowest KPI attainment rate for inpatients of any hospital listed in the HSE South-West Cork Oireachtas Briefing of 18 May 2026 at 35.79%; the specific measures are being implemented to address the 344 breaches and 40 urgent breaches recorded at that hospital; and if she…

272. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the current number of children waiting for autism assessment across Cork, given that HSE South-West data confirms a combined total of 2,174 children waiting across Cork north and east and Cork south and west integrated health areas; the steps being taken to address the fact that there are currently only three providers delivering autism …

273. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health her plans to establish a primary care autism assessment team within HSE South-West given that the Cork Oireachtas briefing of 18 May 2026 confirms that no assessments are currently conducted directly within primary care HSE South-West; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40633/26]

274. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the current number of children and adolescents on the orthodontic assessment and treatment waiting list at St. Finbarr's Hospital Cork, given that HSE South-West data as of May 2026 confirms a total of 2,980 patients waiting; the reason specialist orthodontists who have left the service have not been replaced; the immediate recruitment m…

275. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the national orthodontic waiting list initiatives currently being applied in Cork and Kerry through the National Oral Health Office; the reason uptake from private providers in Cork remains minimal despite the severity of waiting times; the alternative measures being considered to reduce a waiting list that has grown to 2,980 patients; a…

276. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE South-West region remains on target to address all community audiology clients waiting over 52 weeks by the June 2026 deadline as stated in the Cork Oireachtas Briefing of 18 May 2026; the measures put in place to sustain the reductions achieved in waiting lists for children aged 5 to 17 years, children aged 0 to 4 years,…

277. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the reason new psychology vacancies arising in HSE South-West after March 2026 have been submitted for approval pending REMT approval due to regional whole-time equivalent ceiling limits; whether these ceiling limits are preventing the timely filling of posts that are critical to reducing primary care psychology waiting lists in Cork and…

278. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the current number of patients on the primary care psychology waiting list in the HSE South-West region; if she will confirm whether the ten additional primary care psychology posts recently approved following a business case submission to the South-West REMT will be sufficient to address current demand; and given that six of the seven s…

279. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the current average waiting time for Irish cancer patients to access newly approved medicines; if she will confirm whether the average waiting time of 644 days, as documented by patient advocacy organisations, accurately reflects the current position; the interim measures being put in place to reduce this waiting time given that the new …

280. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the proportion of innovative oncology medicines approved at European level that are currently available and reimbursed in Ireland; the reason this proportion remains at approximately 25% given that the 180-day reimbursement timeline has been a legislative requirement under the Health Act 2013 for over a decade; the accountability measure…

281. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the current status of the proposed expansion of the drugs group to include patient and public interest members as committed to under the new framework agreement on medicines published in March 2026; whether an expression of interest process has been initiated to identify suitable patient representatives; given that no such process has be…

282. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if she will provide a specific update on the design and implementation of an early access scheme for medicines in Ireland, as referenced in the new framework agreement on medicines published in March 2026; whether a pilot has been announced or a design process initiated that includes patients and clinicians; the timeline within which a f…

283. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the current timeline for the procurement and full implementation of the national One Health Record electronic health system; if she will confirm whether patients will have access to a patient portal as part of the rollout given that St. James's Hospital has almost completed its electronic health record implementation with no patient port…