Parliamentary questions

1109. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health to clarify the way the proposed legislation on vaping, from a proposed tax purpose, addresses the environmental impact of disposable vapes; and the steps being taken to ensure that responsible adult users of refillable devices are not unfairly impacted. [38751/26]

1110. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Health the timeline for a decision by the HSE drugs group regarding the reimbursement of risdiplam for adults living with spinal muscular atrophy, given the Rare Diseases Technology Review Committee recently met regarding same and is now expected to make its recommendation to the HSE drugs group (details supplied; and if she will make a statement on…

1111. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department or the HSE has carried out any national assessment since 2020 of the annual cost to the Exchequer of unused, expired, uncollected, or otherwise wasted medicines under State-funded medicine schemes; and if she will publish any such assessment. [38763/26]

1112. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE records the quantity and estimated value of unused or expired medicines returned to community pharmacies under State-funded medicine schemes; and if not, whether she intends to establish such a reporting mechanism. [38764/26]

1113. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health what policy measures are currently in place to reduce avoidable medicines waste under the GMS, DPS, LTI and other community drug schemes. [38765/26]

1114. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether his Department has examined the role of repeat prescribing, automatic renewals, phased dispensing, blister-pack changes, and non-adherence in contributing to medicines waste; and whether any reform proposals are under consideration. [38766/26]

1115. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE has a national medicines waste reduction strategy; and if not, whether one will be developed in light of recent research estimating annual medicines waste at over €37.5 million. [38767/26]

1116. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE has estimated the environmental impact of unused or expired medicines, including disposal, incineration, contamination risk, and pharmaceutical residues entering water systems. [38768/26]

1117. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health when the proposed national scheme for safe disposal of unused medicines will be introduced; what funding has been allocated; whether it will involve community pharmacies; and whether it will operate nationally. [38769/26]

1118. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE reimburses medicines which are dispensed but never collected by patients; what safeguards exist to prevent unnecessary reimbursement; and whether data on uncollected medicines is centrally collected. [38770/26]

1119. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether medication reviews for patients on multiple prescriptions are being used systematically to reduce over-prescribing, duplication, and avoidable waste; and what targets or KPIs apply. [38771/26]

1120. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether his Department has assessed potential savings from reducing medicines waste by 10%, 20% or 30%; and whether such savings have been modelled for reinvestment in frontline pharmacy or prescribing services. [38772/26]

1121. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE qualified medical dosimetrists posts filled at University Hospital Waterford as of 18 May 2026; if she will provide the same figures as of 30 June 2023, in tabular form. [38790/26]

1122. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant neurologists with a special interest in migraines and headaches that are based at University Hospital Waterford in each of the years of 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026, in tabular form. [38791/26]

1123. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Health the reason for HSE/National Ambulance Service (NAS) apparently not giving employment to the fully qualified and PHECC registered paramedics on NRS panels whilst the NAS struggles to fill rosters and provide full ambulance cover, including in county Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38795/26]

1124. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Health if an urgent appointment for neurosurgery can be provided to a person living in County Louth (details supplied). [38798/26]

1125. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Health the cost of establishing each integrated healthcare area; and the projected annual cost of operating each integrated healthcare area compared to community healthcare organisations. [38801/26]

1126. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Health the mechanisms in place in her Department to ensure delivery on the commitments in the Programme for Government; the civil servant specifically responsible for overseeing such delivery; the measures that are used to assess progress; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38815/26]

1127. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Health the timeline for a decision by the HSE drugs group regarding the reimbursement of risdiplam for adults living with spinal muscular atrophy. [38838/26]

1128. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any HSE national policy, clinical guideline, serious incident framework, or safety protocol explicitly references signs of life following termination of pregnancy. [38839/26]

1129. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any hospital is required to notify the HSE National Incident Management Team where signs of life are observed following termination of pregnancy. [38840/26]

1130. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE has classified any such event as a serious reportable event, serious incident, or notifiable patient safety incident since 2019. [38841/26]

1131. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has sought legal advice regarding statutory reporting obligations in such cases. [38842/26]

1132. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether HIQA has any inspection, governance, or oversight role in relation to such incidents. [38843/26]

1133. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Health if there will be an independent assessment within the HSE of the pension entitlements of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38844/26]