Questions

469. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any baseline assessment of existing chronic pain services, including funding, staffing, capacity, waiting lists and regional variation, has been completed to inform the forthcoming Integrated Model of Care for Acute and Chronic Pain Services; and if so, whether she will publish it. [33473/26]

472. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the forthcoming Integrated Model of Care for Acute and Chronic Pain Services will include minimum staffing standards for each Health Region, including consultant pain medicine, nursing, psychology, physiotherapy and occupational therapy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33476/26]

473. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the forthcoming Integrated Model of Care for Acute and Chronic Pain Services will include implementation timelines, regional funding requirements and measurable performance indicators; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33477/26]

474. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has assessed the risk that patients with chronic pain are subject to unequal access to services depending on their Health Region, given the absence of nationally available funding data for regional chronic pain services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33478/26]

479. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Health if she or her Department have given consideration to targeted financial supports for parents who must rely on feeding formula for babies due medical or other reasons that prevent the safe administration of breastfeeding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33527/26]

481. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Health the measures she and her Department have taken to advocate at an EU level for flexibility in the regulation of breastfeeding and the use and sale of baby formula, which can impact vulnerable families that cannot otherwise safely breastfeed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33530/26]

507. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has issued any interim policy direction, guidance, or governance framework to the HSE in respect of gender-related healthcare services for minors pending completion of the proposed national model of care; and if so, to provide details. [33659/26]

509. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any performance indicators, outcome measures, or clinical quality metrics are currently required or monitored at national level in respect of gender-related healthcare services for minors; and if not, the reason for same. [33661/26]

512. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to outline the timeline and specific milestones for the introduction of a national data collection system, audit and monitoring mechanisms, and a formal governance framework for gender-related healthcare services for minors. [33664/26]

513. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any interim safeguards or escalation mechanisms are currently in place where concerns arise in relation to clinical decision-making, patient outcomes, or safeguarding in gender-related healthcare services for minors; and if so, to provide details. [33665/26]

516. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department or the Health Service Executive has issued any written policy, circular, guidance, or directive since 2018 concerning the reporting, recording, or measurement of activity on a sessional basis in respect of publicly funded health services; if so, to outline the nature, scope, and status of such guidance, including the dates of issuance and th…

517. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if her Department has carried out any work to determine the number of people in Ireland living with myelodysplastic syndrome; if this data is available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33679/26]

541. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the timeline, governance structure, and eligibility criteria for the proposed “sandboxed early access programme” for rare diseases referenced in the National Rare Disease Strategy 2025–2030. [33757/26]

542. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health to provide clarification on the way in which the Mental Health Bill 2024 will be interpreted and applied in relation to adult transgender people seeking gender-affirming hormone therapy; to confirm whether informed consent through a GP, with appropriate information, will be the default pathway without the requirement for prior psychiatric or psychological assessm…

1022. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the absence of a standardised definition of medical necessity in surgical care creates a governance risk in relation to waiting lists, theatre access, and resource allocation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32585/26]

1023. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether she will request the HSE to prepare options for improved reporting on theatre-capacity allocation, including reporting by specialty, urgency, elective status, and clinical priority; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32586/26]

1042. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 953 of 24 March 2026, whether the national guideline for the diagnosis and management of lipoedema referenced will include provision for surgical intervention; if not, the policy basis for excluding surgical treatment from the national care pathway; and whether patients will be supported to access surgical care where clinical…

1043. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the estimated number of persons living with lipoedema in the State; the projected demand for services under the proposed national care pathway; and the current and planned service capacity within the public health system to meet this demand. [32621/26]

1044. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the total budget allocation assigned to the development and implementation of the national lipoedema care pathway; the costings associated with clinical services, education programmes and patient supports; and whether dedicated funding has been ring-fenced for this purpose. [32622/26]

1045. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the governance framework underpinning the national lipoedema care pathway, including the identity and role of the clinical lead, reporting arrangements to the Department, and whether a formal audit, evaluation, or outcomes monitoring mechanism will be established. [32623/26]

1047. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 953 of 24 March 2026, the exact publication date for the national lipoedema guideline referenced in; the reasons for any delay beyond the second quarter of 2026; and whether a full implementation plan will be published alongside the guideline [32625/26]

1048. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the national lipoedema care pathway will include defined referral criteria, multidisciplinary team structures, and standardised diagnostic protocols across all regions; and if she will outline these components. [32626/26]

1049. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the expected waiting times for assessment and treatment under the proposed lipoedema care pathway; and whether waiting list data will be collected and published on a regular basis. [32627/26]

1050. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the lipoedema care pathway will be delivered on a national basis with equal access across all Community Healthcare Organisation areas; and if she will provide a breakdown of planned service locations. [32628/26]

1051. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the clinical evidence and policy analysis used to inform the scope of the national lipoedema guideline; and whether international best practice, including surgical treatment options, was considered in its development. [32629/26]