Parliamentary questions

1409. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any national policy exists setting minimum audit, outcome-monitoring or data-governance requirements before new healthcare pathways, treatment programmes or overseas referral arrangements are operationally supported by the State. [39758/26]

1410. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Department considers reliance on general HSE governance structures, in the absence of pathway-specific audit systems or national datasets, sufficient to satisfy the State's safeguarding and patient-safety obligations. [39759/26]

1411. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any internal Departmental guidance exists governing when issues categorised as "service matters" nonetheless require direct Ministerial oversight due to governance, safeguarding or expenditure concerns. [39760/26]

1412. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any independent external review has examined the adequacy of national audit and oversight systems across healthcare pathways involving overseas treatment referrals, vulnerable patients or cross-border care arrangements since 2020. [39761/26]

1413. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Department has identified any governance risks arising from fragmented or non-interoperable national healthcare datasets across different HSE divisions, regions or programmes. [39762/26]

1414. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any centralised framework exists governing long-term outcome monitoring for minors referred abroad for treatment or assessment under publicly funded healthcare schemes. [39773/26]

1415. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any formal safeguarding review process applies where minors are referred outside the State for healthcare interventions under HSE-funded schemes. [39774/26]

1416. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any Departmental or HSE official holds specific national responsibility for governance oversight of minors referred abroad under the Treatment Abroad Scheme; and if she will provide details. [39775/26]

1417. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Department or HSE has conducted any assessment regarding the legal, safeguarding or governance implications of overseas referrals involving minors in circumstances where no national long-term outcomes database exists. [39776/26]

1418. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any review has examined whether existing HSE governance systems are sufficient to monitor long-term psychological, safeguarding or clinical outcomes for minors referred abroad for healthcare interventions. [39777/26]

1419. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any national reporting mechanism exists for adverse incidents, safeguarding concerns, regret outcomes or complaints associated with minors referred abroad under publicly funded healthcare pathways. [39778/26]

1420. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any standardised post-treatment follow-up protocol applies to minors returning to Ireland following healthcare treatment, assessment or intervention abroad funded directly or indirectly by the State. [39779/26]

1421. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Department or HSE maintains any national estimate of the number of minors currently engaged in overseas healthcare pathways supported directly or indirectly through public funding arrangements. [39780/26]

1422. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any national framework exists governing audit, quality assurance and value-for-money assessment of overseas referrals funded through the Treatment Abroad Scheme. [39781/26]

1423. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Department intends to establish a national classification framework distinguishing medically necessary procedures from elective, quality-of-life, experimental or non-urgent procedures for public funding and governance purposes. [39782/26]

1424. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health if she will consider extending the medical card scheme to cover autism assessments for adults given the cost of such assessments can be a barrier for adults; if she will ensure that adults with autism are diagnosed correctly and therefore not prevented from accessing supports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39783/26]

1425. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of agency staff converted to permanent employment under the July 2025 framework, by Health Region and staff grade. [39785/26]

1426. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the percentage reduction in agency staffing expenditure achieved in each Health Region since implementation of the July 2025 agency conversion framework. [39786/26]

1427. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE centrally monitors variation between Health Regions in the implementation of agency staff conversion policies; and whether any region has been identified as underperforming. [39787/26]

1428. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any national targets, timelines or KPIs have been established for reducing long-term agency staffing dependency across the health service. [39788/26]

1429. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the services or specialties currently most dependent on long-term agency staffing, by Health Region. [39789/26]

1430. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE assesses the impact of repeated agency staff turnover on continuity of care, patient outcomes, or service quality. [39790/26]

1431. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any independent audit or value-for-money review has been conducted regarding agency staff conversion measures introduced in July 2025. [39791/26]

1432. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether agency staffing suppliers are performance monitored nationally; and whether any suppliers have been subject to sanctions, restrictions, or removal from approved frameworks since 2020. [39792/26]

1433. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any HSE information systems operate with formally defined acceptable error-rate thresholds; and if she will provide details by system category. [39810/26]