Parliamentary questions

947. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive an appointment for cataract surgery, given that there was a delay through no fault of their own in the referral made by their optician to the HSE; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32378/26]

948. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the number of dentists registered to provide GMS services in Cork in each of the years 2019 to 2025 and to date in 2026, in tabular form. [32380/26]

949. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the number of GPs registered to provide GMS services in Cork in each of the years 2019 to 2025 and to date in 2026, in tabular form. [32381/26]

950. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether a formal definition of "medically indicated" is applied by Children's Health Ireland in the scheduling of elective paediatric procedures; whether this definition is standardised nationally; and if she will provide the criteria used. [32408/26]

951. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any audit, internal or external, has been conducted within the past five years to verify that all elective paediatric procedures undertaken within Children's Health Ireland meet the threshold of medical necessity; and if she will provide details of any such audits. [32409/26]

952. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department or the HSE requires Children's Health Ireland to classify elective procedures by urgency, clinical necessity, or priority category for the purpose of capacity planning; and if she will outline any such classification framework. [32410/26]

953. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any modelling or scenario analysis has been conducted at Department or HSE level on the impact of theatre allocation decisions on paediatric waiting lists; and if she will provide details of same. [32411/26]

954. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the allocation of paediatric surgical theatre time is subject to any national performance or value-for-money oversight framework; and if she will outline the mechanisms in place. [32412/26]

955. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health for an overview of the regulation and oversight of private home-care companies. [32421/26]

956. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the auditing of allocated homecare hours that is delivered by private home-care companies; and whether the HSE has any way to know that it is not paying for hours not delivered. [32423/26]

957. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the protections that exist for home care staff in HSE-funded services regarding excessive hours, pressure from management, and lack of accountability. [32425/26]

958. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health whether the management teams of private homecare providers receive commission for taking on HSE-funded clients; and the oversight that exists of these funding arrangements. [32427/26]

959. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if she is aware of serious concerns that have been raised regarding inadequate nursing staffing levels in St. Finbarr’s ward, University Hospital Galway; the current nurse-to-patient ratios on the ward; and whether these staffing levels meet national patient safety and care standards, particularly for vulnerable elderly patients. [32461/26]

960. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the number of formal complaints received by University Hospital Galway in the past 12 months relating to staffing levels or patient safety concerns in St. Finbarr’s ward; whether such complaints have been escalated beyond the Patient Advocacy and Liaison Service (PALS); and the actions, if any, which have been taken by hospital management or t…

961. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the immediate measures that are being taken to address ongoing nursing staff shortages in St. Finbarr’s ward, University Hospital Galway; whether additional permanent or agency nursing staff are being deployed; and the medium to long-term recruitment and retention plans in place to prevent a recurrence of risks to patient safety and standards …

962. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the national average caseload per Suicide Crisis Assessment Nurse (SCAN) post in 2025; and if she will provide a breakdown by Community Healthcare Organisation area. [32470/26]

963. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the highest and lowest caseload recorded per SCAN post in 2025; and if she will provide the figures by region. [32471/26]

964. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any national or departmental guidance sets a recommended or maximum caseload threshold per SCAN nurse; if so, the thresholds applied; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32472/26]

965. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Department or the HSE monitors instances where SCAN caseloads exceed recommended or safe levels; if so, the number of such instances recorded in 2024 and 2025. [32473/26]

966. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the total number of referrals made to SCAN services in 2025, including those accepted and not accepted for assessment; and if she will provide a breakdown by region. [32474/26]

967. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of referrals to SCAN services deemed ineligible or redirected to alternative pathways in 2025; and the mechanisms in place to record and monitor such cases. [32475/26]

968. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether a national dataset is maintained on referrals not accepted by SCAN services; if not, the reason for the absence of such data; and any plans to introduce it. [32476/26]

969. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the average waiting time from GP referral to SCAN assessment in 2025; and if she will provide the longest recorded waiting times by region. [32477/26]

970. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether SCAN service capacity, caseload pressures, or unmet demand are recorded as risks within any HSE or Departmental risk register; and if she will outline the governance arrangements in place. [32478/26]

971. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any internal audit, external audit, or review has been conducted on SCAN service capacity, caseload management, or service effectiveness since the introduction of the 2022 Model of Care; if so, to provide details and findings. [32479/26]