Parliamentary questions

1097. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to specify the exact nature of the issues identified during the refurbishment works at Daisy Unit, Heather House Community Nursing Unit which led to the extension of the project timeline; whether these issues relate to structural defects, fire compliance, asbestos, design deficiencies, or contractor performance; and if she will provide a detai…

1098. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the original approved project budget for the fire safety works at Daisy Unit, Heather House Community Nursing Unit; the current projected final cost; the value of any additional works identified; and whether contingency funding has been utilised. [32710/26]

1099. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health what interim fire safety measures and risk mitigation protocols are in place for residents and staff during the ongoing works at Daisy Unit, Heather House Community Nursing Unit; and whether any risk assessments have identified elevated safety concerns during the construction period. [32711/26]

1100. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the delay in completion of fire safety works at Daisy Unit, Heather House Community Nursing Unit is expected to impact bed capacity, admissions, or service delivery; and if so, the extent of such impact. [32712/26]

1101. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the fire risk assessment report completed in October 2024 in respect of the Daisy Unit, Heather House Community Nursing Unit classified the identified fire safety risks by severity level; if so, the classification assigned; and whether the unit was deemed compliant with applicable fire safety regulations at that time. [32719/26]

1102. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health what decision-making process led to the closure of the Daisy Unit, Heather House Community Nursing Unit in February 2025 following a fire risk assessment completed in October 2024; the dates on which the findings were reviewed; the level within the HSE or Department at which the decision to close was approved; and whether alternative mitigatio…

1103. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the findings of the October 2024 fire risk assessment relating to the Daisy Unit, Heather House Community Nursing Unit were formally notified to the relevant fire authority or to HIQA; if so, the dates of such notifications; and whether any compliance directions or recommendations were issued by those bodies. [32721/26]

1104. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether residents continued to occupy the Daisy Unit, Heather House Community Nursing Unit in the period between the completion of the fire risk assessment in October 2024 and its closure in February 2025; and if so, the fire safety or risk mitigation measures that were put in place during that period. [32722/26]

1105. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether a copy of the October 2024 fire risk assessment report relating to the Daisy Unit, Heather House Community Nursing Unit will be made available; and if not, the specific legal or policy basis upon which it is being withheld. [32729/26]

1106. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the fire safety risks identified in the October 2024 assessment of the Daisy Unit, Heather House Community Nursing Unit were recorded on any HSE corporate, regional, or site-specific risk register; and if so, the risk rating assigned and the dates on which the risk status was reviewed or escalated. [32730/26]

1107. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any internal audit, external audit, or independent review has been undertaken in relation to the fire safety risks identified at the Daisy Unit, Heather House Community Nursing Unit and the subsequent decision to close the unit; and if so, to provide details of the scope, dates, and findings of such reviews. [32731/26]

1108. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health what capital funding, if any, was allocated or approved to address the infrastructural fire safety risks identified in the October 2024 assessment of the Daisy Unit, Heather House Community Nursing Unit; the estimated cost of required remediation works; and whether such works were progressed prior to the decision to close the unit. [32732/26]

1109. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether a formal options appraisal was conducted following the October 2024 fire risk assessment of the Daisy Unit, Heather House Community Nursing Unit to assess remediation, partial closure, or continued operation with mitigation measures; and if so, to provide the outcome of that appraisal. [32733/26]

1110. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any residents displaced from the Daisy Unit, Heather House Community Nursing Unit following its closure in February 2025 were relocated to alternative facilities; the number of residents affected; and whether any impact assessment was carried out in relation to continuity of care and patient welfare arising from the closure. [32734/26]

1111. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the legal and governance basis upon which Children's Health Ireland holds final decision-making authority regarding the timing of patient transfer to the National Children's Hospital; and whether this authority is set out in statute, contract, or administrative arrangement. [32736/26]

1112. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE or the Department of Health retains any power to override or delay a Go/No-Go decision made by the Children's Health Ireland Board; and if so, the circumstances under which such intervention may occur. [32737/26]

1113. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the specific clinical, operational, and patient safety criteria used by Children's Health Ireland to determine "organisational readiness" for transfer to the National Children's Hospital; and whether these criteria will be published. [32738/26]

1114. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any independent external validation or audit is required before a Go/No-Go decision on the transfer to the National Children's Hospital is confirmed; and if so, to provide details. [32739/26]

1115. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health what contingency planning is in place in the event that a Go/No-Go decision is reversed within the 15-day decision window; and the estimated operational and financial impact of such a reversal. [32740/26]

1116. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to provide the exact whole-time equivalent staffing complement currently assigned to the dementia-specific unit at Heather House Community Nursing Unit, broken down by grade, including nursing, healthcare assistants, and all support staff. [32743/26]

1117. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether a final, formally approved workforce model has been signed off for Heather House Community Nursing Unit; if so, the date of approval; and if not, the reason a unit is reopening in advance of such approval. [32744/26]

1118. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to confirm whether the current staffing levels at the dementia-specific unit at Heather House Community Nursing Unit are fully compliant with HIQA standards for residential care settings; and whether any risks or variances have been identified. [32745/26]

1119. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether full funding has been formally approved and allocated for the complete staffing complement required to operate the dementia-specific unit at Heather House Community Nursing Unit at full capacity; and if not, the shortfall. [32746/26]

1120. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the staffing model originally developed for a 104-bed facility has been revised to reflect the reduction in capacity to approximately 102 beds and the dementia unit reduction from 19 to 17 beds; and to provide the updated model. [32747/26]

1121. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any patients in the State currently have access to omaveloxolone, marketed as Skyclarys, for Friedreich’s ataxia through compassionate use, named patient access, hospital-level approval, exceptional funding, or any other interim access mechanism pending a final HSE reimbursement decision; and if she will make a statement on the matter.…