Parliamentary questions

1947. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health to provide a breakdown of the way in which the €1.4 million allocated in Budget 2024 for SMA/SCID implementation has been spent to date; and whether any additional funding will be required to ensure timely commencement. [19690/26]

1948. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the expected timelines and criteria for considering further conditions for inclusion in the National Newborn Bloodspot Screening Programme, in line with the Programme for Government commitment to ongoing expansion. [19691/26]

1949. Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Health the specific steps being taken to ensure the HSE considers the 'time-critical' nature of FA during the current price negotiations for Skyclarys; the way in which the commitments in the National Rare Disease Strategy 2025-2030 and the 2026 IPHA Framework Agreement (which aims for a 180-day decision timeline) are being applied to this specif…

1950. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health for an update on the age profile of the national linear accelerator (Linac) fleet. [19698/26]

1951. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the assessment which has been made of the impact on patient access and treatment delays arising from older Linacs, noting that machines over ten years break down much more often and that this leads to downtime & delays. [19699/26]

1952. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the total expenditure on outsourced radiotherapy services in 2025; and whether this cost could be reduced through timely equipment replacement. [19700/26]

1953. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the measures being taken to address the strain on medical physics staff caused by large scale simultaneous Linac replacements, given the statement that such an approach puts an enormous strain on medical physics staff colleagues. [19701/26]

1954. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health if she will establish a National Radiotherapy Equipment Replacement Programme to provide predictable, coordinated investment and ensure equitable access to modern radiotherapy regardless of location. [19702/26]

1955. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the immediate actions that are being taken to address the fact that 6,175 people breached the recommended 28-day wait time for an urgent colonoscopy between January and November 2025, given that these are symptomatic patients for whom delayed diagnosis increases the risk of later stage cancer. [19703/26]

1956. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health if she will examine the practice whereby endoscopy units are temporarily shut and repurposed for other hospital pressures, including emergency department overflow, as highlighted by clinicians who note that this practice reduces diagnostic capacity at times of high demand. [19704/26]

1957. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the assessment her Department has made of the impact on cancer outcomes arising from delays in accessing urgent colonoscopy. [19705/26]

1958. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the long term strategy to expand endoscopy services in line with rising demand driven by an ageing population and increased public awareness of the need for diagnostic testing. [19706/26]

1959. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Health following the publication of the draft National Drugs Strategy 2026–2029, the proposed governance and accountability arrangements for the regional structures to be established within the HSE Health Regions; the way in which community-based drug services, including Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces, will be represented within these structur…

1960. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the criteria that will be used by HSE health regions to allocate funding for drug and alcohol services under the draft National Drugs Strategy 2026–2029; the way in which population-based planning will be balanced with measures of deprivation and unmet need; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19720/26]

1961. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the measures that will be put in place to support and strengthen the community-led role of Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces within the proposed regional governance arrangements under the draft National Drugs Strategy 2026–2029; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19721/26]

1962. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health for an update on a matter regarding the National Ambulance Service (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19722/26]

1963. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health if she will provide a detailed breakdown documenting the way in which the children's school flu programme is funded; the annual overall cost of the programme; the amount allocated for school-based delivery; and the number of participating schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19727/26]

1964. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Health the specific actions being taken to ensure that the HSE recognises and responds to the time-critical nature of Friedreich’s ataxia in the ongoing price negotiations for Skyclarys (Omaveloxolone); the way in which the commitments contained within the National Rare Disease Strategy 2025–2030 and the 2026 IPHA Framework Agreement, including the…

1965. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health when funding will be granted for a child (detail supplied) who requires APOS; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19734/26]

1966. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if she is aware that a child in Cork who is classified as Priority 1 has been waiting since January 2025 for an AAC assessment and device trial through the Health Service Executive; the immediate steps she will take to expedite the assessment and provide the necessary support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19749/26]

1967. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the current waiting times for AAC assessments and device trials for children nationally; the number of children waiting longer than six, 12, and 24 months; and the measures being taken to reduce these delays. [19750/26]

1968. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of speech and language therapy posts sanctioned, filled, and vacant within the HSE disability services; the number of posts assigned specifically to AAC and complex communication pathways; and the action being taken to address shortages impacting timely access to AAC assessments. [19751/26]

1969. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether she will review the policy that only publicly employed SLTs can apply for AAC device funding; whether alternative pathways for families facing extreme delays are under consideration; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19752/26]

1970. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health if consideration has been given to prioritise the reimbursement of Skyclarys (omaveloxolone) under the current drugs reimbursement process for the treatment for Friedreich's Ataxia; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19753/26]

1971. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Health the number of paediatric social admissions by hospital, by year, from 2021 to 2025 and to-date in 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19773/26]