Parliamentary questions

1972. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the number of dental staff, including dentists, dental nurses, and hygienists, currently employed by the Health Service Executive, by county and by grade in whole-time equivalent (WTE) terms, compared to 1999; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19787/26]

1973. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the number of HSE dental clinics and surgeries currently in operation, by county, compared to 1999; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19788/26]

1974. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Health the timeline for a decision on the Acarizax reimbursement application (HSE100082) is expected; the stage the review process of the application is currently at; whether any interim supports or exceptional access arrangements may be available for patients currently prescribed this treatment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. […

1975. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Health to review the process for the drugs payment scheme with respect to claims for CPAP, assisted breathing device (details supplied). [19824/26]

1976. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health to review correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19826/26]

1977. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health the current status of night support care as part of the HSE Home Support Package; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19832/26]

1978. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health the plans in place to review the provision of night support care as part of the HSE Home Support Package in relation to older persons in particular; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19833/26]

1979. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health if risk assessments were undertaken in the process of service change in a section 38 organisation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19834/26]

1980. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health the reason therapy posts in section 38 organisations that were HSE funded were not filled (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19835/26]

1981. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Health if she will provide supplementary payments or other measures to healthcare support carers in the community who will not be able to afford to travel to parts of East Clare and West Clare due to the dramatically increasing costs of petrol and diesel, some are expected to travel to 1 client up to 44km; and if she will make a statement on the…

1982. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if agency workers working as health care assistants who are not employed directly by the HSE will be entitled to basic protections such as sick pay or guaranteed hours (details supplied). [19851/26]

1983. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Health for an update on the negotiations around the inclusion of the shingles vaccine in the national immunisation programme; when she will make a decision on whether to include the shingles vaccine in the national immunisation programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19852/26]

1984. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Health the action she proposes to take to address the fact that Ireland has the lowest penetration of long acting HIV treatment at 1%; the measures she proposes to take to address logistical issues around the increased resource constraints around the additional staffing requirements in sexual health services; and if she will make a statement on the…

1985. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Health the number of whole time equivalent staff in sexual health service delivery in the HSE, by CHO, in each of the years 2021 to 2025, and to-date in 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19854/26]

1986. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE vacant posts in sexual health service delivery in the HSE, by CHO, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19855/26]

1987. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Health the number of hospital staff that have completed sexual health services signposting training, by CHO, in each of the years 2021 to 2025 and to-date in 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19856/26]

1988. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department requires the Health Service Executive to maintain a centralised register of residential properties owned by the HSE which are vacant; if not, whether she will introduce a policy requirement for the HSE to maintain such a register including the associated annual costs of security, insurance and maintenance; and if she wil…

1989. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has conducted any review or assessment of the number of residential properties owned by the Health Service Executive which are vacant at present; the potential use of such properties for housing or accommodation purposes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19869/26]

1990. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if she will provide a detailed account of the efforts made to identify an appropriate service provider regarding the care needs of a child (details supplied). [19876/26]

1991. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health the number of hours or persons availing of home care hours, from private home care providers contracted by the HSE, to provide such services in County Roscommon and Galway. [19878/26]

1992. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health to advise if the HSE will contract out more private home care providers to meet the waiting list for home care in County Roscommon and Galway to ensure that those who need home care supports receive them, if not from the HSE directly, then contracted via the HSE. [19879/26]

1993. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department or the Health Service Executive has undertaken any national or regional analysis examining the relationship between funded staff vacancy levels and agency staffing expenditure in the public health service; if such analysis has been undertaken, to provide the dates, methodology and key findings of that analysis; and if no…

1994. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the total number of agency staff engaged within the public health service expressed as whole-time equivalents in each regional health area for the years 2024 and 2025; the total associated expenditure on those staff in each region; and the proportion of agency expenditure represented by clinical, nursing, health and social care professionals a…

1995. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the measures introduced since 2024 to reduce reliance on agency staffing within the public health service; the targets set by her Department or the Health Service Executive for reducing agency expenditure; the progress made against those targets to date; and the number of agency workers who have transitioned to direct employment contracts with…

1996. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the reason 50 beds and associated supports at the new Central Mental Hospital (CMH) have not opened, given the urgent need and concerns raised in a recent programme (details supplied) for appropriate mental health facilities; if she will give a commitment to ensure these 50 beds are made available immediately; and if she will make a statement …