Parliamentary questions

1997. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health the legal measures or other options that are in place in a situation where a family member believes another family member is exercising coercive control over a parent, where that family member has moved in with that parent; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19899/26]

1998. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Health to consider including stiff person syndrome on the long term illness scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19903/26]

1999. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health to urgently reverse the respite cut from four weeks to two weeks given the four weeks was a tremendous help to families and carers who give 24/7 care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19904/26]

2000. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Health her plans to raise awareness of the new organ donation consent legislation as awareness levels are very low; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19909/26]

2001. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health if she is reviewing the requirement on families to maintain indefinite responsibility for the care of a dependent adult with impaired decision-making capacity; the affects of restrictions in their participation of formal decisions affecting that person; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19913/26]

2002. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Health her plans to raise public awareness of new laws pertaining to organ donation; and the public information measures that will be put in place this year. [19915/26]

2003. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the criteria for referring patients under the National Treatment Purchase Fund from the public waiting list at Beaumont Hospital for treatment in another hospital given patients are waiting 2 years for treatment currently (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19923/26]

2004. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the number of graduate audiologists recruited into HSE-funded posts in each of the years from 2021 to 2025; the geographic breakdown of those appointments by CHO area and hospital group; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19936/26]

2005. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the number of audiologists recruited into HSE-funded posts in each of the years from 2021 to 2025; the number of audiology vacancies recorded in each of these years; the current geographic distribution of audiology workforce capacity across CHO areas and hospital groups; the measures in place to support workforce planning and ensure adequat…

2006. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the clinical placement capacity available across HSE services for each Health and Social Care Profession (HSCP) discipline including but not limited to audiology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, dietetics, medical science, radiography, and other therapy/HSCP programmes for each of the years from 2021 to 202…

2007. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health further to the publication of the draft National Drugs Strategy 2026-2029, to outline the proposed governance, funding flows and accountability arrangements for the regional structures within the HSE Health Regions; whether Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces will retain independent governance and decision-making authority over locally delivere…

2008. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health the way in which funding will be allocated within the proposed regional structures under the draft National Drugs Strategy 2026-2029; whether deprivation, social exclusion and patterns of entrenched drug-related harm will be formally weighted alongside population in determining resource allocation; and if she will publish the criteria to be us…

2009. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health the specific measures that will be put in place to protect the independent, community-led role of Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces under the proposed regional governance arrangements in the draft National Drugs Strategy 2026-2029; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19959/26]

2010. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health whether, under the proposed regional structures in the draft National Drugs Strategy 2026-2029, all public funding for community-based drug services, including Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces, will be pooled at HSE Health Region level; the safeguards which will be put in place to prevent dilution of funding to areas of high deprivation; and…

2011. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department receives aggregated national reporting from the Health Service Executive on the number of medical cards granted on a discretionary basis under the general medical services scheme; the total number of discretionary medical card applications received, approved and refused in each of the years from 2020 to 2025 across all a…

2012. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the national policy guidance or governance framework that applies to the exercise of discretion in medical card eligibility decisions following a means assessment under the general medical services scheme; and whether her Department reviews or audits the operation of discretionary decision-making to ensure national consistency. [19962/26]

2013. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department or the Health Service Executive analyses regional or geographic variation in the granting or refusal of discretionary medical cards under the general medical services scheme; and whether any reports or internal reviews have been conducted on trends in discretionary decision-making from 2020 to 2025. [19963/26]

2014. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department maintains national data on discretionary medical card decisions affecting persons aged over 70 years-of-age; the number of discretionary applications considered for that cohort in each of the years from 2020 to 2025; the number approved; the number refused; and whether any policy review has been undertaken in relation to…

2015. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of applications for discretionary medical cards under the general medical services scheme that were refused but where applicants were subsequently granted a GP visit card in each of the years from 2020 to 2025; and whether the Department monitors such outcomes as part of its policy oversight of medical card eligibility decisions. [1…

2016. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the recent changes to the practice of issuing permanent contracts to newly qualified paramedics in the National Ambulance Service; the reason for this change; when the change was brought to the attention of her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19970/26]

2017. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the number of newly qualified paramedics that have recently completed training with the National Ambulance Service but have not been issued permanent contracts. [19971/26]

2018. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of training a paramedic within the National Ambulance Service. [19972/26]

2019. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the current staffing shortfall within the National Ambulance Service. [19973/26]

2020. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health whether the Health Service Executive, or any public hospital within the State, has funded or paid tuition fees for students enrolled on a graduate programme in clinical measurement physiology at a university (details supplied); if so, the number of students whose tuition fees have been funded by the HSE or individual public hospitals; the …

2021. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health to reconsider a change in policy for awarding permanent contracts in an organisation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19978/26]