Parliamentary questions

331. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the way in which the HSE verifies compliance with universal design principles and building regulations for new builds and major refurbishments; to provide the audit process and frequency; and whether post occupancy accessibility testing involving people with visual impairments is mandatory. [17765/26]

332. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the specific tactile, lighting, signage and wayfinding standards the HSE requires in patient facing areas to assist people with visual impairments; to provide examples of mandatory features; and the way in which compliance is monitored. [17766/26]

333. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the HSE’s current programme and prioritisation criteria for retrofitting accessibility features in older buildings; the number of sites scheduled for retrofit in the next three years; and the estimated budget allocation. [17767/26]

334. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the national guidance the HSE issues to local hospitals regarding awareness events (for example International Day for Persons with Disabilities); whether attendance by disability organisations is encouraged or funded; and the way in which the impact of such events is evaluated. [17768/26]

335. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the national and local organisations with which the HSE has formal partnership agreements to support people with visual impairments; to provide the nature of those agreements; and to state whether the HSE has service level agreements for information and training support. [17769/26]

336. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the formal mechanisms which exist for people with visual impairments to provide feedback on HSE services; the way that feedback is recorded and acted upon; and to provide data on the number and types of accessibility complaints received in the past 24-months and the outcomes. [17770/26]

337. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the key performance indicators the HSE uses to measure accessibility for people with disabilities, including visual impairments; to provide the most recent performance data against those indicators; and to state how often the indicators are reviewed. [17771/26]

338. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE will publish an annual accessibility report setting out progress against the national guidelines, training completion rates, access officer activity, retrofit progress and patient feedback; if not, the reason; and if so, the timetable for the first report. [17772/26]

339. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health to provide a list of all hospitals and counties where Specialist Crisis Assessment Nurse (SCAN) services are currently in place; and to identify any hospitals, including Model 4 hospitals, where SCAN services are not yet available. [17780/26]

340. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the number of the 33 funded Specialist Crisis Assessment Nurse Clinical Nurse Specialist posts are currently filled and operational; the number which remain vacant; and when all currently approved posts are expected to be filled. [17781/26]

341. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the recruitment timeline and deployment plan for the additional 12 Specialist Crisis Assessment Nurse posts funded under Budget 2026; and to specify the hospitals and regions where these additional posts will be located. [17782/26]

342. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health whether Specialist Crisis Assessment Nurse services are available on a 24-hour basis in each location; and if not, to detail the operating hours and out-of-hours arrangements for each hospital. [17783/26]

343. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the number of patients who presented to emergency departments in mental health crisis and received assessment, intervention, or support from specialist mental health services, including SCAN nurses and liaison mental health teams, in each of the past three years, broken down by hospital. [17784/26]

344. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the average waiting time for patients presenting to emergency departments with mental health crises to receive assessment by a mental health specialist, broken down by hospital in a tabular form. [17785/26]

345. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health whether each emergency department has a designated separate waiting area or appropriate safe assessment space for patients presenting in mental health crisis; and to identify the hospitals where such facilities are not currently available. [17786/26]

346. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the number Model 4 hospitals that currently have specialist crisis nursing teams in place out-of-hours; and to provide a timeline for full implementation across all Model 4 hospitals. [17787/26]

347. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the interim arrangements in place in hospitals where specialist crisis nursing teams or SCAN services are not yet operational. [17788/26]

348. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1079 of 27 January 2026, if she will review correspondence (details supplied); if she will answer the question referred to therein; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17789/26]

349. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health if she will intervene to ensure that the HSE prioritises a conclusion to the Skyclarys reimbursement negotiations, given that it is the only available treatment for a progressive disease (details supplied) which currently can be classed as having an ‘unmet need’ as outlined in the National Rare Disease Strategy 2025 – 2030; her views on wheth…

350. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health if she will provide an update on the process to allow for the reimbursement of Skyclarys, the only approved treatment for Friedreich’s Ataxia (FA); 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 Rar…

772. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the status of Section 39 pay restoration for organisations funded by her Department; the reason workers in an organisation (details supplied) funded by her Department have received only one round of restoration while HSE-funded colleagues have received full restoration and scheduled increases; her plans to ensure full parity of pay and eliminate…

773. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if a referral for an autism assessment could take place sooner than the current waiting time (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16675/26]

774. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if Ireland will leverage its upcoming Presidency of the EU to spotlight a collaborative effort across the EU to eradicate HIV as a public health threat by 2030, given previous success by Ireland in this public health area through the Dublin Declaration in 2004; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17035/26]

775. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the regulation of the advertising and promotion of infant and follow-on formula both in traditional media and online; the actions she will take to address this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16469/26]

776. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if there is scope for discretionary medical cards to be granted more consistently in cases of chronic illness, or for broader reform of the medical card system; the specific criteria used in assessing eligibility for discretionary medical cards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16214/26]