Parliamentary questions

498. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of service arrangements with approved providers under the home support authorisation scheme that have been suspended or terminated due to non-compliance since the scheme's commencement in 2023, broken down by year and by integrated health area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50576/26]

499. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to confirm whether any approved provider has ever been removed from the home support authorisation scheme for non-compliance; if so, the number of such cases, the year in which each occurred and the specific grounds on which each removal was made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50577/26]

500. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to confirm whether compliance inspections under the home support authorisation scheme are conducted on an announced or unannounced basis as standard practice, given that this specific question was not addressed in the Department's reply of 26 June 2026; the proportion of inspections in each category since 2023; and if she will make a statement …

501. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health given the Department's confirmation that the HSE does not currently publish a standardised public compliance or performance rating system for private home support providers, whether the Department will request the HSE to introduce one; the timeline for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50579/26]

502. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to provide the specific euro threshold or thresholds above which Grade VII approval no longer applies to treatment abroad scheme applications; the grade or officeholder responsible for authorising applications above each such threshold; and the nature of the "applicable derogations" referenced in the Health Service Executive's reply of 19th Jun…

503. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to confirm directly whether the Health Service Executive has ever conducted an analysis of referral concentration, repeat provider usage, or high-cost treatment clustering under the treatment abroad scheme since 2020; if no such analysis has been conducted, to state the reason; and if one has been conducted, to provide the date and findings. [5…

504. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to confirm whether the Health Service Executive maintains any record of treatment abroad scheme applications escalated beyond the treatment abroad office in Kilkenny; if such a record exists, to provide the number of escalated cases by year since 2020; and if no such record exists, to confirm this directly. [50584/26]

505. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health given that individual figures may be withheld on confidentiality grounds, to provide the highest individual expenditure approved under the treatment abroad scheme in each year since 2020 in banded form (for example, within ranges of €50,000); and to confirm whether any approved application since 2020 exceeded €500,000. [50585/26]

506. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to confirm directly whether the Comptroller and Auditor General has examined the treatment abroad scheme specifically at any point since 2020; to provide the date of any such examination; and to confirm whether any external, non-HSE body has conducted a value-for-money or governance review of the scheme since 2020. [50586/26]

507. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to confirm directly whether the absence of publicly available approval thresholds within the treatment abroad scheme appears on the Health Service Executive's corporate risk register; and if it does not, to confirm this directly rather than by general reference to oversight arrangements. [50587/26]

508. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further Parliamentary Question No. 581 of 14 June 2026, in which the Health Service Executive did not address the substantive matter raised, to confirm whether the treatment abroad scheme dataset records the age of patients approved for funding of overseas gender affirmation surgeries; if this data is not currently captured, to state the reason…

509. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1116 of 19 May 2026, in which expenditure figures were provided for treatment costs and travel costs only, to confirm whether the figures published include accommodation, administration, translation, or assessment costs; if so, to provide a separate costed breakdown of each category for the years 2020 to 20…

510. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 535 of 28 May 26, the names and professional roles of each member of the expert group convened by the HSE Chief Clinical Officer to examine the implications of the final Cass Review; the group's full terms of reference; the number of times it has met to date; and the date on which its report will be publish…

511. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to the confirmation that no structured national data collection system exists for gender healthcare services for children and young people, whether this absence has been entered on any HSE corporate or clinical risk register; whether the updated model of care due in Quarter 4 2026 will mandate a minimum national dataset; and what interi…

512. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to the confirmation that no clinical-outcome or patient-safety audit has been conducted since 2020 in respect of procedures funded under the treatment abroad scheme, how the HSE assures itself that publicly funded procedures undertaken abroad are clinically appropriate and safe in the absence of any outcome audit; whether the Comptrolle…

513. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health when the consultant post at UHL’s long-Covid clinic became vacant; the interim arrangements that exist for new patients in the Midwest; and the timeline for filling the post. [50607/26]

514. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the average waiting time from referral to first appointment at each of the six long-Covid clinics in 2025 and to-date in 2026, in tabular form. [50608/26]

515. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to provide an explanation for the year-on-year decline in long-Covid clinic attendances nationally; and whether this reflects reduced referral activity, reduced capacity, or reduced demand. [50609/26]

516. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE has ever sought or received cumulative manganese exposure data from water suppliers broken down by age group or vulnerability category; the basis on which the 80 µg/L guideline value is considered adequate for infants, children, older persons and medically vulnerable groups, given that it is a general population threshold; wheth…

517. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to the HSE's confirmation that no national dataset on returned medicines currently exists, whether the national medicines disposal service under CPA25 will record returned medicines as a defined, structured national dataset; to specify the data fields that dataset will capture; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50611/26]

518. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether data on the volume, type and cost of medicines returned under the CPA25 disposal service will be published; the frequency of such publication; the date on which the first such report will issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50612/26]

519. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the confirmed commencement date of the national medicines disposal service under CPA25, given the HSE's statement that the service is due to commence "over the summer" in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50613/26]

520. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether a baseline estimate of the annual cost of unused, expired or otherwise wasted medicines will be established at the commencement of the CPA25 disposal service; the methodology to be applied; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50614/26]

521. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether waste-reduction targets will be set on foot of the data collected under the CPA25 disposal service; the office responsible for owning and governing that dataset; whether that dataset features on any HSE risk register or audit plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50615/26]

522. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the National Incident Management System or any other HSE data system contains a category, field or tag that identifies an incident, complaint or safeguarding concern as involving a privately contracted home support provider, as distinct from directly employed HSE staff; and if not, to confirm that incidents involving privately contracte…