Parliamentary questions

2203. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Health when she will bring a memo to cabinet to outline the implementation plan and period for option C of the review of an organisation (details supplied) into emergency care capacity at UHL; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74604/25]

2204. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Health the number of vacant community health posts in UHL hospital group CHO by discipline, by grade and whole time equivalent, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74605/25]

2205. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health if she will ensure that adults have access through the health service to burosumab for treatment for hypophosphataemia; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74617/25]

2206. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Health the payroll cost of her Department and of each organisation or agency under its remit individually, in 2015 to 2025, by year, in tabular form. [74629/25]

2207. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Health if she will provide an update on the work undertaken by the HSE to recruit a full-time psychologist for the community adult mental health team in Balbriggan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74650/25]

2208. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Health the plans the HSE has in place to address the backlog of patients waiting to be seen by the community adult mental health team; the measures being implemented to reduce waiting times; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74651/25]

2209. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Health the number of patients currently on the waiting list for psychological services within the community adult mental health team; the average waiting time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74652/25]

2210. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if supports will be granted to keep a charity (details supplied) operating beyond the date funding for its operations is expected to cease; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74666/25]

2211. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health if confirmation will be given for funding for 2026 to unlock essential bank support for a charity (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74674/25]

2212. Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken to address the absence of effective crisis intervention pathways for adults experiencing severe mental illness who lack insight into their condition and are therefore deemed capable of refusing care, despite being acutely unwell; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74713/25]

2213. Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Health the reason An Garda Síochána continues to be the default point of contact for families experiencing mental health crises involving vulnerable adults; what engagement has taken place between her Department, the HSE and the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, to develop health-led alternatives; and when families can expect acc…

2214. Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Health if she is satisfied that current mental health legislation adequately protects vulnerable adults who refuse care due to impaired insight arising from mental illness; if legislative gaps have been identified by the Department or the Mental Health Commission; if amendments are being actively considered to better protect patients and families…

2215. Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Health the immediate reforms planned to prevent irreversible harm to individuals experiencing acute mental health crises where early intervention is not currently available; and if consideration is being given to expanding crisis admission criteria, mobile crisis teams, or family-initiated assessments outside Garda involvement; and if she will ma…

2216. Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Health the number of cases in the past five years have involved families seeking urgent intervention for a mentally unwell adult who was deemed capable of refusing care; and if the Department has assessed the outcomes for those individuals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74717/25]

2217. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Health if consideration has been given to disregarding carer's allowance, either in full or in part, for the purposes of secondary benefit assessments such as medical cards; if not, the reasons for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74720/25]

2218. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Health the number of discretionary medical cards awarded in the past three years to applicants whose income exceeded the threshold due to receipt of carer's allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74721/25]

2219. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Health if she will review the current medical card income thresholds for those over 70 years of age, particularly in circumstances where household income includes carer's allowance and where there are high, recurring medical expenses; and the proposals to amend the existing assessment criteria. [74722/25]

2220. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if her attention has been drawn to an equivalent hormone replacement therapy scheme in another jurisdiction (details supplied); if she will conduct an equality impact assessment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74723/25]

2221. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Health if there are sufficient GP services serving the Thurles area; the number of GP vacancies currently in existence in Thurles and surrounding hinterland; the measures being taken to recruit and retain GPs locally; and if she will improve access to primary care for patients in the Thurles area; and if she will make a statement on the ma…

2222. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Health the mental health supports available locally to residents of Thurles, including community counselling and specialist services; waiting times for access; if plans are in place to expand mental health resources in the Thurles area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74731/25]

2223. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Health the recruitment and retention initiatives in place for health professionals serving the Thurles area; the number of vacancies which currently exist across all health services in Thurles; her views on workforce planning to ensure stable services locally; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74732/25]

2224. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Health the progress on securing a new site for the replacement of a facility (details supplied); if the Health Service Executive has identified suitable greenfield land or received expressions of interest for such a site; the current status is of the site identification process; the timeline for site acquisition, planning and construction;…

2225. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 572 of 27 November 2025, the timeline for the development by her Department, of a framework to guide policy on the regulation of health and social care professionals into the future; the organisations with whom it is intended to consult with in drawing up this framework; the timeline for these consultat…

2226. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 572 of 27 November 2025, the precise process her Department has in place for considering whether a profession should be regulated by CORU; to provide a list of professions that have sought to be regulated since the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (as amended) was enacted; and if she will m…

2227. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 572 of 27 November 2025, where a medical profession has sought to be regulated by CORU under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (as amended),where a decision not to regulate such a profession at this juncture has been made, the process by which her Department has arrived at such a decisio…