Parliamentary questions

642. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant ophthalmologists based at University Hospital Waterford in the years of 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [73320/25]

643. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health the number of people admitted to the Central Mental Hospital, and the number of persons discharged in 2024, as the information provided to date has been queried (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73339/25]

644. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health if her Department will support a call from the board of directors of a day centre (details supplied) and have a meeting with the board and also the HSE; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73357/25]

645. Deputy David Maxwell asked the Minister for Health the number of clients who receive services on a weekly basis at the CRANOG Resource Centre in Castleblayney, noting that the centre has six full-time healthcare assistants, one full-time clinical nurse manager, one part-time nurse, and a total of 293 funded staff hours per week; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73387/25]

646. Deputy David Maxwell asked the Minister for Health the total number of individuals currently receiving services at the CRANOG Resource Centre in Castleblayney; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73389/25]

647. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if she will review the correspondence (details supplied); if she will address the concerns raised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73397/25]

648. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if she will reconsider the decision to remove State funding for monitored dosing blister packs from January 2026, given the essential role these packs play in medication safety for older persons, those with disabilities, and patients on complex prescriptions; and the engagement which has taken place with the Irish Pharmacy Union to prevent har…

649. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health whether any portion of the €50 million allocated under the Community Pharmacy Agreement can be ring-fenced to maintain funding for blister packs; and if she will provide details of any cost-benefit analysis undertaken before deciding to discontinue this service, which pharmacists have described as critical for adherence and reducing hospital a…

650. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if she will engage with pharmacists to develop an alternative funding mechanism for monitored dosing systems, in view of warnings from patient advocacy groups and charities that the removal of State support will lead to medication errors, increased hospitalisations, and additional costs to the health service; and if she will make a statement o…

651. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health when planning and design will commence for a project and the estimated time for completion of this project (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73408/25]

652. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health to expedite a fair deal appeal (details supplied) as this family cannot afford the costs of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73409/25]

653. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if supports will be allocated to home carers for changes that must be made in line with HIQA's draft national standards for home supports services (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73425/25]

654. Deputy Máire Devine asked the Minister for Health for assistance in relation to a hospital discharge (details supplied). [73430/25]

655. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health the alternative options for a health centre which is being explored by the HSE in respect of the improvement works or an extension (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73431/25]

656. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health to provide a breakdown of the wait times to see a consultant at all HSE fertility hubs across the country, in tabular form; the measures taken to ensure the waitlists for childless couples in particular do not increase; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73432/25]

657. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if she is aware of any scheme or funding stream for the provision of guide dogs for a visually impaired person living in a rural area who is no longer working but who still wants to be able to leave the house and cannot do so safely without the assistance of a guide dog; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73439/25]

658. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Health if phased dispensing will still be provided free of charge for patients at the request of their physician; whether the HSE expects this to take place for many existing patients; when the approved list of medications will be provided in these cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73443/25]

659. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Health to provide a schedule of campaigns over the last five years aimed at attracting medical professionals working abroad to come back to work in Ireland; the duration of the campaigns; the format they took; the total expenditure associated with each; a schedule of external parties used in respect of the campaigns; and the jurisdictions in which …

660. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 264 of 3 December 2025, if measures will be taken with the changes in prices of blister packs from January 2026 to counter the impact for vulnerable patients (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73451/25]

661. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the number of registered nursing homes by county (and if possible, local electoral area) in each year between 2013 and 2023, split by sector (HSE, private and voluntary); the number of beds in these nursing homes by county (and if possible, local electoral area) in each year between 2013 and 2023, split by sector (HSE, private and voluntary)…

662. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health to put a system in place whereby any incremental rise in the old-age pension is matched by a similar rise in the qualifying income for the medical card, as it cannot be allowed to continue that any rise in the old-age pension, the right to which has been earned over a lifetime, should be the cause of disqualifying a person close to the thres…

663. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Health the estimated price, per patient, of the standard flu vaccine and of the enhanced flu vaccine; if she will introduce a policy of offering both and allowing patients decide if they want to pay the extra cost of the enhanced vaccine; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73478/25]

664. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health to provide further details with respect to a person’s new role within the HSE (details supplied); if they retain the salary from their previous role; to provide details of the renumeration attached to their new role; to provide a description of their new role and her responsibilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73486/25]

665. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the annual cost to the State of reimbursement for monitored dosing systems, or blister packs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73487/25]

666. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 458 of 6 November 2025, the status of the estimated 390 posts required to achieve baseline implementation of Phases 1 and 2 of the Framework for Safe Nurse Staffing and Skill Mix; the number still outstanding; the timeline for completion of recruitment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7348…