Parliamentary questions

993. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the governance reason the HSE has not implemented a national HR information system capable of recording historic datasets on funded workforce posts; the date on which her Department last assessed the adequacy of the existing reporting platform used to track National Service Plan posts; and the actions now being taken to ensure future compliance…

994. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the basis on which the HSE concluded that it is not required to maintain historic records of funded posts that remain unfilled for extended periods; her views on whether the absence of such records meets statutory obligations for financial governance, workforce planning, and public-expenditure oversight; and if she will now issue a direction re…

995. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health her Department’s assessment of the risks created by the HSE’s inability to record the duration for which funded posts remain unfilled; the way these gaps are reflected in national workforce plans submitted under the Public Service Reform framework; and the steps she is taking to ensure the HSE’s workforce data infrastructure supports evidence-b…

996. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department has conducted any financial-impact assessment of the 6,852 funded WTE posts reported as unfilled as of September 2025; the estimated Exchequer underspend arising from these unfilled posts; and the Department’s policy on how such underspends are monitored and reported. [71960/25]

997. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if she will publish the key performance indicators set by her Department for clearance and screening timelines for both internal and external candidates for funded posts; the national performance against these indicators in 2024 and 2025; and the measures being taken to ensure timely appointment processes. [71961/25]

998. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the evaluation her Department conducted prior to implementing the 2024–2025 HSE employment control measures; the projected effect of those restrictions on achieving the National Service Plan staffing targets for 2024; and whether a full impact review has been completed. [71962/25]

999. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the policy under which the HSE does not maintain post-level records of agency or temporary staff assigned to cover funded development posts; the Department’s assessment of how this omission affects expenditure monitoring, audit trails and compliance with public financial-management standards; and whether she will issue a direction that such rec…

1000. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the status of the HSE’s project to procure a single national talent-acquisition system; the governance arrangements for this procurement; the expected date for system deployment; and how the Department will ensure that the new system addresses the data and reporting gaps identified in recent PQ replies. [71964/25]

1001. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department holds copies, summaries, notifications or logging records of any public-health risk assessments concerning communicable-disease risks among persons arriving into the State since 1 January 2020, including assessments conducted by the HSE, Public Health Units or the National Health Protection Office; the date on which each asse…

1002. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department holds any copies, summaries, notifications or records of public-health risk assessments concerning communicable-disease risks among persons arriving into the State since 1 January 2020, including the date each assessment was received and the unit that logged or reviewed it; and, if no such records are held, to set out how her…

1003. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to set out the statutory governance responsibilities of her Department in relation to the treatment abroad scheme as it applies to minors; and to outline the Department’s role in approving, overseeing or reviewing referral pathways for gender-related assessment or treatment outside the State. [71976/25]

1004. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to provide the Department’s policy framework, internal guidance or decision-support documents that informed the assessment of clinical safety, safeguarding and public-expenditure implications when minors were referred abroad for gender-related treatment; and if no such framework existed, to state the reason. [71977/25]

1005. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the steps taken by her Department to assess the implications of the Cass Review for Irish policy on gender-related healthcare for minors; and to specify any policy changes, clinical standards or risk-mitigation measures introduced as a result. [71978/25]

1006. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the expenditure-control arrangements, budget ceilings, approval processes and value-for-money mechanisms applied by her Department to overseas gender-related referrals for minors since 2020; and to confirm whether these arrangements have been audited. [71979/25]

1007. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department will establish a single national reporting structure for all gender-related referrals of minors, including approvals, outcomes and costs, to ensure transparent governance and accountability; and to provide the expected timeline. [71980/25]

1008. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the reason her Department issued no updated circulars, guidance or interpretative instructions for the assessment of discretionary medical card applications for people aged over 70 since 2020, despite sustained medical inflation and rising household costs; and to outline the process used by the Department to ensure fairness and consistency dur…

1009. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department conducted any equality, vulnerability or impact assessment on the treatment of discretionary medical card applications for people aged over 70 during 2020 to 2025; and if not, to state the reason such assessments were not carried out. [71982/25]

1010. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the work, governance structure, timelines and outputs of the Programme of Work Underway within her Department examining the medical card eligibility framework; and to specify whether this work includes an assessment of approval trends for discretionary medical cards for people aged over 70. [71983/25]

1011. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department holds trend analysis or internal reports on discretionary medical card approvals, refusals and approval rates for people aged over 70 since 2020; and to provide a summary of any findings. [71984/25]

1012. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the Department’s policy position on the role of medical inflation, rising living costs and increased clinical need in assessing hardship for people aged over 70 who exceed the income threshold; and to confirm whether the Department plans revisions to hardship interpretation or supporting documentation requirements. [71985/25]

1013. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 634 of 23 September 2025, if an urgent response from the HSE will be provided (details supplied). [72019/25]

1014. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the number of first consultations and second consultations for abortions that were provided by general practitioners, family planning clinics and women’s health clinics in 2022 and 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72028/25]

1015. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health the amount her Department has spent on translation services from a company (details supplied) for the years 2020 to 2025 to date, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72070/25]

1016. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Health if she will extend the long Covid sick scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72078/25]

1017. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the assessment or consultation that was done to approve the permanent removal of dental services in Killybegs, County Donegal; the reason for removing the service; the reason another dentist could not be found in Killybegs to continue the service; if her Department will consider reversing this decision in the future given the distance peopl…