Parliamentary questions

900. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Health her plans to ensure the continuation and long-term sustainability of the 22q11 deletion syndrome clinic currently operating in CHI Crumlin, in light of its recognised award-winning model of coordinated care; if she will confirm whether dedicated, ring-fenced funding and staffing will be provided for this clinic within the new children’s ho…

901. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the number of nursing home beds opened in 2025, per county; and the number of new beds approved for opening in 2026. [69331/25]

902. Deputy Ann Graves asked the Minister for Health the Government’s rationale for ceasing the financial support on 31 December for healthcare staff who contracted life changing COVID infections, though no fault of their own, in their workplace, in the early pandemic; and can the Minister consider continuing this financial support. [69335/25]

903. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if changes have been made since 2020 to the eligibility criteria or decision-making principles applied by the HSE when assessing discretionary medical card applications for people aged over 70 who exceed the income threshold but face high medical or living costs; and to publish any such changes. [69346/25]

904. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the circulars, directives, guidance notes, or interpretative instructions issued by her Department or the HSE since 2020, relating to the assessment of discretionary medical card applications for people aged over 70; and to make these documents available. [69347/25]

905. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of discretionary medical card applications received for people aged over 70, the number approved, the number refused, and the resulting approval rate from 2020 to 2025, by year; and whether the Department has reviewed these trends. [69348/25]

906. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department has assessed the decline in discretionary medical cards issued to people aged over 70 against the documented annual growth in the over-70 population; and to provide the analysis carried out. [69349/25]

907. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if medical inflation and increased costs of essential healthcare for older persons including GP visits, medications, diagnostics and home-care supports are factored into her Department’s approach to discretionary medical card policy; and the way in which such cost pressures are considered. [69350/25]

908. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department has carried out a review of governance, consistency, or fairness in discretionary medical card decision-making for people aged over 70 since 2020; if so to provide the findings; and if not, the reason no such review has taken place. [69351/25]

909. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department has evaluated if current income thresholds, hardship definitions, or supporting-documentation requirements for discretionary medical cards remain appropriate for the needs of people aged over 70; and to set out any planned revisions. [69352/25]

910. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department has examined the impact of rising household costs including energy, rent, utilities and food on older persons who are above the income threshold but have high unavoidable expenses; and whether this has informed discretionary medical card policy. [69353/25]

911. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the budgetary provision allocated for discretionary medical cards for older persons in each year from 2020 to 2025; and whether any changes in funding have influenced approval trends during this period. [69354/25]

912. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department has undertaken equality or vulnerability impact assessment regarding the sharp reduction in discretionary medical card approvals for persons aged over 70 since 2020; and to provide any assessment conducted. [69355/25]

913. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health if consideration is being given to include the weight loss drug mounjaro on the drugs payment scheme for people who do not have diabetes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69367/25]

914. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health the number of HPV vaccinations expired without being used in each year 2015-2025, in tabular form; the reason; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69368/25]

915. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health the number women identified as having CIN1 and CIN2+ lesions for excision in each of the years 2015 to date 2025, in tabular form. [69369/25]

916. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health the rationale for which her Department has chosen not to implement the NIAC guidelines to offer the HPV9 vaccine to previously unvaccinated women aged 45 years with CIN2+; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69370/25]

917. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health the rationale for which her Department has chosen not to implement the NIAC guidelines to offer vaccination to previously unvaccinated women aged 45 years with CIN1 lesions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69371/25]

918. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health if she will provide updated data on annual melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer incidence; the HSE’s current and projected expenditure on treatment for skin cancer; and whether her Department has assessed the potential cost-savings associated with early, curriculum-based prevention interventions in schools. [69379/25]

919. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the actions being taken by the HSE national cancer control programme to expand public awareness of sun-safety and UV risks; the level of funding allocated to these campaigns in each of the past three years; and whether additional resources will be provided to support increased national visibility. [69380/25]

920. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health if she will consider introducing enhanced regulatory measures regarding sunbed use, particularly for minors; if her Department has evaluated current enforcement activity; and whether further protections are being examined to reduce preventable skin cancer cases. [69381/25]

921. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the reason endometriosis diagnostics and surgical treatments are not eligible for referral under the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), given the extensive waiting lists experienced by patients; if the NTPF has assessed the feasibility of including endometriosis procedures; and if not, whether she will direct the NTPF to begin collecti…

922. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the reason the exclusion of endometriosis treatment from the National Treatment Purchase Fund aligns with commitments in the National Endometriosis Framework to reduce diagnostic delays and waiting times [69385/25]

923. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the reason the NTPF has not been tasked with collecting procedure-level data for endometriosis surgery, despite the condition’s prevalence and the complexity of access pathways; and the steps her Department will take to ensure transparent waiting list reporting for endometriosis treatment across the health service. [69386/25]

924. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health if she will provide an assessment of whether the reliance on the endometriosis surgery abroad interim scheme (ESAIS), combined with the exclusion of endometriosis treatment from the NTPF, risks creating unequal access to timely surgical care; and her plans to ensure equitable access for patients unable to travel abroad. [69387/25]