Parliamentary questions

966. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Health if she accepts medical analysis that the shingles vaccine can reduce the risk of developing dementia in older people; if she plans to add this vaccine to the national adult immunisation programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61231/25]

967. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health if she will clarify Ireland's current position on the key issues of Bolar and Regulatory Data Protection/Market Protection with regard to the European General Pharmaceutical Legislation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61235/25]

968. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health if the Government maintains its support for the proposed 8 years of Regulatory Data Protection; if the Government considers recent geopolitical developments as a relevant factor in Ireland’s approach to the revision of the package at Council level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61236/25]

969. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Health the whole-time equivalents within HSE dental services in both Cavan and Monaghan, by role, vacancy status, including the duration of any vacancy, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61237/25]

970. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Health when severe combined immunodeficiency and spinal muscular atrophy will be added to the Newborn Bloodspot Screening Programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61250/25]

971. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the number of dentists operating the dental medical card scheme in County Tipperary and nationwide; the level of funding for the dental medical card scheme over the past five years; the options available to dentists where a shortfall exists between the actual cost of providing treatments under the scheme and the reimbursement fee paid by the…

972. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health if the HSE has ever engaged with the owners of site (details supplied) drawn plans for or considered purchasing the site; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61289/25]

973. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health the detailed outline of the plans the HSE has for a closed site/facility (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61290/25]

974. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health the criteria used to allow indeterminate to be placed on the gender section on a birth notification form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61301/25]

975. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health the specific legislative framework that limits the gender option on a birth notification to male, female or indeterminate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61302/25]

976. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health the number of lipid profiles ordered through primary care (GP and primary care clinics) in each of the years 2019 to date in 2025, by CHO area and by quarter, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61316/25]

977. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health the total cost to the health service from 2019 to 2025, by year for laboratory testing for standard lipid profiles ordered from primary care, including the cost per test and any trend in test volumes over that period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61317/25]

978. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health the number of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] tests carried out in public hospitals and HSE-funded laboratories from 2019 to 2025, by referral source (primary care versus hospital-based specialist services), by year, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61318/25]

979. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health if current national guidelines on cardiovascular risk assessment in primary care recommend measurement of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] for any cohort of patients; the rationale for current practice; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61319/25]

980. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health if she has considered introducing a once-in-a-lifetime lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] test as part of routine cardiovascular risk assessment for adults, in line with emerging European recommendations on heart health and inherited risk; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61320/25]

981. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health if her Department or the HSE has undertaken any clinical or economic evaluation of the potential benefits and costs of introducing once-in-a-lifetime lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] testing for the general population; the details of any such analysis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61321/25]

982. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health the proportion of adults in the State for whom Lp(a) has been measured at least once; the estimated prevalence of elevated lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] among those tested; the extent to which this information is used to guide more intensive LDL cholesterol lowering or other preventive measures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61322…

983. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health if she will report on any international examples, particularly within the EU, where once-in-a-lifetime lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] testing has been adopted or piloted as part of national cardiovascular prevention strategies; if similar pilots are being considered in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61323/25]

984. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health if she will ensure that future revision of national cardiovascular prevention guidelines for primary care explicitly considers the role of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] testing in identifying people at inherited high risk of heart disease and stroke; if she will report on the timeframe for such guideline updates; and if she will make a statement on …

985. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health the way in which her Department plans to improve early detection and management of cardiovascular risk in primary care over the next five years, including the role of lipid testing, potential once-in-a-lifetime lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] screening, and targeted follow up for high-risk patients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [613…

986. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health if a GP service will operate in the new Adamstown primary care centre; when these services will be operational; how local residents can apply to be patients of the GP service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61327/25]

987. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of abortions carried out during 2024 in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, by gestation, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61331/25]

988. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Health the date by which it is intended that an MRI machine will be operational in Monaghan Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61337/25]

989. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health when a baby is born alive through an abortion procedure, according to clinical guidance, the health professionals which should be present in the room and responsible for the care of the baby immediately after birth; if a neonatologist is on call in all such cases where a live birth is a possibility; and if she will make a statement on the matte…

990. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of babies which have been born alive after abortion in Ireland from 2019 to date in 2025, and survived more than four weeks after birth; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61346/25]