Parliamentary questions

1117. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if she is satisfied that the current regulatory framework governing private health insurance provides sufficient protection for consumers against low-value or duplicative plans; if she has sought advice from the Health Insurance Authority regarding the need for legislative amendments to improve price transparency and plan comparability; and th…

1118. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Health for an update on the much-needed new ambulance and training facility base for Sligo; the stage the appraisal is at; when a design and planning application will be forthcoming; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62217/25]

1119. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the reason Children’s Health Ireland has not yet published its 2024 annual report; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that, according to the last annual report, it was sitting on €42 million and is currently marked as red by the Charities Regulator for having not filed its report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [622…

1120. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health if she will provide an update on the provision of special needs dental services in Nenagh; if she is aware that the post of special needs dentist has been vacant for over a year, with no replacement appointed despite advertisements; the number of children, including those with autism, currently waiting for dental treatment under sedation or …

1121. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health the number of children on CAMHS waiting lists in Kildare, by area and by length of time, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62239/25]

1122. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE paediatric speech and language therapist posts that were filled within the primary care system within the former CHO7 areas in 2023, 2024 and to-date in 2025 in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62244/25]

1123. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE paediatric psychologist posts that were filled within the primary care system within the former CHO7 areas in 2023, 2024 and to-date in 2025 in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62245/25]

1124. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health when the new community hospital will be opened in Killarney; when patients will be transferred; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62266/25]

377. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on a waiting list for speech and language therapy by health region and integrated healthcare area, age category and time waiting, in tabular form. [60552/25]

378. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the number of children a waiting list for speech and language therapy by health region and integrated healthcare area, age category and time waiting, in tabular form. [60553/25]

379. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Health if she will seek funding for a service (details supplied) in Courtown, County Wexford, as a matter of urgency, to prevent this vital service closing on 6 November 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60893/25]

380. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Health if she will meet with all stakeholders involved with a service (details supplied) to secure the future of the Courtown service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60894/25]

381. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Health the rationale behind the implementation of pay and pension parity for medical scientists with biochemists with an effective date of 1 January 2024 when that was the latest possible date as per Labour Court Recommendation 22780; the reason pension parity has not been applied for medical scientists who retired prior to this date when the Labour …

382. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health when her Department intends to complete the review of national policy governing the use of medications issued under special licence, as recommended by the Cork city coroner in December 2024; the expected date for finalisation of new protocols on hospital administration and clinician supervision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. …

383. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department has directed the HSE to issue interim guidance or a temporary clinical protocol governing the administration, supervision and recording of special-licence medications in hospitals pending the completion of a full policy review; if she will publish that guidance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60517/25]

384. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of patients currently in receipt of medications under special licence in Ireland; the number of such patients admitted to hospital in each of the past five years; and the measures being taken to ensure their medication administration is governed by clear and consistent protocols nationwide. [60518/25]

385. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if she will publish the correspondence dated 17 December 2024 from the Cork City Coroner concerning the inquest into the death of a person (details supplied) together with her Department’s formal written response; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60519/25]

386. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who have qualified as psychologists in each of the past five years; and of those qualified the number currently registered with CORU. [60522/25]

387. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 846 of 14 October 2025, the action her Department and the HSE are taking in view of the statement of the Chief Operation Officer of St James’s Hospital (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60524/25]

388. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 846 of 14 October 2025, the action her Department and the HSE are taking in view of the statement of the Chief Operation Officer of St James’s Hospital (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60525/25]

389. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the action being taken by her Department and the HSE to deal with the alarming increase in paediatric TB cases occurring since 2017, with the age-specific incidence rate for children having risen from 0.8 in 2023 to 1.3 in 2024, in particular taking in to account that the number of TB cases in children under one year of age in 2024 equalled the …

390. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the action her Department and the HSE are taking to deal with the challenges which the Irish Mycobacterial Reference Laboratory at St James’s Hospital is facing, which supports TB diagnosis nationally, is now at full capacity and unable to meet the growing demand for rapid diagnostics, especially for drug-resistant TB; and if she will make a sta…

391. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the action the Department and the HSE are taking in view of the fact that Ireland is not on track to meet WHO End TB Strategy targets, and current resourcing falls short of national guidelines requiring immediate assessment of suspected TB cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60528/25]

392. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the action her Department and the HSE are taking to deal with the rising incidence of TB which increased by over 30% in 2024, with a fourfold rise in MDR-TB cases and a significant increase in paediatric TB; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60529/25]

393. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the action her Department and the HSE are taking to deal with the capacity issues in dealing with TB cases, in view of the fact that emergency reviews have doubled from 2023 to 2024, which said reviews are used to prevent hospital admissions and to start treatment urgently thus preventing onward transmission; and if she will make a statement on …