Parliamentary questions

1815. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the number of pathologists currently employed in the State; their location; the number of locum pathologists in employment and their location; the reason there are no locum pathologists being used in UHW; the efforts which have been made to recruit new pathologists/ locum pathologists in the south east; and if she will make a statement on t…

1816. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the measures she has taken to ensure the continuation of pathology and coroner services at UHW; if she has engaged with the Coroners association and the Department of Justice in order to find a solution to ensure the continuation of Coroner and Pathology services at UHW; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58686/25]

1817. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health if consideration has been given to including the shingles vaccine (Herpes Zoster Vaccine) in the national immunisation programme, specifically for those with immunocompromising conditions, as recommended by NIAC in February 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58694/25]

1818. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if a hospital appointment will be expedited for a person (details supplied). [58709/25]

1819. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken to ensure a life changing prostate cancer medication (details supplied) will be made available to medically suitable patients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58715/25]

1820. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health her plans to install a PET Scan at University Hospital Limerick; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58725/25]

1821. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the numbers of persons waiting to be seen at all endometriosis hubs, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58728/25]

1822. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the average wait time for a person to receive an initial appointment in each of the endometriosis hubs following a referral to the hub, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58729/25]

1823. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the current staffing levels in each endometriosis hub by total WTE and filled WTE; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58730/25]

1824. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health if it the case that a service (details supplied) is not accepting any more referrals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58731/25]

1825. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health to review the Community Pharmacy Agreement to ensure that the most vulnerable that is, people who have reading difficulties, people with mobility difficulties, elderly disadvantaged persons will not be impacted by the ceasing of free dispensing of prescription medication in blister packs in January 2026 as these persons rely on the pro…

1826. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health the total number of people on ophthalmology waiting lists as of September 2025; the number awaiting appointments via public healthcare; and the number awaiting appointments via private healthcare. [58745/25]

1827. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health the total number of people on ophthalmology waiting lists as of September 2025, by county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58746/25]

1828. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health the total number of people on ophthalmology waiting lists as of September 2025; and the number awaiting appointments for medical retina, diabetic eye disease, cataracts, paediatric ophthalmology, glaucoma, cornea and refractive surgery, by county for each. [58747/25]

1829. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health if there is a defined timeline and specific areas of expansion planned for the new diagnostic services in hospitals, as referenced in Budget 2026. [58750/25]

1830. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health the proportion of her Department's €27.4 billion allocation which will be directed towards the diagnostics expansion initiative. [58751/25]

1831. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health if Members of Dáil Éireann will be informed as to when the letter of determination will be sent to the HSE and if it will be circulated to Members; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58753/25]

1832. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health if she will review the current HSE policy that prevents carers from administering PEG (gastrostomy) feeds to children with disabilities, even where families have trained carers who are competent to safely carry out this routine task; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58772/25]

1833. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health if she will clarify the way in which families are expected to utilise allocated homecare hours when no HSE-approved provider can supply staff qualified to perform PEG feeding; the steps she will take to ensure that home support and respite services for such families are practical and meaningful; and if she will make a statement on the matte…

1834. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Clare will receive urgent dental treatment. [58775/25]

1835. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health if she will establish a ring-fenced fund of €600,000 to support home care packages for people living with more severe forms of epidermolysis bullosa, to ensure access to secure, flexible, and coordinated care that adapts to their complex and changing needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58784/25]

1836. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health if she will provide annual funding of €20,000 to enable access to complex care coordination in regional centres for individuals living with severe forms of epidermolysis bullosa, ensuring a central point of contact to coordinate multidisciplinary care and reduce the administrative burden currently placed on patients and families; and if she…

1837. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health if she will increase funding for psychological support for people living with epidermolysis bullosa (EB) by €30,000 per annum, to expand the clinical psychologist post at St. James’s Hospital from 0.25 to 0.5 WTE, thereby providing dedicated EB-specific psychological care integrated into the dermatology multidisciplinary team; and if she wi…

1838. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health if she will provide annual funding of €45,000 to extend the existing epidermolysis bullosa outreach nurse service to adults in the community, to ensure integrated continuity of care across acute and community settings, reduce hospitalisations, and improve quality of life for those living with epidermolysis bullosa; and if she will make a st…

1839. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Health her views on the concerns raised by practitioners regarding the recent publication of the Standards and Criteria for Counsellors and Psychotherapists by CORU; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58789/25]