Questions

455. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken to address the withdrawal of employment offers made to approximately 20 newly qualified nurses who studied nursing in Castlebar and were highly placed on recruitment panels; the reason these positions in Mayo University Hospital have now been withdrawn due to funding constraints; whether additional Department of Health approval is required b…

456. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if she is aware that employment offers made to approximately 20 newly qualified nurses, many of whom completed their nursing degrees in Castlebar and were placed highly on recruitment panels, for positions at Mayo University Hospital have been withdrawn; the reason for the withdrawal of these offers; whether the withdrawal is due to funding constraints and a requ…

196. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if she is concerned that workers entering the public health service with substantial relevant experience in the private healthcare sector can be required to commence employment at or close to the first point of the HSE pay scale despite having many years of experience performing comparable duties; whether she accepts that such arrangements may be viewed as inequi…

197. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the number of requests received by the HSE in each of the past three years seeking recognition of prior private sector healthcare experience for incremental credit purposes; the number approved and refused; whether there is an appeals mechanism available to employees who believe their previous experience has not been properly recognised; and if she will make a st…

198. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if she will clarify the policy applied by the HSE regarding the recognition of previous service in private healthcare settings for the purpose of salary placement on HSE pay scales; specifically, whether experience gained as a healthcare assistant in a private healthcare facility is taken into account when determining the incremental point on appointment to an eq…

209. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health her views on workers entering the public health service with substantial relevant experience in the private healthcare sector that can be required to commence employment at or close to the first point of the HSE pay scale despite having many years of experience performing comparable duties; whether she accepts that such arrangements may be viewed as inequitable a…

819. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken to maintain and improve physiotherapy services at Swinford Hospital, County Mayo, in light of reports of a recent reduction in physiotherapy staffing levels and the potential loss of administrative support staff; whether the HSE has assessed the effect such staffing changes may have on patient access, waiting times and service delivery in th…

820. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if she is aware of reports that administrative staff within the physiotherapy department at Swinford Hospital, County Mayo, are due to be made redundant or reassigned; the rationale for this decision; the impact assessment that has been carried out regarding the transfer of administrative duties to physiotherapy staff; and if she will make a statement on the matt…

845. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the number of clinical training placements, supervised clinical training posts, teaching clinics, training chairs and other placement capacity available for medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, physiotherapy and veterinary medicine in each of the years from 2021 to date in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68443/26]

217. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the number of newly qualified nurses who completed their internships in 2026 and subsequently applied for nursing positions within the HSE; the number offered temporary and permanent posts respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67585/26]

223. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health what measures are being taken to ensure that nurses who successfully complete internship programmes within the HSE are provided with opportunities to continue their careers within the public health service, her plans to improve the retention of newly qualified nurses in view of ongoing recruitment and staffing pressures across hospitals; and if she will make a st…

558. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the total annual cost to the HSE of providing uniforms to Healthcare Assistants over the past five years, in tabular form; whether any assessment has been undertaken of the financial impact on staff of requiring them to purchase their own uniforms; and if she will provide details of any consultation undertaken with recognised trade unions prior to any decision to…

1157. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE has received reports, complaints, industrial relation concerns or patient safety concerns regarding multi task attendants covering theatre operative duties at Mayo University Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64456/26]

1159. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the training, competency assessment and governance requirements that must be met before a staff member who is not employed as a theatre operative can perform duties within an operating theatre environment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64455/26]

755. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health to outline the current recruitment status for all posts at the Ballina injury unit; to detail the number of offers, particularly at advanced nurse practitioner level, that have been declined; the reasons for same; the measures being taken to address recruitment challenges and ensure sufficient staffing levels are in place for the planned opening; and to confirm w…

869. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the reason therapeutic radiography tutors are universally graded at clinical specialist level while the majority of diagnostic radiography practice tutors remain graded at senior radiographer level despite both professions historically performing equivalent educational, supervisory and governance responsibilities; the basis on which this disparity was originally …

870. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if she will address concerns raised by diagnostic radiography practice tutors that their grade was incorrectly set at senior radiographer level from the inception of the role; if her Department has reviewed this grading decision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47738/26]

871. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if she is aware of the impact that the current grading disparity between diagnostic and therapeutic radiography tutors is having on retention, recruitment, and the quality of radiography education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47739/26]

872. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the way in which the EU Pay Transparency Directive 2026 will apply to radiography practice tutors, particularly in relation to the principle of equal pay for equal work where diagnostic and therapeutic radiography tutors perform comparable duties but are graded differently; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47740/26]

873. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if she will provide an update on the Workplace Relations Commission process involving radiography practice tutors, a union (details supplied), the HSE and her Department; if she is aware that the national group has now balloted overwhelmingly for industrial action due to the lack of progress; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47741/26]

874. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if she has assessed the potential impact on diagnostic waiting lists, clinical placement capacity and patient care arising from the ongoing loss of experienced radiography practice tutors and the risk of industrial action; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47742/26]

875. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the way in which her Department intends to ensure the sustainability of the radiography workforce pipeline in light of tutor attrition linked to grading inequity, workload pressures and stalled industrial relations processes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47743/26]

2742. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the steps she is taking to resolve the current impasse at the Workplace Relations Commission involving radiography practice tutors, a union (details supplied), the HSE and her Department; if she will address the pay-parity concerns raised by radiography practice tutors in comparison with radiotherapy tutors, mammography tutors and other clinical specialist radio…

2743. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the measures being taken to address the recruitment and retention crisis among radiography practice tutors, given reports that vacant tutor posts are compromising the ability of hospitals to provide safe and adequate clinical training for radiography students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23980/26]

2744. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the way in which her Department intends to ensure that clinical training sites have sufficient radiography practice tutors and associated resources to accommodate the planned increase in radiography student numbers from 120 to 180 by 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23981/26]