Questions

2082. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the current clinical governance framework applying to gender identity healthcare services provided to children and adolescents in Ireland pending completion of the updated national model of care; whether a national dataset, audit framework or outcome monitoring system is currently in place for these services; and the safeguards and oversight mechanisms which oper…

105. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the expenditure-control framework applied by her Department to the treatment abroad scheme since 2020; if any budget ceilings, sanction limits, or cohort-specific controls apply to referrals for persons aged under 18 years; and the way in which her Department assures value-for-money where costs are set by external health systems and the scheme is described as dema…

848. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the criteria used by the Health Service Executive to define and measure “success” in respect of outcomes arising from elective surgical procedures performed in public hospitals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16536/26]

849. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Health Service Executive maintains a comprehensive national record of mortality and morbidity data associated with elective surgical procedures carried out within the public health system; the format in which such data are collected and reported; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16537/26]

850. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the formal policies, protocols, or governance frameworks in place within the Health Service Executive governing the management and remediation of complications arising from elective surgical procedures performed in Ireland, including the funding and oversight arrangements for remedial treatment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16538/26]

523. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether a formal methodological review, evidence appraisal, or structured policy evaluation of international clinical guidance, including the WPATH Standards of Care, was undertaken between 2018 and 2023 prior to adoption or application within Irish healthcare services; if so, to provide the title and date of such review; and if not, to explain the basis upon whic…

525. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the formal interim clinical governance arrangements, safeguards, or policy instructions currently apply to gender healthcare services for children and adolescents pending completion of the updated national Model of Care; whether any written direction, circular, or instruction has issued since publication of the Cass review; and if she will make a statement on the …

526. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to specify the statutory authority, national clinical guideline, or formally approved policy framework under which gender healthcare services for minors are currently delivered within the public health system; the date on which that framework was approved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15854/26]

592. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of External Governance Reviews undertaken pursuant to Sections 38 and 39 of the Health Act 2004 between 2022 and 2024 that identified material financial, governance, procurement, safeguarding or internal control deficiencies; the number in each year that resulted in enhanced monitoring arrangements, revised service level agreements, funding conditions o…

594. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether all non-statutory bodies in receipt of direct HSE funding, including those in receipt of less than €3 million annually, are subject to a structured governance review cycle; and if not, the criteria used to determine inclusion or exclusion. [15986/26]

604. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to provide a current hospital-by-hospital list of all publicly funded chronic pain management services; to specify in respect of each hospital whether a dedicated multidisciplinary chronic pain service is in operation; to detail the disciplines available within each service, including pain medicine consultants, psychology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and n…

606. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of patients, by Health Region, referred outside their region of residence in the past 24-months due to the absence of a local chronic pain service or insufficient local capacity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16017/26]

608. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether all publicly funded chronic pain services operate in accordance with a nationally approved clinical model mandating multidisciplinary care; if not, to identify which services do not meet such standards; and the timeframe for compliance. [16019/26]

614. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the evaluation of the iPain Centre pilot at Beaumont Hospital has been completed; the date on which it was finalised; whether the evaluation has been submitted to her Department; whether she will publish the evaluation report in full; the total Sláintecare Integration Innovation Fund allocation provided to the project over its three-year pilot period; the …

618. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has approved a workforce planning model quantifying the additional whole-time-equivalent occupational therapy posts required in Cork South-West primary care services to achieve a maximum waiting time of 12-weeks for adults and children; and if she will provide the number of additional posts identified under that model. [16034/26]

1009. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the reason no multi-annual funding framework has been introduced for voluntary healthcare providers despite explicit recommendations; and whether she accepts that this undermines workforce planning and financial sustainability. [9312/26]

1012. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether she accepts that increasing reporting, compliance and governance obligations have not been matched by increased frontline funding for voluntary providers. [9315/26]

1031. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether she has received, requested, or reviewed the expert group assessment commissioned by the HSE Chief Clinical Officer on the implications for Irish gender healthcare services of the final Cass Review; when this assessment was completed; whether it has been submitted to the HSE Chief Executive Officer for consideration; and when she expects this assessment t…

1032. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the assessment of the final Cass Review completed by the HSE-appointed expert group will be treated as binding clinical guidance, advisory evidence, or background material only for the purposes of national healthcare policy; whether she has issued or intends to issue any direction regarding its status within the development of the national Model of Care f…

1033. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health what interim clinical governance, safeguards, or policy instructions are currently in place for the provision of gender healthcare services to children and adolescents pending the publication and consideration of the completed expert group assessment of the Cass Review; whether any changes to clinical practice have been paused, amended, or permitted during this i…

1040. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if she accepts that the absence of national-level expenditure data for chronic pain services represents a gap in financial oversight; when her Department last formally requested national expenditure data from the HSE for chronic pain services; and the actions she is taking to ensure that comprehensive national financial reporting is put in place. [9473/26]

1041. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the date by which her Department will require the HSE to implement mandatory national reporting on chronic pain services, including expenditure, activity, and outcomes across all health regions; and whether this reporting will be standardised and published as part of the National Performance Report. [9474/26]

386. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has adopted, endorsed, or relied upon any national policy, workforce planning framework, or service specification for chronic pain services which sets out recommended consultant whole-time equivalent capacity per head of population; and if so, to provide the title, date, and issuing authority of each such document. [8886/26]

387. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has conducted, commissioned, or received any population-needs assessment of chronic pain service consultant capacity since 2019, including any modelling of required consultant whole-time equivalents by Community Healthcare Organisation or Hospital Group; and if so, to provide the date, scope, and main findings. [8887/26]

388. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the governance arrangements by which her Department assures itself that consultant capacity in chronic pain services is adequate to meet population need, including the key performance indicators, reporting cadence, and the senior accountable officer within her Department; and if she will provide the most recent available reporting outputs. [8888/26]