Questions

524. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to publish the underlying actuarial modelling, market projections, and equality assessment used by the Health Insurance Authority in recommending the 2026 stamp-duty increases; and to detail the Department’s own evaluation of affordability risks for policyholders with low or modest incomes. [68918/25]

525. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has conducted an impact study on the effect of increased stamp duty on private health insurance on hospitals that rely on privately insured patients for elective activity, including expected reductions in private-patient throughput. [68919/25]

532. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the projected total revenue in 2026 from the stamp-duty increase on health-insurance policies, as approved under the Risk Equalisation Scheme; and to provide the Department’s modelling of the expected impact on the Risk Equalisation Fund balance. [68927/25]

533. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department prepared any distributional analysis of the levy increase on households earning between €30,000 and €70,000, including the estimated annual cost per policyholder for adults and children used in internal decision-making. [68928/25]

534. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Department conducted any assessment of the potential impact of higher levies on private hospital activity levels, including projected changes in insured patient volumes for 2026 and the expected financial effect on hospitals. [68929/25]

535. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to publish the Health Insurance Authority’s underlying modelling for the 2026 levy recommendation, including the sensitivity tests relating to premium increases and policyholder retention. [68930/25]

536. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any options were considered to mitigate the effect of the levy increase on policyholders, including phased introduction, reduced levies for child policies, or offsetting measures through tax relief adjustments. [68931/25]

667. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health when national reporting for chronic pain expenditure, activity and outcomes will be introduced; and the steps her Department is taking to ensure that the HSE provides full and standardised national data for all hospital groups and community services. [68064/25]

670. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of community-based chronic pain programmes in operation nationwide; and the way in which the findings of the iPainCentre pilot have informed national service planning. [68067/25]

673. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the funding allocation for occupational therapy services in Cork for 2026, including development posts, replacement posts and planned waiting-list initiatives. [68070/25]

677. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the national spend on chronic pain services in each of the past five years; and when full and consistent reporting for chronic pain services will be in place across all hospital groups and community healthcare organisations. [68074/25]

680. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to list all community-based chronic pain programmes funded by the HSE; the budget for each; and the date on which the evaluation of the iPainCentre pilot will inform national service planning. [68077/25]

683. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the level of funding assigned to occupational therapy services in Cork for 2026, including new posts, replacement posts and resources for waiting list work. [68080/25]

540. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the date on which her Department last reviewed the clinical governance structures in place for children and young people referred for gender-related assessment or treatment, and the findings of that review. [67000/25]

541. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if she will outline the changes to clinical pathways, referral criteria, risk assessment processes and external oversight arrangements that have been implemented following the publication of the Cass Review. [67001/25]

542. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the full number of children and young people referred by the HSE for gender-related assessment or treatment abroad in each of the past five years, the public cost incurred for each year, and the number of cases currently awaiting referral or approval. [67002/25]

543. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department has carried out or commissioned any audit of compliance with international evidence standards, including safeguarding and mental-health assessment protocols, for gender-related care provided or funded by the State in the past five years. [67003/25]

544. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of individuals who have sought support for detransition or reversal of gender-related interventions in the past five years, and the governance framework in place to ensure access to appropriate clinical, psychological and safeguarding supports. [67004/25]

302. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the reason the HSE is unable to provide national-level expenditure data for chronic pain management services, as indicated in recent correspondence to this Deputy; the actions her Department is taking to ensure full financial reporting and service oversight for chronic pain services across all hospital groups and community healthcare organisations; the date on whi…

303. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the current national waiting times for access to chronic pain management services at primary, secondary and tertiary levels; the number of patients currently waiting for chronic pain assessment and treatment in each hospital group; the longest wait recorded; and the reforms being implemented by her Department to reduce delays in line with the Sláintecare commitmen…

305. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of community-based chronic pain management programmes currently operating nationwide; the budget allocation for each; the extent to which the iPainCentre pilot evaluation has informed national service planning; and whether her Department will commit to a national roll-out of community-based pain clinics as part of the 2026 National Service Plan. [66512/…

311. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to confirm whether her Department has carried out any assessment of unmet need for occupational therapy in Cork, including expected demand growth for 2026 and 2027; and to publish the findings. [66523/25]

593. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the date on which the Health Service Executive’s expert group completed its review of the implications of the Cass Review for Irish gender healthcare services, the date this report was submitted to the Chief Clinical Officer, the planned timeline for its publication or release, and the steps her Department is taking to ensure that the findings inform current servi…

594. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of children and young people referred by the HSE for gender-related assessment or treatment through the treatment abroad scheme in each of the past five years, the total public cost incurred, the number of cases currently awaiting referral or funding approval, and whether any changes to referral criteria or clinical pathways have been implemented follow…

595. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the governance and conflict-of-interest policies that apply to officials, clinicians, external advisors and members of the HSE’s Programme for Gender Healthcare when developing or advising on gender healthcare policy, including disclosure requirements relating to links with pharmaceutical companies, advocacy organisations or service providers; and the way these sa…