Questions

985. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to identify the specific office, unit or named role within the Department or the HSE that holds ultimate national accountability for clinical governance, oversight and policy direction in respect of gender-related assessment and referral pathways for minors; and to outline the reporting structure to the Minister. [32524/26]

1057. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Oversight Agreement with the Institute of Public Health is subject to periodic review; if so, the frequency of such reviews; and whether any amendments have been made since its inception. [29858/26]

1059. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether independent audits have been conducted on the governance, financial controls, and performance of the Institute of Public Health in the past five years; and if so, to provide the dates and summary findings of such audits. [29860/26]

1060. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the role of her Department in the appointment, oversight, or removal of board members of the Institute of Public Health; and the extent to which Ministerial approval is required in such processes. [29861/26]

1175. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has carried out any formal governance, compliance, or performance reviews of the Institute of Public Health in each of the years 2023, 2024 and 2025; and to provide the number of such reviews conducted in each year. [30185/26]

1176. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any structured audit or review schedule exists within her Department in respect of non-statutory bodies receiving direct Exchequer funding; and if so, to outline the frequency, scope, and methodology of such reviews. [30186/26]

1177. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department relies solely on statutory financial audits conducted under the Companies Act 2014 to discharge its oversight responsibilities in respect of the Institute of Public Health; and if not, to specify any additional governance or performance oversight mechanisms in place. [30187/26]

1178. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any performance evaluation, value-for-money assessment, or outcome-based review of the Institute of Public Health has been conducted by or on behalf of her Department since 2020; and if so, to provide details. [30189/26]

1179. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has defined key performance indicators, reporting requirements, or measurable outputs for the Institute of Public Health as a condition of funding; and if so, to outline these arrangements. [30190/26]

1183. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether she is satisfied that the current oversight arrangements in place for the Institute of Public Health meet the standards expected under the Public Spending Code and wider public financial management guidelines; and if so, the basis for that assessment. [30194/26]

287. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department requires the production of formal written governance assessment reports for non-statutory bodies in receipt of Exchequer funding; if not, the reason such reports are not required; and if she will outline any plans to introduce a standardised governance assessment framework. [27824/26]

288. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether funding agreements with non-statutory bodies include defined service-quality standards, measurable performance indicators, and outcome-based metrics; if so, the nature of these metrics; and if not, the rationale for the absence of quantifiable performance benchmarks linked to public funding. [27825/26]

289. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department requires independent external audit or evaluation of service delivery outcomes for non-statutory bodies it funds; if not, how the Department assures itself that reported outcomes are accurate and reliable; and if she will outline any plans to introduce independent validation mechanisms. [27826/26]

290. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the date on which the current oversight agreement with the Institute of Public Health was formally signed; and the governance and oversight arrangements in place prior to that agreement, including any differences in reporting, compliance, or monitoring structures. [27827/26]

291. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department operates a formal escalation and enforcement framework where governance or performance concerns arise in respect of funded non-statutory bodies; if so, the steps involved; and if not, how accountability is ensured where deficiencies are identified. [27828/26]

1019. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health what formal mechanisms exist at Secretary General or Management Board level to ensure consistency of governance, reporting, and compliance standards across different departmental line units when administering direct funding to non-statutory bodies; whether such oversight arrangements are documented; and whether any consolidated compliance report is prepared at de…

1020. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the statutory, contractual, or policy basis her Department requires non-statutory bodies that are not aegis bodies of the Department to operate in line with the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies; whether any internal legal advice was obtained regarding the applicability of that Code to such bodies; and whether any formal determination was made a…

1021. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department conducts documented risk assessments prior to awarding direct funding to non-statutory bodies; whether a standardised risk assessment template is used; and whether such assessments are subject to review by the Department’s Internal Audit Unit. [14677/26]

1022. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health in the absence of an internal audit or evaluation since 2020 of the adequacy of governance and oversight arrangements for non-statutory bodies funded directly by her Department, if any review is now planned; and, if so, to state the anticipated timeframe and scope. [14678/26]

1121. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health what risk assessment, safeguarding assurance, and service-quality oversight mechanisms are operated directly by her Department in respect of non-statutory bodies receiving direct Departmental funding, separate from financial audit, expenditure controls, or post-hoc review by the Comptroller and Auditor General. [10008/26]

1122. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has carried out any internal review, audit, or evaluation since 2020 of the adequacy of its governance and oversight arrangements for non-statutory bodies funded directly by her Department; and if so, to provide the date of each review, the scope of the review, and the principal findings. [10009/26]

217. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current performance monitoring framework his Department uses to assess the operational output and decision timelines of An Coimisiún Pleanála, including the specific indicators tracked, the reporting schedule, and any interventions or support actions taken by his Department in response to identified underperformance. [70399/25]

221. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to confirm whether his Department holds internal performance reviews, audits or risk assessments regarding the operational capacity of An Coimisiún Pleanála; and the findings from the most recent reviews relating to governance, output, and decision making delays. [70403/25]

223. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his Department’s current governance oversight arrangements for An Coimisiún Pleanála, including reporting obligations, performance metrics, compliance assessments and the measures used by his Department to ensure that statutory timeframes, once commenced, are met in practice. [70406/25]

387. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if his Department has undertaken a full audit of the number of statutory agencies, quangos or advisory boards operating under his Department; if he will publish same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63586/25]