Questions

560. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department or the HSE provides multi-annual or core operational funding to support the sustainability of community-based charities delivering counselling and mental health supports; and if she will provide details of any such funding mechanisms currently in place. [33874/26]

561. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to provide a list of all current funding programmes, grant schemes or financial supports available through her department or the HSE to registered charities providing counselling, psychotherapy, and community-based mental health supports; and to confirm which schemes are expected to be open for application in 2026 or 2027. [33875/26]

562. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to confirm whether any dedicated funding stream currently exists to support community-based counselling and psychotherapy charities delivering low-cost services outside of the HSE; and if no such funding stream exists, to outline what funding routes are currently available to such organisations. [33876/26]

258. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the total number of non-statutory bodies in receipt of public funding in each year since 2020; the estimated aggregate annual funding provided to such bodies; and the proportion of that funding subject to formal governance codes equivalent to the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodi…

259. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation whether any central register is maintained identifying the governance framework applicable to each publicly funded non-statutory body; if so, to provide details; and if not, whether the absence of such a register has been identified as a governance risk. [32568/26]

260. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation whether his Department has conducted any risk assessment regarding the reliance on differing governance codes across publicly funded bodies; and if so, to provide the findings and date of such assessment. [32569/26]

261. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the mechanisms, if any, in place to ensure value-for-money, audit compliance, and board accountability in non-statutory bodies that are not subject to the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies. [32570/26]

262. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation whether consideration has been given to extending the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies, or an equivalent mandatory standard, to all bodies in receipt of majority State funding; and if so, to outline the status of such consideration. [32571/26]

1009. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health who holds ultimate decision-making authority for approving funding under the Treatment Abroad Scheme, including whether this rests with individual consultants, HSE management, or a defined approval panel. [32562/26]

1011. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Department or HSE has conducted any audit or review of approval decisions under the Treatment Abroad Scheme since 2020; if so, to provide dates and findings. [32564/26]

1024. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the title, scope, date, reporting line, and final report reference of the 2022 Comptroller and Auditor General audit of the Treatment Abroad Scheme referred to by the HSE in correspondence to this Deputy; whether the report is publicly available; and if not, whether she will arrange for a copy to be provided. [32588/26]

1026. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any recommendations, observations, management letters, internal control issues, expenditure concerns, or governance issues arose from the 2022 Comptroller and Auditor General audit of the Treatment Abroad Scheme; and if she will provide a summary of each such matter and the action taken. [32590/26]

1027. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any internal audit, external audit, Comptroller and Auditor General review, value-for-money review, or expenditure-control review of the Treatment Abroad Scheme has been completed since the 2022 audit; and if so, the date, scope, findings, and recommendations of each review. [32591/26]

1030. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any internal audit, external audit, or review by the Comptroller and Auditor General has examined the financial recording, traceability, and year attribution of expenditure under the Treatment Abroad Scheme since 2020; if so, to provide the findings; and if not, whether such an audit will now be commissioned. [32599/26]

1031. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE maintains a patient-level dataset under the Treatment Abroad Scheme that links each individual approval to associated expenditure, treatment dates, and payment dates; and if not, how financial accountability and verification of expenditure is ensured. [32600/26]

1052. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to identify the specific grade, title, and role of the individual or body within the HSE that has final authority to approve or refuse applications under the Treatment Abroad Scheme; and whether this authority is exercised by a single decision-maker or a panel-based process. [32631/26]

1053. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to set out the formal governance structure underpinning decision-making under the Treatment Abroad Scheme, including any documented approval hierarchy, escalation pathways, or oversight committees. [32632/26]

1054. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether decisions to approve funding under the Treatment Abroad Scheme are subject to any form of independent clinical review, secondary validation, or administrative appeal prior to authorisation of expenditure. [32633/26]

1055. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to detail the process by which independent medical advisors engaged by the HSE in respect of Treatment Abroad Scheme applications are selected, governed, and assessed for independence; and whether their advice is binding or advisory. [32634/26]

1056. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any internal audit, external audit, or examination by the Comptroller and Auditor General has been conducted on the decision-making and approval processes under the Treatment Abroad Scheme since 2020; and if so, to provide details and findings. [32635/26]

1058. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether a standardised cost range or expected cost per patient is applied when approving applications under the Treatment Abroad Scheme; if not, how value for money is assessed at approval stage. [32650/26]

1062. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any internal or external audit has been carried out specifically on expenditure under the Treatment Abroad Scheme for gender affirmation procedures. [32654/26]

1063. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any independent clinical validation, separate from the referring consultant and MDT, is carried out by the HSE prior to approval of applications under the Treatment Abroad Scheme for surgical procedures not provided in the State. [32655/26]

1065. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any audit or review has been conducted on approvals granted under the Treatment Abroad Scheme for gender-related surgical procedures since 2020. [32657/26]

1066. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether post-operative outcomes, complications, or follow-up care requirements are tracked for patients funded under the Treatment Abroad Scheme; if not, the rationale for the absence of such data. [32658/26]