Questions

228. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health for an update on the consultation and treatment plan for a patient (details supplied) under the care of the pain management service at South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital; the current status of their case; when the consultation is expected to take place or be reviewed; and the measures that can be taken to expedite access to pain relief treatment i…

374. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the current operational status of the medically supervised injecting facility following the conclusion of its pilot phase in June 2026; when the final evaluation and child impact assessment due in the fourth quarter of 2026 will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53759/26]

795. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health when the multidisciplinary team (MDT) meeting will take place between CUH, UHL and CAMHS Limerick under the new autism rules and the National Autism Innovation Strategy, for a case involving suspected autistic catatonia; to list the statutory rights and obligations that require these services to share information quickly (details supplied); the exact time…

285. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health given that the Sláintecare 2026 Action Plan cites findings from the independent evaluation of the Phase 1 Postnatal Hubs commissioned in 2025, if she will publish that evaluation in full; the date on which it will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48122/26]

287. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health when the focused two-year oral health action plan referred to in the Sláintecare 2026 Action Plan, described as expected to be completed shortly and presented to her ahead of publication, will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48125/26]

760. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the estimated annual burden of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in older adults in Ireland, including hospitalisations, emergency department presentations and mortality; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47351/26]

938. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health whether modelling has been undertaken on the projected increase in significant functional impairment among older people and the associated demand for home support, rehabilitation, respite care, community care and long-term residential care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45316/26]

1787. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the level of postnatal bed occupancy across maternity hospitals nationally; the measures being taken to address capacity pressures in postnatal wards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41615/26]

227. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the progress being made by HSE south-west on creating new residential respite services for Cork; when she anticipates these additional services will be operational; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40468/26]

241. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the reason a facility (details supplied) operates four nights per week rather than seven nights per week in line with other residential respite providers in Cork; if she will confirm whether additional funding is being considered to extend the operating hours of this facility to meet local demand; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40567/26]

243. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if she will provide a full update on a respite project in Cork (details supplied); if she will confirm that the design team tender was lodged in May 2026 as planned; whether the projected completion date of Q4 2026 remains on track [40577/26]

245. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the current capacity of the Regional Fertility Hub at the Lee Clinic in Cork given that referrals increased from 710 in 2023 to 1,144 in 2024 before reducing to 1,010 in 2025; whether the reduction in referrals in 2025 reflects a capacity constraint rather than a reduction in demand; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40579/26]

230. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will confirm whether the Service Improvement Function of the National Children's Disability Services Team, which was responsible for working directly with individual Children's Disability Network Teams to drive service improvements, has been stepped down and its funding withdrawn; if so, when this decision was made, the ass…

1080. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if she has reviewed the findings of the National Women's Council research report Beyond Availability: Women's Experiences of the Free Contraception Scheme, launched at the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission in April 2026, which found that nearly one in three women may experience barriers to accessing the scheme; the specific measures being develope…

1081. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken to ensure that information about the free contraception scheme is made available in accessible formats for disabled women and in multilingual formats for migrant communities, particularly in Cork city and county which has a significant and growing migrant population; if her Department has engaged with community pharmacy networks in Co…

144. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the steps taken to date to meet the Programme for Government commitment that an early access scheme for drugs will be implemented by this Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28273/26]

2029. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the measures being taken to reduce diagnostic delays for people with rare diseases, given evidence that the average time to diagnosis in Ireland exceeds six years, and that many patients experience initial misdiagnosis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20002/26]

2031. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken to increase rare disease education and training for healthcare professionals, including the integration of new HSE rare disease training programmes and collaboration with the National Rare Diseases Office; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20004/26]

2078. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if she is satisfied that the NCPE is correctly constituted and has sufficient governance to ensure it can discharge its duties; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20184/26]

753. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when a child (details supplied) in Cork will receive a device; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16897/26]

1022. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if a cohort of post-surgery clients can be considered for the reimbursement scheme (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5828/26]

1080. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the status of a reimbursement application for the drug vyloy zolbetuximab which is used for gastric and gastroesophageal cancers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6270/26]

1066. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the number and grades of additional clinical staff identified as necessary to increase patient access to orthodontic services; when recruitment for these posts will commence; the projected impact this staffing increase is expected to have on current waiting lists; and whether funding for these additional posts has been ring-fenced; and if she will make a s…

1075. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in commencing construction of the new ten-bed rehabilitative residential unit in Midleton to replace the Owenacurra facility; the updated timeline for completion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72266/25]

569. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health when a facility (details supplied) will officially open; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67615/25]