Parliamentary questions

778. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the timeframe for filling the vacant OT position in Conamara; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51191/26]

779. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the work her Department is undertaking to increase the income threshold for medical card eligibility for persons under 70 years-of-age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51192/26]

780. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health the status of the review of the maternity and infant care scheme; to provide a timeline for the publication of the final report and recommendations following the work undertaken by the National Women and Infants Health Programme review group; the specific recommendations within the National Maternity Strategy (Recommendations 62 to 66) tha…

781. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health the specific stakeholders and organisations that have been consulted by the HSE during the review and development of the revised maternity and infant care scheme; if formal engagement has occurred with the IMO, ICGP and NWIHP; the extent to which advocacy, voluntary parent support, and service-user organisations have been involved in the c…

782. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health the progress made by the HSE and the NWIHP to develop and fund evidence-based, equitable tongue-tie assessment and frenotomy services nationally; the plans in place to standardise regional care pathways so they mirror successful specialist clinics (details supplied); the measures being introduced to address geographic disparities in wait t…

783. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health if she will clarify the ownership and governance arrangements relating to the block of private patient rooms located on the campus of University Hospital Kerry; whether these rooms constitute HSE property; the person or body that is authorised to provide private practice or private patient services within these facilities; and if she will ma…

784. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health further to the HSE’s confirmation that all clinical sites have been required to verify compliance with the public only consultant contract, the number of hospital sites that have returned compliance confirmations to date; the number that remain outstanding; whether the results will be published by hospital group, region or site; and if s…

785. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the assessment that has been carried out of consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist staffing levels and midwifery staffing levels in Irish maternity services compared with international benchmarks; whether the next National Maternity Strategy will include specific staffing and continuity-of-care targets; and if she will make a statemen…

786. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the total cost to the public health system of performing a hip replacement; and if she will provide a detailed breakdown of all associated costs, including but not limited to anaesthesia, surgical staffing, theatre use, prosthetics, pre-operative and post-operative care. [51255/26]

787. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the total cost to the public health system of performing a cardiac ablation procedure; if she will provide a detailed breakdown of all associated costs, including but not limited to anaesthesia, cardiac mapping, surgical staffing, theatre usage, equipment, and pre- and post-procedure care. [51256/26]

788. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the total cost to the public health system of performing a cataract removal procedure; and if she will provide a detailed breakdown of all associated costs, including but not limited to anaesthesia, intraocular lenses, surgical staffing, theatre use, and pre-operative and post-operative care. [51257/26]

789. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the total cost to the public health system of performing a knee replacement; and if she will provide a detailed breakdown of all associated costs, including but not limited to anaesthesia, surgical staffing, theatre use, prosthetics, and pre-operative and post-operative care. [51258/26]

790. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the total cost to the public health system of performing a bariatric gastric sleeve procedure; and if she will provide a detailed breakdown of all associated costs, including but not limited to anaesthesia, surgical staffing, theatre usage, equipment, and pre-operative and post-operative care. [51259/26]

791. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Health to review the means test thresholds for medical cards for persons aged over 70; if she will consider the introduction of universal medical card eligibility for those over 70; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51285/26]

792. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Health if she will extend eligibility for national screening programmes, including BreastCheck, BowelScreen and bone density scanning, to persons aged over 70; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51286/26]

793. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Health if she will consider including the shingles vaccine in publicly funded vaccination programmes or under the drug payment scheme; the estimated cost of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51287/26]

794. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Health to review the fairness of the drug payment scheme threshold, particularly the application of the same monthly cap to single-person households and to couples or families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51288/26]

795. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Health if she has engaged with the Minister for Finance regarding the application of VAT to certain vaccines and prescribed medical products; if changes are under consideration; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51289/26]

796. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Health the measures being taken to strengthen preventative healthcare supports for older people, particularly in rural areas; including supports for physical activity, community-based health promotion, and social prescribing initiatives; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51290/26]

797. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Health the actions her Department is taking, in conjunction with other Departments and agencies, to address loneliness and social isolation among older people; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51291/26]

798. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Health the level of access to primary care services for older people in rural areas; including physiotherapy and community-based supports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51292/26]

799. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Health if an assessment has been carried out on the cumulative cost burden of healthcare for older people, including GP care, prescriptions, vaccines, and screening services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51293/26]

800. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the number of children still waiting on autism assessment of needs; the estimated additional cost to clear assessment of needs waiting lists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51320/26]

801. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the number of people currently on waiting lists for essential care in outpatient, inpatient and day case treatment in public hospitals; the estimated total cost of clearing these waiting lists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51321/26]

802. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost of providing and staffing 1,000 additional acute beds in a public hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51323/26]