Questions

484. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Health whether occupational health physicians are required to fully consider all relevant specialist medical evidence, including consultant reports and scheduled surgical interventions, when determining eligibility under the critical illness protocol. [50541/26]

485. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Health whether conditions involving severe and persistent endometriosis requiring corrective surgery fall within the definition of “major physical trauma ordinarily requiring acute operative surgical treatment” under the critical illness protocol. [50542/26]

486. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Health whether she has considered the inclusion of severe endometriosis and related gynaecological conditions within the eligibility criteria for the critical illness protocol; and if there are any plans to review or update these criteria. [50543/26]

487. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the appeal or review mechanisms available where an employee disputes a decision of occupational health under the critical illness protocol, particularly in circumstances where no clinical assessment has taken place. [50544/26]

488. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health further to multiple previous requests, to consider developing a Lyme disease specific department in University Hospital Kerry, for the detection, treatment and research of this debilitating condition (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50548/26]

489. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1278 of 26 May 2026 which states cost considerations do not form part of the eligibility assessment for the treatment abroad scheme, whether her Department or the HSE has considered introducing an expenditure cap, annual budget ceiling, or per case financial control mechanism for TAS; if not, the rationale for operating a dema…

490. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1276 of 26 May 2026 if the national treatment abroad office in Kilkenny is the sole point of approval for all treatment abroad scheme applications; and the circumstances under which an application is approved, reviewed, or processed outside the Kilkenny office. [50561/26]

491. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1276 of 26 May 2026 to confirm whether the HSE maintains a written procedure, circular, or delegated authority schedule setting out which staff grade or management level is authorised to approve treatment abroad scheme applications; and if no such written procedure exists, the basis on which approval authority is exercised. [5…

492. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 267 of 27 May 2026 to provide a response concerning whether an approval rate benchmarking exists between specialties, consultants, or regions under the treatment abroad scheme, noting that the previous response addressed an unrelated question on the age profile of overseas gender affirmation surgery approvals rather than the q…

493. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Health for an update on the progression of the implementation of masterplan for University Hospital Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50565/26]

494. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Health for an update on the development of a primary care centre at An Spidéal, County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50567/26]

495. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Health for an update on the development of a minor injuries clinic in Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50569/26]

496. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to confirm whether the HSE holds, or can produce, a national aggregate figure for the total number of compliance inspections, audits and reviews conducted under the home support authorisation scheme since 2023, given that the Department's reply of 26 June 2026 confirmed all audit records are held at regional level only; if the Department will request this aggregat…

497. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health for the number of Approved Providers issued with a quality improvement plan under the home support authorisation scheme in each year since 2023, broken down by integrated health area; the average time taken to close out a quality improvement plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50575/26]

498. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of service arrangements with approved providers under the home support authorisation scheme that have been suspended or terminated due to non-compliance since the scheme's commencement in 2023, broken down by year and by integrated health area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50576/26]

499. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to confirm whether any approved provider has ever been removed from the home support authorisation scheme for non-compliance; if so, the number of such cases, the year in which each occurred and the specific grounds on which each removal was made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50577/26]

500. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to confirm whether compliance inspections under the home support authorisation scheme are conducted on an announced or unannounced basis as standard practice, given that this specific question was not addressed in the Department's reply of 26 June 2026; the proportion of inspections in each category since 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5057…

501. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health given the Department's confirmation that the HSE does not currently publish a standardised public compliance or performance rating system for private home support providers, whether the Department will request the HSE to introduce one; the timeline for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50579/26]

502. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to provide the specific euro threshold or thresholds above which Grade VII approval no longer applies to treatment abroad scheme applications; the grade or officeholder responsible for authorising applications above each such threshold; and the nature of the "applicable derogations" referenced in the Health Service Executive's reply of 19th June 2026. [50582/26]

503. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to confirm directly whether the Health Service Executive has ever conducted an analysis of referral concentration, repeat provider usage, or high-cost treatment clustering under the treatment abroad scheme since 2020; if no such analysis has been conducted, to state the reason; and if one has been conducted, to provide the date and findings. [50583/26]

504. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to confirm whether the Health Service Executive maintains any record of treatment abroad scheme applications escalated beyond the treatment abroad office in Kilkenny; if such a record exists, to provide the number of escalated cases by year since 2020; and if no such record exists, to confirm this directly. [50584/26]

505. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health given that individual figures may be withheld on confidentiality grounds, to provide the highest individual expenditure approved under the treatment abroad scheme in each year since 2020 in banded form (for example, within ranges of €50,000); and to confirm whether any approved application since 2020 exceeded €500,000. [50585/26]

506. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to confirm directly whether the Comptroller and Auditor General has examined the treatment abroad scheme specifically at any point since 2020; to provide the date of any such examination; and to confirm whether any external, non-HSE body has conducted a value-for-money or governance review of the scheme since 2020. [50586/26]

507. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to confirm directly whether the absence of publicly available approval thresholds within the treatment abroad scheme appears on the Health Service Executive's corporate risk register; and if it does not, to confirm this directly rather than by general reference to oversight arrangements. [50587/26]

508. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further Parliamentary Question No. 581 of 14 June 2026, in which the Health Service Executive did not address the substantive matter raised, to confirm whether the treatment abroad scheme dataset records the age of patients approved for funding of overseas gender affirmation surgeries; if this data is not currently captured, to state the reason; and if her Departm…