Questions

218. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health if she will clarify the position regarding the application of pension increases arising from Department of Health Circular 02/2024 and Labour Court Recommendation LCR22780 to medical scientists who retired prior to 1 January 2024; whether consideration is being given to extending these increases in line with the policy of maintaining parity between the pay of serv…

219. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health if her Department has examined representations from retired medical scientists that pension arrangements may not reflect previous scheme provisions or assurances regarding alignment with salary changes for their grade; if she will outline any review or engagement undertaken; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44306/26]

220. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE dentists, dental nurses and hygienists by grade posts filled at Castlerea Primary Care Centre as of 3 June 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44309/26]

221. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE occupational therapists by grade posts filled at Strokestown Primary Care Centre as of 3 June 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44310/26]

222. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE podiatrists posts filled within CHO2 Primary Care Services; the average waiting time to see a podiatrist via Primary Care Services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44311/26]

223. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Health the number of persons currently waiting for community-based speech and language therapy services, occupational therapy services and physiotherapy services; the average waiting time for each service; and by-county. [44345/26]

224. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health if her Department or the HSE will investigate and address the issues outlined in a case (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44357/26]

225. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Health the plans in place to increase the number of community nursing beds in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44363/26]

226. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the reported extended medical leave and forthcoming retirement of the paediatric diabetes clinical nurse specialist at Mayo University Hospital; and the measures that are in place to ensure continuity of care for children with type 1 diabetes in the region. [44365/26]

227. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health whether a replacement paediatric diabetes clinical nurse specialist has been identified for Mayo University Hospital; and if so, the arrangements that are in place for training and handover to ensure no disruption to essential services for patients and their families. [44366/26]

228. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if there are plans to introduce or appoint an advanced nurse practitioner in diabetes at Mayo University Hospital, in line with other university hospitals; and the steps that are being taken to maintain and strengthen paediatric diabetes services in the hospital. [44367/26]

229. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken to reduce the incidence of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44368/26]

230. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the measures that are planned to improve public understanding of the risks of alcohol consumption during pregnancy (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44369/26]

231. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the reason organ donation and transplantation activity fell to 202 transplants in 2025 (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44370/26]

232. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the number of persons currently on organ transplant waiting lists, including the number awaiting a kidney transplant; the steps being taken to increase transplant activity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44371/26]

233. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the steps that are being taken to improve influenza vaccination uptake among healthcare workers, given that uptake stood at 34.6% in the 2025/2026 season against the backdrop of patient safety; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44372/26]

234. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken to improve influenza vaccination uptake among those aged 13 to 17 years, given that uptake in this group reached only 15.5% in the 2025/2026 season against a target of 50%; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44373/26]

235. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if she will provide the number of influenza-related deaths, hospitalisations and intensive care admissions notified in the 2025/2026 season; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44374/26]

236. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the reason Ireland ranked as the slowest of all EU member states for the time from EU Clinical Trial Regulation approval to the first clinical trial site being ready, at 213 days, for studies commenced between 2023 and 2025; the steps being taken to reduce clinical trial set-up times; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44375/26]

237. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the number of pharmaceutical industry-sponsored clinical trials commenced in Ireland in each year since 2021; her views on the fact that Ireland initiated far fewer trials than comparable countries such as Denmark over the same period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44376/26]

238. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the number of websites, e-commerce listings and social media pages selling illegal medicines that were shut down or amended by the Health Products Regulatory Authority in each year since 2021; whether the authority has sufficient resources for this work given the increase to 4,762 such actions in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44377/…

239. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the quantity of falsified and illegal medicines, by dosage unit, detained in the State in each year since 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44378/26]

240. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken to improve the uptake of bowel cancer screening among men, given that uptake under BowelScreen is consistently lower among men than women and contributes to later diagnosis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44379/26]

241. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the measures being taken to address undiagnosed and uncontrolled high blood pressure among older adults (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44380/26]

242. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken to expand the primary and community care workforce (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44381/26]