Questions

243. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health further to the national drug treatment reporting system recording 15,422 cases presenting for treatment in 2025, an increase of 16%; the steps being taken to respond to the rise in cocaine-related treatment demand, given that crack cocaine cases increased by 90% and powder cocaine cases by 282% between 2017 and 2025; and if she will make a statement on the …

244. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Health the current estimated timeframe for the release of medical records in the case of a person (details supplied). [44383/26]

245. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health the reason sufficient paediatric dermatologists have not been allocated by Children’s Health Ireland to provide cover for all regions; the plans in place to address the absence of paediatric dermatology in all areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44392/26]

246. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the measures in place to address the use of anabolic steroids and other image and performance enhancing drugs in gym and non-elite settings;the public health response or harm-reduction services available to users; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44402/26]

247. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the number of detentions of anabolic steroids and other image and performance enhancing drugs by the Health Products Regulatory Authority, by dosage unit, in each year since 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44403/26]

248. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health the supports available to self-employed individuals who are unable to work due to cancer treatment; the way in which they can obtain additional financial assistance to help cover the costs of medical treatments, even with spouses who make over €538 per week; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44406/26]

249. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health to review the criteria regarding financial assistance for cancer patients; the measures that are being taken to prevent patients and their families from experiencing financial hardship; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44407/26]

250. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if she will commit to implementing the Labour Court recommendation to restore the pay link between perfusionists and medical scientists; the reason this recommendation has not been implemented to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44419/26]

251. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of reducing all prescription charges to €0.50, with a cap of €5 per month; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44421/26]

252. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of reducing the drugs payment scheme maximum payment to €60 per month; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44422/26]

253. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the delivery of additional elective orthopaedic services in the South Infirmary of Victoria University Hospital; if this is being delayed due to the availability of staff (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44425/26]

254. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1086 of 24 February 2026, if the total spend in 2025, by each public hospital on private ambulances and taxis respectively is now available, in tabular form (detail supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44426/26]

255. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if she will provide ring-fenced funding and nationally coordinated oversight of the development of mental health intellectual disability services (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44427/26]

256. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if she will provide for the creation of new allied health profession posts in mental health intellectual disability services in the upcoming Budget (details supplied); the steps she is taking to address the deficit in these posts; the steps she is taking to respond to the shortages in Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44428/26]

257. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Health if an organisation (details supplied) received section 39 funding in each of the years 2024, 2025 and 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44437/26]

258. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health the provision being made for women who currently choose and avail of private maternity care in circumstances where there is no private maternity hospital in the State and where private practice is being removed from public maternity hospitals under the public only consultant contract; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44439/26]

259. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health if her Department has specifically assessed the position of maternity services, given that the removal of private practice from public hospitals under the public only consultant contract cannot, in the case of maternity care, result in a transfer of that activity to a private setting as no private maternity hospital exists in the State; the steps being taken to …

260. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health the number of women accessing private care in maternity hospitals during the period 2020 to 2025, by maternity hospital, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44441/26]

261. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if a hospital appointment will be expedited for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44452/26]

262. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health if the HSE considers young onset Alzheimer's a disability; the HSE service responsible for supporting a person with young-onset Alzheimer's who has significant disability arising from dementia; if her attention has been drawn to families affected by young-onset dementia being excluded from disability supports while also struggling to access adequate dementia-s…

263. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health to provide a list of all recruitment pauses, embargoes or restrictions currently in place across all HSE grades, including the date introduced, the grades affected; and the expected timeline for review or lifting. [44509/26]

264. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health to confirm whether recruitment pauses affecting newly qualified healthcare professionals are currently in place across multiple grades, including physician associates and paramedics, and to outline all affected roles. [44510/26]

265. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health when the HSE will begin implementing the findings of the independent review into the physician associate role, published in May 2026; and to provide a clear timeline for recruitment to commence. [44511/26]

266. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the reason for the continued recruitment pause affecting physician associates in the public sector, while recruitment in the private sector is not subject to the same restriction; and whether this disparity will be addressed. [44512/26]

267. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the total cost to the Exchequer of training the recent cohort of physician associate graduates, estimated at €560,000; and the measures being taken to ensure this public investment is not lost due to delays in recruitment. [44513/26]