Questions

655. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health if the clinical governance process that was followed prior to the opening of 24 additional inpatient beds at Mallow General Hospital; the person or body that authorised the opening of these beds; whether concerns were raised regarding the absence of overnight anaesthetic cover prior to their opening; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41223/26]

656. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health whether a formal patient safety or risk assessment was conducted before the opening of the new inpatient beds at Mallow General Hospital; whether this assessment considered emergency deterioration of inpatients overnight; and if she will publish or provide details of the findings. [41224/26]

657. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health the patient cohort that the 24 newly opened inpatient beds at Mallow General Hospital is intended to accommodate; whether these beds are intended for step-down transfers from Model 4 hospitals, direct admissions, elective activity, rehabilitation, or other purposes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41225/26]

658. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health the number of the 24 newly announced inpatient beds at Mallow General Hospital that are considered fully operational for the purposes of accepting transfers from Cork University Hospital on a 24-hour basis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41226/26]

659. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health the alternative rehabilitation capacity has been provided to Cork University Hospital following the loss of Level 2 rehabilitation beds at South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital since December 2025; the estimated additional bed-day burden this has placed on CUH; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41227/26]

660. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health when the Mercy University Hospital regional rehabilitation unit in Blarney is expected to become operational for the acceptance of Level 2 neurorehabilitation patients from Cork University Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41228/26]

661. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health the reason a decision was taken to cease insourcing arrangements at Cork University Hospital without agreed replacement capacity being put in place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41229/26]

662. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health whether she is aware that the cessation of insourcing arrangements at Cork University Hospital has resulted in the loss of approximately 140 endoscopy patient slots per month, including capacity for Priority 1 patients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41230/26]

663. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health whether she is satisfied with the value for money associated with externally provided endoscopy services currently operating in Bantry; the daily cost associated with these services; the number of patients treated per list compared with equivalent services in Cork University Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41231/26]

664. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health if there has ever been precedent set to name a part of a hospital or State owned healthcare facility after a particular individual; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41232/26]

665. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to identify the official, office, unit or governance structure with final responsibility for oversight of the treatment abroad scheme; and to set out the reporting line between that function, the HSE and their Department. [41234/26]

666. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the treatment abroad scheme is subject to a formal written governance framework, programme charter, oversight protocol or internal control framework; if so, when it was approved and last reviewed. [41235/26]

667. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the treatment abroad scheme appears on any HSE or Departmental risk register, internal audit plan or audit universe; and if so, under what risk category. [41236/26]

668. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any annual governance review, assurance statement, compliance certification or similar review is completed in respect of the treatment abroad scheme. [41237/26]

669. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any designated officer is responsible for ensuring value-for-money compliance, expenditure control and public financial governance in respect of the treatment abroad scheme. [41238/26]

670. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any cumulative annual expenditure threshold under the treatment abroad scheme triggers enhanced review, senior management escalation or Departmental notification. [41239/26]

671. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any per-patient expenditure threshold applies under the treatment abroad scheme and whether high-cost cases require separate financial approval distinct from clinical approval. [41240/26]

672. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether retrospective expenditure analysis is carried out to identify outlier costs, repeated high-cost providers, abnormal billing patterns or unusual procedure-level expenditure under the treatment abroad scheme. [41241/26]

673. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any formal mechanism exists to benchmark the cost of procedures funded under the treatment abroad scheme against comparable costs in other EU or EEA jurisdictions. [41242/26]

674. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any procurement, commissioning, preferred-provider or provider-assurance framework exists where overseas providers are used repeatedly under the treatment abroad scheme. [41243/26]

675. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE maintains structured follow-up data on clinical outcomes, complications, revision procedures, readmissions or adverse events arising after treatment abroad scheme-funded procedures. [41244/26]

676. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether patient-reported outcome measures are collected in respect of procedures funded under the treatment abroad scheme. [41245/26]

677. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any mechanism exists to suspend, restrict, review or escalate referrals to an overseas provider where concerns arise regarding outcomes, standards, billing or patient safety. [41246/26]

678. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE maintains a central data set of treatment abroad scheme approvals including procedure type, jurisdiction, provider, cost, clinical indication, approval date and outcome data. [41247/26]

679. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether their Department has reviewed the adequacy of current governance, audit, expenditure-control and outcome-monitoring arrangements for the treatment abroad scheme since 2020; and if so, to provide the date and outcome of that review. [41248/26]