Health Screening Programmes

388. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health if her Department and the HSE are aware of undue delays in a case (details supplied); the reason for the delay; the plans her Department and the HSE have to address these delays in follow-up appointments and procedures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53819/26]

882. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has assessed the impact of the absence of faecal immunochemical testing (FIT) services in County Louth on waiting times for suspected bowel cancer patients attending a hospital (details supplied) in Drogheda; and if she will provide the waiting time from GP referral to colonoscopy for those patients [53434/26]

883. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health to provide, for each hospital currently providing faecal immunochemical testing (FIT) for symptomatic patients, the average, median and longest waiting time from GP referral to FIT testing and GP referral to colonoscopy following a positive FIT result, broken down by hospital site; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53435/26]

209. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Health the key measures taken to improve screening services since January 2025; her priorities for same for the rest of 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51931/26]

693. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Health the percentage of all CervicalCheck samples that will be now processed in the National Cervical Screening Laboratory; the percentage that will be sent abroad; and the laboratories they will be sent to, in tabular form. [50772/26]

694. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Health the percentage of all CervicalCheck samples over the past five years that have been processed in Ireland; the percentage that have been sent abroad; and laboratories they have been sent to, in tabular form. [50773/26]

695. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Health the contingency arrangements that exist if the Dublin CervicalCheck lab experiences cyberattack, staff shortage, or equipment failure. [50774/26]

696. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Health the percentage of CervicalCheck slides that undergo double reading or secondary review. [50775/26]

697. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Health the recommendations of the Scally Report that have been fully implemented, are currently being implemented, or are yet to begin implementation. [50776/26]

698. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Health her plans to increase public confidence in CervicalCheck. [50777/26]

699. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Health the reason the CervicalCheck centre is not working at capacity; and her plans for future staffing and resources. [50778/26]

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]

937. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has assessed the case for expanded screening or earlier intervention among adults over 50 for common underdiagnosed or undertreated conditions, including hypertension, atrial fibrillation, inappropriate medication use and vitamin deficiencies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45315/26]

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]

1490. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health her plans to re-introduce the scoliosis screening programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40261/26]

137. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the measures being taken to address the increasing prevalence of myopia, and particularly its presentation among teenagers following completion of school vision screening programmes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28448/26]

452. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Health for an update on the Health Technology Assessment’s proposed expansion of the BreastCheck programme, particularly relating to breast density; whether their expert advisory group has, or will, invite Lobular Ireland to participate; the criteria for selecting support or patient advocate groups for invitation; when she expects to receive reco…

1943. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health to clarify the number of public health nurses in an area (details supplied); to confirm whether this number has decreased in the past five years; if this number will be increased in the coming year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19686/26]

1944. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the exact date in April 2026 on which newborn screening for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) will commence, and whether this will be a full national roll out or a phased introduction [19687/26]

1945. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health if the laboratory verification and validation processes for SMA and SCID screening have been fully completed; and if not, when they will be finalised. [19688/26]

1946. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health whether all newly recruited staff for the expanded newborn screening programme have completed training; and when the finalised screening and treatment pathways for SMA and SCID will be published. [19689/26]

1947. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health to provide a breakdown of the way in which the €1.4 million allocated in Budget 2024 for SMA/SCID implementation has been spent to date; and whether any additional funding will be required to ensure timely commencement. [19690/26]

1948. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the expected timelines and criteria for considering further conditions for inclusion in the National Newborn Bloodspot Screening Programme, in line with the Programme for Government commitment to ongoing expansion. [19691/26]

1955. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the immediate actions that are being taken to address the fact that 6,175 people breached the recommended 28-day wait time for an urgent colonoscopy between January and November 2025, given that these are symptomatic patients for whom delayed diagnosis increases the risk of later stage cancer. [19703/26]

1957. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the assessment her Department has made of the impact on cancer outcomes arising from delays in accessing urgent colonoscopy. [19705/26]