Health Services Staff

1002. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health how many agency staff have been converted to permanent HSE employment under the July 2025 agency conversion framework, broken down by staff grade, HSE Health Region and month; the estimated savings achieved to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32541/26]

1003. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE has set monthly or annual targets for reducing agency staffing expenditure in 2025 and 2026; the target and actual expenditure for each month; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32542/26]

1004. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the average hourly cost to the HSE of agency staff compared with directly employed staff across the main staff categories; the estimated additional cost arising from agency staffing in 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32543/26]

1087. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any analysis has been undertaken by the HSE or individual hospitals, including South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital, on the effectiveness of international recruitment channels, including online advertising and publications such as the British Medical Journal; if so, to provide the number of applications received, interviews con…

1088. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE has a formal international recruitment strategy targeting specific jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom for nursing, medical and health and social care professional roles; if so, to outline the strategy, targets and outcomes; and if not, whether such a strategy will be developed. [32687/26]

1089. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the total number of applicants for positions at South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital in 2025 and to date in 2026, broken down by country of origin; the number of those applicants who progressed to interview and appointment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32688/26]

1091. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether a policy commitment exists to achieve pay parity between staff employed in Section 38 and Section 39 organisations and those employed directly by the HSE in disability services; and the timeline, if any, for achieving such parity. [32695/26]

1230. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the full target of 960 whole-time equivalent agency staff conversions to direct employment will be achieved; if not, the revised completion date; and the reasons for the shortfall to date. [33237/26]

1231. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the total expenditure on agency staffing in each year from 2023 to 2025 and to date in 2026; and the extent to which this expenditure has reduced in line with the agency conversion programme. [33238/26]

1232. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the conversion of agency staff to direct employment has resulted in any net increase in frontline staffing capacity; or whether such conversions are being accommodated within existing workforce ceilings. [33239/26]

1233. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the current maximum whole-time equivalent workforce ceiling for 2026 constrains the completion of the agency conversion programme; and whether any adjustment to this ceiling is under consideration. [33240/26]

1234. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether a national policy framework governs how Health Regions prioritise and implement agency staff conversions; and how consistency across regions is ensured. [33241/26]

1235. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether posts identified for agency conversion may be reconfigured by Health Regions into different grades or service areas; and if so, the number of such reconfigurations to date. [33242/26]

1236. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any assessment has been carried out on the impact of the agency conversion programme on service delivery, including waiting times, patient access, or staffing stability; and if so, the findings of that assessment. [33243/26]

442. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 196 of 25 June 2025, the anticipated timelines for new resources to be recruited and operational within the Mater Hospital’s pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) unit; whether funding for these roles has been formally allocated within the HSE service plan and budget for 2026; the engagement or consultat…

461. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Health the reason there is currently no staff welfare officer available in the north west region; when this post became vacant; and if there are plans, and a timeline, in place to fill this position; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31725/26]

462. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE radiographer and senior radiographer posts that have been filled at University Hospital Limerick as of 20 April 2026, in tabular form. [31732/26]

464. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the full-time working hours of all posts listed in HSE circular 003-20026 exclusive of breaks (details supplied). [31746/26]

465. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if the any posts listed in HSE circular 003-2026 (details supplied) are excluded from the average working time week. [31747/26]

466. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if a person who was employed as an instructor in a disability service which is wholly funded by the HSE has an entitlement to the same terms and conditions as their counterparts employed directly by the HSE. [31748/26]

467. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if breaks are paid or unpaid in posts listed in HSE circular 003-2006 (details supplied). [31749/26]

468. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of consultant neurosurgeons based at Beaumont Hospital that are only dealing with and treating public patients. [31802/26]

229. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of WTE psychologists, by grade posts filled within intellectual disability services within CHO7 as of 22 April 2026, in tabular form. [31039/26]

259. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Health if the five consultant neurologists recruited by the HSE to support the Neurology Model of Care and the 'Hub and Spoke' model, which includes services for functional neurological disorder (FND) patients, are in place, and currently working to support people who suffer from FND; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31041/26…

260. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Health following the €4 million increase in Budget 2025 to provide additional services to patients who suffer from functional neurological disorder (FND), if there are plans to gradually increase the amount allocated to this section in the future (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31042/26]