Health Services Staff

2815. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health to provide a career pathway for healthcare assistants (carers); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24366/26]

2837. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health the number of staff employed under CAWT PEACEPLUS projects; and whether these roles are expected to transition into permanent posts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24480/26]

2876. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the interim staffing arrangements currently in place to ensure the safe operation of the dementia-specific unit at Heather House Community Nursing Unit pending the finalisation of an approved workforce model; and the current whole-time equivalent staffing levels assigned to that unit. [24694/26]

2899. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to provide a breakdown of agency staffing expenditure within the public health service by Regional Health Authority, staff category, and service area for 2024, 2025, and to date in 2026. [24736/26]

2900. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to provide the monthly agency staffing expenditure within the public health service for each month of 2025 and to date in 2026. [24737/26]

2901. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the measures in place to monitor compliance with restrictions introduced on the use of agency staff; and the number of instances where such controls were breached since their introduction. [24738/26]

2902. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the enforcement or corrective actions taken where non-compliance with agency staffing controls has been identified. [24739/26]

2903. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the comparative cost to the Exchequer of agency staff versus directly employed staff within the public health service, expressed on a per-WTE basis across key staff categories. [24740/26]

2904. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the estimated savings achieved to date arising from the conversion of agency staff to direct employment contracts within the public health service. [24741/26]

2905. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the vacancy rates across the public health service by staff category and region; and the extent to which these vacancies are contributing to reliance on agency staffing. [24742/26]

2906. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the performance indicators developed to monitor agency staffing usage and expenditure; and the frequency with which these indicators are reviewed at Departmental level. [24743/26]

2934. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken to support community-based Health Care Assistants, HCAs, in County Clare who are facing significant financial hardship due to rising fuel costs; if she will conduct an urgent review of the current mileage and travel allowance rates to ensure they reflect the actual costs incurred by front-line staff, particularly in rura…

2992. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Health for an update on the establishment of an MS community worker in the Sligo-Leitrim area, which is currently the only region in the State without access to this community work service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25213/26]

3059. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health if she will intervene with the HSE to ensure that immediate action is taken to resolve the recruitment and retention crisis affecting radiographer practice tutors, including the allocation of additional funding needed to resolve issues relating to staffing, workload and pay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25588/26]

3076. Deputy Ann Graves asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE Play Leader posts that have been filled at both CHI Temple Street and CHI Crumlin as of 30 March 2026, in tabular form. [25737/26]

3077. Deputy Ann Graves asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE Consultant Cardiologists based at the Mater Hospital that are currently only dealing and treating public only patients. [25738/26]

3087. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health to provide a detailed breakdown of all staff vacancies across each Department of the Health service in County Kerry; the implications of these unfilled positions on the Health service in Kerry and its citizens; the action being taken to fill these vacancies, many of which remain unfilled for prolonged periods; will the Minister accept that …

3107. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health the number of cardiac physiologists and cardiac radiographers posts that have been filled at Beaumont Hospital as of 31 March 2026, in tabular form. [25931/26]

3108. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health the number of opened and staffed critical care beds in both St James's and the Mater Hospital as of 1 April 2026; and if she will provide the same figures as of 1 April 2023, in tabular form. [25932/26]

3109. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the number of primary care posts (including occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, and psychologists) in Longford–Westmeath that have been vacant for more than six, 12, and 24 months; and the reasons these posts remain unfilled. [25943/26]

3115. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE Consultant Vascular Surgeons based at Cork University Hospital as of 1 April 2026, in tabular form. [25974/26]

3116. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of recruitment campaigns that South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital took to the UK seeking nurses, radiographers, physiotherapists and so on to work at this hospital in the years of 2025 and to-date in 2026; the number of persons that indicated willingness to work within this hospital, in tabular form. [25975/26]

3118. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of vacant registrar's posts by speciality currently at Mercy University Hospital; and the estimated timeframe for filling each of those vacancies, in tabular form. [25977/26]

3123. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the number of speech and language therapists and occupational therapists currently employed within services in County Longford; the number of approved posts for each discipline; the number of vacant positions, by full-time and part-time roles; and the length of time these posts have remained unfilled. [26014/26]

3124. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken to recruit and retain speech and language therapists and occupational therapists in Longford; whether any additional funding has been allocated to address service gaps; and the interim measures, if any, in place where no therapists are available. [26016/26]