Healthcare Infrastructure Provision

1914. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether all expenditure under the treatment abroad scheme is capable of being reconciled on a patient-by-patient basis through a single integrated dataset; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41883/26]

1915. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the treatment abroad scheme operates through a fully integrated digital financial management and verification system or through manual and partially manual reconciliation processes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41884/26]

1916. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether payments made under the treatment abroad scheme are subject to post-treatment verification procedures prior to final reimbursement; and if she will provide details of the verification process applied. [41885/26]

1917. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any overpayments, duplicate payments, unverified invoices, disputed charges, or retrospective expenditure adjustments have been identified within the treatment abroad scheme since 2020; and if she will provide annual figures in tabular form. [41886/26]

1918. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the date on which the most recent internal audit review of the treatment abroad scheme was completed; whether any recommendations were issued arising from that review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41887/26]

1919. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Comptroller and Auditor General has conducted any audits, examinations, management letter observations, or recommendations relating to the treatment abroad scheme since 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41888/26]

1920. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Department of Health receives patient-level expenditure and activity reports relating to the treatment abroad scheme or solely aggregate expenditure and activity summaries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41889/26]

1921. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any formal risk assessment has been conducted regarding financial accountability, expenditure verification, invoice reconciliation, or audit assurance arrangements within the treatment abroad scheme since 2020; and if she will provide details. [41890/26]

1922. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE has conducted any review, assessment, or procurement exercise regarding the development of a comprehensive patient-linked financial accountability system for the treatment abroad scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41891/26]

1923. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether there exists any statutory, administrative, or policy requirement setting minimum audit frequency standards for the treatment abroad scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41892/26]

1924. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether quarterly oversight meetings between the HSE and the Department of Health concerning the treatment abroad scheme include review of patient-level expenditure verification, invoice reconciliation, or audit exception reporting; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41893/26]

1926. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the treatment abroad scheme maintains a formal panel of independent clinical reviewers to assess applications prior to approval of expenditure; if so, the composition and governance arrangements of that panel; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41905/26]

1927. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any categories of the treatment abroad scheme applications automatically require secondary independent clinical validation prior to approval, including applications above specified expenditure thresholds, high-risk procedures, experimental treatments, or treatments involving minors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4190…

1928. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of treatment abroad scheme applications in respect of which independent clinical advice was sought in each year from 2020 to 2026, broken down by specialty area and outcome; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41907/26]

1929. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the treatment abroad scheme has published internal criteria or guidance governing when independent clinical advice must or should be sought before approval decisions are made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41908/26]

1930. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether clinicians providing independent clinical advice to the treatment abroad scheme are required to complete declarations regarding conflicts of interest, prior professional relationships, or institutional affiliations relating to overseas treatment providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41909/26]

1931. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of appeals lodged against treatment abroad scheme decisions in each year from 2020 to 2026; the number upheld, partially upheld, and rejected; the average processing time for appeals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41910/26]

1932. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the governance structure of the National Appeals Office in respect of treatment abroad scheme appeals; whether independent external clinical expertise forms part of the appeals process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41911/26]

1933. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any audits, reviews, inspections, or examinations of the treatment abroad scheme have been conducted by the HSE Internal Audit function, the Comptroller and Auditor General, or any external body since 2020; if so, the dates and broad findings of each review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41912/26]

1934. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the treatment abroad scheme operates any expenditure-control thresholds, enhanced review procedures, or escalation mechanisms for high-cost approvals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41913/26]

1935. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the total annual expenditure approved under the treatment abroad scheme in each year from 2020 to 2026, broken down by medical specialty, destination country, and number of approved patients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41914/26]

1936. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the treatment abroad scheme records both the estimated cost at the point of authorisation and the final invoiced cost paid following treatment in each individual case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41916/26]

1937. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the treatment abroad scheme conducts any formal variance analysis between estimated and actual expenditure incurred per patient following overseas treatment approval; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41917/26]

1938. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of treatment abroad scheme cases since 2020 in which final invoiced costs exceeded original estimated costs by (a) less than 10%, (b) 10% to 25%, (c) 25% to 50%, and (d) greater than 50%; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41918/26]

1939. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any threshold exists under the treatment abroad scheme requiring additional review, approval, or escalation where final treatment costs materially exceed original estimated expenditure; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41919/26]