Mental Health Services

1087. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any formal national policy, circular, or directive has been issued by her Department governing the standardisation of definitions used in counselling activity statistics, including client numbers, episodes of care, and activity totals; and if she will provide details. [29899/26]

1088. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the role of her Department in approving, reviewing, or overseeing the key performance indicator metadata definitions used by the Health Service Executive in reporting counselling activity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29900/26]

1089. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any assessment has been undertaken by her Department to determine the extent of variation in how counselling activity data is interpreted and reported across different health regions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29901/26]

1090. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has conducted any audit or validation of counselling activity data submitted by health regions to ensure consistency, accuracy, and comparability at national level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29902/26]

1091. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the National Business Information Unit operates under a formally approved governance framework setting out responsibilities for data standardisation, validation, and escalation of discrepancies in counselling activity reporting; and if she will provide details on the matter. [29903/26]

1092. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any national guidance exists governing how counselling activity data should be interpreted for policy, planning, or funding decisions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29904/26]

1093. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has examined whether differences in data definitions or reporting practices across health regions may impact national waiting list data, service planning, or resource allocation in counselling services; and if she will provide details. [29905/26]

1094. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any plans are in place to introduce a formal national policy framework governing the compilation, validation, and reporting of counselling activity statistics across the Health Service Executive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29906/26]

1095. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the mechanisms in place within her Department to ensure that national mental health service performance data, including counselling activity statistics, is based on consistent and standardised definitions across all health regions; and if she will provide details. [29907/26]

1096. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether responsibility for defining and maintaining counselling activity metrics within the Health Service Executive rests at national or regional level; and if she will clarify the governance structure in place. [29908/26]

1099. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the corporate information facility templates used for counselling activity reporting are subject to periodic review and approval at Department level; and if she will provide details of such reviews. [29911/26]

1100. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has issued any guidance on the minimum data standards required for counselling services to ensure national comparability and transparency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29912/26]

1102. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any evaluation has been undertaken to assess whether current data reporting arrangements adequately support evidence-based policymaking in mental health counselling services; and if she will provide details of same. [29914/26]

1103. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the absence of a formal national policy governing counselling activity statistics has been identified as a governance risk within her Department or the Health Service Executive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29915/26]

1104. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department intends to align counselling activity reporting standards with broader national health data governance frameworks; and if so, to provide a timeline for such alignment. [29916/26]

1105. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any international benchmarking has been undertaken in relation to the governance and standardisation of counselling activity data; and if she will provide details. [29917/26]

1106. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any national-level audit, verification, or quality assurance process is conducted by or on behalf of her Department or the Health Service Executive in respect of counselling activity data submitted by health regions; and if so, to provide details of the scope, frequency, and findings of such processes. [29918/26]

1107. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any independent or internal audit of counselling activity data systems has been conducted since 2020; and if so, to provide the dates, scope, and outcomes of each such audit. [29919/26]

1108. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health which unit, division, or office holds ultimate responsibility for assuring the accuracy, consistency, and completeness of national counselling activity data. [29920/26]

1110. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Health Service Executive maintains any metric, estimate, or benchmark regarding the rate of error or data inconsistency in counselling activity reporting; and if so, to provide such data. [29922/26]

1111. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Comptroller and Auditor General, internal audit, or any external body has examined or reviewed the systems used to collect and verify counselling activity data; and if so, to provide details.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29923/26]

1112. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether standardised national protocols exist governing the validation and verification of counselling activity data prior to submission to the National Business Information Unit; and if so, to provide details. [29924/26]

1113. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the steps been taken to mitigate the risk of human error arising from the manual processes involved in counselling activity data collection and submission. [29925/26]

1115. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether counselling activity data submitted to the National Business Information Unit is used to inform national policy, funding allocations, or service planning; and if so, the assurance mechanisms that are in place to ensure the reliability of such data. [29927/26]

1116. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department collects or requires reporting on the number of unique individuals receiving counselling services under the National Counselling Service, as distinct from the total number of counselling sessions reported. [29928/26]