I propose to take Questions Nos. 402 and 403 together. The Long-Term Illness (LTI) scheme was established under Section 59(3) of the Health Act 1970 (as amended). Regulations were made in 1971, 1973 and 1975, prescribing 16 illnesses covered by the scheme. These are: acute leukaemia; mental handicap; cerebral palsy; mental illness (in a person under 16); cystic fibrosis; multiple sclerosis; diabetes insipidus; muscular dystrophies; diabetes mellitus; parkinsonism; epilepsy; phenylketonuria; haemophilia; spina bifid…

It is recognised that waiting times for many scheduled appointments and procedures were too long before and have been made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Department of Health continues to work with the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) to identify ways to improve access to care. On the 7th March, I published the 2023 Waiting List Action Plan, which is the next stage of a new multi-annual approach to sustainably reduce and reform hospital waiting lists, and builds on the foundational work done…

Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual. In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy dire…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 417, 427 and 467 together. The Government is committed to the extension of GP visit card eligibility to those who earn the median household income or less, as announced in Budget 2023. In total, approximately 400,000 additional individuals are estimated to become eligible under this expansion. This measure will remove the cost of accessing GP care from those for whom cost is most likely to prevent access; helping reduce the cost of living for young adults and young families in parti…

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

The Government and the Department of Health are fully committed to improving genetics services in Ireland, including at CHI Crumlin. In 2023, I allocated €2.7 million to implement the National Strategy for Accelerating Genetics and Genomics Medicine in Ireland, including the establishment of a National Office of Genetics and Genomics and the recruitment of key staff within the National Office and the wider genomics service. A priority for 2023 is to ensure that key frontline staff and National Office roles are recr…

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly. I would also like to remind the Deputy that it is against Department policy to comment on individual cases.

Under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the Health Service Executive (HSE) has statutory responsibility for the administration of the community drug schemes; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy. I am very much aware of the case of Mr. Phelan, who is being detained in Iran. The Department of Foreign Affairs is working on it and we are doing all we can to ensure that man is released as soon as possible. We are aware that he is in poo…

As the matter raised is a service delivery matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly as soon as possible. As the European values of solidarity, partnership and co-operation again come to the fore in a volatile world, there exists an opportunity to build a truly social Europe, one in which workers, families and communities are at the very heart of our shared future. We have a chance to reimagine and reshape the European endeavour as a beacon to the world of human rights, equ…

I would like to thank the Deputy for bringing this matter to my attention. I understand that the issue is now substantially resolved. However, as the maintenance of the register of Nurses and Midwives is an operational matter for the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI), I have also referred the question to the NMBI for its attention and direct response to the Deputy. As we encourage all parties to the Good Friday Agreement to recapture the spirit and determination of 1998, I appeal to the European Union t…

Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual. In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy dire…

The HSE operates the EU Treatment Abroad Scheme (TAS), for persons entitled under EU Regulation 883/04. The TAS is a consultant-led scheme and allows for an Ireland-based public consultant to refer a public patient who is normally resident in Ireland for treatment in the public healthcare system of another EU member state, the UK or Switzerland. As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible. Last month marked the 25th anniversary of the…

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

He is answering.

Yes.