Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Charitable and Voluntary Organisations

James Browne

1. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health if, in view of recent events, he has plans to review arrangements for the funding and auditing of section 38 agencies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21103/16]

Home Help Service Data

Louise O'Reilly

2. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of banked and paid for hours that home-help workers are due; the breakdown of these by region; the number of hours that have been cut from persons in the same areas for the period 2014 to 2016 to date; the number of home-help hours projected for 2016 and the percentage of these that have been delivered to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21095/16]

Services for People with Disabilities

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony

3. Deputy Margaret Murphy O'Mahony asked the Minister for Health when the task force for the implementation of personalised budgets for persons with disabilities will be established; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21104/16]

Charitable and Voluntary Organisations

Alan Kelly

4. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health to provide an up-to-date list of section 38 entities which receive funding from the HSE and the amount of funding each organisation received from 2013 to 2015, inclusive; if he will publish all HSE audits of section 38 organisations; and if he will consider a policy of seeking to ensure a representative of the HSE serves on the board of each of these entities on at least a pro tem basis to ensure transparency and public confidence in the spending of public money. [21096/16]

Hospital Groups

Jack Chambers

5. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Health the criteria for appointment to senior hospital management positions and for board appointments in each of the hospital groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21105/16]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Aindrias Moynihan

6. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Health his plans to reduce gynaecology waiting times in Cork University Hospital. [20992/16]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Michael Moynihan

7. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the reason for the substantial increase between December 2015 and May 2016 in the number of outpatients waiting more than a year for a consultation in Cork University Hospital. [20984/16]

Mental Health Services Provision

Mick Wallace

8. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Health his proposals to end the practice of admitting children to adult mental health units and cope in an age-appropriate way with the rise in the number of children and young persons receiving acute inpatient mental health care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20611/16]

Hospital Waiting Lists

John Brassil

9. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Health his plans to address the waiting times for cataract surgery in County Kerry. [20963/16]

Health Services

Maureen O'Sullivan

10. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health his views on whether proper protocols were followed in a case (details supplied); and his and the Health Service Executive's plans to amend guidelines and best practice standards to ensure persons at risk are dealt with promptly. [20612/16]

Home Help Service

Robert Troy

11. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health his proposals to increase the number of hours under the home help scheme and the number of home care packages in counties Longford and Westmeath. [20977/16]

Mental Health Services Report

Catherine Connolly

12. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health if he has commenced the promised review of A Vision for Change, when he will complete it, the composition of the review team, its terms of reference, and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20606/16]

Health Services Provision

Mick Barry

13. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Health his views on the continuing depth of involvement of religious organisations in providing State-funded health care, on the separation of church and State, and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21000/16]

Nursing Home Services

Jackie Cahill

14. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health if he will discuss with the Health Service Executive the need for capital funding to secure the future of a facility (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20599/16]

Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

15. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health if he will review legislation, given that the Crowe Horwath report into the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland is reported to note that the legislation underpinning the management of fitness-to-practise cases and the corporate governance of the board appears to be a major contributor to the current problems and is in need of urgent review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20923/16]

Health Services Staff Recruitment

Gino Kenny

16. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite the recruitment of a full-time consultant medical oncologist with a special interest in sarcoma in St. Vincent's Hospital in Dublin 4; if he will renew the contract of the locum consultant medical oncologist who has a special interest in sarcoma until the post is filled on a permanent basis; if he will agree to meet the Sarcoma Action Group of concerned cancer patients and their families who are seeking an urgent meeting with him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20616/16]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Willie O'Dea

17. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health the reason for the substantial increase between December 2015 and May 2016 in the number of outpatients waiting more than one year for a consultation in University Hospital Limerick. [20983/16]

Home Care Packages Provision

Bríd Smith

18. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the increases in staffing that have been achieved to deal with the crisis under the home help scheme and the carer respite services; the number of persons who are in hospital with their discharge delayed who are waiting to access these services; the number of carers who have been unable to continue as carers, due to the lack of respite services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20910/16]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Bernard Durkan

19. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the extent to which he expects to be in a position to reduce the waiting lists for various procedures throughout the public health and hospital system with a view to ensuring a readily accessible hospital service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20912/16]

Health Services Reports

Louise O'Reilly

20. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 213 to 215, inclusive, of 23 June 2015, the actions he is taking to ensure patient safety in terms of investigating why certain hospitals have higher than average death rates; if he will undertake any investigations or follow-up action following the publication of the second annual report of the national health care quality reporting system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20917/16]

Mental Health Services Provision

John McGuinness

21. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health his plans to improve psychiatric services at acute and at community level in counties Carlow and Kilkenny. [20987/16]

Commissions of Investigation

John McGuinness

22. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health the status of the establishment of a statutory commission of investigation into a foster home in the south east. [20988/16]

Vaccination Programme

Maureen O'Sullivan

23. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health why the Health Service Executive is not engaging with the Reactions and Effects of Gardasil Resulting in Extreme Trauma, REGRET, group; if he has confidence in the human papilloma virus vaccine; and if he will engage with the group to discuss the serious illnesses suffered by over 370 girls and address the lack of possible information on side-effects provided to parents of students receiving the vaccine. [20613/16]

HSE Governance

Louise O'Reilly

24. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if he will consider introducing a legislative based accountability framework for Health Service Executive employees; the consultation or meetings he has had on this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20913/16]

Services for People with Disabilities

Colm Brophy

25. Deputy Colm Brophy asked the Minister for Health the status of the provision of needs assessments by needs assessment officers in areas (details supplied); the number of officers in place; the reason for the delay in provision; when he will clear the backlog of applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20454/16]

Medicinal Products Prices

Sean Fleming

26. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health how Ireland’s expenditure on medicines compares to other European Union member states when considered as a share of overall health expenditure. [20976/16]

General Practitioner Services

Bríd Smith

27. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the actions he is taking to progress the development, staff levels and contracts of general practitioners including the provision of care free at the point of use to persons under 12 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20909/16]

Hospital Services

Mattie McGrath

28. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health when he will complete improvements to radiology services at South Tipperary General Hospital; the investment cost of these improvements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20602/16]

Mental Health Services Provision

Mattie McGrath

29. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health his assessment of mental health services in south Tipperary since the closure of St. Michael's psychiatric unit in Clonmel, County Tipperary; if he will consider re-opening this unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20603/16]

Budget Submissions

Alan Kelly

30. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health if he has examined the Alzheimer Society of Ireland's recent pre-budget submission, in particular if he notes the request for an additional €67 million in budget 2017 to provide additional home care packages for persons suffering from dementia; and his views on whether this proposal should be implemented in budget 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20609/16]

Treatment Benefit Scheme Eligibility

Clare Daly

31. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health to amend the terms of the treatment abroad scheme to include medical treatment in relation to termination of pregnancy, reasonable travel, accommodation and subsistence for the woman and a travel companion, particularly as the State's forcing of a woman to rely on her own financial resources entirely outside the public health care system in a case (details supplied) constituted discrimination and a violation of human rights. [20615/16]

Electronic Health Records

Carol Nolan

32. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the consultation that has taken place with the Department of Health in Northern Ireland with respect to working towards interoperability of cross-Border e-health services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20919/16]

Medicinal Products Expenditure

Róisín Shortall

33. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the way he proposes to cut the costs of medication to the State and to the general public. [20949/16]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Mary Butler

34. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Health the reason for the substantial increase between December 2015 and May 2016 in the number of outpatients waiting more than a year for a consultation in Waterford University Hospital. [20964/16]

Ambulance Service

Ruth Coppinger

35. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health to report on the implementation of the action plan of the national ambulance service capacity review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20950/16]

Health Services Funding

James Browne

36. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health his plans to review arrangements for funding of section 38 agencies in view of recent events. [20956/16]

Mental Health Services

Pat Buckley

37. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health his plans to introduce a regulatory framework to allow for the registering of all residential mental health and drug and alcohol units to ensure that standards are being observed and proper evidence based care is being provided, especially where Health Service Executive funding is being allocated. [20946/16]

Mental Health Policy

Catherine Connolly

38. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health the reason the independent monitoring group set up to monitor the implementation of A Vision for Change and which sat for two periods, 2006-2009 and 2009-2012, did not sit after 2012 given that it was a fundamental recommendation in A Vision for Change; his plans, if any, to reconvene such a monitoring group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20607/16]

Health Services Provision

Niamh Smyth

39. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if it is acceptable to allow an eight year old child who is deaf in one ear and partially deaf in the other wait two years on the public waiting list for an ear, nose and throat appointment within the Cavan and Monaghan Hospital Group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20601/16]

Speech and Language Therapy Provision

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony

40. Deputy Margaret Murphy O'Mahony asked the Minister for Health the measures being taken to reduce waiting times for speech and language therapy. [20960/16]

General Medical Services Scheme Administration

Denise Mitchell

41. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the progress being made in the ongoing negotiations with the Irish Medical Organisation on a new general medical services, GMS, contract; if the National Association of General Practitioners will be included in the ongoing negotiations for a new GMS contract; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20940/16]

Mental Health Services Provision

Pat Buckley

42. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health his progress in establishing 24/7 crisis intervention supports in adult mental health, such as introducing a seven-day week in day units or opening crisis houses as laid down in the A Vision for Change strategy. [20945/16]

Medicinal Products Prices

David Cullinane

43. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health why, according to 2013 figures from the OECD, Ireland had the highest per capita spend on medicines in the European Union; the areas in which the €775 million in savings in the drugs bill have been made including a breakdown of this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20935/16]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Catherine Connolly

44. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on the waiting list for ultrasounds; the backlog that exists for ultrasounds in Galway University Hospital for infants up to four months; the reason there is a backlog for such an essential service; the steps being taken to resolve this backlog; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20605/16]

Electronic Health Records

David Cullinane

45. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the action being taken to address the differing legal frameworks, lack of legal clarity and lack of interoperability to facilitate health data exchange to ensure co-ordinated care across borders in respect of barriers to the deployment of e-health; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20934/16]

Medical Card Administration

Louise O'Reilly

46. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health his plans to legislate for a distinct new medical need ground for eligibility for the medical card with an assessment involving the establishment of a threshold of medical need and not tested against a household’s financial means or against diagnosis titles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20916/16]

Palliative Care Services Provision

Robert Troy

47. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health the Health Service Executive plans in place to support North Westmeath Hospice and palliative care in the county generally. [20995/16]

Hospital Waiting Lists

John Lahart

48. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the reason for the substantial increase between December 2015 and May 2016 in the number of children waiting more than a year for an outpatient consultation in Temple Street Children's University Hospital, Dublin 1. [20974/16]

Long-Term Illness Scheme Coverage

James Lawless

49. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Health if he will extend the list of the current conditions covered under the long-term illness scheme to include chronic and severe asthma. [20953/16]

Electronic Health Records

Gerry Adams

50. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Health the progress made to date in the development of e-prescribing, online referrals and scheduling, telehealth and the development of summary patient records; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20924/16]

Home Help Service Provision

Brendan Smith

51. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health the proposals there are to increase the number of home help hours in counties Cavan and Monaghan. [20979/16]

Mental Health Services

Jackie Cahill

52. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health if he will review with the Health Service Executive the decision to transfer all psychiatric beds from County Tipperary to Kilkenny and Ennis, County Clare, as this is clearly not working on the evidence provided by staff of the service in County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20600/16]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Anne Rabbitte

53. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Health the reason for the substantial increase between December 2015 and May 2016 in the number of outpatients waiting more than a year for a consultation in University Hospital Galway. [20971/16]

Health Services Data

Martin Ferris

54. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm that there is an adequate number of intensive care beds to make full use of the recent announcement of the investment in the all-island Congenital Heart Disease Network over the next five years; if this initiative and these beds will be fully staffed; the number of additional staff that will be employed as part of this; if contracts have been signed; the duration of these contracts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20939/16]

Cross-Border Health Services Provision

Imelda Munster

55. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Health the health services that have been sought by persons who have accessed health care under the European Union cross-border health care directive in another European Union and European Economic Area member state in each year since Directive 2011/24/EU was transposed; if he will provide this information in terms of the most common services, treatments and procedures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20927/16]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Seán Haughey

56. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Health the reason for the substantial increase between December 2015 and May 2016 in the number of outpatients waiting more than a year for a consultation in the Mater Hospital, Dublin 7. [20969/16]

Hospital Trusts

Jack Chambers

57. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Health to halt the devolution of control of hospitals to trusts as part of the new ten-year health plan; and his plans to put hospital trusts on a statutory basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20452/16]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Seán Haughey

58. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Health the reason for the substantial increase between December 2015 and May 2016 in the number of outpatients waiting more than a year for a consultation in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9. [20968/16]

Hospitals Building Programme

Marc MacSharry

59. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Health the status of development plans for Sligo University Hospital. [20989/16]

Abortion Services Provision

Paul Murphy

60. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he is satisfied that the level of abortion services provided under the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2015, as recently reported to the Houses of the Oireachtas, is sufficient to guarantee the highest standard of health care to women here. [20998/16]

Home Help Service Provision

Marc MacSharry

61. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Health his proposals to increase the number of home help hours in counties Sligo, Leitrim, west Cavan and south Donegal. [20990/16]

Home Help Service

Richard Boyd Barrett

62. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the reason when a person is in need of home help hours and is awarded the hours these hours cannot be accessed due to a lack of availability among private care companies that are recommended by the Health Service Executive; the alternatives in place to ensure that the much-needed hours are made available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20704/16]

Home Help Service Provision

Mary Butler

63. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Health his plans for a systematic and sustained increase in the provision of home care for older persons. [20965/16]

General Practitioner Services

Fiona O'Loughlin

64. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Health his plans to alleviate the pressures on general practitioners in County Kildare in the view of the introduction of free general practitioner care for the under-sixes. [20993/16]

National Children's Hospital Status

Ruth Coppinger

65. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health the progress being made on construction of the national children's hospital at the St. James's Hospital site; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20951/16]

Abortion Services Provision

Clare Daly

66. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health his plans to repeal the Regulation of Information (Services Outside the State for Termination of Pregnancies) Act 1995, particularly in view of the United Nations Human Rights Committee finding (details supplied), in order to enable the medical profession to advise its patients on all medical options available to them, including those currently only available outside Ireland. [20614/16]

Cross-Border Health Services Provision

Imelda Munster

67. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who have accessed health care under the European Union cross-border health care directive in another European Union and European Economic Area member state in each year since Directive 2011/24/EU was transposed; the amount reimbursed in accordance with the legislation; the number of those persons who accessed health care in Northern Ireland; the amount reimbursed in respect of treatment in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20926/16]

Misuse of Drugs

Richard Boyd Barrett

68. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health if there is evidence available that the rescheduling of benzodiazepines or ​Z​ drugs could​ prevent the misuse of dangerous or harmful drugs; the specific requests the Garda made to him regarding the rescheduling of these drugs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20705/16]

Orthodontic Services Waiting Lists

Charlie McConalogue

69. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Health the reason he is allowing a situation to arise at Letterkenny University Hospital where the necessary infrastructure and staff are not being provided to the orthodontic department there and as a result clinics are being cancelled on a continuous basis and waiting lists are growing; why there is no radiography equipment available in-house for the orthodontic department at the hospital; when a full complement of six dental nurses will be made available to the orthodontics department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20457/16]

National Dementia Strategy Implementation

Maurice Quinlivan

70. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 714 of 31 May 2016, how the co-investment programme of €27.5 million for the national dementia strategy has been spent; the funding available from this; the cost to date of providing intensive home care packages since January 2015 to the 133 persons nationally; the cost of rolling out dementia specialist intensive home care packages to all local health office, LHO, areas, as was piloted in eight LHOs as part of the national dementia strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20933/16]

Special Educational Needs

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

71. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Health the number of children waiting for disability assessment reports from the Health Service Executive; if he is aware that this impedes the ability of children obtaining the assessments they need in order to access essential services; the action being taken to ensure that there is no undue delay in this process, particularly as schools will be applying for special needs assistants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20929/16]

Health Services Staff Recruitment

Gino Kenny

72. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Health the increases in staffing that have been achieved to deal with the crisis in primary care psychology, speech and language therapy and occupational therapy services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20942/16]

Hospital Consultant Recruitment

Lisa Chambers

73. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Minister for Health his plans to increase the current rheumatology consultant service being provided at Mayo University Hospital. [20981/16]

Accident and Emergency Departments

Bernard Durkan

74. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health his plans to reduce the congestion at accident and emergency departments in public hospitals here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20911/16]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Shane Cassells

75. Deputy Shane Cassells asked the Minister for Health the reason for the substantial increase between December 2015 and May 2016 in the number of outpatients waiting more than a year for a consultation in Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan, County Meath. [20970/16]

Hospital Waiting Lists

John Lahart

76. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the reason for the substantial increase between December 2015 and May 2016 in the number of children waiting more than a year for an outpatient consultation in Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, Dublin 12. [20973/16]

Health Services Staff

Gino Kenny

77. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Health the increases in staffing that have been achieved to deal with the crisis in home help and carer respite services; the number of persons in hospital with their discharge delayed waiting to access these services; the number of carers that have been unable to continue as carers due to the lack of respite services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20944/16]

Mental Health Services Data

James Browne

78. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of children under 18 years of age who have been admitted to acute hospitals on mental health grounds; and the number of individual children these admissions relate to and the number of subsequent readmissions for 2015 and 2016 to date. [20957/16]

Drug Treatment Programmes

Jack Chambers

79. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Health when regulations will be introduced to provide for the introduction of suboxone as an alternative to methadone. [20967/16]

Respite Care Services

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony

80. Deputy Margaret Murphy O'Mahony asked the Minister for Health his plans for a national respite strategy to help those caring for persons with very profound disabilities. [20961/16]

Electronic Health Records

Eoin Ó Broin

81. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health the progress made to date on the e-health strategy for Ireland; the actions that have been taken to date to bring this strategy in line with the European Union e-health action plan 2012-2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20920/16]

General Practitioner Services

Gino Kenny

82. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Health the action he is taking to progress the development and staff levels and contracts of general practitioners, including the provision of care free at the point of use to children under 12 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20943/16]

Mental Health Services Data

James Browne

83. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health if analysis has been completed or studies carried out on the number of admissions and renewal orders revoked before a mental health tribunal is held. [20959/16]

Hospital Beds Data

Catherine Murphy

84. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the increase in the number of critical care beds that are available since April 2016; the estimated increase for the remainder of 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20996/16]

Pharmacy Services

John Brassil

85. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Health the action being taken to introduce a minor ailment scheme in community pharmacies. [20962/16]

Health Services Staff Data

Róisín Shortall

86. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the work he has contemplated or plans to determine the areas of greatest need for primary care staff; the extent of unmet demand in each area; the cost of meeting this demand; the staffing requirement in each area; and to develop a system of transparent allocation of such staffing resources. [20948/16]

Childhood Obesity

Anne Rabbitte

87. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Health his Department's plans for addressing levels of childhood obesity; and the measures his Department is taking to promote better nutrition, healthy eating and increased levels of physical activity among children and young persons. [15261/16]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Declan Breathnach

88. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Health the reason for the substantial increase between December 2015 and May 2016 in the number of outpatients waiting more than a year for a consultation in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, County Meath. [20982/16]

Health Services Provision

Louise O'Reilly

89. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the service that will be put in place to replace the eye-testing service for fifth and sixth class students as part of the primary school children optical scheme, following its discontinuation earlier in 2016; if reforms or new services will be in place before the resumption of school in September 2016 and the timeframe for this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20914/16]

Electronic Health Records

Carol Nolan

90. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health following approval to proceed in 2016 with an initial phase that will facilitate the electronic transfer of prescriptions, utilising Health Information and Quality Authority standards developed to date, and the national message broker health link, the current progress with this initiative; the progress being made with phased implementation towards a national e-prescribing solution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20918/16]

Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

91. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been brought to the Crowe Horwath report into the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland, NMBI; if he has had any meetings with the NMBI on the reports, its findings and its recommendations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20922/16]

Health Services Provision

Eoin Ó Broin

92. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health the number of community optometrists here; the number of service level agreements in place between the Health Service Executive and private optometry services for the provision of services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20921/16]

Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland

Louise O'Reilly

93. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health given that the Crowe Horwath report, into the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland, NMBI, is reported to note that, over the last few years, the nursing board did not have a productive working relationship with his Department, his plans to remedy this; if he has met the NMBI since taking office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20915/16]

Medicinal Products Prices

Dara Calleary

94. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health his views on concerns regarding artificial pricing thresholds in medicine pricing arrangements with the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association. [20985/16]

Hospitals Building Programme

Lisa Chambers

95. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Minister for Health the status of the construction works at the Sacred Heart Hospital in Castlebar, County Mayo; and the expected completion date. [20980/16]

Departmental Agencies

Denise Mitchell

96. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health if his Department conducted or is in the process of conducting financial audits of section 38 and 39 funded agencies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20941/16]

Medicinal Products Prices

Sean Fleming

97. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health the savings he anticipates from the agreement with the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association. [20975/16]

Hospital Services

Eamon Scanlon

98. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Health the status of the development of a catheterisation laboratory at Sligo University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20947/16]

Hospital Consultant Recruitment

Niamh Smyth

99. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health why the only specialised sarcoma consultant (details supplied) here is being let go; the person who will look after the approximate 300 patients currently under this consultant; what is their qualifications to do so; the person responsible for the national centre of excellence for sarcoma based in St. Vincent's hospital; the way they propose to deal with future cases of sarcoma; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20455/16]

Abortion Services Provision

Mick Barry

100. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Health his views on whether women's health is adequately protected given the restrictions on health care for pregnant women in view of the eighth amendment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20999/16]