Jennifer Carroll MacNeill
Dún Laoghaire · Fine Gael · Ireland
“It will be provided by a registered pharmacist in accordance with the relevant pharmacy legislation, including this Bill. Section 2 of the Bill makes various amendments to the Irish Medicines Board Act and the Pharmacy Act. Those amendments ensure that whole legislative framework is cross-referenced correctly.”
“We now have a common conditions service where you can go to a pharmacy instead of a GP to get a diagnosis and prescription for eight basic conditions like conjunctivitis or urinary tract infections - the kind of things that just come up in people's lives all the time. We would like to expand more and more what pharmacies can do.”
“In particular, the board will be focusing on aspects of menstrual health, on aspects of postpartum mental health, particularly in traumatic birth cases, on something we have overlooked for some time, which is endometriosis, on women who are finding it difficult to access services in different ways, as Senator Harmon suggested, and on more…”
“The extension to 41- to 45-year-olds could possibly be €5 million to €8 million because there are statistically fewer women in that bracket trying to conceive, so the numbers are higher. It really is a question of funding. I remind Senators that they have also asked me to fund various other programmes.”
“That followed confirmation from the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland and the Health Products Regulatory Authority that the patch and ring are classified as medicinal products, not medical devices. That is just a correction there.”
“That is why we have put so much money into supporting them in different ways, including the conclusion of a €50 million increase to their fees and to provide for the opportunity to raise private funds in this way, for example, the common conditions service. I want to see pharmacists doing more.”
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“I thank the Deputy. I am happy to talk to him about the accident and emergency department in Beaumont Hospital. Following recent investments, there are a number of significant proposals for capital investment and all are progressing through the requisite design and planning stages. As a live hospital campus, it is more complex as things have to be moved where patients are being seen. The planning, sequencing and enabling of these projects are all being managed through the HSE capital development process, in line with the infrastructure guidelines. In May 2025, the new emergency department received the final grant of planning permission. The project was moved to a detailed design stage through 2025 and 2026 and this will inform a tender and market engagement process that will ultimately determine construction timelines.”
“I have an obligation to point it out bed by bed because this is the type of usage we are talking about. This is the type of patient flow out of CUH and Mercy University Hospital. CUH is an enormous hospital. There are patients who can be safely discharged to another excellent medical care facility but unless the Deputy and I acknowledge that, we will go down like eejits opening more beds and being delighted about it. Six weeks later, beds are left empty and people are in danger in emergency departments. It is not okay and that is why we have to investigate it and call it out where we see it. Since 8 January 2026, no bed has been vacant in Mallow hospital and surge capacity is now being used consistently. We have seen an improvement in the region and I acknowledge that but it has to be consistent.”
“I totally agree. Of course they would and of course they want access. Two weeks later on Saturday, 27 December, there were 15 beds in Mallow. That is not the fault of Mallow hospital. The beds are there. What is important for the region is that people are moved out of other hospitals that are under pressure to make sure they get good care in Mallow hospital. Fifteen beds were vacant in Mallow hospital on Saturday, 27 December. Ten beds were vacant on Sunday, 28 December and the following week, Mercy University Hospital, which is just down the road, was under pressure with 11 people on trolleys on the Sunday morning, 28 December and then 13 people on trolleys. Mallow had ten vacancies on Sunday, 28 December and on the same day, 11 people were on trolleys in Mercy University Hospital. I cannot stand over that.”
“That is a mortal sin. All week long CUH was under pressure with 53, 37, 39, 38 and 39 people on trolleys. It discharged patients on Friday and there were 13 beds in Mallow left vacant while 28 of the Deputy's constituents were on trolleys in CUH. The pattern was repeated two weeks later, with trolleys in Mercy University Hospital. It is not okay. It is not good enough. The Deputy and I are investing on behalf of the taxpayer in services across the south west for the benefit of the Deputy's people in Cork and it needs to be used.”
“It is an acute step-down unit for the larger model 3 and model 4 hospitals in the Cork and Kerry region that accepts patients who still require hospital care but no longer require an acute bed is absolutely critical. I have been looking at its usage. For example, during the fourth quarter of 2025, on average there were four vacant beds every day in Mallow hospital. There were 12 days in the fourth quarter of 2025 - remember that was a peak flu season in the early part of December - when ten or more beds were vacant. I will give an example. On 13 December, which was a Saturday - there are high numbers of discharges on Fridays - 13 beds were vacant in Mallow General hospital, a critical step-down facility, and 28 people in CUH on a Saturday morning were on trolleys. Thirteen beds were left vacant in Mallow while 28 people were on trolleys.”
“Mallow hospital holds a particularly important place in the south-west region. We have invested very considerably in Mallow and we continue to invest in it for the benefit of the people of Mallow and also the people of the region. It forms a really important part of the patient flow infrastructure between Cork University Hospital, the Mercy Hospital and the way in which patients are moved through them for the benefit of patient safety. I have had concerns, which I am happy to discuss with the Deputy, about the use of the beds that are currently in Mallow. A question I have is how can we be sure the 24 new beds are going to be used when I have concerns about the use by the region of the beds that are currently there.”
“As a condition of the planning permission for the 24-bed inpatient ward, an extension to the existing car park is required. We have made that submission for planning permission and a tender will issue in quarter 2 of 2026. Phase 2 of the ward block development involves the fit-out of the existing ground floor shell and core space to provide an outpatient or day clinic ward, or both. This ward will include ten standard clinical rooms and an additional five clinical rooms configured for the establishment and operation of an obesity and bariatric clinic. The outpatient or day clinic ward project is at the detailed design stage. Subject to statutory approvals, it is anticipated the project tender will be issued in quarter 2 of 2026 and the timeline for delivery can then be determined.”
“I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to provide an update to the House on the capital works ongoing at Mallow General Hospital. In 2023, a new ward block for Mallow General Hospital was constructed and opened. As part of that project, two additional floors were constructed to facilitate subsequent infrastructure investment at the hospital, as the Deputy is aware. The subsequent development of the ward block is being progressed in two phases. Phase 1 involves the fit-out of the additional space to provide a 24-bed inpatient ward. This project is under way and is anticipated to be completed in quarter 1 of 2026, which obviously we are currently in. It is planned that facility will be put into service immediately.”
“I do not disagree with the Deputy and I respect the manner in which she consistently raises this and the concerns she has as a result of this not being resolved. I will it discuss it with the NAS and the region more generally. I will try to follow up and get this resolved. The Deputy and I will be pleased when that is so, for the benefit of the people of Roscommon and their safety.”
“I would be very pleased to speak with the Deputy about that in more detail. I think there is still a vacancy, based on the information I have, and I am glad the second vacancy has been filled. I would be very happy to discuss this with the Deputy more directly, but I am advised RRVs across the country are routinely crewed by paramedics or advanced paramedics and that is in accordance with the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council emergency dispatch crewing standards. Obviously, we want them to be advanced paramedics and that is why we have the additional course and why we are trying to recruit at that level. At the moment, it is consistent with the dispatch standards from the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council.”
“The HSE has also informed me that a new specialist paramedic advanced training programme commenced in January 2026 and that graduates will be eligible for appointment as advanced paramedics on successful completion of the course. I hope that will increase our pipeline of qualified people to perform exceptionally important functions, such as filling this important shift in Roscommon.”
“The HSE has informed me it has made numerous attempts to fill two advanced paramedic vacancies for that additional 12-hour shift - that dropped shift, as it were. In the meantime, the HSE has outlined, 24-7 emergency ambulance services are covered for the county and that the RRV dropped shift is covered by these emergency ambulance resources as well as by the RRVs located in neighbouring areas. In recent days, the HSE has advised that as a result of recent efforts, an advanced paramedic has been identified to fill one of the two vacancies in Roscommon as early as this month. Of course, I welcome this development. I have been assured by the HSE that efforts will continue in 2026 to fill the outstanding vacancy.”
“I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 and 104 together. I thank the Deputy. I acknowledge how consistently she raises this. She had a Topical Issue on it last week and I acknowledge her complete commitment to this issue and to the people of Roscommon. As she will be aware, the National Ambulance Service serves County Roscommon from three 24-7 bases located in Roscommon, Boyle and Loughglynn. Emergency ambulances services at these bases are staffed by NAS paramedics, advanced paramedics and emergency medical technicians. In addition to these emergency ambulances, the NAS also operates rapid response vehicles from these bases. The RRV in Roscommon town is currently operated 24 hours six days per week and 12 hours on the seventh day, as the Deputy is aware.”
“That is the essence of what she and I are saying to each other. I have such regard for listening to and respecting other voices. We reached the opportunity of the 2018 referendum precisely because of that approach and precisely because of an attempt to build consensus and to enable and facilitate that listening and respect. As Minister for Health, that is the approach I would like to continue to take.”
“The very essence of democratic choice is that those who are elected by the people may come into this House and freely choose how they wish to vote. I have every respect for Deputy Coppinger's vote, just as I have every respect for the votes of the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, and of Deputies O'Shea, Ó Muirí, Kerrane and every single person in this House. I respect their vote, their perspective, how they represent their constituents and what they are doing here. That is the democratic process. Citizens' assemblies provide an important informative process but it is not a democratic process. We are entitled to make choices about what we debate. Despite not agreeing with many parts of that Bill - though I agree with some of it - I would always choose to have that debate, but my choice is my choice as the Deputy's choice is hers.”
“I respect that the Deputy says consensus is not necessary. In fact, in a legislative Chamber, consensus is very necessary. That is why I am somebody who tries to take every step to listen to everybody and reach a consensus, which is what is necessary in a legislative Chamber.”
“I really do hear the Deputy. I respect that there are so many different views on this issue. I am broadly pro-choice and voted that way but I am not unreservedly pro-choice. Certainly, there are many elements of Deputy Murphy's Bill I simply do not agree with and cannot find a way to agree with. As Minister, I have tried to facilitate the broadest debate. I really do respect the very different opinions and the very different articulations of those opinions on all sides of the House. Prior to becoming Minister, I was involved with the family planning group. I think I am the first Minister to invite the pro-life groups into the Department of Health to hear their perspectives. I want to ensure all voices and perspectives on this issues are heard. I would like to see the greatest of respect for individual personal choice.”
“That is the reason I voted last week to enable Deputy Paul Murphy's Bill to come back on the floor of the House. It is important to have a Chamber that enables freedom of speech and debate and that we have dialogue on this issue. Deputy Murphy's legislation deals with a number of specific issues, some of which I might agree with and some with which I definitely would not agree. It is important to have a very broad debate. I respect the work done in the review. There is no consensus at the moment in relation to the next steps. The Deputy, in putting forward this question today, is continuing the debate, which is so important.”
“Under its blended approach, it is possible for one of the two consultations currently prescribed by legislation for termination in early pregnancy to take place remotely. Safe access zones were introduced to protect the right to lawful access to healthcare services with dignity and privacy. The cumulative aim and effect of these measures is to substantially reduce barriers and increase the availability of services for those who need them. The legislation in place is consistent with commitments given to the Irish people prior to the repeal of the eighth amendment. The issue of legislative change, including changes to the three-day wait, requires very careful consideration. I respect the different views on these benches and on the benches opposite regarding the next steps to be taken.”
“I appreciate the Deputy's question. My Department is committed to ensuring there is safe and equitable access to termination of pregnancy services. We have taken a number of important actions to give effect to that, on which I will update the House. In line with the programme for Government, all 19 maternity hospitals are now providing termination of pregnancy services. There has also been a continuous increase in the number of community providers, which currently stands at 487. That is hugely significant in the context of respecting women's rights and choices. My Department also approved the revised model of care, introduced during the Covid period, as the enduring model of care.”
“I appreciate the absolute commitment to this issue by Deputy Byrne and the other Deputies from the area on behalf of the people of the region. I think we will end up with a good-sized primary care centre but we want to see progress on that and facilities expedited as much as possible. I certainly will continue to work with the Deputy and with the HSE to try to maintain the appropriate schedule to ensure the project progresses.”
“The Deputy is well aware of the circumstances in which the previous process lapsed. We will continue to make sure it progresses at the appropriate pace. I will speak to the HSE about it. We will all be very pleased when we see a tender awarded and progress beginning on the site.”
“To inform the readvertisement of Gorey PCC, the HSE conducted a review of the current and future health service needs for the Gorey area. Following this, in June 2025, the HSE published stage 1 of the advertisement for this PCC location on the eTenders procurement platform. The expressions of interest received in stage 1 have since been evaluated. In quarter 4 of 2025, stage 2 of the advertisement, which seeks a priced offer, was published on eTenders. The HSE has advised that the tender returns arising from stage 2 of that advertisement will be evaluated in this quarter, as the Deputy is aware. I thank him for his commitment to ensuring the HSE is actively engaging to progress the further development of primary care centres throughout the country, which, of course, includes Gorey primary care centre.”
“I thank the Deputy for allowing me to update the House on this matter. Primary care centres form an important part of our health infrastructure and provide a single point of access to primary and community care services for individuals. As the Deputy is more than aware, the need for a new primary care centre in Gorey was identified as part of the overall primary care centre development programme. The development of that centre had previously been progressing under the operational lease model. A tender process was undertaken and a preferred provider was identified, as the Deputy is aware. Unfortunately, that preferred provider encountered difficulties regarding the viability of the project. The HSE subsequently took the very difficult decision to withdraw from the process and to readvertise this location.”
“Now, we need to ensure we make people's lives easier when they get a cancer diagnosis, for example by ensuring they get the treatment as close to home as possible so they do not have to travel and by ensuring they get really good treatment. We are all working on that together. We can create politics, but I remind the Deputy that her own party's manifesto specifically committed to Sláintecare. I am not sure what that point is really.”
“If we could get to the reality of the delivery of cancer services, this Oireachtas agreed Sláintecare. I am here at the moment - there will be somebody after me, as there was somebody before me - to try to implement that and make sure we have a public system that meets people's needs as close to home as possible and in a timely way. We are making good progress with that. If the Deputy looks at our cancer strategies and how they have contributed to that, she will see that when the first cancer strategy was launched in 1996, the average five-year survival rate was 43%. In 2022, that rate was 65% and it continues to grow because of the way we have organised services in specialist centres.”
“I might separate that into two things. I do not know what I was doing ten years ago, or what the Deputy was doing ten years ago. I do not know what that has to do with anything. I do not know who wrote that for the Deputy as a political point.”
“Across 2025, in Beaumont Hospital, where many patients would be referred, 80% of urgent breast cancer referrals were seen within ten working days and 98% of the non-urgent referrals were seen within 12 weeks. It sounds so impersonal to talk about the metrics, but you have to look at how everybody is experiencing it and not an individual to see how we are doing over time. In December 2025, Beaumont Hospital increased its capacity for urgent outpatient slots by ten per day to try to clear any backlog. In addition, nearly 1,500 breast-imaging studies have been scheduled to be performed at evenings and weekends. We are trying to use all the resources we have, including the physical buildings and the diagnostic equipment in those buildings, in the best way. I have seen the new CT machine in Beaumont Hospital.”
“The timeline is the one we have all set in relation to the Sláintecare targets. We are all working towards that. As we discussed earlier, I would appreciate those specific examples so I can follow them up much better.”
“Crocus Monaghan is a new associate member, providing additional psychosocial and other important supports to cancer patients and their families in the local region. In terms of the waiting times in that region, my information is the performance of the systemic anti-cancer therapies and so on in that region is actually very good. It is actually close to or exceeding the targets nationally. The region is working quite well generally. It can always improve but it is working quite well generally. On the specific times and so on, we have to go on the KPIs generally and how they are set. There are many cases where somebody might be waiting a long time, not because of a failure to deliver the service but because of the complexity of their case and multiple different issues. It is important not to single out individual cases.”
“Patients requiring less complex treatments, such as systemic anti-cancer therapy - chemotherapy and immunotherapy - would access that at Beaumont Hospital, the Mater hospital, Cavan General Hospital, Connolly Hospital or Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda. Oral chemotherapy is also being expanded for many patients in the community, including being delivered as close to home as possible. As the Deputy will be aware, there has been really significant investment in community supports for cancer patients, including in Cavan and Monaghan. Approximately €5.5 million is being provided to the Alliance of Community Cancer Support Centres and Services. Of course, Cuan Cancer Support Centre is a full member of the alliance.”
“Cancer services in Ireland are organised on the basis of a centralised model of care rather than a per-county basis. That enables the specialists to support the specialist centres. There are eight designated adult centres, 26 systemic anti-cancer therapy centres and three public radiation oncology centres. While performance data is collected at each centre, it is not based on where the person lives; it is based on the performance of the centre. Patients from Cavan and Monaghan are referred to the most appropriate centre for their treatment. For cancers, this would almost certainly be the HSE Dublin and north east designated centres at the Mater hospital or Beaumont Hospital. It is their data that matters for the people in Cavan and Monaghan. As with all patient care, the goal is to provide services as close to home as possible.”
“Nobody cares about that when it is their loved one whose funeral is being delayed. In that space of real tragedy, real hurt and real pain, nobody cares who is responsible for it; they just want the issue resolved. I will discuss it with my colleague, the Minister for justice.”
“Again, I will direct that to my colleague, the Minister for justice, because coronial post mortems are a different thing. There is a difficulty recruiting pathologists across the country. For example, our friends in Belfast are having real difficulty on the paediatric and perinatal pathology side, which is very distressing for families with the loss of a child or a baby. There is a shortage generally but we have to create a distinction between the justice system and the health system, which continues to do its work. We need pathologists to continue to do their work, both in terms of diagnostics and research and also in terms of something that is separate and ancillary and arises as a consequence of the coronial court process. The latter is very much a matter for the Department of justice.”
“However, University Hospital Waterford remains there to provide support in that ancillary way for this specific type of post mortem, which is, of course, a subset of all post mortems.”
“It is important to separate out the arrangements we are talking about. This arrangement is not for all post mortems; it is for coronial-directed post mortems in instances, as the Deputy correctly identifies, of sudden or unexpected death that require and are directed to have this type of post mortem carried out. That is very much an issue for the Department of justice. Clearly, pathologists are continuing to do the work they have always been doing. Where a family has experienced a sudden tragedy - a sudden bereavement of some kind - and the coroner has directed this form of post mortem, that is obviously the responsibility of the Department of justice. I will speak with my colleague, the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, and ask him to increase his efforts to try to ensure there are more locum pathologists coming.”
“While consultant pathologists are employed by the HSE, coronial post mortems are carried out independently for the Department of justice. Obviously, that grace-and-favour model is not working. Hospitals are withdrawing from the provision of coronial post mortem examinations for a range of diverse and complex reasons, including a shortage of consultant pathologists willing to undertake that work, and increasing diagnostic workloads for an increasing population. My Department and the HSE will continue to engage constructively with the Department of justice to support a long-term resolution of the issue. All stakeholders remain committed to ensuring the continuity, quality and efficiency of coroner-directed post mortem services.”
“As the Deputy will be aware, the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration has responsibility for coroners’ legislation and policy and is actively engaging with all relevant stakeholders, including my Department and the HSE. Since 2 January 2026, coronial post mortems have been provided by locum consultants recruited by the Department of justice, and the facilities and auxiliary staff of University Hospital Waterford have been provided to support that. The Department of justice has advised my Department that the service will be provided three days per week; that is, Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Historically, the health service has assisted in the provision of coronial post mortem services on a sort of grace-and-favour basis.”
“We have to look at every lever. We will train more dentists but when we do so I would like to see a commitment to public service. We have increased the fees generally for HSE-funded dentistry, by between 40% and 60% in some instances. On average, we have increased them by 40% for doing certain procedures and we still cannot encourage dentists to come, at the scale that we want, into that practice, potentially because of the allure of more lucrative products.”
“We have made some good progress on the training. The RCSI has opened a new community train-and-treat facility in Sandyford and has just started building one in Connolly Hospital as well. We are making some good progress there. On screening, the seven-year-old child mentioned by Deputy Bennett needed much earlier screening, which could have been provided by a dental hygienist. The actual dental work that might be needed has to be done by a dentist. When we are trying to identify problems at an early age, we need prevention, screening, cleaning and good habits; all of the things the Deputy has talked about. We are not using our workforce well enough at the moment. I want to see the role of dental hygienists amplified. They should be given better opportunities to do programmes in schools and to have more direct access to patients.”
“The issue relates to the number of dentists who are being trained in Irish State-funded facilities and the drift towards cosmetic dentistry, the scale of practice in injectables, Botox and other things being done by dentists. At a two-day conference of the dental association last May, one full day was dedicated to injectables. I want to train dentists to do dentistry on children.”
“I am in complete agreement that this simply has to improve. While the services are there, looking at the wider workforce generally in relation to dental care, if we separate it out from orthodontics, how we use the workforce has come up a number of times. We train dentists at quite a considerable cost to the State. We do that because we want dentists to be available to do dental work, both in private practice and for the State. We want children to have screening. I do not want to deviate too much but I have been consistently concerned by one issue. This has been acknowledged by the Irish Dental Association and ADI, which is the group training dentists.”
“Legislative change will be required and the regulator will need to establish the necessary conditions and supports to make sure that it is done safely. That is an important part of how we use our workforce at the top of their expertise, and use every qualified professional resource. In the medium-to-long-term the national oral health policy sets out a comprehensive vision for strategic reform, including new children's oral health services supported by age-appropriate packages of care. I regularly hear this cannot be achieved due to capacity constraints. The proportion of children that is already being seen in private dental practice and families paying out of their own pockets to do so is not acceptable.”
“The response to this is multifaceted and requires some short-term interventions and meaningful strategic reform. The HSE is funded to recruit an additional 15 oral health staff this year targeted at service areas experiencing the greatest delays. Good progress is being made in recruitment. We have recruitment campaigns completed for eight of them and three campaigns are currently active. Looking ahead, we need to think about how we use the wider dental workforce. I met with the Irish Dental Hygienists' Association last year. Hygienists are a fantastic group of people. They advocate for more direct access to patients. I believe they can play a much bigger role in preventive and periodontal care. I have instructed my Department to accelerate the necessary consideration of this matter. It must be safe and of course add value for patients.”
“I will first concentrate on the wider challenges regarding oral healthcare. There is a significant challenge that continues to affect the delivery of school-based dental programmes. In the period to November 2025, over 138,000 new patients were assessed, including 90,000 under targeted programmes in respect of school and special care programmes, but in many cases screening is delayed, meaning some children do not receive an assessment until they have already entered secondary school, except in emergencies. While the HSE follows up to ensure those children are seen, the situation is simply not good enough. I am not happy with it. The situation stems from long-standing workforce pressures and a totally outdated, episodic model of care that is not aligned with the prevention-focused approach we want.”
“This is not a back-and-forth and I am trying to set out the facts on it. I would love to see left-wing parties come in here and defend the interests of the State and defend the interests of the taxpayer. Sometimes I think these roles are reversed. Perhaps for Fine Gael, I should come in and articulate the speaking points of the pharmacy union, but I am trying to articulate the position of the State and to get the best for patient safety, get the best for the taxpayer and make sure that we recognise that we are not rewarding activity that was illegitimate.”
“There are many older people, including people who have contacted the Deputy - I see it on her social media pages the same as everyone else - who have told her that they have been paying for blister packs for years and they have always done so.”
“I am particularly intrigued to see left-wing parties coming in here and asking me to give money to pharmacists to make good what had been done illegitimately. I would like to use the State's money directly for the benefit of vulnerable people but not to reward those pharmacists to keep things even for them for something that they were doing wrong in the first place.”
“There are those who have been getting blister packs for free from their pharmacy and have never been charged, and the pharmacist is simply doing this to support them in different ways. There are also people who were receiving blister packs free of charge but the pharmacist was incorrectly charging the State under the phased dispensing scheme for something that was not appropriate, not allowed and not legitimate.”
“I really have to address the language here first of all. There is no policy to reverse because nothing has changed. The basic facts are that nothing has changed and therefore nothing can be reversed. While the Deputy and I believe that and I totally understand the reasons for that, the science does not support that. The more important thing from the State's perspective is the degree to which this service was being used incorrectly by some, not all, pharmacists for their own financial benefit. That is what this State and this House must have an interest in. There are people who have always paid for blister packs charged by their pharmacy for convenience and for lots of different reasons as set out by the GP.”