Only certain ministerial job appointments so far are the five Independent TDs
Speculation intensifying six days ahead of formal appointment of new Cabinet next Wednesday
Department of Health
News, analysis, and features about the Department of Health
Young Scientist exhibition winners: Three Kerry sisters develop app to improve emergency response
Ciara, Saoirse and Laoise Murphy develop ACT app to improve responsiveness to emergencies at community level
HRT scheme roll-out to proceed ‘as soon as possible’, department says
State-funded scheme to provide hormone replacement therapy has been delayed due to issues between Department of Health and pharmacists
Public-only consultant contracts: is the health system finally beginning to see some benefits?
Much staff opposition has fallen away and uptake is higher than had been predicted, though it seems clear the outgoing Minister is not content with the pace of change
Hot school meals scheme: ‘We are institutionalising consumption of ultra-processed food in our children’
Q&A with food analyst Ruth Hegarty: ‘There is a nutrition standard for hot school meals provided by the Government, but there is no oversight of this’
Talks resume between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael on new government
Parties report steady progress but difficult areas yet to be discussed
Children’s hospital and building contractor agree plan to complete project by June
New national children's hospital was due to be completed in 2020 but has been beset by cost over-runs, delays and a long-running dispute with contractor BAM
Medically prescribed cannabis seized and UK-based woman and son ‘interrogated’ at Dublin Airport
Dolores Pickering, an Irish national living in the UK, says Christmas ‘absolutely ruined’ after she and her son - who has been prescribed cannabis for chronic anxiety - are questioned
The year of hope: ‘Exciting’ advances achieved in search to reverse Alzheimer’s disease
Merits of simple lifestyle changes to curb risk of dementia have never been so compelling
Ireland’s ageing population to put major strain on public finances in coming decades
Pensions, healthcare and long-term care costs expected to rise sharply, says Department of Finance report
Irish health system report card: a year of criticisms, concerns and innovations
From rows about staffing, waiting lists and cost overruns to resignations of senior staff, heathcare was never far from the news headlines in 2024
Stephen Donnelly sought advice on whether State could take over children’s hospitals in Dublin
Legal advice was that such intervention could only take place if independent review identified serious governance or other failings
We can’t build our way out of the capacity issues in the health service
We must stop viewing health as ‘a cost to be managed’ and instead understand it as ‘an investment to be made’
Dublin City Council ‘excrement’ on shoes of government officials, FG councillor claims
HSE has ‘completely disrespected’ Dublin Fire Brigade ambulance service, council chief Richard Shakespeare says
‘There has to be a shorter, more compassionate way,’ says woman who considered taking medical negligence case after husband’s death
Doctors, patients and family members are all suffering due to the lengthy and expensive management of clinical negligence claims
Ireland set to approve its first full Ambassador from Palestine
Cabinet also expected to approve new AI strategy and will hear of reduction in waiting times to see consultant
Ireland could agree new deal with Kenya allowing for recruitment of more nurses and midwives
Stephen Donnelly says the deal will be ethical and in line with WHO and OECD guidelines
Sinn Féin proposing free prescriptions for all if elected to Government
Election 2024: Sinn Féin to launch new healthcare policy as it fights to regain momentum
Donnelly says extra €50m needed for clinical negligence cases due to increased claims and settlements
Minister says total allocation to the State Claims Agency for clinical negligence will be €485m
Free HRT to be available from next January under Cabinet plans
Move could save women between €360 and €840 a year based on current monthly payments, says Donnelly
Plans for €434m in health savings revised after new Government funding plan agreed during summer
Department of Health says that target is reset to €368m
More than two-thirds of patients on hospital waiting lists for longer than target time
Over 706,000 on waiting lists at end of September, says National Treatment Purchase Fund
National children’s hospital: Board tells politicians project is a ‘hostage’ in the €2.2bn controversy
National Paediatric Hospital Development Board said it could not give ‘assurance’ on June 2025 completion date
Donnelly criticises Children’s Health Ireland board over delays in seeking new chief
Failure to set substantial completion date for new national children’s hospital a significant risk to commissioning programme for the project, CHI chairman says
Flippin’ ‘learnings’, they turn up like a bad penny whenever another billion is flushed down the pan
When under attack for the Children’s Hospital fiasco, Paschal Donohoe takes flak for Simon Harris - who is in New York - and pulls the word ‘learnings’ from the first aid box
Mental health funding ‘piecemeal, inadequate and short-sighted’, charities say
Persistent underfunding is having a long-term impact on the mental health system, says Mental Health Reform interim chief executive Philip Watt
What’s so tricky about the proposal to give free contraception to 16-year-olds?
Give Me a Crash Course in ...
Aoife Johnston report: Death of girl (16) at UHL was in circumstances ‘almost certainly avoidable’, investigation finds
Johnston (16) died of meningitis after she was left for more than 13 hours at UHL without ‘vital’ antibiotic treatment, report finds
Increasing health budget every year not sustainable, Robert Watt to tell Oireachtas committee
HSE chief Gloster expected to say demand for services increasing at faster rate than predicted before pandemic
Safe zones surrounding centres providing abortion services to come into operation next month
Protests within 100m of hospitals and other facilities offering pregnancy terminations will be prohibited from mid-October
Charity-run GP clinic says it faces closure unless recent taxation laws amended
Legislation created ‘insurmountable operational challenges’ at Dublin 1 practice
Psychiatric nurses to take industrial action after latest talks fail
Industrial action due to begin on September 17th
Former Ryanair executive to be appointed to HSE board
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly seeks to improve productivity in the service
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