# Minister For Health

This year

2023

# Health

Review of abortion services to go to Cabinet in coming weeks

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said the review was ‘about improving access to services’.

9.8k

Apr 4th 2023, 6:19 PM

All time

# healthcare workers

Booster programme to be extended 'more widely' as under-60s with chronic conditions likely next

It is expected that the rollout of booster jabs to healthcare workers could be completed in a number of weeks.

23.0k

Updated

Nov 2nd 2021, 3:38 PM

Voices

Dr Peter Boylan: The National Maternity Hospital deal is dead in the water, it's time for Plan B

The former Master of the National Maternity Hospital says the Catholic ethos will never meet with that of the State and it’s time to move on.

35.1k

Jun 23rd 2021, 7:23 PM

# Stephen Donnelly

Ambulance capacity to double as part of 'dedicated system' to vaccinate people who are housebound

Stephen Donnelly said that the National Ambulance Service capacity would be doubled as part of this.

10.6k

Apr 23rd 2021, 9:16 PM

# women's healthcare

Health minister announces 'see-and-treat' gynaecology services and 'advanced' endometriosis centre

These two health policies are recommendations from the Women’s Health Taskforce, established by the Department of Health in September 2019.

27.2k

Apr 21st 2021, 10:34 PM

# mhq

Fully vaccinated people are to be exempt from mandatory hotel quarantine

The Minister for Health made the announcement this evening.

79.4k

112

Apr 15th 2021, 8:02 PM

# prioritisation

Minister to ask NIAC to consider where family carers fit on vaccine priority list

Donnelly is particularly concerned about the situation for carers of children who are high risk.

16.1k

Feb 25th 2021, 8:11 PM

# Stephen Donnelly

Health Minister warned of staff shortages by HSE in pre-Christmas message

Dr Lorraine Doherty wrote on 21 December that the Covid-19 situation was “deteriorating”.

13.9k

Feb 10th 2021, 6:15 AM

# Covid-19

Ireland to get first 35,000 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine next week

Stephen Donnelly said that 1.1 million doses of Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca vaccines are to be delivered by the end of March.

45.8k

101

Updated

Feb 2nd 2021, 11:20 AM

# Minister For Health

Donnelly says Covid protocols in meat factories had been working as NPHET advice on restrictions published

New restrictions on people in the counties Kildare, Laois and Offaly came into effect from today, and will remain in place for two weeks.

43.0k

108

Updated

Aug 8th 2020, 2:10 PM

# warning

Reduced cancer services due to Covid-19 pandemic 'unacceptable', says Irish Cancer Society

It was reported today that a Department of Health briefing warns of a major backlog in cancer treatments.

11.9k

Aug 6th 2020, 1:01 PM

# Stephen Donnelly

CervicalCheck tribunal to begin 'without delay', says minister

The tribunal was delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

11.7k

Jul 31st 2020, 7:38 PM

# green list

Mandatory quarantine for those arriving into Ireland 'not workable' says Leo Varadkar

Air bridges with other countries will be discussed by the Cabinet next Monday.

105k

195

Updated

Jul 2nd 2020, 12:00 PM

# covid19

Health Minister says virus reproductive rate 'staying remarkably stable'

Harris told the Dáil that the R number is now between 0.4 and 0.8.

16.2k

Jun 11th 2020, 2:50 PM

# Influenza

Free flu vaccine will be available for children aged 2-12 this winter

The vaccine will also be free for people in at-risk groups and those aged 70 and over.

30.8k

May 18th 2020, 10:49 AM

# roadmap

'Highly unlikely' weddings of up to 100 people allowed by July, Simon Harris says

Small weddings are due to be permitted by 20 July, according to the government roadmap out of lockdown.

38.2k

May 18th 2020, 9:15 AM

# regulation

Simon Harris: We need more measures to 'toughen up' on self-isolation for people entering country

The minister said he would like this requirement backed up by the law.

26.5k

May 12th 2020, 11:18 AM

# Coronavirus

Staff health checks and more PPE for nursing home staff, but representative group says test results still too slow

Simon Harris has said a lot of the new measures are “already underway” in nursing homes.

20.2k

Apr 1st 2020, 9:32 AM

# nursing homes ireland

Minister Simon Harris 'to immediately address' PPE shortages in nursing homes

Minister Simon Harris met with representatives of nursing homes today to discuss their role in the Covid-19 crisis.

38.4k

Updated

Mar 30th 2020, 9:30 PM

# Coronavirus

Government concerned about weekend crowds but further restrictions won't be based on 'what's trending on Twitter'

It is expected that further recommendations will be made by public health officials tomorrow.

154k

132

Updated

Mar 23rd 2020, 2:15 PM

# Covid-19

Coronavirus: Advice about Ireland v Italy Six Nations game and other public events to be reviewed today, says Harris

The Department of Health will review its advice in relation to mass gatherings today.

45.2k

Feb 24th 2020, 12:04 PM

# election 2020

'This government's race is firmly ran': Independent TDs plan no-confidence motion in Simon Harris

The Minister for Health responded to the no-confidence threat with: “I don’t have any confidence in Michael Collins, we don’t agree on much.”

25.1k

Jan 9th 2020, 11:07 AM

# Healthcare

'Not realistic': Free GP care for under 13s questioned by medical group

Six and seven-year-olds would receive free care from this year under proposed legislation.

27.1k

Updated

Jan 5th 2020, 4:29 PM

# St James's Hospital

Wording was 'a bit off, to put it midly' on hospital posters for cash prizes, says Harris

St James’s Hospital has been advertising prizes for wards that discharge patients before 11am.

29.0k

Dec 4th 2019, 11:30 AM

# Patient Safety Bill

Patient Safety Bill put forward by Simon Harris has been approved by Cabinet

This Bill would make it mandatory for the health service provider to put forward information on incidents of patient safety.

7.7k

Updated

Dec 3rd 2019, 5:35 PM

# Simon Harris

Social media companies agree to liase with Department of Health on tackling anti-vaccine misinformation

Minister for Health Simon Harris met with Facebook, Google and Twitter today.

17.1k

146

Updated

Nov 25th 2019, 6:35 PM

# Equality

'What we have in Ireland is not equal': Same-sex parents call for more legal rights to their children

The protest was held this afternoon outside the Department of Health building in Dublin.

21.4k

Oct 21st 2019, 2:32 PM

# Cannabis

The Explainer: Can Ireland grow its own medicinal cannabis?

This will make it significantly less of a grey area in Irish law – and it could also herald the start of the Irish cannabis industry.

11.3k

May 7th 2019, 6:10 AM

# Measles

Simon Harris has asked the Attorney General to look at mandatory vaccinations

Earlier this week, it was announced that Ireland had experienced a 204% increase in cases of measles.

33.9k

171

Apr 26th 2019, 1:00 PM

# draft report

'Time to act': HIQA report finds PrEP programme to reduce HIV rates would be cheaper and more effective

A draft report on the introduction of the programme was published today.

10.2k

Apr 23rd 2019, 11:39 AM

Voices

Opinion: A million people have no health cover as low-paid families are excluded from access to the medical card

Since 2012 there has been a 66% increase in the number of people with no private or public health cover, writes Feilim O’Rourke.

34.5k

Mar 5th 2019, 7:00 AM

# non-hazardous

Dept of Health declared safe after non-hazardous white powder discovery prompts evacuation

Technicians from the Defence Forces have confirmed that the powder was non-hazardous

62.1k

Updated

Mar 4th 2019, 4:30 PM

Poll: Should the Dáil vote for confidence in Health Minister Simon Harris?

Fianna Fáil TDs have reportedly been urged by the party whip to attend the vote tomorrow evening.

40.7k

132

Feb 19th 2019, 10:21 AM

# Onwards and Upwards

'I'm happy for the project to continue': Simon Harris rules out re-tendering children's hospital

The Minister was responding to a statement by BAM that suggested it would pull out of the contract if the Government wanted.

18.8k

Feb 16th 2019, 12:09 PM

# Explainer

Costs, changes and controversies: The decades-long saga behind the NCH

The controversy over the costs of the project is just the latest in a series of problems to affect the project

16.8k

Feb 9th 2019, 7:30 AM

# Co Kerry

'His family believes that if his cancer was detected in any of the 3 x-rays, his prognosis wouldn't be terminal'

Thousands of scans affecting 26,000 patients were reviewed – of those, 11 people’s cancer diagnoses were delayed, it was found.

13.5k

Dec 6th 2018, 2:38 PM

# winter plan

HSE wants to see patients as quickly as possible this winter - but admits it has no targets to do so

The executive published its €30m Winter Plan for 2018/19 today.

7.0k

Dec 6th 2018, 2:18 PM

# Daycase Access Plan

Simon Harris acknowledges there is 'more work to be done' as inpatient waiting lists fall across Ireland

The number of patients waiting more than 9 months for treatment has reduced by 38%.

9.6k

Nov 16th 2018, 6:14 PM

# THE PAC

'A cynical political attack': Ministers hit out at questioning over €317,000 President's allowance

Questions surrounding the payment were raised at the Public Accounts Committee yesterday.

15.5k

Sep 26th 2018, 3:05 PM

# Cervical Cancer

Parents urged to ask medical professionals about HPV vaccine instead of relying on 'misinformation'

The HSE launched a vaccine information campaign today, confirming two in three women are now being inoculated against the HPV virus.

8.5k

Sep 18th 2018, 5:34 PM