Regional Health Forum Minutes - Dublin North East - 27 July 2026

The minutes of the meeting held on Monday, 25th May, 2026 were adopted by the Forum on the proposal of Cllr. John Paul Feeley and seconded by Cllr. Trevor Smith.

Members present

Cllr Padraig Coffey, Cllr John Paul Feeley, Cllr Trevor Smith, Cllr Donna Cooney, Cllr Kieran Dennison, Cllr Deirdre Heney, Cllr Tom Kitt, Cllr John Lyons, Cllr Edel Moran, Cllr Cat O’Driscoll, Cllr Tom O’Leary, Cllr Paul O’Rourke, Cllr Ejiro O’Hare Stratton, Cllr Conor Reddy, Cllr Supriya Singh, Cllr John Smyth

HSE Representatives present

Rosaleen Harlin, Regional Director of Communications and Public Affairs, HSE Dublin and North East, Miriam Roche, Regional Director, Technology & Transformation, HSE Dublin and North East, Martina Lennon, ISL, Monaghan, Dr Jean Sorohan, Principal Specialist Psychologist and Interim Children’s Disability Network Team Manager, Trim Children’s Disability Network, Stiofáin MacDáibhéad, General Manager, Communications & Public Affairs, Katherine Kellett, Regional Health Office, Lorraine Timmons, Regional Health Office

Apologies

Cllr. Christy Burke, Cllr. Séamus Coyle, Cllr. Nick Killian, Cllr. Fiona Mhic Conchoille, Cllr. Ellen Troy

Cllr Kieran Dennison, Chairperson, sought nominations for the position of Chairperson of the Forum.

Cllr Kieran Dennison was nominated for the position on the proposal of Cllr John Paul Feeley and seconded by Cllr Trevor Smith.

As there were no other nominations for the position of Chairperson, Cllr Dennison was declared elected as Chairperson.

Cllr Kieran Dennison, Chairperson, sought nominations for the position of Vice Chairperson of the Forum.

Cllr John Paul Feeley was nominated for the position on the proposal of Cllr Deirdre Heney and seconded by Cllr Kieran Dennison.

As there were no other nominations for the position of Vice Chairperson, Cllr Feeley was declared elected as Vice Chairperson.

Rosaleen Harlin, Regional Director, Communications and Public Affairs, gave a report to the meeting which dealt with the following:

• Minister for Health announces major new Primary Care Centre for Navan.
• Minister for Health officially turns sod on €100 million extension at Cavan General Hospital.
• Newly refurbished ward at Monaghan Hospital.
• Electronic Health Record to enhance maternity care at Cavan General Hospital.
• Health Ease for Me resource booklet launched in Cavan Monaghan.
• New HSE Postnatal Hub in Meath brings community based women’s health care closer to home.
• Former Laytown Health Centre to become new Adult Disability Day Service, delivering 30 places for local adults with disabilities.
• HSE Dublin and North East hosts international delegation for shared learning on tobacco management.
• HSE publishes Sexual Assault Treatment Unit (SATU) annual report for 2025.
• New LGBTQ+ leaflet for older adults.
• HSE summer safety tips for parents.

The following outlines comments and queries raised by members and responses from HSE representatives:

Concern in relation to rise in Sexual Assault Treatment Unit (SATU) attendances and acknowledgment that many incidents still go unreported.

• Comments noted.

SATU attendances – clarification on why gender information may not always be recorded.

• A response will be provided.

SATU attendances - clarification on whether the increase in attendances reflects higher reporting rates or a rise in the incidence of sexual assaults.

• A response will be provided.

SATU - Request for reassurance that prevention, education and awareness measures are being strengthened alongside treatment and support services.

• Comments noted.

Update on dementia awareness and inclusivity training for hospital staff, particularly in acute settings.

• Monaghan Hospital has undertaken significant work on dementia-friendly care, including staff awareness initiatives, and the HSE continues to deliver dementia awareness campaigns for both staff and the public.

Request for future presentation on dementia training and education for healthcare professionals, particularly acute hospital staff, to support person-centred care for people living with dementia.

• A presentation will be organised for a future meeting.

Welcome focus on older LGBTQ+ people and request for a future presentation on healthcare pathways and support services, particularly for transgender people and mental health supports.

• A presentation will be organised for a future meeting.

The report was noted by the Forum.

Miriam Roche, Regional Director, Technology & Transformation, HSE Dublin and North East, gave a presentation to members on the One Health Record.

The following outlines comments and queries raised by members and responses from HSE representatives:

Clarification on Electronic Health Record.

• The maternity and newborn system will go live next summer. Preparations are underway, and decisions on its future integration with the Electronic Health Record (EHR) system will be made following vendor selection.

Whether the new system will be accessible to GPs, or limited to hospital and HSE staff.

• The National Shared Care Record will enable GPs, HSE staff and other authorised healthcare providers to securely share patient information. There are plans to expand access to private providers and pharmacies.

Concerns in relation to cybersecurity and business continuity – will physical records remain available if a cyber incident disrupts access to digital systems.

• It was confirmed that robust cybersecurity measures, role-based access controls and business continuity plans are in place, with backup systems and paper-based processes available to maintain patient care during any cyber disruption.

Clarification on whether patients will be able to securely access their own electronic health records online.

• It was confirmed that patients will be able to access their health information through the existing App and, in future, a dedicated patient portal as part of the Electronic Health Record (EHR) system, will be developed in consultation with patients.

Sequencing of the procurement process and whether emerging technologies are being considered to ensure the system remains fit for purpose.

• It was explained that the EHR procurement is based on currently available technology, with a broad specification requiring vendors to support modern technologies and future developments, including AI, as part of the selection process.

Review process following EHR implementation to assess efficiencies and improvements in care.

• It was confirmed that a benefits measurement plan will be used to assess the impact of the EHR implementation, with a focus on improving patient care first, followed by identifying efficiencies arising from improved systems and processes.

Query on whether the term ‘One Health Record’ accurately reflects the scope of the system, noting that GPs are not included within the EHR but are supported through the National Shared Care Record.

• Comments noted.

Clarification as whether the co-design process for the EHR system includes administrative staff in acute hospitals, alongside clinical and operational staff.

• It was clarified that ‘operational staff’ refers to administrative staff involved in the day-to-day operation of services and the need to include both operational and administrative roles was acknowledged.

Concerns in relation to disruption during SHO/JHO changeover periods in acute hospitals, and if improvements could be incorporated through EHR implementation.

• It was noted that medical staff changeover periods present challenges during system implementation. Previous experience showed the importance of advance training, flexible training times and strong on-site support during transition periods to ensure continuity of patient care.

How the Community Connect blueprint and associated portal developments align with the One Health Record programme and how they will work together.

• It was explained that the Community Care Record will be introduced in phases, initially supporting the Central Referrals Office for children, followed by specialist palliative care and CAMHS. The wider rollout has been paused in this region to prioritise the One Health Record implementation, while supporting areas awaiting EHR rollout.

The Chairperson thanked members for their contributions throughout the year and expressed appreciation to the Forum support staff and Regional Executive Officer for their ongoing support.

Cllr Dennison acknowledged attendance challenges during the year and members were encouraged to explore ways to improve attendance at future meetings, both in person and online.

He also reaffirmed the importance of the Regional Health Forum in maintaining councillor engagement with health services and encouraged members to make greater use of the Forum's mechanisms for submitting Motions and Questions.

The report was noted by the members.

It was agreed that the Forum would continue with one Committee.

To ask the HSE to carry out a review of Children's Disability Network Team (CDNT) services in County Meath, with particular reference to the Trim CDNT, and to provide a detailed report to the Regional Health Forum outlining current staffing levels, vacancies, waiting lists, waiting times and the actions being taken to ensure children receive timely access to multidisciplinary disability services, including Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Psychology, Physiotherapy, Behaviour Support, Key Worker supports and respite services.

Cllr Paul O’Rourke

Cllr Paul O’Rourke welcomed the update and requested clarification on the reduction in the waiting list, asking what outcomes had occurred for the children no longer waiting (e.g. referral, discharge or private assessment). Cllr O’Rourke also asked where vacancies are being advertised and requested that job descriptions be shared to help promote recruitment through members' networks.

Dr Jean Sorohan, Principal Specialist Psychologist and Interim Children’s Disability Network Team Manager, Trim Children’s Disability Network, advised that the detailed breakdown was not immediately available and would need to be confirmed following a review of the data. Dr Sorohan noted that the majority of the reduction in the waiting list was due to children being activated to the CDNT caseload, with a target of activating six children per month. A discharge initiative was also in place to support young people approaching 18 years of age to transition to adult or primary care services. She agreed to provide the specific figures following further review.

Dr Sorohan advised that recruitment is undertaken through the standard recruitment process, with vacancies advertised on the HSE website and through standard media channels. Where necessary, local recruitment panels are also used. It was noted that staffing remains challenging; however, recent progress includes the acceptance of posts by a senior medical social worker, a basic grade psychologist and an administrative staff member. These appointments will support service delivery, including the implementation of the Single Point of Access initiative for CDNT services.

It was agreed that job descriptions would be circulated to members to assist in promoting vacancies through their networks.

Cllr O’Rourke asked whether there were particular professional disciplines or specialist roles within the team where staffing shortages were most significant.

Dr Sorohan advised that the main staffing challenges are in speech and language therapy and psychology, noting that vacancies have been compounded by staff on maternity leave and restrictions on agency recruitment. The lack of psychology capacity has been addressed by outsourcing assessments to private providers to ensure children can access timely assessments for school placements.

The Chairperson encouraged members to review the responses to the Questions, highlighting the response to Cllr Deirdre Heney's Question as it raising important issues regarding medicines procurement and associated delays.

Cllr Dennison suggested that this topic be considered for discussion at a future meeting through either a motion or a dedicated agenda item.

The responses to the Questions were noted.

Parkinson's Ireland Counselling Service

Cllr Donna Cooney raised concerns, following correspondence from Parkinson's Ireland, regarding the shortage of consultant neurologists and the impact this is having on access to services for people with Parkinson's disease, including psychological and counselling supports.

The next meeting of the Regional Health Forum - Dublin North East will take place on Monday 28 September 2026.