817. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Health the funding provided for erectile dysfunction treatment on an annual basis between 2015 and 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53154/26]

The Department of Health and the HSE do not allocate funding by individual condition or disease. This is a deliberate policy approach, consistent with Sláintecare and international best practice, which seeks to support integrated care pathways rather than separate disease-specific funding silos. Funding is instead allocated across services and care pathways, allowing resources to be directed to where they can have the greatest impact for patients. Accordingly, a specific annual funding allocation for erectile dysfunction treatment is not separately identified.

Instead, funding is provided to the HSE through its overall allocation and is deployed across services based on population need and national priorities. Since 2020, current Health funding has increased from approximately €18 billion to €25.8 billion in 2026, an increase of almost €8 billion or 43%. Over the same period, the funded HSE workforce has increased from approximately 101,000 WTE at the beginning of 2020 to 136,606 WTE funded in 2026. This investment supports improvements in services across the Health service, including services utilised by men with erectile dysfunction.

Erectile dysfunction may arise from a range of underlying physical and psychological conditions, and assessment and treatment are provided through a range of publicly funded Health services depending on the clinical circumstances of the individual patient. These services may include general practice, urology services, endocrinology and diabetes services, cancer survivorship services, mental health services and other specialist services where clinically appropriate.

Through the substantial increases in Health funding and staffing in recent years, Government has continued to invest in the capacity of these services and in improving access to care across the Health service, ensuring that patients can access appropriate assessment, diagnosis and treatment in line with clinical need.