970. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health his views on the number of pregabalin-related deaths between 2012 and 2020, as reported by the Health Research Board (details supplied); the actions he intends to take to address the substantial rise in pregabalin-related deaths; if he intends to curtail the source of pregabalin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40177/23]

Minister of State at the Department of Health: As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible