Parliamentary questions

Hospital Staff

Duncan Smith

1666. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultants in reproductive medicine at the Coombe Maternity Hospital in 2022 and 2023, in tabular form. [1200/24]

Hospital Staff

Duncan Smith

1667. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE scrub nurses working in South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital in 2022 and 2023, in tabular form. [1201/24]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Duncan Smith

1668. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the average emergency department waiting times at Sligo University Hospital. [1202/24]

Hospital Staff

Duncan Smith

1669. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant oncologists at Beaumont Hospital in 2022 and 2023, in tabular form. [1203/24]

Addiction Treatment Services

Duncan Smith

1670. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE addiction counsellors employed by the HSE in CHO8 in 2023. [1204/24]

Hospital Staff

Duncan Smith

1671. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE senior pharmaceutical technicians working in Naas General Hospital in 2023. [1205/24]

Hospital Staff

Duncan Smith

1672. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE reconstructive plastic surgeons working in Mayo University Hospital as of 2 January 2024. [1206/24]

Primary Care Services

Duncan Smith

1673. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the services currently being provided at Wicklow town and Bray primary care centres. [1208/24]

Hospital Staff

Duncan Smith

1775. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant paediatric histopathologists at Cork University Hospital in 2022 and 2023, in tabular form. [1822/24]

Hospital Staff

Duncan Smith

1776. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE vacancies, by job title at the minor injuries unit at Monaghan General Hospital. [1823/24]

Hospital Staff

Duncan Smith

1777. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE occupational therapist and dietitians working in Letterkenny University Hospital in 2022 and 2023, in tabular form [1824/24]

Hospital Staff

Duncan Smith

1778. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of vacant WTE accident and emergency department nurses in Portlaoise Regional Hospital as of 10 January 2024, in tabular form. [1825/24]

Hospital Staff

Duncan Smith

1779. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE audiologist by grade employed by the HSE working in County Longford in 2023, in tabular form. [1826/24]

Hospital Staff

Duncan Smith

1780. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the amount collected in public car parking charges at St. Vincent's University Hospital in 2023, in tabular form. [1827/24]

Hospital Staff

Duncan Smith

1781. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of MRI scanners and CT scanners in use at St. Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny. [1829/24]

Hospital Staff

Duncan Smith

1782. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE senior medical scientists in molecular microbiology at University Hospital, Waterford in 2022 and 2023, in tabular form. [1830/24]

Hospital Staff

Duncan Smith

1783. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of treatment bays in the accident and emergency department at Wexford General Hospital. [1831/24]

Hospital Staff

Duncan Smith

1784. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant orthopaedic and trauma surgeons based at Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown in 2021, 2022 and 2023, in tabular form. [1832/24]

School Enrolments

Duncan Smith

271. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Education if she is aware of the shortage of primary and secondary school places in the Fingal area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55883/23]

School Enrolments

Duncan Smith

272. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Education the steps parents who have children on multiple waiting lists for schools in the Fingal area should take in light of the significant lack of school places available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55884/23]

School Enrolments

Duncan Smith

273. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Education if her Department plans to rapidly move to build and staff more schools in the Fingal area, in light of the increasing population of the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55885/23]

School Enrolments

Duncan Smith

274. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Education how her Department determines the need for more schools in an area; if this need is calculated by the current population of an area; if not, if it is calculated by the prospective population of an area, considering the increasing number of new builds underway in the Fingal area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55886/23]

Social Welfare Schemes

Duncan Smith

356. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on a disability allowance application review (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55943/23]

Middle East

Duncan Smith

8. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs for an update on the case of an Irish citizen (details supplied) trapped in Gaza; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55590/23]

Departmental Policies

Duncan Smith

186. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps his Department can take to address the recent EuroStar evaluation changes affecting suckler farmers which has led to many withdrawing from the SCEP scheme and a significant drop in animal values for breeders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55594/23]

Disability Services

Duncan Smith

232. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health to explain the delays in releasing approved funding to a gym (details supplied) created to provide a safe space for people with disabilities, which has now been forced to cease operations due to financial strains; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55619/23]

Nursing Education

Duncan Smith

233. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health if there are any plans for a review of the English language qualification criteria set by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) for overseas nurses, particularly those with nursing qualifications from countries like India and the Philippines, to more closely align the qualification criteria to those of the United Kingdom’s Nursing Authority for foreign nurses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55653/23]

Departmental Properties

Duncan Smith

235. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health why an organisation (details supplied) has not been able to advance plans to lease the old children’s buildings No.’s 50 and 51 on the grounds of St. Ita’s hospital despite willingness from the HSE to supply these buildings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55659/23]

Climate Change Negotiations

Duncan Smith

105. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs for an update on the loss and damage fund following COP28; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55066/23]

School Admissions

Duncan Smith

324. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Education to outline what schools have school places available in the Lusk area to facilitate a school place for child (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55068/23]

Referendum Campaigns

Duncan Smith

438. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the Government commitment to stage a referendum on water ownership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55067/23]

Passport Services

Duncan Smith

586. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Justice the process for a child born in Ireland in July 2005 (details supplied) to Ukrainian parents to obtain an Irish passport given that the child is unable to travel to Ukraine to apply for a passport and whose parents wish to apply for Irish citizenship for them but are unable to do so as the child does not have a passport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55402/23]

Medicinal Products

Duncan Smith

769. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to having nitrous oxide categorised as an illegal drug and unlawful to possess, given the recent warning from a leading neurologist regarding the dangers associated with the use of nitrous oxide among young people, with up to ten patients a month presenting to one Dublin hospital with some patients requiring inpatient rehabilitation due to the injuries sustained from inhaling this drug with many streets and public open spaces littered with these canisters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54578/23]

Cancer Services

Duncan Smith

774. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health if, similar to the UK, the breast cancer treatment anastrozole will be licensed as an option for preventing the disease in high-risk women in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54619/23]

Special Educational Needs

Duncan Smith

202. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Education if autism units/classes will be provided for 2024 in school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54320/23]

School Enrolments

Duncan Smith

203. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Education if there is a plan to establish a new Irish-speaking secondary school in the Swords area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54332/23]

Health Strategies

Duncan Smith

321. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the timeline on the recruitment of a coordinator for the Cabra Finglas Drugs and Alcohol Task Force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54330/23]

Health Strategies

Duncan Smith

322. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in the recruitment of a new coordinator for the Cabra Finglas Drugs and Alcohol Task Force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54331/23]

Grant Payments

Duncan Smith

99. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will increase the threshold for the housing aid for older persons grant, given the current maximum grant under this scheme is €8000, with the cost of labour, materials and living increases making it inaccessible and unaffordable for many older people to bridge the gap between the awarded grant and the actual cost of the project (details supplied), and with many older people needing to refit their bathrooms on health and safety grounds to the HSE-required standard to include accessible showers, toilets and grab rails as part of their long term needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54096/23]

Public Sector Pensions

Duncan Smith

205. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he is aware of the issue surrounding the retirement of prison officers and Garda officers who are on a post-April 1995 pension, who are required to sign up for job seekers benefit for nine months following retirement from their respective services to receive their supplementary pension; if he plans to amends this so these workers receive their supplementary pension immediately when they retire; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53407/23]

Vaccination Programme

Duncan Smith

534. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will initiate a health technology assessment for an RSV vaccine for older adults following the recent publication of a NIAC recommendation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53393/23]

Vaccination Programme

Duncan Smith

535. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will expand the regulation to permit pharmacists to administer RSV vaccines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53394/23]

Vaccination Programme

Duncan Smith

536. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will increase the number of vaccines against infectious diseases available to adults as part of a strategy to mitigate against antimicrobial resistance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53395/23]

Vaccination Programme

Duncan Smith

537. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will introduce a free shingles vaccination scheme for older adults; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53396/23]

Vaccination Programme

Duncan Smith

538. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will introduce a free RSV vaccination scheme for older adults; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53397/23]

Vaccination Programme

Duncan Smith

539. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will fund any new vaccines in 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53398/23]

Hospital Staff

Duncan Smith

547. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultants in reproductive medicine in the regional fertility hub based at University Maternity Hospital Galway to date in 2023. [53526/23]

Ambulance Service

Duncan Smith

548. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the additional resources that will be provided by the National Ambulance Service to the Kerry area. [53527/23]

Health Services Staff

Duncan Smith

549. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of vacant optometry and ophthalmology roles in primary care services in CHO9. [53528/23]

Health Services

Duncan Smith

550. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of day centres for older persons in County Wexford that are funded by the HSE in 2022 and to-date in 2023; and the capacity of each of these day centres, in tabular form. [53529/23]