Parliamentary questions

Citizenship Applications

Colm Burke

892. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice the number of Irish citizenship by naturalisation applications received by her Department for 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023; the number of applications which have reached a decision for each of these years; the number of applications that are still processing for each of these years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14615/24]

Vaccination Programme

Colm Burke

1212. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he is concerned by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre’s recently published report (26/02/24) on the uptake of the HPV vaccine for the academic years 2022/2023 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13634/24]

Vaccination Programme

Colm Burke

1213. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health what steps he will take to increase the uptake of the HPV vaccine in the school immunisation programme in consideration of the findings of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre’s recently published report (26/02/24) on the uptake of the HPV vaccine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13635/24]

Vaccination Programme

Colm Burke

1214. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the reason the recently published Health Protection Surveillance Centre’s report (26/02/24) on the uptake of the HPV vaccine does not include information regarding the percentage of uptake achieved through the Laura Brennan HPV catch-up vaccination programme in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13636/24]

Health Services

Colm Burke

1334. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health what steps he will take to address delays in diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases in light of the fact that more than a third of people with such conditions go for more than five years without a diagnosis and in recognition of the 300,00 people living with such diseases in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14226/24]

Healthcare Infrastructure Provision

Colm Burke

1335. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will provide the up-to-date position regarding the location for the new genetics and genomics laboratory in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14227/24]

Healthcare Infrastructure Provision

Colm Burke

1336. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health to confirm if the new genetics and genomics laboratory will be located at the new National Children’s Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14228/24]

Hospital Services

Colm Burke

1337. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health to confirm what interim measures are in place, if any, to ensure genetics testing continues to be carried out during relocation from its current home in CHI Crumlin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14229/24]

Hospital Services

Colm Burke

1338. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health when the addition of screening for SMA and SCID to the newborn bloodspot screening programme will commence given the fact that screening for SMA and SCID is not scheduled to take place at the current lab in Temple Street, but rather at the new National Children’s Hospital. As the new NCH is not due to open until at least Q2 2025, and an interim location has not been announced, this has led to confusion around when implementation will begin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14230/24]

Hospital Services

Colm Burke

1339. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health to confirm when newborn babies will be screened for SMA and SCID as part of the newborn bloodspot screening programme; and where the testing for these conditions will take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14231/24]

Health Promotion

Colm Burke

1340. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will give due consideration to the establishment of an infant feeding communication forum across departments that is, with responsibility for children, health, and marketing of commercial formula milks and the Health Service Executive to align government policy, funding and Health Service Executive practices for the purposes of increasing breastfeeding initiation rates and the duration of breastfeeding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14232/24]

Health Promotion

Colm Burke

1341. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will take the necessary steps to standardise breastfeeding education for healthcare professionals in maternity units and support in-service, role-specific breastfeeding education and training to enable implementation of the Baby Friendly Initiative in all 19 maternity units; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14233/24]

Health Promotion

Colm Burke

1342. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will take the necessary steps to fully implement the World Health Organization Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and its subsequent World Health Assembly Resolutions in legislation and ensure that this legislation is monitored and enforced in a transparent manner independent of industry, with particular attention paid to advertising and marketing online via baby clubs and social media influencers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14234/24]

Health Promotion

Colm Burke

1343. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health to provide independent, evidence-based breastfeeding-related education and training to all healthcare professionals likely to encounter breastfeeding mothers or infants/young children in their clinical practice (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14236/24]

Health Promotion

Colm Burke

1344. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will take the necessary steps to provide for greater availability of breastfeeding preparation classes and breastfeeding support groups, and modes of delivery of same (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14237/24]

Health Promotion

Colm Burke

1345. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will develop effective strategies for increasing awareness of infant and young child feeding materials within other sectors outside of the health service, for example, workplace settings, county councils, and allocate resources as required by the Health Service Executive to implement breastfeeding campaigns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14238/24]

Healthcare Policy

Colm Burke

1346. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will develop an up-to-date infant feeding policy for those with HIV in Ireland, in line with recent British HIV Association guidance, that would facilitate shared decision-making between healthcare professionals and service users; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14239/24]

Health Promotion

Colm Burke

1347. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will develop an infant and young child feeding in emergencies preparedness plan specific to the Irish context in line with international guidance, incorporating and building on the operational guidance prepared by the Infant Feeding in Emergencies Core Group of the Emergency Nutrition Network; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14240/24]

Departmental Data

Colm Burke

1348. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will take the necessary steps to develop an electronic child health record to collect and report on breastfeeding metrics (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14241/24]

Substance Misuse

Colm Burke

1499. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will consider establishing an office for alcohol harm reduction to operate within his Department which would take the lead across Government Departments in developing the policy measures needed to address alcohol harm; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14858/24]

Substance Misuse

Colm Burke

1500. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will ring-fence dedicated funding for the provision of alcohol care teams within all major hospitals and which would be linked to community services (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14859/24]

Healthcare Policy

Colm Burke

1501. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will ring-fence dedicated funding to the relevant bodies to support the national Hidden Harm framework that recognises the adverse childhood experience of growing up with parental problem substance use; if he will take the necessary steps to ensure current funding for services for children and families who are impacted by parental drug and alcohol use is doubled for five years with a review of the services provided evaluated at the end of that time, as recommended by an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14860/24]

Mental Health Services

Colm Burke

1502. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the steps he will take to ensure that the mental health allocation of 10% of the overall health budget is reached by 2030, as committed to in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14861/24]

Departmental Funding

Colm Burke

1503. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will ring-fence dedicated funding of €2 million estimate to create a Commissioner for Ageing and Older Persons as part of a package of measures to counter ageism; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14865/24]

Dental Services

Colm Burke

1505. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will grant an immediate allocation of €7 million to hire 76 HSE whole-time equivalent dentists to bring service levels back to 2007 levels, thereby cutting waiting lists for service and treatments in the public system that is, the children's school screening programme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14869/24]

Dental Services

Colm Burke

1506. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will set aside funding to hire 30 specialist orthodontists to address the up to three-year waiting lists for orthodontic care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14870/24]

Medical Cards

Colm Burke

1507. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will take the necessary steps to deliver a reformed medical card scheme through the provision of a voucher or credit towards dental care of between €100 to €500, respectively (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14871/24]

Dental Services

Colm Burke

1508. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health to set aside funding to reintroduce a foundation training scheme to facilitate new dental graduates to gain experience in a mentored environment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14873/24]

Dental Services

Colm Burke

1509. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health what new proposals will be put in place to assist in the delivery of the new dental hospital in UCC; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14874/24]

Dental Services

Colm Burke

1510. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will set aside additional funding of €20 million for the two dental schools at UCC and TCD to increase the number of dental graduates that will practice in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14875/24]

Health Services Staff

Colm Burke

1599. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the number of persons employed within the health service, by categories (details supplied) for each year from 1 January 2014 to 29 February 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15363/24]

Defence Forces

Colm Burke

18. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence what progress has been made to date in respect of current accommodation projects being carried out by his Department to accommodate members of the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13076/24]

Defence Forces

Colm Burke

23. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence to provide an update on the progress made to date to increase the Defence Forces to 11,500 members; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13077/24]

Bus Services

Colm Burke

79. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport what action his Department is taking to improve the bus service in Cork city in view of recurring issues with reliability of bus services including cancelled and late buses, and the frequency of these issues occurring; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13075/24]

Electric Vehicles

Colm Burke

110. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport his views on the provision of mobility hubs nationally under the new Electric Vehicles Charging Infrastructure Strategy 2022 – 2025, in particular details of the launch of pilot hubs in two cities and a major town; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10955/24]

Immigration Status

Colm Burke

253. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice when an application (details supplied) will be completed, given it is over six months since the application was submitted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13471/24]

Legislative Measures

Colm Burke

85. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications whether he intends to legislate for a ban on disposable e-cigarettes; and if so, whether he intends this to be a standalone Bill or whether it will form part of a broader package of measures to regulate flavours and packaging as part of proposed further regulation of tobacco and nicotine inhaling products; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11633/24]

Cycling Facilities

Colm Burke

199. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport if he will consider the provision of additional funding for the expansion of the Cork city bike scheme into the north side of Cork city in view of the increase in bike journeys in Cork city from 2022 to 2023 as set out in a recent review undertaken by the National Transport Authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13074/24]

Coast Guard Service

Colm Burke

285. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform when a project (details supplied) which was granted planning permission in 2022 can proceed; if this project has been advertised in order that tenders can be submitted; when is it likely that the tender process will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11858/24]

Schools Building Projects

Colm Burke

464. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education when a review being undertaken by her Department in respect of a Stage 2B submission will be finalised and the school (details supplied) contacted about the outcome of this review as it has been confirmed that it has been near completion for some time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12436/24]

School Accommodation

Colm Burke

497. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education when it will be possible for a school (details supplied) to make a decision to go ahead with a tender for a school extension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12662/24]

Legislative Measures

Colm Burke

552. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to provide an update on progress made to date in respect of legislation regarding a company (details supplied) and short-term lettings, which is to include the provision of a short-term tourist letting register through Fáilte Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11857/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Colm Burke

726. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an appeal (details supplied) by a person; when a decision is likely to be received, as this has been pending for some time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11922/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

Colm Burke

752. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department has conducted a review of the optical benefit scheme; and if so, to outline in detail the outcome of this review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12510/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

Colm Burke

753. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection if a change to the optical benefit scheme eye examination fee for contractors is under consideration; if this matter will be raised at her Department’s next meeting with stakeholders; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12511/24]

Local Authorities

Colm Burke

1019. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider developing a national initiative in view of the success of a recent free trees initiative by a local authority (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12508/24]

Local Authorities

Colm Burke

1020. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider in conjunction with local authorities and other relevant stakeholders (details supplied) the establishment of a nationwide free trees initiative, in view of the success of a recent frees trees initiative by Cork City Council during Tree Week 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12509/24]

Childcare Services

Colm Burke

1108. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will consider moving to a fully publicly funded model of early years and school age care to bringing Ireland line with the best-in-class systems available in other countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11813/24]

Childcare Services

Colm Burke

1109. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he will take to ensure that the Stakeholder Response Team (SRT) will work with services in the local area, such as the CCCs, to source alternative places for children when child care closures are unavoidable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11814/24]

Childcare Services

Colm Burke

1110. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will ringfence dedicated funding for the purposes of developing a coherent five-year plan to create a unified, publicly funded model of early years and school age care that incentivises the recruitment and retention of a graduate workforce, that is affordable and accessible for parents and crucially, places children's rights at its core (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11815/24]