Parliamentary questions

Rights of People with Disabilities

Róisín Shortall

526. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the date he intends to ratify the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as committed to in the programme for Government; the reason for the delay in doing so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21081/23]

Youth Services

Róisín Shortall

527. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will consider providing funding to reinstate the employability support worker for the Finglas Targeted Youth Employability Support Initiative; if not, the reason therefor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21082/23]

Health Strategies

Róisín Shortall

653. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 473 of 3 May 2023, the timeline he is working towards for finalisation and publication of the RHA Implantation Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21749/23]

Health Strategies

Róisín Shortall

654. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the steps that have been taken in his Department and the HSE to ensure that senior leaders have been freed up from some of their ‘business as usual’ responsibilities to devote time to Regional Health Areas implementation; if external experts and resources have been sought to assist with RHA implementation; and if so, to provide details; if he has established an implementation infrastructure as recommended in a letter from the RHA Advisory Group (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21750/23]

Health Strategies

Róisín Shortall

655. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if the Regional Health Areas Implementation Plan will outline the proposed governance and accountability arrangements for RHAs; if consideration is being given to legislative changes required for implementation, including accountability relationships between and among RHAs, HSE Centre and his Department, as recommended in a letter from the RHA Advisory Group (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21751/23]

Health Strategies

Róisín Shortall

656. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on each of the ten key next steps in Regional Health Areas implementation, in tabular form (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21752/23]

Hospital Staff

Róisín Shortall

716. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if he will provide further details regarding the recently announced €25 million in funding for 854 additional nursing posts to fully implement the Framework for Safe Nurse Staffing and Skillmix in all acute hospitals; the timeline he is working towards for filling these posts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21863/23]

Home Care Packages

Róisín Shortall

282. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the reasons for the further delay to the HSE Home Support Tender 2023; the steps he is taking to ensure that the tender is not delayed any further; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21034/23]

Home Care Packages

Róisín Shortall

283. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the funding proposals he has considered for the HSE Home Support Tender 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21035/23]

Medicinal Products

Róisín Shortall

284. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health his plans to make orally inhaled levodopa (details supplied) available under the long-term illness scheme to treat Parkinson’s symptoms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21038/23]

Disability Services

Róisín Shortall

346. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the pay budget amount for each children’s disability network team, in tabular form. [20408/23]

Disabilities Assessments

Róisín Shortall

347. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 200 of 22 March 2023, in relation to the €11 million that has been allocated to address waiting lists for clinical assessments identified through the assessment-of-need process, if it is possible to apply to receive funding for a private assessment under this allocation for a child on a waiting list; if so, the process by which one can do this; if not, if it is the case that the HSE will identify a private provider and refer children to them without a request from the child's parent or guardian; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20409/23]

Health Service Executive

Róisín Shortall

472. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the timeline he is working towards for recruitment of chief executives for the new regional health areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20707/23]

Health Service Executive

Róisín Shortall

473. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if he intends to publish a plan in relation to the role of the HSE centre following implementation of regional health areas; the timeline he is working towards for publication; if this plan will include provisions for voluntary redundancy or other exit routes, in view of recent comments from the CEO of the Health Service Executive (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20708/23]

Alcohol Sales

Róisín Shortall

474. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the number of complaints made to the HSE in relation to breaches of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2008, and to which sections of the Act they refer to, in tabular form. [20709/23]

Alcohol Sales

Róisín Shortall

475. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if he plans to increase the budget for the HSE Environmental Health Service for monitoring and enforcement of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20710/23]

Qualifications Recognition

Róisín Shortall

476. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1768 of 18 April 2023, if a healthcare award at level 6,7, or 8 instead of the QQI healthcare support level 5 award will be accepted for employment permit purposes for healthcare assistants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20711/23]

Health Services Staff

Róisín Shortall

481. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 403 and 404 of 8 February 2023, how certain titles came to be used in two CHOs (details supplied); the means by which these titles were conferred and by whom, given they are not recognised as being currently in use by the HSE's national HR office; if these individuals should refrain from using these titles, given they imply a wider remit or higher level of authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20774/23]

Education and Training Provision

Róisín Shortall

263. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 64 of 19 April 2023, if additional student funding supports, separate to those already announced for trainee educational psychologists, will be considered as part of the interim recommendations of the working group; the exact timeline she is working towards; the estimated date for completion of the final report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20063/23]

Nursing Homes

Róisín Shortall

178. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health his plans to provide additional capacity in public nursing homes; the number of additional public nursing home beds that have been provided in each of the past five years; if there are plans to develop new public nursing homes; if so, the location of these; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19877/23]