Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Social Welfare Eligibility

Róisín Shortall

896. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection if financial supports are available for self-employed people with disabilities, similar to the wage subsidy scheme for people with disabilities; if not, if she plans to introduce such a scheme; if not, plans, the reason; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56997/23]

Disability Services

Róisín Shortall

1416. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there is any legal obligation on large retailers to provide disability trolleys in their stores; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1224/24]

Departmental Funding

Róisín Shortall

1417. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if an allocation under the new youth employability scheme will be made to an organisation (details supplied), given that the special purpose grant allocated to the organisation for its Employability Support Programme expired at the end of 2023; if he will provide a timeline for the allocation of such funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1248/24]

Hospital Procedures

Róisín Shortall

1509. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of public hospitals refusing GP referrals for DEXA scans (details supplied); the reason for this policy in a number of hospitals; the steps being taken to address this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56579/23]

Health Services Staff

Róisín Shortall

1550. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health his views on the number of doctors in HSE consultant posts that are not on the Irish Medical Council specialist register for the specialty they are practising in (details supplied); his views on the potential for patient safety issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56773/23]

Primary Care Services

Róisín Shortall

1593. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the reason letters are being sent to parents informing them that their child will be removed from primary care waiting lists unless they return a form within two weeks (details supplied); the rationale for this short timeframe of two weeks; if this practice is applied consistently across the country; if there is any recourse for parents who do not see this letter in time, for example during summer or Christmas holidays; if steps will be taken to ensure that parents with additional needs are appropriately accommodated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57111/23]

Health Service Executive

Róisín Shortall

1689. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No.150 of 15 November 2023, whether the Health Service Executive pensions section in Manorhamilton is now fully staffed and in a position to process all pension matters for retired HSE workers in a swift and timely manner; if not, if he will outline the reason why and the steps being taken to address this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1366/24]

Departmental Schemes

Róisín Shortall

1744. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to adding motor neurone disease (MND) and Kennedy's disease, which is rare but very similar to MND, to the list of medical conditions covered by the long-term illness scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1642/24]

Departmental Strategies

Róisín Shortall

1745. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the National Service Plan 2024; if the HSE has submitted the NSP to him for approval; the timeline he is working towards in approving the NSP; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1643/24]

Budget 2024

Róisín Shortall

250. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to respond to the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council’s Fiscal Assessment Report, published recently; his views on their assessment of the health allocation for 2024 (details supplied); if he accepts the views of the Acting Chair; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56155/23]

Fuel Poverty

Róisín Shortall

378. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been brought to research into energy hardship experienced by cancer patients with life-limiting diagnoses (details supplied); the steps she is taking to address this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56154/23]

Healthcare Policy

Róisín Shortall

506. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been brought to research into energy hardship experienced by cancer patients with life-limiting diagnoses (details supplied); the steps he is taking to address this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56153/23]

Departmental Budgets

Róisín Shortall

507. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if he has engaged with the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform regarding the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council’s Fiscal Assessment Report and their analysis of the Health allocation for 2024 (details supplied); his views on their analysis of the health allocation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56156/23]

Disability Services

Róisín Shortall

261. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will meet representatives of an organisation (details supplied) to discuss serious funding challenges and its role in the evolving further education and training ecosystem; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55813/23]

Environmental Schemes

Róisín Shortall

170. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the supports that will be made available to small retailers to take part in the deposit return scheme; if any research has been carried out as to whether there is potential for some retailers, such as small off-licences, to be disadvantaged by the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55091/23]

Alcohol Pricing

Róisín Shortall

731. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to ensure that alcohol price reductions on the basis of a customer having a supermarket loyalty card are not in breach of the Public Health Act (Alcohol) 2018; the engagements he has had with supermarkets on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54494/23]

Hospital Facilities

Róisín Shortall

851. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 250 of 17 May 2023, if any beds, units or buildings have been closed in the Mater Misericordia University Hospital, Dublin 7, this year; if there are any plans to do so in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55360/23]

Health Services

Róisín Shortall

858. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to address the lack of capacity in PrEP services, particularly in view of the 68% increase in HIV diagnoses in 2022; how the additional €600,000 allocated to support PrEP services in budget 2024 will be spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55412/23]

Health Services

Róisín Shortall

859. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the number of staff in public PrEP services in 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, by location, in tabular form; the number of vacancies in the service in each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55413/23]

Health Services

Róisín Shortall

331. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if a company will be in a position to begin the diabetic retina screening programme in January 2024 (details supplied); if this organisation has signed its contract with the National Screening Service; the reason the National Screening Service appointed a sole bidder for all of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54381/23]