1264. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will engage with the HSE and other relevant bodies to develop education and awareness campaigns on the dangers associated with e-cigarettes usage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28251/23]
1263. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will ring-fence multi-year funding dedicated to implementing all outstanding recommendations from the National Cancer Strategy to 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28250/23]
1262. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will take the necessary steps to ensure that environmental health officers are adequately resourced to ensure that sun bed operators comply with current legislation, in light of the fact that it is the most common cancer in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28249/23]
1261. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will ring-fence funding to ensure that the provisions of the National Skin Cancer Prevention Plan 2023-2026 are implemented, in light of the fact that it is the most common cancer in Ireland; if he will engage with the relevant authorities to launch a public information campaign regarding skin cancer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28248/23]
1260. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the steps he will take to ensure greater take up of the HPV vaccine, including a review of the current information campaign; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28247/23]
1259. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will reduce the threshold of the drugs payment scheme to a maximum of €50 per month; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28245/23]
1258. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will ring-fence funding to expand the catch-up programme for HPV vaccination between the ages of 15 to 24 years, as recommended by the national immunisation advisory committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28244/23]
1257. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the steps he will take to ensure current parking concessions offered to cancer patients are highlighted through the HSE website and hospital websites and publications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28242/23]
1256. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will ring-fence dedicated funding for the establishment of a treatment abroad fund to cover non-medical expenses incurred when travelling abroad for medical treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28240/23]
1255. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will engage with the management of hospitals to abolish car parking charges for patients attending hospital for cancer treatment, such as radiotherapy or chemotherapy appointments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28239/23]
1251. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to altering the salary pay scale of radiation therapists, details supplied; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28222/23]
1142. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health to confirm the reason that a person (details supplied) who has a diagnosis of paranoid schizoaffective disorder, dementia and several other physical health difficulties including a visual impairment, COPD, hypertension and arthritis and has been a patient of St. Vincent's Hospital, Fairview, Dublin, for the past two and a half years, has not had their funding request for placement with a nursing home approved, despite the person being assessed and approved for care in this facility, and the request for funding submitted to the HSE last year; when a decision will be made in respect of this case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27332/23]
1104. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm the progress that has been made to date in developing the project of a new paediatric department in Cork University Hospital; the work that will be undertaken in relation to this project in the remainder of 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27062/23]
948. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what action his Department is taking to support the farm machinery industry, in view of the current critical shortage of qualified mechanics in the farm machinery industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27579/23]
942. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if consideration would be given to increasing direct payments per sheep under the sheep improvement scheme which is a targeted scheme for sheep farmers, in order to provide much-needed additional support to sheep farmers, encourage young farmers to enter and continue sheep farming, and ensure that this type of farming is viable going forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27310/23]
924. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice to provide an update on the application status of a person (details supplied) to the Afghan Admissions Programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28232/23]
839. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider introducing a new statutory payment for employees and self-employed people with chronic illnesses to attend medical appointments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28246/23]
838. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will give due consideration to expanding the criteria for the household benefits package to include all cancer patients upon diagnosis until treatment is finished; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28243/23]
837. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will give due consideration to the review of the current means test requirement for the additional needs/exceptional needs' payment for children, adolescent and young adults (CAYA) cancer patients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28241/23]
817. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on the number of people who are on the live register in each town in County Cork; the number of people on the live register for more than 24 months in each town in County Cork; the number of people who have been referred to the local area employment service in each town in County Cork since September 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27815/23]
584. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education if consideration will be given to permitting second level students with a diagnosis of dyslexia additional time in the exam hall to complete their junior certificate and leaving certificate examination papers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28087/23]
513. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education when applications for roof repairs and reconfiguration of two rooms for a school (details supplied) will be processed, in view of the fact that these are urgently required to accommodate 41 children enrolled for September in the school, which has recently become co-educational; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27459/23]
450. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if consideration will be given to including agricultural mechanics, construction plant fitters and heavy vehicle mechanics in his Departments critical skills occupations list, in view of the critical shortage of qualified mechanics in the farm machinery industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27577/23]
193. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the action his Department is taking to ensure that price gouging does not occur under energy grant schemes, including the deep retrofit grant scheme and the solar PV grant scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27574/23]
403. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will confirm whether she will provide grants for agricultural shows, in view of the fact that these shows promote community involvement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26893/23]
333. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the number of people from each county who have availed of the Northern Ireland planned healthcare scheme since it commenced in 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26823/23]
332. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the number of people who have availed of the Republic of Ireland reimbursement scheme since it commenced in 2021, including a breakdown of the type of treatment received, and the hospital where the treatment was received, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26822/23]
331. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the number of people who have availed of the Northern Ireland planned healthcare scheme since it commenced in 2021, including a breakdown of the type of treatment received, and the hospital where treatment was received, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26821/23]
328. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm that he will review the decision to appoint HSE enhanced community care consultants to model 4 hospitals only in view of the fact that the model 2 and model 3 hospitals are delivering a comprehensive range of health services to people who are residing in their immediate catchment area without the necessity of them having to travel model 4 hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26782/23]
326. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a status update regarding the proposals for a national screening programme for generic haemochromatosis in primary and hospital care settings, submitted to the National Screening Advisory Committee in January 2023 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26771/23]
242. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice if she will confirm the progress that has been made to date in respect of having a single application process, both for employment permits and entry visa applications; if an interdepartmental group has been established between her Department and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to review same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26829/23]
179. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education if she will confirm when a school (details supplied) can progress to construction for a three-classroom extension; the current status of the project; the reason for delays in this project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26769/23]
125. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the action he has taken to date in increasing apprenticeship places, as well as their starting remuneration; his upcoming plans in this sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26603/23]
93. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department and third-level colleges have engaged with the HSE and the Department of Health with a view to increasing the number of radiation therapy training places, taking into account that there are only 42 places at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26602/23]
45. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm that the 240 beds which have been lost in public nursing homes and community hospitals in the Cork-Kerry region due to reconfiguration in the past four years, will be replaced by the end of 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26605/23]
40. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm the date when the four-storey building attached to Mallow Hospital will be completed, taking into account that it is to accommodate 48 hospital beds on floors two and three; if he will confirm that the 40 rooms between the ground floor and the first floor will be utilised for patients that require rehabilitation; when it is expected that same will come into use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26604/23]
762. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the specific new steps his Department is taking to protect the most at-risk age cohorts in Ireland against influenza, in light of the excess mortality recorded in the most recent winter flu season; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26185/23]
761. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will consider expediting the conducting of a HTA to be carried out by HIQA into the provision of an enhanced influenza vaccine for the over-65s cohort; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26184/23]
760. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the specific timeline which he and his Departmental officials have given to HIQA to complete its HTA regarding the provision of an enhanced influenza vaccine for the over-65s age cohort; if he will outline the scope of this HTA; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26183/23]
746. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if will engage with the representative associations of medical bodies to ensure that GPs and other medical professionals are fully advised of the symptoms of haemochromatosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26098/23]
745. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will consider sponsoring a public awareness campaign for the purposes of providing information regarding the symptoms of hemochromatosis (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26097/23]
744. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will appoint a main contact person to act as lead on haemochromatosis within his Department and-or the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26096/23]
743. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will consider the development of a national strategy for hemochromatosis (details supplied) in which everyone has equal access to testing diagnosis, treatment and quality of care, regardless of where they live in the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26094/23]
267. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health to confirm that tender 2023 for home care workers will take effect from June 2023 as it has been delayed since 2022, resulting in tender 2018 still operating, and that the new tender will include the living wage as the new minimum for home care workers, payment for travel time, uniform remuneration for mileage, continuity of income for homecare workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25392/23]
265. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health why a person (details supplied) is being assessed 7.5% contribution from their principal private residence on their fair deal contribution to the cost of care assessment, in spite of the fact that their spouse was also previously assessed at 7.5% for this same contribution; if this is an error, can the person’s contribution from their principal private residence be reduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25390/23]
247. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will clarify the reason 14 step-down beds in Clonakilty Community Hospital are no longer in use, in particular where there is enormous pressure on the hospitals in Cork to have patients transferred to these types of step-down facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25326/23]
127. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Finance further to the recently approved amendment to the Finance Bill 2023 to apply a zero per cent VAT rate for the supply and installation of solar panels, where the zero VAT rate applies, and if he could clarify whether it is applied to the wholesaler or claimed back retrospectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25407/23]
101. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the new afforestation scheme will be announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25143/23]
89. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will outline the details of the stringent terms and conditions mentioned in clause 1.1 of the new interim afforestation scheme; if the €200,000 threshold mentioned in this clause refers to investment or premium pay out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25142/23]
32. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice if he will confirm that the policy document on non-EEA family reunification 2016 has been amended to reflect the increased salary requirements required of the sponsor when applying for a family reunification visa, in particular category B sponsors, such as those on general employment permits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25236/23]