826. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she is concerned about the promotion and sale of obesity medicines to under-18s for cosmetic weight-loss purposes by black-market actors. [33442/26]
694. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the status of an application (details supplied), and when it is likely that a decision will be reached in view that the application is pending over 6 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33315/26]
227. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Ireland's position on the application of excise duties to novel nicotine products at EU level, in the context of the anticipated revision of both the Tobacco Products Directive and the Tobacco Taxation Directive; whether Ireland supports a risk-proportionate approach to the taxation of such products relative to combustible tobacco; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32835/26]
293. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the current status of an additional accommodation project application by a school (details supplied); when they can proceed to the next phase; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31570/26]
126. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the action his Department is taking to reduce Irish driving licence exchange processing times, in view that many applicants are experiencing delays of up to 12 weeks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31292/26]
109. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport to provide an update on the progress to date in relation to the N/M20 Limerick to Cork motorway project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31291/26]
77. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection to confirm the progress that has been made toward a permanent cost of disability payment; the work that has been undertaken to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31304/26]
5. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection to confirm that consideration will be given to an automatic entitlement to the fuel allowance where a member of the household is over 70 years of age; the cost of implementing this proposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31303/26]
923. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current status of childcare facilities which are providing childcare under the ECCE scheme, who are now required to pay commercial rates to their relevant local authority; if her Department has had any engagement with local authorities on this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29730/26]
857. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to provide an update on the Programme for Government commitment to invest in high-powered roads policing vehicles and continue to upgrade the Garda fleet to support effective enforcement; the progress that has been made to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30650/26]
682. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department is engaging with local authorities with a view to giving rates relief to childcare facilities given these facilitates are now being required to pay commercial rates even though they are providing an essential service to the community, and as a result of this additional cost many of them will not be reopening in September 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29731/26]
205. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to provide an update on the Programme for Government commitment to implement, fund and expand Enterprise Ireland's Action Plan for Women in Business; the progress made to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30517/26]
144. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the action his Department is taking together with the Department of Social Protection to address the barriers to participation in employment faced by disabled persons, given that Ireland has one of the lowest rates of employment among disabled people in Europe standing at 32.6% in comparison with the EU average of 51.3%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30516/26]
341. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the total amount in VAT from all forms of gambling on which VAT is charged for each of the years 2020 to 2025 inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29500/26]
340. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the total amount collected in VAT from online casinos for each of the years 2020 to 2025 inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29499/26]
267. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if the necessary funding will be provided to the dental school in UCC who have submitted proposed to the Department for the expansion of their training programme, which would involve the development of a new hub in which additional students could be trained and practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21758/26]
240. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the action that will be taken to increase the percentage of places available on the dental training course in UCC given that less than half are currently occupied by Irish students, that there is a need for more dentists to reduce public waiting list in the south-west region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21759/26]
48. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on the school transport pilot scheme; the number of schools included in the scheme for the 2025/2026 academic year; if there are plans to expand the scheme to other schools for the upcoming academic year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28772/26]
16. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the progress made to date in relation to the introduction of e-ticketing as part of the school transport scheme; if there are plans to expand e-ticketing to other schools for the 2026-27 academic year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28771/26]
223. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of a health technology assessment for medical devices; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28879/26]
202. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the number of hospital bed days associated with obesity-related conditions, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease; the estimated cost to the HSE of these bed days; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28783/26]
201. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the number of hospital admissions in public hospitals between 2020 to date, where obesity was recorded as a primary or secondary diagnosis; the average length of stay for patients with obesity-related conditions; and the estimated cost to the HSE of these admissions, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28782/26]
200. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the estimated economic cost of obesity-related illness due to workforce absenteeism, reduced productivity; the number of working days lost annually due to obesity-related illness; the estimated cost to the State and the economy arising from these productivity losses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28781/26]
199. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the annual funding allocated to obesity prevention and weight-management programmes; the number of patients accessing HSE weight-management or obesity services each year; the estimated cost savings to the health service from prevention interventions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28780/26]
198. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health when she intends to publish a new Obesity Policy and Action Plan; if she will publish a report on her Department’s public consultation on the matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28779/26]
164. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the status of an application (details supplied) given it is almost 24 months since the application was first submitted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29109/26]
155. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if consideration will be given to reopening an application (details supplied), taking into account that the application fee was waived given that the application was subsequently refused on the grounds that the application fee was not paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28806/26]
41. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport to provide an update on the Programme for Government commitment to invest in high-powered roads policing vehicles and continue to upgrade the Garda fleet to support effective enforcement; the progress that has been made to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28895/26]
40. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport to provide an update on the Programme for Government commitment to use ongoing data analysis and local knowledge to identify accident-prone or ‘black spot’ areas and focus road safety interventions where they are most needed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28894/26]
39. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the details of the progress made to date on the commitment in the Programme for Government to support the implementation of Ireland’s Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030, to increase public awareness and crack down on dangerous driving; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28892/26]
38. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the action being taken by his Department to increase road safety measures (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28891/26]
423. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport to confirm that additional funding would be provided for a pedestrian scheme (details supplied) to ensure the delivery of essential footpaths infrastructure at the earliest possible date, given the lack of footpaths in the area, and that there has been hundreds of additional houses constructed in what has been a rapidly developing village; to provide an update on, and timeline for delivery of, the works to be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28736/26]
331. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the coordination that has taken place between EU countries on rising fuel prices to date; whether further coordination is planned at an EU level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26798/26]
320. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the details of the Government’s new proposed savings and investment scheme; when it is likely to be put in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26797/26]
159. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to confirm that serious consideration will be given to a group's application (details supplied) for funding under the Communicating Europe Initiative; when decisions on funding are likely to be made under this scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27805/26]
152. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the progress made to date on key focus areas and actions for 2025 under the Climate Action Plan 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27658/26]
112. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the progress made to date in relation to the national biomethane strategy, in particular the Programme for Government commitment to offer key financial supports and incentives for the strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27659/26]
77. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the status of progress on the Glashaboy flood relief scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27644/26]
19. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the status of progress on the Blackpool River Bride flood relief scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27643/26]
290. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration when an IRP renewal application will be processed and the IRP card issued (details supplied) given it is over 17-weeks since the application was submitted which is five weeks over the current processing timeline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27486/26]
181. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment when the support document being prepared by the biomethane implementation sub-group will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27682/26]
180. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to confirm when the Climate Action Plan 2026 (CAP26) will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27681/26]
3448. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department has engaged with other EU countries with a view to establishing a standard programme of training which would be acceptable in each of the jurisdictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24331/26]
3447. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if her Department has engaged with Trinity College Dublin and University College Cork with a view to providing additional funding to enable them to increase the number of places that would be available for Irish students who wish to study dentistry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24330/26]
3446. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the action his Department has taken with a view to increasing the number of dental training places for Irish students, taking into account that currently there are more non-Irish dental students being trained in Irish dental colleges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24329/26]
3365. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) can progress with cataract treatment; whether an urgent appointment will be made available to them, particularly in view of their age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27070/26]