1403. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of increasing medical card income limits by 5%, 10% or 20%, and in each case, the projected additional number of cards that would be issued; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37089/23]
1402. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of providing in 2024 medical cards to all those diagnosed with cancer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37088/23]
1401. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost in 2024 of reducing emergency hospital charges to either €50 or abolishing it; the cost of removing the €75 charge for an injury unit, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37087/23]
1400. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost in 2024 of reducing prescription charges to €1 per item with a cap of €10 for all, or to 50 cent per item with a cap of €5 for all; the overall cost of abolishing the charges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37086/23]
1399. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the projected full-year cost of expanding the free contraception scheme to all women; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37085/23]
1398. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of reducing the drugs payment scheme threshold to €50; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37084/23]
1397. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the amount spent on agency staff in 2022 and to date in 2023 across the health service, broken down by staffing type and to whom the payments were made; if he will provide a breakdown for the amount spent on nursing agency staff in 2022 and to date in 2023; his plans to address this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37083/23]
1396. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the projected cost of providing additional funding to Section 39 organisations to provide pay increases in line with the current public service pay deal; to provide a breakdown by organisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37082/23]
1267. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health for an update on speech and language therapy waiting lists, by age and region, as of July 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36388/23]
1266. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health for an update on audiology waiting lists, by age and region, as of July 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36387/23]
1246. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the status of the primary medical certificate; if new applications are being accepted; the status of the board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36277/23]
1245. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health what the communication and outreach strategy was for the Public Consultation on the Health Claims Costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36276/23]
1244. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health what efforts were made to contact individuals and families who were victims of medical negligence to make them aware of the Public Consultation on Health Claims Costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36275/23]
1193. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health how his Department plans to increase the workforce (details supplied); how his Department plans to fund the additional clinical placements that will be needed to train the growing workforce; if additional clinical tutors will be hired to facilitate extra clinical placements; if monetary incentives will be given for current staff to facilitate clinical placements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36005/23]
1192. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the timeline which he has given the HSE to complete its reimbursement process regarding the provision of enhertu for the treatment of breast cancer; if he is aware of the impact of delays in access to enhertu on outcomes for Irish patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35998/23]
964. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of personal assistant hours funded in 2022 and 2023; how many people are currently supported; how many have applied but who have not yet been granted support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37092/23]
422. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Education to provide an update on the progress of the School Inclusion Model Pilot that is currently ongoing in primary schools which allow access to onsite professional support from occupational therapists and speech and language therapists; when these pilots will produce results; when they will be rolled out more broadly to other schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35718/23]
283. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Finance the oversight that is in operation to ensure businesses are complying with legal tender rules in terms of accepting cash as payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35746/23]
282. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Finance if businesses are required to accept cash as payment from consumers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35745/23]
281. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Finance in view of the decision of a number of music festivals in Ireland to go cashless for their events in 2023, if he is satisfied these events and organisers are in compliance with legal tender rules; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35744/23]
191. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Transport if an additional 33X bus will be added to the morning roster departing from Skerries to St. Stephen’s Green at 7:45 am, given the demand for the service and overcrowding issues outlined in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35719/23]
289. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development whether there are plans to run the community centres investment fund, launched in 2023, again in 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34460/23]
732. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of births at Mayo University Hospital Maternity Ward in each of the past three years and to-date in 2023, in tabular form; and the staffing level breakdown in this Department for each of these years. [33719/23]
731. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the current number of staff vacancies across all Departments and details of each vacant at Tipperary University Hospital. [33718/23]
730. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant orthopaedic surgeons working in Portiuncula University Hospital in 2021, 2022 and to-date in 2023, in tabular form. [33717/23]
729. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE radiographers working in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda in the years of 2022 and to-date in 2023, in tabular form. [33716/23]
727. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE advanced nurse practitioners in older persons services in CHO9 in 2021, 2022 and to-date in 2023, in tabular form. [33714/23]
726. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE physiotherapists working in Monaghan General Hospital in the years of 2021, 2022 and to-date in 2023, in tabular form. [33713/23]
725. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the capital works projects that were carried out at Croom Orthopaedic Hospital in the years of 2021, 2022 and to-date in 2023; the nature of these works; and the costs of each capital works projects in tabular form. [33712/23]
724. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the current funding that would be required to extend the opening hours until 9pm, seven days a week at the Mater Smithfield Rapid Injury Unit. [33711/23]
723. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health if the budget for medical aids and equipment for children is ring-fenced within CHO9; if he will provide figures on the breakdown of difference types of aids/equipment, for example wheelchairs and walkers provided in CHO9 between 1 January 2022 and 30 June 2023. [33710/23]
721. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of children currently on the waiting list for hearing examinations in County Kerry by length of time waiting, in tabular form. [33708/23]
720. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of mental health services that are available in each primary care centre in the area of County Roscommon covered by CHO2; and if there are plans to expand the mental health services available at these centres. [33707/23]
719. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant paediatric ENT surgeons based at Sligo University Hospital in the years of 2022 and to -date in 2023, in tabular form. [33706/23]
718. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the amount of revenue generated through parking charges at the public car-park within the Mater Hospital in the years of 2022 and to-date in 2023, in tabular form; and of the money generated how was it spent. [33705/23]
717. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE vacancies by job title in the Accident and Emergency Department of Portlaoise Regional Hospital; when will these vacancies be filled in tabular form. [33704/23]
353. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will address a series of queries (details supplied). [33553/23]
352. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason his Department or the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is applying a decision threshold in relation to the control of urban gull species (herring gulls) whereby they must pose a threat to public health and safety in densely populated urban areas in order to be included in the Annual derogation Declarations; if he will set out the specific evidential criteria being applied by his Department or the NPWS when deciding whether or not such a threat exists; and the reason that when such a threat has been recognised by his Department or the NPWS, for example, in Balbriggan, that the only action it has taken is to declare the threat in the annual declarations, when it is in fact a duty of the State to act proactively to protect citizens and public health and safety. [33552/23]
351. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will address a specific matter (details supplied). [33551/23]
350. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to several Parliamentary Questions of 13 June 2023, in particular where he provided additional information not actually sought in the questions viz that "Matters relating to prohibiting the feeding of wild birds; correctly disposing of rubbish on our streets to make them less attractive and to discourage them from congregating in particular areas; any warning signage or publicity campaigns in relation to same is a matter for the local authority concerned.", if he is aware of and if he accepts or rejects the expert advice on urban gull ecology as provided to his predecessor's Consultative Committee on Urban Gulls, which stated the primary reasons for which gulls are colonising towns and cities (details supplied). [33550/23]
155. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Transport if the wheelchair-accessible vehicle scheme has been paused; if so, the reason for this; his plans for the scheme in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33807/23]
137. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection when the backdated increase in child benefit to the qualified child will be paid to a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33115/23]
636. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health to outline the implementation of the Cost of Disability Action Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32496/23]
635. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the status of the HSE tender for the delivery of the nasal flu vaccine to children in primary schools and special schools between October and December 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32492/23]
634. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health whether the national children’s flu vaccine programme will continue to be free of charge for the 2–17 age group for the 2023/2024 flu season; whether there are any plans to change age eligibility for the free scheme for the coming season; the rationale for any such proposed change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32491/23]
515. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the progress that is being made on ratification of the Optional Protocol of the UNCRPD; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32497/23]
514. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to outline the Implementation Plan on UNCRPD; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32495/23]
513. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of the needed investment in housing and required supports for disabled people as outlined in the Disability Capacity Review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32494/23]