1254. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Health when Ireland intends to align with the NICE recommendations on CGM for certain eligible cohorts of insulin-using individuals with type 2 diabetes (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45138/24]
1130. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Health the reason an early/interim access scheme to provide early access to EMA-approved therapies for rare diseases has not been introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44428/24]
1129. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the provision of new medicines funding in Budget 2025; the exact amount allocated to oncology and non-oncology medicines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44427/24]
1128. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Health to detail the exact provision of funding and resourcing to rare diseases within Budget 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44426/24]
1127. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Health if a report into the public consultation on developing a national rare disease strategy will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44425/24]
1126. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the work of National Rare Disease Steering Group; whether the new national rare disease strategy will be finalised and published by Q4 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44424/24]
805. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Justice the measures being taken by An Garda Síochána to tackle the importation and sale of illegal tobacco products by organised crime groups; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45141/24]
804. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Justice the number of reports relating to the suspected import or sale of non-duty paid tobacco products that were referred by An Garda Síochána to the Revenue Commissioners in each of the past five years; and if Gardaí are kept appraised of progress. [45140/24]
293. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Finance the number of reports relating to the suspected import or sale of non-duty paid tobacco products which were received by the Revenue Commissioners from An Garda Síochána in each of the past five years; and how such referrals are dealt with by the Revenue Commissioners. [45139/24]
292. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Finance if he plans to amend the regulations that apply to duty free allowances to address the anomaly whereby a 17-year-old would be permitted to bring tobacco and alcohol into the country through duty free, but would be banned from purchasing tobacco until the age of 21 in their local shop under the proposed provision of the Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45137/24]
136. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Justice if her attention has been drawn to a consultation by An Garda Síochána in relation to planned changes to operational guidelines on firearm licensing; if she will ensure that a full public consultation will be facilitated to allow all relevant stakeholders and interested parties to engage; and when the next meeting of the Firearms Consultative Panel will be held, noting that An Garda Síochána has stated that it plans to consult with the panel regarding the planned changes to guidelines. [43379/24]
116. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide details of the results of recent scientific surveys of teal numbers and trends in Ireland; and if there is currently a species action plan in place for teal. [43378/24]
115. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to the fact a recent newsletter (details supplied) highlighted that the survey had no recent data for a very large number of sites across the country as no counter had been assigned to these sites; if he is satisfied that the level of service currently being provided is in line with the requirements of contracts for which large sums of public funding are being provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43377/24]
114. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the specific measures in place to independently assess Ireland's compliance with Article 12 of the EU Birds Directive, including compliance with reporting requirements. [43376/24]
113. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage which university has entered into a research agreement with the National Parks and Wildlife Service for studies on bird damage to crops and other topics, as referenced in his response to Parliamentary Question No. 240 of 8 October 2024; and to outline the selection process undertaken in choosing this university for the research project. [43375/24]
70. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Finance if his Department is aware of the reports that social media platforms may be being used to illegally offer the sale of tobacco products; and what measures are being put in place to engage with social media platforms to detect and crack down on such activity. [43380/24]
56. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Transport if he would consider establishing an alternative fuels stakeholder forum within his Department, whereby industry partners and stakeholders can set out their views on barriers to deployment, as well as discuss any supporting measures to be put in place, to ensure renewable energy targets, such as 80% of electricity generation be supplied by renewables by 2030, be delivered. [43374/24]
47. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Transport if he is aware of the significant impact that An Bord Pleanála’s draft decision to limit the number of night-time flights at Dublin Airport's north runway would have on businesses, including an increase in uncertainty, instability, and costs, as well as impacts on the productivity of businesses, results in a knock-on impact on GDP; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43373/24]
831. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Health to provide an indication of the total cost to the health service of treating alcohol-related issues and illnesses per annum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43218/24]
830. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Health to provide the total number of hospital presentations associated with alcohol consumption in 2023 and in 2024 to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43217/24]
675. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Health to provide an estimate of the total cost to the exchequer of dealing with alcohol-related issues per annum, including, but not limited to, costs incurred by the health service and costs incurred in the course of handling drink driving incidents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43219/24]
668. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Health the number of type 1 diabetes patients that were approved to use reimbursed diabetes technology; if he will provide a breakdown on the suppliers; the total costs provided to each supplier for this technology, between the years 2020 to 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41426/24]
667. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Health the total expenditure for reimbursement of continuous glucose monitors on the approved medical device list for the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41425/24]
267. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the rationale for Ireland’s vote in support of EU tariffs on Chinese EV imports, noting the tariffs may results in increased prices for certain popular and affordable models of EVs as well as the reduction in the number EV lines imported into Ireland from China, with the potential to disincentivise the transition to EVs. [41420/24]
204. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Finance if his Department is aware of the reports that social media platforms are possibly being used to illegally offer the sale of non-duty-paid tobacco products; and what measures are being put in place to detect and crack-down on such activity. [41429/24]
181. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Transport if his Department has examined the use of tax and subsidy schemes support the uptake of battery electric vehicles in other EU Member States – such as the subsidy scheme for small or compact battery electric vehicles in the Netherlands and tax exemptions that exist in member states like Denmark and Italy; if his Department has developed, or plans to develop, proposals for similar incentive schemes in Ireland to increase the uptake of electric vehicles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41427/24]
180. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Transport if Ireland has, or intends to, access funding from the European Investment Bank’s Clean Bus Initiative; and if commercial bus operators in Ireland will be supported to avail of this finance under this initiative. [41424/24]
179. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Transport if commercial bus operators will be included in the continued 20% fare reduction in support of their important contribution to the increased use of public transport. [41423/24]
227. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the position Ireland is taking in relation to the European Commission proposals for a regulation on dog welfare; and if Ireland will seek amendments to the currently proposed threshold for definition of a breeding establishment which may inadvertently draw Irish farmers and persons involved in hunting, who own multiple dogs, into a regime aimed at regulating puppy farms. [40405/24]
226. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science how the Budget 2025 announcement regarding ‘€20 million for a skills package in employment-focused skills and training’ is to be deployed; and if the funding will include supports for small businesses seeking to develop their digital skills or their use of AI. [40412/24]
107. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline the funding, governance and accountability provisions in place for the Irish Wetland Bird Survey, including the amounts of money paid to non-State agency partners in the survey in each of the past ten years; the details of how non-State agency partners are selected; and the details of any independent assessments and value-for-money reviews conducted in relation to the funding provided to, and the services provided by, non-State agency partners in the survey. [40414/24]
106. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to the response to Parliamentary Question Nos. 128, 129, 130 and 131 of 2 October 2024, to provide a breakdown of the funding paid to the third parties listed in the response in lieu of each of the individual bird surveys conducted since 2022. . [40413/24]
82. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if Budget 2025 included any additional supports for small businesses seeking to develop their digital skills or their use of AI. [40411/24]
44. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Finance if the ongoing development of the framework for allocation of the windfall receipts will consider the potential to invest in acquiring equity to finance the scaling of Irish enterprises in order to enhance the competitiveness of the Irish economy and to expand the corporation tax base; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40415/24]
43. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Finance if Budget 2025 contained any additional resource aimed at the detection and enforcement of illegal cigarette smuggling, including for enhanced spot-checks to ensure compliance with duty-free travel allowances for cigarettes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40407/24]
42. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Finance the rationale for the significant increase in excise duty on cigarettes in Budget 2025 given the concerns set out in the Tax Strategy Group paper regarding the scale of illegal trade in tobacco in Ireland and the resultant tax losses to the Exchequer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40406/24]
31. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Transport for an update on Action 87 of the National Sustainable Mobility Policy, on the development of a strategy for the expansion of car share, bike and PTT services at transport hubs, considering there was no mention of shared mobility in Budget 2025. [40417/24]
30. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Transport the reason there was no allocated supports for shared mobility providers offered in Budget 2025, considering these operators play a leading role in making transport more sustainable, accessible and affordable. [40416/24]
29. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Transport to provide further details of his Department’s plans announced in Budget 2025 relating to ‘investing in electric and hybrid-electric busses, and in charging infrastructure at depots’, including the scale of funding to be provided. [40410/24]
28. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Transport the cost per kilometre of subvention for commercial bus operators services scheduled by the National Transport Authority, compared to the cost per kilometre of subvention for PSO services [40409/24]
27. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Transport if commercial bus operators will be included in the continuing reduced fare scheme and the extended children's free travel, in order to increase the reach of public transport. [40408/24]
611. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Health if, in the context of Ireland’s target to achieve cervical cancer elimination by the year 2040, he will consider removing the requirement of a GP prescription for the provision of the HPV vaccine in pharmacies by adding it to the Eighth Schedule of the Medicinal Products (Prescription and Control of Supply) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2015, as is the case for pneumococcal, shingles, flu, and Covid-19 vaccines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40163/24]
78. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Finance whether the amount of VAT raised from sports streaming services in any of the years 2021, 2022 or 2023 has been calculated; the totals calculated in each of these years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39580/24]
231. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Health that actions that are being immediately taken to ensure that a person (details supplied) can have access to their prescribed medication within the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39276/24]
215. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Health if he acknowledges that there are significant loopholes when it comes to the duty-free purchasing of tobacco and alcohol by those under the age of 18, while his Department intends to prohibit the sale of alcohol to 18- to 20-year-olds in the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39205/24]
214. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Health the logic of allowing a 17-year-old bring tobacco and alcohol into the country through duty free, but banning the purchase of tobacco until the age of 21 in their local shop; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39204/24]
131. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the details of the methodologies and agencies and external bodies involved in conducting assessments on the status and trends of bird species as required under Article 12 of the Birds Directive. [39203/24]
130. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the measures put in place to ensure consistency and alignment in the methodologies used for counts of bird species in Ireland with those used in Northern Ireland. [39202/24]
129. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage how the National Parks and Wildlife Service conducts counts of bird species in Ireland, including the standards and scientific basis underpinning the count process; and whether counts are subject to independent peer review. [39201/24]
128. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide details of third-party bodies who conduct counts of bird species in Ireland on behalf of his Department or the National Parks and Wildlife Service; the details of how these bodies are selected; when further selections are planned; and the criteria for selection. [39200/24]