335. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views that the absence of national planning guidelines for anaerobic digestion and biomethane facilities risks producing inconsistent decisions across local authorities and An Coimisiún Pleanála; the steps he is taking to ensure a coherent national planning framework for such facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50431/26]
207. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the engagement hi Department has had with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on the development of planning guidelines for anaerobic digestion and biomethane facilities, given the targets set out in the National Biomethane Strategy; whether he considers the absence of such guidelines to be a barrier to sustainable delivery of biomethane infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50432/26]
167. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the measures in place, or being considered, to assist households with the cost of disposing of adult incontinence products, given the significant increase in waste collection charges in recent years; whether consideration will be given to introducing a national waiver, subsidy or support scheme for people who rely on these products for medical reasons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50486/26]
166. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment whether national planning guidelines for anaerobic digestion and biomethane production facilities are being prepared; when he expects such guidelines to be published; whether they will address issues including appropriate scale, location, zoning, feedstock, traffic, odour, digestate management, water quality, emissions, biodiversity, community gain and cumulative impact; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50430/26]
272. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the number of new posts funded in 2026 for psychiatry of later life services, expressed as whole-time equivalents, broken down by HSE health region, CHO, team and discipline, including consultant psychiatrist, non-consultant hospital doctor, community mental health nurse, psychologist, occupational therapist, social worker and administrative support where applicable; whether each post is currently filled, in recruitment or not yet progressed; the funding source for these posts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49924/26]
271. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health if information will be provided in relation to psychiatry of later life services for (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49923/26]
268. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health if she is satisfied that any proposed expansion of educational psychology training through NEPS-supported or school-based placements is consistent with the needs of HSE and CHI child health and disability services, having regard to the need for psychologists with competencies across direct therapeutic work, autism assessment, disability, acquired brain injury, preschool children, child and adolescent mental health, and complex developmental presentations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49913/26]
267. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the role, if any, additional NEPS-supported educational psychology trainees or graduates are expected to play in reducing assessment of need waiting lists, supporting implementation of the autism assessment protocol, and meeting the needs of children under five or children with complex disabilities; whether the HSE considers such trainees or graduates appropriately trained for that work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49889/26]
266. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health whether graduates of doctorate programmes with placements largely or exclusively in NEPS or school-based settings would be considered eligible and competent for appointment to HSE child psychology posts, including CDNTs, primary care psychology, CAMHS, CAMHS-ID, CHI and assessment of need services; the discussions that have taken place with the Department of Education and Youth, NEPS, PSI, CORU and universities on this matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49888/26]
265. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has examined the implications for HSE, CHI, CDNT, CAMHS, CAMHS-ID, primary care psychology and assessment of need services of training a significantly increased number of psychologists through school-based placements; whether there is a risk that public funding will produce graduates whose training is too narrow to work across child health and disability services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49898/26]
264. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health whether her Department, the HSE or CHI has received any addendum, briefing note, supplementary documentation or correspondence indicating that educational psychology placements for additional doctorate trainees would be largely supported by NEPS; whether a response was issued by her Department, the HSE or CHI; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49897/26]
263. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health whether her Department, the HSE, CHI, CDNTs, CAMHS, CAMHS-ID, primary care psychology services or assessment of need services have been consulted in relation to any proposal to increase the number of educational psychology doctorate trainees through NEPS-supported placements; whether any concerns have been raised by health or disability services about the implications of such a model for the wider child psychology workforce; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49896/26]
262. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the assessment her Department or the HSE has carried out of whether educational psychology training delivered largely through NEPS or school-based placements would equip graduates to work with children under five, non-verbal children, children with acquired brain injury, children with significant mental health needs, children requiring autism diagnostic assessment, and children requiring direct therapeutic intervention; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49895/26]
261. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the number of psychologists currently employed across HSE child psychology services, including primary care psychology, CDNTs, CAMHS, CAMHS-ID, assessment of need services and CHI; the number of whole-time equivalent vacancies in each service area; the turnover rate in each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49894/26]
260. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the number of educational psychology trainees currently funded, sponsored or supported by the HSE, CHI or any other health service agency; the contractual obligations attached to such funding; the number of trainees who have sought to withdraw from HSE-funded or health-service-funded arrangements or repay funding in each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49893/26]
259. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health whether her Department or the HSE has been consulted in relation to NEPS supporting, funding or facilitating educational psychology doctorate placements that are primarily or exclusively school-based; whether any assessment has been made of whether such placements would equip graduates to work in HSE, CHI, CDNT, CAMHS, CAMHS-ID, primary care psychology or assessment of need services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49892/26]
258. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health whether her Department, the HSE, CHI, CDNTs, CAMHS or primary care psychology services have been consulted by the Department of Education and Youth, NEPS, the Higher Education Authority or any university in relation to any proposed change to the current accreditation or training standards for educational psychologists, including any move away from a requirement for experience across mental health, disability and education settings; the view her Department or the HSE has expressed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49891/26]
238. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the longest distance from family home recorded for a child in residential disability services in each HSE Health Region and IHA; the county of origin and county of placement in each case; whether each placement is funded solely by disability services or co-funded with Tusla or mental health services; the length of time the child has been placed at that distance from home; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49912/26]
237. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children’s residential disability placements currently in place, broken down by provider type, including HSE direct provision, Section 38 providers, Section 39 providers, private for-profit providers, and any other provider category; the number and percentage of the total 300 children’s residential disability places represented by each category; whether the placement is funded solely by disability services or co-funded with Tusla or mental health services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49911/26]
236. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the plan that is in place to reduce the number of disabled children placed far from home in residential care; whether the HSE has identified the local residential, respite, behavioural support, therapy, home support and family support capacity required to keep children at home or close to home; whether targets and timelines have been set for reducing placements more than 50km and 100km from home; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49910/26]
235. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason the HSE was unable to provide complete and usable national distance data for children in residential disability services, including the absence of apparent returns for HSE west and north-west, the apparent absence of north Dublin, Meath and Louth from the HSE Dublin and north-east return, and the absence of 50km and 100km figures for HSE south-west; the steps being taken to correct these data gaps given the significance of this data in reflecting disability rights per the UNCRPD; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49890/26]
234. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children in residential disability services who are currently placed more than 50km and more than 100km from their family home, broken down by HSE Health Region, IHA and county of origin; whether the +100km cohort is included within, or counted separately from, the +50km cohort in each regional return; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49909/26]
117. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Transport whether his Department or the NTA collects data on requests for wheelchair-accessible taxis that cannot be fulfilled; the average waiting times for wheelchair users, or regional shortages of wheelchair-accessible SPSVs; if he will provide any such data; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49928/26]
116. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Transport the total value of funding sought under Round one of the wheelchair accessible vehicle grant scheme 2026; the total funding available under that round; the number of applicants who would have qualified for grant support had sufficient funding been available; whether consideration is being given to increasing the annual funding allocation to the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49927/26]
936. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to provide clarity on whether researchers seeking postdoctoral funding commencing in 2027 will have access to a nationally competitive fellowship scheme comparable to the current Government of Ireland postdoctoral fellowship programme; if not, how such funding will instead be allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49174/26]
817. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the consideration that has been given to the position of intending parents who require surrogacy due to medical infertility, including infertility arising from cancer treatment in childhood or young adulthood and where donated eggs or embryos are required; whether this cohort has been specifically considered in the development of the domestic and international surrogacy framework; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49107/26]
816. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the way in which the Assisted Human Reproduction Regulatory Authority will determine which overseas jurisdictions may be approved for international surrogacy arrangements; whether jurisdictions that permit compensated or commercial surrogacy will be excluded; the way the distinction will be made between reasonable expenses, compensation and prohibited commercial arrangements; whether a list of approved or prohibited jurisdictions will be published before the relevant provisions are commenced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49106/26]
815. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the expected timeline for commencement of the provisions of the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 relating to domestic and international surrogacy; the expected timeline for publication and enactment of any amending legislation required before full commencement; whether transitional arrangements will be put in place for intending parents who have already begun, or are about to begin, an overseas surrogacy process before the new framework is fully operational; the way such families will be advised in advance of commencement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49105/26]
432. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth the role additional NEPS-supported educational psychology trainees are expected to play in reducing assessment of need waiting lists, supporting implementation of the Autism Assessment Protocol and meeting the needs of children under five or children with complex disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49878/26]
431. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether graduates of educational psychology programmes with placements largely or exclusively in NEPS settings would be eligible and considered competent to work outside NEPS, including in HSE child psychology posts, CDNTs, primary care psychology, CAMHS, CAMHS-ID, CHI and assessment of need services; the discussions that have taken place with the HSE on this matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49877/26]
430. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has examined the implications of training a significantly increased number of psychologists through school-based placements when major psychology shortages exist in CDNTs, CAMHS, primary care psychology, CHI and assessment of need services; whether there is a risk that public funding will produce graduates whose training is too narrow to work across child health and disability services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49876/26]
428. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth the assessment that has been carried out on whether educational psychology training delivered largely through NEPS placements would equip graduates to work with children under five, non-verbal children, children with acquired brain injury, children with significant mental health needs, children requiring autism diagnostic assessment, and children requiring direct therapeutic intervention; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49873/26]
427. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of NEPS psychologists that are currently employed; the number of whole-time equivalent vacancies; and the turnover rate in each of the past five years. [49872/26]
426. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of educational psychology trainees currently funded or sponsored by NEPS, the HSE or other agencies; the contractual obligations attached to such funding; the number of trainees who have sought to withdraw from NEPS-funded arrangements or repay funding in each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49871/26]
425. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether NEPS is currently supporting, funding or facilitating educational psychology doctorate placements that are primarily or exclusively school-based; whether such placements meet existing PSI accreditation standards; whether any concerns have been raised by PSI, CORU, universities, the HSE or other child health services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49870/26]
424. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department or NEPS has sought any change to the current accreditation or training standards for educational psychologists, including any change from a requirement for experience across mental health, disability and education settings; the rationale for any such change; whether an organisations relevant professional divisions (details supplied) were consulted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49869/26]
157. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the meaning of “operational security” in the context of refusing to provide geographical information on vacant National Parks and Wildlife Service enforcement posts; whether the term is defined in any Department or NPWS policy document; whether it has been applied consistently to all requests for NPWS staffing information; when this refusal to publish non-identifying staffing information came into effect; and if he will publish the policy or guidance it is based on. [47872/26]
108. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 652 and 653 of 19 May 2026, the basis on which his Department refused to identify geographical areas where funded NPWS enforcement posts are vacant, citing operational security; whether any written policy, risk assessment, legal advice or formal security assessment underpins that position; whether his Department considers information on conservation ranger, district conservation officer and regional manager vacancies to be more operationally sensitive than staffing information relevant to other State agencies such as An Garda Síochána, given that An Garda Síochána staffing numbers are published by division, district and station; if his Department will now publish NPWS staffing and vacancy information by region, district or county without naming individual staff members or their office bases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47871/26]
915. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the lessons her Department has drawn from the experience of narcolepsy following H1N1 swine flu vaccination (details supplied); whether those lessons have been applied to the State’s response to people reporting persistent adverse symptoms following Covid-19 vaccination; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47890/26]
914. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the supports available to people who report ongoing disabling symptoms following Covid-19 vaccination, including access to specialist assessment, rehabilitation, neurology, cardiology, immunology, long Covid or post-viral clinics where clinically appropriate; whether her Department has assessed whether current services are meeting this need; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47889/26]
913. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the number of reports of suspected adverse reactions following Covid-19 vaccination received by the Health Products Regulatory Authority to date; the number classified as serious; the number involving persistent, disabling or medically significant symptoms where such information is available; the way in which such reports are followed up; and the arrangements in place to ensure that pharmacovigilance data informs clinical services and patient support. [47888/26]
912. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the clinical pathway available for people who report persistent adverse symptoms following Covid-19 vaccination, including where symptoms are complex, multi-system or disabling; whether general practitioners have been given clear guidance on referral, assessment and management; whether any specialist assessment pathway exists nationally; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47887/26]
911. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health whether she accepts that, while Covid-19 vaccination has played an important role in public health, a small number of people may experience serious or persistent adverse reactions following vaccination, as has been recognised historically in relation to other vaccines, including the experience of narcolepsy following H1N1 swine flu vaccination; the policy position her Department has adopted in relation to people reporting such symptoms after Covid-19 vaccination; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47886/26]