1048. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if all polling stations will be fully disability-accessible; and if not, if he will ensure that persons affected are given an alternative way to cast their votes until such time as the polling stations have addressed the accessibility issues. [31444/24]
194. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Transport the reasons for the delay in the roll-out of the of the short-hop commuter zone/Dublin commuter zone to stations in Kildare south; and the confirmed date for the roll-out to commence. [31450/24]
193. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Transport the funding provided to Kildare County Council for traffic calming measures for 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024; and the amount of that funding actually applied to traffic calming measures by Kildare County Council, in tabular form. [31447/24]
273. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health the level of engagement between his Department and the HSE and the residents of a nursing home (details supplied) to prevent its closure and the subsequent loss of the residents’ home. [30086/24]
272. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health if, in light of the recent rapid rise in new strain Covid-19 cases, he has any plans in place to reinstate the PCR testing, which was discontinued in March 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30085/24]
271. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health the reason behind the ‘late discharges’ which have been ongoing in University Hospital Limerick, where elderly dementia/Alzheimer’s patients are being discharged/removed outside of normal discharge hours; where they are being removed to; and if their next of kin has been informed beforehand. [30083/24]
183. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Justice the number of District Court enforcement proceedings for environmental and pollution breaches/offences brought by Kildare County Council in 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [30081/24]
165. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are plans to include carer’s benefit and carer’s allowance as credited contributions for the purposes of pension entitlement calculation, as those caring are effectively doing a 35-hour week to the detriment of their being able to work outside the home; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30080/24]
164. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline, with regard to carer’s allowance, the timeframe she considers to be long-term when caring for an ill/disabled relative; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30079/24]
89. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Education where exactly the new special school in County Kildare is to be located; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30082/24]
209. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health the reason behind the lack of acute beds in the mental health system, specifically for older people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28590/24]
208. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health if he will give consideration to providing funding for voluntary first responder groups, and if so, to provide details. [28589/24]
207. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health to clarify if there has been any updating/extension to the positive aging strategy (2013-2017); and if so, to provide details of same. [28584/24]
162. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to reform the funding mechanism for an organisation (details supplied), which provides vital services in home and community care for vulnerable people, to enable them to continue to provide these services safely; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28588/24]
122. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will examine the case of illness benefit overpayments (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28583/24]
112. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage with regard to monies given to local authorities for adaptation grants, and not allocated in any given financial year, if he will clarify how the unallocated funds are accounted for; and if they are repurposed or if they are returned to the Exchequer for reallocation. [28587/24]
228. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health the number of home care hours undelivered for the years 2023 and to date in 2024 in CHO7 and nationwide, in tabular form. [27570/24]
227. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health the plans, if any, in place to address the failure to increase the percentage of participants in the FIT test for the early detection of bowel cancer, which still stands at just 45%, as this failure is being directly linked to a lack of adequate funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27568/24]
226. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health the plans to extend the national cancer strategy, which has two years remaining to run; and the measures in place to address the €180 million cumulative funding shortfall in the national cancer strategy as reported by an organisation (details supplied) in its report this week. [27567/24]
147. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will clarify whether the irregularities in client accounts at an organisation (details supplied) have been addressed or not; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27562/24]
83. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Education the total number of SENOs in CHO7; and if that number will be increased in light of the current extensive waiting lists for assessments. [27561/24]
28. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Transport the measures that can be taken to ensure tractors use a by-road (details supplied) specifically provided and not the motorway, thus causing a traffic-road hazard. [27571/24]
27. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Transport his plans, if any, to add Athy, Monasterevin and Newbridge to the extended commuter area, as the cost of train fares from these stations is more expensive than the cost of driving to Sallins and getting a train from there, thus increasing road traffic and contributing to climate change. [27565/24]
7. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when the National Broadband Service will be brought to Ticknevin, Carbery, County Kildare, as residents have been told that broadband internet cannot be provided by a company (details supplied) or any other provider, as the unavailability of reliable internet is preventing residents from engaging in business and commercial ventures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27563/24]
141. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health the current number of people under 18 are currently waiting on audiometry tests in CHO7. [26405/24]
75. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she plans to abolish the means test for those applying for carer's allowance. [26410/24]
74. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is aware that in many cases, bereavement grant applications are taking six to eight weeks to be paid to those who are in dire need of it; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26409/24]
43. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Education who is responsible for the portacabins still in a school (details supplied) in Monasterevin; who is paying for those cabins; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26413/24]
42. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Education the plans being put in place for a school (details supplied) in Monasterevin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26412/24]
41. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on the location for the new special school in Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26407/24]
15. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Transport if lighting will be installed at junction 11 at Kilcullen, southbound on the M7, as this junction is extremely dangerous, and it is only a matter of time before there is a fatality. [26414/24]
14. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he plans for funding to upgrade buildings on the Curragh military campus, which are in extremely bad condition. [26408/24]
2. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Taoiseach the date for the commencement of the Covid enquiry; if it will be before the Dáil Éireann summer recess; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26411/24]
141. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health when the 1,500 people living with lupus in Ireland can expect to be given access to belimumab and anifrolumab for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus when the 1,500 people living with lupus in Ireland can expect to be given access to belimumab and anifrolumab for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25738/24]
844. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health the reason there is still no consultant neurologist at Midlands Regional Hospital Portlaoise, despite one being promised since 2020, causing neurology patients to endure 60-112km journeys to access neurology services; and if the current recruitment embargo in force in the HSE will prevent that appointment being made in the near future. [25327/24]
843. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health the reason people seeking mental health treatment in Kildare mental health day hospital are summarily discharged after only four weeks of treatment, with no follow-up community support, leaving patients with no alternative but to access very expensive private care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25326/24]
842. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health the number of people on the waiting list for shoulder surgery in St. James’s Hospital, Dublin. [25319/24]
659. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the measures in place to provide doctor/GP services to the people currently accommodated in Bert House, Athy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25325/24]
658. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the measures that can be taken to provide a transport link/bus stop for the people currently accommodated at Bert House, Athy, as there are is no bus stop outside the location, and the residents must walk some distance up a very busy rural road to reach public transport, which is necessary to get these people to school/nursery school, local amenities, and so on. [25324/24]
515. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Justice if she will provide clarity regarding the placement of people seeking temporary international protection at Bert House, Athy, as the residents have still not received work permits despite being told were told it would take three months to issue them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25323/24]
477. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will clarify, with regard to carer’s allowance and carer’s benefit, the reason these payments, although credited contributions, do not qualify as contributions for the purposes of the State pension (contributory); if there are plans to change this; if there are any measures she can take to ensure that State pension (contributory) claimants (mostly women) are not adversely affected due to providing care for loved ones to the detriment of their pension entitlements. [25321/24]
166. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Finance if he will clarify, with regard to claiming back medical expenses, when and why the MED 1 form used for this purpose was discontinued; the reason medical expenses can only be claimed online, which seriously disadvantages people who may not be computer literate, particularly older people and those with literacy issues; and if he will consider reinstating the form or a similar alternative. [25320/24]
157. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Transport if he will clarify the new policy recently instituted by Irish Rail where a finite number of seats for the free travel pass are allocated, and thereafter a charge is applied to the ticket despite the traveller having a free travel pass, one reason for this new policy being given by Irish Rail is due to an “increase in passenger numbers”; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25322/24]
156. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Transport to provide the details of the road budget provided to Kildare County Council for the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [25318/24]
171. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health if the bed spaces of residents in a nursing home (details supplied) are being relocated, acquired/arranged on a per-resident basis at the time of that resident’s removal/relocation; if not, if the beds were block-booked in numbers and in advance of any removal/relocation of the residents concerned; if so, the cost associated with this action; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24175/24]
170. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health if the HSE can step in to take over/purchase two nursing homes (details supplied) following HIQA concerns, to prevent their closure and protect the 117 residents living in these facilities and prevent them from losing what is effectively their home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24174/24]
487. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health the criteria for determining the level of accessibility and usability of any doctor's offices for disabled persons, who have attended for appointments having ticked the ‘special assistance needed’ box only to find that essential equipment, hoists and so on are not available at the doctor's offices, resulting in lost time and cost to the person concerned and to the practice. [24026/24]
411. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the lack of adequate reliable transport facilities available to an organisation (details supplied) will be examined; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24025/24]
410. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the case of a child awaiting an assessment of need (details supplied) will be examined urgently. [24023/24]