284. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if she is aware that patients with diabetes in Mayo must travel to Galway for essential treatments including eye injections and laser therapy; the plans in place to provide these services locally at Mayo University Hospital; and if she will outline the timeline for same. [44618/26]
157. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Transport if consideration will be given to providing a Local Link or similar rural transport service to connect residents in Bohola, Swinford and Foxford with essential services such as schools, churches, community centres and local towns, particularly for older people and those without access to private transport; and if funding or pilot schemes are being considered to address this gap in public transport provision. [44723/26]
228. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if there are plans to introduce or appoint an advanced nurse practitioner in diabetes at Mayo University Hospital, in line with other university hospitals; and the steps that are being taken to maintain and strengthen paediatric diabetes services in the hospital. [44367/26]
227. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health whether a replacement paediatric diabetes clinical nurse specialist has been identified for Mayo University Hospital; and if so, the arrangements that are in place for training and handover to ensure no disruption to essential services for patients and their families. [44366/26]
226. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the reported extended medical leave and forthcoming retirement of the paediatric diabetes clinical nurse specialist at Mayo University Hospital; and the measures that are in place to ensure continuity of care for children with type 1 diabetes in the region. [44365/26]
2248. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the measures currently in place to ensure adequate access to essential health services for people with physical impairments, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, mental health supports and post acute rehabilitation; the current waiting times for these services nationwide; and her plans to address the documented gaps in service provision, particularly for those leaving hospital without sufficient follow up supports. [43378/26]
2241. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if she will initiate an urgent review of HSE orthodontic services nationwide, including examination of referral pathways, eligibility thresholds, clinic capacity, staffing levels, waiting times, and overall patient experience; if she will address concerns regarding overcrowded clinics, long waiting times despite scheduled appointments, and the exclusion of children with genuine treatment needs; and if she will set out a plan to ensure that all children who require orthodontic treatment can access it in a fair, timely, and affordable manner, regardless of their family’s financial circumstances. [43346/26]
2240. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the annual cost to the HSE of providing orthodontic assessment clinics, including staffing and operational expenses; the proportion of these assessments that do not lead to treatment being approved; whether any cost-benefit analysis has been conducted on this model of service delivery; and if she will consider reforms to ensure better value for public money, particularly where large numbers of families are required to attend appointments that do not result in access to care. [43345/26]
2239. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the average length and clinical scope of orthodontic assessment appointments carried out within the HSE; whether standardised assessment protocols are in place to ensure thorough and consistent evaluations, if she is aware of concerns from families that such assessments are often extremely brief and result in immediate decisions of ineligibility; and if she will outline any measures being taken to ensure that assessments represent a meaningful and rigorous clinical process rather than a preliminary screening for exclusion. [43344/26]
2238. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the total number of children referred to HSE orthodontic services in each of the past five years; the number of those who attended assessment appointments; the number subsequently approved for treatment; the number refused on the grounds that their condition did not meet the required severity threshold; if she will provide a breakdown of these figures by region, including Merlin Park Hospital; and if she accepts that a high refusal rate following referral may indicate systemic inefficiencies and a misalignment between primary dental referrals and HSE eligibility criteria. [43343/26]
2237. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if she will provide a comprehensive outline of the current HSE orthodontic treatment policy for children, including the clinical criteria and scoring systems used to determine eligibility; the rationale behind restricting access primarily to cases deemed 'severe' or 'very severe'; and if she will consider revising these thresholds in light of growing evidence that many children with clear clinical need, as identified by referring dentists, are being denied treatment, thereby placing a significant financial burden on ordinary working families who must seek private care at considerable personal expense. [43342/26]
1964. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the number of children on a waiting list for spinal surgery in the State; and if a breakdown can be provided on the number of children from each county. [41972/26]
1963. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the total number of children on the spinal surgery waiting list in the State; the number who have been on the waiting list six months, 12 months, two years, five years and ten years, in tabular form. [41971/26]
1962. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the total amount paid out in compensation by the HSE in each year since 2015; and if a breakdown can be provided per CHO area or hospital group, in tabular form. [41970/26]
1757. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if the mammogram service at Mayo University Hospital remains on schedule to resume, given that the previously indicated date was 8 June 2026; whether this timeline is still accurate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41478/26]
1673. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will initiate a comprehensive review of supports for people with physical impairments and their carers, including personal assistance hours, respite care, access to education and employment, and community based services; if she is aware of the significant levels of unmet need and isolation reported by individuals and families; and when a fully-funded strategy will be put in place to address these longstanding deficiencies. [43379/26]
1439. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the current average processing time for Garda Vetting applications where applicants have previously resided in other EU countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43822/26]
1329. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of people prosecuted for burglary in each of the past ten years; and if a county by county breakdown can be provided on that figure, in tabular form. [42019/26]
1328. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of gardaí recruited to work in County Mayo in each of the past ten years; and the number of gardaí who have left the force in County Mayo in each of those years, in tabular form. [42018/26]
1326. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of persons prosecuted for drug driving last year, and if a county by county breakdown can be provided on the figure. [42015/26]
1325. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of reported instances of intimidating drug debt collection reported in each county in the State last year. [42014/26]
1324. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the total number of knives seized by Gardaí in each county in the State over the past ten years; to provide a county-by-county breakdown on the figure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42013/26]
1303. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will provide an update on the current status of the IPAS accommodation centre at (details supplied); if he will confirm whether the centre is to remain in operation, expand, reduce capacity, or close; if he will provide the number of new applicants accommodated there in since the beginning of May 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41632/26]
1261. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the means testing criteria applied to disability payments, particularly in relation to cohabitation and marriage, whereby the income of a spouse or partner is taken into account; if he accepts that this practice may undermine the financial independence and personal autonomy of people with disabilities; and if consideration will be given to reforming these rules to ensure individuals are not penalised for entering relationships. [43383/26]
1260. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide a full comparison between current weekly disability related payments, including disability allowance, invalidity pension and disablement benefit, and the national minimum wage equivalent annual income; if he accepts that current payment levels place many people with physical impairments in poverty; and his plans to increase these payments to a level that reflects a minimum adequate standard of living, in line with the State’s obligations under Article 28 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. [43382/26]
1121. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of people with physical impairments currently on housing waiting lists in emergency accommodation or living in inappropriate or institutional settings; the steps being taken to increase the availability of accessible housing; and if he will ensure that housing policy aligns with the State’s commitment to independent living under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, including reducing reliance on institutional care settings for adults under 65. [43380/26]
1066. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the Government intends to introduce legislative or regulatory changes requiring planning permission for the conversion of hotels, apartments or guesthouses into emergency accommodation; the mandatory community consultation, and minimum safety standards for such facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42380/26]
1027. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total amount of commercial rates income collected by each local authority in the State for each of the past five years; the figures for gross rates billed, rates collected, collection percentage, and arrears for each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41634/26]
1019. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will review the income thresholds applied under the social housing assessment bands, specifically the disparity between Mayo band 3 and Galway band 2, in light of evidence that Mayo band 3 thresholds are significantly lower; and if he will take steps to ensure greater consistency, fairness, and responsiveness to local housing need across county boundaries. [41585/26]
811. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the specific criteria, indicators, data sources, and weightings used to determine eligibility for DEIS status and DEIS Plus status at both primary and post-primary level, including the way socio-economic disadvantage is measured, the way geographical indicators are applied and the way in which pupil-level data is incorporated into the model; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42130/26]
810. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will establish an appeals mechanism for schools including a school (details supplied) whose DEIS ineligibility arises from geographical indicators that no longer reflect the actual pupil population, due to State-driven redistribution of international protection applicants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42129/26]
809. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the interim supports that can be provided to a school (details supplied) whose teaching workload is now dominated by English-language instruction for newly arrived pupils, following the redistribution of international protection families to the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42128/26]
808. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will review the DEIS eligibility of a school (details supplied) whose enrolment profile was transformed as a direct consequence of State decisions on international protection accommodation, resulting in the school becoming reliant on non-local, high-need pupils; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42127/26]
807. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the specific metrics, indicators, and weightings used in the DEIS identification model; the way in which the geographical area is calculated; the way non-local enrolments are treated; the way in which schools with high concentrations of need but low local deprivation scores are assessed, particularly in the case of a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42126/26]
806. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way the DEIS identification model accounts for rural schools (details supplied) whose enrolment profile changed rapidly due to the placement of a large number of international protection applicants in nearby accommodation centres, resulting in the displacement of local pupils and a complete shift in the school’s socio-educational profile; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42125/26]
762. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the steps being taken to ensure that all eligible children can access July provision programmes in 2026, particularly given reported difficulties in securing places or staffing. [41589/26]
761. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether an assessment has been carried out on the impact of any reduction in July provision supports on children with additional educational needs and their families; and if she will provide details of same. [41588/26]
760. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the total funding allocated to the July provision programme for 2026; whether this represents a reduction compared to 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41587/26]
538. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the amount of VAT collected on fuel in each of the past ten years and to date in 2026, by fuel type, in tabular form. [42025/26]
537. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the amount of VAT collected on electricity in each of the past ten years and to date in 2026, in tabular form. [42024/26]
465. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Transport if he considers a first-come, first-served application process for the disability hackney grant to disadvantage rural applicants, particularly those with weaker broadband connectivity or limited access to professional supports; if alternative application or prioritisation models are under consideration to ensure equitable rural access; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42748/26]
464. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Transport the measures being taken by the National Transport Authority to encourage the uptake of the disability hackney grant in rural areas where wheelchair-accessible taxi services are scarce; to outline the targeted supports, outreach, or ring-fenced funding being considered to address regional imbalance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42747/26]
463. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Transport the number of disability hackney grant applications received by the National Transport Authority in the most recent funding round, broken down by rural and urban locations; the number approved in each category; if he acknowledges that people with disabilities in rural areas face particular difficulty accessing wheelchair-accessible transport due to the limited number of licensed operators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42746/26]
413. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Transport the amount in unused credit sitting on dormant leap cards in the State, and if he will outline what happens to that money. [42008/26]
412. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Transport the amount spent by Irish Rail on the washing of trains in each of the past ten years, in tabular form. [42007/26]
411. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Transport if he will list the top twenty highest salaries of persons working for Irish Rail. [42006/26]
410. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Transport the amount of money spent by Irish Rail on the spreading of weedkiller along rail tracks in each of the past ten years, and the amount used in gallons in each year, in tabular form. [42005/26]
409. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Transport to list the rail services which offer catering on board, and those which do not; the reason for the discrepancy; if an assessment of cost has been made on restoring catering services to all routes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42004/26]