59. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department is aware that funding for an organisation (details supplied) has not kept pace with inflation and has only recently returned to pre-economic-crash levels; if further increases are planned in recognition of the essential community work the organisation provides; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29099/26]
43. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Education and Youth when national schools in Galway east, including Dunmore and Carrabane among others, can expect their approved building projects to break ground, given ongoing concerns regarding the condition of existing facilities for students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29100/26]
197. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality in light of ongoing delays in accessing disability services such as assessments of need, therapies and respite, the specific actions her Department is taking to reduce waiting times; the way in which she is ensuring that children and adults are supported at key transition points where delays may have long term developmental or social impacts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29200/26]
307. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if his Department has examined the eligibility criteria for the primary medical certificate, particularly in light of ongoing concerns that the current criteria exclude individuals with significant disabilities such as loss of sight or hearing; if his Department is engaging with the cross-departmental work underway to replace the disabled drivers and disabled passengers scheme with a modern, needs-based model; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15768/26]
181. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Health if her Department has considered developing a standard operating procedure or patient information document to support outpatients in understanding their care pathway, including next steps following hospital discharge, the purpose of tests undertaken, and other key information, particularly given that many patients leaving hospital are post treatment and may be affected by anaesthesia or medication, and therefore unable to fully absorb verbal instructions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28466/26]
147. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Health if her attention has been drawn to the significant waiting lists for patients seeking to join GP practices in Galway east; the measures her Department are taking to ensure that individuals who require regular primary care reviews, including those transferring from another county (details supplied), can access a GP in a timely manner; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28465/26]
Bill entitled an Act to amend the Valuation Act 2001 in order to provide that property occupied for the provision of early childhood care and education, where such is provided either otherwise than for profit or subject to Core Funding and caps on all provision at Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE Programme) rates, and property consisting wholly or partly of a building, which is used partly as a dwelling to a significant extent and occupied for childminding services, should not be rateable; and to provide for related matters.
129. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether consideration has been given to establishing a cross-departmental taskforce to coordinate responses to international crises, including demand for repatriation flights; if measures will be put in place to ensure a more proactive approach in supporting Irish citizens abroad during periods of instability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22928/26]
91. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether her Department is monitoring the potential impact of ongoing conflict in the Middle East on global oil supply and energy security; the contingency planning in place to address any disruption that may affect Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22929/26]
19. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht whether consideration has been given to introducing dedicated community support officers at local level to assist community groups with accessing funding streams, including grant applications and associated administrative requirements, particularly in areas where groups may have limited capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22930/26]
17. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the per capita LEADER funding allocation for east Galway, noting that the per-head funding is lower than that of neighbouring regions; whether his Department has considered increasing the overall LEADER budget, including minimum allocations for local action groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22931/26]
110. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Education and Youth considering the approval of additional reading classes for children with severe dyslexia in east Galway to meet the demonstrated need in the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22715/26]
109. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Education and Youth the steps her Department is taking to address the shortage of specialist reading classes for children with severe dyslexia in Galway (details supplied); whether her Department has evaluated the impact on children who are recommended for such provision by educational psychologists but cannot access a place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22714/26]
108. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a Departmental review of the current threshold-based eligibility process for spelling and grammar waivers in State examinations, including the use of a fixed standardised spelling score cut-off, is being considered to ensure it reflects the needs of students with diagnosed learning difficulties; whether an appeals or discretionary mechanism exists for cases where students may be excluded despite a formal diagnosis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22713/26]
107. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether professional educational or psychological assessments, including diagnoses of dyslexia or specific learning difficulties, are taken into account alongside standardised spelling test scores when determining eligibility for a spelling, grammar and punctuation waiver under the SEC RACE scheme; if her Department has considered allowing such reports to inform eligibility where a student marginally exceeds the current cut-off score; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22712/26]
237. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department is aware of ongoing constraints on housing delivery arising from wastewater treatment and network capacity in rural Galway; whether his Department has considered mechanisms whereby developer-led or developer-funded delivery of strategic wastewater infrastructure, in partnership with Uisce Éireann, could be utilised to accelerate wastewater projects; if such proposals have been assessed or piloted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17624/26]
60. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Health when she intends to commence a review of the reimbursement process, as committed to in the Programme for Government; whether such a review will specifically include the way in which orphan medicines are assessed and reimbursed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17622/26]
22. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Health if her Department has considered introducing an early access scheme for people living with rare diseases to access EMA-approved orphan medicines; if such an early access scheme will include orphan medicines products licensed for non-oncology conditions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17621/26]
182. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport whether his Department intends to issue updated guidance on eligibility for State sports capital and infrastructure funding in cases where local sports grounds are not fully community-owned, including situations where affiliation with Croke Park or third-party investment structures results in partial ownership resting with an external entity; if he will clarify how such arrangements affect a club’s ability to access State funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16802/26]
148. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport whether his Department has considered establishing a support or grant mechanism to assist community organisations and voluntary groups with the cost of relocating telecommunications or broadband infrastructure, including poles and overhead lines, where such infrastructure is preventing community or publicly funded development projects from proceeding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16801/26]
192. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Transport the status of the work underway to develop the new needs-based, grant-aided vehicle adaptation scheme intended to replace the disabled drivers and disabled passengers scheme; if the eligibility criteria currently linked to the primary medical certificate are being reviewed as part of this process, particularly for individuals with significant disabilities such as loss of sight or hearing who are excluded under the existing mobility-based tests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15533/26]
151. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Transport if he is aware of the deteriorating road conditions in Galway East, particularly where safety concerns have been raised (details supplied); if funding has been assigned to address these issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15532/26]
6. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has considered introducing additional protections or supports for people living with rare diseases, given the unique financial and social challenges they face; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15529/26]
682. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the updated renewable energy planning guidelines will be published; the current status of their preparation and consultation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13280/26]
190. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the estimated potential compliance costs to the State arising from a failure to meet legally binding EU climate targets by 2030; the measures being taken to reduce that exposure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13281/26]
147. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether a formal co-ordination or mediation framework exists between her Department, the Department of Health and the Department of Education and Youth to support joint assessment, information-sharing and integrated planning for children with disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13282/26]
112. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the formal policy or operational frameworks which currently exist, or are planned, to align the needs-based assessment model used by children’s disability network teams with the diagnosis-based access criteria used by the education system; whether her Department has assessed, or plans to assess, the impact of this misalignment on access to educational supports for children with identified needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13283/26]
283. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Health the number of dual-diagnosis clinical nurse specialist and advanced nurse practitioner posts, dealing with co-occurring addiction and mental health needs, currently approved nationally; the number filled to date; the number vacant; the number allocated to each CHO in the west of Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13150/26]
282. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Health the standard pathway of care when a person presents in an acute mental health crisis to an emergency department, GP out-of-hours service or other HSE service; whether this pathway is applied consistently across all hospitals; the target timeframe for assessment and referral to appropriate mental health services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13149/26]
330. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of the school building and development projects at a school (details supplied); the steps her Department has taken to date to progress these projects; whether she is aware of delays, structural issues, and capacity pressures at both schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11021/26]
329. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Education and Youth the steps being taken in advance of the new school year to ensure that difficulties experienced in the previous academic year regarding Bus Éireann school transport passes are not repeated; whether his Department is working with the Department of Education and Youth to accurately assess the number of students who will require school transport services; the measures which have been put in place to increase capacity where required; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2747/26]
127. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of the school building and development projects at schools (details supplied); the steps her Department has taken to date to progress these projects; whether she is aware of delays, structural issues and capacity pressures at both schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11109/26]
115. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Education and Youth the average timeframe for a mainstream school to receive additional SNA hours once a new or increased need is identified during the school year; whether she is satisfied that this timeframe supports inclusion, wellbeing, and continuity of education for the child; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11110/26]
82. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation given recent reports showing a significant increase in data usage and the growing reliance on online services, the actions his Department is taking to ensure older people and rural communities are not left behind by the pace of digital change; the way digital inclusion is being addressed as part of national infrastructure and digitalisation policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11093/26]
66. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the date on which the cash and tobacco detector dog was replaced by the drug-detector dog at Ireland West Airport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10639/26]
65. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the date on which the cash and tobacco detector dog commenced duty at Ireland West Airport, Knock; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10638/26]
64. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the date on which the drug-detector dog previously assigned to customs operations at Ireland West Airport retired; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10637/26]
1226. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Health whether a formal framework exists between her Department and the Department of Education & Youth to support joint assessment, information-sharing, and integrated planning for children with disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10490/26]
1225. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Health the formal policy or operational frameworks which currently exist, or are planned, to align the needs-based assessment model used by Children's Disability Network Teams (CDNTs) with the diagnosis-based access criteria used by the education system; whether her Department has assessed, or plans to assess, the impact of this misalignment on access to educational supports for children with identified needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10488/26]
1224. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Health the measures which are in place to ensure continuity of supports for children with disabilities at key transition points, including early years to primary education and primary to post-primary education; whether the lack of alignment between health and education assessment models has been identified as a risk factor for service gaps at these stages; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10487/26]
912. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children currently engaged with or referred to Children's Disability Network Teams who are awaiting a diagnostic assessment, by CHO area, length of time waiting, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10489/26]
771. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Social Protection the total amount spent on social welfare payments in the State in the calendar year 2025, per welfare payment, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10494/26]
666. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has considered introducing a needs-based model for the allocation of educational supports for children with additional needs, aligned with the functional needs approach used by the HSE; whether any reviews, pilot initiatives, or reform proposals are currently underway in this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10493/26]
665. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children identified by the HSE as having additional or complex needs in the past five years which were unable to access educational supports, resources, or placements due to the absence of a formal diagnosis; whether her Department records or monitors unmet needs, arising from diagnosis-based eligibility criteria; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10492/26]
664. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has identified delays or gaps in supports for children with additional needs at key transition points, including early years to primary and to post-primary education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10491/26]
663. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Education and Youth the protocols which currently exist to allow for the sharing of needs-based assessment information between the HSE and schools, with parental consent; whether the absence of shared assessments contributes to duplicated assessments, delayed supports, or inconsistent planning for children with additional needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10486/26]
452. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he is aware of the requirement under Health and Safety Authority guidelines for farmers to undertake front-loader training at a cost of approximately €1,000; the agricultural vehicles and machinery which are subject to this requirement where the training falls under construction industry certification; whether he will seek a review of the cost, scope, and suitability of this training for farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6929/26]
467. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he has examined the impact of the current means test for the SUSI grant on adult applicants who, due to the lack of available or affordable housing, continue to reside in the family home and are therefore assessed on parental income; whether a review of the SUSI means-testing arrangements is planned to address this issue, particularly for independent or mature students; whether his Department is engaging with the Department of Further and Higher Education on potential reforms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2736/26]