905. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health if wheelchairs will be provided to nursing home residents where needed, as the current situation is that people can access a wheelchair while living in the community but cannot access one once they are a resident in a nursing home; the steps that can be taken to procure a wheelchair for a nursing home resident; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38932/25]
655. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider increasing the income thresholds for State pension (non-contributory) in light of the significant increase in the cost of living in recent years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39326/25]
618. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will make changes to the current homemakers and home carers scheme given both discriminate against women in terms of age (details supplied); if he is aware that the current regime is causing income poverty for many women; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38805/25]
575. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the measures he intends to put in place to support bog conservation as the payments to bog owners for the cessation of turf cutting are due to cease in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38984/25]
93. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the multi-annual water programme 2024–2026 will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38046/25]
679. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health if the anti-sickness drug akynzeo can be made available on the GMS as it is the only effective anti-sickness medication for many cancer patients, including those with a brain tumour; if she is aware that the cost of buying this medical monthly is placing financial strain on families already dealing with illness; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35269/25]
511. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has examined the repercussions that the National Minimum Wage Act 2000 will have on carers (details supplied); if he plans plan to communicate this change to carers and advise them of the repercussions it may have on their ability to claim carer’s allowance or carer’s benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35396/25]
946. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will reverse austerity measures made during the financial crash regarding FET learners payments, as many prospective students are not able to take up places on suitable courses due to the payment that they would receive being well under that of a full weekly social welfare payment, despite them having travel and food costs and other costs associated with attending a course; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34144/25]
588. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason jobseeker’s benefit appeals are taking so long and to examine the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34238/25]
887. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health if she plans to change capacity laws in cases where a person has a dual mental health diagnosis as many family members are watching on helplessly as their loved ones who lack capacity are not given necessary mental health treatment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32559/25]
840. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health the reason the drug dioctyl is not covered on the medical card scheme; if she is aware of the financial hardship this is causing patients; if there are plans to have this drug covered in the future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32323/25]
827. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health if she will expedite the process of approval for givinostat, used in the treatment of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, as further delays could affect the ability of patients to retain muscular strength and the current process for drug approval in Ireland can take on average 617 days, during which time muscular dystrophy patients will have lost significant muscle strength; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32237/25]
403. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will reverse austerity measures made during the financial crash regarding FET learners payments, as many prospective students are not able to take up places on suitable courses as the payment they would receive is well under that of a full weekly social welfare payment, despite them having travel and food costs and other costs associated with attending a course; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32049/25]
496. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health the reason the HSE makes enteral feeding syringes available free to patients in public nursing homes but not in private nursing homes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31357/25]
944. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Social Protection when the farm assist appeal of a person (details supplied) will be finalised as the appeal was submitted over six months ago and it is not yet assigned to an appeals officer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30202/25]
285. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Social Protection if a scheme will be put in place whereby people on employment schemes who are refused fuel allowance, as they came on to the scheme from a social welfare benefit payment as opposed to a means-tested payment, have their current means assessed to see if they are eligible for fuel allowance, as the current qualifying criteria is unfair to people on low incomes who went on to a scheme from a benefit-based payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26575/25]
594. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on an application for additional special needs assistants at a school (details supplied) as the school authorities need to make arrangements to put new SNAs in place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23981/25]
886. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health if compression socks are available for people who have medical cards as these represent a significant cost; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16665/25]
885. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health when weight loss drugs will be made available to people on medical cards as those struggling to lose large amounts of weight, but who do not have diabetes, would benefit significantly from the availability of this medication; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16664/25]
236. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he is aware of the burden being placed on farmers by new requirements being instituted by farm plastic collection firms that farmers must now be able to prove where and when the plastic film was purchased or face a double cost; if he is further aware that many farmers do not purchase the plastic themselves, the plastic is provided by silage contractors and the price included in the costs to the farmer; if he believes that this rule change is placing an unfair burden on farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16735/25]
517. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Social Protection the utilisation options for the money paid by people in pension contributions when it is established that their contributions do not reach the 520 threshold to qualify for a contributory pension; if this money is invested; if the person who paid for the contribution can access the contributions along with the investment funds accrued; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15574/25]
1847. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1108 of 2 February 2025, if there has been a change to the criteria since 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12452/25]
1509. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 721 of 18 February 2025, if she will clarify Section 3 of the Guidelines on Terms and Conditions of HSE Employment regarding incremental credit, if service in the defence forces is recognised as relevant service in Ireland and abroad, and if ‘previous experience in the Civil Service, local authorities, health service and other public service bodies and statutory agencies’ includes previous service in the Defence Forces; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10765/25]
824. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if local authority pensions are index linked; when the increases take effect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10768/25]
480. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 1108 of 5 February 2025, if there has been a change since 2022 to the criteria required to deem a person incapable on medical grounds of regular and effective service, which would allow a HSE employee to retire on grounds of ill health; if the bar for employees seeking to retire on grounds of ill health has been raised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11985/25]
600. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Social Protection if a low-income household, where some members are in low-income employment and not in receipt of social protection, can access fuel allowance; if all members of a household need to be in receipt of social protection payments before fuel allowance will be granted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7721/25]
721. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health if service in the Defence Forces can be used for pay purposes in terms of HSE personnel; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5687/25]
614. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health if back-up batteries for CPAP machines are available on the medical card scheme, and if so, are they available in every CHO area, including CHO 2. [4200/25]
1108. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health if there has been a change since 2022 to the criteria required to deem a person incapable on medical grounds of regular and effective service, which would allow an HSE employee to retire on grounds of ill health; if the bar for employees seeking to retire on grounds of ill health has been raised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2425/25]
1071. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health the waiting time for assessment and treatment, respectively at the pain clinic in University Hospital Galway; the number of persons waiting for treatment; the length of time they have been waiting; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2288/25]
1578. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health when melatonin will be made available under the medical card scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1569/25]
1535. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health if he can reinstate the position whereby gluten-free products are reimbursable items under the general medical services (scheme) as the additional cost of gluten-free products is placing a strain on many families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1283/25]
1534. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health what percentage of medical card reassessments are successful; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1282/25]
1476. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health when free hormone replacement therapy as announced in Budget 2025 will become available; if women who had to pay for products in January 2025 will be reimbursed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1047/25]
416. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health if a medical card holder has to pay for blood tests carried out in a GP practice following a request from a consultant endocrinologist after a private appointment with a patient; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45533/24]
327. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps that are being taken to address the current backlog in the issuing of horse passports; if the current backlog is greater than the number of foals born in Ireland each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45635/24]
70. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on the status of the planned permanent extension to a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45418/24]
69. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education if she will confirm that the planned modular accommodation for a school (details supplied) will be delivered and will be operational by late August 2025 and that it will meet the capacity needs of the college; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45417/24]
613. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the way An Bord Pleanála notifies prescribed bodies of planning applications; if files are sent by soft copy or hard copy; the way the notification is recorded; if the process of notifying prescribed bodies has changed in the past; if so, the reason the change was made; if the HSA was a prescribed body for strategic infrastructure development under the regulations of the Planning and Development Act 2000; if An Bord Pleanála keeps a checklist of the prescribed bodies have been notified for strategic infrastructure developments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45154/24]
563. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the Multi Annual Rural Water Programme Expert Panel review will be complete; when funding will be available to the group water schemes and local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44329/24]
813. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health the procedures in place to transition a young person who is under CAMHS when they reach the age of 18 years and are turned over to the adult mental health services, where the only option is to refer the patient to accident and emergency and they are then sent back to outpatients services without any support being offered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43092/24]
812. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health if he will allow patients suffering from long Covid access to hyperbaric oxygenation therapy, where their consultant confirms that this treatment can assist in finding a cure for long Covid; where a chamber for such treatment is available in University Hospital Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43090/24]
781. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health the number of case files pertaining to wind turbine shadow flicker for counties Mayo, Offaly and Tipperary, categorised by wind farm name, in each year from 2013 to 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42986/24]
780. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health the number of wind farm noise complaints for counties Mayo, Offaly and Tipperary, categorised by wind farm name, number of complaints, number of complaints to report sleep disturbance, and number of complaints to report any other health complaint, in each year from 2013 to 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42985/24]
706. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health the proposed staffing complement for the adult mental health service in Tuam primary care service, County Galway; the current staffing levels; the plans for recruitment of additional staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42636/24]
689. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health for an update on a claim made by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42539/24]