Barry Heneghan

858. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health if she will provide updated figures on the number of people currently waiting for dementia-specific daycare or home care services in each CHO area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36183/25]

859. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health if she will outline plans to expand counselling supports for people living with dementia and family carers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36184/25]

860. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health if funding has been allocated in budget 2026 to support the implementation of the national dementia registry and the continued roll-out of the memory assessment support services model of care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36185/25]

861. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health if she will consider increasing investment in dementia research, given that it currently accounts for less than 1.5% of total health research output; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36186/25]

118. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health if she will review the enforcement of legislation banning the use of sunbeds by persons under the age of 18, in view of reports that some sunbed operators are failing to request proof of age or are accepting false identification; if her Department plans to conduct inspections or public awareness campaigns to address this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34990/25]

95. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the breakdown of the number of special education classes currently available at second level schools in Dublin Bay north; the projections for the number of special classes expected to be required in the area for the 2026, 2027, and 2028 school years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34851/25]

96. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide an update on the planned special school in the existing section of a school (details supplied); the expected opening date; the number of classrooms to be provided and the projected student capacity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34852/25]

143. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration his plans to reform the family court system to improve the enforcement of child maintenance orders, including the use of wage attachment mechanisms, in light of ongoing issues with non-payment and inconsistent enforcement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34850/25]

220. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health the current procedures in place to facilitate emergency marriages in hospital settings, particularly for patients who are terminally ill; if she will consider introducing a more compassionate and streamlined process, similar to best practices in other jurisdictions, to ensure that such marriages can take place quickly and with minimal administrative burden; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34853/25]

221. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health the supports currently in place for healthcare workers suffering from long Covid, particularly those who contracted the virus in high-risk front-line settings; and if she will consider introducing a long-term, pensionable support scheme following the conclusion of the special leave with pay scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34854/25]

222. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health if she will clarify the Government’s position on formally recognising long Covid as an occupational illness, particularly in light of recent recommendations from the European Union; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34855/25]

223. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health if she will review the current HSE criteria for access to approved treatments for spinal muscular atrophy, particularly in relation to the exclusion of approximately 20 adult patients who were over 18 at the time of initial approval; if she will engage with stakeholders, including two organisations (details supplied), to explore a fairer, needs-based approach; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34856/25]

224. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health if, in light of the major increase in the workload of an organisation (details supplied) arising from the Assisted Decision Making ( Capacity ) Act 2015 and the Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) ( Amendment) Act 2022, she will provide additional funding to this organisation to enable it to provide staff contracts of greater than one year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34857/25]

225. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health to provide details on the services currently provided for paediatric patients with epilepsy at a hospital (details supplied); the number and grade of staff that are currently attached to this service at this site; the number of current staff vacancies within this service; the number of epilepsy patients currently registered with this service; the number of patients currently awaiting first consultations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34858/25]

102. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide an update on the roll-out of contactless fare payments across public transport services, including buses and trains; the expected timeline for full implementation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34183/25]

157. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide an update on actions being taken to improve accessibility at train stations (details supplied), in view of recurring lift outages that continue to affect wheelchair users and others with mobility impairments; and if his Department can give a commitment that accessibility will be a top priority, particularly for people with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34182/25]

351. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the actions he is taking to improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities, particularly in areas such as Dublin Bay north; if he will outline how employers are being supported to create more inclusive and accessible workplaces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33568/25]

76. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment for an update on the development of the voluntary code of practice to support the hiring of workers with a disability, as committed to in the Programme for Government; to outline the expected timeline for its publication and implementation following initial stakeholder engagement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33157/25]

91. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide an update on the progress made by his Department in exploring the introduction of a targeted second-tier child benefit payment for low-income families in light of recent reports highlighting a significant rise in child poverty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33150/25]

110. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide details on any specific cross-departmental mechanisms in place to ensure that the lived experience of people with disabilities, as highlighted during the Social Inclusion Forum and related consultations, is reflected in the design and implementation of the next roadmap for social inclusion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33151/25]

226. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Transport if he will consider introducing a revised licensing process to support returning Irish citizens and new residents from countries such as the United States and Canada, including the option to permanently convert valid licences subject to conditions such as passing the learner theory test, enhanced instruction hours, and verification of driving history; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33449/25]

227. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Transport if he will review current licensing policies for drivers from non-EU Member States with no reciprocal agreements, with a view to implementing a pathway that ensures road safety while supporting mobility and economic integration, particularly for returning emigrants and skilled new residents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33450/25]

319. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the Apartment and Duplex Defects Remediation Bill will be brought before the Oireachtas Housing Committee for pre-legislative scrutiny by autumn 2025, given the urgent need to advance the implementation of the remediation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33447/25]

320. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will ensure that the full legislative process on the Apartment and Duplex Defects Remediation Bill is completed by Easter recess 2026, to allow the scheme to open for applications by autumn 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33448/25]

423. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health the steps she is taking to ensure that a drug (details supplied) will be assessed and made available as quickly as possible following its recent EU approval, given how important early access is for children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33451/25]