94. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware that, according to the Healthy Ireland Survey 2022, 63% of men and 50% of women in Ireland were classified as overweight or obese; if she will consider introducing or expanding nutritional and health education in schools to address these disparities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24792/25]
116. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the actions he is taking to ensure a radical overhaul in the approach to vacant and derelict properties; if he will support a significant increase in the vacant homes tax to serve as an effective deterrent. [22417/25]
117. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has reviewed the findings of the recent report on the Electoral Register; if he acknowledges the ongoing problems with accuracy, transparency, and public confidence in the register; and the specific reforms he believes are urgently needed to ensure the integrity and accessibility of the electoral system. [24160/25]
125. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has assessed the at-risk-of-poverty rate for people with disabilities when the additional cost of disability is taken into account; if he will consider adjusting poverty measurement tools or setting revised targets in light of these findings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24807/25]
126. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider reforming the State’s equivalence scales or poverty metrics to incorporate a disability-related weighting to reflect the higher cost of living associated with disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24808/25]
127. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider the introduction of a cost of disability allowance or supplement to address the additional living expenses faced by people with disabilities; and if he will outline any plans to increase existing disability payments to meet minimum essential living standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24809/25]
128. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection in view of the higher poverty gap experienced by households affected by disability, the measures his Department is taking to address this disparity; if he will commit to setting targets to reduce poverty depth among disabled people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24810/25]
129. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide an assessment of the extent to which current supports such as the household benefits package, fuel allowance, and free travel scheme alleviate the additional living costs incurred by people with disabilities; and if he will outline any plans to expand or enhance these supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24811/…
130. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department will review the adequacy of disability payment rates based on severity of disability; if he will consider the introduction of a tiered or graduated payment system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24812/25]
143. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Justice when in 2025 he plans to repeal section 19A of the Criminal Evidence Act 1992, which currently allows the private counselling and therapy records of victims of sexual abuse, including child victims, to be accessed by the accused given continued calls from the Council of Europe, victims, and numerous NGOs for this provision to be abolished; if legislative refor…
162. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if he will take steps to ensure the EU missing children hotline number (116000) is displayed prominently and widely across key public locations (details supplied) given the recent report by Missing Children Europe which highlights the public’s lack of awareness of this critical service; the annual funding provided by the State to supp…
220. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health the way in which her Department intends to respond to evidence that households with disabilities face substantial additional healthcare and medication costs; if she will expand medical card eligibility, reduce prescription charges, or provide other forms of support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24813/25]
221. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health if she will increase the provision of disability aids and appliances, improve access to therapies and personal assistance services, and address existing backlogs for supports such as wheelchairs, hearing aids, and home modifications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24814/25]
222. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health to outline the interdepartmental efforts being made to develop a comprehensive strategy to address the health-related aspects of the cost of disability; if she will commit to ensuring access to medically necessary services and equipment without financial hardship; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24815/25]
223. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health if she will review and reinstate dedicated transport supports such as the mobility allowance and motorised transport grant; if she will outline measures to ensure that the cost of transportation does not prevent people with disabilities from accessing essential services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24816/25]
74. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Taoiseach to provide an update on the shared island initiative. [15844/25]
75. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Taoiseach his views on the positive impact of the shared island fund; and if he will provide an overview of the projects that have been funded fully or in part since 2021. [15845/25]
169. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health if she accepts that adult-specific services for eating disorders remain significantly under-resourced and overly centralised in Dublin; the rationale for limiting specialist inpatient treatment to a small number of beds in one hospital; the action her Department will take to expand adult eating disorder services, both inpatient and community-based, in regional …
240. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health if she will review the enforcement of legislation prohibiting the use of sunbeds by persons under the age of 18, in light of reports that sunbed operators are accepting false identification or failing to request any proof of age; if his Department will undertake inspections or awareness campaigns to address this issue; and if she will make a statement on the ma…
56. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Transport if he will commit to introducing a learner driver support programme in Dublin Bay north, in view of the current driving test waiting times of 29 weeks at Raheny and 23 weeks at Killester, both of which are significantly above the Road Safety Authority’s ten-week target, and the corresponding low pass rates of 52.6% and 35.8% respectively; and if he will make …
97. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if he and his Department officials will visit a new clubhouse development (details supplied) to speak with the board. [22889/25]
150. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if there are plans for the installation of an all-weather pitch and running track in St. Anne’s Park, Dublin, given the large number of cancelled matches last year and the need to improve youth and public fitness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22888/25]
157. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the steps being taken to strengthen our cyberdefence capabilities in light of increasing global threats to digital infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18129/25]
169. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will report on progress in enhancing our capacity to respond to climate-related emergencies, including through the role of the Defence Forces in civil defence and disaster response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18130/25]
223. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the amount of dedicated funding that will be provided to each local authority to monitor and enforce the smoky coal ban and any future solid fuel regulations as part of the clean air strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22904/25]