Barry Heneghan

1399. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth her views on safeguarding issues at an organisation (details supplied); the specific steps she will take to ensure that such abuses are never repeated; and the mechanisms to be put in place to ensure that independent charities working with vulnerable populations are held to the highest standards of safeguarding and accountability. [11878/25]

1749. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health to address the situation in relation to the drop-off zone at the entrance to the Mater Hospital Dublin (details supplied) which is now having an impact on the safety and wellbeing of patients; if she will make a commitment that the situation will be resolved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11877/25]

1775. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health if the long waiting times for blood tests in Beaumont Hospital (details supplied) will be examined; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11991/25]

1895. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health if he will urgently review and address the severe inadequacies in Ireland’s eating disorder services, particularly the lack of inpatient beds and the absence of integrated community-based supports; if he will commit to increasing the number of dedicated public inpatient beds for eating disorder treatment; and the immediate steps being taken to ensure those suffering from eating disorders have access to timely and appropriate care. [12948/25]

1896. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health if she is aware of a campaign (details supplied) which calls for an end to the loophole in the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 which allows zero-alcohol advertising, using the same master branding as full-strength equivalents, in places that are restricted under the 2018 Act; if she supports the campaign; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12949/25]

1897. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health the number of complaints about the behaviour of nurses that have been made to the HSE, the Nursing and Midwifery Board and the Office of the Ombudsman in 2023 and 2024; and if she is satisfied that the current system for overseeing and acting on complaints against health and social care staff in the HSE is adequate. [12950/25]

1898. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health the immediate steps being taken to improve the treatment of individuals presenting at accident and emergency departments with suicidal ideation, including measures to ensure they are properly assessed, monitored, and provided with appropriate crisis intervention; and if there are plans to introduce dedicated emergency mental health response units outside of accident and emergency departments to better support individuals in crisis. [12951/25]

29. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the reason the Government has chosen to reduce funding for Foras na Gaeilge, given its crucial role in promoting and sustaining the Irish language and culture, particularly at a time when engagement with Irish is growing through education, music, literature, and film; and whether he will commit to reversing these cuts and expanding State support for the Irish language, ensuring that it has a sustainable future beyond the classroom. [6032/25]

111. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health the reason the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 has not been commenced; the timeline for its expected progress; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10189/25]

373. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will provide assurances that her Department’s exclusion of the only disabled persons’ representative organisations (DPRO) specific to visual and physical impairment, respectively (details supplied), will not be reflected in its advice on DPRO participation to other public bodies; and if she will provide a timeline on when both of these key DPROs will no longer be excluded from their rights as equal DPROs by her Department. [10505/25]

374. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she accepts that General Comments of UN Conventions are “legally persuasive” documents as per citations in the Irish Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights, and that as such, their definitions and clarifications are of utmost importance to the implementation of the UNCRPD in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10506/25]

375. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she has any concerns over the credibility of the National Disability Inclusion Strategy due to the exclusion of an organisation (details supplied), from the DPO Consultative Framework, these are the only disabled persons’ representative organisations specifically representing the key constituencies of visual impairment and physical impairment. [10507/25]

376. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will explain to the UN Committee why the only disabled persons’ representative organisations specifically representing visual impairment and physical impairment (details supplied), have been excluded from the DPO Consultative Framework since its inception in 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10508/25]

377. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she considers the exclusion of two organisations (details supplied), the only disabled persons’ representative organisations specifically representing visual and physical impairments, from her Department’s disabled persons’ representative organisations-specific consultations to be case of indirect discrimination; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10509/25]

378. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth how the ongoing exclusion by her Department of the only specialised disabled persons’ representative organisations in visual impairment and physical impairment, respectively (details supplied), is compatible with her Department’s obligations under Article 29 (b (ii)) of the UNCRPD to incentivise disabled people to join DPROs and to create conditions favourable to the flourishing of DPROs; and if those DPROs specific to such major constituencies are not at the table, what is the guarantee that they will be consulted about the measures to strengthen DPROs going forward. [10510/25]

379. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth what steps her Department has taken to ensure that the disabled persons’ organisations/disabled persons’ representative organisations her Department is currently closely consulting with on strengthening DPOs/DPROs meet the criteria for being DPROs considering General Comment No. 7, paras. 10-4; and if she acknowledges that failure to ensure that her Department is dealing with genuine DPROs in such sensitive dealings would mean that such consultations are not fit for purpose and even counterproductive. [10511/25]

391. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health for an update on ongoing projects at Beaumont Hospital, extension to radiation oncology, the 100-bed ward block, the 64-bed ICU block and the new emergency department; and if all these projects could be expedited for rapid construction. [4520/25]

20. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Transport to examine whether people with disabilities are being adequately represented on the board of management of State transport companies, disability advocates are still concerned that these regulations are still not being enforced and therefore many companies are breaking the rules which clearly state that people with disabilities must be fairly represented. [10169/25]

29. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Transport to examine the representation of people with disabilities on the boards of management of State transport companies; to provide a list of what companies are following the Department of Transport’s own regulations on this specific issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10167/25]

30. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Transport the measures he is taking to enforce regulations which aims to have adequate representation for people with disabilities on the boards of management of State transport companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10168/25]

12. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Taoiseach to provide more information on the role of the new unit focused on disability that will be established in his Department. [6435/25]

14. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Taoiseach if he will outline the main priorities for the new disability unit within his Department. [7739/25]

30. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education and disabilities will meet next. [7738/25]

119. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Transport if he will investigate issues with the designs of bus-stop bypasses and the consistency of basic layout designs (details supplied); if he will treat this issue as a priority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9444/25]

455. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the initiatives his Department will take to address the supply side constraints which would help to expedite housing supply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9805/25]