Paul Lawless

1183. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question 275 of 16 April 2026, if she will provide the number of patients, not the percentage, in Mayo University Hospital waiting more than eight, 12 and 24 hours in the emergency department. [34969/26]

1184. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the number of patients admitted or discharged to or from Mayo University Hospital's emergency department in the month of February 2026. [34970/26]

1193. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health her views on whether it is acceptable that a patient with a history of osteoporosis is faced with a wait of over a year for a publicly funded DEXA scan while being offered immediate access on payment of €100; whether this practice undermines the principle of care being provided on the basis of medical need rather than ability to pay; and the action she will take to ensure patients are not placed in this position. [35040/26]

53. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if he plans to extend the new late-night transport pilot serving rural night-time economy locations to other towns and other counties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32997/26]

54. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport when the deadline is for applying for the new basic income for the arts scheme; the way in which the new scheme differs from the previous scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32998/26]

568. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the total professional fees paid to date to architects and design consultants involved in the National Children’s Hospital project; the basis on which those fees were calculated, including whether they were linked to a percentage of construction cost; the original estimated professional fees when the project was first approved at an estimated cost of approximately €800 million; the current projected total of such fees; and whether she will publish a breakdown of design revisions, plan changes and cost variations that contributed to increases in professional fees over the lifetime of the project. [33893/26]

569. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health whether her Department or the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board maintains records of the number and nature of revised architectural drawings and design changes issued during construction of the National Children’s Hospital; whether these revisions contributed to additional construction costs and delays; and if she will provide details of any value-for-money or performance reviews conducted in relation to architectural and design consultancy services on the project. [33894/26]

229. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the current age-related tax supports available to individuals aged 65 and over, including the age tax credit and any remaining exemption mechanisms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32851/26]

230. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance when the age tax credit was last increased; its value at the time of introduction; whether it has been adjusted since 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32852/26]

231. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the rationale for maintaining the age tax credit at its current level for over a decade despite sustained inflation and rising living costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32853/26]

232. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the year in which the former age exemption limits for taxpayers aged 65 and over were removed from the income tax system; the rationale for their removal at that time; whether any assessment was carried out on the impact of abolishing these exemption limits on older taxpayers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32854/26]

233. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance whether his Department has assessed the cumulative impact of inflation since 2011 on the disposable income of older taxpayers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32855/26]

234. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the estimated fiscal cost of restoring the former age exemption limits to their pre-2011 levels, adjusted for inflation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32856/26]

235. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance whether he intends to review age-related tax supports in advance of Budget 2027; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32857/26]

336. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to her commitment to develop guidance on best practice arrangements for pupils in denominational schools whose parents request that they do not attend religious instruction, if she will ensure that this guidance is framed in order that it expressly covers all conscience-based opt-outs under section 30(2)(e) of the Education Act 1998, and not only religious instruction, or alternatively that equivalent guidance is issued for non-religious content; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32158/26]

337. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will ensure that any Departmental guidance on opt-out arrangements covers all conscience-based opt-outs and does not create an artificial distinction between families who invoke the same statutory right in respect to different elements of the curriculum given that the same practical and rights-based issues arise; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32159/26]

338. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she accepts that providing no more than ad hoc supervision, or requiring a child to sit in the same classroom while instruction contrary to conscience is delivered, is inconsistent with the State’s duty to vindicate parental rights under the Constitution; the way in which upcoming guidance will address this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32160/26]

390. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of a request submitted on behalf of a school (details supplied) seeking the establishment of a dedicated school transport route from Ballyhaunis; whether this request has been assessed by her Department or Bus Éireann; and if she will outline the current status of this request. [32428/26]

391. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether pupils attending a school (details supplied) who reside in Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, are considered eligible for school transport under the school transport scheme where their nearest school was unable to offer places due to capacity constraints, as confirmed in writing by the local school; and the way in which such cases are assessed. [32429/26]

392. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the timeframe within which a decision is made to establish a new school transport route where a cohort of pupils - currently 14 - have applied; and whether arrangements can be put in place, in advance of the upcoming academic year in September, given the clear and ongoing need for safe and reliable transport. [32430/26]

396. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the rationale for the continued exclusion of principals appointed after 2015 from receiving the secretarial allowance for acting as secretary to the board of management, given that principals appointed before this date continue to receive the allowance for carrying out the same statutory duties; whether a review of this inequity is under way; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32450/26]

397. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will review the current structure of principal release-day clusters to ensure that the calculation of base posts reflects the full scope of a principal’s management responsibilities, including the co-ordination and oversight of special needs assistants or SNAs, bus escorts and teaching staff; if she will consider including these roles in the staffing thresholds used to determine release-day allocations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32451/26]

436. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide a full breakdown of all special classes in County Mayo, including the number of places in each class, current occupancy levels, and projected availability for September 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33057/26]

437. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children in County Mayo who have been identified by psychologists and SENOs as requiring a special class or special school placement for September 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33058/26]

438. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children in County Mayo who are expected to attend mainstream schools with SNA support in September 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33059/26]