Paul Lawless

1261. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the means testing criteria applied to disability payments, particularly in relation to cohabitation and marriage, whereby the income of a spouse or partner is taken into account; if he accepts that this practice may undermine the financial independence and personal autonomy of people with disabilities; and if consideration will be given to reforming these rules to ensure individuals are not penalised for entering relationships. [43383/26]

1303. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will provide an update on the current status of the IPAS accommodation centre at (details supplied); if he will confirm whether the centre is to remain in operation, expand, reduce capacity, or close; if he will provide the number of new applicants accommodated there in since the beginning of May 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41632/26]

1324. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the total number of knives seized by Gardaí in each county in the State over the past ten years; to provide a county-by-county breakdown on the figure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42013/26]

1325. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of reported instances of intimidating drug debt collection reported in each county in the State last year. [42014/26]

1326. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of persons prosecuted for drug driving last year, and if a county by county breakdown can be provided on the figure. [42015/26]

1327. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of prison beds in the country. [42016/26]

1328. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of gardaí recruited to work in County Mayo in each of the past ten years; and the number of gardaí who have left the force in County Mayo in each of those years, in tabular form. [42018/26]

1329. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of people prosecuted for burglary in each of the past ten years; and if a county by county breakdown can be provided on that figure, in tabular form. [42019/26]

1439. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the current average processing time for Garda Vetting applications where applicants have previously resided in other EU countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43822/26]

1673. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will initiate a comprehensive review of supports for people with physical impairments and their carers, including personal assistance hours, respite care, access to education and employment, and community based services; if she is aware of the significant levels of unmet need and isolation reported by individuals and families; and when a fully-funded strategy will be put in place to address these longstanding deficiencies. [43379/26]

1757. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if the mammogram service at Mayo University Hospital remains on schedule to resume, given that the previously indicated date was 8 June 2026; whether this timeline is still accurate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41478/26]

1962. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the total amount paid out in compensation by the HSE in each year since 2015; and if a breakdown can be provided per CHO area or hospital group, in tabular form. [41970/26]

1963. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the total number of children on the spinal surgery waiting list in the State; the number who have been on the waiting list six months, 12 months, two years, five years and ten years, in tabular form. [41971/26]

1964. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the number of children on a waiting list for spinal surgery in the State; and if a breakdown can be provided on the number of children from each county. [41972/26]

2237. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if she will provide a comprehensive outline of the current HSE orthodontic treatment policy for children, including the clinical criteria and scoring systems used to determine eligibility; the rationale behind restricting access primarily to cases deemed 'severe' or 'very severe'; and if she will consider revising these thresholds in light of growing evidence that many children with clear clinical need, as identified by referring dentists, are being denied treatment, thereby placing a significant financial burden on ordinary working families who must seek private care at considerable personal expense. [43342/26]

2238. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the total number of children referred to HSE orthodontic services in each of the past five years; the number of those who attended assessment appointments; the number subsequently approved for treatment; the number refused on the grounds that their condition did not meet the required severity threshold; if she will provide a breakdown of these figures by region, including Merlin Park Hospital; and if she accepts that a high refusal rate following referral may indicate systemic inefficiencies and a misalignment between primary dental referrals and HSE eligibility criteria. [43343/26]

2239. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the average length and clinical scope of orthodontic assessment appointments carried out within the HSE; whether standardised assessment protocols are in place to ensure thorough and consistent evaluations, if she is aware of concerns from families that such assessments are often extremely brief and result in immediate decisions of ineligibility; and if she will outline any measures being taken to ensure that assessments represent a meaningful and rigorous clinical process rather than a preliminary screening for exclusion. [43344/26]

2240. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the annual cost to the HSE of providing orthodontic assessment clinics, including staffing and operational expenses; the proportion of these assessments that do not lead to treatment being approved; whether any cost-benefit analysis has been conducted on this model of service delivery; and if she will consider reforms to ensure better value for public money, particularly where large numbers of families are required to attend appointments that do not result in access to care. [43345/26]

2241. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if she will initiate an urgent review of HSE orthodontic services nationwide, including examination of referral pathways, eligibility thresholds, clinic capacity, staffing levels, waiting times, and overall patient experience; if she will address concerns regarding overcrowded clinics, long waiting times despite scheduled appointments, and the exclusion of children with genuine treatment needs; and if she will set out a plan to ensure that all children who require orthodontic treatment can access it in a fair, timely, and affordable manner, regardless of their family’s financial circumstances. [43346/26]

2248. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the measures currently in place to ensure adequate access to essential health services for people with physical impairments, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, mental health supports and post acute rehabilitation; the current waiting times for these services nationwide; and her plans to address the documented gaps in service provision, particularly for those leaving hospital without sufficient follow up supports. [43378/26]

44. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the number of vacant properties which are owned by the OPW; the total economic value of the empty properties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39398/26]

93. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will list the occasions on which she has met with representative groups of SNAs to date in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39413/26]

147. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the pause on the review of special needs assistant allocations is still in place; when she expects that review to proceed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39412/26]

325. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her attention has been drawn to the concerns among parents regarding the apparent withdrawal or reduction of access to Department-funded summer camps in primary schools; the reason children who have previously attended and benefited significantly from these summer programmes are now unable to access them in 2026; if changes have been made to funding, eligibility criteria or delivery of such summer programmes; the number of schools that offered Department-funded summer camps in 2024 and 2025 compared to those scheduled to offer them in 2026; the steps she will take to ensure that children are not deprived of valuable educational and social opportunities through these camps; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40919/26]

408. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to some individuals in receipt of invalidity pension that may be financially worse off by taking up limited part-time employment (for example, 5 hours per week), due to travel costs and potential impacts on their payment; the measures in place, or under consideration, to ensure that recipients are not financially disadvantaged or discouraged from engaging in suitable employment opportunities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40824/26]