Michael Lowry

798. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health when the multidisciplinary team (MDT) meeting will take place between CUH, UHL and CAMHS Limerick under the new Autism Rules and the National Autism Innovation Strategy, for a case involving suspected autistic catatonia; the statutory rights and obligations that require these services to share information quickly, including the Autism Innovation Strategy, the Health Act 2004, the Mental Health Act 2001, the Assisted Decision Making Act 2015, the Children First Act 2015, and GDPR Articles 6 and 9; the exact timeframe within which communication between CUH, UHL and CAMHS must occur under these rules; and to confirm the date communication began, or if not yet begun, the exact date it will commence [53093/26]

242. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Transport the reason persons suffering from Crohn’s disease and similar debilitating gastrointestinal conditions are excluded from eligibility for disabled persons parking permits (details supplied); whether his Department has examined extending eligibility criteria beyond physical mobility impairments in such cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49686/26]

924. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health the reasons Crohn's disease is not included among the conditions covered under the long-term illness scheme; whether consideration has been given to extending eligibility for a long-term illness card to persons living with Crohn's disease and other chronic lifelong conditions that require ongoing medication, treatment and monitoring; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49687/26]

735. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide an update on the status of the bill to ban the importation of non-native honey bees, first introduced in 2021; the reasons for the delay in progressing the bill beyond Second Stage in Dáil Éireann for the past 16 months despite cross-party support in Seanad Éireann; and the measures, he intends to take to advance this legislation. [45216/26]

746. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of herd number applications for companies that his Department has demanded an entirely new application for, due to a change in keeper details during the application process; to detail on a by county basis in each of the years 2010 to 2026, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45356/26]

779. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education and Youth her views on staff allocations at schools (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41770/26]

497. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education and Youth to review the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36939/26]

772. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to detail, on a per county basis, from 2010 to 9 May 2026, the number of herd number applications for companies where his Department has requested an entirely new application due to a change in keeper details during the application process, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36672/26]

1226. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health the position regarding private psychiatric hospitals that cannot afford to provide community outreach for their patients in a manner similar to public patients; and the system that can be devised to support those private patients diagnosed with a psychosis whose ageing parents can no longer provide adequate monitoring and support (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37700/26]

482. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will revisit the recent decision to increase the maximum driving age for minibus drivers to 72 years, specifically in relation to 12 and 14-seater vehicles; and if she will consider extending similar provisions to these larger minibuses in line with the recent announcement permitting drivers over the previous age limit to operate eight-seater minibuses (details supplied). [27949/26]

973. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance whether he will consider making employer participation in schemes mandatory where requested by an employee; if he will consider reforming the schemes to allow employees to claim the relevant tax reliefs directly from Revenue Commissioners without employer involvement in view of the Programme for Government commitment to review and expand the bike-to-work scheme to increase uptake among all workers, and ongoing concerns that both the bike to work and taxsaver schemes are inaccessible to many employees due to their reliance on voluntary employer participation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26594/26]

1302. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of the situation in relation to school caretakers (details supplied). [24369/26]

1303. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reasons the pay agreement for school caretakers, similar to that implemented for school secretaries in 2023, has not yet been implemented. [24370/26]

1304. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will engage with a union (details supplied) and relevant Departments to expedite resolution of outstanding issues, including pension arrangements [24371/26]

1754. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason homeowners in County Tipperary remain excluded from the pyrite remediation scheme, while homeowners in other counties including Dublin and Wexford have access to State-funded remediation supports (details supplied); if he has received representations regarding the exclusion of Tipperary homeowners from the scheme; if his Department has undertaken any assessment of the extent of pyrite-related damage in County Tipperary; the legal or policy basis for restricting the scheme geographically given the constitutional guarantee of equality before the law under Article 40; and if he will consider extending the scheme to include affected homeowners in County Tipperary. [25755/26]

428. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health if she will review whether the current qualification recognition standards used for recruitment of clinical psychologists within the Health Service Executive and the equivalence assessment processes applied by the Department of Health are aligned with the provisions and intent of Directive 2005/36/EC, particularly in circumstances where applicants with postgraduate doctoral training in clinical psychology, recognised professional registration in another jurisdiction, and substantial supervised clinical experience are deemed not to meet the criteria required for equivalence in Ireland (details supplied). [21013/26]

1834. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health the reason for the disparity in discretionary payments under the primary care community services (PCCS) scheme for children with certain eye conditions and/or additional needs who require spectacles; if her attention has been drawn to some families being required to pay in excess of €400 per pair of glasses for young children in certain Community Healthcare Organisation (CHO) areas, while children with similar conditions are fully funded in other areas, including parts of Dublin; the basis on which such discretionary decisions are made; if national guidance exists to ensure consistency of support; and the steps she will take to eliminate what appears to be an "Eircode lottery" in access to essential prescription eyewear for children with significant clinical need. [19191/26]

1835. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health if she will provide a breakdown, by CHO area, of the discretionary supports available for children under the PCCS scheme; the criteria applied in each area; the number of children supported in each of the past three years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19192/26]

589. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health if her attention has been drawn to the absence of a paediatric ophthalmology service currently in Nenagh primary care centre as the previous ophthalmologist retired; the steps that are being taken to recruit a suitably qualified ophthalmologist for this area; and when this person will be in position. [18144/26]

194. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will examine the absence of dedicated pension provision for long-term foster carers who may have reduced capacity to build up contributory pensions due to their caring responsibilities (details supplied); and if he will introduce measures, including credited contributions or a specific pension scheme, to ensure that foster carers are not disadvantaged in retirement as a consequence of their service. [17260/26]

349. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health if she will intervene to ensure that the HSE prioritises a conclusion to the Skyclarys reimbursement negotiations, given that it is the only available treatment for a progressive disease (details supplied) which currently can be classed as having an ‘unmet need’ as outlined in the National Rare Disease Strategy 2025 – 2030; her views on whether the current delay aligns with the "equitable access" promised in the newly launched National Rare Disease Strategy 2025-2030. [17803/26]

810. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health the actions being taken to ensure that mental health services in north Tipperary are adequately resourced, in light of current deficits in psychiatry, occupational therapy and social work positions; the measures in place to recruit and retain staff across these disciplines; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16364/26]

251. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Transport how the current level of staffing within AirNav compares to the level required to provide the service under expected traffic levels; the amount of overtime that was required in 2025 to keep the ATC open; if he recognises that we are now in a situation where normal ATC operations require controllers to regularly work unscheduled overtime (details supplied); his views on whether this is an acceptable way to run critical infrastructure; and if he has received any communication from the Irish Aviation Authority or other regulators expressing concern about whether the current staffing situation creates risks around controller fatigue or operational safety. [13948/26]

347. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason special needs assistants (SNAs) who have worked on zero-hour contracts are not considered for incremental salary increases, even where documentary evidence of previous hours worked is available; whether her Department has examined this matter in the context of fair employment practices and retention of experienced SNAs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13663/26]

594. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education and Youth to outline the measures being taken to address the ongoing issues surrounding the application process for suitable school places for children with special educational needs in North Tipperary; the reason parents in this area are unable to obtain eligibility letters for their children that missed the October deadline due to the absence of psychologists currently working within the North Tipperary disability network; to acknowledge that many parents were placed at a significant disadvantage as private psychological assessments, at a cost of approximately €3,000, were not available within the required timeframe; to clarify the flexibility or alternative arrangements being put in place for affected families who could not meet this deadline through no fault of their own; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11708/26]