Erin McGreehan

68. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health if she will examine the potential of a surgical hub being established at Louth County Hospital to support the north-east and the growing population; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17646/26]

72. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health for an update on the plans to increase bed capacity in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17647/26]

184. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the action being taken to support biodiversity protection in the Cooley mountains; the supports for landowners to eliminate bracken from the mountains; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17662/26]

236. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if additional funding will be provided for Louth County Council to for general repairs required after the recent bad weather; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17663/26]

297. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Transport if he will list the designated harbours in County Louth; and outline the process by which a harbour can be designated under the Harbours Act 1996. [18189/26]

298. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Transport the way his Department ensures that local authorities and harbour companies are meeting their statutory obligations under the Harbours Act 1996, the Harbours Act 1946, and the Harbours, Docks and Piers Clauses Act 1847, particularly in cases where no harbour master is appointed to exercise the powers and duties set out in these Acts. [18190/26]

299. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Transport if he will detail the safety assessments carried out in harbours currently operating without a harbour master; and whether the absence of a harbour master has been identified as a risk factor in relation to vessel traffic management, emergency response, or environmental protection. [18191/26]

300. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Transport the way the absence of a harbour master in certain regional ports aligns with the requirements of the Sea Pollution Act 1991, particularly regarding the authority to refuse entry to vessels that pose an environmental threat; and whether additional resources will be allocated to ensure compliance. [18192/26]

301. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Transport the way emergency response capabilities, such as fire control, vessel removal, and enforcement of bye laws, are being exercised in harbours where no harbour master is appointed, given that these powers are specifically vested in harbour masters under the Harbours Act 1996 and related legislation. [18194/26]

302. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Transport if he will publish a national strategy for the governance and staffing of regional harbours, including a plan to ensure that every port with commercial, fishing, or tourism activity has a designated harbour master with the statutory authority to manage safety, operations, and environmental protection. [18195/26]

303. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Transport if his Department has conducted any formal risk audits or safety assessments of harbours operating without a designated harbour master; and if so, whether he will publish the findings; if not, the way the Department assesses compliance with statutory safety obligations in the absence of such audits. [18198/26]

304. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Transport the insurance and liability implications for local authorities and harbour companies that operate harbours without an appointed harbour master, given that statutory powers under the Harbours Act 1996 and related legislation cannot be exercised by unappointed or unauthorised personnel; and whether the State faces increased exposure in the event of an accident, pollution incident, or vessel damage in such harbours. [18199/26]

305. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Transport whether the Irish Coast Guard, the Marine Survey Office, or any other maritime safety authority has raised concerns regarding the absence of harbour masters in regional ports; and if so, the actions which have been taken in response to those concerns. [18200/26]

306. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Transport the way the absence of harbour masters in certain Irish harbours aligns with Ireland's obligations under EU maritime safety, port operations, and environmental protection directives, including requirements relating to vessel traffic management, pollution prevention, and port State control; and whether the European Commission has issued any queries or observations on this matter. [18201/26]

386. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware of the threat of invasive species on commonage land in the Cooley Mountains; the steps his Department is taking to tackle the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6849/26]

406. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to confirm whether the Department operates any formal or published criteria for the designation of city status; if not, to outline the objective benchmarks used in advising Government on such matters; and if he will publish the basis upon which existing cities were designated. [18202/26]

407. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current population of each designated city in the State at the time of its most recent legislative confirmation; to specify the population threshold, if any, that would trigger consideration of city status for another urban area. [18203/26]

408. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to clarify whether the Government has considered the designation of Dundalk as a city in the context of its strategic role within the Dublin-Belfast economic corridor; and whether any cross-departmental discussions have taken place on this matter. [18204/26]

409. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the Department has examined the establishment of a Dundalk metropolitan district with enhanced urban governance powers; the legislative steps that would be required; and to confirm whether this has been considered as a precursor to city designation. [18205/26]

410. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide a comparative analysis of Dundalk and the five designated cities in terms of population size, economic output, higher education provision and regional strategic role; and to indicate in which areas Dundalk falls short of city designation criteria, if any such criteria exist. [18206/26]

411. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the Government has any intention within the lifetime of the current National Planning Framework to designate additional cities; and if not, to state the policy rationale for maintaining the current structure. [18207/26]

412. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline whether a boundary review of Dundalk has been considered in light of sustained population growth; to state the mechanism by which such a review could be initiated; and whether the Minister will commit to examining this matter. [18208/26]

592. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the status of the National Hearing Care Plan Working Group established in 2024; the work completed to date; when the recommendations will be published; and the expected timeline for implementation. [18173/26]

593. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the measures being taken to reduce waiting times for adult audiology services; and if additional resources will be allocated to address this backlog. [18174/26]

594. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health if she will consider expanding access to community based audiology services for HSE medical card holders and help reduce pressure on hospital ENT and audiology services. [18175/26]