Robert O'Donoghue

1004. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health the average weekly, and annual cost, per resident aged under 65 years in publicly operated nursing homes, and privately operated nursing homes, for each of the years 2021 to 2025 inclusive; and the variance in cost between each sector, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14535/26]

1005. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health the average annual cost to the State of supporting a person aged under 65 years in a nursing home compared with a community-based residential placement, and living independently with funded personal assistance or home-care supports; whether a cost-benefit analysis has been conducted comparing these models of care; to publish any such analysis, or state when it will be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14536/26]

1068. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health if she has any updates on incentives to expand and improve access to GP care in rapidly developing towns, such as Skerries; if she has any plans to reassess the existing cap on GMS or GP visit cards in light of recent population growth not meeting the demand for GP care; if she is aware of any existing or future mitigation measures for recipients of GMS or GP Visit Cards who have difficulty accessing care due to the financial barriers and the existing patient caps around GMS or GP Visit Cards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14959/26]

482. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if heifers remained in the trucks while waiting to be loaded onto the vessel, or were they taken to an assembly centre where they were unloaded, rested, and fed when they were exported from Ireland to Libya on 5 January 2025 (details supplied); if they were held at an assembly centre; if so, which centre(s) were used; the reason for the extended duration of the voyage; if there was adequate feed on board to cover the additional three days; the stage of pregnancy the heifers were at the time of transport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13758/26]

568. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the specific recruitment initiatives that are being used to increase the employment of people with disabilities in the public sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12332/26]

569. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if individual public sector bodies are required to publish annual reports on their disability employment numbers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12334/26]

570. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the way the Government plans to ensure transparency and accountability for meeting targets on disability employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12335/26]

571. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the evaluation mechanisms in place to assess the impact of increased public sector employment of people with disabilities on social inclusion and economic participation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12337/26]

653. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of any discrepancy between the acceptance/calculation of incremental credit applications between primary and secondary school teachers teaching abroad in non-EU states; if this discrepancy differs on whether the school is public or privately run; if her Department is preparing any changes to this process to allow for more teachers abroad to return home to appropriate pay and conditions; if she will investigate a particular case (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12296/26]

732. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if he is aware of the lack of comprehensive adult safeguarding policies within certain sporting organisations, particularly in relation to bullying, harassment, and stalking of adult members; the way in which compliance with robust adult safeguarding frameworks is linked to eligibility for public funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12318/26]

733. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the requirements currently placed on sporting organisations both nationally and at a community level in receipt of public funding to have adult safeguarding policies that explicitly address bullying, harassment, and stalking between adult members; and whether funding will be contingent on the implementation and regular review of such policies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12319/26]

734. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if Sport Ireland requires national governing bodies and other funded sports organisations to implement and enforce adult safeguarding frameworks comparable to child safeguarding standards; and if he will commit to linking future funding allocations to compliance with these adult safeguarding obligations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12320/26]

735. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the way in which complaints of bullying, harassment, or stalking involving adult participants in sporting organisations are currently overseen or monitored at both a national level; and community level; whether adherence to clear adult safeguarding procedures is a condition of ongoing public funding and governance compliance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12321/26]

736. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if he will review the governance and safeguarding conditions attached to Sport Ireland funding to ensure that adult participants are protected from bullying, harassment, and stalking within sporting organisations; and if he will consider making full compliance with adult safeguarding policies a mandatory requirement for receipt of funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12322/26]

737. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the guidance, supports, or training that are provided by his Department or Sport Ireland to assist sporting organisations in developing robust adult safeguarding and anti-harassment policies; and whether ongoing funding is dependent on participation in these programmes and implementation of policy standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12323/26]

738. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport whether he accepts that the absence of clear adult safeguarding policies may discourage participation in sport, particularly among women and vulnerable adults; the steps that will be taken to make adult safeguarding compliance a condition of public funding, governance approval, and accountability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12324/26]

869. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps being taken on the Government commitment to introduce pay-related parent's benefit; a timeline for the introduction of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12702/26]

974. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware of the recent death of a horse in a sulky race (details supplied); the current legal status of sulky racing in Ireland; if there are measures to better regulate this practice; his plans for better animal welfare regulations, particularly in the equine sports sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12255/26]

986. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality which public sector bodies have met the 6% employment target for people with disabilities as of 1 January 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12330/26]

987. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has conducted audits or inspections to monitor compliance with the disability employment targets; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12331/26]

988. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the results of public sector progress towards the 6% target will be published; the format; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12333/26]

989. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way the 6% public sector target aligns with broader national strategies for the employment of people with disabilities; the plans to extend similar targets to the private sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12336/26]

1099. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the guidelines for e-cigarettes/vaping on public transport, in hospitals, and so on; her plans to update these guidelines; the mechanisms for enforcement of such measures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12005/26]

409. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether eligibility for the local authority home loan adequately accounts for demonstrated repayment capacity, particularly in cases where applicants are single-income households due to illness or disability; and if he will outline any plans to revise assessment criteria to ensure that households with sustainable repayment capacity are not excluded solely on the basis of income composition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11228/26]

410. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he acknowledges that single-income households are routinely offered lower loan amounts and less favourable terms by commercial lenders, notwithstanding repayment capacity; and whether the local authority home loan scheme is intended to address this market failure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11229/26]