Pádraig O'Sullivan

272. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the number of midwifery graduates registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland, the number of midwifery graduates, and the number and proportion currently employed in the Irish health service, broken down by Irish nationals, EU/UK nationals and non-EU nationals; the analysis undertaken by her Department on the capacity of the Irish healthcare system to absorb the growing number of midwifery graduates entering the workforce, in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38109/26]

273. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the number of consultant radiologists registered on the specialist division of the Medical Council, the number newly registered, and the number and proportion currently employed in the Irish health service, broken down by Irish nationals, EU-UK nationals and non-EU nationals; the analysis undertaken by her Department on workforce capacity and demand for radiology services, in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38110/26]

274. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the number of consultant psychiatrists registered on the specialist division of the Medical Council, the number newly registered, and the number and proportion currently employed in the Irish health service, broken down by Irish nationals, EU-UK nationals and non-EU nationals; the analysis undertaken by her Department on workforce capacity and demand for psychiatric services in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38111/26]

275. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the total number of registrants on the Medical Council register, the number of new first-time registrants in each year, and the number and proportion employed in the Irish health service in each of those years, broken down by those who obtained their primary medical qualification in Ireland, in the EU and UK, and outside the EU and UK, respectively; the analysis undertaken by her Department on the capacity of the Irish healthcare system to absorb the growing number of medical practitioners entering the workforce, in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38112/26]

182. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the measures he is taking to address the growing gap between wages and house prices, including the affordability gap facing first-time buyers and renters; and the further policy or legislative measures planned to improve housing affordability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37221/26]

285. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade her assessment of reports from Iran Human Rights, a Norway-based monitoring organisation, that the Iranian regime has deliberately accelerated the execution of political prisoners and protesters under the cover of the ongoing US-Israeli military conflict with Iran, including at least 145 confirmed executions since 28 February 2026; whether she has raised this specific pattern with EU counterparts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37430/26]

286. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether she has communicated to the United States administration, or to EU counterparts engaged with the US-Iran peace process, Ireland's position that any negotiated settlement between the United States and Iran must include binding human rights commitments, including a moratorium on the execution of political prisoners and protesters, given reports that ongoing negotiations make no reference to the situation of condemned prisoners; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37431/26]

454. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the current status of updated demographic plans for Mallow being prepared by Cork County Council in relation to the future development needs of a school (details supplied); whether these plans have been finalised and shared with her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36622/26]

821. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the independent scientific assessment of the threat to apis mellifera mellifera, commissioned by his Department under a 12-month research contract signed in October 2023 with University of Galway and delivered in December 2024, will be published in full; the reasons for the delay in its publication; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37694/26]

822. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his Department's position on the Protection of the Native Irish Honey Bee Bill 2021 (Bill No. 133 of 2021), which passed all Seanad stages in October 2024 and is currently awaiting Second Stage in Dáil Éireann; whether the Government intends to support, oppose or amend the Bill; the timeline for bringing the Bill to Second Stage in the Dáil; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37695/26]

823. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the percentage of honey bee consignments entering the State that are physically inspected at the point of entry for the presence of Tropilaelaps mites, small hive beetle and other notifiable pests, including inspection of attendant workers, brood and packaging; whether his Department has put in place mandatory physical checks at Irish ports of entry for all bee imports, in line with the recommendation of national beekeeping organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37696/26]

824. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has assessed the risk to the Irish honey bee populations from Tropilaelaps mercedesae, a parasitic mite now confirmed in parts of Eastern Europe including European Russia, Georgia and Ukraine, and described by international experts as, in every way conceivable, a worse pest than Varroa; whether he will consider imposing precautionary restrictions on honey bee imports from affected regions, as the United Kingdom did on 7 October 2025 in respect of imports from Ukraine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37697/26]

1080. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if she has reviewed the findings of the National Women's Council research report Beyond Availability: Women's Experiences of the Free Contraception Scheme, launched at the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission in April 2026, which found that nearly one in three women may experience barriers to accessing the scheme; the specific measures being developed to address the barriers identified for migrant women, disabled women, Traveller women and LGBTIQ+ people; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36954/26]

1081. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken to ensure that information about the free contraception scheme is made available in accessible formats for disabled women and in multilingual formats for migrant communities, particularly in Cork city and county which has a significant and growing migrant population; if her Department has engaged with community pharmacy networks in Cork and nationally to address the cultural and language barriers identified in the National Women's Council research report on women's experiences of the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36955/26]

1082. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the current status of negotiations between her Department and manufacturers of the shingles vaccine, which she confirmed in February 2026 had been requested to enter into cost negotiations with the HSE; the timeline for when a proposal on a publicly funded shingles vaccination programme may be submitted to her Department for consideration given that the estimated cost of full rollout for over-65-year-olds stands at €218 million over five years; if phased or targeted rollout options are being modelled as a more immediately affordable alternative; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36956/26]

1200. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if she is aware that there are currently only 63 dedicated mental health beds for older people in Ireland, and that 454 beds will be required to meet recommended levels by 2030; the specific plan in place to increase acute mental health bed capacity for older adults; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37619/26]

1201. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the current implementation status of the 2019 Model of Care for Specialist Mental Health Services for Older People; the specific actions taken to date toward full implementation; to provide a definitive timeline for its completion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37620/26]

1202. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if she is aware that as of 2020 only 66% of recommended older adult mental health teams existed and were staffed at just 54% capacity; the current figures for team numbers and staffing levels; the recruitment targets that have been set; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37621/26]

1203. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if she is aware that almost one fifth of medical cardholders on the public counselling waiting list waited six months or more in 2024; the measures being taken to reduce these waiting times for older people specifically; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37622/26]

1209. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if she is aware that 4,761 people were waiting for home support services in February 2025, primarily due to carer shortages; the current waiting list figure; the concrete measures being taken to address workforce shortages in home care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37650/26]

1210. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health when the Government will complete the development and implementation of a full statutory home support scheme; the current timeline for the system design, funding model and regulation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37651/26]

1211. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if she is aware that delayed discharges caused over 145,000 lost bed days in 2025; the specific measures that are being put in place to reduce this figure; whether targets have been set for reduction; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37652/26]

1212. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the reason no definitive completion timeline for Sláintecare has been provided, despite the framework being proposed for implementation in 2021; the milestones that have been met to date; when a clear delivery schedule will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37653/26]

1213. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if she is aware that malnutrition risk among older adults has increased by 59% since 2012, with ALONE recording a 34% rise in nutrition-related concerns in 2024; whether the Government will commit to the recommended €10 million investment in services (details supplied) and a national nutritional awareness campaign; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37654/26]

1214. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health given that loneliness is strongly associated with mental health difficulties and suicide risk among older people, when the Government will develop, fund and implement a national loneliness strategy; the Department that will hold responsibility for its delivery; the evaluation mechanisms that will be put in place to ensure accountability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37655/26]