Richard Boyd Barrett

1367. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health to explain the reason a recent decision was made to award a contract for non-emergency patient transport in the greater Dublin area to a private ambulance provider when NAS ICV resources are already available; the safeguards in place to ensure that this is not the beginning of a wider privatisation agenda within pre-hospital emergency care; if she will clarify the way in which the Government will protect the future of the ICV service and ensure the professional integrity of paramedics, EMTs, and advanced practitioners within NAS; if she will review the decision to outsource this contract and commit to strengthening and investing in NAS resources rather than diverting public funds into private services; if she will engage in meaningful consultation with staff representatives to safeguard the future of their profession and protect the public interest; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49140/25]

1442. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if his Department intends to carry out a feasibility study or impact assessment on a voluntary code for bilingual labelling and packaging, as committed to in the 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010–2030; if a lead official has been appointed to oversee this work; and if he will now initiate this process in light of the Department of Health’s confirmation that it would support and assist such an initiative in relation to food information for consumers; and if he accepts that, with only five years remaining in the strategy, no meaningful progress has been made on this commitment to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48054/25]

68. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to respond to concerns (details supplied) that his Department’s diaspora survey did not include questions related to housing. [46742/25]

383. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Transport when free travel for children under nine years of age is expected to be implemented. [46695/25]

463. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Transport the annual cost of maintaining wheelchair access in train stations and other public transport infrastructure, in particular with respect to elevators; and to comment on the estimated cost of ensuring that all out of order lifts are fully repaired on the day that they are reported. [47491/25]

464. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Transport the estimated cost of creating an on-demand, free service for all individuals with impaired mobility and who cannot access scheduled public transport. [47492/25]

541. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Finance the status of any plans to recategorise carer's allowance such that it is no longer taxable or reckonable as income for the purposes of means assessment. [46184/25]

716. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the measures the competition and consumer protection commission has put in place to enforce the stronger powers granted to them in Consumer Rights Act 2022, and in particular measures with respect to digital services. [46756/25]

1087. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to consider increasing the funding available to Irish athletes competing internationally at billiards (details supplied). [46328/25]

1203. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to respond to concerns that existing housing schemes functionally exclude many single individuals (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45856/25]

1249. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of Part V homes bought, by each local authority, in 2023 and 2024; the average cost of each home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46449/25]

1250. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an estimated unit cost to the Exchequer for providing cost rental homes,1-, 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom; and for providing affordable homes, 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46450/25]

1251. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the estimated full-year cost of increasing HAP limits to the average cost of rents in each area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46451/25]

1252. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the estimated cost of 100 percent redress for building defects affected homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46452/25]

1253. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the estimated cost of 100 percent redress for mica affected homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46453/25]

1370. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he will consider moving the payment of the back-to-school allowance to an earlier point in the school year (details supplied). [45653/25]

1411. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 518 of 1 July 2025, if the full-year cost of increasing all headline weekly social protection payments to €300 per week, excluding disability allowances, includes State pensions; the breakdown of the estimated total cost of increasing social protection payments to €300 per week including State pensions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46883/25]

1442. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of bringing all disability-related payments to €350 per week; and to provide details of this calculation, in tabular form. [47487/25]

1443. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of removing the means test for the disability allowance, blind pensions and invalidity pension. [47495/25]

1444. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of removing the means test for all disability-related payments and bringing them up to at least €350 per week (details supplied). [47496/25]

1711. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the process for MedEvac Palestinians with Stamp 4 visas to apply to have family members join them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47498/25]

1860. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to estimate the full year cost of reintroducing the mobility allowance scheme phased out in 2011 (details supplied). [47494/25]

2028. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated average cost of one day of respite for a new placement in respite services. [47486/25]

2029. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated average cost to deliver an assessment of need (details supplied). [47488/25]

2030. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated cost for the delivery of a case management system across HSE-funded disability services (details supplied). [47489/25]