Colm Burke

2498. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if an annual €3 million funding uplift can be provided to an organisation (details supplied) starting in 2026 on the grant register to address their current funding deficit position and stop the escalating financial losses on funded services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43893/25]

2499. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider putting in place an annual inflationary increase on section 56 funding as was the practice prior to the 2008 financial crash which would assist certain organisations that support children (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43896/25]

2501. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to confirm that consideration would be given to reforming the core funding model for childcare centres, to provide additional funding for the scheme, to remove the cap on funding for childcare providers which has been reduced from €500,000 to €450,000, which may discourage childcare providers from continuing in the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43901/25]

2536. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if there are any plans to reintroduce a vocational training programme for graduate dentists to support the transition into the workforce; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44019/25]

2537. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if funding will be provided in 2025 for the provision of an integrated homeless health hub in Cork city day centre (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40712/25]

2576. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1763 of 19 March 2025, the detailed breakdown of what precisely the amount of €145.5 million is spent on, in particular the costs related to fixed unit costs and other costs incurred as per the HSE Annual Report and Financial Statements 2023, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40972/25]

2721. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if a person can receive funding from the HSE for fertility treatment for a second child utilising the frozen embryos from the initial round of HSE-funded fertility treatment for their first child, rather than undergoing a new round of IVF, given that utilising the frozen embryos would be more cost effective (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41702/25]

2744. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the breakdown of the current levels of funding allocated to oral health promotion initiatives; if she will consider increasing support for organisations (details supplied) in recognition of their vital role in delivering preventive oral health programmes nationwide, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41811/25]

2745. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the evaluation that has been undertaken regarding the impact of existing oral health promotion programmes and the potential to enhance oral health in communities delivered by community-based organisations (details supplied); if these findings will inform future funding decisions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41812/25]

2746. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if she will consider ringfencing additional funding in budget 2026 to support community-based oral health promotion programmes that target at-risk and underserved populations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41813/25]

3209. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the action that is being taken to fill the 12 vacant posts for radiation therapists which currently exist in Cork University Hospital; if the matter can be given priority in view of the fact that treatment is being delayed or, in some cases, cancelled due to the shortage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43923/25]

3210. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if her Department, together with the HSE, has carried out a review of all cancer treatment facilities to identify what vacant posts need to be filled in order to ensure that all patients have care in a timely manner; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43924/25]

3234. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the measures being taken to increase the number of dentists who treat medical card patients, given that only 833 dentists are operating under the dental treatment services scheme, down from 1,425 over a period of 12 years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44015/25]

3235. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if her Department has liaised with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science with a view to increasing the number of dentistry places for Ireland/EU students in University College Cork and Trinity College Dublin, in view of the fact that there has been no such increase over the past 20 years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44016/25]

3236. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if there are any plans to reform the current Register for Dentists to include information such as location, services provided, and hours worked, in order to provide a reliable overview of the current number of dentists practising in the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44020/25]

3237. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if there are any plans to work with the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to reform work permit regulations concerning the visa process for non-EEA dental nurses to practise in the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44021/25]

3258. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to putting in place a three year programme for shingles vaccination to be made available to people over 65 and/or immunocompromised people, given that the shingles vaccine is currently not available on a national immunisation programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44144/25]

3259. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if consideration would be given to the putting in place of a shingles vaccination programme to be made available to people over 65 and/or immunocompromised people, in view that shingles vaccination is recommended by NIAC those over 65 and/or the immunocompromised between 18-49; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44145/25]

3260. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if consideration would be given to the putting in place of a targeted shingles vaccination programme to be made available to people over 65 and/or immunocompromised people, in view that 13 countries in Europe have funded shingles vaccination programmes and Ireland is currently an outlier in Europe; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44146/25]

3261. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if consideration would be given to the putting in place of a shingles vaccination programme to be made available to people over 65 and/or immunocompromised people, in view that there is an inequity issue in Ireland between those who can afford to buy vaccine for shingles privately and those who cannot; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44147/25]

3262. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if consideration would be given to the putting in place of a targeted shingles vaccination programme to be made available to people over 65 and/or immunocompromised people, in order to reduce the instances of those who contract shingles being hospitalised, thus reducing the number of hospital/accident and emergency admissions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44148/25]

3263. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the progress that has been made to date in respect of the implementation of the current National Immunisation Advisory Committee recommendations for older adult vaccination against influenza, pneumococcal disease, shingles, and respiratory syncytial virus, in view that a 2024 report commissioned by GSK Ireland, from the Office of Health Economics, estimated that full implementation of the recommendations would generate a return of up to €23 in socioeconomic benefit for every €1 invested by the State, and would also prevent approximately 375,000 cases of disease, 74,000 hospitalisations and 1,400 deaths; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44149/25]

3420. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if there has been any progress in expanding the number of dental college places offered to students in University College Cork and Trinity College Dublin in light of the 2023 announcement by his Department to do so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44017/25]

3421. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the total amount of funding allocated to dental colleges in University College Cork and Trinity College Dublin for the academic years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44018/25]

3422. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if additional funding will be provided to the dental schools in University College Cork which have submitted proposals to the Department for the expansion of their training programme, which would involve the development of a new hub in which additional students could be trained and practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44022/25]