Questions

526. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health when the HSE will provide the full breakdown of approved whole-time equivalent posts and filled posts in Arbour House for 2023, 2024 and 2025; and to confirm whether staffing plans for 2024 and 2025 have been met or remain in deficit. [68920/25]

527. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the current waiting-list management protocol for service users awaiting initial assessment in Arbour House; and the date on which her Department last reviewed performance against national timelines for addiction services. [68921/25]

528. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has instructed the HSE to provide monthly reports on 2024 development posts filled by temporary or agency staff; and the date on which these data will be supplied to the Oireachtas as requested. [68922/25]

529. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health when she last met senior HSE officials regarding delays in pre-employment clearances for 2024 development posts, the specific actions now underway to shorten clearance timelines; and the monthly KPIs introduced to monitor improvements. [68923/25]

530. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of funded 2024 posts that remained unfilled as a direct result of the employment control measures applied in 2024 and 2025, the projected timeframe to lift remaining restrictions; and the expected date for full staffing against approved WTE levels. [68924/25]

531. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to publish the current national performance against all monthly recruitment KPIs for replacement vacancies and development posts, including the KPI governing the elimination of the 6,852 funded WTE staffing gap reported in September 2025; and to provide the Department’s expected timeline to close this gap. [68925/25]

532. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the projected total revenue in 2026 from the stamp-duty increase on health-insurance policies, as approved under the Risk Equalisation Scheme; and to provide the Department’s modelling of the expected impact on the Risk Equalisation Fund balance. [68927/25]

533. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department prepared any distributional analysis of the levy increase on households earning between €30,000 and €70,000, including the estimated annual cost per policyholder for adults and children used in internal decision-making. [68928/25]

534. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Department conducted any assessment of the potential impact of higher levies on private hospital activity levels, including projected changes in insured patient volumes for 2026 and the expected financial effect on hospitals. [68929/25]

535. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to publish the Health Insurance Authority’s underlying modelling for the 2026 levy recommendation, including the sensitivity tests relating to premium increases and policyholder retention. [68930/25]

536. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any options were considered to mitigate the effect of the levy increase on policyholders, including phased introduction, reduced levies for child policies, or offsetting measures through tax relief adjustments. [68931/25]

537. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health her plans to increase staff for the public health nurse network in an area (details supplied) given the cessation of child development checks due to staff shortages; if her Department plans to ensure adequate and sustained funding and staffing at the location to ensure community health services are available; when full child health and developmental screening ser…

538. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Health the availability of ultrasound imaging services in publicly funded acute hospitals; the hospitals which do not provide ultrasound on either/both a seven-day and out-of-hours basis; and for how long each such hospital has been without weekend and/or out-of-hours ultrasound, in tabular form. [68960/25]

539. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health if dupilumab will be made available through the HSE for the treatment of juvenile eosinophilic oesophagitis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68978/25]

540. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to allowing older persons to apply for a medical card through their local community welfare officer, in light of the significant difficulties many older persons experience in completing the required paperwork and navigating the current application process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68981/25]

541. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health to outline any engagement her Department has had with the Irish Pharmacy Union to encourage the use of European made pharmaceuticals wherever possible; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68984/25]

542. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health her views on the merits of establishing a priority for the acquisition of EU made pharmaceuticals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68985/25]

543. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health to detail any research carried out by her Department into ending the acquisition of Israeli made pharmaceuticals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68986/25]

544. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if a performance and evaluation framework has been approved for the National Demonstration Park for Modern Methods of Construction at Mount Lucas, including baseline data, target indicators, and reporting mechanisms; and if not, to explain why construction has proceeded in the absence of defined metrics. [689…

545. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if students attending private tutorial colleges (details supplied) are eligible to apply for SUSI grants; the criteria governing eligibility for students enrolled in such institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68926/25]

546. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Barry Heneghan den Aire Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail, agus Gaeltachta an bhfuil sé sásta an chumhacht reachtúil a thabhairt d’Údarás na Gaeltachta atá i mBille Údarás na Gaeltachta chun talamh agus réadmhaoin a cheannach ar mhaithe le tithíocht, seirbhísí, áiseanna sóisialta nó cultúrtha a chur ar fáil; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [68857/25]

547. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht when he will announce the grants for community centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68990/25]

548. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the position regarding the delivery of the actions under Our Rural Future, relevant to rural towns and villages; and to outline which commitments remain outstanding and the way in which his Department plans to accelerate progress in areas facing depopulation, weak public transport links, and declining local services. [685…

549. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the steps he is taking to strengthen the capacity of the Charities Regulator, in particular to support smaller volunteer-led charities and community groups who are struggling with governance and compliance obligations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68541/25]

550. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht regarding the future of LEADER funding, if his Department has considered any alternative or complementary funding models to ensure the continued delivery of community-led local development initiatives beyond the current LEADER programme period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62211/25]