Questions

526. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any internal or external review has been undertaken to assess outcomes for young people who spent the majority of their childhood in State care and subsequently aged out at 18 years-of-age; the findings of any such review; and if no review has taken place, the reason this has not been conducted. [11416/26]

527. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she accepts that the absence of longitudinal data linking length of time in State care with post-18 outcomes limits effective evaluation of the State’s care and aftercare systems; whether her Department has identified this as a governance or accountability gap; and if she will outline any steps being taken to address it. [11417/2…

528. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which the effectiveness of aftercare policy is evaluated for young people who have spent long periods in State care prior to turning 18; the assurance mechanisms which exist at Departmental level to assess whether aftercare supports are sufficient for this cohort; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11418/26]

529. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department uses data on length of time spent in State care, including children who have been in care for more than 10 or 15 years, to inform aftercare planning and resource allocation; and if not, the reason such data is not used for this purpose. [11419/26]

530. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has examined the absence of a statutory mechanism allowing early years providers to lawfully disclose and assess serious safeguarding concerns relating to staff conduct which does not meet the criminal threshold; whether she accepts that this represents a gap in the current safeguarding framework; and if she will o…

531. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has considered how a statutory safeguarding-disclosure framework for the early years sector could be designed to protect children while also ensuring fair procedures, independent assessment, appeal rights, and proportionality for staff;; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11462/26]

532. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she is satisfied that the current statutory and policy framework governing safeguarding in Early Years services fully gives effect to the principles of Children First, particularly in circumstances where serious concerns arise outside the criminal justice threshold; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11465/26]

533. Deputy Ann Graves asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of WTE psychologists, by grade posts filled at each CDNT within CHO9 as of 3 February 2026, in tabular form. [11482/26]

534. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health when funding approval is expected for the redevelopment of the emergency department at Beaumont Hospital and the proposed 95-bed block; the current stage of the project within the public capital approval process; and the anticipated timeline for tender and construction. [11581/26]

535. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if there are plans to amend S.I. No. 307/2006 to extend mandatory country-of-origin labelling to poultry, pork and lamb in the hospitality and catering sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11118/26]

536. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health to detail the steps her Department is taking to ensure that processed meat products, such as chicken Kievs or pre-prepared meals, cannot use 'Product of Ireland' branding if the primary meat ingredient was hatched, reared or slaughtered in a non-EU country; and if he will address the impact of 'substantial transformation' rules on consumer clarity. [11119/26]

537. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Health her views on a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11122/26]

538. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if additional respite beds will be made available in the north Kerry area (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11129/26]

539. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health for an update on the application for appropriate accommodation for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11141/26]

540. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the number of persons employed as home support workers, either full or part-time, by community health organisation, for each of the years between 2015 and 2025; the number of home help hours available per week, by CHO, for each of the years between 2015 and 2025, in tabular form. [11159/26]

541. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the reason sanitary towels are not available whenever they are needed for patients in all wards in hospitals, both adult and paediatric; if the HSE has plans to ensure that sanitary towels will be available upon request in all wards in hospitals, both adult and paediatric; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11160/26]

542. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Health if she will consider supporting a State-led awareness campaign on the promotion of seizure first aid and TIME, SAFE, STAY (details supplied) amongst the general public under Ireland's agreement to implement the Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11168/26]

543. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the reason no information on epilepsy, seizure first aid or infantile spasms is contained on the HSE's mychild.ie website, despite an offer from an organisation (details supplied) to provide already available resources for use on the site; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11169/26]

544. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the potential development of a national strategy to reduce epilepsy-related deaths in Ireland; the outcome of a meeting between her Department and an organisation (details supplied) to discuss this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11170/26]

545. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if there is a canteen in her Department headquarters; and if the Minister can provide assurances that all meat sold or provided in that canteen is of Irish origin. [11184/26]

546. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the statutory role of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland in supervising, auditing, or enforcing food safety, hygiene, and traceability among suppliers participating in the hot school meals programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11194/26]

547. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of women on waiting lists for endometriosis surgery across Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11201/26]

548. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the timeline for the completion of her review of the European Scheme for Assisted Intervention in another State (ESAIS), particularly in respect of the potential inclusion of hospitals in Greece, Italy and Romania for the treatment of endometriosis; and a timeline for when any resulting changes will be implemented. [11203/26]

549. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if her Department has sought or received advice from the attorney general in relation to surrogacy legislation; the way Ireland can ensure the safety of surrogates and children in other states; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11204/26]

550. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the way surrogacy legislation in Ireland will align with EU directive 2024/1712 which specifically mentions surrogacy as a form of exploitation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11205/26]