Questions

327. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health to confirm that within her Department it is the policy to develop adequate capacity for stem cell transplantation and advanced cellular therapies, in view of the fact that there is limited access as there are only two units in Ireland providing this service and there is a growing demand for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50315/26]

328. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health to confirm that immediate action will be taken to cater for the growing number of patients requiring stem cell transplantation for haematological conditions, in view of the fact that the number of people being identified who require this treatment is growing and in order to reduce down the delays in accessing the care required; and if she will make a statement on t…

329. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health to confirm that funding has been set aside both in respect of the capital cost, commissioning and recruitment of the required number of staff in order to proceed with the development of a stem cell transplantation and advanced cellular therapies unit in Cork University Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50317/26]

330. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health to confirm that her Department has reviewed the current policy in respect of delivering the necessary infrastructure to provide for advanced cellular therapies, including CAR T-cell therapy for both haematological malignancies and solid cancers; to confirm that a ten year plan will be put in place ensuring that the necessary infrastructure will be available to prov…

331. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health to confirm that her Department and the HSE have put a plan in place to increase the capacity for stem cell transplantation, as it is now an established treatment for a range of conditions including autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus and multiple sclerosis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50319/26]

332. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health to confirm that an appropriate review is being carried out within her Department and the HSE for the delivery of additional infrastructure for stem cell transplantation in view of the fact that there is a high reliance on overseas treatment pathways, with associated delays, inequitable access, and significant cost to the State; and if she will make a statement on t…

333. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if a report of "sectoral guidelines or standards for investigations of breaches of institutional SVH policy' has been published, following a "Call for Collaboration" to the Higher Education Institutions, as this was to announce its outcomes in Q4 of 2025. [49942/26]

334. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to questions raised by an organisation at an Oireachtas Committee (details supplied) if further information will be provided. [49943/26]

335. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the way in which the 2026 to 2030 Research Ireland strategy will ensure that curiosity driven research continues to receive appropriate support alongside commercially focused and industry led research; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50057/26]

336. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science whether the proposed changes to the administration of Research Ireland’s PhD scholarship and post-doctoral fellowship programmes remain under review; the assessment made of their potential impact on researchers and higher education institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50058/26]

337. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the measures being taken to ensure that researchers in the arts, humanities and social sciences continue to have equitable access to research Ireland funding under its 2026 to 2030 strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50059/26]

338. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the engagement that took place with researchers, higher education institutions and representative bodies during the development of research Ireland’s 2026 to 2030 strategy; whether further consultation is planned in light of concerns raised by members of the research community; and if he will make a statem…

339. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will consider reforms to the means test for SUSI grants to include significant financial commitments such as mortgage and rent costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50073/26]

340. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science in view of Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union from 1 July to 31 December 2026, whether any citizen science initiatives are planned as part of the presidency programme, having regard to the role of citizen engagement within the European Union Missions framework; and if he will mak…

341. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to list each funding instrument, PhD programme, fellowship, award, public engagement programme or research infrastructure programme under his Department or Research Ireland that has supported citizen science, citizen generated data, public participation in data collection, or open source research infra…

342. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number and value of projects funded under the Discover Programme since its inception that included citizen science, citizen generated data, environmental monitoring, software, data infrastructure or open source research infrastructure; the outcomes reported including numbers of participants engaged…

343. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science whether a funding instrument under his remit permits a citizen led open source research initiative to apply as lead applicant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50218/26]

344. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science whether a citizen led open source research initiative may receive funding under his remit for direct research activity, research infrastructure, software development, data infrastructure, open source maintenance, field data collection, data validation or long term platform sustainability; and if he wil…

345. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science whether his Department or Research Ireland has assessed the policy gap between funding public engagement about research and funding citizen science as research activity (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50220/26]

346. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science whether his Department or Research Ireland has ever formally evaluated OpenLitterMap, an Irish open source citizen science platform, or assessed its relevance to citizen science, open science, environmental monitoring, research infrastructure or digital public goods; and if he will make a statement on …

347. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he is concerned by the closure of more than 2,200 pubs since 2005 and the implications this may have for community life in rural areas. [49918/26]

348. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the current status of a project (details supplied) relating to the Cappahoosh bike path and walking trail; the progress made to date on the upgrade of the existing bike path and walking trail and the proposed replacement of two bridges; the timeline now envisaged for completion; and if he will make a statement on the ma…

349. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he considers the existing suite of State supports for social enterprises including the Community Services Programme, SICAP and local enterprise office supports adequate to address persistent market failure across the sector, given that only 48.5% of social enterprise income is currently derived from trading activity a…

350. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the total allocation to and draw-down figures from the community centre investment fund over the past five budgets, in tabular form. [49990/26]

351. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to provide the total allocation spent by the community centre investment fund on new community centres over the past five years, in tabular form. [49991/26]