559. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the public consultation on the mandatory fortification of non-wholemeal flour with folic acid launched on 13 July 2026; including the number of submissions received to date; the date by which the Department expects to complete its assessment of those submissions; whether she intends to make a decision before the closure of the consultation …
Parliamentary questions
Questions
TDs ask ministers questions to get answers on the record, most of them in writing. Here is every one asked in the 34th Dáil, by the department it went to and the subject heading it was filed under. How questions work
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Showing questions asked by Ken O'Flynn .
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560. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to set out the powers available to the State under Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006 concerning the addition of vitamins and minerals and of certain other substances to foods to restrict or prohibit the placing on the market of a fortified food on public health grounds; and whether the Department has assessed or considered the application of any such powers in respect …
563. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the reason the recommendation of the National Committee on Folic Acid Food Fortification in 2006 was not implemented, including the specific scientific and clinical concerns identified at that time, and to provide details of the subsequent scientific evidence assessed by her Department and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland in relation to the potential masking o…
566. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the powers available to the State under Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006 to restrict or prohibit the addition of vitamins or minerals to foods on public health grounds, including the circumstances in which such measures may be taken; whether her Department has assessed the application of those powers to fortified flour imported from the United Kingdom; and if she will…
569. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the reasons the mandatory folic acid fortification policy recommended by the National Committee on Folic Acid Food Fortification in 2006 was not implemented, including the scientific and policy concerns that subsequently arose regarding mandatory fortification; to provide details of the evidence since assessed concerning the potential masking of vitamin B12 defici…
570. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the public consultation on the mandatory fortification of non-wholemeal flour with folic acid launched on 13 July 2026, including the number of submissions received to date; the expected timeline for consideration of those submissions and a decision following the closing date of 5 October 2026; whether her Department intends to bring forwar…
613. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if the Department or the HSE maintains any estimate of unmet need for home support, including persons who have not applied owing to known delays in the service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66835/26]
614. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in acute hospitals whose discharge is currently delayed pending the commencement of a home support service by hospital and by HSE health region, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66833/26]
615. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of home support hours delivered nationally in 2025 and to date in 2026, set against the funded target for each period by HSE health region, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66832/26]
618. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of persons assessed and approved for home support who are currently waiting for the service to commence by HSE health region and, where available, by community healthcare organisation and county; the average and longest time spent waiting in each area, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66830/26]
678. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the proportion of flour used in Ireland that is imported from the United Kingdom, distinguishing between imports from Great Britain and Northern Ireland; her Department’s assessment of the impact on the Irish market of the UK Bread and Flour (Amendment) Regulations 2024, under which folic acid fortification of non-wholemeal wheat flour is required from 13 December…
679. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether Ireland made any objection, observation or reservation in response to the notification of the United Kingdom’s folic acid fortification regulations to the World Trade Organization or, insofar as Northern Ireland is concerned, to the European Commission; if so, to provide details of any such submission, or if not, to explain her Department’s assessment of t…
681. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the engagement her Department has had with Irish millers, bakers and food producers regarding the sourcing, labelling, traceability and compliance implications arising from folic acid-fortified flour entering the Irish market from the United Kingdom; whether her Department has identified any compliance or consumer-information risks arising from the change; and if …
682. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to provide the most recent estimate of the proportion and volume of flour used or placed on the Irish market that is imported from the United Kingdom; to set out the Department’s assessment of the impact on the Irish flour, milling, baking and food manufacturing sectors of the UK Bread and Flour (Amendment) Regulations 2024, under which the fortification of non-wh…
683. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether Ireland made any objection, observation, comment or reservation through the World Trade Organization notification process or through the European Commission in relation to the United Kingdom’s Bread and Flour (Amendment) Regulations 2024 concerning mandatory folic acid fortification; and, if no such representation was made, the reason Ireland did not make …
684. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the engagement the Department has had with Irish millers, flour importers, bakers and food manufacturers concerning the implementation, labelling, traceability and compliance implications arising from folic acid fortified flour entering the Irish market from the United Kingdom from 13 December 2026; whether any guidance has been issued or is proposed for affected …
331. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 3747 of 7 September 2026, the number of protected disclosure allegations upheld or partially upheld during 2025 in respect of which the assigned corrective actions have been completed; the number in respect of which corrective actions remain outstanding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66095/26]
332. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 3744 of 7 September 2026, in respect of the 30 valid protected disclosures received in 2025 that remained open as at 30 June 2026, the date of receipt of the oldest such case still open; the number of these cases that have been open for more than 26 weeks; the number that have been open for more than 52 weeks; and if she will …
333. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 3723 of 7 September 2026, in which the HSE confirmed it does not centrally track the implementation of recommendations arising from protected disclosures, the number of recommendations arising from upheld or partially upheld protected disclosures between 2023 and the first quarter of 2025 that have been verified as implemented…
334. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 3743 of 7 September 2026, whether the HSE senior leadership team received a specific escalation regarding the increase in alleged health and safety endangerment, as recommended by the Audit and Risk Committee, as distinct from routine quarterly dashboard reporting; the date on which any such escalation occurred; the decision o…
395. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the total number of management and administrative posts created under the Enhanced Community Care programme set against the number of frontline clinical posts filled under the same programme, and the combined annual cost of each category. [66153/26]
396. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether public health nurses and health and social care professionals in work sharing arrangements who wish to increase their hours or return to full time are being refused on budgetary grounds or under the pay and numbers strategy; and the number of such requests refused in 2025 and to date in 2026. [66152/26]
397. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of public health nurse posts currently vacant, and the current waiting times for public health nursing and for community therapy services including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, dietetics and speech and language therapy, broken down by health region. [66151/26]
398. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the specific key performance indicators against which community healthcare network managers are assessed; whether any evaluation or value for money review of the role has been carried out since its introduction; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66150/26]
399. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the date on which the role of community healthcare network manager was first sanctioned; to provide the approved job specification and competency framework for the role; and to set out the business case that supported its creation. [66149/26]