Questions

516. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health if her attention has been drawn to patients’ and their families’ concerns about breaks in the delivery of time-sensitive radiotherapy cancer treatment over holiday periods, for example, at Christmas which can in some cases lead to accelerated repopulation of cancer cells; if she has examined ways in which this can be addressed to minimise the impact on pa…

2497. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health if her Department is using artificial intelligence tools for any graphic design or similar work in place of artists, designers or videographers; and, if so, to outline which projects or units of the Department are affected. [2249/26]

2498. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health whether any agencies or other bodies under her remit are using artificial intelligence tools for any graphic design or similar work in place of artists, designers or videographers; and, if so, to outline which projects or units of the organisation are affected. [2267/26]

1048. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health whether contributions from the State or from employers towards the My Future Fund pension scheme will be reckonable as income for the purposes of assessing the eligibility of an individual or household for any means-tested services or schemes operated by her Department. [70024/25]

1051. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the breakdown of funding provided to the Caredoc out-of-hours GP service over the past two years. [70073/25]

234. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the total amount of money allocated to the 24 local and regional drugs and alcohol taskforces in each year for the period 2000 –2025; and a breakdown of the annual funding allocated to each of the drugs and alcohol taskforces over the same period. [68179/25]

235. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the total amount of money allocated to drug and alcohol services in each year 2000–2025; and for detailed information on the allocation of that funding by area/location. [68180/25]

247. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health her plans to reinstate funding for pharmacy blister packs (details supplied). [68230/25]

818. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 679 of 23 September 2025, whether the ongoing development of radiation oncology services is in line with the National Plan for Radiation Oncology, considering that it is now 2025 and that this plan notes that there will be a need for a further phased increase to 38 linear accelerators by 2015. [65237/25]

819. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 679 of 23 September 2025, to clarify that there is a distinction between 'ongoing development programmes' and 'replacement programmes', in the context of radiation therapy equipment. [65238/25]

107. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the details of any plans to expand the list of conditions qualifying a person for the long-term illness scheme; and if she will consider including individuals who do not have a qualifying condition, but who have a combination of non-qualifying conditions whose cumulative impact on an individual’s health is equivalent to a qualifying long-term illness. [64…

109. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health if she will consider revising plans in place to modify standards for registration as a counsellor or psychotherapist currently under consideration by CORU, in order to reflect the concerns raised by members of an organisation (details supplied). [64595/25]

119. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health if she will consider the introduction of a free vaccination for shingles; and if she will consider adding coverage for shingles vaccination to the medical card, discretionary medical card, GP visit card or drug payment scheme card. [64594/25]

121. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the plans in place to improve staff morale at St. Michael’s Hospital, Dún Laoghaire. [64598/25]

179. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the age of all 22 linear accelerators for radiotherapy across public facilities in Ireland; the expected lifetime of each machine;the specific dates by which time new linear accelerators operating past their expected lifetime will be replaced and operational; the projected age of each machine when these replacement dates will be reached; when hiring and t…

1120. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of including all forms of diabetes on the long-term illness scheme, including the cost of issuing the associated medical cards. [63697/25]

1121. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of providing glucose monitoring devices to all individuals with diabetes in the State. [63698/25]

1022. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health if she will roll out the inclusion of a test for spinal muscular atrophy by November 2025, the second anniversary of the announcement that it would be added (details supplied). [61601/25]

1103. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health whether there are domestic violence officers in hospital emergency departments in most hospitals nationwide. [62036/25]

1774. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health to respond to concerns raised in relation to adult safeguarding legislation (details supplied); and if she will instigate an audit of adult safeguarding in HSE-funded services. [58532/25]

871. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health his views on reports that research commissioned by the HSE regarding Traveller health outcomes in homelessness will not be published, despite the report having been completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57398/25]

815. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the reason no proportionality assessment was carried out in respect of changes to the CORU standards and criteria for counsellors and psychotherapists; and if the implementation of these standards will be delayed to facilitate a proportionality assessment. [54652/25]

816. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the reason an organisation (details supplied) was not consulted after 2023 as part of the development of the 2025 CORU standards and criteria for counsellors and psychotherapists despite the professional expertise available in the organisation. [54653/25]

831. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health if she will confirm the reunification for families of medical evacuees from Gaza that was announced in July 2025; the date on which these families will be reunited with their family members already here receiving treatment; the way in which the reunification process will proceed; the details of the way and when family members still in Gaza will be brought…

897. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health when she intends to add a test for spinal muscular atrophy to the heel prick test for newborns. [55387/25]