Questions

384. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine where the official control food and water testing currently carried out at the Veterinary Food Safety Laboratory, Inniscarra, County Cork, including listeria, salmonella, carcase swab and water testing, will be carried out if the laboratory closes; the location of the nearest alternative category 3 laboratory capable of testing for high r…

385. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a decision has been made to close, or to cease funding or using, the Veterinary Food Safety Laboratory at Inniscarra, County Cork, including its category 2 laboratory and category 3 containment facility; the date on which any such decision was made and by whom; the planned closure date; whether a review, business case or value for mone…

386. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the funding for the Veterinary Food Safety Laboratory, Inniscarra, County Cork, provided by the Department before and after the transfer of local authority veterinary services to the Department on 1 January 2025; the number of samples tested there that were funded by the Department in each of the years 2023 to 2026; and the number of rese…

387. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline the regulations for deer hunting licenses issued by Coillte; the way in which license holders are required to engage with privately owned land and neighbouring landowners; the steps that Coillte takes in the event that these regulations are breached by license holders; and if there is a mechanism for landowners to complain …

388. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total value of both the BISS and CRISS payments that were subject to delayed payment due to the recent industrial action. [75156/26]

389. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she is aware that some children born shortly after the ECCE eligibility cutoff date may receive only one year of ECCE before commencing primary school; and if she has assessed the educational and financial impact of this on affected families. [74974/26]

390. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of disability placements that were budgeted for in 2025; the actual number of placements in 2026 to date, the budget for private placements; and the actual number of private placements, in tabular form. [75268/26]

391. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to confirm that further amendments to the Assessment of Need provisions (currently contained in the Disability (Amendment) Bill 2025 will be considered following the outcome of the current consultation on the review of the Disability Act 2025. [75117/26]

392. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason the Disability (Amendment) bill 2025 is continuing its passage through the Oireachtas given that a review of the parent act, the Disability Act 2005, is currently underway. [75116/26]

393. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to examine the current age eligibility rules for the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme; and if she accepts that children born in January are at a distinct educational disadvantage as they will not be 2 years and 8 months old by the time September comes around. [75102/26]

394. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her attention has been drawn to concerns related to the lack of flexibility under Section 8.2/8.3.2 of the national childcare scheme, specifically for children that are neurodiverse and benefit particularly from afterschool activities; and her views the current scheme acts as a disincentive for families to include their children in spo…

395. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will permit the extension of a sponsored claim through the national childcare scheme to August 2027, which is due to expire on the 13 December 2026 for a child (details supplied). [75148/26]

396. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department would consider the establishment of respite services for adults with intellectual disabilities in West Cork; and the work her Department has conducted on this issue to date. [75004/26]

397. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of the case of a child in County Mayo (details supplied) who has been waiting in excess of three years for clinical psychology services and over one year since an assessment of need application was submitted; the reason the child's assessment of need has not yet been completed; the reason a maternity-leave clinical psych…

398. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health to provide, notwithstanding any limitations relating to staffing levels, geographical coverage, or service maturity, the recorded activity data for each Community Neurorehabilitation Team (details supplied), including: the number of persons accessing each team per month since commencement of each service; the total number of persons who have accessed each team; t…

399. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Health her plans to expand the conditions covered under the long-term illness scheme; if consideration is being given to the inclusion of Crohn’s disease and other inflammatory bowel diseases due to their lifelong nature and ongoing treatment requirements. [74950/26]

400. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE's service level agreement with SouthDoc specifies approved methods for collecting patient fees; whether doctors providing services through SouthDoc are permitted to accept payments into personal accounts, including Revolut; what financial recording, auditing and accountability arrangements apply to such payments; whether SouthDoc is required to pro…

402. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health when the HSE will appoint specialist lactation consultants who are on a panel awaiting appointment. [74983/26]

403. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health when a discretionary medical card for a person (details supplied) will be processed. [74982/26]

404. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if the HSE will facilitate a meeting (details supplied) to address concerns regarding alleged inaccuracies and omissions in records held by University Hospital Galway; when a formal response to the complaint can be expected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74980/26]

405. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if she will request the HSE and University Hospital Galway to confirm that all medical records relating to a patient (details supplied) have been released under data protection legislation; whether outstanding documentation, including records relating to neurology treatment on 30 September 2025, has been identified; and if she will make a statement on the matter.…

406. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if she is aware of concerns raised by a patient (details supplied) and their family regarding alleged inaccuracies in medical records provided by University Hospital Galway following treatment for serious injuries sustained in August 2025; whether a review of the accuracy of those records will be undertaken; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74978/…

431. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE sets a minimum mileage or travel reimbursement rate that home support providers approved under the authorisation scheme must pay to carers who use their own vehicles; if not, the reason; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [75236/26]

432. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Health the number of children awaiting a routine developmental check from a public health nurse in the areas of Kildare, Newbridge, Monasterevin and Athy at the latest available date, in tabular form. [75002/26]

433. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Health the average waiting time for an initial public health nurse developmental assessment in the areas of Kildare, Newbridge, Monasterevin and Athy at the latest available date, in tabular form. [75000/26]