Questions

855. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of core funded creches in Kildare which fall into each of the bands A to F, in tabular form. [74136/26]

856. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of the case of a person (details supplied); the reason for the delay in making the approved funding available; when the funding will be released to enable them to recruit a personal assistant and access further education opportunities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74132/26]

857. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childminders currently registered with Tusla in Cork city and Cork county, respectively; the number of childminders who have registered under the new regulatory framework; the measures being taken to encourage more childminders to register and provide additional childcare capacity; and if she will make a statement on the ma…

858. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children currently waiting for a place in a crèche or early learning and childcare service in Cork City and Cork County, respectively; the steps being taken to address the shortage of childcare places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74502/26]

859. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the amount of funding ring-fenced in the current budget to provide additional early learning and childcare places in Cork city and Cork county; the number of additional places this funding is expected to deliver; the timeline for making these places available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74504/26]

860. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps being taken to address concerns raised in a correspondence (details supplied) regarding the residential placement of a young person with disabilities, who was recently admitted to residential care located over 100km from their family home and school; whether consideration has been given to the impact of extensive daily tra…

861. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health the major capital investment in the Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise, St. Vincent's Hospital Mountmellick and the hospital in Abbeyleix, County Laois since 2022; and the estimate for 2026. [73486/26]

862. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health the number of palliative care beds paid for by the HSE in each county, in tabular form. [73366/26]

863. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Health whether her Department, the National Screening Service or the National Screening Advisory Committee has examined the use of supplemental or alternative imaging modalities for women whose risk profile may reduce the effectiveness of routine mammography screening; and if she will provide details of any reviews, pilots or assessments undertaken. [73385/26]

864. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Health whether consideration is being given to the introduction of risk stratified breast cancer screening pathways for women who are currently outside the BreastCheck age criteria; and if she will outline any options under consideration. [73384/26]

865. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Health the additional staffing, diagnostic capacity, mobile screening units and funding allocated to BreastCheck since January 2025 to address capacity constraints; and the impact of these measures on waiting times to date. [73383/26]

866. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Health the current average interval between BreastCheck screening appointments nationally and by region and the number of persons currently waiting more than 24 months, 27 months and 30 months respectively for a routine BreastCheck appointment; and the measures being taken to reduce these delays. [73382/26]

867. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Health the number of major and minor treatment bays currently within the Accident and Emergency Department of Beaumont Hospital. [73395/26]

868. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Health if she is aware of a case (details supplied). [73394/26]

869. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health if provision has been made to assist local and regional drugs and alcohol task forces with the additional costs of auto-enrolment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73502/26]

870. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Health the amount of revenue that Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital received from private-in-patient and semi-private-in-patient charges in each of the years of 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026, in tabular form. [73393/26]

871. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE chefs by grade that are employed by HSE and are based at St Vincent's University Hospital as of 12 October 2026, in tabular form. [73392/26]

872. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health to provide further detail on the announcement of a new dual diagnosis team based in Tallaght; the composition of the team; the date by which it will begin to provide services; and the expected capacity of the service. [73390/26]

873. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health if the €300,000 referenced as being for "response to drug-related violence and intimidation" in the Budget 2027 Factsheet National Drugs Strategy and Inclusion Health will include funding for the DRIVE project. [73496/26]

874. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health whether applications for reimbursement under the cross-border healthcare directive are processed strictly in chronological order according to their date of receipt; if not, the circumstances in which applications may be processed out of sequence; and the way in which applications for other procedures submitted in 2026 have been processed and reimbursed while s…

875. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of applications for reimbursement relating to lipoedema treatment under the Cross Border Healthcare Directive that are currently outstanding, broken down by month of receipt from October 2025 to date; the number currently awaiting administrative processing, clinical review or clinical advice respectively; the number processed and reimbursed during t…

876. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the reason any change to the processing, clinical review or eligibility requirements for lipoedema applications under the Cross Border Healthcare Directive was not communicated to patients in advance (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73527/26]

877. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health whether applications for reimbursement for lipoedema treatment under the Cross Border Healthcare Directive have been placed on hold, delayed or otherwise prevented from progressing pending clinical review or clinical advice; if so, the date on which this commenced; the reason for the decision; the number of applications affected; the anticipated timeframe for …

878. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health whether there has been any change since 29 August 2025 to the assessment, processing or reimbursement of applications relating to the treatment of lipoedema under the Cross Border Healthcare Directive; whether standard applications for treatment of the limbs under the Z01B code are now routinely being referred for clinical review; the date on which any such ch…

879. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health if a GP is entitled to charge a patient for, and only for, referring them to a private hospital or public hospital for a consultation. [73545/26]