Departmental Policies

476. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding the work of the inter-Departmental group considering the recommendation for a redress scheme arising from the scoping inquiry into historical sexual abuse in schools run by religious orders; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72034/25]

578. Deputy Edward Timmins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in the fair deal where a house must be sold within one year of the date of death, if a new tenant after 1 March 206 has a right to a six year tenancy in the same house after it is sold; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71950/25]

657. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if an assessment of need will still be required for an application for domiciliary care allowance given the recent policy reform announcement by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality. [72237/25]

658. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if the long waiting period for an assessment of need is taken into account during an application for domiciliary care allowance; and if it has been brought to his attention that applications have been refused due to the lack of an assessment though a child is on the waiting list for an assessment. [72238/25]

693. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to provide an update on the Criminal Law and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025; if his Department intends on proceeding with the Bill’s current provisions to prohibit sex for rent exploitation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71491/25]

818. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when Ireland will ratify the UNCRC second optional protocol; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71521/25]

823. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will reinstate the child law project; the estimated timeline for reinstatement of the agency; and the persons monitoring child law cases in their absence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71638/25]

944. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health to implement specific protocols on IVF clinics handling gametes from patients with blood-borne viruses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71598/25]

945. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health to consider providing funding to allow IVF clinics to provide separate facilities and equipment for handling gametes from patients with blood-borne viruses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71599/25]

946. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health her plans to allow patients living with HIV or hepatitis C to gain access to IVF given current issues around this have been raised (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71600/25]

956. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Health her plans to include Alzheimer’s disease as a qualifying medical condition under the long-term illness scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71717/25]

989. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Health if her Department has given consideration to the introduction of a baby loss certificate process, similar to that in place in the UK through the NHS; if not, if she will give consideration to the implementation of similar process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71932/25]

996. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department has conducted any financial-impact assessment of the 6,852 funded WTE posts reported as unfilled as of September 2025; the estimated Exchequer underspend arising from these unfilled posts; and the Department’s policy on how such underspends are monitored and reported. [71960/25]

999. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the policy under which the HSE does not maintain post-level records of agency or temporary staff assigned to cover funded development posts; the Department’s assessment of how this omission affects expenditure monitoring, audit trails and compliance with public financial-management standards; and whether she will issue a direction that such rec…

1004. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to provide the Department’s policy framework, internal guidance or decision-support documents that informed the assessment of clinical safety, safeguarding and public-expenditure implications when minors were referred abroad for gender-related treatment; and if no such framework existed, to state the reason. [71977/25]

1012. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the Department’s policy position on the role of medical inflation, rising living costs and increased clinical need in assessing hardship for people aged over 70 who exceed the income threshold; and to confirm whether the Department plans revisions to hardship interpretation or supporting documentation requirements. [71985/25]

1030. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health if she will consider extending special leave with pay or providing a similar measure for those who worked on the frontline during the pandemic and contracted long-Covid and as a result are still suffering from serious health issues; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72116/25]

1032. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Health in view of Kilcock's designation as a standalone facility, the investment and staffing measures planned to ensure that Maynooth is adequately resourced and formally recognised within the ARK framework; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72118/25]

1058. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department has undertaken any review since 2020 of the adequacy of the medical card income thresholds for persons aged 70 years and over in light of cumulative inflation and rising living costs; and the findings of any such review. [72242/25]

1089. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the governance and policy framework approved by her Department for gender identity services for children and young people; the date of the most recent review; and the steps being taken to ensure full compliance with national safeguarding and clinical governance standards. [72297/25]

1091. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health her Department’s policy on evaluating international clinical guidance before alignment with national frameworks; the assessments carried out on WPATH Standards between 2018 and 2023; and the timeline for completing a formal review of these standards in light of the Cass Review. [72299/25]

549. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Health if she will examine measures to improve retention of occupational therapy within the public health service, including structured career pathways, enhanced supports, and strategies to mitigate burnout. [70952/25]

551. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Health if she intends to introduce advanced practitioner roles for occupational therapists within the HSE. [70954/25]

565. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health her plans to increase capacity in community hospitals, community nursing units and long-stay facilities in the HSE South West Health Region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70971/25]

566. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health her plans to ensure that hospitals have sight of community bed availability in their areas to support discharge planning; the steps being taken to support timely transfers of care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70972/25]