Written Answers Nos. 320-331
320. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health the plans in place to retain and recruit radiology staff across the health service, given their critical role in diagnostics, treatment pathways, and reducing waiting times for patients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54160/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
321. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health the measures being taken to support radiology staff in relation to career progression, working conditions and professional development, in recognition of their essential role in the delivery of timely and effective patient care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54161/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
322. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health if she will provide an update on the plans for trauma and emergency care capacity at a hospital (details supplied); if she will consider the urgent need for a dedicated emergency trauma unit and theatre to respond to the hospital’s high volume of emergency cases and to reduce current pressures on staff and patients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54162/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
323. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the status of a fair deal application for a person (details supplied); when a decision will issue as the family urgently need this support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54180/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
324. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health to consider reinstating training for advanced practitioners in the National Ambulance Service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54181/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
325. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health to consider increasing the new development funding provided to the National Ambulance Service, given the projected 11% increase in emergency calls projected in the HSE national service plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54182/25]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, funding for the National Ambulance Service (NAS) will be outlined in the Health Service Executive National Service Plan for 2026.
This Government remains committed to the continued investment in the NAS. Development funding in 2025 provided for 180 new posts in the NAS focused on building emergency front-line capacity, alternative care pathways and NAS specialist services including the NAS Critical Care Retrieval and aeromedical services.
326. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health if her attention has been drawn to concerns related to the provision of foot care for the elderly (details supplied); the actions she will take to address these concerns; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54202/25]
View answerAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
327. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the way in which her Department is preparing for the forthcoming EPSCO meetings on 17 October and 3 December 2025; whether the Irish Government has a preparatory role given the forthcoming Irish presidency of the Council of Ministers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54207/25]
View answerThe first Informal meeting of Health Ministers under the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU took place in Copenhagen on 15-16 September 2025.
The Department does not have a preparatory role in the organisation of the EPSCO (Health configuration) Council meetings taking place during the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU (July – December 2026).
The North-South, EU & International Unit within the Department coordinates attendance, briefings and preparations to all informal meetings of health ministers and formal EPSCO Health Council meetings, including:
• the recent Informal meeting of Health Ministers under the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU in Copenhagen on 15-16 September 2025; and
• the upcoming EPSCO (Health) Council meeting on 02 December 2025 in Brussels.
The EPSCO Council meeting taking place on 17 October 2025 in Luxembourg is a meeting of the EPSCO Council under its social policy configuration. As such, the Department of Health will not lead on the preparations to this event but will contribute as needed to briefing requirements from other Departments.
328. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the plans to expand semiconductor related education and training pathways, including apprenticeships, post leaving certificate programmes and postgraduate research, in order to meet the workforce requirements of advanced chip manufacturing facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54157/25]
View answerIreland has a thriving semiconductor and microelectronic cluster that directly employs over 20,000 with 6,500 in highly skilled technical roles and another 3,000 in R&D. The Semi-conductor Strategy “Silicon Island” published last May outlines Ireland’s ambition to become a central player in the European and global semiconductor ecosystem and that its ability to do so will depend on access to a diverse, rich base of talent and capability.
Our tertiary sector develops a highly educated workforce, with strong expertise in ICT, engineering, physics, and materials science. Universities across Ireland’s third-level sector offer comprehensive, specialised courses in semiconductor-related fields, feeding into the industry. Industry and academia collaborate closely to meet the skills (and research) needs of industry and develop the workforce.
The MIDAS Skillnet and other Skillnet Business Networks, including Technology Ireland ICT Skillnet and Robotics Skillnet, continuously update their industry-specific training and upskilling supports. For instance, the MIDAS Skillnet offers semiconductor and electronics skills training courses range from Embedded Systems to Analog & Digital IC to Electro Magnetic Compatibility training and from Python to Formal Verification Essentials to high-end management courses.
To understand how the industry’ skills needs will evolve in the medium to long term, the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (DFHERIS is a member of the EGFSN whose Secretariat is based in the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment) is commissioning a Study on Future Skills needs of the industry. This work takes place in parallel to the development of DFHERIS’ Roadmap for Technology Skills of the Future which will focus on specialist and non-specialists skills for digital skills.
329. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if any courses run by an institution (details supplied) are approved courses under the student fee scheme for specified undergraduate courses as set out in Section 7 of the Student Support Act 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54055/25]
View answerIn recognition of the importance of flexible learning pathways, my Department introduced a new Part-Time Fee Scheme for Specified Undergraduate Courses in 2024. This Scheme provides fee support to eligible part-time students enrolled in specified publicly funded undergraduate courses leading to a major award. The scheme includes both in-person and blended/hybrid courses and is designed to enhance access to higher education for students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds.
The Part Time Fee Scheme is limited to undergraduate courses at present as the Student Support Act 2011 only allows for part-time courses at undergraduate level to be approved. Any future extension to postgraduate courses would require a change to the Student Support Act 2011.
The Student Part-Time Fee Scheme Regulations 2025 are published on www.irishstatutuebook.ie and outline courses which have been approved. I can confirm that no courses run by the institution referred to by the Deputy are approved.
My Department is committed to supporting flexible forms of learning, and will keep the policies surrounding support for part-time students under review. However, any future expansion of the parameters of the scheme can only be considered in the context of the budgetary allocation, having regard to overall resource constraints and other competing demands in the further and higher education sector.
330. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of students in 2024/2025 from the 26 counties that have applied to universities in the North, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54075/25]
View answerMy Department does not gather data for the number of students from Ireland who have applied, or register, with higher education institutions in Northern Ireland.
This data can be sourced from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) in the UK (www.hesa.ac.uk)
However, the data for 2023/ 2025 has not been published by HESA.
331. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for an update on plans to address grade equivalencies between North and South; the efforts to make all-Ireland student mobility more accessible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54077/25]
View answerThe CAO is an independent, non-profit private company. Its function is to process applications for undergraduate courses and some postgraduate courses on behalf of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). CAO points are determined by the Leaving Certificate grades of applicants, the number of available places, and the number of applicants and can, therefore, go up or down in any given year as a result of these factors. Data on CAO points is made available publicly on the CAO website. Enquiries regarding the CAO process and CAO statistics should be directed towards the CAO directly.
Changes to the conversion criteria for A-Level applicants to Irish higher education, via the CAO, were announced in December 2023, following a review led by Universities Ireland, representing universities on both sides of the border, and adoption of the resulting recommendations by all individual universities, for new entrants in 2025.
These changes will make it easier for students from Northern Ireland to study in this jurisdiction. Previously it was necessary for students from Northern Ireland to take 4 A-Levels – including one in mathematics – to achieve the maximum points of 625. However, most students sit only 3 A-Levels, with approximately 3% taking a fourth A-Level. From 2025 onwards students from Northern Ireland will be able to combine 3 A-Levels with an AS Level and, with top grades, attain 600 points in the CAO or 625 if one of the A-Levels is maths.
The new conversion criteria were widely publicised at the time and have been published on the CAO’s and individual universities’ websites since then. The full details are available on p88 of www2.cao.ie/downloads/documents/2025/Guidelines-EU-EFTA-UK-2025.pdf.
I welcome these changes, and see them as a positive contribution to increasing mobility not just on a North-South Basis, but also on an East-West basis.
