Written Answers Nos. 2389-2415
2390. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if her Department or any agency under the aegis of her Department has provided funding to a charity (details supplied); if so, the total annual amount to date since funding began; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1312/26]
View answerAs this refers to a service matter, I have sent this PQ to the HSE for direct response. This organisation is funded by HSE Social Inclusion.
2391. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health , further to Parliamentary Questions No. 346 and 348 of 19 November 2025, if the assessment of the physician associate role, commissioned by the HSE, has been completed; when the recommendations will be reviewed and available to the public; the assurances provided to students who undertook this course, that their degree, will be recognised and they can achieve employment within the HSE; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1328/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
2392. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the reason adults resident in County Carlow are ineligible to access ADHD services located in neighbouring counties; if she will review this policy with a view to ensuring equitable access to ADHD services across county boundaries within community healthcare organisation, CHO 5; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1344/26]
View answer2393. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the supports currently available to adults in County Carlow who have received a private ADHD diagnosis, in circumstances where no public services are available to provide medication titration or follow-up care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1345/26]
View answerAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has long been recognised as one of the most common psychiatric disorders in children and it is now known to persist into adulthood. Core symptoms include inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. It can cause many issues in areas such as personal and social relations, education and occupation, managing money and organising life in general, there is also an increased risk of having other mental health difficulties with it such as anxiety and depression.
Prior to the inception of the National Clinical Programme (NCP) for Adults with ADHD which Minister I launched in 2021, there were no specific ADHD public services available for adults in Ireland.
The NCP for ADHD is delivered as part of the HSE mental health service provision to ensure an integrated, person-centred response to adults with ADHD. The programme includes both assessment and treatment of ADHD and works collaboratively with voluntary agencies. It envisages a national service of ADHD teams, with each team comprised of Consultant Psychiatrist, Senior Psychologist, Senior Occupational Therapist, Clinical Nurse Specialist Mental Health, and an administrator.
The National Clinical Programme for ADHD has been substantially rolled out across the country: 7 teams are now operational and final teams are now in recruitment as I secured funding in Budget 2025 for the remaining teams to achieve full national roll out.
The final teams should be operational in the coming months and there will be full national coverage for ADHD services. This includes a team that will cover the Carlow area. Team rollout has been supported by dedicated funding of over €5 million since 2021.
I have also secured funded the Understanding and Managing Adult ADHD Programme (UMAAP), a 6 week programme run by ADHD Ireland which has proven highly beneficial and effective for adults who have completed it.
Enhancement of specialist mental health services such as ADHD remains a key priority for myself as Minister, the Government and the HSE.
As the Deputy has raised some specific service matters in his question, I have also referred it to the HSE for direct response to the Deputy.
2394. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if she will review the case of persons (details supplied); the reason the family is advised that certain care hours are being provided when carers are not attending on those days, including where care is stated to cover both parents but does not do so; the reason for the absence of weekend home support cover; the status of the promised respite placement; if formal written confirmation has issued to the family; who is recorded as the primary contact and decision-maker for this case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1346/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
2395. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the supports available to a person (details supplied) to assist with medical bills; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1358/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
2396. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if the case of a person (details supplied) will be reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1360/26]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
2397. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the amount the HSE has spent on the treatment of eating disorders in the United Kingdom in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1361/26]
View answer2398. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the amount the HSE has spent on the treatment of eating disorders outside of Ireland, excluding the United Kingdom in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1362/26]
View answerThe National Clinical Programme on Eating Disorders has progressed well with 14 of the 16 teams envisaged by the Model of Care now funded. The HSE spends over €10 million on public eating disorders services annually. As a result, access to eating disorder services is increasing, with 25% more assessments conducted in 2024 compared to 2023 (562 vs 449).
Greater access to community based services which can focus on early intervention leads to much better outcomes for people with eating disorders, reducing the need for them to access inpatient services.
Approximately 110 dedicated eating disorder clinicians from the National Clinical Programme are now working on the teams across the country, treating people with eating disorders every day. Enhancement for specialist mental health services including eating disorders is a key priority for myself as Minister, the Government as a whole, and the Health Service Executive (HSE). Under funding secured for Budget 2025, two additional eating disorders team are expected to be operational in the near future, and a further two additional teams will be funded under Budget 2026.
In 2025, at my request, the HSE completed a report on inpatient eating bed disorder bed capacity required for the future. The Department of Health and the HSE will now progress delivery of the new inpatient capacity.
With reference to the specific information requested on the National Clinical Programme on Eating Disorders as this is an operational issue, I have referred it to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
2399. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health when the national hearing care plan will be published; if the working group has considered bone-anchored hearing aid services in its considerations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1366/26]
View answerThe Minister for Health established the National Hearing Care Plan Working Group in August 2024. The Group is jointly chaired by the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive (HSE). Membership of the Working Group is drawn from relevant stakeholders, including HSE clinicians and management, the Irish Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists (ISHAA), the Irish Academy of Audiology (IAA), and the Department of Social Protection.
The Hearing Care Plan Working Group has been tasked with developing recommendations for a holistic model of hearing care in Ireland. To support this, a structured workstream has been developed, including subgroups focused on progressing priority issues. Bone-anchored hearing aid services are being considered by the Group. The draft Plan produced by the Group will be presented to the Minister for approval prior to publishing.
2400. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health if funding from the National Treatment Purchase Fund has been restored to a hospital (details supplied); if the audit report on the hospital’s rheumatology billing will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1372/26]
View answerFunding for outsourcing was never suspended and continued in line with approved initiatives. In relation to insourcing, the NTPF has advised the hospital that it is happy to restart insourcing should the hospital have any initiatives it wishes to have funded.
Health Service Executive (HSE) Internal Audit reports are regularly released under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act. Details of how to obtain a copy of any report already released under FOI are available on the HSE website: https://about.hse.ie/organisation/internal-audit/internal-audits-reports/.
2401. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the consideration that will be given to the provision of counselling and psychotherapy services by an association (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1375/26]
View answerSharing the Vision, Ireland’s national mental health policy, and Connecting for Life, Ireland’s national strategy for suicide prevention, clearly state that talking therapies should be considered a first-line treatment option for most people who experience mental health difficulties. In particular, Recommendation 16 of Sharing the Vision outlines that “Access to a range of counselling supports and talk therapies in community/primary care should be available on the basis of identified need so that all individuals, across the lifespan, with a mild- to moderate mental health difficulty can receive prompt access to accessible care through their GP/ Primary Care Centre. Counselling supports and talk therapies must be delivered by appropriately qualified and accredited professionals.” Delivery of this recommendation is ongoing, with Primary Care health services and Counselling in Primary Care representing an important part of this.
The HSE has developed a Model of Care for Talk Therapies, to guide efforts to enhance access to talking therapies across all areas of our mental health service, in recognition of the fact that talking therapies are an essential element to the effective treatment of mental health difficulties.
Following on from the development of the Model of Care, HSE Mental Health Services are establishing a therapeutic interventions service improvement programme board (TISIP). The programme board will provide consolidated leadership and governance for therapeutic interventions across the whole health system, with the aim of increasing capacity, and facilitating access to, high quality integrated supports and services for all who require them. The programme board will consider and review proposals for further investment in this area.
Additional investment in counselling provision from 2026 onwards will be guided by a mapping of current services provided directly by the HSE or through organisations funded by HSE Mental Health and HSE NOSP. This investment will target identified gaps in service provision and take account of priority groups across the population.
As Minister, I have allocated an additional €1m in 2026 for a new talking therapies fund for providing community therapy services, building on the €2m I allocated last year for counselling supports for men. All funding is annually recurring.
In terms of school counselling, the Department of Education has been commenced an in-school counselling programme.
On the issue of tax relief and VAT exemption for counselling, these are matters for the Department of Finance and should be raised with that Department directly.
2402. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the date on which her Department first became aware of concerns relating to governance, oversight or patient safety in paediatric orthopaedic services at Children’s Health Ireland, and the source of that awareness. [1389/26]
View answer2403. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the statutory, contractual or administrative powers that were available to her Department or the HSE to intervene once such concerns had been identified. [1390/26]
View answer2404. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health whether any interim patient-safety measures were introduced once concerns were identified; and if not, the reason such measures were not implemented. [1391/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 2402 to 2404, inclusive, together.
The Department initially became aware of concerns in the paediatric orthopaedic services at Children’s Health Ireland through a notification of Patient Safety Incident through the Department of Health and HSE Patient Safety Communications Protocol, part of the HSE Incident Management Framework, in November 2022.
This Incident Management Framework provides HSE staff with the required policies, procedures, and guidelines to manage and review incidents within the HSE. As part of this, the protocol exists and this protocol is the formal mechanism by which the Department and the Minister for Health are informed by the HSE in an anonymised way of serious patient safety incidents that occur in health services.
Through this protocol my department is kept updated regarding the completion of incident reviews, the implementation of the recommendations and learning from reviews to improve services locally and nationally.
Following on from this initial notification a number of matters in the paediatric orthopaedic services were brought to my Departments attention, resulting in several reviews focussing on the paediatric services in Children’s Health Ireland. The Deputy will be aware that a number of these reviews are still ongoing and on completion of all these reviews further consideration will be given to any additional actions required.
However, improvements and initiatives have been ongoing to these services since November 2022. This includes strengthening governance and oversight, driving down waiting times, ensuring increased engagement and timely communications with families of patients with a view to building a better and more responsive service.
The deputy will be aware that the Minister appointed Dr Yvonne Traynor as Chairperson of the CHI Board along with two additional Board members. This builds on the previous appointments of six new board members in 2025; three of whom are also HSE Board Members, and one who is a member of the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board. The Minister has also confirmed her intention to integrate CHI into the HSE.
The Government and the HSE have prioritised investment into these services including funding to deliver an increase in permanent capacity and staffing, resulting in record levels of activity and a reduction in waiting times.
A comprehensive patient safety review and assurance process, overseen by the HSE and its Chief Clinical Officer Dr Colm Henry, was undertaken at Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) Temple Street into elements of the paediatric orthopaedic surgery service.
Establishment of the Paediatric Spinal Services Management Unit, led by a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon and supported by wider Multi-Disciplinary Teams, to ensure patients are prioritised correctly for surgery and works towards reducing waiting times was established. Other initiatives underway to help improve access to services including a ringfenced theatre, additional outpatient clinics and national and international outsourcing to maximise capacity.
The HSE CEO has established the HSE CHI Improvement Steering Group to co-ordinate oversight of the range of matters of focus in CHI, including the implementation of recommendations from completed reviews, upcoming reports, spinal services, and the commissioning of the new hospital. This group, chaired by the REO Dublin Midlands, meets on a monthly basis.
The HSE CEO has also commissioned an audit to assess governance and equity in access to care within CHI, especially regarding the balance between public and private patient management. The audit is looking at processes for patient referral pathways, waiting list administration, NTPF participation, waiting list action plan participation, consultant clinic scheduling, and patient billing.
The audit is being augmented with a qualitative element, capturing patients and staff experiences. This qualitative element will inform overall observations and improvement plans.
2405. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Health the reason Ireland has one of the highest ratios of dentists per capita in Europe; the measures in place to address the shortage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1392/26]
View answerI am pleased to inform the Deputy that there are now more dentists than ever registered in Ireland - with 3,945 dentists on the Dental Council register as of December 2025, an increase of 167 since January 2025. This reflects ongoing upward trends regarding registered dentists in the State, and compares favourably with the numbers in April 2019, when Smile agus Sláinte was published – 3,100, an increase of over 27%. However it is unknown how that figure translates into capacity in terms of dental appointments and the ranges of treatments available.
My Department is currently working with the Dental Council with a view to reforming the current Register for Dentists. In order to support this, a workforce skills assessment census framework for the oral healthcare sector has been designed. The workforce census is intended to gather information including the number of registered oral healthcare professionals who are practising in their registered profession, the location of their practice, services they provide, hours worked and the skills they have.
The information collected from the workforce census will enable the collation of important data to better inform workforce planning for the oral healthcare sector by providing vital insights into the sector's workforce and by identifying the skills that oral healthcare professionals need to provide the new model of service as set out in the National Oral Health Policy.
Work is ongoing through the appropriate processes to explore all options to support our three dental schools deliver on their remit of educating and training more dentists.
My Department continues to engage with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS) and the Higher Education Authority (HEA) with regards to increasing the capacity of Irish/EU students in University College Cork, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Trinity College Dublin.
As part of this engagement, the Department of Health has received a proposal for funding from University College Cork to establish a dental outreach centre. This would enable the training of additional undergraduate students in the dentistry programme, in a primary care setting, benefiting both Irish and EU students. Discussions are currently ongoing between my Department and DFHERIS to try and progress this proposal with a view to maximising both Irish and EU places to enhance workforce capacity in Ireland, as well as increased service provision.
The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science is also open to the possibility of exploring increasing the number of dentistry places in the Dublin Dental University Hospital at Trinity College Dublin. This will require Government approval before further discussion and agreement can take place between my Department and DFHERIS.
The Royal College of Surgeons commenced its new Bachelor of Dental Surgery Programme in September 2025 and will initially cater for up to 30 students, 20 of which will be Irish/EU students. This will expand to 28 Irish/EU places next year, and 35 in 2027. Over time, this will expand domestic graduate output by approximately 25% and contribute to workforce sustainability. Overall, the RCSI has indicated that it will produce 75 graduate dentists per annum when fully operational.
Together, we will continue to liaise with our dental schools around funding for dentistry places, with a view to rebalancing the ratio of EU to non-EU students studying dentistry.
My Department remains committed to ensuring that our oral healthcare system is supported by a steady and sustainable pipeline of highly skilled graduates. Ensuring adequate capacity to train future dentists is part of the Government's commitment to workforce planning that supports the health and wellbeing of our population. By enhancing our future workforce, we are taking steps to ensure that the National Oral Health Policy is implemented.
2406. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the planned ambulance base for Gorey, County Wexford. [1393/26]
View answerAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter.
2407. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Health the total amount and percentage of the overall Departmental budget spent on positive health promotion by her Department in each of the years 2016 to 2025, inclusive, and the planned budget for 2026. [1394/26]
View answerThe budget provision for positive health promotion is expended both through the HSE and the Department. The table at the link below provides the budget for the Health and Wellbeing Unit in the Department, which is responsible for the implementation of the Healthy Ireland Framework, which when added together with the HSE provides the total budget available for positive health promotion.
2408. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if she will raise with the Children’s Health Ireland the fact that it has responded to or acknowledged freedom of information, FOI, requests for the past four months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1395/26]
View answerI have been advised by Children's Health Ireland (CHI) that due to the considerable number of FOI requests they have received in the last four months there has been a delay in responding to a number of requests. CHI has apologised for any delay in responding to an FOI request.
CHI have stated in the months from 1st September to 31st December 2025 they received 124 FOI requests, 73% of which were processed within 20 days. CHI further have advised that they will endeavour to close all overdue requests by 31st January 2026.
2409. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the date she is working towards, to introduce legislation concerning safeguard proposals relating to the deprivation of liberty; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1422/26]
View answerThe Department is committed to developing legislation to provide a legal framework of Protection of Liberty Safeguards for people who are or will be deprived of their liberty in care settings (e.g. nursing homes, residential disability facilities and hospitals) and who lack decision-making capacity to consent to the care arrangement.
This legislation is required to meet our obligations under Article 40.4 of the Constitution, Article 14 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights. It will also be an important complement to the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act, 2015 (as amended) and forthcoming mental health legislation.
This is a complex area of law which is informed by national and international legal obligations and case law. The development of legislation must also have due regard to other national legislation, in particular the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act, 2015.
Detailed work has been undertaken to develop broad policy proposals which will shape this legislation, and this work has been supported by an Expert Advisory Group, comprising legal, clinical and advocacy experts. The Department has engaged in a process of consultation with stakeholders in 2025 and final policy proposals are being developed to frame the drafting of a General Scheme of the Bill this year.
2410. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health , further to Parliamentary Question No. 2579 of 8 September 2025, the position regarding the programme for Government commitment to review the drugs reimbursement process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1423/26]
View answerThe State is committed to providing timely access to new and innovative medicines to all patients. Budgets 2021-2025 provided almost €160 million of dedicated funding for new drugs. This has enabled the HSE to approve 244 new drugs, of which 101 were for treating cancer. Budget 2026 made €30 million available for new drugs out of an additional allocation of €217 million for drugs. The OECD reports that Ireland has the third highest rate of state coverage of pharmaceutical expenditure in Europe.
The State invested in significant additional capacity in the pricing and reimbursement system in 2024. This investment encompassed additional significant resourcing which was allocated for 34 additional staff across the pricing and reimbursement system. This is in addition to the development and launch of a HSE medicines pricing and reimbursement tracker to enhance transparency in the pricing and reimbursement system.
In line with the commitments in the Programme for Government, consideration is being given to various measures to address access to medicines. The Department is reviewing reimbursement systems across the EU to explore options for recommendation to Government and this work is ongoing.
2411. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Health for a start date for works on the upgrade for a health centre; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1425/26]
View answerAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter.
2412. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Health for a start date for works on the upgrade for a health centre; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1426/26]
View answerAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter.
2413. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health if she will review the case of a person (details supplied); if she will address the questions raised in correspondence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1435/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
2414. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health her plans to modify the eligibility criteria to allow single women access IVF treatment via the HSE; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1467/26]
View answer2560. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Health if her Department has examined the cost of expanding IVF eligibility to those in same-sex relationships, and single parents in certain circumstances; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2415/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 2414 and 2560 together.
The Model of Care for Fertility was developed by the Department of Health in conjunction with the HSE’s National Women & Infants Health Programme to ensure that fertility-related issues are addressed through the public health system at the lowest level of clinical intervention necessary.
Referrals for publicly-funded, privately-provided assisted human reproduction (AHR) treatment - including IVF (in-vitro fertilisation), ICSI (intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection) and IUI (intrauterine insemination) – commenced in September 2023, subject to patients meeting the criteria agreed by the Department and the HSE. The access criteria were developed by a multi-disciplinary group, with reproductive medicine expertise and followed consultation with experts in the field along with a review of the international evidence. These criteria are in keeping with those applied in other jurisdictions.
Up to the end of December 2025, over 3,600 couples have been referred by a Reproductive Specialist Consultant for AHR treatment, following extensive investigations and/or secondary level treatment within the Regional Fertility Hubs. Furthermore, the Hubs have successfully and directly managed thousands more patients presenting with fertility-related issues who have been referred by their GP. Not all couples experiencing fertility challenges actually require such advanced and invasive interventions as IVF.
In June 2025, an important criterion for accessing state-funded AHR treatment was broadened. Couples with one existing child in their relationship, and who meet all the other current access criteria, can now access publicly-funded AHR treatment, including one full cycle of IVF or ICSI, if they are referred for same by a Reproductive Specialist Consultant within one of the Regional Fertility Hubs. Previously, couples with one child in their current relationship were not eligible to access publicly-funded AHR treatment.
There are complex regulatory and clinical issues to be considered in respect of certain categories of AHR treatment. In the case of treatment involving the use of donated gametes - whether by opposite-sex couples, same-sex couples, or single women - there is regulation at European level concerning the quality and safety of procedures involving donated gametes. Furthermore, the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 deals with matters relating to parentage and the right to identity of donor-conceived children arising from such procedures. Nevertheless, there are a number of further clinical and regulatory requirements regarding the donation of gametes and the use of such gametes which are being considered.
The access criteria and the terms of the AHR treatment initiative are being kept under ongoing review. Further potential changes to the access criteria or expansion of the initiative requires continued extensive consultation between Department officials, colleagues in the HSE, and also with relevant specialists in the field of reproductive medicine. This will include consideration of additional funding requirements which may ensue from any proposed expansion of the initiative.
It should be noted that supports previously available to patients who access IVF, or other AHR treatment, privately, whereby tax relief on the costs involved can be claimed under the tax relief for medical expenses scheme, continues to be provided.
In addition, a defined list of fertility medicines needed for fertility treatment is covered under the High Tech Arrangements administered by the HSE. Medicines covered by the High Tech Arrangements must be prescribed by a consultant/specialist and authorised for supply to the client’s nominated community pharmacy by the High Tech Hub managed by the Primary Care Reimbursement Service. The cost of the medicines is then covered, as appropriate, under the client’s eligibility, i.e., Medical Card or Drugs Payment Scheme. The annual cost to the State of the financial support for these medicines is far from insignificant.
I want to reassure the Deputy that my Department and the Government are focused, through the full implementation of the Model of Care for Fertility, on ensuring that patients receive care at the appropriate level of clinical intervention and then those requiring, and eligible for, advanced AHR treatment such as IVF will be able to access same through the most effective deployment of finite public resources.
2415. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health if she will recognise road-traffic collision and fatality data as public health data, given that such data relates to preventable deaths and injuries that cluster at identifiable locations; and if she will support the routine sharing and publication of anonymised, collision location data for prevention and research purposes, in line with the April 2024 guidance of the Data Protection Commissioner. [1468/26]
View answerPublic health data involves collecting, analysing and using health-related statistics for population health improvement. This data helps towards understanding health trends, monitoring disease effectively, evaluating services, informing policy, and improving public health outcomes. Matters relating to road safety and specifically road-traffic collision and fatality data, are the responsibility of the Minister for Transport.
