Written Answers Nos. 1018-1034
1018. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the development of a successor to the National Maternity Strategy 2016-2026; if she will hold a public consultation to inform its development; if so, the manner in which this public consultation will be held; if there will be an open call for submissions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45900/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Maternity Strategy - Creating a Better Future Together 2016 - 2026 is in its final year.
Over 98% of the National Maternity Strategy actions are complete or in progress. This represents significant reform since 2016.
The Government is committed to ensuring maternity services are providing safe, nationally consistent, woman-centred care. Since the launch of the National Maternity Strategy in 2016, maternity services have been transformed through the progressive implementation of all 77 recommendations, and the 236 associated actions. Work is ongoing to ensure full completion of the Strategy in 2026.
We will continue to drive improvement of our maternity services, as outlined across a number of Programme for Government commitments, including a commitment to develop a successor to the current National Maternity Strategy.
Determining the future direction for maternity services will require a strong and comprehensive evidence base. A review and evaluation of the current Strategy will provide an important starting point. This will be carried out alongside the ongoing work on outstanding actions to be completed in the Strategy’s final year.
The HSE's National Women and Infant's Health Programme (NWIHP) are currently reviewing the implementation of the Strategy’s actions, which has included engagement with staff across our maternity services. A full assessment of the delivery of the Strategy will form a key part of the considerations for the successor to be delivered in 2027.
My Department will continue to work closely with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that the successor to the Strategy builds on the progress achieved to date and sets a clear and deliverable roadmap for the continued improvement of maternity services.
1019. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if her Department is aware of other areas of medicine which are not available in Irish private hospitals (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45905/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraPrivate health care providers are independent organisations and the Minister for Health has no remit over the range of services they provide.
1020. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if a consultant is still performing certain surgeries in a hospital (details supplied); if the clinical director nominated an appropriately qualified individual to the Independent Expert Review commissioned by the Serious Incident Review Team (SIRT) committee; if the Independent Expert Review has commenced; the timeline being worked towards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45906/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1021. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the manner in which consultants on public-only consultant contracts (POCC) and those on the non-POCC are rostered in the Rotunda Maternity Hospital, the National Maternity Hospital and the Coombe Hospital during the week and at weekends; if separate rosters are in place during both the week and the weekend (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45907/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs these issues relate to operational matters, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.
1022. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the amount of the €9.33 million CHO4 pay overspend in 2024 attributable separately to agency expenditure and overtime expenditure, by care group.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45908/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1023. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of funded posts that remained vacant within CHO4 in Older Persons Services and Mental Health Services at the end of 2024, by grade. [45909/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1024. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the total expenditure on agency staff within CHO4 in each year from 2020 to 2025, by care group. [45910/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra“As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.”
1025. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health if she will commit to investment to deliver a neurology service for Tipperary University Hospital (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45916/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs of 2026, decisions on the utilisation, prioritisation and reprioritisation of resources are at the discretion of the HSE Regional Executive Officers in alignment with the priorities set out in the HSE 2026 National Service Plan. This is within an overarching framework to remain within both budget and WTE limit. In that regard I have referred your question to the HSE for consideration and direct response to
1026. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if she will provide a copy of an audit (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45940/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1027. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the national governance and reporting framework that will be put in place to oversee implementation of the public only consultant contract, as recommended by a HSE internal audit; the oversight, reporting and accountability mechanisms that will be established; the timeline being worked towards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45941/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1028. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the implementation of the HSE’s integrated financial management system (IFMS) in voluntary organisations; the Section 38 acute hospitals in which the IFMS is already operational; the timeline for full implementation across all Section 38 acute hospitals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45944/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1029. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Health the timeframe for the completion of the new ambulance base at Recess, County Galway, including key milestones and the expected date of operational readiness; the level of ambulance services planned to be operated from the base, including staffing levels, number of ambulance units, hours of operation, the catchment area it will serve; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45945/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1031. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if she will consider the financial hardship and give favourable consideration towards increasing SUSI grants in respect of two students (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45138/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe main support available to students is the statutory based Student Grant Scheme which is administered by SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland). Under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the awarding authority, SUSI to determine.
An official from my Department has advised that the first student referred to by the Deputy has been awarded the non-adjacent Special Rate of Maintenance Grant, together with 100% Student Contribution/Tuition Fees, as applicable. This is the highest rate of grant available and cannot be improved on.
The student's sibling referred to by the Deputy has been awarded the Full Non-Adjacent Standard Band 1 Rate of Maintenance Grant, together with 100% Student Contribution/Tuition Fees, as applicable as combined income of student and parent were over the income threshold for the Special rate of Grant.
A letter was sent to the student on 28 April 2026 advising them of the award. However, as advised to the student in the letter from SUSI, when both siblings are registered on their course for the 2026/2027 academic year, this student should immediately request a review of her application, by emailing support@susi.ie and in the subject line insert “Internal review” and attach a letter from sibling's higher education institution confirming that she is registered and attending college. Once confirmed, SUSI can apply the increment, which may improve the rate of grant this student is eligible for.
1032. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to expedite a SUSI grant application in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45139/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe main support available to students is the statutory based Student Grant Scheme which is administered by SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland). Under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means.
The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the awarding authority, SUSI to determine.
An official from my Department has advised that the student referred to by the Deputy first applied with their mother’s details declaring that she was separated. The applicant’s mother has the status of married with the Department of Social Protection and a statement provided by the applicant further confirms their parents’ marital status. A letter was issued to the applicant on the 9 June 2026; to advise they must reapply to SUSI with both of their parents’ details for the application to be progressed.
1033. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if studies have been carried out as to the demographic profile of those engaged in construction in Ireland; if he has concerns around the shortage of young people going into construction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45145/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraA number of Government strategies have highlighted the major demands on Ireland’s construction workforce across our national priorities. With this in mind, my Department commissioned a report to examine the skills and workforce required for national residential and infrastructure construction, as well as climate action targets.
The Report on a National Framework for Meeting Priority Construction Workforce Needs (“Report”), published in March, notes that multi-sector demand pressures mean that the challenge is amplified by overlapping infrastructure agendas, with housing, infrastructure and climate targets converging into a single timeframe.
While the Report does not detail the demographic profile of those engaged in construction in Ireland, it does outline the replacement demand. This would be job openings arising as existing workers leave the labour force (through retirement, illness, career change, or other permanent exits).
Workforce demand is calculated as ‘Expansion Demand’ plus ‘Replacement Demand,’ and this represents the total level of workforce recruitment required to both grow the workforce to the required size and fill vacancies left by those departing.
The Report’s modelling framework examines three workforce demand scenarios, reflecting alternative assumptions regarding how productivity improvements may reduce labour demand as implied by the policy targets:
• No Productivity Gains (Baseline Scenario): Assumes no improvement in output per worker.
• Trend Productivity Scenario (Moderate Gains): Assumes productivity grows at ~1.8% per year, reflecting the average annual improvement observed in 2018–2023.
• MMC-Driven Productivity Scenario (High Gains): Assumes an accelerated productivity boost due to widespread adoption of MMC.
A breakdown of expansion versus replacement demand shows a shift in the composition of labour needs between 2030 and 2040.
By 2030, additional requirements range from 98,400 in the MMC scenario to 135,300 under the no productivity gains scenario. Of this, between 63% and 72% is due to expansion demand, reflecting activity growth to meet policy targets.
By 2040, replacement demand becomes the dominant driver, accounting for the majority of additional headcount across all scenarios.
The long-run weight of replacement demand across scenarios highlights the impact of the earlier expansion, as the increase in workforce entries during the later part of this decade leads to a corresponding rise in exits in the subsequent decade, resulting in elevated replacement needs by 2040 irrespective of scenario.
If the Deputy would like to learn more, the full Report is available on the gov.ie website.
I agree it is vitally important that we attract more people into the construction sector. Construction must be seen for what it is: a modern, diverse, and rewarding sector. To that end, my Department is leading on promoting careers in construction and minimising barriers to entry.
Research undertaken by my Department found a lack of knowledge and understanding about the construction industry and the roles available, a poor perception of the working environment as well as a perception that construction is not suitable for women.
In response, we implemented the cross-sector Careers in Construction Action Plan. The Plan aimed to minimise barriers, promote career opportunities, and make construction jobs more attractive to women. Between 2023 and 2025, the Plan would have had a contributory effect on a 66% increase in women in construction, 15% increase in first preference CAO choices for construction courses, and a 19% increase in the construction workforce.
We are reaching out to our young people to show them the exciting reality of a career in this dynamic and diverse sector. Promotional activity has included the Building Heroes social media campaign, a documentary on careers in construction for second-level schools, a documentary on MMC hosted by Harrison Gardner which featured on Virgin Media One, and the Build Back Home campaign aimed at skilled Irish construction workers living abroad.
The Updated Careers in Construction Action Plan was published in January 2026 and has 80% more actions than the original Plan. It is designed to continue to support efforts to increase the number of people employed in the construction sector.
1034. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to outline any programmes to encourage young people into careers in construction. [45146/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI would like to thank Deputy Byrne for his interest in the work my Department is undertaking to encourage more young people into construction careers.
Over the last few years, a number of Government strategies – along with research commissioned by DFHERIS - have highlighted the major demands on Ireland’s construction workforce across Government priorities in housing, climate action, and other vital infrastructure
In response, my Department’s Careers in Construction Action Plan, launched in 2023, aimed to minimise barriers, promote career opportunities, and make construction jobs more attractive to women. Between 2023 and 2025, the plan would have had a contributory effect on a 66% increase in women in construction, 15% increase in first preference CAO choices for construction courses, and a 19% increase in the construction workforce.
Although trends are moving in the right direction, we need to do more to attract new entrants and converts to construction-related careers.
My Department has worked with industry partners, professional bodies, and training providers to develop the Updated Careers in Construction Action Plan, which redirects efforts in light of updated research, progress to date, alignment with the new Programme for Government, increased adoption of modern methods of construction (MMC), and expansion of the Working Group membership that supervises the implementation of the plan.
Launched in January 2026, the updated Plan has 36 actions – an 80% increase - spread across three broad themes:
1. Education and training
Actions include developing an iVET construction taster course; expanding the Skillnet MMC Accelerate platform; ensuring skills developed by the onsite labour force can be transferred into offsite facilities; developing new education pathways towards professional careers; and using appropriate online and app-based delivery.
2. Widening participation
Actions include ensuring gender-inclusive recruitment policies; holding events for under-represented and minority groups; providing mentoring programmes for female employees; identifying opportunities for eligible International Protection applicants; and developing a pilot training programme for prisoners.
3. Promotional effort
Actions include delivering national promotional campaigns; promoting conversion programmes; holding recruitment fairs; and promoting offsite manufacturing roles. To assist in the promotional goals of the Updated Careers in Construction Action Plan, €400,000 in funding was granted to DFHERIS for a range of campaign initiatives under the 2026 National Housing Plan Implementation Fund.
In relation to promotional activity, I would draw your attention in particular to the successful Building Heroes and Build Back Home campaigns, both of which will continue in 2026.
Building Heroes is a peer-to-peer social media initiative that aims to dispel myths about careers in construction. It features young apprentices, trainees and graduates sharing their experiences and showcasing the diversity of roles available.
In 2025, Building Heroes reached an audience of over 12.5 million people with its organic content, with over 11 million of this on TikTok. Overall, the campaign drove 8,553 visits to the Building Heroes website.
The Build Back Home campaign targets skilled Irish construction workers aged between 25 and 35 who are currently living abroad, encouraging their return to support domestic construction. Starting in 2024, it focused on Australia and Canada, the campaign uses digital, social, and out-of-home (OOH) media to maximise its reach among Irish audiences overseas.
Overall, the 2025 campaign drove 142,000 visits to gov.ie/buildingIreland website, primarily from Canada, Australia and the United States.
There are a number of other initiatives designed to encourage young people into careers in construction. For example, SOLAS recently launched the Safe Pass for Schools initiative. This partnership between SOLAS, Construction Industry Federation (CIF) and DFHERIS aim to inspire second-level students to explore opportunities within the construction sector, emphasising safety, diverse career paths, and entry routes. As part of the Safe Pass Programme, students will have access to a dedicated module that offers insights into apprenticeships, professional roles, and innovative construction techniques. This initiative not only supports the development of a skilled future workforce but also addresses current and projected skills shortages across the industry.
A vital strand of my Department’s efforts to equip Ireland’s workforce with the skills needed to deliver key housing and infrastructure targets lies in construction apprenticeships.
The Action Plan for Apprenticeships 2026-2030 is a Programme for Government commitment and is expected to be delivered later in 2026. The Plan will set a target of 12,500 new apprenticeship registrations per year, with two thirds of these in craft and construction related disciplines.
New construction apprenticeships launched this year include Level 8 Quantity Surveyor, Level 8 Civil Engineering, and Level 6 Road Surface Technology. Programmes currently in development include Level 6 Quantity Surveying, Level 7 Quantity Surveying and Level 6 Geospatial Survey Technician.
We need to encourage more women to explore apprenticeship pathways. To that end, Women Shaking Up the Future is the latest phase of the national Facts, Faces, Futures Initiative run by the National Apprenticeship Office. This campaign aims to inspire the next generation of young women in schools, as well as those already in the workforce considering a new direction. By showcasing real role models and real pathways, Shaking Up the Future encourages women everywhere to see apprenticeships as a route to opportunity, growth, and long-term success.
I would like to thank the Deputy for his interest in the programmes undertaken by my Department to encourage careers in construction.
Construction must be seen for what it is: a modern, diverse and rewarding sector. We are challenging outdated perceptions and opening the door to new talent, especially women, young people, and under-represented groups.
