Written Answers Nos. 548-559
549. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health whether implementation of the Diabetes Policy and Services Review: A strategy for Better Care has been identified as a Ministerial priority within the HSE National Service Plan and Estimates process for 2027; if new funding will be provided in Budget 2027 to support the implementation of the strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48717/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
550. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the former health clinic at Camolin, County Wexford. [48741/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
551. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Health the psychological and counselling services that are available to women across the country contemplating termination of pregnancy. [48742/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe HSE’s ‘My Options’ freephone helpline became operational in January 2019 for anyone experiencing an unplanned pregnancy.
My Options is staffed by professionally trained counsellors. The ethos of the service is client centred, and counsellors take their lead from the person contacting them for information and support.
Supports and information provided by My Options counsellors include:
• listening support for anyone who is going through an unplanned pregnancy
• information on how to access abortion services
• medical support from an experienced nurse following an abortion
• counselling over the phone for the woman, her partner or other family member
• contact information for in-person or online counselling
• information on the supports available if the woman wishes to continue with the pregnancy.
In 2025 My Options responded to a total of 15,656 calls and webchats. This included 11,423 calls and 1,320 Webchat contacts for information and counselling; and 2,913 calls for medical support to the Nursing Service.
552. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the development of an additional CAMHS team to serve north Wexford. [48743/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the deputy directly as soon as possible.
553. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Health the total number of GP doctors operating in each county at present and compared with five years ago; and the future projected numbers given the increase in the number of places in medicine, in tabular form. [48744/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to reply to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.
Please note that as GPs are private practitioners, accordingly it may only be possible for the HSE to respond in relation to HSE contracted GPs.
554. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Health the total number of dentists operating in each county at present and compared with five years ago; and the future projected number, in tabular form. [48745/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
555. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Health the total number of opticians operating in each county at present and compared with five years ago; and the future projected number, in tabular form. [48746/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
556. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Health if she has been notified of any data breaches or cyberattacks by section 39 organisations operating under the auspices of her Department or the HSE; and the supports that are in place to support such organisations. [48747/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraRecognising the significant number of section 39 agencies that provide various levels of health and social care services and the variation within them as to the extent to which they leverage digital solutions to provide services, officials in my department have not been notified directly of any material breaches or cyber attacks on Section 39 agencies. The HSE has also confirmed they they have not been affected in any material way by issues that may have arisen within section 39 agencies. In practice, the primary focus for building cyber resilience across the health service is in the HSE, large voluntary hospitals and other section 38 agencies. The section 39 organisations have responsibility to manage cyber attacks and data breaches under existing regulations. The role of the HSE is to ensure that where and if they have digital connections with section 39 agencies (as is the case for all 3rd parties the HSE interacts with) that the necessary precautions and processes are in place to avoid contagion and limit the impact, in the case of such an incident.
557. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of complaints made by his Department to social media or online marketing companies about specific online posts or accounts for each year from 2020 to 2025, and to date in 2026. [48614/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has made no complaints to social media or online marketing companies about specific online posts or accounts.
558. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the supports in place for mature students with jobs who are looking to further their qualifications; his plans ahead of Budget 2027 negotiations for additional support for mature students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48696/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is committed to supporting flexible forms of learning and there are a number of schemes in operation to support part-time and mature students.
The Student Part-Time Fee Scheme for Specified Undergraduate Courses was introduced for the first time in September 2024 to provide fee support to eligible part-time students attending specified publicly funded undergraduate courses leading to a major award. Statutory Instrument No. 99 of 2026 outlines the courses which are approved for funding in 2026/27. SUSI administer the Part-Time Scheme on behalf of the Department. The Scheme opened for new applications in April 2026 and further details of how to apply for approved courses are available on the SUSI website.
The Scheme applies to both in-person and blended/hybrid courses and was developed with the aim of providing support for more flexible forms of learning to students who are considered underrepresented in Higher Education.
Additional supports for part-time learners outside of the Part-Time Scheme include Springboard+ and the Micro-credential Learner Fee Subsidy.
Springboard+ was established in 2011 and continues to play a vital role in expanding access to higher education by offering flexible, work focused learning opportunities to adult learners across the country, including those currently employed, self-employed, unemployed or returning to the workforce. It complements the core State-funded education and training system and provides free, 50% or 90% funded upskilling and reskilling higher education opportunities in areas of identified skills need. In March 2026, I launched Springboard+ 2026, which is providing over 7,000 places on 244 courses, 16 of these being micro-credentials, offering 387 places.
Aligned with national skills priorities, Springboard+ supports individuals to upskill or reskill in high-demand areas such as ICT, cybersecurity and sustainability. The programme continues to evolve, with the inclusion of micro-credentials in 2025, providing additional flexible targeted learning aligned with industry needs.
The Micro-credential Learner Fee Subsidy has played a big role in enabling higher education institutions to offer a range of micro-credential courses in an enterprise-focused flexible lifelong learning format.
The Micro-credential Learner Fee Subsidy was introduced under Human Capital Initiative (HCI) Pillar 3 in February 2024 and continued until October 2025. The subsidy, available to those currently employed, self-employed, unemployed or returning to the workforce, has supported the development and uptake of micro-credentials across key skills areas. These areas include Artificial Intelligence, Biopharma, Construction, Cyber Security, Engineering, ICT and Finance, with over 6,600 learners availing of the subsidy across more than 600 micro-credential courses.
The 2026 Micro-credential Learner Fee Subsidy was launched on 20th May 2026. 179 micro-credentials have been made available offering 3,881 places, subsidised at 80%, across 26 higher education institutions nationwide. More than 50% of the approved micro-credentials focus on digital skills, supporting the objectives of the National Digital and AI Strategy and helping to build a more agile and adaptable workforce.
In addition to Springboard+, Further Education and Training (FET) is available on a flexible basis, including on evenings and weekends. FET is available in every community in Ireland and courses are either free or heavily subsidised. There are also non-financial supports in FET, aimed at supporting access for diverse learner groups. For example, there is a dedicated Adult Education Guidance and Information Service in each Education and Training Board (ETB). ETBs deliver courses in a variety of formats, including part-time, so that learners can undertake courses and acquire certification at their own pace, around their work, family and other commitments and needs.
My Department will keep the policies surrounding support for part-time and mature students under review. However, any future expansion of the parameters of support 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.
559. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the steps taken to review the eligibility criteria for the town and village renewal scheme, in line with the Programme for Government commitment to allow towns with populations over 10,000 to apply; whether revised criteria will be in place for the next call for applications; the expected timeline for any changes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48817/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Town and Village Renewal Scheme was introduced in 2016 and is designed to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout Ireland. Since the launch of the scheme, more than €210 million has been allocated to over 1,900 projects. Delivered in partnership with local authorities, the scheme primarily targets funding at rural areas with populations of less than 10,000 people, though towns with populations of up to 15,000 are eligible where the application is of high quality, cost-effective and would provide significant local benefits.
It is my intention to ensure that schemes such as the Town and Village Renewal Scheme are using available funding in the most efficient and effective manner. With this in mind, and in line with the commitments in the Programme for Government, the terms and conditions of each scheme are reviewed before the launch of each call for proposals.
It is my intention to launch the next iteration of the Town and Village Renewal Scheme later this year and in advance of the launch I will examine the approach to eligible towns, including towns with populations over 10,000 as referenced by the Deputy.
It is also of note that under the umbrella of the Town Centre First policy, a range of funding supports are available to local authorities to support larger and more urban settlements. This includes the Thrive scheme and the Towns and Cities Regeneration Investment Fund which is funded by the Department for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
