Marie Sherlock (Dublin Central, Labour)
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783. To ask the Minister for Health the number of new community beds provided for in Budget 2026. [56732/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Marie Sherlock (Dublin Central, Labour)
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784. To ask the Minister for Health if the 500 additional nursing homes places committed to in Budget 2026 will be in the public or private sector. [56733/25]

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS), commonly referred to as Fair Deal, is a system of financial support for people who require long-term residential care. Participants contribute to the cost of their care according to their means while the State pays the balance of the cost.

Budget 2026 provides for an additional €92 million increase for the Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS) to expand services, meet rising costs and improve quality.

This investment provides for an estimated increase of 500 clients in the NHSS scheme for 2026. There are currently in excess of 24,000 participants in the scheme. The Scheme aims to ensure that long-term residential care, whether that is provided by the private/voluntary sector or the public sector, remains accessible and affordable for everyone and that people continue to be cared for in the most appropriate settings.

Marie Sherlock (Dublin Central, Labour)
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785. To ask the Minister for Health the number of new acute hospital beds provided for in Budget 2026. [56734/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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For 2026, 172 new acute beds are planned to open, alongside the construction of four new surgical hubs in Galway, Limerick, Cork, and Waterford.

In addition, we will expand Virtual Acute Wards across five sites, supporting more flexible, home-based care for patients who would otherwise require hospital admission. The five sites are: Galway, Mercy, St Luke's Kilkenny, Drogheda and Tullamore.

Marie Sherlock (Dublin Central, Labour)
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786. To ask the Minister for Health if the Laura Brennan programme will be restarted as part of the Budget 2026 public health initiative to increase immunisation. [56735/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The Laura Brennan HPV Catch-up Vaccination Programme ran from December 2022 to December 2023.

Increasing vaccination uptake rates in the routine HPV vaccination programme is vital in order for Ireland to achieve elimination of cervical cancer by its target date of 2040. The World Health Organisation has set a target for all countries to ensure that 90% of girls are vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by the age of 15 years.

The ages at which vaccines are recommended in the immunisation schedule are recommended by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC), in order to give each child the best possible protection against vaccine preventable diseases. As the HPV vaccine is a preventative measure, it is intended to be administered, if possible, before a person becomes exposed to HPV infection. Therefore, the gender-neutral HPV vaccination programme targets all girls and boys in first year of secondary school.

In 2025, the HSE is running a pilot programme which will focus on improving the HPV vaccination rates among underserved communities, including Traveller, Roma and migrant groups living in Ireland. The pilot will provide access to targeted information and support that facilitates these groups to make an informed choice in relation to vaccination.

In July 2025, I agreed to put in place an HPV catch up vaccination programme in schools for older school students who had missed out on getting the vaccine in first year. The HSE is also currently exploring options to identify a suitable delivery model for those aged under 25 who have left school. Funding and resources from Budget 2026 will be considered as part of the preparation of the HSE National Service Plan for 2026.