Children waiting over four months will be able to travel for spinal surgery abroad in 2025
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Any child waiting more than four months for spinal surgery will be able to travel abroad for treatment in the new year.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly is to update his Cabinet colleagues on measures that will allow children to access procedures overseas if it is clinically suitable to them to travel.
Those travelling will be provided with business class flights for the child and one adult, with the State also covering the cost of accommodation, travel insurance, and expenses incurred.
It is expected that 557 spinal procedures will be carried out across Children's Health Ireland and the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh by the end of the year — an increase of 93 on 2023.
Mr Donnelly will also tell Cabinet that additional spinal surgeons and staff will be hired to meet future needs, once the existing backlog is cleared.
Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue will update Cabinet on a plan to boost the number of young people involved in farming, through the establishment of a Commission on Generation Renewal in Farming.
Just 7% of farmers are under the age of 35, and more than 30% working in the sector are over 65.
Finance Minister Jack Chambers is to confirm the transfer of €4bn into the Future Ireland Fund, which will come directly from windfall tax revenues.
In what will be a busy Cabinet meeting, the Government will give formal backing to Portmarnock Golf Club’s proposal to host both the Open and Women’s Open, which would bring up to 250,000 spectators to Dublin.
Separately, Enterprise Minister Peter Burke is to bring proposals on a new SME test — whereby future legislation and Government policy must be tested to see how they will impact on small and medium enterprises.
It will require departments to propose alternative policies or mitigating measures to minimise the impact of changes on SMEs.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin will update ministers on the Government's approach to the Occupied Territories Bill, which will seek approval for a review to create a legal pathway forward in line with the Constitution and EU law.
Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien will bring two memos on the defective blocks remediation scheme, the first of which will add Sligo County Council to the scheme.
The other memo will increase the over all maximum support from €420,000 to €462,000.