Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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17. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on the child poverty and well-being unit. [17376/24]

Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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18. To ask the Taoiseach to provide an update on the work of the child poverty and well-being unit. [17527/24]

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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19. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on the child poverty and well-being unit. [17708/24]

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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20. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on the work of the child poverty and well-being programme office. [17781/24]

Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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21. To ask the Taoiseach if he will provide an update on the work of the child poverty and well-being programme office. [17997/24]

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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22. To ask the Taoiseach if he will provide an update on the work of the child poverty and well-being programme office. [18000/24]

Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent)
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23. To ask the Taoiseach if he will provide an update on the work of the new unit in his Department to tackle child poverty. [18272/24]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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24. To ask the Taoiseach to provide an update on the work of the child poverty and well-being programme office. [20457/24]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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25. To ask the Taoiseach to provide an update on the work of the child poverty and well-being programme office. [20460/24]

Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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26. To ask the Taoiseach to provide an update on the work of the child poverty and well-being programme office. [20463/24]

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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27. To ask the Taoiseach if he will provide an update on the work of the new unit in his Department to tackle child poverty. [20535/24]

Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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28. To ask the Taoiseach if he will provide an update on the work of the new unit in his Department to tackle child poverty. [20567/24]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 to 28, inclusive, together.

The child poverty and well-being programme office was established in the Department of the Taoiseach in 2023 in order to make sure we prioritise children, particularly vulnerable children, and to make sure they get a real chance to realise their own potential. "From Poverty to Potential: A Programme Plan for Child Well-being 2023-2025" was published last year. It is the initial programme plan for the child poverty and well-being programme office in the Department of the Taoiseach. The programme plan takes a focused approach on six key areas which have the potential to bring about significant change for children and their families. These are income supports and joblessness; early learning and childcare; reducing the cost of education; family homelessness; consolidating and integrating public health, family and parental assistance, and well-being services; and enhancing participation in culture, arts and sport for children and young people affected by poverty. The programme is intended to be a living and dynamic document. If we need to, we will revisit our priorities to make sure we are focusing on those things that will really make a difference.

The role of the Department of the Taoiseach is to co-ordinate and focus Government action. To help facilitate this, the programme office has established a cross-Government network on child poverty and well-being. Three network meetings have taken place so far. The office will also host an inaugural child poverty and well-being summit on 23 May 2024 in Dublin Castle. As well as focusing on implementation of Government commitments across the six key areas, the office is undertaking a small number of strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing the efficiency and efficacy of cross-Government responses. The first of these was a commitment to focusing on children and their families who are experiencing poverty in budget 2024. The programme office applied a cross-Government approach that culminated in the development of the report "Breaking the Cycle: New Measures in Budget 2024 to Reduce Child Poverty and Promote Well-being". This was published last November. The programme office is building on this work and will seek to support and deepen the focus on child poverty and well-being in budget 2025.

I believe we absolutely can transform the lives of children and families, and that we must give every child the best possible start in life. Achieving this is not only the right thing to do for children, but it is also essential for protecting social cohesion, empowering vibrant communities and for securing our long-term economic future.

Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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There are 5,631 single parents in this country currently relying on the working family payment and the one parent family payment. These single parents are entitled to claim both payments if they meet both sets of qualifying criteria. As the Taoiseach is aware, single parents are already at a much higher risk of poverty. These payments are vital to allow families clothe and feed their children and pay for all the day-to-day expenses that come with children. However, when the youngest child in these families reaches the age of seven, these 5,631 families risk falling off a financial cliff. When their youngest reaches this age, a single parent will lose their one parent family payment. Most people who no longer qualify for a one parent family payment will then transfer to the jobseeker's transitional payment. However, working family payment is not payable with jobseeker's transitional payment, leading to a substantial cut in income for these families. As the research tells us, these families are already vulnerable to increases in the cost of living, the cost of eating, the cost of just keeping the show on the road. What does the Taoiseach propose to do to support these families?

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I have already brought up the issue of the chaotic circumstances we find in respect of the context this question refers to, the specific issues we have to deal with and the supports that are not there if we are talking about the council, Tusla or the Garda in dealing with these matters. I heard the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, talk about a plan to run over the next several years, but we need more detail on targeted family supports so we can get in early and deal with these issues rather than needing the nuclear options, unfortunately, when this does not happen.

I had also hoped to bring up under SET allocations in a previous question the matter of Bay Estate, my local school, and the lost hours and that of Scoil Naomh Lorcan in Omeath. The principal has written to me. There is an appeal process but my fear is everyone will be in such an appeal process. If complex needs are not being taken into account, this will be another issue in itself.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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I thank the Deputy.

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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You can imagine what the principal said. It is the loss of hours. What began several years ago at 47.5 hours has now reduced to 40 hours. This is impacting on the school's ability to deal with the kids who need this support the most.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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I would like to raise the issue of childcare again. I have spoken about this issue here for the past two years, specifically problems with ECCE-only providers, especially in smaller or more rural communities, and how providers who provide only this service are particularly vulnerable under funding models and so on. My specific issue today concerns baby rooms. Living in Glanmire, which is a large suburb where many people have come in from far and wide to work in pharma, the hospitals and so on, there is an acute shortage of baby rooms for children under 18 months. This is not just the case in Glanmire but right across the board. The regulation in this regard and the number of children who can be fitted into the one room mean it is difficult and onerous for many providers to provide this service. This is something I would like to flag here. I think a particular focus needs to be placed on these providers in the coming months.

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I raise the issue of school places, especially for ASD units, and parents paying to get their children assessed. Several people have come into my clinic who cannot get their children assessed. These people are borrowing from credit unions and their own parents. The cost of getting assessments has gone so high that they are really under pressure. The CSO indicators show that 15.2% of children live at risk of poverty, and with 190,000 children, a child in one in every seven households experiences poverty. We now have a situation where it is just not possible to get children assessed because there is no one there to assess them. Families are trying to get children assessed privately.

Another issue I wish to contribute on concerns the new childminding regulations and the concerns in this regard. I have spoken to several childminders in recent weeks. There was a 12-week consultation. I did ask the Minister, Roderic O'Gorman, for extra time, but the consultation closed on 2 May and he did not extend it. The regulations in this regard do not reflect the reality of childminding and how it works. More than 300 childminders registered and yet there was no consultation, as such, and no information provided. Childminders are not happy. We must really look at this matter.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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I thank the Deputy.

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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As the Taoiseach knows, there are no crèche places available in the country and our childminders provide a great service. I thank the Taoiseach so much.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Here is a human story of how policy failure forces children into homelessness. Amy and her husband both work. She works in a supermarket and he works for Dublin Bus. They have three children, one of whom has special needs and has, incidentally, been waiting for an assessment for months and months. They are about to be evicted on 24 June through no fault of their own because the property is being sold, the tenant in situ scheme is not an option, and they are currently living in a HAP tenancy. If they go into emergency accommodation, they will no longer get HAP because they will be over the threshold. People in HAP tenancies are allowed to go over the threshold, just like those in social housing are allowed to go over the threshold. If people end up homeless, though, it is not possible to get HAP and they are trapped. Amy is saying now that she is going to have to give up her job. Our policy failures are literally driving people and their children into homelessness. I have raised this matter with the Taoiseach before. For Amy, it is very urgent. These anomalies must be addressed. Will the Taoiseach do so as a matter of urgency?

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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The link between child well-being and young people being active and playing sports is extremely well established. For young people to be able to play sports, though, we need sports facilities in local communities. We do not currently have the facilities we should have right across the country. I will give one example from the area where I live in Kingswood. It is a place where about 4,000 people live. There are about 16 or more local sports clubs. Most of them, though, have to go outside the area to train. There are four tennis courts in the middle of the estate but these have fallen into disrepair and have not been used for years. The community has come together in a very active campaign to have a sports facility hub in place of the tennis courts that are unused and in disrepair. A detailed plan has been devised. The sports clubs, the residents association and the community centre have all come together behind this plan and agreed to do all the related work. There is a specific local objective for it in the local development plan.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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I thank the Deputy.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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What is missing is funding. Does the Taoiseach agree that facilities like these need to be properly funded?

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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I am stepping in to ask this question on behalf of Deputy Bríd Smith. I need the Taoiseach to clarify a point for me. More than 150 children lost out when the Before 5 childcare facility in Churchfield on the northside of Cork city closed suddenly last August. Before 5 had served the surrounding communities for 50 years. Three months ago, the organisation chosen to restart a not-for-profit facility at the site wrote to the Minister, Deputy Michael McGrath, and the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, among others, identifying the need for fresh funding, including €350,000 for capital works to allow a reopening. Some 15 minutes ago, the Taoiseach said the Minister is bringing forward that capital funding. When he says this, is he saying that the Minister is bringing forward the full amount that will allow the reopening? I ask the Taoiseach to clarify this point.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Yes.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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Many parents on the northside of Cork city are hanging on his answer here and are in very difficult circumstances and need this place reopened as soon as possible.

Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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In terms of the well-being of children, I wish to ask the Taoiseach about Gaelcholáiste Reachrann in Donaghmede. It has highly committed staff who do an excellent job. It was founded in 2001, and 23 years later the students are still being taught in prefabs. This is in stark contrast to many other schools that have opened since and for which permanent school buildings have been provided. Planning permission for new buildings was granted originally in 2017, but seven years later permanent school buildings are still being awaited. When will the students of Gaelcholáiste Reachrann get the permanent school facilities they need?

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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I wish to tell the Taoiseach about a 14-year-old boy from my constituency. This young man had braces fitted in the orthodontic clinic in Louth County Hospital last October. In December, however, his family were told this young man's dentist had resigned and there would be a lengthy waiting period for his next appointment. He had his braces tightened but was then informed he was no longer attached to an orthodontist and would therefore not be given any further appointments. In fact, his mother was told only last week that he is not even on a waiting list. He has, essentially, been left mid-treatment without an orthodontist. His parents are deeply concerned. The young lad now has a large gap in his teeth. Normally, he was a confident and outgoing young fella but now he is very self-conscious. He covers his mouth when he is speaking and has become withdrawn and reluctant to get involved in activities he used to love. This is not the only child in this situation. In fact, I am told there are 100 other children and young people in the same position. Will the Taoiseach engage with the Minister for Health and ensure this issue is addressed urgently for these children?

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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We are leaving the Taoiseach with under a minute to respond. Can we take three minutes from the final batch of questions to allow the Taoiseach to respond?

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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Yes.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Is that agreed? Agreed.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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To Deputy Tully, regarding the point she made about the working family payment and the one-parent family and the challenges she outlined that present when the youngest child reaches the age of seven, these are matters we consider in the context of the budget. We have taken several measures to help remove poverty traps and cliff edges. We have also tried to take a number of measures, including cost-of-living measures, specifically targeted at families most in need, including double payments, lump-sum payments, etc. I will raise the specific issue the Deputy mentioned, however, with the Minister for Social Protection for consideration by her in the context of the upcoming Estimates.

In reply to Deputy Ó Murchú, on the special education teaching allocations he raised for the schools in County Louth, I will ask the Minister for Education to look at them and come back to him. There is, as the Deputy said, an appeals process, but I take the point about the stress and worry that can cause for people. I agree with his broader point around the need for targeted interventions. I heard him speak about this in the House before in terms of community interventions that can make a real difference to people before situations become more challenging.

To Deputy O'Sullivan, I will speak directly to the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, about the baby room shortages in Glanmire, the specific challenges faced by ECCE-only providers in rural communities and the need to consider that in the context of the funding model.

To Deputy Murnane O'Connor, I know the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, received money in the budget that she worked very hard for in terms of trying to support families who have to pay for assessments. I have discussed this with the Minister of State recently. I would hope we could see clarity shortly on how that scheme would work, because there are families depending on it, including the Deputy's constituents.

On the new childminding regulations, we have to remind ourselves what we are trying to do here. We are trying to get subsidies to parents who are using childminding, just as a person whose child is in a crèche gets them. It is unfair that subsidies are available in respect of children in crèches but not for those with childminders. That is the policy objective. To advance that policy objective, we need to have a degree of regulation to enable State funding. However, I also agree we cannot turn people's homes into crèches or measure sitting rooms in odd peculiar ways. We have to be flexible on this. The Minister gets the importance of this, so the draft regulations are indeed a draft. I assure the Deputy the concerns will be addressed, or I certainly hope they will be addressed, before we see final regulations.

In reply to Deputy Boyd Barrett who has given me some correspondence, we have spoken about the case of Amy and I will revert to him in that regard.

In reply to Deputy Murphy, that sounds like a very good project in Kingswood. The answer I would give is that the sports capital funding should be an avenue with the local authority. We will be making sports capital allocations, probably around October and certainly in the autumn of this year. Sports capital funding is largely annual now. There is a great deal of money in it - hundreds of millions of euro. I advise that that might be a route forward.

In response to Deputy Barry on childminding, the point I was making from my note was that €90 million has been allocated to the Department from 2023 to 2026 in regard to capital investment to increase capacity. In 2024, €18 million was made available to support existing services to increase their capacity. However, a further capital funding scheme will be launched later this year focused on larger extension projects for services also in place for one- to three-year-olds. I am happy to take a look at the specific case in Cork and to ask the Minister to engage directly with Deputy Barry.

In response to Deputy O'Callaghan in regard to Gaelcholáiste Reachrann in Donaghmede and the long time classes have spent in prefabs, we allocated quite a lot of additional capital to the Minister for Education. I will ask her what that means for Gaelcholáiste Reachrann and ask her to write to the Deputy.

In response to Deputy Carthy, specifically that very difficult situation for the young person he referenced and others, I will engage, as he asked me to, with the Minister for Health.