Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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627. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he or the Minister of State will intervene to support an organisation (details supplied) with concerns regarding funding shortfalls; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9764/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Sensational Kids is a not-for-profit organisation delivering interventions to children over the last 10 years. It operates as a child development centre, providing subsidised therapy services for children and professional development training workshops for those working with children with special needs.

Sensational Kids employs approximately 30 staff, including a clinical team across child development centres in Kildare, Mayo, Monaghan and West Cork, providing supports such as occupational therapy, speech & language therapy and play therapy.

The HSE advises that it engaged with the CEO of Sensational Kids in 2023 and confirmed its commitment to working with them in supporting children with disabilities to access supports. Further meetings took place between both parties in 2023 and 2024 regarding a waitlist initiative for intervention and a building proposal for a National Child Development Centre and clarification was provided by the HSE regarding the steps and documentation that are required for completion of a capital submission.

To progress matters, it was agreed that the CEO of Sensational Kids would liaise with the Head of Disability Services in CHO 7 with a view towards progressing a Service Arrangement and providing assistance and support for developing a capital submission.

There has been significant engagement with Sensational Kids and HSE disability staff to agree the service required by the HSE in line with the CDNT model and the ability of the organisation to provide service with their existing staffing complement.

With respect to the National Child Development Centre, a meeting was held with Sensational Kids and with Capital and Estates from Dublin Midlands on the 5th February 2025 to discuss the Capital application process. At this meeting, Sensational Kids were advised in detail again about the capital application process and templates were shared with them and the HSE await the submission of an application to consider.

A meeting is planned by the HSE with Sensational Kids in due course to discuss their local service provision for the Kildare area.

The Minister acknowledges the importance of all agencies and organisations in the provision of services for children with disabilities and is supportive of the continuing efforts by the HSE to engage with Sensational Kids, and others, who seek to provide additional services for children with disabilities.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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628. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the funding that has been allocated to an organisation (details supplied) for both capital and current purposes for each of its centres at Kildare, Monaghan, Mayo and west Cork, in the years 2020-2024 inclusive, and allocated for 2025, in tabular form; if there are proposes to allocate further funding to these centres; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9765/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.