Written answers
Monday, 8 September 2025
Department of Children, Disability and Equality
- Health Service Executive
1856. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will request a review of the amount of the financial contribution being sought by the HSE under the fair deal scheme in... - Health Services Staff
1857. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her views on the employment of nine additional senior physiotherapists to assist those with multiple sclerosis and other... - Children in Care
1858. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the last review into the foster carers allowance took place; the steps her Department have taken to review the foster carers... - Departmental Data
1859. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide information (details supplied) in relation to children's disability network teams in CHO3, in tabular form; and... - Departmental Schemes
1860. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to estimate the full year cost of reintroducing the mobility allowance scheme phased out in 2011 (details supplied). [47494/25] - Disability Services
1861. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide a funding scheme for the construction of purpose built residential units for adults with disabilities. [44451/25] - Care Services
1862. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide a funding scheme for the construction of purpose built day services centres for adults with disabilities. [44452/25] - Early Childhood Care and Education
1863. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when she will publish the findings and recommendations of the Advisory Group on Administrative and Regulatory Simplification for... - Rights of the Child
1864. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the actions his Department will take in advance of Ireland ratifying the Second Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the... - Care Services
1865. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 261 of 2 April 2025, the reason the Department has not conducted an audit comparing the... - Disability Services
1866. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to establish an Ombudsman for Disability (details supplied) given that at least 22% of the population is living with a disability... - Departmental Data
1867. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of monthly applications received by the Decision Support Service for decision-making assistance agreements since the... - Departmental Reviews
1871. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when a review of the Decision Support Service is scheduled to take place to ensure it is fit for purpose and serving the needs of... - Disability Services
1872. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an update on plans to introduce the new European disability card; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44621/25] - Disabilities Assessments
1873. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the status of an application for assessment of need for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the... - Parental Leave
1874. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason widowed parents are not entitled to any additional parental leave in recognition of the fact that they are parenting... - Employment Rights
1875. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the reason for deductions made to pay for persons (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter.... - Departmental Reviews
1876. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when her Department expects to complete and publish its review of the study ‘PLACES | Pregnancy Loss (under 24 weeks) in... - Departmental Strategies
1877. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the next National Strategy for Women and Girls will be published. [44702/25] - Mother and Baby Homes
1878. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to ensure that all affected people in receipt of a medical card as part of the mother and baby homes and county homes... - Disabilities Assessments
1879. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children awaiting a first assessment from the HSE under the Disability Act 2005 for each local health office area in... - Disability Services
1880. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will review correspondence regarding funding (details supplied); if she will address the concerns raised; and if she will... - Departmental Funding
1881. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will review correspondence (details supplied); the appropriate actions that may be taken; and if she will make a statement... - Mother and Baby Homes
1883. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide a weekly progress update and schedule of expected milestones for the forensic excavation of the Tuam mother and baby... - Childcare Services
1885. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures in place to stop childcare providers from withdrawing from core funding, the reason there are no emergency measures to... - Residential Institutions
1886. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for a breakdown of the average cost of an adult residential placement provided privately, by section 38 and by section 39... - Employment Rights
1887. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she plans to introduce pay parity between section 38 and section 39 workers; and if she will make a statement on the matter.... - Maternity Leave
1888. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the programme for Government’s commitment to introduce paid surrogacy leave, including the expected... - Mental Health Services
1889. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children awaiting psychological treatment in County Kerry, in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in... - Departmental Data
1892. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an updated national breakdown of average monthly childcare costs, by county; her views on recent reports that... - Child and Family Agency
1894. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will initiate an independent operational and financial review of Tusla in light of its reported €68 million budget... - Childcare Services
1895. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if Budget 2026 will include targeted investment to reduce childcare costs, given recent reports showing that average childcare... - Budget 2026
1896. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will outline, in the context of Budget 2026, whether the proposed additional investment in childcare will be directed solely... - Child and Family Agency
1897. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to confirm Tusla’s projected budget overrun for 2025; to provide a breakdown of the reported €67.8 million... - Childcare Services
1898. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will include in the 2026-2027 core funding contract, new rules to regulate childcare deposits that would stipulate a maximum... - Parental Leave
1899. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has given consideration to providing additional maternity, paternity or parents leave and benefit to parents who... - Childcare Services
1901. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the action that will be taken to tackle the core funding scheme for childcare being so dysfunctional (details supplied); and if she... - Departmental Data
1902. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of early learning and childcare services that exited or declined core funding by county and service type in 2025 to... - Childcare Services
1904. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality following implementation of the September 2025 fee cap, if she will provide details of the maximum capped fees by hours band... - Early Childhood Care and Education
1906. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the additional core funding provision being made to offset the sectoral pay floor increase to €15 an hour and related grade... - Special Educational Needs
1908. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if Health Service Executive disability services in the Dublin north city & west (IHA DNCW) area can receive an additional... - Departmental Data
1909. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality in view of the reported 16,593 children awaiting completion of disability assessments, if she will provide a breakdown of the... - Care Services
1910. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the commitments or guarantees that will be put in place for community or voluntary providers of new residential care beds that the... - Disability Services
1911. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her attention has been drawn to the funding pressure point that a disability organisation (details supplied) is facing in... - Care Services
1912. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the plans in place to increase capacity for residential care outlined in the NASS database for 2000 individuals with immediate need... - Departmental Properties
1913. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide a list of all unused properties, lands and buildings, under the ownership or control of her Department within County... - Departmental Funding
1914. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to award optimum core funding of €240,000 for all 121 family resource centres, to enable each centre to have three core... - Family Resource Centres
1915. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to award funding to family resource centres to allow them to expand their counselling and wraparound supports, through shared... - Psychological Assessments
1917. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if a person (details supplied) can access psychological services to get an essential psychological report for entry into post... - Online Safety
1918. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality in light of the obligations under Article 8 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Anti-Money Laundering... - Disability Services
1919. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to review correspondence (details supplied), the timeframe for the delivery of this day service; and if she will make a statement... - Early Childhood Care and Education
1920. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will reverse the new ECCE compliance requirement, introduced on 10 June 2025, obliging providers to store children’s... - Disability Services
1921. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if the terms of the Statement of Purpose for counties Cavan and Monaghan currently excludes adults with mild intellectual... - Special Educational Needs
1930. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will review the lack of external oversight or appeals process when children are expelled from ECCE-funded preschools,... - Disability Services
1933. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of WTE dietitians, by grade based at Leitrim-west Cavan children's disability network team in 2023, 2024 and to-date in... - Child and Family Agency
1935. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the definition applied by Tusla in classifying a case as “medium priority”; if she is satisfied that the current... - Child Abuse
1938. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide details of the number of clinical and therapeutic staff employed by Tusla to provide support services to... - Childcare Services
1944. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether evaluation has taken place regarding the implementation of the Irish food allergy network’s guidance about best... - Disability Services
1945. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when funding will be approved for residential care for a child (details supplied) in county Tipperary; and if she will make a... - Childcare Services
1946. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps she is taking to alleviate the worsening childcare crisis in Kilkenny-Carlow (details supplied); and if she will make a... - Legislative Process
1949. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on a matter in relation to the completion of legal formalities (details supplied); and if she will make a statement... - After-School Support Services
1950. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will expedite an application for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45658/25] - Mental Health Services
1951. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when a child (details supplied) will receive appointments with CAMHS, CDNT and an emergency child psychologist in County Donegal;... - Departmental Data
1952. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of persons with a disability both nationally and in county Carlow registered and the number accessing services both... - Disability Services
1954. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department will consult with all other departments, state agencies and stakeholders to determine if a unified approach can... - Residential Institutions
1955. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if all persons being supported in full-time State-funded residential services across the country have the relevant supports they... - Disability Services
1956. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the evaluation of the personal budgets pilot will be completed; when the results of the evaluation will be published; and when... - Health Services Staff
1957. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality outline the current numbers of children waiting for speech and language, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and psychology... - Early Childhood Care and Education
1959. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has considered the introduction of specific incentives, such as bursaries, training supports, or targeted... - Departmental Schemes
1960. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the programme for Government commitment to develop a vehicle upgrade initiative for disability service providers,... - Departmental Data
1961. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of school therapist posts in special schools that remain unfilled, for each county, in tabular form; and if she will... - Childcare Services
1963. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her attention has been drawn to the concerns of parents with children attending a nursery (details supplied); the actions she... - Community Care
1964. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an estimate of the average annual cost of moving individuals from institutional, or congregated, settings to their own homes in... - Childcare Services
1965. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to ensure that creches adhere to the cap on childcare fees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46016/25] - Early Childhood Care and Education
1969. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality is she aware of the reason a company (details supplied) withdrew from Government funding; and if she will make a statement on the... - Care Services
1970. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the action she is taking to ensure that no person under 65 years is living in residential care; and if she will make a statement on... - Disability Services
1971. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of vacancies in each grade (details supplied) across the 91 children's disability network teams; and if she will make a... - Transport Costs
1972. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the transport support scheme which is intended to replace the mobility allowance and motorised transport grant;... - Childcare Services
1973. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to deal with the situation where a parents parental leave is over but there are no childcare places available for very... - Disability Services
1974. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the amount being paid by her Department to a facility (details supplied) for the provision of care to its clients; if her... - Legislative Process
1975. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average time for decisions on enduring power of attorney applications from the date the application is submitted to the courts.... - Family Resource Centres
1976. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will review matters raised in correspondence (details supplied); if she will support the establishment referred to therein;... - Childcare Services
1977. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will urgently review the adequacy of supports for community-based childcare services in light of the closure of a service... - Seirbhísí Cúram Leanaí
1978. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality sonraí a thabhairt maidir le gach naíolann atá ag feidhmiú trí Ghaeilge i nGaeltacht na Gaillimhe, lena... - Disability Services
1980. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when a child (details supplied) will receive a reassessment of needs in order to access essential OT and primary care appointments;... - Departmental Expenditure
1983. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an update on the total funding allocated to County Louth under this Department from 2023 to date, per year in tabular... - Childcare Services
1984. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare settings that have withdrawn from the core funding scheme and the number that have signed up to core... - Health Services Staff
1985. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current staff vacancy rate for the south Kildare, west Wicklow, north Kildare, and mid Kildare children disability network... - Departmental Properties
1987. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide the details and addresses of all properties in the ownership of the Department that are absolved from paying commercial... - Early Childhood Care and Education
1988. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if the case of an early education centre (details supplied) which is in financial difficulty will be examined; and if she will make... - Disabilities Assessments
1989. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the status of the assessments for a child (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46551/25] - Health Services Staff
1990. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the status of a business case (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46559/25] - Childcare Services
1991. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the status of the provision of childcare places under the NCS in Athlone, in particular for children with urgent developmental... - Disability Services
1992. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if the special care unit in Johnstown, Navan is still operational as a support to CDNT teams; if so, the reason the summer July... - Health Service Executive
1993. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the amount that has been allocated by the HSE for respite services in Kerry in 2024 and 2025 (details supplied); and if she will... - Early Childhood Care and Education
1994. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the date on which she will publish an action plan for the reform of the early education and childcare sector; and if she has been... - Disabilities Assessments
1995. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if a family can avail of support through a fund (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46683/25] - Health Services Staff
1996. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of WTE dietitians on panels for offers within children's disability network team service. [46714/25] - Disabilities Assessments
1998. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the plans in place to reduce the current waiting times for an assessment of needs from 16 months to the timeframe outlined under... - Child and Family Agency
1999. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated average capital cost and current expenditure operating cost respectively, of providing each new publicly provided... - Disability Services
2000. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 375 of 19 June 2025, the numbers on the waiting list for high support disability residential... - Health Services Staff
2001. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of whole-time equivalent clinical nurse specialists in intellectual disabilities within CHO9 in 2024 and to date in... - Health Service Executive
2002. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the funding provided in 2023, 2024 and 2025 to the children’s disability network team in CHO9, in tabular form; and if she... - Thalidomide Victims Compensation
2003. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to report on the progress of the national thalidomide advocacy office, the number of thalidomide survivors assisted; the number of... - Departmental Funding
2005. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the plans to replace the ageing fleet for Donegal Community Inclusion Training Service; and if she will make a statement on the... - Child and Family Agency
2006. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the resources available from Tusla to support the emotional, psychological and physical needs of children in foster care; whether... - Mental Health Services
2007. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her attention has been drawn to concerns raised by organisations regarding a person (details supplied) due to lack of access to... - Early Childhood Care and Education
2008. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide a list of early years and school age childcare services that have withdrawn from the core funding scheme; the number and... - Departmental Policies
2009. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the status of the childcare forward planning unit and when outputs of their work will be seen; and if she will make a statement on... - Childcare Services
2010. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of public childcare providers operational in north county Dublin; the plans to expand the network to this area which is... - Departmental Policies
2012. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the plans her Department is working on to support childminders to continue to deliver their much needed services; and if she will... - Childcare Services
2013. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers in north county Dublin that have withdrawn from CORE funding since its introduction; and if she... - Departmental Schemes
2014. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if a provider withdraws from CORE funding, can parents access the national childcare scheme and if so, the way in which they can... - Early Childhood Care and Education
2015. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of the financial hardship experienced by Early Years Educators during the summer period, and if she will outline... - Health Services Staff
2018. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of administrative staff linked to the assessment of need process in HA2 Swords and Balbriggan teams; and if she will... - Health Service Executive
2021. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which resource allocations are determined for CDNT and primary care by the HSE; if they are determined on population... - Health Services Staff
2022. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the length of time the HSE internal recruitment process takes when one staff member is moving from one section to another, for... - Departmental Administrative Arrangements
2023. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department is actively working to reduce the time period for the internal recruitment process to ensure staff transfers are... - Health Service Executive
2024. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the incentives being offered by the HSE to entice people to work in disability services; and if she will make a statement on the... - Capital Expenditure Programme
2025. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 2454 of 29 July 2025, if she will instruct the bodies under her aegis to provide the... - Disability Services
2027. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the status of the business case submitted by Blanchardstown children’s disability network team to the HSE regarding... - Health Services
2028. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated average cost of one day of respite for a new placement in respite services. [47486/25] - Disabilities Assessments
2029. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated average cost to deliver an assessment of need (details supplied). [47488/25] - Disability Services
2030. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated cost for the delivery of a case management system across HSE-funded disability services (details supplied). [47489/25] - Health Services Staff
2031. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated total number of staff employed delivering HSE-funded disability services across the statutory, section 38, section 39... - Disability Services
2032. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for details of any research undertaken into the workforce in the disability sector, particular with respect to determining pay... - Disabilities Assessments
2033. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress made in reducing the waiting times for an assessment of need in County Offaly since the establishment of the 34th...
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