Written answers
Tuesday, 23 September 2025
Department of Children, Disability and Equality
- Departmental Consultations
4. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason her Department did not engage with all disability organisations (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the... - Family Resource Centres
14. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the work of her Department to support the opening of new family resource centres; and if she will make a statement... - Disability Services
18. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being taken to address delays in accessing children’s disability services in County Offaly, in particular access... - Child and Family Agency
19. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the dates upon which she spoke to the CEO of an organisation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter.... - Departmental Strategies
20. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the oversight mechanisms her Department will put in place in relation to the sectoral plans in the new disability strategy. [50189/25] - Disability Services
21. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to enhance respite services for children with neurological disability; and if she will make a statement on the matter.... - Childcare Services
23. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the action plan for childcare, as per the Programme for Government. [50180/25] - Departmental Programmes
24. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for a report on the Bia Blasta lunch scheme for pre-school children in disadvantaged areas; and if she will make a statement on the... - Childcare Services
25. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department holds any statistics on the average cost of childcare in each of the past ten years; and the steps her Department... - Mother and Baby Homes
26. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 95 of 17 June 2025, for an update on efforts to secure further contributions from the religious... - Disability Services
27. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the CDNTs with the longest average waiting times for first contact commencement of therapy; the actions being taken to address these... - Childcare Services
28. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the action her Department is taking to address the lack of childcare places in County Louth. [50190/25] - Child and Family Agency
29. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps she is taking to ensure that there are no more deaths of children who have been under the care of Tusla; and if she will... - Childcare Services
30. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps that will be taken in Budget 2026 to advance a public model of childcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter.... - Early Childhood Care and Education
31. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the proportion of early learning and care and school-age childcare services that have signed up for the fourth year of core funding... - Childcare Services
32. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the actions planned to ensure childcare providers participate in the core funding scheme; and if she will make a statement on the... - Prison Service
34. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps she is taking to address the increased challenges for staff of Oberstown youth detention centre in County Dublin to ensure... - Disability Services
35. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress to date in reducing waiting lists for children with additional needs accessing therapies in Cavan and Monaghan; and if... - Disabilities Assessments
36. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children currently overdue an assessment of needs in Cork; and the number of private assessments that have been funded... - Health Services
37. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the plans and indicative timeline for the establishment of a community neuro-rehabilitation team to support patients with... - Disabilities Assessments
38. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children in Roscommon currently awaiting an assessment of needs under the Disability Act 2025; the number of those... - Childcare Services
39. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to progressively reduce the cost of childcare to €200 per month per child. [50127/25] - Disabilities Assessments
40. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current waiting times for children in County Offaly to access assessments of need and therapeutic supports through the... - Early Childhood Care and Education
41. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps being taken to ensure that early childhood care and education providers are adequately resourced and supported to fully... - Child Poverty
42. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to eradicate child poverty. [50210/25] - Childcare Services
43. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding the gradual reduction of childcare costs, as committed to in the Programme for Government; the steps she has... - Ombudsman for Children
44. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the actions she is taking on foot of the Ombudsman for Children's child death report to ensure that a comprehensive and appropriate... - Disabilities Assessments
45. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the details of actions underway to reduce waiting lists for assessment of needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter.... - Childcare Services
46. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being taken to expand on the number of community based childcare providers for County Cork; and if she will make a... - Early Childhood Care and Education
49. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if he will consider reviewing existing capacity in community centres; if he will consider expanding existing community centres into... - Family Resource Centres
51. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the supports she is providing for family resource centres. [49984/25] - Early Childhood Care and Education
52. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress to-date on development of the national plan to further the development of Irish language provision in the Early Learning... - Child and Family Agency
54. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will detail the function and purpose of the National Review Panel, which conducts reviews into the deaths of children in State... - Disability Services
55. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of community disability network teams not fully staffed in the State; the number which are fully staffed; and if she will... - Childcare Services
56. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps being taken by her Department to address significant childcare waiting lists, including the almost 2,400 children currently... - Health Services
57. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of significant issues with complex care coordination for children with neurological conditions, and that there is a... - Mother and Baby Homes
59. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her views on the report by the special advocate for survivors’ in relation to the mother and baby institutions payment scheme;... - Childcare Services
60. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the timeframe in which it is intended to deliver on the Programme for Government commitment to reduce the cost of childcare to... - Disability Services
61. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the funding she is providing for digital and assistive technology projects for people with disabilities; and if she will make a... - Family Resource Centres
62. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of the lack of a family resource centre in north west Kildare, in particular the Allenwood area; and if she would... - Childcare Services
63. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide details regarding her Department’s plans to reduce the cost of childcare to €200 per month per... - Early Childhood Care and Education
64. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the supports she is providing crèches in rural areas with lower populations. [50164/25] - United Nations
65. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the action she is taking to implement the optional protocol of the UNCRPD. [50142/25] - Disability Services
66. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the engagement she has had with the Minister for Transport on issues being faced by disabled persons driving or as passengers; and if... - Early Childhood Care and Education
67. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the Action Plan for Administrative and Regulatory Simplification for the Early Learning and Childcare Sector will be published;... - Disability Services
68. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the status of the promised delivery and monitoring committee for the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030;... - Early Childhood Care and Education
70. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has assessed whether current core funding allocations are adequate to support the sustainability of baby rooms,... - Children in Care
72. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the supports offered to birth mothers of children in State care; the ways through which they are supported through the process of... - Early Childhood Care and Education
73. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the action she is taking to ensure that childcare facilities are delivered where needed. [50128/25] - Child and Family Agency
74. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality his plans for Ferryhouse, Clonmel, a building in the ownership of TUSLA; the full list of activities and number of staff working out... - Disability Services
75. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the action being taken to address the gap in community disability services for children between 16 and 18 years; and if she will make... - Childcare Services
76. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of creche groups that have withdrawn or pulled out of CORE funding in Cork in 2024 and to date in 2025; and if she will... - Disability Services
77. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if there are any funding schemes in her Department to support organisations in developing changing places toilet facilities. [50028/25] - Disabilities Assessments
79. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children on the waiting list for an assessment of need; the number of those waiting over one year; and if she will make... - Disability Services
80. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of policies within CDNTs where they recommend a 'wait and see' approach for children presenting with developmental... - Family Resource Centres
81. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she intends to increase the core funding for family resource centres; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50209/25] - Childcare Services
82. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to report on her Department’s work regarding the development of State-led childcare facilities. [49997/25] - Disability Services
83. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress to date in recruiting additional therapists for disability services for Cavan and Monaghan; and if she will make a... - Ombudsman for Children
84. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her Department’s plans to increase funding to the Ombudsman for Children, following reports (details supplied) that a lack of... - Childcare Services
85. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider the construction or acquisition of State-owned childcare facilities in Dublin mid-west, given the high demand... - Family Resource Centres
86. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of family resource centres that applied to come in under the national forum that were not successful; and if she will make... - Disabilities Assessments
87. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the waiting lists for assessments of needs in CDNTs in County Meath; the way in which the waiting lists in 2025... - Health Service Executive
90. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to facilitate the opening of a service (details supplied) on a full-time basis, seven days and nights per week; her views on whether...
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