Written answers
Wednesday, 12 November 2025
Department of Children, Disability and Equality
- Childcare Services
92. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures taken to address the huge shortage of childcare places in the whole of County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on... - Early Childhood Care and Education
93. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on the Programme for Government commitment to increase the number of State-owned early learning and... - Disabilities Assessments
94. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average waiting time for assessment of needs in the Dublin Midwest constituency; the steps which are being taken to reduce... - Child and Family Agency
95. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of times she has met with the CEO of Tusla since she took office. [61892/25] - Departmental Schemes
96. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of applications received in 2025 for Cork county under the building blocks extension grant scheme; the number of these... - Childcare Services
97. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update regarding her Department’s review of core funding. [61423/25] - Disability Services
99. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being taken to address the continued shortage of therapists across children’s disability network teams,... - Childcare Services
100. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the amount of funding provided to childcare service providers under the Core Funding model each year since its introduction; and if... - Disability Services
101. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps being taken to fulfil the Programme for Government commitment to place an autism innovation strategy on a statutory... - Children in Care
102. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children who have been temporarily missing, or as stated by Tusla, “absconded”, from Tusla, or... - Disability Services
103. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps being taken to provide urgently needed respite for families of children/adults with profound disabilities in County Kerry;... - Child Protection
104. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reforms she will make to the child protection system to make it fit for purpose; and if she will make a statement on the matter.... - Rights of the Child
105. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality how Ireland’s obligations under the UNCRC are currently being met; the steps her Department is taking to incorporate the... - Disabilities Assessments
106. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current average waiting time for assessments of need for children in County Offaly; the measures being taken by her Department... - Children in Care
107. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children who have been temporarily missing (absconded) from Tusla, or Tusla-funded, care in the past 12 month; the... - Childcare Services
108. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her views on tackling the issues of non-refundable deposits in childcare services. [61906/25] - Cúram agus Oideachas na Luath-Óige
110. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality cén cur chuige atá maidir le naíonraí agus naíscoileanna Gaeilge a bhunú, agus ansin tacaíocht... - Departmental Strategies
111. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the development of the National Equality Data Strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61579/25] - Early Childhood Care and Education
112. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason she accounts for the trend of more naíonraí outside the Gaeltacht closing than opening in recent years; the... - Childcare Services
113. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being taken to increase supply and affordability of childcare in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on... - Disability Services
114. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of disabled adults currently residing in privately outsourced residential facilities; and the number of people residing... - Child Poverty
115. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is concerned that Budget 2026 will increase child poverty; the measures she will take to address this; and if she will make a... - Childcare Services
116. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will outline the scheme or schemes of grant aid that will be available in 2026 for the upgrading or provision of new... - Disabilities Assessments
117. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average waiting time in Laois for an assessment of need (AON); and the longest time any child is waiting for an AON in County... - Childcare Services
118. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will outline the roadmap to reduce the cost of childcare to €200 per month per child through the national childcare... - Disability Services
119. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on CDNT waiting lists for assessments and therapies in County Meath; and if she will make a statement on the matter.... - Childcare Services
120. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to ensure that childcare providers participate in the core funding scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter.... - Disability Services
121. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of staff recruited in CDNTs in Fingal West in the past 12 months; and the number who resigned or left, by grade and... - Childcare Services
122. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the work her Department is undertaking to improve transparency in childcare fees; and if she will make a statement on the matter.... - Disabilities Assessments
123. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being implemented to reduce assessment and intervention waiting times for children with additional needs in Galway... - Disability Services
124. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps she is taking to address staff shortages and long waiting lists across the children’s disability network teams in... - Childcare Services
125. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she and her officials will meet with childminders to listen to the issues impacting the sector. [61744/25] - Early Childhood Care and Education
126. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress within her Department towards the development of a new programme of acquisition and fitout of State-led early learning... - Disability Services
127. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the actions taken by the HSE to fill the vacancies in the CDNTs in County Louth; the number of children on the waiting list for... - Childcare Services
128. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare service facilities that have been referred in Cork city and county for sustainability funding; the measures... - Residential Institutions
129. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of applications received, the number approved, and the amount of money paid out to date under the mother and baby... - Childcare Services
130. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to ensure adequate childcare places and staffing in south Tipperary, particularly in rural areas where providers are... - Disability Services
134. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the Clondalkin CDNT will move to the new primary health care centre on the Boot Road, from a location (details supplied); the... - Early Childhood Care and Education
135. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will publish the methodology and outputs of the forward planning unit established in January 2024, including any mapping or... - Childcare Services
136. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures her Department is taking to address the rising number of creches that are facing closure due to rising costs; if her... - Disability Services
137. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of adults with intellectual disability awaiting residential placement nationally, by county; and the number of people... - Childcare Services
138. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the supports her Department will provide to a group (details supplied) in County Galway in its efforts to establish a new community... - Disability Services
139. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children’s disability network teams which are fully staffed in the State; and the number which are not fully... - Childcare Services
140. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update regarding the work of her Department towards providing childcare places in County Dublin. [61424/25] - Disabilities Assessments
143. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the means by which the proposed reforms to the assessment of need process will contribute to reducing the current backlog of over... - Disability Services
144. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her views on the lack of funding for Blanchardstown Centre for Independent Living, including the provision of funding for fuel costs... - Childcare Services
145. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the work her Department is doing to evaluate the possibility of greater State involvement in providing childcare; and if she will... - Family Resource Centres
146. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the supports she is providing for family resource centres in Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter.... - Disability Services
147. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to increase respite services for children in County Meath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61034/25] - Childcare Services
148. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for a progress report on the Programme for Government Commitment to reduce childcare costs to €200 per month per child; and... - Disability Services
150. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her Department’s efforts to improve accessibility in rural towns and villages; and if she will make a statement on the... - Childcare Services
151. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her views on the need to improve pay and terms and conditions within the childcare sector in order to attract and retain staff; and... - Disabilities Assessments
152. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children in County Louth that have had assessments of need outsourced by the HSE to private providers to date in 2025;... - Childcare Services
153. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the actions she will take to address the shortage of creche/preschool places in south Dublin; if her attention has been drawn to... - Child Protection
154. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an update on actions taken since the remains of a child (details supplied) were found, including the actions taken by... - Childcare Services
155. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the means by which Budget 2026 will support the delivery of affordable and accessible childcare; and if she will make a statement on... - Disability Services
156. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if it is the case that individuals who do not have an intellectual disability are not eligible for State-provided residential care... - Childcare Services
157. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on the Programme for Government commitment to extend the national childcare scheme to childminders... - Disability Services
159. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her Department’s plans to ensure that children with disabilities can fully participate in mainstream education, sport, and... - Childcare Services
160. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of the warning of an organisations (details supplied) that if nothing changes, thousands of trusted childminders... - Early Childhood Care and Education
164. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the plans she has to ensure further increases in pay for early years educators and school age care practitioners; and if she will... - Childcare Services
165. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will report on her engagements with the childminding sector. [61900/25] - Early Childhood Care and Education
166. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider extending payments to ECCE providers to the month of December given the long duration between the last 2025... - Disability Services
167. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current status of a new children’s disability respite centre in Monaghan; the additional respite places that will be... - Childcare Services
172. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the funding that will be provided in 2026 for the building blocks grant scheme; when the details of the 2026 scheme will be made... - Child Protection
173. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if Tusla has sufficient funding and resources to protect children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59240/25] - Disability Services
174. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current number of vacant posts within the children's disability network team (CDNT) in County Galway; the recruitment strategies... - Child Protection
175. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps her Department is taking to reduce the rate of child trafficking in the State. [61893/25] - Childcare Services
176. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide a predicted timeline on the delivery of reducing the cost of childcare to €200 per month per child; and if she... - Children in Care
179. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality of the efforts underway within her Department to increase the provision of special care placements; and if she will make a statement... - Parental Leave
181. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the timeline for the introduction of paid surrogacy leave, as committed to in the Programme for Government; and if she will make a...
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