Written answers
Thursday, 19 February 2026
Department of Children, Disability and Equality
- Disability Services
95. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of the critical staffing collapse within the Children’s Disability Network Team (CDNT) in Clonmel; if she... - Early Childhood Care and Education
107. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality how the new €135 million programme of State-led early learning and childcare services will support increased capacity and... - Rights of People with Disabilities
108. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her Department's efforts to improve accessibility in rural towns and villages for people with disabilities; and if she will make a... - Childcare Services
110. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the efforts her Department is making to address the shortage of childcare places in Cork east. [13389/26] - Disabilities Assessments
111. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider establishing a cross-Border assessment-of-needs scheme, similar to the existing cross-Border dental and... - Disability Services
113. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of respite hours provided to families in Mayo in the past year; the measures her Department is taking to provide... - Early Childhood Care and Education
114. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will prioritise Irish-medium services in the development of State-led early years facilities; and if she will make a... - Disability Services
115. 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
116. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if a provider withdraws from core funding, if they can remain in other schemes, such as the national childcare scheme; and if she... - Disability Services
119. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current number of adults with an intellectual disability awaiting residential placement, per health region, and for a... - Rights of People with Disabilities
120. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the engagement her Department has had with the Office of the Attorney General regarding the ratification of the Second Optional... - Childcare Services
121. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress to date in identifying the locations of the eight pilot public childcare facilities; and if she will make a statement... - Disability Services
123. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps being taken to improve access to children's disability network teams; and if she will make a statement on the matter.... - Mother and Baby Homes
124. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has met with the Special Advocate following her report into the mother and baby institutions payment scheme; and if she will... - Childcare Services
125. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider purchasing a building (details supplied) for the purposes of establishing a community childcare facility; and... - Disability Services
126. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to report on the progress being made to establish community neurological rehabilitation multidisciplinary teams for children who... - Children in Care
127. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of persons who have ceased fostering in each of the past ten years; the number of persons who have begun fostering in... - Disability Services
128. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the programme for Government measures that are in place to recruit and retain staff in the disability sector; and... - Childcare Services
129. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the efforts being made to increase the provision of childcare services in Cork East; and if she will make a statement on the matter.... - Disabilities Assessments
132. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being taken to reduce the backlog for assessments of need; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13364/26] - Childcare Services
133. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on the provision of affordable childcare across Galway; and if she will make a statement on the... - Disabilities Assessments
135. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children on waiting lists for assessment of needs in Dublin Mid-West; the steps being taken to reduce waiting times;... - Childcare Services
136. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will outline the funding allocated for childminding development grants; the number of applicants who will be supported; and... - Early Childhood Care and Education
137. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when details of the next building blocks scheme will be published; the likely timescale for the opening of applications; and if she... - Childcare Services
138. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if a schedule has been set to reach the planned €200 per month maximum childcare cost as set out in the programme for... - Disability Services
140. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the measures her Department is taking to reduce therapy waiting lists for disabled persons. [12949/26] - Childcare Services
141. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will address the growing crisis of 'childcare deserts', and the 40,000-long waiting list for children under three; if she... - Disability Services
142. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline her plans to increase respite services for children in County Meath; and if she will make a statement on the matter.... - Early Childhood Care and Education
143. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number, and age, of ECCE scheme applicants in the towns of Leixlip, Maynooth, Celbridge and Naas in the past five years, in... - Childcare Services
144. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the regulations for childminders will be reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13217/26] - Legislative Measures
146. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to consult with representative organisations in relation to the Disability (Amendment) Bill 2025; and if she will make a... - Disabilities Assessments
147. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether a formal co-ordination or mediation framework exists between her Department, the Department of Health and the Department of... - Disability Services
148. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps being taken to increase the early provision of SLT facilities to children in the Down's syndrome community in Carlow and... - Childcare Services
149. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the specific steps she is taking to deliver additional not for profit childcare places in the Balbriggan, Skerries, Rush and Lusk... - Early Childhood Care and Education
150. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the likely timeline for when State-led learning centres could be seen in our communities; and if she will make a statement on the... - Children in Care
151. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of foster parents or foster placements in County Mayo. [12185/26] - Childcare Services
152. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to reduce the cost of childcare to €200 per month per child through the national childcare scheme; if she will... - Children in Care
153. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the supports that will be made available to foster families in the south-east to replace the services from an organisation (details... - Childcare Services
154. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers that have closed in County Mayo in each of the past ten years; and if she will make a statement on... - Disability Services
156. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average wait time in 2025 for a child to be seen for a first appointment by a CDNT. [12459/26] - Disabilities Assessments
157. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will examine the feasibility of establishing a cross-border pathway for timely assessments for children with disabilities, in... - Disability Services
158. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if there are additional supports available to assist with ageing parents of adult children with intellectual disabilities, as... - Childcare Services
160. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality an bhfuil sí ar an eolas faoi na deacrachtaí a bhaineann le hearcú foirne do chúram leanaí agus... - Equality Issues
161. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality how Ireland’s first National Equality Data Strategy will enhance the delivery of public services, particularly in identifying... - Childcare Services
162. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the delivery of the public model of childcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13305/26] - Pension Provisions
163. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her views on the difficulty posed by auto enrolment for TUSLA-funded projects (details supplied). [12268/26] - Disability Services
164. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the efforts her Department is making to address the shortage of respite places for children with disabilities in Kerry. [13301/26] - Childcare Services
167. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider purchasing a building (details supplied) for the purposes of establishing a community childcare facility; and... - Early Childhood Care and Education
169. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of community services awarded the building blocks grants in 2025; the number of these services that have subsequently... - Paternity Leave
170. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider extending the duration of paternity leave in cases of multiple births for example, twins or triplets, in... - Childcare Services
171. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has assessed the significant level of demand for childcare services in north Dublin in its plans for State-led... - Rights of the Child
172. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current status of Ireland’s implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child; the specific... - Disability Services
173. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the actions she has taken to improve CDNT access in Cork. [12460/26] - Childcare Services
174. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she has plans to introduce new rules to regulate non-refundable childcare deposits, given that they can be substantial,... - Children in Care
175. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will outline her Department’s plans to invest in more Tusla mainstream residential cares centres for children and... - Early Childhood Care and Education
176. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being taken to improve provision in the early years sector for children with disabilities; and if she will make a... - Childcare Services
177. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will outline the scheme, or schemes, of grant aid that will be available this year for the upgrading or provision of new... - Early Childhood Care and Education
178. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if any of the State’s acquisition of buildings intended for the purpose of developing early child care facilities will be... - Childcare Services
179. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality an bhfuil sí ar an eolas faoi na deacrachtaí a bhaineann le hearcú foirne do chúram leanaí agus... - Children in Care
180. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children currently in State care; the number who are in foster placements; and the number who are in other placements.... - Online Safety
181. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has carried out any research on a social media ban for children, either in Ireland or internationally; and if she... - Early Childhood Care and Education
182. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline any measures to support early years service providers to meet the increased costs of operating; and if she will make a... - Childcare Services
183. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on how deposits for childcare services will be managed under Core Funding 2026-2027. [13316/26] - Disability Services
185. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of the lack of respite available to children with disabilities across County Donegal; and to outline her plans to... - Family Resource Centres
187. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the criteria being used to select family resource centres for funding via the National Forum; and if she will make a statement on...
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