Ken O'Flynn

714. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether a national dataset exists measuring biodiversity outcomes within State-owned forestry, including metrics such as species richness, habitat condition, or conservation status; and if not, whether he will commit to establishing such a dataset. [32669/26]

715. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the most recent year in which a comprehensive national ecological assessment of biodiversity within plantation forestry was conducted; whether an updated study equivalent to the BIOFOREST project has been commissioned or is planned; and if he will provide a timeline. [32670/26]

716. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what proportion of State-owned forestry lands currently meet defined favourable conservation status criteria; the methodology used to determine this; and the most recent assessment date. [32671/26]

717. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether the revised Shareholder Letter of Expectation to Coillte will include specific and measurable biodiversity performance targets; if so, the targets proposed; and the enforcement or oversight mechanisms that will apply. [32672/26]

718. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine how conflicts between Coillte's commercial forestry operations and national biodiversity objectives are formally assessed within its governance framework; and whether any formal decision-making or escalation process exists. [32673/26]

719. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total area of Sitka spruce within the State forestry estate; the proportion of this area classified as monoculture or near-monoculture planting; and if he will provide a breakdown by year for the past ten years. [32674/26]

720. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether any policy targets are in place to reduce reliance on single-species conifer systems within State forestry; if so, the baseline percentage, current percentage, and target timeline; and if not, whether such targets are under consideration. [32675/26]

731. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current funding model applied to Section 38 and Section 39 disability service providers delivering residential and supported living services; whether her Department has assessed the financial sustainability of these providers; and the estimated funding gap arising from inflation and pay parity pressures since 2008. [32694/26]

732. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether an emergency or accelerated provision pathway exists for adults with an intellectual disability whose primary carer becomes incapacitated or dies; and the number of cases in which such emergency placements have been required in each of the past five years. [32698/26]

744. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total number of emergency child removals carried out under sections 12 and 13 of the Child Care Act 1991 in each of the past five years, in tabular form, broken down by region and by the legal basis for removal. [32382/26]

745. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla maintains a centralised dataset capturing emergency child removals under sections 12 and 13 of the Child Care Act 1991; if so, the variables recorded within that dataset; and if she will provide details. [32383/26]

746. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any trend analysis has been conducted by Tusla or her Department in respect of emergency child removals under sections 12 and 13 of the Child Care Act 1991; and if so, the findings of such analysis. [32384/26]

747. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has assessed regional variation in the use of emergency child removal powers under sections 12 and 13 of the Child Care Act 1991; and if so, the outcome of that assessment. [32385/26]

748. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether consideration has been given to classifying emergency child removal decisions under sections 12 and 13 of the Child Care Act 1991 as a systemic or governance risk within Tusla's corporate risk framework; and if so, the outcome of that consideration. [32386/26]

749. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the criteria used by Tusla to determine when patterns in frontline child protection interventions escalate to a strategic or corporate risk requiring inclusion on the National Corporate Risk Register. [32387/26]

750. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality how her Department satisfies itself that emergency child removal powers under sections 12 and 13 of the Child Care Act 1991 are applied consistently nationwide in the absence of formal trend analysis reporting from Tusla. [32388/26]

751. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reporting mechanisms in place between Tusla and her Department in respect of emergency child removals under sections 12 and 13 of the Child Care Act 1991; and the frequency and format of such reporting [32389/26]

752. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any external review, audit or inspection has been undertaken in the past five years examining the use of emergency child removal powers under sections 12 and 13 of the Child Care Act 1991; and if so, the findings. [32390/26]

753. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she has requested or plans to request the development of national reporting or oversight mechanisms relating to emergency child removals under sections 12 and 13 of the Child Care Act 1991; and if not, the reason. [32391/26]

758. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total annual expenditure by Tusla on private childcare placements for each year from 2020 to 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32432/26]

759. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children placed in private childcare placements funded by Tusla in each year from 2020 to 2026; and the proportion this represents of all children in State-funded care. [32433/26]

760. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average annual cost per child of private childcare placements funded by Tusla, and the comparative average cost per child in public or directly provided placements, for each year since 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32434/26]

761. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has conducted or commissioned any comparative cost analysis between private and public childcare placements since 2020; if so, to provide details and findings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32435/26]

762. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality what governance framework is in place within her Department to oversee expenditure by Tusla on private childcare placements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32436/26]

763. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department requires Tusla to report on value-for-money, cost drivers, or financial performance in respect of private childcare placements; if so, the frequency and format of such reporting; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32437/26]