Questions

717. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the potential total cost of increasing the foster care allowance by the equivalent of the current rates of the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33917/25]

718. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether TUSLA has emergency out-of-hours social workers available nationwide. [33976/25]

719. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when a person (details supplied) will receive respite care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33982/25]

720. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the breakdown of funding to local authorities under the play and recreation capital funding scheme in the years 2020 to 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33991/25]

721. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when a centre (details supplied) will again be able to offer full respite services to children and families, which I am advised, has not been provided since January 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34010/25]

722. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will examine the new regulations for childminders to ensure that they are not leading to increased paperwork for childminders, who want to be spending time with the children they look after rather than sitting doing paperwork; if she will ensure the additional requirements are as straightforward as possible to ensure good child…

723. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the infrastructure projects being built or commissioned by her Department that are currently late in their delivery; and the infrastructure projects currently over budget; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34085/25]

724. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an update on a review into administration for childminders as referenced by her at the Joint Committee meeting on children on 12 June in which she advised that “in terms of red tape, a review is ongoing with a view to minimising it. Our purpose is to make things easier, not more difficult, as we go forward”; where this revi…

725. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the status of the baby bundle project that was trialled in 2023; the amount of families that benefited; the net cost of the scheme to date, in tabular form; if it is intended to proceed with a pilot expansion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34120/25]

726. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware that communities seeking to establish new childcare facilities are precluded from accessing Building Blocks, the only financial support available, as they are not an existing service; if she will rectify this to ensure the funding is more accessible; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34188/25]

727. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider greater flexibility for Building Blocks, the only financial support available for childcare facilities, where there is an opportunity for a community to buy an existing premises (not new), therefore bringing life back to a closed building, usually in the heart of a town which is an ideal location for a childcare f…

728. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of WTE ICT data specialists employed by her Department in 2024 and to-date in 2025, in tabular form. [34200/25]

729. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of vacancies on the north Tipperary CDNT; when it is intended to fill these vacancies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34213/25]

730. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of vacancies, by job title, at each CDNT within CHO9 and CHO7, in tabular form. [34264/25]

731. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the status of the National strategy for women and girls; when it is expected to be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34315/25]

732. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when her Department's action plan for administrative and regulatory simplification will be complete. [34384/25]

733. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on her Department's plans to ensure all childminders are registered by 2027. [34385/25]

734. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on her Department's work to ensure the additional bureaucracy involved in registering childminders does not result in a decrease of available childminders. [34386/25]

735. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the creation of the new nurturing skills website by her Department. [34387/25]

736. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the national plan for the Irish language in ELC / SAC will be complete. [34388/25]

737. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of social workers currently working within the Tusla 'children in care' team in County Clare; the numbers of children placed with each of those social workers; if any of the three current social worker vacancies, details from Parliamentary Question No. 80 of 17 June 2025, are from within the children-in-care team in Tusla in Co…

738. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of complaints received by HIQA relating to residential public and private childcare settings in 2020 to date in 2025, by county, in tabular form. [34447/25]

739. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of the shortage of childcare facilities available in Carrigaline in Cork; to provide an update on the predicated opening of a new childcare service (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34486/25]

740. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to enact legislation to include socio-economic disadvantage as a ground for discrimination under equality legislation, particularly in light of a report (details supplied) which showed that one of the highest categories of discrimination was on the basis of socio-economic background; and if she will make a statement on the matt…

741. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health if she will consider extending the current income support scheme for healthcare workers with long-Covid; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33514/25]