2302. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will undertake a review of the restriction on using first cousin DNA to link with the DNA of babies exhumed from the Tuam mother and baby home site; if she has considered whether there might be recent developments in scientific evidence which would enhance reliability of DNA linking; and if she will make a statement on the …
Parliamentary questions
Questions
TDs ask ministers questions to get answers on the record, most of them in writing. Here is every one asked in the 34th Dáil, by the department it went to and the subject heading it was filed under. How questions work
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3,486 questions match, newest first.
2303. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children referred for an autism spectrum disorder assessment to a CNDT (details supplied) team through either the children's services disability form or through the assessment of need process in each of the years 2022 to 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [41334/25]
2304. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children formally assessed by clinicians in a CDNT unit (details supplied) in each of the years 2023 to 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if an autism spectrum disorder using ASD specific assessment tool were used such as the ADOS 2 and ADI R tools or equivalent. [41335/25]
2305. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of private ASD assessments did a CDNT unit commission and pay for in each of the years 2023 to 2024, and to date in 2025; and the number of these commissioned private ASD assessments were multidisciplinary in nature i.e. more than one clinician involved in assessment, in tabular form. [41336/25]
2306. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the €200 monthly subsidy for families with children attending early years and school age care, as committed to in the Programme for Government, will be implemented in full; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41364/25]
2307. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware that Kerry has an early years staff turnover rate of 25%, above the national average; and the measures she intends to take to improve staff retention in the sector in rural counties like Kerry. [41365/25]
2308. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider aligning the pay and working conditions of early years and school age care graduates with those of primary school teachers; and if so, the timelines and mechanisms under review to achieve this. [41366/25]
2309. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the supports being provided to early childhood education providers in Kerry, to maintain a qualified and consistent workforce, in light of high turnover rates. [41367/25]
2310. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the role her Department has played in engaging with stakeholders (details supplied) in the lead-up to Budget 2026; and whether their recommendations on pay parity and staff retention are being considered. [41368/25]
2311. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if his Department has costed the proposal to align pay for early years and school age care professionals with that of primary school teachers; and if so, the estimated annual cost of same. [41369/25]
2312. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if additional resources will be allocated in Budget 2026 to support the staffing and sustainability of early years education services in rural counties such as Kerry. [41370/25]
2313. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if a targeted rural childcare investment strategy is being considered to address specific workforce retention and sustainability issues faced by providers in counties such as Kerry. [41371/25]
2314. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason children with autism spectrum disorder in County Kerry no longer receive the previously standard six-week block of speech and language therapy per year; and whether this level of support will be reinstated locally given the impact on early development. [41373/25]
2315. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of the significant delays in accessing SLT and OT services through children's disability network teams in Kerry, due to chronic understaffing and the use of limited-hour contracts; and the targeted actions being taken to address these staffing issues in the county. [41374/25]
2316. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason no permanent psychologist is currently assigned to CDNT teams in parts of Kerry, leaving schools and parents without professional behavioural support for children with autism; and if this will be addressed in the short term. [41375/25]
2317. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider implementing a national policy to review ASD diagnoses in key educational transition years, 1st, 2nd, and 6th class; and whether a pilot of such a policy could be introduced in Kerry. [41376/25]
2318. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the efforts being made to increase capacity at overnight respite centres serving Kerry families (details supplied); and whether additional funding and staffing will be provided this year. [41377/25]
2319. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will review the eligibility criteria of respite services, such as a service (details supplied), to ensure children with behavioural challenges are not excluded from accessing essential care. [41378/25]
2320. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason such a small proportion of families accessing disability services in Kerry are currently assigned key workers under the individual family support plan model; and the steps being taken to ensure equity of access across counties. [41384/25]
2321. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if funding will be made available for outdoor sensory regulation equipment, such as in-ground trampolines, in Kerry, particularly for older autistic children who currently lack access to age-appropriate sensory outlets. [41386/25]
2322. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 329 of 3 July 2025, to provide a further breakdown of the €42 million allocated in 2025, explaining how much was spent on each of the spending lines noted. [41393/25]
2323. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to introduce pay parity for early years and school age care graduates (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41411/25]
2324. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to urgently address the issues outlined by Childminding Ireland (details supplied) as the sector is on the brink of collapse; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41428/25]
2325. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an update on the availability of childcare places in Navan for September 2025; the number of available and waitlisted places; how this compares with demand; the steps being taken to expand capacity locally; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41453/25]
2326. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of current staff vacancies across children's disability network teams in County Meath; the breakdown of these vacancies, by discipline; the typical waiting time for children awaiting CDNT support in County Meath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41454/25]