Questions

410. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of registered early learning and childcare settings currently operating in Galway City and County Galway; the number that have opened and closed in the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21095/26]

411. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of early learning and childcare providers in Galway City and County Galway participating in the core funding scheme; the total funding allocated to these providers in each of the past three years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21096/26]

412. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of early learning and childcare settings in Galway City and County that have withdrawn from the core funding scheme in each of the last three years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21097/26]

413. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the amount each provider of special emergency arrangements has been fined in the last three years, including the names of each provider, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21197/26]

414. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children and young persons on waiting lists for an assessment of need, by health region and integrated healthcare area, age category and time waiting, in tabular form. [21215/26]

415. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children on a waiting list for initial contact from a CDNT, by health region and integrated healthcare area, age category and time waiting, in tabular form. [21218/26]

416. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total annual expenditure by Tusla on placements purchased from privately operated children’s residential centres in each of the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024; the total expenditure on all residential care placements in those years; and the percentage share represented by private placements in each year, in tabular form. [2124…

417. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department, or Tusla, has conducted any analysis of the cost differential between privately operated residential placements and placements within Tusla-operated centres; and if she will provide the average weekly cost per placement under each model. [21241/26]

418. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla has set any strategic target to reduce reliance on privately operated children’s residential placements, given that approximately 73% of placements were provided by private operators in 2024. [21242/26]

419. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department, or Tusla, has engaged with the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General regarding the expenditure incurred on privately operated children’s residential care placements; whether the Comptroller and Auditor General has examined or intends to examine the governance, procurement arrangements or value-for-money co…

420. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department, or Tusla, has conducted any value-for-money or cost-effectiveness analysis comparing privately operated residential care placements with placements within Tusla-operated residential centres; and whether any such analysis has been provided to the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General. [21244/26]

421. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will meet with an organisation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21316/26]

422. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider amending the Parental Leave (Amendment) Act 2019 so that parents can take parental leave in blocks of less than seven days at a time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21323/26]

423. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on a waiting list for speech and language therapy by health region and integrated healthcare area, age category and time waiting, in tabular form. [21216/26]

424. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the number of children a waiting list for speech and language therapy by health region and integrated healthcare area, age category and time waiting, in tabular form. [21217/26]

425. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health the membership of the expert advisory group established by HIQA to inform an update of the national low-risk alcohol guidelines by her Department; its terms of reference; how often it has met; and when it is due to provide her with recommendations. [20982/26]

426. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) is waiting over two years on an appointment in Cavan general hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20998/26]

427. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Health if parents who are unable to access timely paediatric ophthalmology appointments for their children through the HSE, and are forced to seek private treatment, can avail of reimbursement or financial support for the cost of these appointments; if any scheme exists to support such families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21005/26]

428. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health if she will review whether the current qualification recognition standards used for recruitment of clinical psychologists within the Health Service Executive and the equivalence assessment processes applied by the Department of Health are aligned with the provisions and intent of Directive 2005/36/EC, particularly in circumstances where applicants with postgradu…

429. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the total number of practising general practitioners in the State who have completed HSE-funded suicide prevention training programmes, including SafeTALK, ASIST, STORM, the Self-Harm Assessment and Management Programme for General Practitioners in Ireland (SAMAGH), or equivalent programmes, in each of the past five years; and whether her Department maintains a na…

430. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has undertaken any national assessment or review of the adequacy of training supports available to general practitioners in managing suicidal ideation and self-harm presentations among children and adolescents; if such a review has been undertaken, when it was conducted; and whether the findings will be published; and if she will make a stat…

431. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of referrals made by general practitioners to the Suicide Crisis Assessment Nurse (SCAN) service in each of the past three years; the number of those referrals relating to persons under the age of 18; and whether her Department monitors the utilisation of this pathway by primary care practitioners. [21020/26]

432. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the geographic distribution of Suicide Crisis Assessment Nurse (SCAN) services currently operating within the State; the counties or Community Healthcare Organisations currently served by these posts; and the timeline for the rollout of the additional posts funded under Budget 2026. [21021/26]

433. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether consideration is being given to the establishment of a national clinical consultation or advice line to support general practitioners who are managing patients presenting with suicidal ideation or self-harm, particularly where the patient is under 18 years of age; and if she will outline the policy position of her Department on such a service. [21022/26]

434. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has established any national minimum training standard or competency requirement for general practitioners in the assessment and management of suicidal ideation and self-harm presentations, particularly in children and adolescents; and if not, whether the introduction of such a standard has been considered as part of national suicide prevent…