Questions

2358. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the work that has been done with schools to host before and after-school care; to examine start-up supports for groups involved in after school activities; to detail the schools where progress has been made in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23772/26]

2359. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which an area (details supplied) can take advantage of the capital investment her Department has provided to build or purchase State-owned childcare facilities to create additional capacity in areas where unmet need exists. [23773/26]

2360. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has considered suggestions from a campaign (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23778/26]

2361. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has conducted any direct audit, review, or independent verification of governance, risk management, or financial controls in respect of privately operated residential placements funded by the Exchequer since 2020; and if so, to provide the dates, scope, and findings of each such audit or review [23814/26]

2362. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to detail any instances since 2020 where Exchequer funding to privately operated residential providers was reduced, suspended, or terminated on the basis of governance, compliance, or regulatory failures; and to specify the nature of the failures identified and the actions taken. [23815/26]

2363. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether a single, unified governance assurance framework exists at Department level covering all privately operated residential placements funded through Tusla or the HSE; and if not, the steps being taken to establish such a framework [23816/26]

2364. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department maintains a central risk register in respect of privately operated residential placements funded by the Exchequer; and to outline the escalation procedures in place where governance, safeguarding, or financial risks are identified. [23817/26]

2365. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to set out the specific criteria applied at Department level to determine whether privately operated residential providers meet the governance, compliance, and financial standards required for continued Exchequer funding; and whether these criteria are formally documented and applied consistently across all providers. [23818/26]

2366. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if the recently revised assessment of need framework limits or reduces access to cognitive assessment for children, including in cases where intellectual disability is not suspected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23937/26]

2367. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if the revised assessment of need framework ensures that children with uneven developmental profiles, including children with high ability alongside additional needs such as autism, ADHD, or dyslexia, are appropriately identified within the system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23938/26]

2368. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the Department has conducted an impact assessment on how the revised model may affect the identification of children whose needs may be masked by high cognitive ability or compensatory functioning; the safeguards that will be put in place to prevent the under-identification of such children; and if she will make a statement on th…

2369. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if access to cognitive or psychological assessment remains available where there is evidence of significant intra-individual discrepancy, asynchronous development, or unexplained underachievement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23940/26]

2370. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether consideration has been given to the potential for increased reliance on private assessments arising from any restriction in public access to cognitive assessment, and the implications this may have for equitable access to services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23941/26]

2371. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the training or guidance being provided to assessment officers and multidisciplinary teams to ensure that complex presentations are recognised under the revised model; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23942/26]

2372. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if the Department intends to review the implementation of the revised assessment of need framework to ensure that no cohort of children is excluded from identification due to the streamlining of assessment processes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23943/26]

2373. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider extending statutory paternity leave beyond the current two-week entitlement, in light of evidence showing the benefits of longer, dedicated paternity leave for child development, maternal recovery and gender equality; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23971/26]

2374. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has conducted any assessment comparing Ireland’s two-week statutory paternity leave entitlement with more extensive paternity or partner leave provisions in other EU countries; and if she plans to bring forward proposals to align Ireland more closely with international norms. [23972/26]

2375. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current uptake rates of both paternity leave and parent’s leave, and whether her Department has identified any barriers, financial or otherwise, that prevent fathers or partners from availing fully of their entitlements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23973/26]

2376. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has carried out analysis on the economic, social, and workplace impacts of extending statutory paternity leave beyond two-weeks; if she will publish such findings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23974/26]

2377. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider measures to support employers, particularly SMEs, when employees take paternity leave or parent’s leave; whether this could form part of a broader strategy to increase uptake of family leave supports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23975/26]

2378. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of families in Longford and Westmeath where elderly parents, particularly those over retirement age, are the primary carers for adult children with learning disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23984/26]

2379. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current number of supported housing units available for adults with learning disabilities in Longford-Westmeath and per RHA. [23985/26]

2380. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of additional supported housing units planned or in development for adults with learning disabilities in Longford and Westmeath, along with expected delivery timelines. [23986/26]

2381. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether all relevant service providers have submitted disability support management advisory team, DSMAT, forms to the HSE in respect of individuals requiring residential or supported living placements; and if she will provide a status update, by region. [23987/26]

2382. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of service providers in Wicklow that have submitted disability support management advisory team forms to the HSE; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23995/26]