Questions

601. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on issues raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46946/26]

602. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of WTE staff by job title posts that are currently filled at Palmerstown Children's Disability Network Team as of 15 June 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46979/26]

603. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of WTE social workers posts filled at Clondalkin Children's Disability Network Team as of 15 June 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46980/26]

604. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of WTE speech and language therapist posts filled at Rossecourt Children's Disability Network Team as of 15 June 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46981/26]

605. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an update on a speech and language therapy appointment for a child (details supplied). [47003/26]

606. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware that parents are charged for creche fees at Band F, based on the assessment that the creche is open for 55 hours per week, even though some parents only use the creche for 44 hours per week (over 5 days); if she can confirm if parents should pay the lower rate (Band E) where they use the creche for 44 hours per week (…

607. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the level of HSE expenditure spent on private disability services, by service type, in each health area in 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026, in tabular form. [47097/26]

608. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware that childcare providers operating 57 hours per week fall within a category that is not required to reduce its fees in line with the lower fee caps being introduced; if she is aware that parents cannot avail of NCS subsidies for those operating hours and therefore do not receive a corresponding benefit (details supplied)…

609. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether a person (details supplied) who was not notified via email that they needed to renew their child's subsidy under the NCS and as such was cut off from the scheme unbeknownst to them, can be refunded the missed funds over the five month period that they were forced to pay un-subsidised rates due to an administrative error; and if …

610. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if there is an awareness within her Department that parents are frequently unaware that they must undergo an annual renewal for their child under the NCS and as such many parents are cut off without knowing that they will be; the plans her Department has to create greater awareness for parents; her views on whether there is a lack of cl…

611. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of individuals over the past three years who have missed the renewal date under the NCS and have subsequently later renewed post deadline; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47201/26]

612. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans and the timeline to phase out long-term care in nursing homes for younger people with disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47212/26]

613. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when a person (details supplied) will receive a substantive response to the emails forwarded by this Deputy to her office [47256/26]

614. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality in light of reports that more than 50 childcare providers have exited the core funding scheme in the past two years, to outline the analysis her Department has undertaken into the reasons for these withdrawals; whether rising operating costs are being fully met under current funding arrangements; the immediate measures that a…

615. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has conducted, or is conducting, a review into early years professional terminology, given that there is a clear preference across the sector to use early childhood education and care in place of Early Learning and Care, as is custom internationally; the timeframe for the potential publication of such a review; and…

616. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children who availed of targeted supports under the access and inclusion model in each of the programme years 2021/2022 to 2025/2026; the number who availed of universal supports in the same period; the projected number of children to be supported in the 2026/2027 programme year, in tabular form; and if she will make a st…

617. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children availing of targeted access and inclusion model supports, by county and by city and county childcare committee area in the 2025/2026 programme year; and the number of early learning and care settings in each area delivering AIM supports, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47331/26]

618. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average and longest processing times for access and inclusion model Level 4 and Level 7 applications in the 2025/2026 programme year; the proportion of Level 7 applications processed within the published twelve-week timeframe; the number awaiting decision at the most recent date available, in tabular form; and if she will make a st…

619. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of applications under the access and inclusion model for specialised equipment, appliances and minor building alterations in the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 programme years; the number approved; and the average time to approval, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47333/26]

620. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children who availed of AIM Plus supports and AIM non-term supports respectively since their introduction in September 2024; the total expenditure on each in 2024 and 2025; the number of settings providing these supports, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47334/26]

621. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current rate of access and inclusion model level 7 additional capitation following the increase introduced in October 2025; the rate that applied beforehand; the full-year cost of that increase, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47335/26]

622. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of additional residential spaces for adults with intellectual disabilities that were provided for in Budget 2026; the total funding dedicated to providing these spaces; the projected cost of each additional residential space in 2027; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47363/26]

623. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she is aware of the exclusion of certain rural families from accessing the national childcare scheme (NCS) where no NCS-participating childcare provider is practically available in their locality; whether consideration is being given to introducing a mechanism, including a rural access exception, refund, tax credit or equivalent…

624. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures her Department is taking to support increased labour force participation by women, with particular regard to addressing barriers facing women who wish to return to the workforce and to supporting those in part time employment who wish to increase their working hours, recognising the economic benefits of maximising participa…

625. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the level of core funding that will be available to early learning and childcare providers in programme year 2026/2027; the increase in funding compared with the current programme year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47526/26]