Questions

626. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether his Department carried out any assessment of whether the 2023/2024 potato crop losses met the criteria for support under the EU Agricultural Reserve; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51817/26]

627. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether his Department sought advice from, or made any formal or informal representations to the European Commission regarding the availability of Agricultural Reserve support for Irish potato growers affected by the adverse weather conditions of late 2023 and early 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51818/26]

628. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will urgently review the case of a person (details supplied); if the referral to disability services will be expedited; the other supports that may be available in the circumstances; if she will address the concerns raised in the correspondence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51826/26]

629. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated cost in 2027 if an extra 475,000 extra personal assistant hours were provided. [50790/26]

630. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated cost in 2027 if an extra 200,000 extra home support hours were provided. [50791/26]

631. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the main policy achievements of her Department since 22 January 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50795/26]

632. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to establish a multi-annual parenting support investment fund, as recommended in the Triple P 2027 Budget Submission, in order to provide universal access to evidence-based parenting supports; if she accepts the evidence that parenting support programmes are proven to be highly effective with prevention and early intervention m…

633. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will commit to providing €3 million per annum over four years to support universal access to online parenting programmes, including the triple p online system, as a means of reducing pressure on CAMHS and other child mental health services; to address the finding that the majority of respondents felt that their child’s mental heal…

634. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to fund and implement a national communications campaign to promote awareness of evidence-based parenting supports and to destigmatise participation, noting the submission’s statement that such campaigns help the Government and relevant agencies to reach and support as many families as possible and improve outcomes across the p…

635. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps her Department is taking to address the current geographic limitations in access to evidence-based parenting programmes, given the submission from triple p finding that parenting services are currently insufficiently resourced and access to evidence-based interventions is geographically limited; if she will consider a national …

636. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures her Department are taking to ensure that no childcare provider will be adversely affected by a possible reduction in childcare fees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50973/26]

637. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps being taken to ensure that AIM Level 7 applications are determined before the commencement of the ECCE year, given the need for early years providers to recruit and Garda vet additional staff in advance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50995/26]

638. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the existing staff cohort and existing staff vacancy level at CDNT team 6 central Galway and Galway city east, CDNT team 5 Galway city west, CDNT team 4 and the west Galway CDNT team; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51073/26]

639. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if a capacity assessment will be given to a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51092/26]

640. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an update on the proposed establishment of a dedicated childcare agency; the current status of the proposal; the progress made to date; the expected timeline for its establishment; the functions and responsibilities the agency will have; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51107/26]

641. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the breakdown of the current funding streams in childcare; the breakdown of the additional funding provided in Budget 2026, in tabular form; the expected funding required in 2027 to maintain existing levels of service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51149/26]

642. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of separated children seeking international protection being accommodated by or in the care of Tusla; the number of those who are accommodated under section five of the Child Care Act 1991; the number that have an allocated social worker; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51151/26]

643. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the specific steps beyond the commissioning of reports, that her Department and its agencies have taken to identify the number of residential spaces required for adults with intellectual disabilities for each year from 2027 onwards for each county; the current projected requirement for each county for each of the years 2027 to 2037 inclus…

644. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of residential places currently in place for each county, for adults with an intellectual disability, broken down by those provided and resourced by the HSE, Section 38 and 39 bodies, and other State organisations, private or for-profit organisations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51153/26]

645. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of residential places provided for adults with an intellectual disability for each of the years 2021 to 2025 inclusive, broken down by those provided and resourced by the HSE, Section 38 and 39 type bodies and other State organisations, and private or for-profit organisations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51…

646. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for a breakdown of the State's expenditure on the provision of residential accommodation for each of the years 2021 to 2025 inclusive, broken down by residential accommodation, including the provision of resources by the State or its agencies, and private or for-profit providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51155/26]

647. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the specific criteria and guidelines that are used in the planning and allocation of residential accommodation to adults with intellectual disabilities; the details of the steps taken in ascertaining the preference and choices of the adult person to whom accommodation is being provided; the steps taken to ensure ease of access to family m…

648. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of residential places provided to adults with intellectual disabilities, broken down between planned and unplanned for each of the year 2021 to 2025 inclusive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51157/26]

649. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of residential spaces for adults with an intellectual disability that have been decommissioned or closed by the HSE and Section 38 and Section 39 type organisations for each of the years 2021 to 2025 inclusive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51158/26]

650. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to consider a review of the enduring power of attorney process to address the reluctance of many legal practitioners to engage with it, to make it more accessible and understandable to the general public; the improvements that could be made to make the process clearer and more efficient; and if she will make a statement on the matter…