Questions

1012. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current waiting times for children with Down syndrome to access appropriate speech and language therapy in Tipperary. [64197/26]

1013. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to explain the new update for the AIM Level 7 funding; the rationale for restricting a room to one maintenance of reduced ratio arrangement; if this will be reconsidered where a Service Needs Review demonstrates that this best meets the children’s needs; if transitional arrangements can be made for services that have already planned their…

1014. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will clarify whether the National LGBTIQ+ Inclusion Strategy can override or qualify statutory child protection obligations; her views on the primacy of safeguarding duties in all publicly funded services involving infants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64329/26]

1015. Deputy Daniel Ennis asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the sanctions that have been imposed on childcare providers found to be in breach of core funding fee-freeze rules. [64365/26]

1016. Deputy Daniel Ennis asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers that have been subject to fee reviews under Core Funding in each year since the introduction of the national fee review team; the number of breaches identified; and the nature of those breaches. [64364/26]

1017. Deputy Daniel Ennis asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any childcare providers have been required to refund parents following findings that they overcharged families in breach of core funding rules; and if so, the total value of refunds issued. [64366/26]

1018. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps she is taking to address the shortage of speech and language therapists available to children with additional needs given disability support services in North Tipperary have been impacted for a number of years by vacant posts and a lack of resources; the current waiting times for children with Down syndrome to access appropr…

1019. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of childcare providers operating from publicly funded school premises that do not participate in the national childcare scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64512/26]

1020. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the staffing levels of CDNTs in County Clare; if she is aware that a vacancy has been created within the Ennis CDNT (details supplied); the steps being taken to immediately fill this vacancy to prevent further waitlist delays for children in the region; if her Department has a policy to ensure that the expansion of the education therap…

1021. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the supports that will be available to parents if their childcare facility withdraws from core funding and prices go up as a result; and the steps she will take to address this issue. [64590/26]

1022. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of occasions in each of the past ten years on which a court sought a detention place in Oberstown but no place was available due to capacity constraints; and the outcome in each of those cases. [64636/26]

1023. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the certified capacity of Oberstown Children Detention Campus in each of the past ten years; the average occupancy level in each year; and the number of days on which the campus operated at full capacity. [64634/26]

1024. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of young persons transferred from Oberstown Children Detention Campus to the adult prison system in each of the past ten years; and the reasons for each transfer. [64632/26]

1025. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of persons aged under 18 years-of-age who had accumulated 30 or more criminal convictions in each of the past ten years; and the highest number of convictions recorded for any child in each year. [64627/26]

1026. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of young persons detained in Oberstown children detention campus in each of the past ten years; and the average daily population in each year. [64621/26]

1027. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality given the significant changes to AIM Level 7, the transitional arrangements in place immediately for families and providers who planned for the 2026-2027 year based on the previous rules; if any assessment has been done regarding the best interests of children in this circumstance; and if a review will be undertaken. [64746/26]

1028. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the details of any contracts in place between her Department and agencies under her remit with a company (details supplied) known to have provided material support to the IDF in Gaza, which the Government considers to be guilty of genocide, since 2023. [64858/26]

1029. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if an ability to talk is a criterion used to decide if a child with complex needs requires access to CDNT support (details supplied). [64536/26]

1030. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the specific assessment criteria used by the assessment to decide they were no longer suitable for the CDNT waiting list (details supplied). [64533/26]

1031. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to give a detailed breakdown on the expenditure of "Cara's Fund"; the number of children have received assessments of needs under the fund; the way in which children who require assessments of needs but are experiencing significant wait times access the fund to receive an assessment privately; and if those who face paying for an asse…

1032. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps her Department is taking to ensure that the educational standards and professional practice of early years educators working in crèches are maintained and continuously developed through ongoing professional training; whether all registered early learning and care services are required to have a structured CPD programm…

1033. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has evidence demonstrating a consistent level of CPD and educational practice across registered early learning and care services; whether she will publish her Department’s most recent data showing the percentage of early years educators who have completed CPD and the average number of CPD hours undertaken…

1034. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the mechanisms in place to engage with childcare providers that indicate they plan to withdraw from the core funding scheme. [64942/26]

1035. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 3021 of 7 September 2026, the number of children placed at each of the set weekly rates published in the most recent tender competition, by multi-occupancy, dual occupancy, single occupancy and each other category in 2024 and in 2025; and the total annual expenditure on single-occupancy private plac…

1036. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 3020 of September 2026, to confirm in a yes or no answer whether profit margin is assessed as a criterion in the award of private residential childcare contracts. [64980/26]