Questions

495. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the actions she is taking to engage with a large childcare centre on its withdrawal from the core funding model (details supplied); and the actions she will take to support parents with the knock-on price increase. [69818/26]

496. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the projects, locations and communities that have been submitted to her Department for consideration under the €135 million State-led early learning and childcare infrastructure programme; the county in which each project is located; and the status of each proposal. [69738/26]

497. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the policy measures in place to ensure that childcare capacity is maintained within communities where an existing early learning and childcare facility is affected by defective concrete; and the supports available to prevent the permanent loss of childcare places in such areas. [69739/26]

498. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the circumstances in which sustainability funding may be provided to an early learning and childcare service required to relocate as a consequence of defective concrete; the categories of expenditure which may be supported under such funding; and whether the funding can contribute towards temporary relocation, long-term relocation or re…

499. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality in relation to the National Strategy for Women and Girls 2025–2030, which academics and independent experts were consulted in developing the strategy; and the published research that they provided or relied upon. [69741/26]

500. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated full-year costs to recruit five additional speech and language therapist managers for Children Disability Network Teams. [69852/26]

501. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of referrals made to the north Tipperary children's disability network team in 2025 and to date in 2026, in tabular form. [69811/26]

502. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her views on a pensions matter (details supplied). [69747/26]

503. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of facilities in County Kildare that provide respite services; whether these facilities are meeting the current respite needs of children and adults with disabilities; and the body or bodies responsible for operating each facility. [69942/26]

504. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on Building Blocks Phase 2; the number of applications received and the titles of those applications from County Mayo; the number of these applications deemed eligible to be considered; the name of each; and when a decision will be made on these applications. [70014/26]

505. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the mechanisms in place to support families that have children in childcare centres that have withdrawn from the core funding scheme and the related knock-on increase in costs. [70030/26]

506. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her attention has been drawn to the withdrawal of a childcare centre from the core funding scheme (details supplied) and what actions her Department has taken to engage with the management of this facility to try and maintain their membership of the scheme. [70028/26]

507. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to consider and reply to correspondence from an organisation (details supplied) regarding lack of funding. [70027/26]

508. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the waiting lists for an assessment of need at end September in each of the years 2022 to 2026, nationally, by region and integrated healthcare area; the number of applications at each stage of the process; the number of assessment reports overdue for completion; the number of applications overdue by more than six, nine and 12 months…

509. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the mechanisms in place to support families that have children in a childcare centre (details supplied) that has indicated that they are withdrawing from the core funding scheme and the related knock-on increase in costs. [70075/26]

510. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her attention has been drawn to the withdrawal of a childcare centre from the core funding scheme (details supplied); and the steps her Department has taken to engage with the management of this facility to try and maintain their membership of the scheme. [70074/26]

511. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she will review HSE guidance and training for adult disability services on the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015, particularly how staff should assess and manage foreseeable safety risks when a person wishes to leave a service unaccompanied; how families’ views should be considered, consistent with the person…

512. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the assessments undertaken by her Department to plan for future childcare demand in the Kildare north constituency; and the metrics used to assess childcare demand and capacity in an area. [70110/26]

513. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being taken to improve the affordability of childcare for families in the Kildare north constituency; and the level of Government support available to childcare providers and parents in the constituency. [70111/26]

514. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide the headline findings from a report recently drafted but not published by her Department (details supplied); to provide a reason that the document was not published; and whether she will provide a copy of the report directly. [70094/26]

515. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider introducing pay parity for early years and school age care graduates, a doubling of the graduate premium in core funding and investment in three in-service days per year for every early years setting. [70136/26]

516. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will ensure that social care workers working with children and young people in State care, in the community and voluntary social care sector Section 56 organisations funded by Tusla can access the public service pension, and that this is not restricted as planned to specific entities and residential roles outlined in the decade…

517. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to list the cultural institutions, if any, including museums, galleries, libraries, archives, theatres, concert halls, bands, ensembles, and performing companies, operated or hosted by her Department and public bodies or semi-State companies under her Department's remit, identifying the State funding provided for these institutions…

518. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the individualised or person-managed funding arrangements are currently available to disabled people who require substantial personal assistance; can an existing HSE-funded care allocation be transferred into an individualised or person-managed arrangement; and if not, the current pathway for someone in these circumstances to obtain…

519. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the amount spent by her Department on private third party providers carrying out assessment of needs in the past four years, in tabular. [70374/26]