Questions

847. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality what supports are currently available to families of autistic children and other vulnerable children who are at significant risk of wandering or absconding; and whether her Department has examined the use of GPS or other appropriate location technology as a safeguarding measure for such children. [74145/26]

851. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether consideration has been given to developing a national framework to assist families in accessing appropriate location technology where a child has been identified as being at significant risk of wandering or absconding. [74146/26]

639. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will examine concerns raised by an early years provider (details supplied) regarding the new one-per-room restriction on AIM level seven maintenance of reduced ratio arrangements; and to clarify the policy and evidence-based rationale for the change and its operation in respect of existing AIM allocations. [68169/26]

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]

248. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the implementation of the Autism Assessment and Intervention Pathway Protocol; the type of adult self-referral that is envisaged; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50085/26]

42. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the work her Department is undertaking to support professionalisation within the childcare sector, including measures to strengthen career pathways and workforce development; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47463/26]

94. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the work her Department is undertaking to support improved pay and sustainable wage levels within the childcare sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47465/26]

780. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the actions are being taken to address difficulties in securing childcare places under the NCS sponsorship scheme; if funding levels have been reviewed; whether incentives for providers to accept sponsored children are being considered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45226/26]

1529. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if there are plans to review the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 and its implementation; if so, the timeline for any such review; and the way in which the lived experience of individuals who have engaged with the assisted decision-making framework, their families and supporters, will be taken into account as part of this…

852. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether a formal review of the operation of the mother and baby institutions payment scheme is scheduled; and if so, the timeframe for this review. [36967/26]

853. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether institutions (details supplied) will be considered for inclusion in the mother and baby institutions payment scheme as part of any forthcoming review of the scheme. [36968/26]

854. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide details of any judgments, findings, or official assessments relating to institutions (details supplied) and the rationale for their exclusion from the scheme to date. [36969/26]

855. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether all available documentation and survivor testimonies relating to institutions (details supplied) are being examined as part of any review of the operation of the mother and baby institutions payment scheme. [36970/26]

856. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the 180-day residency requirement under the mother and baby institutions payment scheme will be examined as part of any review of the scheme. [36971/26]

857. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if consideration is being given, within any review of the mother and baby institutions payment scheme to waiving or introducing flexibility into the 180-day threshold, particularly in cases where individuals narrowly fall below the requirement but experienced comparable hardship. [36972/26]

505. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of recipients of the national childcare scheme and the early childhood care and education programme, broken down by electoral division of recipients, not Local Electoral Area, for the most recent year for which data is available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36435/26]

459. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether St. Clare’s Baby Home, Stamullen, County Meath, is included in the mother and baby institutions payment scheme; the rationale for its inclusion or exclusion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33855/26]

812. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of recipients of the national childcare scheme and the Early Childhood Care and Education programme, broken down by electoral division of recipients, for the most recent year for which data is available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33206/26]

167. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the measures being taken to reduce the administrative burden on childcare providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28462/26]

180. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on progress in relation to the State's acquisition of childcare facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28461/26]

490. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an update on the measures being taken by her Department to increase staffing levels in CDNTs and to reduce waiting times for access to services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17868/26]

903. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the development of Phase 3 of the First 5 Strategy, particularly in relation to the proposed pilot Child and Family Centres; when clarity will be provided regarding potential funding mechanisms for projects that are shovel-ready such as (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15006/26]

131. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when she expects premises and projects for investment to be identified as part of the move to State acquisition of buildings to provide childcare services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12390/26]

174. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she has plans to introduce new rules to regulate non-refundable childcare deposits, given that they can be substantial, particularly for families who join multiple waiting lists in order to secure a childcare place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12391/26]

960. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the engagement her Department will have with the Land Development Agency as part of the move to State acquisition of childcare buildings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10396/26]