857. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childminders currently registered with Tusla in Cork city and Cork county, respectively; the number of childminders who have registered under the new regulatory framework; the measures being taken to encourage more childminders to register and provide additional childcare capacity; and if she will make a statement on the ma…
Parliamentary questions
Questions
TDs ask ministers questions to get answers on the record, most of them in writing. Here is every one asked in the 34th Dáil, by the department it went to and the subject heading it was filed under. How questions work
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Showing questions asked by Ken O'Flynn .
711 questions match, newest first.
858. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children currently waiting for a place in a crèche or early learning and childcare service in Cork City and Cork County, respectively; the steps being taken to address the shortage of childcare places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74502/26]
859. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the amount of funding ring-fenced in the current budget to provide additional early learning and childcare places in Cork city and Cork county; the number of additional places this funding is expected to deliver; the timeline for making these places available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74504/26]
641. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if Tusla records referrals concerning children where the reported concern includes a parent or guardian’s refusal to affirm, recognise or support a child’s stated gender identity; and if so, the number of such referrals received in each year since 2017. [71867/26]
642. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if Tusla records the source of referrals concerning parental disagreement with or refusal to affirm a child’s stated gender identity; and if so, the number referred by teachers, counsellors, psychotherapists, psychologists, social workers, healthcare professionals and other mandated persons in each year since 2017. [71868/26]
643. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of Tusla referrals in each year since 2017 in which parental disagreement with or refusal to affirm a child’s stated gender identity was identified as a concern; the number that proceeded to preliminary enquiry or assessment; the number that resulted in further intervention; and the number that were closed without further inte…
644. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla has issued guidance to teachers, counsellors, psychotherapists, psychologists, social workers or other mandated persons concerning circumstances in which parental disagreement with or refusal to affirm a child’s stated gender identity may constitute a child protection or welfare concern requiring referral; and if she will p…
645. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla considers parental disagreement with a child’s stated gender identity, in the absence of evidence of assault, ill-treatment, neglect or sexual abuse, to constitute grounds in itself for a mandated report under the Children First Act 2015; and if she will clarify the circumstances in which such a report would be appropriate.…
671. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of adults with a disability in HSE South West currently assessed as requiring a residential placement and living with a family carer aged 70 or over; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72403/26]
672. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of emergency residential placements made in each of the years 2023 and to date in 2026, that followed the death or incapacity of a parent carer; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72406/26]
673. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will publish a multi-year residential disability care strategy with annual delivery targets and a capital plan; the timeline for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72408/26]
674. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of the 100 planned residential disability places funded in Budget 2027 that will be allocated to HSE south west; the number in Cork specifically; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72401/26]
422. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the mechanism that exist to ensure that the digitisation of public services across Government does not result in persons who are older, disabled, digitally excluded or unable to use online systems being denied equal access to State services, supports or entitlements; and whether she has sought a Government-wide review of this issue. [676…
423. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the guidance her Department has issued to public bodies concerning their obligations under the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty when introducing or expanding digital-only services; whether equality and human-rights assessments are required before such services replace existing non-digital access; and if not, the reason. [6768…
61. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the mechanism her Department uses to assess whether policies developed in the name of equality are having unintended or disproportionate impacts on the rights of other groups, particularly children, women and girls; whether she considers that equality policy should require an assessment of the competing rights, privacy, dignity and safety…
73. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the assessment her Department has made of the potential discriminatory impact of the increasing move by Government Departments and public bodies towards online-only or predominantly digital access to public services and supports (details supplied); whether she accepts that equality of access requires meaningful non-digital alternatives wh…
324. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children currently placed in care outside the State, by jurisdiction, by whether residential or foster care; and the total annual cost. [66232/26]
325. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 2844 of 28 July 2026, to specify in exact terms, the "additional oversight on Out of State placements” given HIQA does not operate outside the State; the independent inspection equivalent to the section 69 function that applies to these children; and whether Tusla receives and acts on the host inspec…
326. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to confirm whether the statutory visiting intervals are being met in full for every child currently placed outside the State; and the number of overdue or missed statutory visits in the past 24 months. [66234/26]
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]
1037. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 3022 of 7 September 2026, if she will require private providers of residential childcare to submit segmented or open-book accounts for State-funded placements as a condition of any future tender, so that the profit earned on public contracts can be verified; and if not, the reason for same. [64978/2…
1038. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 3023 of 7 September 2026, to reconcile the stated intention of the Child and Family Agency to incrementally reduce dependency on private residential care with the increase in the number of privately funded placements from 834 in 2024 to 1,038 in 2025; and the target number of private residential pla…
1043. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Children First provides specific national guidance on the sex of adults supervising children in circumstances involving changing, showering, toileting or sleeping arrangements; whether it provides guidance where the sex of a supervising adult differs from their gender identity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65…
1044. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether organisations working with children are permitted to determine independently the sex or gender of adults considered suitable to supervise children in changing rooms, showers, toilets and sleeping accommodation; whether her Department monitors consistency in such safeguarding arrangements; and if she will make a statement on the …