Questions

900. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total Exchequer funding allocated to the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission in each year from 2020 to 2025, inclusive; the breakdown of this funding by staffing, legal work, research, public advocacy, grants and communications; and whether the Minister is satisfied that this expenditure reflects a balanced discharge of the co…

901. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she has sought or received any analysis from her Department on the thematic focus of the work undertaken by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission; whether such analysis identifies a concentration of resources or public advocacy in particular policy areas; and what oversight mechanisms exist to ensure that publicly funded…

902. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she is satisfied that IHREC gives equal and appropriate consideration to competing rights, including sex-based rights, in its advice to Government and the Oireachtas; whether the Minister has raised concerns regarding the absence of explicit balancing analysis in any submissions made by the commission in recent years; and if not,…

903. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has reviewed the position taken by the former Irish Human Rights Commission during the passage of the Gender Recognition Bill 2013 in opposing the inclusion of specific protections for women and girls in sport and single-sex spaces; whether that position continues to inform the approach of the Irish Human Rights an…

904. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures in place to assess whether the work of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission commands broad public confidence; whether any value-for-money or governance review of the Commission has been carried out since 2019; and whether the Minister intends to initiate such a review in light of increased funding and expanding pub…

905. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the nature and frequency of formal engagement between her Department and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission regarding strategic priorities; whether the Minister has issued any guidance concerning the importance of neutrality and restraint in relation to contested social policy issues; and how the Minister ensures that an inde…

841. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when procurement procedures were first implemented at the following Tusla-run facility (details supplied); and if he will provide details in this regard. [3799/26]

858. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide a detailed account of all expenditure incurred by Tusla, in appointing a company (details supplied) as an independent body to examine and/or investigate protected disclosures in Cork in each of the years 2020, 2021 and 2022, including professional fees, associated legal costs, VAT and any other related expenses; and if she wil…

1908. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the longest period of time, in years, that any child has spent in State care since the establishment of Tusla in 2014; and to provide the year in which that duration was recorded, in aggregate form and without reference to any individual case. [74387/25]

1909. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children currently in State care who have remained continuously in care for more than 10 years, more than 15 years, and more than 18 years respectively; and to outline how these figures have changed in each year since 2015. [74388/25]

1910. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the statutory, regulatory, or administrative timeframes apply to permanency planning for children in long-term State care; and whether any mandatory escalation, review, or senior-level oversight is triggered once a child exceeds a defined duration in care. [74389/25]

1911. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department monitors compliance with permanency planning timelines within Tusla at a national level; if so, the performance indicators used; and how breaches of those timelines are addressed as a matter of governance and accountability. [74390/25]

1912. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has considered the introduction of statutory maximum periods within which a permanency decision must be made for a child in State care, subject to exceptional judicial review; and if not, to outline the policy rationale for the absence of such limits. [74391/25]

1913. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality in respect of services funded by her Department, the governance and oversight arrangements that apply where internal investigations are carried out into the handling of cash or vouchers; the number of such investigations initiated between 2018 and 2024; whether each investigation resulted in a written report or assurance being furnished…

1918. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 464 of 27 November 2025, if the investigation referred to by the Regional Chief Officer in relation to the handling of cash, or vouchers between 2018 and 2024 was a criminal investigation involving An Garda Síochána, or an internal administrative investigation only; and if she will make a statement …

829. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide a breakdown of Tusla's annual expenditure on private residential and special emergency arrangement providers for each of the past five years, disaggregated by provider type and by placement category; and to outline the governance framework applied by her Department to oversee this expenditure. [71826/25]

830. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children placed in private residential care and in special emergency arrangements in each of the past five years, and the corresponding number placed in Tusla-run residential units over the same period. [71827/25]

831. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average annual cost per placement for private residential care, for Tusla-run residential care, and for special emergency arrangements for each of the past five years, and the Department's assessment of value for money across these categories. [71828/25]

832. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the projected reductions in expenditure on private residential care set out in Tusla's Residential Care Plan, including annual targets, timelines, and the planned expansion of public residential capacity required to achieve reduced reliance on private providers. [71829/25]

836. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department carried out any governance or financial risk review of subcontracted private residential centres in advance of approving additional funding for Tusla in Budget 2026; and to state the title and completion date of any such review. [71969/25]

837. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the evidence base used by her Department to support the Budget 2026 allocation for private residential placements, including whether any assessment of governance, cost exposure or compliance risk was undertaken. [71970/25]

838. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department holds any reports, internal briefs or analyses completed since 2023 relating to governance or oversight of private residential centres funded by Tusla; and to outline the purpose of each document. [71971/25]

839. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the criteria her Department uses to determine whether governance controls for subcontracted private residential providers meet the standard required for continued Exchequer funding. [71972/25]

840. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if any gaps in governance, contracting, monitoring or regulatory assurance were identified by her Department during the 2024–2025 budget preparation process relating to private residential placements; and the actions taken in response. [71973/25]

868. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department maintains a central supplier and payee register for all organisations funded through her Department’s budget; and to outline the mandatory data fields recorded for each supplier. [72517/25]