Questions

228. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to increase the availability of childcare places in Kilcock, County Kildare, where families are facing waiting lists extending into late 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68509/25]

229. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware that the shortage of childcare places in Kilcock is forcing some parents out of the workforce; the supports or interventions which are planned to address this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68510/25]

230. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if population growth projections for Kilcock have been factored into childcare service planning; whether additional funding or capacity-building measures will be introduced to reduce waiting lists and support families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68511/25]

231. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will review the decision not to provide a Christmas bonus to foster carers in 2025; if consideration will be given to reinstating the payment in future years given the extra costs at Christmas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68512/25]

232. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has assessed the financial impact on foster carers of the decision not to provide a Christmas bonus in 2025; the supports being considered to assist foster carers during periods of increased costs such as Christmas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68513/25]

288. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being taken to expand access to early intervention therapies for children with disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66478/25]

289. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children in Kildare awaiting assessments of need; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66479/25]

143. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the means by which the proposed reforms to the assessment of need process will contribute to reducing the current backlog of over 18,000 children awaiting assessment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61542/25]

149. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to consider introducing financial supports for community-based childcare providers operating outside the ECCE framework, particularly those based in schools that cannot operate during school closures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61541/25]

1478. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the amount of funding granted to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) by his Department over the past five years; and if the relevant NGOs have submitted reports or other documentation outlining the way in which the funding has been spent, in tabular form. [57997/25]

1498. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of reports received from Tusla or her Department on the number of children missing from foster care placements, given this data is not collated nationally; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58310/25]

1499. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the frequency of strategy meetings held between Tusla and An Garda Síochána in relation to cases of missing children, particularly those involving indicators of trafficking; if she will publish a summary of inter-agency coordination in such cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58311/25]

1500. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla has provided data on the use of trafficking risk assessments in cases involving missing children; if she will request an audit of cases where such assessments were not completed despite indicators of exploitation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58312/25]

1501. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has received information on children who go missing while in transit between placements or jurisdictions; if she will publish a breakdown of such cases and any known outcomes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58313/25]

1502. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the Education Support Service has shared data on children in care who are missing from school; if this data is being used to identify those at risk of going missing from Tusla placements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58314/25]

1516. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to detail the financial supports that are available for community-based childcare services operating in school settings (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58639/25]

306. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of external consultancy contracts entered into by her Department in the past five years, including the original estimated cost, the final cost, and the reasoning for contracting this work rather than using internal resources. [54322/25]

309. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to confirm if any staff devices (laptops, phones, USBs) containing departmental information or sensitive data were reported lost or stolen in the past five years; the number of devices reported; the data risk involved; and the associated cost of mitigation. [54382/25]

310. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to detail the instances in which software or IT systems procured by her Department or agencies were later deemed unfit for purpose; and the costs of replacement or remediation. [54392/25]

11. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being implemented to ensure that the shortage of after-school childcare places does not act as a barrier to parents returning to the workforce; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50173/25]

56. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps being taken by her Department to address significant childcare waiting lists, including the almost 2,400 children currently awaiting a place in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50172/25]

731. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the status of the National strategy for women and girls; when it is expected to be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34315/25]

104. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the expected timeline for the implementation of the autism innovation strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32411/25]

115. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress which has been made to examine and expand the access and inclusion model to make it available to younger children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32410/25]

136. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the current capacity of childcare services in Kildare north; her plans to increase the number of childcare facilities in Kildare north; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20976/25]