Questions

148. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the date on which the decision was made to introduce a restriction limiting preschool rooms to one maintenance of reduced ratio arrangement; when the decision was approved by the Department; where and when the policy was formally published prior to its communication to providers through the Early Years Hive on 25 August 2026; w…

149. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the extent to which the potential reduction in ECCE capacity influenced the decision to restrict maintenance of reduced ratio arrangements to one per room; whether consideration was given to circumstances in which a smaller group size may provide a more appropriate support than the addition of further adult assistance; and the …

150. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether an assessment was undertaken of the impact of the restriction limiting preschool rooms to a single maintenance of reduced ratio arrangement on children with additional needs for whom reduced group size is itself an essential support, including children experiencing sensory overload, communication difficulties, hearing-r…

151. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the evidence, research, consultation findings or needs-based assessment that informed the decision to limit the approval of maintenance of reduced ratio (MRR) arrangements under the access and inclusion model (AIM) to one MRR per preschool room; and the basis upon which it was determined that no further MRR arrangement may be a…

152. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she has considered extending statutory paid paternity leave from the current entitlement of two weeks to at least eight weeks; if her Department has undertaken any assessment of the social, economic and family benefits associated with longer periods of paternity leave, including impacts on child development, maternal we…

156. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if consideration is being given to extending the revised childcare fee cap, or introducing alternative cost-reduction measures, for families using childcare services operating within Band F (50+ hours per week); if she is aware of concerns that many childcare providers in areas such as Lucan operate exclusively within Band F an…

157. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will clarify whether the €550 monthly childcare fee cap announced in Budget 2027 applies solely to childcare services operating within Band E (40-49.9 hours per week) under the core funding scheme; and if she will provide details of the number of childcare providers operating within Bands E and F, respectively. [74685/26…

630. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality what supports are currently available through the HSE for families of children who are at significant risk of wandering or absconding, including access to suitable locating technology; whether the Government would consider developing a national framework to support access to such technology for appropriately identified vulnerab…

684. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the supports, services and safeguarding measures that are currently available through the HSE for children who are considered at significant risk of wandering, absconding or becoming lost, including autistic children and those with intellectual disabilities; whether assistance is available for GPS tracking or other locating tec…

602. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of WTE staff by job title posts that are currently filled at Palmerstown Children's Disability Network Team as of 15 June 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46979/26]

603. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of WTE social workers posts filled at Clondalkin Children's Disability Network Team as of 15 June 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46980/26]

604. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of WTE speech and language therapist posts filled at Rossecourt Children's Disability Network Team as of 15 June 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46981/26]

979. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children who entered State care in each of the past five years and who were classified as homeless, in emergency accommodation, or residing in family hubs at the time they entered care; and if she will provide the figures, in tabular form. [39453/26]

980. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children who entered State care in each of the past five years and who were classified as homeless, in emergency accommodation, or residing in family hubs at the time they entered care; and if she will provide the figures, in tabular form. [39454/26]

981. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of cases in which homelessness, insecure housing, overcrowding, or residence in emergency accommodation was identified as a contributing factor in a decision to place a child in State care during each of the past five years. [39455/26]

982. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children currently in State care whose families are recorded as homeless or residing in emergency accommodation; and if she will provide the figures by county, in tabular form. [39457/26]

983. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children currently in State care whose families are recorded as homeless or residing in emergency accommodation; and if she will provide the figures by county. [39458/26]

2395. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if there has been a delay in releasing funding for residential care places within her Department; if there are further plans to provide this funding in the future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24076/26]

2396. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if funding can be released in respect of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24077/26]

2397. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the feasibility of providing funding for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24078/26]

297. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the recently revised assessment of need framework limits or reduces access to cognitive assessment for children, including in cases where intellectual disability is not suspected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22836/26]

298. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality how the revised assessment of needs framework ensures that children with uneven developmental profiles, including those who may be gifted or twice-exceptional (that is, children with both high ability and additional needs such as autism, ADHD or dyslexia), will be appropriately identified within the system; and if she will make…

299. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has conducted any impact assessment on how the revised assessment of needs model may affect the identification of children whose needs are masked by high cognitive ability or compensatory functioning; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22840/26]

300. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the safeguards that are in place to prevent under-identification of such children, particularly in light of evidence that twice-exceptional children are already under-recognised within education and disability services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22842/26]

301. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if access to cognitive or psychological assessment remains available where there is evidence of significant intra-individual discrepancy, asynchronous development, or unexplained underachievement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22844/26]