389. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she is aware that some children born shortly after the ECCE eligibility cutoff date may receive only one year of ECCE before commencing primary school; and if she has assessed the educational and financial impact of this on affected families. [74974/26]
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
Browse the questions
8,676 questions match, newest first.
390. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of disability placements that were budgeted for in 2025; the actual number of placements in 2026 to date, the budget for private placements; and the actual number of private placements, in tabular form. [75268/26]
391. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to confirm that further amendments to the Assessment of Need provisions (currently contained in the Disability (Amendment) Bill 2025 will be considered following the outcome of the current consultation on the review of the Disability Act 2025. [75117/26]
392. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason the Disability (Amendment) bill 2025 is continuing its passage through the Oireachtas given that a review of the parent act, the Disability Act 2005, is currently underway. [75116/26]
393. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to examine the current age eligibility rules for the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme; and if she accepts that children born in January are at a distinct educational disadvantage as they will not be 2 years and 8 months old by the time September comes around. [75102/26]
394. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her attention has been drawn to concerns related to the lack of flexibility under Section 8.2/8.3.2 of the national childcare scheme, specifically for children that are neurodiverse and benefit particularly from afterschool activities; and her views the current scheme acts as a disincentive for families to include their children in spo…
395. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will permit the extension of a sponsored claim through the national childcare scheme to August 2027, which is due to expire on the 13 December 2026 for a child (details supplied). [75148/26]
396. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department would consider the establishment of respite services for adults with intellectual disabilities in West Cork; and the work her Department has conducted on this issue to date. [75004/26]
397. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of the case of a child in County Mayo (details supplied) who has been waiting in excess of three years for clinical psychology services and over one year since an assessment of need application was submitted; the reason the child's assessment of need has not yet been completed; the reason a maternity-leave clinical psych…
145. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the level of State funding provided to the Irish Deaf Society by her Department and the agencies under its remit in each of the years 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026; and the services the society provides in County Mayo. [74631/26]
146. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the level of State funding provided to Chime in each of the years 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026; the services Chime provides in County Mayo under its funding arrangements; and the number of staff delivering these services in the county. [74630/26]
147. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the supports available in County Mayo for older adults who are profoundly deaf, including access to social work and community resource services; and the way in which these services are reviewed to ensure they meet the needs of service users. [74632/26]
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…
153. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any steps are being considered to prevent childcare providers from primarily offering the more expensive band F places under the national childcare scheme. [74560/26]
154. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of families who avail of core funding, by band, in tabular form. [74559/26]
155. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the status of the role of data protection officer in Tusla. [74658/26]
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…
158. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the hourly rate paid under HSE direct payment, individualised funding, personal assistant direct employment, or similar schemes that allow a person with a disability to directly employ their own care worker or personal assistant; the annual rate applicable in each year from 2016 to 2026; and the date on which the rate was last increase…
159. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason a child in County Mayo (details supplied) is facing an estimated four-year wait for an assessment of need (AON); the measures being taken to address the excessive delays in accessing statutory assessments; and the current waiting times for AON assessments in County Mayo. [74556/26]
160. Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding the OT position in the adult disability service in St. Joseph's care centre in Longford. [74515/26]