Parliamentary questions

439. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the qualifying criteria used to determine eligibility for sustainability funding for Section 39 disability service providers that was allocated in Budget 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54439/26]

440. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total amount of sustainability funding allocated to Section 39 disability service providers in HSE Dublin and south-east region in Budget 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54440/26]

441. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being put in place to meet additional pension costs incurred by Section 39 disability service providers that are wholly funded by the HSE; the timeframe for the introduction of such measures; whether they will be backdated to 1 January 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54446/2…

442. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children, by county, who benefited from supports under the national childcare scheme in each of the years 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54502/26]

443. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of State-led Early Learning and Childcare Capital Programme projects that are proposed for Fingal; the location of each proposed project; the current status of each project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54366/26]

444. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any sites in Fingal have been identified, approved in principle or progressed under the State-led Early Learning and Childcare Capital Programme; if she will provide details of each site; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54367/26]

445. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether services delivered under the State-led Early Learning and Childcare Capital Programme will be operated exclusively by not-for-profit providers; and whether any private for-profit providers will be eligible to operate State-owned facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54368/26]

446. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which operators for State-led early learning and childcare services will be selected; whether there will be an open competitive process; the governance, financial, quality and operational criteria that will apply; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54369/26]

447. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of operators to date, that have been selected or approved under the State-led Early Learning and Childcare Capital Programme; the name of each operator and the associated project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54370/26]

448. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the criteria used by her Department to select sites for investment under the State-led Early Learning and Childcare Capital Programme; the weighting given to unmet demand, deprivation, rurality, accessibility, value-for-money and project readiness; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54371/26]

449. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of projects that have been approved in principle nationally under the State-led Early Learning and Childcare Capital Programme; the number of persons that remain under assessment, by county and project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54372/26]

450. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department plans to publish the Forward Planning Model, appraisal methodology and scoring framework used to identify and prioritise projects under the State-led Early Learning and Childcare Capital Programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54373/26]

451. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether expressions of interest have been sought from prospective operators for any State-led childcare projects in Fingal; if so, the number of expressions of interest that were received; the number of these that were assessed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54374/26]

452. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures in place to ensure transparency in the selection of both sites and operators under the State-led Early Learning and Childcare Capital Programme; whether the scoring and evaluation of applications will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54375/26]

453. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason a childcare service in Dundalk, County Louth (details supplied) that is willing to expand its capacity was excluded from the relevant childcare expansion scheme, particularly given the high demand for childcare places in the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54398/26]

454. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to urgently intervene and ensure that a pre-school (details supplied) can reopen given the shortage in pre-school places in the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54403/26]

455. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to implement supports that have been sanctioned and planned but are not currently being delivered in respect of a child (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54448/26]

456. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when funded vacant placements in a disability service (details supplied) will be brought into operation and when all such placements will be filled given that people with intellectual disabilities and their families in south Tipperary and Kilkenny continue to wait for suitable residential supports. [54455/26]

457. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current status of a project (details supplied); if she will ensure that this project moves to the next stage at the earliest possible date in view of the urgent need for the project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54500/26]

458. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of EU Presidency policy and administrative officers now employed on temporary contracts across her Department, in Ireland and abroad; if these individuals can apply to internal civil service competitions for these temporary contracts; the plans being developed to retain these individuals once their co…

459. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding all actions in each of the Climate Action Plans 2021 to 2025 under the remit of her Department; to provide a breakdown of the legacy actions remaining, broken down by the year of the climate action plan they were initially included in; and the estimated timelines for completion, in tabular form. [54…

460. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children on waiting lists for an assessment of need, by area, in each of the years 2020 to date; the number overdue for completion; the number completed with a service statement, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54656/26]

461. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children on waiting lists for an assessment of need, by county, in each of the years 2020 to date; the number overdue for completion; the number completed with a service statement, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54657/26]

462. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children on waiting lists for an assessment of need in Kerry in each of the years 2020 to date; the number overdue for completion; the number completed with a service statement, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54658/26]

463. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the proportion of those waiting longer than the statutory maximum for an assessment of need, by area and the length of time waiting, in each of the years 2020 date broken down in quarterly intervals, in tabular form. [54659/26]