Questions

2551. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the transport cost coverage options available for the parents of a child (details supplied). [26189/26]

2552. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the future of care options available to a person (details supplied). [26190/26]

2553. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if students who have just completed their first/second year of studies in the early childhood education and care (level 8) students at Munster Technological University, Tralee, could be eligible to work in childcare services during the summer periods despite not having completed work placement (details supplied); and if she will m…

2554. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an update on the level of reliance on for-profit organisations in supporting people with intellectual disabilities; the proportion of funding allocated to Section 38 providers versus for-profit providers in each year from 2019 to 2026; the policy rationale for this shift; if her Department has plans to move away from this reli…

2555. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason Section 38 providers have experienced limited growth in residential capacity since 2019 compared to significant expansion in the for-profit sector; the plans in place to address this imbalance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26274/26]

2556. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average cost per residential placement in Section 38 organisations compared to for-profit providers; the steps being taken to ensure adequate resourcing and value-for-money in service provision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26275/26]

2557. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the safeguards in place to ensure that public funding allocated to disability services delivers maximum benefit to service users rather than contributing to private profit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26276/26]

2558. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being taken to provide advance funding to voluntary disability service providers to enable them to plan for future demand, rather than responding only in crisis situations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26277/26]

2559. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on her efforts to extend the NCS for childminding in the childminder's home and childminding in the family home; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26315/26]

2560. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for a detailed update on the funding being provided to an organisation (details supplied) as committed to in the HSE National Service Plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26394/26]

2561. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to consider legislating to extend paid paternity leave to eight-weeks from the current two-weeks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26515/26]

2562. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason a letter to travel is required in respect of children in State care by Tusla; the reason there is not the same right for all children in care or not to travel the island of Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26525/26]

2563. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current annual expenditure on family mediation services for young people at risk of homelessness; the estimated cost of expanding these services nationally to prevent relationship breakdown driven homelessness; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26535/26]

2564. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of delays in the provision of approved respite care hours for children with disabilities; the steps being taken to address such delays; and if she will provide an update on a case (details supplied) where two children were approved for four hours respite per week but have not received any service for almost two years.…

2565. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide a schedule of all studies and reports commissioned by her Department in each of the years 2023, 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026, that were composed and delivered by third parties (details supplied); the title and final cost of same; and whether the report is published and or laid in the Houses of the Oireachtas. [2…

2566. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide a schedule of all studies and reports commissioned by her in each of the years 2023, 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026, that were composed and delivered by her officials; the title and final cost of same, if applicable; to provide a breakdown of where costs were incurred; and whether the report is published and or la…

2567. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide the web link to her Department’s Q1 2026 published report of purchase orders/payments over €20,000, in line with the FOI model publication scheme requirements; to confirm the date on which this report was published; and, if it has not yet been published, to state the planned publication date. [26902/26]

2568. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if an application for assistive technology under AIM will be considered for a person (details supplied) in advance of their being enrolled in an ECCE programme given the technology will assist the individual in their current childcare setting and will already be in place for their entry to ECCE; and if she will make a statement on the …

2569. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will report on efforts to track and trace to inform relatives of children lost in the Bessboro Mother And Baby Home records found related to tandem burials for St Finbarr's hospital in St. Michael's cemetery associated with the "home" that operated until 1998 and mentioned in the Commission's report; and her plans to trace and in…

2570. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding withdrawal of ECCE, NCS or other Pobal programmes from early years providers who left or did not join core funding. [26987/26]

2571. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the maximum waiting time standards, if any, that apply to Children's Disability Network Teams nationally; and if no such standards exist, the reason for same. [27012/26]

2572. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total number of children currently awaiting initial contact, assessment and intervention from Children's Disability Network Teams, nationally and by region, including a breakdown of those waiting over three months, six months, 12 months and 24 months. [27013/26]

2573. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the approved whole-time equivalent staffing levels for each Children’s Disability Network Team nationally; the number of posts currently filled; the number vacant; and the percentage vacancy rate by discipline. [27014/26]

2574. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the additional staffing numbers required, by discipline, to enable all Children's Disability Network Teams to meet demand within a 12-month timeframe. [27015/26]

2575. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total funding allocated to Children's Disability Network Teams in each of the past five years; and the estimated funding required to eliminate current waiting lists. [27016/26]