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]
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
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8,676 questions match, newest first.
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]
302. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether consideration has been given to the potential for increased reliance on private assessments arising from any restriction in public access to cognitive assessment, and the implications this may have for equity of access; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22846/26]
303. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the training or guidance that is being provided to assessment officers and multidisciplinary teams to ensure that complex presentations, including masking and twice-exceptionality, are recognised under the revised assessment of needs model; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22848/26]
304. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department intends to review the implementation of the revised assessment of need framework to ensure that no cohort of children is excluded from identification due to the streamlining of assessment processes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22850/26]
305. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the new admissions to special school policy outlined on 9 December 2025; whether this will be in place for the 2026-2027 school year; and who will be the decision maker on admission to special school and category of school suitable for a child who has not received an AON. [22859/26]
306. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding the number of employees in her Department at the end of December 2025, broken down by grade, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22867/26]
307. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of employees in each of the agencies under her Department's remit at the end of December 2025, broken down by grade, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22889/26]
308. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is considering any measures to address the lack of childcare places available in towns and villages such as Portumna, County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22914/26]
309. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the review of childminding regulations will take place. [22967/26]
310. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the actions she will take to ensure a child (details supplied) has a place in afterschool services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23055/26]
311. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to reopen the building blocks extension scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23062/26]
312. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the options available to support a person (details supplied) who has significant communication needs and unique academic abilities; if funding for a bespoke education or learning support package can be accessed through the fund for students with disabilities or any other scheme; the process by which such supports may be applied for; an…
313. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the main policy achievements of her Department since 22 January 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23070/26]
789. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current average caseload per clinician within Children’s Disability Network Teams; the recommended caseload level for such clinicians; and whether the Minister accepts that current staffing levels are preventing children with complex needs from receiving timely intervention. [21444/26]
790. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the legal basis for Tusla's current interpretation of section 66 of the Child Care Act 1991 regarding superannuation eligibility for staff employed in children's residential centres listed in S.I. 124/1992, 125/1992 and 863/2004; if her Department has issued any guidance or determination limiting eligibility to staff providing direct re…
791. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children attending Irish medium pre-schools over the last 25 years, by year, in tabular form. [21387/26]
792. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will outline the level of services offered to a person (details supplied). [21405/26]
793. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the process by which an adult with an intellectual disability who is already known to the HSE and on local authority housing lists can obtain an assessment of need for residential and support services; the steps a family should take where no such assessment has yet been carried out despite long-term engagement with the HSE; and…
794. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to clarify what is meant by the term “offer zone” as used by the HSE in correspondence with carers in the context of disability residential and supported housing services; the criteria for a person being considered within an offer zone; whether an assessment of need or service planning can take place before a person enters the "offer zone…
795. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to set out which body has overall responsibility for coordinating the provision of supported housing for adults with intellectual disabilities, in circumstances where the individual is engaged with the HSE, a local authority housing list, and a Section 38/39 service provider; the way in which responsibility is determined in practice; and …
796. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the formal process which exists to plan the transition of an adult with an intellectual disability from the family home to supported or shared accommodation; whether families are entitled to an advance plan setting out likely housing and support options; the timelines that normally apply; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2…
797. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the national policy in place to ensure that adults with intellectual disabilities living with ageing parents have a clear and timely pathway to supported housing; the measures being taken to avoid crisis placements where family care can no longer be provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21426/26]
798. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the statutory and organisational purpose of Horizons as a Children’s Disability Network Team; whether Horizons currently has the staffing and funding necessary to fully meet the needs of children referred to the service; the number of children awaiting assessment and intervention, broken down by type of support (details supplied); the av…