Parliamentary questions

889. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide a numbered breakdown of each recommendation contained in the 2023 University College Dublin report on sexual exploitation risks in residential and emergency care; to state, in respect of each recommendation, whether it has been accepted in full, accepted in principle, rejected, or remains under consideratio…

890. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether a formal cross-departmental or inter-agency oversight group was established to coordinate the State response to the 2023 University College Dublin report; if so, the date of establishment, its chairing authority, the Departments and agencies represented, the number of meetings held to date, and whether minutes…

891. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether compliance with any policy or procedural changes arising from the 2023 University College Dublin report is subject to formal monitoring or audit; whether such monitoring forms part of a centrally approved governance framework within her Department; and to outline the performance indicators or reporting mechani…

892. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department or Tusla maintains a data architecture capable of linking duration of time spent in State care with post-18 outcomes including housing stability, educational attainment, employment status and engagement with aftercare services; whether such linkage is currently operational; and if not, whether t…

893. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether a unique identifier or integrated administrative dataset exists that would permit longitudinal tracking of care leavers across Departments and agencies; if not, whether legislative or policy changes are under consideration to enable such integration; and the timeline for any such proposal. [14722/26]

894. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department intends to publish an annual outcomes dashboard for young people leaving State care, including cohort-based analysis by length of time spent in care; and if not, the reason such reporting is not currently provided. [14723/26]

895. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will act in relation to a recent High Court ruling (details supplied) and add Temple Hill and St. Joseph’s to the list of institutions under the mother and baby institutions payment scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14768/26]

896. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will extend an aftercare allowance for an additional year for a third level student in Kildare south (details supplied). [14844/26]

897. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children who have died while either in the care of Tusla, or while on the child protection notification system, in each year since the establishment of the Child and Family Agency, including cause of death, in tabular form. [14872/26]

898. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of persons that were murdered or died under suspicious circumstances over the past ten years in the State that had previously engaged with Tusla or who Tusla had previously identified as at risk. [14873/26]

899. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether an assessment of need that commences when a person is 17, but has not concluded, can continue once they turn 18. [14960/26]

900. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason support services provided to foster carers by an organisation (details supplied) located in Fethard has been terminated by Tusla without any consultation with the stakeholders; if she will insist that the services be continued while all concerned are consulted; and if she will make a statement on the ma…

901. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 1093 of 17 February 2026, if she will consider a public consultation plan regarding the Action Plan for the National Strategy to allow parents to share parental leave allocations between each other; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14983/26]

902. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average percentage increase in pay for the lowest paid early years staff that is, those earning within the first quintile of the pay distribution between 2022 (pre-ERO) and 2025 (the most recent ERO), for each staff grade; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14984/26]

903. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the development of Phase 3 of the First 5 Strategy, particularly in relation to the proposed pilot Child and Family Centres; when clarity will be provided regarding potential funding mechanisms for projects that are shovel-ready such as (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the ma…

904. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children availing of the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) in total; the number of children availing of universal NCS subsidy scheme; the number of children availing of the income-based NCS subsidy scheme; in 2024, 2025 and 2026 in tabular form. [15052/26]

905. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the amount of current spending on the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) in total in 2024, 2025, and allocation for 2026; the amount of current spending on the universal NCS subsidy scheme in 2024, 2025, and allocation for 2026 ; the amount of current spending on the income-based NCS subsidy scheme in 2024, 2025, and …

906. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the additional spending that will be allocated in 2026 and the cost annually of the proposed increase of income thresholds regarding the income-based National Childcare Scheme (NCS) subsidy, as well as the estimated additional number of children that will be eligible for the income-based NCS subsidy under the newly…

907. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the proposed universal rate under the National Childcare Scheme which will be introduced in September 2026, implied by her announcement of reductions in the highest fees charged to parents across the country from September 2026. [15055/26]

908. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the cost of increasing the estimated first-year, full-year and annual cost of increasing the current minimum rate of pay for early years educators by €0.50, €1, and €1.50; and the first-year, full-year and annual estimated cost to increase all other grades covered by the early years employment regulation order by t…

91. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is concerned at reports of early years services and childminders receiving bills for commercial rates; if she will act to ensure rates are not applied; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13520/26]

92. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the amount of funding provided to each provider of special emergency arrangements in 2025; the amount of funding provided to each provider of mainstream residential care in 2025; the total amount of funding in State-owned provision of mainstream residential care in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement …

93. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason she will determine legal representation for guardians ad litem in childcare court proceedings; the rationale for this change under the new service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13521/26]

94. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on her engagements with Tusla regarding well-being checks of closed cases; if she has received a progress report or interim report from the agency and-or the independent steering group; if she has requested a broadening of the scope of these checks; and the workforce planning conducted …

95. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of the critical staffing collapse within the Children’s Disability Network Team (CDNT) in Clonmel; if she accepts that this severe staffing shortage constitutes an emergency situation for the hundreds of children with complex needs who rely on this service, including the 114 children awaiting assessm…