Parliamentary questions

505. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the initiatives to enhance integration between Irish-language early childhood services and the broader education system, including collaborations with primary schools via programs like Mo Scéal and support for children with additional needs through schemes like AIM or Better Start; and if she will make a statement on …

506. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the details of strategic planning and future goals for Irish-language early childhood education, key performance indicators for growth, and efforts to preserve the Irish language through these services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13819/26]

507. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of a potential Judicial Review of the 2025 ERO for the childcare sector being brought before the courts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13265/26]

508. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality regarding the impact of the change to guardians ad litem via the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2022 on the role and function of guardians ad litem in court proceedings; if she has any concerns regarding the effect of these legislative changes on the protection and representation of children’s best interests before…

509. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the role her Department plays in public awareness campaigns for paternity leave and parent’s leave, including targeted outreach to employers and employees; the plans in place to increase awareness and take-up by men; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1859/26]

510. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider mandating employers to top up parental leave payments, including maternity and paternity payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1622/26]

511. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures her Department is taking to deliver on-the-ground supports in relation to the National Human Rights Strategy 2025, in particular supports that will enable disabled people to live independently and be an active part of their communities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13428/26]

512. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children in County Kerry waiting for an assessment of need at the latest available point in 2024 and 2025; the number of assessments conducted in 2024 and year-to-date in 2026; and the number of applications received in those periods, in tabular form [13434/26]

513. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children waiting for children’s disability network team services in County Kerry, at the latest available point in 2025, by team and service type, in tabular form [13435/26]

514. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when approval will be given to the application made for a personalised budget for a person (details supplied; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13456/26]

515. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update in the changes being made to the Wards of Court and the Assisted Decision-Making Capacity Act in the case of a person (details supplied; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13485/26]

516. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will outline each section of enacted legislation, where the responsibility lies in the Minister to commence that section, that has not been commenced; if she will outline each section of enacted legislation which provides for the making of regulations by the Minister that have not been made by the Minister;…

517. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department receives, on an annual or periodic basis, aggregated statistical reports from Tusla on the number of emergency child removal applications made under Section 13 of the Child Care Act 1991; whether such reports include age breakdowns, including children under one year of age; and if she will make …

518. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she requires Tusla, under any governance framework agreed with her Department, to report on the outcomes of emergency child removal proceedings, including rates of reunification, care orders, guardianship or adoption; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13614/26]

519. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department requires Tusla to conduct internal audit, quality assurance review, or evidential compliance review of emergency child removal applications; whether summary findings of such reviews are reported to her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13615/26]

520. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has sought or received any data from Tusla in the past five years regarding emergency child removal applications in which material allegations were subsequently amended, withdrawn, or corrected during proceedings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13616/26]

521. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any national policy guidance, approved or noted by her Department, requires Tusla to apply additional procedural safeguards, specialist assessment protocols, or disability-informed practice standards when child protection proceedings involve a parent with a diagnosed autism spectrum condition or intellectual d…

522. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she has issued, or is considering issuing, any general policy direction to Tusla under the Child and Family Agency Act 2013 in relation to evidential standards, proportionality thresholds, or quality assurance mechanisms in emergency child removal cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13618/2…

523. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the Tusla Board is required to report to her Department on governance risks or systemic concerns arising from emergency child removal decisions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13619/26]

524. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the figures for the number of children put in special emergency arrangements in each of the years 2020-2026 to date. [13624/26]

525. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the providers used for special emergency arrangements in 2025; the amount given to each; and the number of times each provider has been inspected since used as a provider by Tusla for such arrangements, in tabular form. [13625/26]

526. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if the TUSLA therapeutic team at a centre (details supplied) is being made redundant; if so, the reason this service is being ceased even though there are referrals for over 30 children between Wexford and Waterford who cannot be outsourced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13627/26]

527. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department can ensure that funding for the TUSLA Therapeutic team at a centre (details supplied) can be made available after May 2026 considering that TUSLA is expanding access to play therapists to children in care, recognising the invaluable care provided through this service; and if she will make…

528. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total number of long-term residential places available, by county for disabled people. [13638/26]

529. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total number of disabled people on waiting lists for long-term residential care by, county, and the average waiting times for such spaces. [13639/26]