Parliamentary questions

2017. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if the Building Blocks Capital Programme will be expanded to include crèche fit out costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2216/26]

2018. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if a county level operator pipeline for Kildare, including all allocations since 2022, will be published, in order to combat delays such as the continued non operation of a purpose built crèche in an area (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2217/26]

2019. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to publish quarterly county level dashboards detailing new childcare capacity, waiting lists by age band, and the number of estate crèches opened versus those permitted, with reference to County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2218/26]

2020. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she intends to introduce updated childcare planning guidance requiring childcare demand assessments for large residential schemes in Kildare north; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2219/26]

2021. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the 2001 Childcare Facilities Guidelines will be updated; whether the revised guidance would include a modernised demand assessment for apartment developments, including one bed, studio and appropriate two bed units; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2220/26]

2022. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department is using artificial intelligence tools for any graphic design or similar work in place of artists, designers or videographers; and if so, to outline which projects or units of the Department are affected. [2240/26]

2023. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any agencies or other bodies under her remit are using artificial intelligence tools for any graphic design or similar work in place of artists, designers or videographers; and if so, to outline which projects or units of the organisation are affected. [2258/26]

2024. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide a list of the top ten capital or programme projects delivered by her Department or its agencies over the past three years which were completed on time and within the originally approved budget; the project name, location, delivery timeframe, original approved budget, final outturn cost, and delivery bo…

2025. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to detail the annual spend on external consultants by her Department and its agencies in each of the past three years; the number of consultancy contracts, the largest individual consultancy engagements by value, and whether internal capacity-building or cost-benefit assessments were undertaken prior to engaging …

2026. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide a list, for each of the past three years of the top ten projects per annum delivered by her Department or its agencies which were completed late and over the originally approved budget; the project name, location, original approved completion date, actual completion date, original approved budget, fina…

2027. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of the concerns of an organisation (details supplied) in relation to changes to the role of guardians ad litem; and if she will engage with the organisation in relation to these concerns. [2476/26]

1. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will carry out a review of the regulations for childminders in Q1 of 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71885/25]

2. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department will provide additional and multiannual funding for therapeutic and counselling supports, such as play therapy, currently provided in family resource centres; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73394/25]

3. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she will intervene to prevent the closure of homeless prevention services in an organisation (details supplied) in Cork in mid-January; and to ensure the service does not cease in providing vital community support to homeless young people through social care and work [73584/25]

4. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has completed an equality and human rights impact assessment of her Department's practice of locating people with intellectual and other disabilities in excess of 100 km from home in residential services for prolonged periods of time, and of her Department's failure to maintain statistics on these distances given…

5. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps her Department is taking to tackle the rate of exploitation by criminal gangs of children in the State care system; if she will meet with an advocacy group (details supplied) which is working to reduce child trafficking in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71834/25]

6. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current number of children in Cork North-West and across County Cork waiting for assessment and intervention through children’s disability network teams; the average length of time families in this area are waiting for key therapies such as speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and psychology; the s…

7. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is satisfied that the number of childminding services registered with Tusla, and the numbers of childminders undertaking the pre-registration training, will be sufficient to meet the future demand in Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73088/25]

8. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to the recent changes to the assessment of need, AON, process as announced by her Department, the expected impact these changes will have on the timeline for those seeking an AON; the process by which children will now be able to avail of treatment, therapies and other services in a timely manner; and if she …

9. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to address the waiting time for assessments of needs, considering there are in excess of 18,000 children waiting for such an assessment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73106/25]

10. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to urgently address the shortfall in respite beds across Kerry for both adults and children; her plans to address this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72807/25]

11. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps her Department is taking to address the ongoing lack of affordable early learning and childcare places, particularly for working families; whether she has assessed the impact of rising childcare costs on parents’ ability to remain in employment, including in areas such as Dublin Bay North; and if she will …

12. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures she is taking to improve disability services in Kerry. [72874/25]

13. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to the recent changes to the assessment of need, AON, process announced by her Department, if she expects wait times to be impacted for those seeking an AON; the way in which the changes made to the AON process will impact the delivery of treatment and therapies; and if she will make a statement on the matte…

14. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her proposals to provide additional respite capacity for adults and children with disabilities in County Monaghan. [72976/25]