Parliamentary questions

40. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps her Department is taking to ensure that childcare providers across the country have access to sustainable funding. [72978/25]

41. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children in State care who have died in the past fifteen years, by the breakdown of the cause of death; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71661/25]

42. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being taken to identify childcare services in Cork city and county that are experiencing difficulties with core funding; the difficulties and issues identified by the Department on childcare service providers not continuing with core funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73067/25]

43. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding developments towards reaching the commitment to reduce childcare costs to €200 per child, per month, in the context of a number of childcare providers pulling out of the core funding scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71466/25]

44. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she plans to establish a local, nurse-led respite facility in County Laois, where children with complex medical needs can access safe, medically appropriate overnight care; if so, the way in which such provision aligns with the National Policy on Palliative Care for Children, 2009, the National Needs Assessment 201…

45. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the supports her Department can provide to a group (details supplied) in County Galway in its efforts to establish a new community creche in Caltra; if funding is available from her Department for construction and initial operational costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71915/25]

46. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps her Department is taking to fill the staff vacancies in the CDNT in County Louth. [72977/25]

47. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the details of the changes that will be made to the Disability Act 2005 in relation to assessment of need; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72891/25]

48. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which her Department intends to support and develop Irish language naíonraí, particularly those in the Gaeltacht; if she plans to develop a new recognition scheme for Irish language naíonraí; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73193/25]

49. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current average waiting times for assessment of need determinations under the Disability Act 2005, broken down by CHO area, in tabular form; the steps her Department is taking to reduce delays and ensure timely access to statutory assessments for children, including those in Dublin Bay North; and if she will mak…

50. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps she is taking to alleviate the concerns of an organisation (details supplied) ahead of the introduction of new regulations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73190/25]

51. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children in Cavan and Monaghan who received an assessment of need within the statutory timeframe in the years 2020 to date; and the number who have not. [72968/25]

52. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the work her Department is undertaking to improve access to respite in Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73191/25]

53. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress being made in reducing the number of children on the Balbriggan and Swords CDNT waiting lists; the number of staff recruited to CDNTs in Dublin in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72847/25]

54. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being taken to protect and assist parents whose childcare providers are leaving core funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73066/25]

55. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an update on the establishment of an MS community worker in the Sligo–Leitrim area, which is currently the only region in the State without access to this community work service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72806/25]

56. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when changes to assessment of need will come into force; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73266/25]

57. Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the regional assessment hub will be put in place for County Longford, as these hubs are needed to alleviate pressure on health service and begin tackling the backlog that is affecting families across the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72832/25]

58. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the likely timeline for publication of the detailed specifications for future building blocks schemes in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72934/25]

59. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of publicly funded private assessments of needs delivered in Cork in 2025; and the number delivered publicly. [71672/25]

60. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which she will urgently build childcare capacity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71913/25]

61. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children currently awaiting therapy services under children's disability network teams, CDNTs; the average waiting time for speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy, by county; and the number of posts vacant within CDNTs nationally and regionally. [72984/25]

62. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children who have reported they were victims of human trafficking while in State care in each of the past five years. [71659/25]

63. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children on the waiting list for an assessment of need in counties Cavan and Monaghan, respectively; and the number waiting more than three, six and 12 months. [72975/25]

64. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the timeframe in which she intends to bring forward a plan to achieve a reduction in the cost of childcare to €10 per day. [72967/25]