Parliamentary questions

864. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the key measures taken in child protection services during 2025; her priorities for same in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72477/25]

865. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will publish the criteria and decision-making processes in respect of her proposed changes to the assessment of need process; who will now carry out these assessments; the training or safeguards that will be put in place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72506/25]

866. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to engage in public consultation with the education community, clinicians and families before the implementation of her proposed changes to the assessment of need process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72509/25]

867. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the options available to children not yet eligible for ECCE to access assistive technology in cases in which that they are deaf or hard of hearing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72510/25]

868. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department maintains a central supplier and payee register for all organisations funded through her Department’s budget; and to outline the mandatory data fields recorded for each supplier. [72517/25]

869. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department requires all organisations funded by her Department to record the legal type of each supplier or payee, such as limited company, partnership, sole trader or registered charity, as part of their financial-governance obligations. [72518/25]

870. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the date on which her Department last reviewed the adequacy of supplier-classification controls and supplier-information standards across organisations funded by her Department; and the findings of that review. [72519/25]

871. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if any internal audit, external audit or management letter issued to her Department since 2020 has raised concerns about incomplete supplier information, supplier-type classification or procurement-record quality in organisations funded by her Department; and the actions taken in response. [72520/25]

872. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps her Department is taking to introduce a standardised supplier-information framework, including supplier legal type, across all bodies funded by her Department’s budget; and the expected timeline for implementation. [72521/25]

873. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the safeguards currently in place to verify the age of asylum seekers presenting as unaccompanied minors; the reason almost 200 individuals placed in Tusla children’s accommodation since 2022 were subsequently found to be adults; the risk this poses to vulnerable children in State care; and whether she plans to intro…

874. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality in light of the National Action Plan for Childminding 2021–2028, the key changes made to the regulations as a result of the public consultation earlier in 2025; the supports and guidance that will be made available to childminders during the three-year transition period before registration with Tusla becomes mandator…

875. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality in light of the National Action Plan for Childminding 2021–2028, the measures in place to ensure parents are aware of the new regulations and the safeguards they provide for children; her plans to monitor and evaluate the impact of the new regulations on childminding services, child safety, and quality assurance duri…

876. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress achieved over the past 12 months on each childcare-related commitment in the Programme for Government, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72541/25]

877. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality his plans to further strengthen AIM in the 2025-2026 programme year to ensure children with disabilities can fully participate in pre-school education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72542/25]

878. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the rationale for the recent amendments to the concluding years of certain mother and baby and county home institutions under the payment scheme; the number of applicants who have been affected by these changes; the steps being taken to update the information booklet and application form to reflect the revised eligib…

879. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of social workers currently working within the Tusla 'children-in-care' team in County Laois; the number of children placed with each of those social workers; the total number of social workers who have been employed in the Tusla children-in-care team in County Laois since 2021; and if she will make a stat…

880. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of high support disability residential placements available in County Laois in 2024 and to-date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72545/25]

881. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of social workers employed in Tusla services in County Laois; the number of vacancies for social workers; the length of time those positions have been vacant, the number of children with no allocated social worker; the number of children in need of either foster or residential care who are not currently pl…

518. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her attention has been drawn to cases whereby pregnant women are not given adequate job protection in advance of taking maternity leave (details supplied); if this is under review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70889/25]

519. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the protections in place for pregnant women who believe they have been made redundant in advance of maternity leave as a means of removing them from company payroll; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70890/25]

520. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the work that is ongoing within her Department to ensure fair treatment for pregnant women in terms of maternity leave, sick leave and appropriate working conditions, regardless of their position within a company; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70891/25]

521. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her views on the adequacy of existing regulations in relation to the fair treatment of pregnant women in the workplace; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70892/25]

522. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her views on how Ireland compares to other EU counties in terms of the level of employment protection given to pregnant women in advance of taking maternity leave; her views on whether existing protections are sufficient; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70893/25]

523. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her views on how Ireland compares to the United Kingdom in terms of the level of employment protection given to pregnant women in advance of taking maternity leave; her views on whether existing protections are sufficient; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70894/25]

524. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department, and agencies under the Department’s remit, purchase data on the habits and activities of social media users and other platforms; if so, the reasons for purchasing such data; the amount spent in 2024 and 2025 year to date on such expenditure, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the …