Parliamentary questions

525. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current recruitment campaigns for occupational therapy; and the number of posts offered versus filled in each health region over the past 12 months. [70950/25]

526. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures to support families and carers affected by prolonged delays in accessing occupational therapy for children with additional needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70955/25]

527. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department will consider an additional emergency winter payment for disabled people, many of whom are struggling to keep up with costs to warm their homes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70982/25]

528. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the status of the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024. [71020/25]

529. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps the Government intends will take to transpose the EU Directives on standards for equality bodies; and the timeframe envisaged. [71021/25]

530. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide a schedule in respect of media training, presentation training and general preparedness of Tusla officials relating to appearances Oireachtas committees; and the costs and companies engaged to deliver the training in 2025. [71060/25]

531. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the whole-time equivalent number of HSE-funded occupational therapist posts in Cork city and county in each of the years 2022, 2023 and 2024, and to date in 2025; the number of posts vacant in each of those years; the number of staff who left HSE occupational therapy posts and the number appointed in each year; the re…

532. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children and adults on waiting lists for occupational therapy in Cork city and county in each quarter from Q1 2022 to the most recent quarter, broken down by service area (primary care, disability services, older persons, and mental health); the median and longest waiting times in each category; and the …

533. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if the Government has initiated any searches, excavations, or scientific investigations at other former mother and baby homes and county homes where evidence strongly suggests the existence of unmarked mass graves; the timeline for action at each known site; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71104/…

534. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality why several county homes with documented maternal and infant deaths have been omitted from the redress scheme; if their exclusion will be reviewed; the evidence threshold required for their inclusion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71105/25]

535. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the provisions being made for childcare providers participating in core funding to cover the cost of PRSA contributions.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71187/25]

536. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an updated timeline to ratify the second optional protocol of the UNCRC; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71192/25]

537. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding the future of Liberty Street House in Cork; the steps her Department has taken to prevent its potential closure; her assessment of the impact the loss of this service would have on early intervention and the prevention of youth homelessness in Cork city and county; and if she will make a statemen…

538. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any funding streams are available to upgrade accessibility access in an arts centre (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71229/25]

539. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children in Longford waiting for an assessment of need. [71278/25]

280. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider a change in policy for parental leave in terms of the amount of leave that can be transferred between parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70540/25]

281. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide a breakdown of all consultants engaged with her Department; the costs associated with their services, by year, and name of consultant, in each of the years 2012 to 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70431/25]

282. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the main policy achievements of her Department since 22 January 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70517/25]

283. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the options for funding, specifically for the purchase of premises for the provision of early learning and childcare services; the application procedures; the dates for application processes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70568/25]

284. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her views on the human rights impact of proposals to penalise migrants and refugees who rely on essential social welfare supports such as disability allowance, carer's allowance or working family payment in terms of eligibility for naturalisation, if her Department was consulted; and if she will make a statement on th…

285. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department will carry out an analysis of the likely impact on child poverty, disability rights or community wellbeing of proposals to discourage welfare access for refugees and migrants by penalising them in terms of eligibility for naturalisation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70607/25]

286. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the fee increase and assessment process will be open for application for eligible childcare providers and partner services who are in the core funding scheme in Louth and elsewhere; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70640/25]

287. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if there are any circumstances through which a child can access assistive technology equipment under AIM level 5 support in advance of being enrolled in an ECCE programme; the reason eligibility for assistive technology is linked specifically to ECCE; the basis for this; if this criteria will be reconsidered given su…

760. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if funding will be provided for the proposed equine therapy centre at Toghermore campus in Tuam, County Galway; if she can provide an update on this project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69776/25]

761. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if he will consider extending unpaid parental leave so that it remains available until a child finishes post primary school in order to give parents greater flexibility during the school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69828/25]