Questions

417. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the provisions which have been made to ensure that agencies, organisations and charities funded by her Department will meet their obligations under the new AE scheme. [62470/25]

418. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for a breakdown of every agency, not-for-profit organisation, charity or service provider directly funded by her Department; and the details of each specific directly funded post in each body. [62475/25]

419. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the parents and families of adults with special needs and profound disabilities will get the respite in County Kerry; her views on whether the number of respite beds available to Kerry families is unacceptable and falls far short of what is required; the steps being taken to address this urgent matter; and if she will make a stat…

420. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the findings of data collected by her Department on awareness levels following the national campaign to promote understanding of the Convention and its Second Optional Protocol, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62552/25]

421. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which the awareness campaign undertaken in line with Article 42 of the Convention and the Second Optional Protocol was structured to ensure both adults and children were informed of their rights and the obligations arising under the Convention; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62553/25]

422. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on the State's preparations for ratification of the Second Optional Protocol before the end of 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62554/25]

423. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the availability of psychotherapy services to children in care, in particular to reference access to child art psychotherapy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62612/25]

424. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures in place to support childcare facilities in transitioning to using renewable sources of energy. [62613/25]

425. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of vacant and derelict buildings in County Mayo owned by her Department that are vacant or rented, by the region/towns location of the buildings, in tabular form. [62665/25]

79. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reasons her Department accredits for the lengthy waiting lists for assessment of needs; the progress being made in developing legislation in this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61490/25]

80. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will comment on the survey findings by a representative organisation (details supplied) which showed that 80% of childminder services will close; and the actions her Department is taking to address the issue. [61743/25]

81. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of concerns raised by childminders as to the future of their childminding service, and the impact that childminders leaving the sector would have given the already severe lack of childcare capacity; if she will meet with an organisation (details supplied) which represents childminders; and if she will make a statement o…

82. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on her engagements with Tusla regarding well-being checks of closed cases; if she has received a progress report or interim report from the agency; and if she will set out the allocated additional resources she has provided Tusla to enhance its capacity to complete the work in a timely manner. [61877/25]

83. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the measures announced in budget 2026 for the early years sector, including the 2,300 places to be created via extensions to schools and community centres; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61736/25]

84. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the Government’s commitment to family resource centres; for an update on the work done by family resource centres across the country; and the potential for establishing more family resource centres. [61878/25]

85. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the engagement there has been with Tusla regarding child protection issues highlighted recently in the public domain (details supplied); the plans in place for a fit-for-purpose child protection system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61509/25]

86. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding developments towards reaching the commitment to reducing 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. [59969/25]

87. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the engagement she and her officials have had in 2025 with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage with respect to changing or improving planning rules to ensure delivery of childcare facilities in housing developments; the progress she can report on this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61618/25]

88. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if Fingal has been identified as a priority area by the forward planning unit; the criteria used to determine such prioritisation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61499/25]

89. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has addressed the IT issue whereby historical fee data was unavailable on the national childcare scheme website; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61745/25]

90. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of staff recruited in CDNTs in Cork in the past 12 months; and the number who resigned or left. [61723/25]

91. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to address the shortage of early childcare places, particularly for children between the age of 0 to two years which is preventing many parents, especially women, from returning to work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60793/25]

92. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures taken to address the huge shortage of childcare places in the whole of County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61584/25]

93. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on the Programme for Government commitment to increase the number of State-owned early learning and care facilities progressively; the number of facilities planned to be purchased in 2026; if it is her intention to move forward with a public model of childcare delivery as a significant proportion of over…

94. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average waiting time for assessment of needs in the Dublin Midwest constituency; the steps which are being taken to reduce waiting times in the Dublin Midwest area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61910/25]