Parliamentary questions

290. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps the Government is taking to implement the recommendations of the Ombudsman for Children’s report ‘Child Death Review: The Case for a National Statutory Review Mechanism for the Deaths of Children in Ireland’. [54103/25]

291. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality which Government Department has been designated as the lead Department responsible for the development and implementation of the statutory child death review mechanism. [54104/25]

292. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide a timeline for the establishment of the statutory child death review mechanism, including expected dates for publication of draft legislation, stakeholder consultation and commencement of operations [54105/25]

293. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the coordination taking place between the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, the Department of Health and other relevant agencies to ensure the child death review mechanism is comprehensive and effective. [54106/25]

294. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the measures that will be included in the statutory mechanism to ensure bereaved families are supported, consulted and kept informed throughout the review process. [54107/25]

295. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on the pay increase for early childhood educators as agreed in 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53991/25]

296. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to extend and improve paternity leave; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54019/25]

297. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the role of her Department in supporting the use of school buildings for childcare, after-school services and breakfast clubs, particularly in areas of high demand such as north County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54111/25]

298. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department provides funding or logistical support to community or private providers seeking to operate services from school buildings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54112/25]

299. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will urgently provide a public update on Ireland’s position regarding ratification of the UNCRC second optional protocol, including a clear time frame for action within 2025, given the pressing international and child protection context; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54155/25]

300. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has given further consideration to undertake an audit of early learning and childcare facilities, which have been granted planning permission as part of large scale residential development; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53826/25]

301. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will give an immediate assurance that Ireland will ratify the UNCRC second optional protocol; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54350/25]

499. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total number of children supported by income-assessed childcare subsidies, by county, in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52927/25]

500. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average payment under income-assessed childcare in 2025. [52929/25]

501. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of pre-school places operating in the years 2020 to date in 2025, according to size such as <25, 25-49, 50-74, 75-99 and 100+. [52930/25]

502. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the status of a dedicated state agency for early learning and childcare, which would undertake functions currently carried out by Pobal Early Years, the 30 City and County Childcare Committees as well as operational functions currently undertaken by her Department. [52976/25]

503. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of early years and crèche services that have been withdrawn from the core funding scheme in each of the past five years, by county; and the specific measures her Department is taking to prevent further withdrawals and protect parents from fee increases. [52979/25]

504. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of early years and crèche facilities operating in Cork city and county in each of the past ten years; the net change in services over that period; and the actions being taken to address the decline in provision in Cork compared with the reported national increase. [52980/25]

505. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will publish detailed, disaggregated data showing the number of childcare providers entering and leaving the sector nationally and by county each year since 2015, including whether those providers were part of the core funding scheme. [52981/25]

506. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps her Department is taking to prevent excessive childcare fee increases, including whether consideration has been given to introducing statutory fee caps or a link between the core funding scheme and maximum allowable fee levels. [52982/25]

507. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the locations where State-led childcare facilities are currently being planned or developed, including projected capacity, opening dates, costs, and the criteria used for site selection. [52983/25]

508. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the specific supports (financial, operational, training, or business supports) which are being made available to smaller and rural childcare providers to maintain their viability within the core funding scheme. [52984/25]

509. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which her Department verifies claims of a national net increase in services when some regions, such as Cork, have reported sustained decreases; and if she will provide a breakdown reconciliating national and regional figures. [52985/25]

510. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide a list of agencies under her Department’s remit who currently receive training on recognising and responding to sexual violence; if this training is mandatory; the core competencies covered in existing training programs; and to provide a list of any agencies who don’t receive the latter. [53006/25]

511. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an update on her Department's work in relation to the development of a national policy on the rights of children living in informal kinship care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53011/25]