Parliamentary questions

613. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when a person (details supplied) will receive a substantive response to the emails forwarded by this Deputy to her office [47256/26]

614. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality in light of reports that more than 50 childcare providers have exited the core funding scheme in the past two years, to outline the analysis her Department has undertaken into the reasons for these withdrawals; whether rising operating costs are being fully met under current funding arrangements; the immed…

615. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has conducted, or is conducting, a review into early years professional terminology, given that there is a clear preference across the sector to use early childhood education and care in place of Early Learning and Care, as is custom internationally; the timeframe for the potential publication o…

616. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children who availed of targeted supports under the access and inclusion model in each of the programme years 2021/2022 to 2025/2026; the number who availed of universal supports in the same period; the projected number of children to be supported in the 2026/2027 programme year, in tabular form; and i…

617. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children availing of targeted access and inclusion model supports, by county and by city and county childcare committee area in the 2025/2026 programme year; and the number of early learning and care settings in each area delivering AIM supports, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the…

618. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average and longest processing times for access and inclusion model Level 4 and Level 7 applications in the 2025/2026 programme year; the proportion of Level 7 applications processed within the published twelve-week timeframe; the number awaiting decision at the most recent date available, in tabular form; and i…

619. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of applications under the access and inclusion model for specialised equipment, appliances and minor building alterations in the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 programme years; the number approved; and the average time to approval, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47333/26]

620. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children who availed of AIM Plus supports and AIM non-term supports respectively since their introduction in September 2024; the total expenditure on each in 2024 and 2025; the number of settings providing these supports, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47334/26]

621. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current rate of access and inclusion model level 7 additional capitation following the increase introduced in October 2025; the rate that applied beforehand; the full-year cost of that increase, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47335/26]

622. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of additional residential spaces for adults with intellectual disabilities that were provided for in Budget 2026; the total funding dedicated to providing these spaces; the projected cost of each additional residential space in 2027; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47363/26]

623. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she is aware of the exclusion of certain rural families from accessing the national childcare scheme (NCS) where no NCS-participating childcare provider is practically available in their locality; whether consideration is being given to introducing a mechanism, including a rural access exception, refund, tax …

624. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures her Department is taking to support increased labour force participation by women, with particular regard to addressing barriers facing women who wish to return to the workforce and to supporting those in part time employment who wish to increase their working hours, recognising the economic benefits of …

625. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the level of core funding that will be available to early learning and childcare providers in programme year 2026/2027; the increase in funding compared with the current programme year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47526/26]

626. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the details of the new maximum fee caps being introduced under the core funding programme for early learning and childcare services from September 2026; the expected impact of these changes on affordability for families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47527/26]

627. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will outline any recent or proposed changes to the compensation and redress schemes for persons who, as children, were resident in mother and baby homes and county home institutions; whether the Government is considering revisions to payment levels, eligibility requirements or access to benefits under the sche…

628. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of successful claims made in the mother and baby institutions payment scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47529/26]

629. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of unsuccessful claims made in the baby institutions payment scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47530/26]

630. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if consideration will be given to the inclusion of an institution (details supplied) in the baby institutions payment scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47531/26]

631. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the National Conversation on Education: The First Five Years and School-Age Care National event will be taking place; the reason the originally proposed date of 17th June was cancelled; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47557/26]

632. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on the proposed new childcare facility in Glanmire, County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47565/26]

633. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware that some rural families are effectively excluded from the national childcare scheme due to the absence of participating providers in their locality; if consideration is being given to alternative supports, such as a rural access provision or financial assistance, for such families; and if she will ma…

634. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to confirm that a HIQA report, due to be published next week regarding a service (details supplied) is still to be published; to indicate the date of the publication; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47614/26]

635. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total landholding of her Department, broken down by county, including the amount currently unused or vacant, the portion zoned for development, and the number of sites that include vacant or derelict properties. [47618/26]

636. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of staff currently in place for each discipline and the corresponding positions vacant on each CDNT; the county it relates to, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47647/26]

637. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to advise who is responsible within her Department for the implementation of the EU Disability Card, if any organisations are involved in this process; the position regarding this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47790/26]