Parliamentary questions

1919. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to review correspondence (details supplied), the timeframe for the delivery of this day service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45364/25]

1920. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will reverse the new ECCE compliance requirement, introduced on 10 June 2025, obliging providers to store children’s PPSN details for one year considering the PPSN's are not required once a child is registered in The Hive, and the requirement increases the risk of unnecessary data breaches; and if she wi…

1921. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if the terms of the Statement of Purpose for counties Cavan and Monaghan currently excludes adults with mild intellectual disabilities, including autism, from respite supports and services; and if Cavan and Monaghan is the only area where this exclusion currently exists. [45389/25]

1922. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to clarify if respite supports and services in counties Cavan and Monaghan are reserved for adults with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities only, thereby excluding adults with mild intellectual disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45390/25]

1923. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will meet with a cohort of parents with adult children with disabilities in County Kerry regarding the urgent need for respite for these young adults and to discuss the opening of Cunamh in Caherciveen on a permanent basis (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45391/25]

1924. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to make respite services available to families in County Kerry (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45392/25]

1925. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline whether any additional supports are currently available to parents who give birth to twins, or other multiple births; if there are any plans to expand these supports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45403/25]

1926. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is considering expanding parental and maternity leave for parents who give birth to twins or other multiple births; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45406/25]

1927. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will seek a suitable time for a person (details supplied) to use the hydrotherapy pool in Cavan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45415/25]

1928. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to facilitate the opening of a care centre (details supplied) on a full time basis, seven days and nights per week; her views on whether one night of respite care in a five-year period is acceptable; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45431/25]

1929. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if the HSE has considered subsidising private assessments or interventions when public waiting lists exceed 12-months for children with developmental needs. [45450/25]

1930. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will review the lack of external oversight or appeals process when children are expelled from ECCE-funded preschools, particularly those with additional needs. [45456/25]

1931. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if there are plans to standardise policies across all ECCE providers regarding the handling of behavioural issues in children with additional needs. [45457/25]

1932. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which access and inclusion model supports are being evaluated for effectiveness when preschools expel children with ASD despite support being in place. [45458/25]

1933. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of WTE dietitians, by grade based at Leitrim-west Cavan children's disability network team in 2023, 2024 and to-date in 2025, in tabular form. [45477/25]

1934. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of WTE psychologists, by grade based at Sligo-south Donegal children's disability network team in 2023, 2024 and to-date in 2025, in tabular form. [45478/25]

1935. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the definition applied by Tusla in classifying a case as “medium priority”; if she is satisfied that the current system of prioritisation adequately protects children in situations where there are repeated referrals or escalating risk; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45547/25]

1936. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average waiting times for the allocation of child protection cases across each Tusla area, with particular reference to Dublin South Central, and if she will provide comparative figures for 2023 and 2024. [45548/25]

1937. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the specific measures introduced by Tusla that have reduced the percentage of unallocated cases in Dublin south central from 54 per cent in February 2024 to 34 per cent at the time of the HIQA inspection; and if she will confirm whether those measures are being applied nationally. [45549/25]

1938. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide details of the number of clinical and therapeutic staff employed by Tusla to provide support services to children at risk of sexual abuse; the number of vacancies; and if she will outline the Department’s plans to close the staffing gap. [45550/25]

1939. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the interim supports, therapeutic or otherwise, that are made available to children at risk of sexual abuse in circumstances where case allocation is delayed; and if she will confirm whether there are protocols in place to ensure that no child goes without support during a prolonged waiting period. [45551/25]

1940. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the compliance timelines and performance metrics that have been agreed with Tusla following the recent HIQA inspection in Dublin South Central; and if she will confirm how the Department is monitoring delivery against those commitments. [45552/25]

1941. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department intends to introduce mandatory reassessment triggers, for example, automatic re-prioritisation following a second referral, in order to ensure that escalating risks to children are addressed without undue delay. [45553/25]

1942. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the details of the training and continuous professional development provided to Tusla frontline staff to assist them in identifying and responding to risks of sexual abuse; the adequacy of current provision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45554/25]

1943. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her views on the findings of HIQA that children at risk of sexual abuse in Dublin south central were not receiving timely safety planning or therapeutic support; and the reforms being prioritised within her Department to address this systemic failure. [45555/25]