Parliamentary questions

638. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 1770 of 9 June 2026, and in light of her statement in that reply that Tusla’s allocation framework is not yet implemented as there is no formal staff agreement, the legal basis for non-qualified Tusla staff being employed to undertake social work tasks, as outlined in HIQA's …

639. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the specific information, metrics and performance indicators reported by Tusla to her Department regarding permanency planning for children in care; the frequency of such reporting; and if she will provide a copy of the most recent report received. [47798/26]

640. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla or her Department maintains national data on the length of time children spend awaiting permanency decisions; if so, the figures for each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47799/26]

641. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any national targets, benchmarks or expected timelines exist for permanency planning decisions involving children in care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47800/26]

642. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current capacity of registered school-age childcare (before-school and afterschool/“sherpa”) services in Ballincollig, Cork north central; whether her Department or Tusla holds data on unmet demand for such places in the area; whether her Department has been notified of any existing provider in Ballincollig withdr…

643. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the assessment her Department has made of the impact of population growth in Ballincollig, Cork north central on demand for school-age childcare places; whether the County Childcare Committee structure in Cork has flagged Ballincollig as an area of capacity concern; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [478…

644. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her views on the labour market impact where a parent, disproportionately the lower-paid parent in a household, is forced to reduce working hours or exit the workforce due to the unavailability of afterschool childcare; whether her Department has conducted or commissioned any analysis of this effect on workforce partic…

645. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to review the NCS to facilitate greater flexibility of hours of attendance with no subsequent penalisation of NCS entitlement or provider funding. [47820/26]

646. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 393 of 29 January 2026, if a copy of Tusla’s Personal Data Breach Policy and Breach Management Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and new staff guidance on reporting data breaches can be provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47836/26]

647. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide details of all recorded incidents of Tusla 'personal data breaches' for 2025 and to date in 2026, broken down for each recorded incident (details supplied). [47837/26]

648. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the strategy in place to provide continuing professional development in the early years sector; the plans to expand CPD offerings for educators working in the sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47838/26]

649. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the subject areas that are a priority for continuing professional development in the early years sector; the number of CPD fields of study that will be made available; the total budget figure that her Department has committed to the provision of CPD; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47839/26]

650. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps being taken to ensure continuing professional development is available across early years services statewide; if she accepts that widespread access to CPD is vital to the implementation of the Aistear framework and creating inclusive learning environments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. …

651. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the verification and assurance process that is implemented in the Department to ensure that continuing professional development standards are met in the early years sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47841/26]

652. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the timeframe and process for her Department's commitment to ratifying the second optional protocol of the UNCRC; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47867/26]

429. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to give urgent consideration to a request (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46425/26]

430. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 1596 of 9 June 2026, if flexibility in terms of the eligibility for the ECCE scheme will be shown in the case of the person; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46456/26]

431. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on the current status of adult day service placements available for young adults with severe autism and intellectual disabilities, specifically in relation to the case of a person (details supplied) who is due to leave school at the end of June 2026; the measures being taken to ensure …

432. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the supports in place for foster carers who foster a baby (up to 12 months old); if consideration has been given to providing paid leave for foster carers who foster babies up to 12 months old; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46473/26]

433. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to examine an urgent issue for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46510/26]

434. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when she intends to open the next round of applications for the establishment of new family resource centres. [46515/26]

435. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her Department’s plans to respond to a survey carried out among the parents of Naas, County Kildare (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46522/26]

436. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to urgently examine an issue regarding the provision of childcare (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46547/26]

437. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated cost of providing an additional €10,000 to every naíonra in the State; the first year and full year cost of funding a year free of charge at an Irish-medium naíonra for every pre-school aged child living in the Gaeltacht currently availing of a pre-school service funded under the ECCE scheme; and t…

438. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the expenditure provided over the past ten years to support Traveller culture, including specifically expenditure relating to support for Traveller and Roma cultural heritage centres and communications media to develop and promote their culture, stories and music of Travellers and Roma, in line with the National…