Parliamentary questions

711. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of guardian ad litem it is proposed will be employed under the proposed changes to the guardian ad litem scheme; the number of children each guardian ad litem will have responsibility for; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32318/25]

712. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the different pay bands there will be, and the criteria for each pay band, under the proposed new guardian ad litem scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32319/25]

713. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of WTE clinical nurse specialist based at Coolock children's disability network team in 2024 and to-date in 2025, in tabular form. [32337/25]

714. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her views in relation to a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32363/25]

715. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide details of the amount spent or incurred by the Decision Support Service on PR consultants or PR advice in respect of the calendar year 2023, calendar year 2024 and 1 January 2025 to 31 May 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32400/25]

716. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding a review of the effectiveness of the Director of the Decision Support Service provided for under section 102(3) of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015; if it has been completed; the timeline for when the report of the review will be published; and if she will make a statement on the …

717. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps her Department will take to ensure that a child (details supplied) will receive individual occupational therapy intervention in a timely manner; if her Department will liaise with the parent; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32404/25]

718. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to confirm the number of childminders who work in their own homes that are now registered under the national childcare scheme in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32412/25]

719. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps her Department will take to ensure that a child (details supplied) will have access to an appropriate preschool education in their locality. [32438/25]

720. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps she will take to ensure that the number of preschool places available in Dungarvan and west County Waterford meets the needs of the growing population in the region. [32439/25]

721. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department’s website employs analytics tools (details supplied) that track website traffic using UTM parameters (for example, utm_source); if so, whether any visits have been recorded with a specific parameter or similar identifiers indicating traffic from ChatGPT; and to provide the monthly number of such vis…

722. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she can outline the plans being developed by the disability unit within her Department to increase the recruitment of speech and language therapists from abroad. [20997/25]

723. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her views on the ten years since the Marriage Equality Referendum; and if the Government intends to mark the anniversary. [21854/25]

724. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her attention has been drawn to a matter (details supplied); if she would be open to meeting with the family in question; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32516/25]

725. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being taken to deal with the significant increase in the number of children living in poverty, as outlined in the findings of the Child Poverty Monitor Report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32552/25]

726. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if the forthcoming national disability strategy will include specific actions and measurable targets to address the extra living costs faced by disabled individuals, as identified in the Cost of Disability in Ireland report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32553/25]

727. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to detail the strategies being progressed within her Department to expand the provision of after-school and childcare in school buildings and campuses, in order to provide better access for parents and communities as per the Programme for Government commitment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32571/…

728. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the engagement her Department has had with the HSE on its proposed audit of capacity and provision of respite services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32572/25]

729. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the costs incurred by her Department and bodies under its aegis from contracts awarded to communications and PR firms in 2024; the name of the contractor and a description of the work undertaken in each case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32633/25]

730. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the new services for children with special needs in County Monaghan for which funding was sought for delivery in 2025; the funding sought for each initiative or project; the funding allocated to each to date in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32677/25]

731. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the new services for children with special needs in County Cavan for which funding was sought for delivery in 2025, the funding sought for each initiative or project and the funding allocated to each to date in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32678/25]

732. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when Acorn, the new managed child savings account, will be established; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32766/25]

733. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of staff employed in her Department's equality division and at which grades. [32769/25]

734. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will prepare a dedicated nursing home care policy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32772/25]

735. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has engaged with the nursing home sector regarding their potential role in providing ‘rehabilitation services’, for example to support people transition from an acute hospital to their own home; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32773/25]