Parliamentary questions

751. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if there are HIQA standards applying to the care of under 65’s in long-term residential care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25278/25]

752. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of ELC/SAC services that were found to be non-compliant in relation to staffing ratios, staff qualifications, Garda vetting, and basic needs, broken down by private or community and private service, service size, full day care, part-time, sessional, school age child-care and county, in 2023 and 2024, in …

753. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on the allocations for the building blocks extension grant scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25329/25]

754. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide a timeline for the implementation of a €200 per month childcare cap, as outlined in the Programme for Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25330/25]

755. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current capacity of childcare services in County Donegal; her plans to increase the number of childcare facilities in County Donegal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25332/25]

756. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if funding will be provided in this year's Budget to fully staff the community neurorehabilitation team for the northwest in line with the Programme for Government commitment to complete the rollout of community neurorehabilitation teams across the country (details supplied). [25362/25]

757. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware that foster carers receive a cut in payment when a child turns 18, even if the child is still in full-time schooling; and if she will consider extending the full payment to children who are finishing school. [25373/25]

758. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether there have been any discussions between her Department and the Department of Social Protection to regularise or streamline access to social protection for childcare workers who are not paid outside of term time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25416/25]

759. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has any intention of taking up the issues arising from the Organisation of Working Time (Reproductive Health Related Leave) Bill 2021, which would give workplace leave in the event of miscarriage or fertility treatment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25472/25]

760. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if the case of a child (details supplied) will be considered; if she will ensure that the support of a children's disability network team will be put in place as a matter of urgency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25519/25]

761. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if funding will be provided in this year's Budget to fully staff the community neurorehabilitation team for the north-west in line with the Programme for Government commitment to complete the roll out of community neurorehabilitation teams across the country (details supplied). [25627/25]

762. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality how the higher effective poverty rates among people with disabilities are being incorporated into national disability inclusion strategies; and whether she will initiate a cross-departmental task force to address the cost for people living with a disability. [25629/25]

763. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has assessed Ireland's obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in light of the economic disadvantage experienced by disabled people; and whether she plans measures to improve compliance. [25630/25]

764. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality what steps are being taken to formally recognise the cost of disability in Government policy; and whether she will lead on developing a published Government action plan listing reforms to address extra living costs for disabled individuals. [25631/25]

765. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will commission or support ongoing research and data collection on disability and poverty; and whether she will ensure that such evidence informs policy by reporting regularly to the Oireachtas on indicators like the disability poverty gap. [25632/25]

766. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current status of childcare waiting lists in Wicklow; the measures being taken to address the shortage of places for children under three years old; the means by which she plans to expand capacity and improve access to early learning and care services in the region; and if she will make a statement on the mat…

767. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of HIQA inspections conducted on foster care services annually since 2019, across each of the 17 Tusla service areas, including the key findings and areas identified for improvement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25725/25]

768. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps taken in response to recent HIQA reports highlighting deficiencies in the governance and oversight of foster care services; the means by which the Department is working with Tusla to ensure compliance with national child protection standards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25726/25]

769. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the reinstatement of therapists from children disability network teams back to special schools since August 2024, and a breakdown of relevant figures including of recruitment attempts to backfill those posts within CDNTs following reinstatement of those therapists in special schools. [25749/25]

770. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the actions she is taking to address the waiting lists regarding assessment of needs tests for children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25770/25]

771. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the interventions to be taken to assist with the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25873/25]

772. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the status of the annual reports from the Special Rapporteur on Child Protection (details supplied) who was appointed in January 2023; when each annual report will be published and laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas given the importance of this independent role in identifying developments in child protection…

773. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of persons on waiting lists for home care and for additional home care hours in counties Roscommon and Galway; and the average waiting time for each waiting lists in each county, in tabular form. [25966/25]

774. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current staffing vacancies within each of the children's disability network teams in New Ross, Enniscorthy, Wexford and Gorey in County Wexford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26008/25]

775. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of occupational therapists currently employed as part of the children's disability network teams in County Wexford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26010/25]