Parliamentary questions

1966. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for an update on the Programme for Government commitment to undertake a broad consultation and publish a detailed action plan to build an affordable, high-quality, accessible early childhood education and case system with State-led facilities adding capacity. [21196/25]

1967. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for an update on the Programme for Government commitment to progressively reduce the cost of childcare to €200 per month per child through the national childcare scheme and explore options to cap costs for larger families. [21197/25]

1968. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for an update on efforts to tackle waiting lists for assessment of needs. [21198/25]

1969. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for an update of the Programme for Government commitment to support Tusla and ensure their structures are robust, responsive and capable of safeguarding every child in need. [21199/25]

1970. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she is aware of a recent media report (details supplied) suggesting that negotiations for an employment regulation order for the early years and school age care sector have stalled and the impact that this is having on staff recruitment and retention, if she will provide an update on this; and if…

1971. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated cost of bringing early years graduates - only NFQ Level 7, 8 and 9 - under public-sector pay and conditions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21255/25]

1972. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for an update of the establishment of a community neurorehabilitation team for Cork and Kerry, funding for which team was announced in budget 2022 and this team was committed to within the 2024 HSE Service Plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21304/25]

335. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps being taken to increase the allocation of therapy services to a school (details supplied). [18224/25]

336. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if an immediate assessment has been made of the therapy needs of children attending a school (details supplied). [18225/25]

337. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the innovative immediate, short-term solutions being taken or considered to address the shortage of therapist services to a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18226/25]

338. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the Government intends to purchase the site of the Bessboro mother and baby home and establish a memorialisation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18095/25]

339. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the amount in youth funding for County Wexford in each of the years from 2020 to 2025, in tabular form. [18118/25]

340. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if her Department is considering using a hotel (details supplied) in County Wexford for the provision of accommodation to international protection applicants taking into account that this is the only hotel inside the town area and is surrounded by areas categorised by Pobal as disadvantaged and v…

341. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she has received representations from Section 38 disability service providers about historic financial deficits for service providers; the scale of any historic deficits in the sector made known to her department; her plans for dealing with this issue; and if she will make a statement on the mat…

342. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she plans to bring forward statutory parental bereavement leave; if so, the timeline for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18172/25]

343. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 427 of 20 March 2025, in which she stated that her Department had not sought or received reports or analysis on impacts that the accommodation recognition payment may be having on the private rental sector, if her Department was aware of any other Department or…

344. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 427 of 20 March 2025, if her Department has since carried out, sought or received reports or analysis on impacts that the accommodation recognition payment may be having on the private rental sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18176/25]

345. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if plans are in place to collect data on the number of people waiting for disability home support and personal assistance services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18200/25]

346. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if her Department has assessed the current availability and capacity of childcare services in the East Wall and Sheriff Street areas of Dublin, in light of the imminent completion of approximately 600 new residential units; whether there are plans to establish new childcare facilities or expand exi…

347. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth her plans to deal with the critical shortage of affordable childcare services in Carlow and Kilkenny which is placing a huge financial pressure on working families; her further plans to develop a publicly-funded, community-based early years education and childcare model; the number of childcare…

348. Deputy Máire Devine asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if additional funding for increased GP, dental, education, creche, and other community services will be provided with respect to a specific site (details supplied); whether a Department liaison officer will be appointed to communicate with the local community; and if she will make a statement on t…

349. Deputy Máire Devine asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if her Department has received correspondence from a party regarding a specific site (details supplied); if they have determined to use it; if so, specifically what group will be resident there; whether additional funding for increased GP, dental, education, creche, and other community services wi…

350. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the measures being taken to address the reported shortage of social workers within Tusla’s aftercare services, which may impact young care leavers' ability to meet the new housing priority criteria put forward by Dublin City Council. [18297/25]

351. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the measures in place to ensure that all young people leaving State care are adequately supported in their transition to independent living, particularly in light of the current housing emergency. [18298/25]

352. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will outline the steps her Department is taking to improve data collection and database construction in anticipation of the increased data processing capacity that artificial intelligence adoption entails; if she will outline the logic behind their approach; and if she will make a statem…