Parliamentary questions

353. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will identify any projects which the Department has underway with CeADAR, Ireland’s national centre for AI; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18371/25]

354. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will identify any projects which a body under the aegis of her Department has underway with CeADAR, Ireland’s national centre for AI; if she will send this question to the bodies for direct response; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18388/25]

355. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will specify the specific policy areas where the Department is examining future use of AI; if she will identify what entities the Department is working with, public or private, in relation to this examination; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18406/25]

356. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will identify any AI training offered to people working in the Department; the level of take-up; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18423/25]

357. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will detail how many physical letters the Minister’s offices and the customer service team in the Department received from the public in 2024; whether those letters are digitised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18448/25]

358. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will detail how many emails the Minister’s offices and the customer service mailbox the Department received from the public in 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18465/25]

359. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will detail whether any surveys have been carried out to estimate the amount of time taken up with administrative tasks where such time could be used more efficiently; if so, in which areas of the Department has this examination been carried out; and if she will make a statement on the m…

223. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when the 2025 rounds of the International Protection Fund, the National Integration Fund and the Community Integration Fund will each be opened for applications; the amounts that will be available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17818/25]

224. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children waiting on CDNT waiting lists in Donegal, by team, and the number months they have been waiting, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17691/25]

225. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department is taking measures to ensure sufficient space in a detention centre (details supplied) for those who are detained as a last resort due to serious criminal activity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17715/25]

226. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if her attention has been drawn to the qualification requirements for the role of Tusla crèche inspector; if she is aware of the equivalence given for experiential learning and on-the-job knowledge in the crèche sector; if she intends to expand the criteria to include those working in or with e…

227. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children awaiting an assessment of need in County Meath; the number of assessors in the county; the number of assessments carried out annually; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17739/25]

228. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if persons with disabilities are charged for the use of day services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17757/25]

229. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there are transport charges for persons with disabilities using day services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17758/25]

230. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will consider strengthening Tusla’s statutory powers to intervene in cases where minors or vulnerable adults are being subjected to psychological coercion or recruited into high-control groups or cults; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17759/25]

231. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if her Department has assessed the risks posed by coercive ideological groups targeting young people; if the current child protection frameworks are sufficient to respond to this form of exploitation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17760/25]

232. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children in postal districts Dublin 1, 3, 7, and 9 who are currently on a waiting list for an assessment of need; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17761/25]

233. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she is aware that there is no definition for Naíonraí (Irish immersion early years education) and no public directory of locations of Naíonraí for parents seeking this option for their child; if she will rectify this as part of the Comprehensive Action Plan to further the development of Irish…

234. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide an update on the Comprehensive Action Plan to further the development of Irish Language Provision in Early Learning and Care settings and Childcare for School-Aged Children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17951/25]

235. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will provide a draft copy of the Comprehensive Action Plan to further the development of Irish Language Provision in Early Learning and Care settings and Childcare for School-Aged Children; the persons or bodies engaged with as part of the process to ensure that the action plan is collabo…

236. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she is aware of the drastic fall in Naíonraí outside of Gaeltacht areas across the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17953/25]

237. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will consider bringing back mentoring of Naíonraí as was previously in place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17954/25]

238. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if new childminding regulations are to be extended to nannies and au pairs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17955/25]

239. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide an update on the implementation of the Irish Sign Language Act 2017 (ISL) within her Department and its associated public bodies, including details of any ISL strategies that have been developed; and if no ISL strategy has been developed to date, the details of plans her Department ha…

240. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of emergency reception and orientation centres currently operated by IPAS; the capacity and current occupancy of each, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17990/25]