Parliamentary questions

122. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the efforts being made to urgently address the crisis within the childcare system, with many childcare facilities unable to attract and retain staff; whether childcare facilities struggling to retain staff and at risk of closure can receive additional funding to improve the staff pay and conditi…

123. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth what steps she intends to take to implement the programme for Government commitment to extend the national childcare scheme to childminders working in the family home with sensible regulations that fit home-based care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7879/25]

124. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children in Mayo waiting for an assessment of needs; the number of children in Mayo waiting for subsequent services and therapies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7767/25]

125. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth her Department's plans to reduce the number of children waiting longer than three months for their assessment of need in CHO 9; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7572/25]

126. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she intends to extend the accommodation recognition payment; when she will make a decision on this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7843/25]

127. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth her plans to financially acknowledge those excluded from the mother and baby and other institutions redress scheme, in particular those who do not meet the 180-day requirement, those whose were boarded out, those subjected to vaccine trials, those who suffered additional abuse as a result of…

128. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of times she has met with or corresponded with the CEO of Tusla since she took office; and the dates upon which such engagements took place. [7689/25]

129. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth her plans to address morale among staff of children's disability network teams; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7670/25]

130. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if it is her intention to use the Pobal HP Deprivation index as part of the process of identifying suitable locations for IPAS centres. [7762/25]

131. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth her Department’s plans to actively engage with communities before opening IPAS centres in their areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7761/25]

132. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of payments made to date in each category of Schedule 2 and each category of Schedule 3 of the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Act 2023, by category, in tabular form; the number refused and the reasons therefor; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7546/25]

133. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the measures she will introduce to improve supports including access to therapies for children with additional needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7773/25]

134. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth how she plans to improve retention and quality in early years education, considering early childhood educators have had to fight for wages and conditions in the sector that are unsustainable. [7895/25]

135. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will ensure funding for dietetic services for adult disability services in Waterford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6974/25]

136. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth her plans to address staffing deficits in children’s disability network teams; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6973/25]

137. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the work of officials within her Department following the commitment in the Programme for Government to 'Explore the establishment of a managed savings account for newborns with an initial one-off contribution by the State, ensuring lower income families benefit from its inception'; and if she …

138. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth her Department's plans for decreasing the number of vacancies on the Balbriggan and Swords children's disability network teams; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7551/25]

139. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children in Louth currently on the waiting list for an assessment of needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7727/25]

140. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will commit to a timely, thorough review of Core funding, as committed to in the Programme for Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7764/25]

141. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will outline her plans to increase childcare places to meet growing demand; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7763/25]

142. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth her plans to increase staffing and training of additional therapists in children's disability teams; the current WTE staffing shortfall, by CHO area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7542/25]

143. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will outline all grant funding available to public and private operators of childcare facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7549/25]

144. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide a breakdown, by county, of the numbers of children waiting on assessments of needs and therapies across the State; the plans in place to reduce the backlogs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6976/25]

145. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she agrees that childcare providers’ administrative burden is too high; the steps she will take to alleviate that burden, particularly for smaller providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7878/25]

146. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of early childcare providers who have closed their businesses in each of the past ten years. [7690/25]