Parliamentary questions

1000. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children a waiting list for speech and language therapy, by CHO, age category and time waiting, in tabular form. [3317/25]

1001. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of persons on a waiting list for initial contact from a CDNT, by CHO, age category and time waiting, in tabular form. [3318/25]

1002. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps that will be taken to replace a cut in service hours in a childcare facility (details supplied) particularly in a community where there is already a shortage of affordable childcare. [3338/25]

1003. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she is aware of any ongoing challenges faced by early years educators and childcare providers regarding funding or operational support; and the way she plans to address these issues moving forward. [3339/25]

1004. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth her plans, if any, to address the shortage of childcare places in Dublin south west, which according to a recent report has the worst shortage of childcare places nationally (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3436/25]

1005. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 1278 of 22 January 2025, in the context of the Programme for Government commitment to review and increase core funding for childcare services, whether she can detail the actions that will be taken to entice childcare providers who have exited core funding …

1006. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total number of services that have withdrawn from core funding, by month and by county, in the past 12 months, up to and including today’s date, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3464/25]

1007. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children on disability service waiting lists for children’s disability networks teams, by CHO/CDNT, at the end of each quarter of each year 2019-to 2024, and in January 2025, in tabular form; the average length of wait; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3511/25]

1008. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of people on disability service waiting lists for each service type, excluding children’s disability network teams, at the end of each quarter of each year 2019 to 2024, and in January 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3512/25]

1009. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children on waiting lists for an assessment of need for each quarter of each year 2019 to 2024, and in January 2025, in tabular form; the number overdue for completion; and the number of estimated preliminary team assessments waiting for a complete assessment of needs. [3513/25]

1010. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to outline her Department’s policy on the charging of non-refundable registration fees by early learning and care centre providers; whether this breaches the requirements of the core funding contract; if there is any upper limit to the registration fees that can be charged; and if she will ma…

1011. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps she will take the stop the closure of the afternoon session of an organisation (details supplied), a vital community service provided by the Dublin City Childcare Committee and funded by her Department; the reason parents have been told at very short notice that the session is to close f…

1012. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the improvements that are being made to disability services, including personal assistant hours and respite care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3601/25]

1013. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the way delays in disability assessments for children are being addressed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3602/25]

1014. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if structured planning in relation to immigration will be improved, including investment in infrastructure to support integration; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3603/25]

1015. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the measures her Department is taking to encourage civil servants in her Department to take or avail of special leave or career breaks, or other forms of leave to encourage and facilitate Ireland's 2026 EU Presidency, the Government "Career for EU" jobs strategy, and the Department's…

1127. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total cost of the rapid-build homes at Haywood Road, Clonmel, County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1695/25]

1128. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if it is intended to extend the accommodation recognition payment for hosting refugees from Ukraine beyond 31 March 2025; if so, whether it will continue to be administered through the Irish Red Cross; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1943/25]

1129. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth given that Ireland currently does not have an agreement to internationally adopt children from Palestine, if he has any plans to change that; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1972/25]

1130. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for an update on the vacant positions in all the CDNTs around the State; the efforts being made to fill these positions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2096/25]

1131. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide an update on the Funding Our Future policy, published by the Government in May 2022; the current estimate for the shortfall in core funding for the higher education sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2125/25]

1132. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department will take urgent action in relation to the international protection applicants temporarily housed in City West, who received emails stating they must vacate the centre by 10 a.m. on 4 December, 2024; if he will instruct IPAS to revoke its decision in order that these men are eith…

1133. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of civil servants in his Department, and in agencies under the aegis of his Department, who were on career break in 2023 or 2024, by month and grade, and by length of career break; the number of civil servants in his Department and in agencies under the aegis of his Department w…

1134. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of vacancies, by month and by grade, in his Department, and in agencies under the aegis of his Department, in 2023 and 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46203/24]

1135. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide an assurance that no civil servant has had their career break extended beyond five years where there is a suitable vacancy in their home Department or agency; to provide an assurance that, where a civil servant has had their career break extended beyond five years on account of …