Parliamentary questions

1673. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will initiate a comprehensive review of supports for people with physical impairments and their carers, including personal assistance hours, respite care, access to education and employment, and community based services; if she is aware of the significant levels of unmet need and isolation reported by individ…

1674. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of early learning and childcare providers who applied for and received support under the Sustainability Fund linked to Core Funding in each of the years 2023, to date 2026; the number of applications refused or withdrawn in the same period; the total value of funding allocated under the scheme; the b…

1675. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any key performance indicators, governance metrics, audit measures or oversight arrangements are in place regarding the use of Emergency Care Orders under section 13 of the Child Care Act 1991; and if they will provide details of same. [43456/26]

1676. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department and the HSE will investigate and address a case (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43483/26]

1677. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of persons in County Kildare currently awaiting an assessment of need under the Disability Act 2005; the average waiting time for completion of assessments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43487/26]

1678. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress made in implementing the recommendations of the Disability Capacity Review to expand disability services; the additional service capacity expected to come on stream during 2027; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43488/26]

1679. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of graduates with qualifications in early years of level 7 and above that have graduated in Ireland in each of the years 2022 to 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43503/26]

1680. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of graduates with qualifications in early years of level 7 and above who graduated in Ireland in each of the years 2022 to 2025 inclusive and are currently working in early years or school age care settings, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43504/26]

1681. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 1201 of 10 June 2025, if the shortfall of places expected by 2030 remains at 14,000 or has it has increased/decreased (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43505/26]

1682. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if consideration will be given to pausing the implementation of further restructuring measures of Special Care Services, pending meaningful review and engagement with staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43545/26]

1683. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if consideration will be given to having immediate Departmental oversight of current staffing and operational safety within Special Care Services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43546/26]

1684. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if staffing ratios, workforce sustainability and overtime dependency in Special Care Services will be reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43547/26]

1685. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department would consider direct engagement with Special Care Services’ staff representatives on the challenges currently facing the service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43548/26]

1686. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the Department has considered establishing a formal national reporting framework with Tusla covering Emergency Care Order applications under sections 12 and 13 of the Child Care Act 1991, including the number of applications made, granted, refused, withdrawn, varied or discharged, together with complaints rec…

1687. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any review, assessment, audit or governance examination has been undertaken by the Department regarding the adequacy of current oversight arrangements for Emergency Care Orders, having regard to the fact that the Department does not receive aggregate reporting on complaints, judicial criticism, overturned ord…

1688. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the CDNT workforce and vacancy reports received by the Department include information on vacancy duration, funded but unfilled posts, service-delivery risks, waiting-list impacts, delayed-intervention risks and regional staffing deficits; whether any national escalation thresholds, intervention triggers or ri…

1689. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department receives any data, reports, performance indicators or management information relating to permanency planning for children in State care; the nature and frequency of such reporting; whether national or regional benchmarks, targets or expected timelines exist for permanency planning; and if she w…

1690. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children currently in State care who have been in care for less than one year, one to two years, two to five years and more than five years, broken down by care type where available; the number for whom a permanency outcome has not yet been achieved; whether the Department has assessed delays in permane…

1691. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the process by which recommendations arising from National Review Panel reviews into the deaths of children known to Tusla are monitored and implemented; whether a central register of recommendations and actions is maintained; whether compliance with recommendations is audited or reported to her Department; and if sh…

1692. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total expenditure incurred by Tusla on private residential childcare placements in each of the years 2021 to 2025 and to date in 2026; the expenditure attributable to each private provider in each year; the number of placements purchased from each provider in each year; and if she will make a statement on the mat…

1693. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla has established targets, milestones, implementation plans or projected timelines to reduce its dependency on private residential childcare providers; the current and projected public residential placement capacity planned for each of the years 2026 to 2030; and if she will make a statement on the matter…

1694. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to clarify an aspect of the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 in relation to the provisions governing domestic violence leave; the documentation or evidence an employer may lawfully request to support a claim for this entitlement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43702/26]

1695. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to review an adjudication decision (details supplied); to confirm if the employer was entitled to ask for evidence under the Circular 16/2023 Domestic violence and abuse in civil service policy and support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43704/26]

1696. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children currently awaiting an assessment of need in County Kildare; the average waiting time for completion of an assessment; and the measures being taken to eliminate the backlog. [43743/26]

1697. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children in County Kildare awaiting access to disability services, including speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and psychology services. [43761/26]