Parliamentary questions

1698. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress made in implementing recommendations aimed at reducing waiting lists for children’s disability network teams and early intervention services. [43762/26]

1699. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024; when she expects it to be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43787/26]

1700. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when she expects the pay transparency directive will be transposed given the 7 June 2026 deadline will be missed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43793/26]

1701. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether it is proposed to produce a toolkit setting out guidelines for employers on gender-neutral job evaluation and classification based on that published by the European Commission in consultation with the European Institute for Gender Equality to assist Irish employers in meeting their obligations under the pay …

1702. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether there will be workshops to assist Irish employers in relation to gender-neutral job evaluation and classification and other obligations arising out of the pay transparency directive; who is proposed to deliver such workshops; when will they be carried out; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [437…

1703. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when it is intended for the employee’s right to information regarding pay under the pay transparency directive to be operable; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43796/26]

1704. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality what is intended with regard to the pay transparency directive’s requirement for the involvement of worker representatives given that many Irish employees have no such representatives; whether this requirement necessitates the recognition of trade unions by Irish employers; and if she will make a statement on the ma…

1705. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will outline the new residential and alternative respite developments that are currently planned for children with disabilities in the HSE Mid-West Region; the timeframe that has been set for their delivery. [43840/26]

1706. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the June 2026 Children’s Disability Network Team workforce review will publish, for each CDNT nationally, the approved WTE complement, filled posts, vacant posts, vacancy rate and agency staffing level. [43862/26]

1707. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any national workforce-risk threshold exists within disability services which triggers escalation or intervention when vacancy levels exceed a specified percentage; and if no such threshold exists, whether one will be developed. [43863/26]

1708. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any analysis has been undertaken since 2020 examining the relationship between Children’s Disability Network Team staffing vacancies and waiting times for assessment, therapeutic intervention or service delivery; and if so, if copies of such analyses will be published. [43864/26]

1709. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will review the core funding rules which require a six-month break in service where a new childcare provider seeks to introduce a different fee structure, in circumstances where a premises has transferred ownership; to consider introducing flexibility to prevent a gap in service provision, as is currently fac…

1710. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department will engage directly with Fingal County Childcare Committee and the providers involved in the learn to grow facility in Lusk, County Dublin to examine options to avoid the projected six-month gap in childcare provision due to the application of Core Funding rules; and if she will make a statement o…

1711. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has assessed childcare capacity in Lusk, County Dublin, in light of the planned closure of the learn to grow service at the end of July 2026; the measures being put in place to ensure sufficient alternative provision for the more than 50 families affected; and if she will make a statement on the ma…

1712. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if consideration has been given to allowing continuity of childcare provision in an existing premises where ownership transfers between providers, without requiring a break in service, in order to protect continuity for children and families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43888/26]

1713. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality how frequently the requirement for a break in service under Core Funding rules has resulted in delayed openings of childcare services nationally; if a review of this requirement is planned; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43889/26]

1714. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the supports or flexibilities available to new childcare providers who have purchased an existing facility but are unable to open due to Core Funding restrictions; if these rules are being kept under review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43890/26]

1715. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of the case of a child (details supplied); and if she will instruct her Department to engage with the family regarding this issue. [43895/26]

1716. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of a childcare provider in Kildare making large operational changes affecting location and pricing structure only after families had signed onto the service (details supplied); if recourse mechanisms exist for families in this situation; if her Department has any powers to intervene in this…

1717. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to detail according to RHA, the number of full-time residential places currently for those with intellectual disabilities in facilities, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44026/26]

1718. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the re-referral metrics provided to Tusla’s Audit and Risk Committee and Board in each year from 2020 to 2025; whether those metrics include national and area-level re-referral rates, repeat re-referrals involving the same child, the average time between case closure and re-referral, and outcome measures arising from…

1719. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether risks relating to child protection re-referrals have appeared on Tusla’s National Corporate Risk Register or any successor corporate risk framework since 2020; and if so, the risk reference number, risk description, risk rating, period during which the risk remained active, and the mitigation measures identif…

1720. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of child protection referrals classified as re-referrals in each year from 2020 to 2025, nationally and by Tusla service area; the percentage of total referrals represented by re-referrals in each year; and whether Tusla has undertaken any analysis of the relationship between re-referrals and subsequent ad…

1721. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children currently in State care for more than two years who have not achieved a permanency outcome, broken down by age, care arrangement, and Tusla area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44085/26]

1722. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla reports to their Department on delays in permanency planning for children in care; if so, the information reported and the frequency of such reporting; and if not, the reason no such reporting arrangement exists. [44086/26]