Parliamentary questions

170. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will outline the immediate and short-term plan to address the confirmed inability of agencies to provide transport solutions for new school leavers with disabilities in Cork and Kerry, given that HSE South West has acknowledged in its Cork Oireachtas briefing of 18 May 2026 that agencies can no longer pr…

171. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total number of business cases submitted by agencies in the HSE South West region seeking additional funding to meet the changing and additional support needs of day service attendees previously funded under the legacy block-funding model; the number of those business cases have been approved, are pending o…

172. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the waiting times for adults with complex progressive or acquired neurological conditions seeking access to the Community Neuro-Rehabilitation Team service in the HSE South-West region; whether the current capacity of the service is sufficient to meet demand across Cork and Kerry; and if she will make a stateme…

173. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will confirm whether a formal reallocation policy exists within HSE South West whereby residential respite places for children that become available at short notice due to cancellation or non-attendance are offered to other children on the waiting list; if no such policy exists, if she will outline the s…

174. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current number of children on the waiting list for overnight residential respite in Cork; the average waiting time for a child to access a suitable respite placement given that placements are not allocated in strict chronological order but on a compatibility matching basis; and if she will make a statement …

175. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan 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 South-West region; the timeline that has been set for their delivery; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40574/26]

176. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason the number of assessment of need reports overdue for completion in Cork increased by approximately 600 cases from 1,193 in Q1 2025 to 1,872 in Q1 2026; the additional resources that are being allocated to address this backlog given that applications received also increased by 31% from 1,568 in 2024 t…

177. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason the number of assessment of need cases overdue to commence Stage 2 in Cork more than doubled from 43 in Q1 2025 to 93 in Q1 2026, representing an increase of over 100%; the specific measures that are being put in place to address this acceleration in delays at Stage 2; and if she will make a statemen…

178. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if a schedule of contracts will be provided that her Department and bodies under her aegis have had with an organisation (details supplied) and/or its subsidiaries; the value of each; the type and-or name of each project; if any project has been abandoned, paused, put on hold and completed; if any projects over ran…

179. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 974 of 12 May 2026, the engagement there has been with the management of a childcare centre (details supplied) in relation to their planned withdrawal from core funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40435/26]

180. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the mechanisms in place to allow for price increases by childcare centres that are within the core funding model; if there is a maximum increase allowable within the contract; the way in which that is calculated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40436/26]

181. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding flexibility within the core funding model for a childcare centre (details supplied) to increase their pricing in the context of significant running cost increases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40437/26]

182. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 974 of 12 May 2026, the engagement there has been with the management of a childcare centre (details supplied) in relation to increased prices for parents to accommodate their own increase in running costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40438/26]

183. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of currently vacant posts within Kildare CDNT; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40485/26]

184. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when a child in County Kerry (details supplied) will receive an educational placement along with the level of consistent therapeutic and medical support that is urgently needed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40651/26]

185. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the criteria under which a child is placed into special emergency arrangements; the extent foster parent’s concerns are considered when placing a child into special emergency arrangements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40667/26]

186. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the circumstances in which a child is assigned a guardian-ad-litem; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40668/26]

187. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the circumstances in which Tusla would decide to appeal a full care order passed down by a judge; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40669/26]

188. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 555 of 27 May 2025, the estimated average cost, per month, of full-day childcare, broken down by county, and the average cost nationally, for the most recently available time period, in tabular form. [40675/26]

189. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 1971 of 29 April 2025, the estimated cost of bringing early years graduates only NFQ Level 7, 8 and 9 under public-sector pay and conditions; and to provide an update. [40676/26]

190. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current waiting times for assessment of need for children in Cork north-west; the measures being taken to reduce delays; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40685/26]

191. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if additional funding is being provided to expand disability day services in rural communities experiencing increased demand; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40687/26]

192. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress made on improving early intervention supports for children with additional needs in areas with limited service availability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40688/26]

935. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 828 of 19 May 2026, if she will respond to further correspondence received (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40080/26]

936. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the status of Ireland’s transposition of the Pay Transparency Directive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40217/26]