Parliamentary questions

940. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether emergency or out-of-hours residential childcare placements are exempt from standard procurement procedures; and if so, the safeguards in place to control cost and ensure value for money in such cases. [34222/26]

941. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of providers currently on the residential childcare procurement panel; the date on which the panel was established; its duration; and whether additional providers may be admitted during its lifetime. [34223/26]

942. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any value-for-money, procurement compliance, or audit review has been conducted in respect of private residential childcare placements since 2020; and if so, to provide details and findings. [34224/26]

943. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 1037 of 17 February 2026, if any progress been made in respect of an urgent matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34241/26]

944. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her views on a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34264/26]

945. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to review the process of assessments for autism in children (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34288/26]

946. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when legislation will be published and introduced, amending the Institutional Burial Act to enable first cousins to provide DNA for matching with babies lost in the Tuam Mother and Baby Home. [34324/26]

947. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if the review of the mother and baby institutions payment scheme is running to time; if it is proposed that the review will be debated by Oireachtas, both before and after it is conducted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34325/26]

948. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current number of children in special emergency arrangements (SEAs), by Tusla region and age group. [34370/26]

949. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average, median, and longest duration a child has spent in a special emergency arrangement in each of the past five years. [34371/26]

950. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children that have remained in a special emergency arrangement for longer than 30 days, 90 days and six months. [34372/26]

951. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the statutory or legal basis under which children may be placed in unregistered special emergency arrangements, particularly where such placements extend beyond the immediate emergency period. [34373/26]

952. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether court approval or judicial oversight is sought when a child remains in a special emergency arrangement beyond an initial emergency period; and if not, the reason. [34374/26]

953. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason HIQA does not inspect special emergency arrangements; and whether she will commit to extending independent inspection powers to these placements. [34375/26]

954. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of safeguarding incidents, serious concerns, or Garda referrals that have arisen in special emergency arrangements in the past five years. [34376/26]

955. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of required weekly visits to children in special emergency arrangements were missed or delayed in the past 12 months. [34377/26]

956. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the proportion of children in special emergency arrangements that have accessed independent advocacy services; and whether any barriers to access have been identified. [34378/26]

957. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason oversight of special emergency arrangements is conducted entirely within Tusla; and whether any independent or external oversight mechanism exists. [34379/26]

958. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she will commit to a timeline for the elimination of long-term special emergency arrangements. [34380/26]

959. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the CDNTs within which there are family representatives adopted and in place; those for which there is a vacancy; the CDNTs in which any family representatives have stood down since January 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34388/26]

960. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding any mechanism in place within her Department that allows for civil servants to transfer on secondment to an equivalent role within the European Union, without negatively impacting their pension and other employment rights; her views on the merits of such a scheme; and if she will make a statement…

961. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the Building Blocks Grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34469/26]

962. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the status and number of operational respite beds for children with disabilities in Meath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34470/26]

963. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the timeframe for the Government moving towards the target of €200 per month for childcare costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34471/26]

964. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 2493 of 14 April 2026, if she will outline when local county childcare committees will receive funding for applications submitted under the early learning and childcare capital programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34472/26]