Questions

944. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she recognises the role of the proposed AgoraEU programme in supporting democracy, equality, civil society organisations and fundamental rights initiatives across the European Union, including support for organisations working with marginalised communities such as LGBTQ+ people; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38479/26…

459. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department or any bodies and agencies under its aegis use, or have in the past used, software and or products from a company (details supplied); the duration and cost of the contract; and the services they avail of from the company. [35859/26]

460. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Ireland has developed proposed responses or solutions to the concerns raised by Member States maintaining reservations on the proposed European Union Equal Treatment Directive, including concerns relating to scope, cost and decentralised competencies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35877/26]

461. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether bilateral engagement has taken place with Member States maintaining reservations on the proposed European Union Equal Treatment Directive; the dates and format of any such engagements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35878/26]

462. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Ireland intends to table, support or advance a revised compromise text relating to the proposed European Union Equal Treatment Directive during Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35879/26]

463. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department intends to publish or summarise its assessment of the implications of the proposed European Union Equal Treatment Directive and the 2024 Belgian Presidency compromise text for Irish law and policy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35880/26]

464. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the gaps, if any, have been identified between existing equality protections in the State and the protections proposed under the European Union Equal Treatment Directive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35881/26]

465. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the 2024 Belgian Presidency compromise text remains the basis on which Ireland is engaging in negotiations on the proposed European Union Equal Treatment Directive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35882/26]

466. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department plans on introducing additional flexible supports for parents returning to work after having a child; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35897/26]

467. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to confirm the policy for the refund of deposits for ECCE places in childcare facilities; if these deposits should be refunded if a parent gives ample notice of intention to relocate the child to another facility commencing in September 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35909/26]

468. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the criteria applicable for access to respite services (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35937/26]

469. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has any concerns that the new Revised Case Allocation Framework being operated by Tusla permits non-social workers to undertake assessments on children for which they are not qualified to undertake and which previously were undertaken by qualified and registered social workers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. …

470. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will confirm whether the role of Domestic Violence Liaison Officers within Tusla can be undertaken by someone who is not a qualified and registered social worker. [35959/26]

471. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on her Department's response to the November 2025 HIQA report on the Tusla Dublin north city area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35960/26]

472. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the supports in place for new service providers of early years education and after school provision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35975/26]

473. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the body, office, or accountable person that holds ultimate responsibility at national level for monitoring systemic delays in permanency outcomes for children in State care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36033/26]

474. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the Tusla Board receives regular reports, dashboards, or governance updates relating to time-to-permanency for children in care, placement drift, duration under interim care orders, duration under voluntary care arrangements, placement instability, or repeat care episodes; and if she will provide details of the metrics reported a…

475. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether risks associated with delayed permanency outcomes, care drift, or prolonged temporary care arrangements are included within Tusla corporate risk registers, governance escalation frameworks, or internal oversight structures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36035/26]

476. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether HIQA conducts inspections, thematic reviews, audits, or performance analysis specifically relating to permanency delays, placement drift, or prolonged temporary care arrangements for children in State care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36036/26]

477. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla currently maintains the technical capability within its information systems to distinguish between re-referrals, formally reopened social work cases, repeat safeguarding episodes, and repeat entries into State care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36037/26]

478. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the absence of a distinct national dataset relating to formally reopened social work cases has been identified internally by her Department or Tusla as a governance, safeguarding, or performance-monitoring limitation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36038/26]

479. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any proposal, policy development, or internal review is underway to introduce national key performance indicators relating to reopened social work cases, placement stability, repeat care entry, or time-to-permanency outcomes for children in State care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36039/26]

480. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any internal analysis, briefing material, policy papers, or governance reviews prepared in connection with the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2025 identified concerns relating to permanency delays, care drift, prolonged interim care orders, or extended voluntary care arrangements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [360…

481. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the absence of a national dataset tracking formally reopened child protection cases has ever been discussed within the governance, oversight, audit, or risk-management engagements held between her Department and Tusla. [36072/26]

482. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla’s Audit and Risk Committee has considered risks associated with the absence of nationally standardised data on reopened child protection cases. [36073/26]