Parliamentary questions

139. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the actions being taken to address the issues raised by a group (details supplied) concerning ageing parents who continue to provide full-time care to adult children with intellectual disabilities, particularly in relation to planned supported housing and unmet need; and if she will make a statement on the matter…

140. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if amendments to the national childcare scheme subsidy are being considered to allow parents flexibility in collecting children from childcare settings. [29152/26]

141. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if equine therapy facilities will be developed at the HSE’s Toghermore campus in Tuam, County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28155/26]

142. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of early learning and care facilities built as part of large developments that are not utilised for that purpose in Dublin city; if this is information which her Department holds, whether she intends that the new forward planning and delivery unit will gather this information given its vital nature in …

143. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to report on the progress her Department has made in updating the National Childcare Scheme website to include historical fees of providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28592/26]

144. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress made on the Programme for Government commitment to "review the 2001 Childcare Facilities Guidelines for Planning Authorities to ensure childcare spaces are provided and put into use"; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29050/26]

145. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason the caseload management system at Tusla has been paused; the protocols in place to ensure that Tusla social workers are not overwhelmed by caseloads; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28218/26]

146. Deputy John Paul O'Shea 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 Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28742/26]

147. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the specific measures that are being put in place in 2026 to ensure that the additional 10,000 respite nights announced in Budget 2026 are distributed equitably across all HSE health regions, including the Mid-West; the mechanisms that will be put in place to track delivery of those additional respite nights at a count…

148. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her Department's use of artificial intelligence in developing policy materials and responding to parliamentary questions. [28591/26]

149. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures she will take to increase pay and improve conditions for workers in childcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29194/26]

150. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on assessments of need waiting lists in County Meath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28426/26]

151. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has overspent on the research and development project on a National Childcare Agency; and if she will outline amount of overspent. [28590/26]

152. Deputy Edward Timmins 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. [29165/26]

153. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the mechanism by which it is ensured that unaccompanied minors seeking international protection are not accommodated alongside those for whom age has not been verified. [28423/26]

154. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality how her Department is working with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Department of Health, as well as local authorities and the HSE, to ensure that adults with intellectual disabilities can access homes that meet their needs within their own communities; and if she will make a statement…

155. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if a formal cross-departmental structure is in place between her Department, the Department of Health and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to support the delivery of residential placements for persons with intellectual disabilities in north Dublin; the timelines or targets in place in relati…

156. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department is progressing a plan to provide State-run childcare. [29154/26]

157. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to explain the difference in early years disability support funding between CHO8 Louth/Meath and CHO1 Cavan/Monaghan, particularly regarding funded preschool and after school intervention places for children with additional needs; the reason CHO1 funds specialised services in some facilities, including 1:1 supports…

158. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she plans to allocate additional therapy staff to disability services in Mayo to address gaps in occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and psychology; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29061/26]

159. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when her Department will end the practise of people under 65 years-of-age living inappropriately in nursing homes designed for care of older people; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28398/26]

160. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the engagement her Department has had with the Department of Health on the proposed implementation of the single point of access model; whether a written protocol has been developed or agreed setting out the way disputes between primary care, children's disability network teams and CAMHS are to be resolved where servi…

161. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress made on the issues raised by a group (details supplied) since meeting with the group in January 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29150/26]

162. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when a review into childminding regulations will commence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28750/26]

163. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the review of the 2001 planning guidelines for local authorities on early learning and childcare settings, in order to increase childcare supply; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29074/26]