Parliamentary questions

503. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the timeline for the completion of the review and reform of the Equality Acts insofar as it relates to disability rights in employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29478/26]

504. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has engaged with employers, trade unions, disabled persons organisations or advocacy bodies regarding the need for stronger statutory protections in employment for disabled workers seeking reasonable accommodation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29479/26]

505. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has assessed the compatibility of current Irish employment equality law and practice with Article 27 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, particularly in relation to reasonable accommodation, timely responses and protection against discrimination in employment; and if…

506. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has examined the case for requiring employers to provide reasonable accommodation passports or equivalent portable accommodation records for disabled employees across role changes, management changes and internal transfers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29481/26]

507. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has assessed the case for mandatory disability and neurodiversity awareness training for managers with responsibility for recruitment, supervision and people management; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29482/26]

508. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has collected or requested any data on the average time taken by employers to respond to requests for reasonable accommodation from disabled employees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29483/26]

509. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the supports that are available to separated parents who are required, by virtue of court-ordered access arrangements or the location of the other parent, to travel to and secure short-term accommodation in another jurisdiction in order to exercise access to their children; whether her Department has engaged with th…

176. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding the supports available to employers and employees to promote remote and flexible working; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28896/26]

177. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her views on whether existing legislation and regulations are sufficient to support workers that are seeking reasonable allowances for flexible working; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28897/26]

178. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding any work ongoing within her Department that seeks to further strengthen the position of workers that are seeking reasonable allowances for flexible working; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28898/26]

179. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her views on the merits of creating a campaign that seeks to encourage businesses to allow for increased flexible working practices, particularly in the context of increasing fuel prices; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28899/26]

180. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to promote and advertise the Magdelene ex-gratia redress scheme, as commenced in 2013 and extended to further institutions in 2018 both in Ireland and abroad, given the low numbers of applicants to date (details supplied). [28784/26]

181. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children’s disability network teams operating in each local authority area, including Waterford City and County Council, and for each team: the approved whole-time equivalent staffing complement by discipline; the current filled whole-time equivalent staffing, by discipline; and the current vacan…

182. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children referred to each children’s disability network team in each local authority area, including Waterford City and County Council, in each of the past five years; the number of referrals accepted; the number deemed more appropriate for primary care or other services; and the number currently…

183. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average and median waiting times for initial contact, initial assessment and commencement of intervention for children referred to each children’s disability network team, including those serving Waterford City and County; and the national averages for each category, in each of the past five years. [28813/…

184. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children actively engaged with each children’s disability network team; and the number on waiting lists at each team, including those serving Waterford City and County; and the ratio of children to whole-time equivalent staff, broken down by discipline where available, in the most recent year for…

185. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of individual family support plans in place within each children’s disability network team, including those in Waterford City and County; the average number of contacts or interventions per child per year; and the proportion of supports delivered on a one-to-one, group, and programme basis, with nat…

186. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of complaints, incidents, or formal service concerns recorded in relation to each children’s disability network team, including those serving Waterford City and County, in each of the past five years; and the nature of such complaints, by category, in tabular form. [28816/26]

187. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide details of the number of legal actions against her Department that have been resolved without going to court in line with the 2023 State Litigation Principles; if her Department is fully applying the State Litigation Principles in seeking to resolve any current or outstanding legal actions; and if she will …

188. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding the flexible working and remote working policies in place for civil servants in her Department; if there is any discrepancy in these policies based on seniority; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28912/26]

189. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding the flexible working and remote working policies in place for staff that work for any agencies under the remit of her Department; if there is any discrepancy in these policies based on seniority; if this policy is under the control of the agency itself or if it is directed by the Department; and …

190. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if any review is ongoing in relation to her Department’s policy on flexible working and remote working for civil servants in her Department, particularly in the context of increased fuel prices; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28949/26]

191. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when she intends to publish details of the DCDE mapping of existing early learning and care services against projected need, to show the gaps in each county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29085/26]

192. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her attention has been drawn to concerns related to the length of time it is taking to secure Garda vetting for new hires in childminding facilities and the knock on impact this is having for families who cannot access these services due to these delays; the actions she will take to address this concern; and if she …

193. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding any engagement she has had with the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration in relation to the delays in processing Garda vetting application for new hires in childminding facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29103/26]