Parliamentary questions

682. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the Pay and Numbers Strategy places limits on recruitment into Children’s Disability Network Teams; if so, the extent to which this constrains recruitment; and whether exemptions or adjustments are being considered in light of current service demand. [28142/26]

683. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children currently awaiting assessment and intervention by Children’s Disability Network Teams; the average waiting time; and whether current staffing levels are considered sufficient to meet demand. [28143/26]

684. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being taken to address staffing shortages within Children’s Disability Network Teams; the timelines associated with these measures; and the expected increase in staffing levels during 2026. [28144/26]

685. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current number of children waiting for speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and psychology services in Limerick; the average waiting time for each service, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28261/26]

686. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the methodology used by her Department and the HSE to estimate clinician workload within Children's Disability Network Teams in the absence of recorded caseload data per clinician or per discipline. [28274/26]

687. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any national or international benchmark for safe clinician caseloads is used in workforce planning for Children's Disability Network Teams; and if so, to provide details of such benchmarks and how they are applied. [28275/26]

688. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality how workforce planning decisions for Children's Disability Network Teams are made where no clinician-level caseload data is collected; and the evidential basis used to determine appropriate staffing levels. [28276/26]

689. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether a clinical risk assessment has been conducted regarding the absence of caseload measurement within Children's Disability Network Teams; and if so, to provide the findings and any mitigation measures in place. [28277/26]

690. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the metrics used to assess service capacity and performance within Children's Disability Network Teams in the absence of clinician caseload data. [28278/26]

691. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the reduction in the Children's Disability Network Team waiting list from 16,522 to 8,648 includes cases reclassified, deferred, or removed without receiving full intervention; and to provide a breakdown of the categories underpinning this reduction. [28279/26]

692. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average waiting time from referral to first assessment and from assessment to intervention within Children's Disability Network Teams, nationally and by Community Healthcare Organisation area. [28280/26]

693. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department intends to introduce a standardised national system for recording clinician caseloads within Children's Disability Network Teams; and the timeline for implementation. [28281/26]

694. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the extent to which administrative staff are included within the reported whole-time equivalent figure for Children's Disability Network Teams; and the number of clinical versus non-clinical staff within that total. [28282/26]

695. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any independent audit or review has been conducted on workforce capacity and service delivery within Children's Disability Network Teams since the introduction of the Roadmap for Service Improvement 2024-2026; and to provide details. [28283/26]

696. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide a list of all registered providers of early years and school age services that have three or more services; the number of services registered to each registered provider; the type of service provided (that is, sessional, part time, full time, school age childcare); and type of service (private or comm…

697. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on waiting times for assessments of need in CHO9; the efforts being made to reduce waiting times; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28525/26]

698. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding any assessment of demand for Irish language pre-schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28526/26]

699. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding the number of Irish language pre-schools in operation, broken down by county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28527/26]

700. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding any systems in place to support the increased provision of Irish language pre-schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28528/26]

701. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding any assessment carried out at a pre-school level into the potential demand for Irish language medium primary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28529/26]

702. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 2562 14 April 2026, if one letter could issue to foster carers to cover such travel while a child is in their care, rather than having to seek a letter for travel to the North of Ireland every time, noting that foster carers living near the border do not require such a letter t…

703. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total amount spent since January 2024 on a service (details supplied) the third party contracted external provider of phone and application services for the mother and baby payments scheme [28560/26]

704. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of new applicants per week since January 2026 to the mother and baby redress scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28561/26]

705. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of eligible applicants per institution listed for redress; and the number of actual applicants per institution to date. [28562/26]

706. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the percentage take up of applicants for Protestant and Catholic institutions for the mother and baby redress scheme. [28563/26]