Parliamentary questions

1489. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the sum of money ringfenced for the NCS for childminders for 2025/2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18300/26]

1490. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average monthly fees paid for childminders operating in the childminder's home, by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18301/26]

1491. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average monthly fees paid for childminders operating in the family's home, by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18302/26]

1492. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the annual average national cost of childcare; the average amount of financial relief provided through the NCS universal subsidy per annum to a family; the average amount of financial relief provided through the NCS income assessed subsidy per annum to a family (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on …

1493. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the relief provided to families on the cost of childcare through the NCS income assessed subsidy and the NCS universal subsidy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18304/26]

1494. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality in the context of the protection of school children, is she aware of the fact that the previous Minister of Housing, Local Government and Heritage/National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), upon the advice of his then Department/NPWS, withdrew the proactive, elective Derogation Regulation, ; her views on whether…

1495. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Brendan Smith den Aire Leanaí, Míchumais agus Comhionannais an gcuirfear bearta breise i bhfeidhm chun cabhrú le forbairt naíonraí lasmuigh de cheantair Ghaeltachta, an bhfuil bearta áirithe i bhfeidhm faoi láthair chun tacú le forbairtí den sórt sin; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [18364/26]

1496. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children in the care of the State (Tusla) who were identified as victims of human trafficking and identified as victims of sexual abuse occurring while in State care, in each of the years 2021 to 2025 and to date in 2026; and if he will provide a breakdown of the specific exploitation types (e.g., lab…

1497. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality with reference to Operation Cosnaím, the number of formal notifications made by Tusla to the Garda National Protective Services Bureau regarding concerns of child trafficking and child sexual exploitation for children in State care in each of the past five years; and the number of these cases where a criminal inves…

1498. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children currently listed as 'missing from care' who are suspected by Tusla’s Separated Children Seeking International Protection (SCSIP) service to have been victims of human trafficking; and the number of reports made to the Missing Children Forum regarding suspected trafficking since its establishm…

1499. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to state the number of children born with Down syndrome in each year from 2010 to-date in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18451/26]

1500. Deputy James Geoghegan 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. [18510/26]

1501. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update in relation to the new Guardian ad litem national service and the recent stakeholder engagement she has had; if she will indicate when the start date for the new service will commence and come into force, with her approval; the transitional arrangements that are proposed for existing Guardians ad li…

1502. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to urgently provide additional capital funding to a vital project in County Kerry (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18544/26]

1503. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the rationale behind Tusla's reported decision not to continue funding or supporting the specialist therapeutic fostering support service provided by a service (details supplied), as part of its ongoing regional reconfiguration; if an impact assessment has been carried out on the potential consequences of withdraw…

1504. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality all Ministers the number of staff from his Department seconded to other Departments or agencies in the Civil Service, per annum from 2022 to date in 2026, the details of the Department or agency, in tabular form. [18586/26]

1505. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of staff from his Department seconded to a firm in the private sector, per annum from 2022 to date in 2026, the details of the company, in tabular form. [18604/26]

1506. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of staff from her Department seconded from a firm in the private sector, per annum from 2022 to date in 2026; and the details of the company, in tabular form. [18622/26]

1507. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding the pilot and phased introduction of staffed local childminding networks, as committed to in the National Action Plan for Childminding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18639/26]

1508. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding increasing respite for the parents of a person (details supplied) with a view to securing a residential placement following a transition period. [18643/26]

1509. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding increasing respite for the parents of a person (details supplied) with a view to securing a residential placement following a transition period. [18644/26]

1510. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her views on the impact of withdrawals from Core Funding of creche and early years providers in Rathmines (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18645/26]

1511. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding indexing of Core Funding subsidies to reflect localised operational costs. [18646/26]

1512. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline how the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 is applied in disability day service settings, particularly for cases where there is family involvement (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18656/26]

1513. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding funding for essential works to reopen a respite care service (details supplied); when it is likely that this service will reopen; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18670/26]