Questions

64. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the amount spent on litigating judicial reviews in Cork for failure to complete AON in the necessary timeframe since 2020. [65644/26]

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 make a statement on …

505. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the amount spent by the Government defending challenges to the assessment of need for children in the State over each of the past three years; the number of cases the State defended in each of those three years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11148/26]

2008. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department, or any body under its aegis, has funded, or is funding, other than where legal costs were awarded against the employer by a court or tribunal, the legal costs of any current or concluded litigation taken by an employee or former employee against that Department or body, in each of the past five years; if so, to …

2009. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the basis on which her Department, or a body under its aegis, may fund the legal costs of an employee or former employee in litigation where that employee is in dispute with, or taking proceedings against, the same body; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2032/26]

2010. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the funding of employee legal costs in disputes against her Department, or a body under its aegis, is standard practice; if not, the circumstances in which such funding may be permitted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2050/26]

2011. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the guidance, codes, circulars or directions that govern the payment of legal costs by her Department, and bodies under its aegis, in employment-related disputes, including any requirements under the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies or Departmental sanction arrangements; and if she will make a statement on…

2012. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the funding of employee legal costs in litigation against the employing body could give rise to governance, accountability, or value for money concerns; whether her Department has issued any guidance in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2086/26]

2013. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has reviewed, or intends to review, the practice of Departments, and bodies under their aegis, funding legal costs in employment disputes involving those same bodies; and if so, the outcome or timeline for such a review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2104/26]

2014. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether arrangements to fund legal costs in employment disputes involving her Department, or bodies under its aegis, require the prior approval of her Department or the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2122/26]

934. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total legal costs in defending judicial reviews of planning decisions involving her Department and/or agencies within the aegis of her Department for each of the years 2020 to 2024 and to date in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63614/25]

156. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of legal actions initiated against her Department in respect of the Disability Act in each year since 2020 to date in 2025; the numbers in which a settlement was reached; the numbers in which cases are ongoing, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57593/25]

157. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total expenditure within her Department in each year since 2020 to date in 2025, on legal costs associated with cases taken in respect of the Disability Act; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57594/25]

158. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total expenditure within her Department in each year since 2020 to date in 2025, on settlements associated with cases taken in respect of the Disability Act; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57595/25]

2263. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the amount spent on legal fees associated with litigation, advice and settlements in each of the past three years by her Department and agencies under its aegis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40873/25]

2329. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if all external legal fees incurred by her Department, and by any bodies under its aegis, are charged at negotiated discounted rates; how fees are monitored for compliance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41497/25]

2330. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department conducts regular benchmarking, or market testing, to ensure that the rates paid for legal services, solicitors and barristers, represent value for money for the taxpayer; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41515/25]

2331. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to detail the procurement processes used when engaging external legal firms and barristers, including whether panels are used; how often these are refreshed; the criteria used for selection and performance review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41533/25]

2332. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has conducted any audits or reviews in the past five years on legal fee spend; if so, to publish the findings or summaries of those reviews; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41551/25]

2333. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the internal oversight that exists within her Department to monitor the scope, duration, and cost escalation of legal services once engaged; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41569/25]

2334. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department makes use of capped fee arrangements, fixed-fee briefs, success-based fee models or other such arrangements in its legal engagements; if not, the reason such options are not considered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41587/25]

2335. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any legal engagements have exceeded their initial estimated or approved cost in the past three years; if so, the number of such cases and total overrun; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41605/25]

737. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of legal cases defended by her Department and or the HSE in each of the past ten years in respect of an alleged failure to provide an assessment of need; of those cases, the number in which proceedings are pending or continuing; the number of cases which were lost and won, respectively, in the same period; the number of cases …

972. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of legal actions taken against her Department due to a child not receiving an assessment of need within the statutory timeframe since 2020, by year, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2785/25]

973. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the amount paid out in legal fees by her Department due to legal actions being taken by parents of a child not receiving an assessment of need within the statutory timeframe since 2020, by year, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2786/25]