Questions

980. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children who entered State care in each of the past five years and who were classified as homeless, in emergency accommodation, or residing in family hubs at the time they entered care; and if she will provide the figures, in tabular form. [39454/26]

981. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of cases in which homelessness, insecure housing, overcrowding, or residence in emergency accommodation was identified as a contributing factor in a decision to place a child in State care during each of the past five years. [39455/26]

982. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children currently in State care whose families are recorded as homeless or residing in emergency accommodation; and if she will provide the figures by county, in tabular form. [39457/26]

983. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children currently in State care whose families are recorded as homeless or residing in emergency accommodation; and if she will provide the figures by county. [39458/26]

984. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of physiotherapy posts currently vacant in CDNT 9; the waiting times for children requiring physiotherapy in CDNT 9; the contingency arrangements that are in place following the reduction in service capacity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39484/26]

985. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if children attached to CDNTs who lose access to therapy because of staffing shortages can be referred to primary care physiotherapy as an interim measure; and the guidance that has issued to HSE areas on this matter. [39486/26]

986. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of vacancies across CDNTs nationally, broken down by discipline; the number of vacancies in CHO 2 / HSE West; and the immediate measures that are being taken to restore therapy services. [39487/26]

987. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the verification procedures undertaken when an unaccompanied minor communicates an intention to leave the State to join family members [39578/26]

988. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if Tusla independently verifies the identity and location of such family members before the child is considered to have left voluntarily [39579/26]

989. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the cross-border safeguarding mechanisms that are activated when a child in State care is reported missing and believed to have travelled to another jurisdiction [39580/26]

990. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children who went missing from SCSIP care prior to receiving an initial trafficking risk assessment in each of the past five years [39581/26]

991. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures in place to ensure that all unaccompanied minors receive an immediate trafficking vulnerability assessment upon entering care [39582/26]

992. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if an exit or pre-departure safeguarding check is conducted where a child indicates an intention to leave the State. [39583/26]

993. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of reports made to the missing children forum regarding suspected trafficking since its establishment. [39584/26]

994. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will address concerns that many experienced childminders may leave the sector due to the requirement from September 2027, for home based childminders to register in order for families to access the national childcare scheme; and the measures she will take to prevent a loss of childcare capacity. [39638/26]

995. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has carried out any assessment of the financial sustainability of small and sessional early years providers, including Montessori services; the number of such providers that have ceased operating in each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39707/26]

996. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether consideration is being given to increasing ECCE and core funding scheme rates in light of rising operational costs, staffing pressures, insurance costs and the increasing level of additional needs support being provided by early years services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39708/26]

997. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures that are currently in place, or under consideration, to improve recruitment and retention within the early years sector, particularly among highly qualified Montessori and early years educators; whether consideration is being given to enhanced pay supports, pension provision or pathways toward parity of esteem with primary …

998. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average time being taken currently (in weeks) to attain garda vetting to work in the early years and school age care sector as an educator; the number of applications that were received in 2025 and to date in 2026; the number of those applications have been approved and rejected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39…

999. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if, ahead of Budget 2027, she will look at the amount being offered for children in early years who are sponsored to raise the sponsorship amount to ensure it meets the actual cost associated with a childcare place to ensure that providers are not left covering the difference and ensuring that children who are sponsored can access a p…

1000. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has issued any formal governance expectations, oversight directives, reporting requirements or policy guidance to Tusla concerning the proportionality, consistency or evidential thresholds applied in Emergency Care Order applications under sections 12 and 13 of the Child Care Act 1991. [39842/26]

1001. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether emergency child removals form part of any Departmental governance, safeguarding, audit or enterprise-risk oversight discussions with Tusla under the Oversight Agreement framework.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39843/26]

1002. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the Department receives any aggregate reporting concerning complaints, judicial criticism, overturned orders, or adverse findings relating to Emergency Care Orders. [39849/26]

1003. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she is satisfied that Tusla's financial systems permitted consistent like-for-like tracking of private residential childcare expenditure prior to 2024. [39854/26]

1004. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any external review has been undertaken into Tusla's historical financial categorisation systems for private residential childcare expenditure. [39855/26]