Questions

791. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether a specific numerical or percentage reduction target has been set to reduce reliance on private residential childcare placements; the baseline from which this reduction will be measured; and the timeline for achieving such reduction [32701/26]

792. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the projected number of additional public residential placements required to eliminate or substantially reduce reliance on private placements; and whether this projection forms part of Tusla's current capacity planning. [32702/26]

793. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any formal transition strategy exists to move children from private residential placements into public provision; and if so, to outline the criteria, timelines and governance oversight mechanisms involved. [32703/26]

794. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any risk assessment has been carried out regarding continued reliance on private residential childcare placements, including risks relating to cost escalation, availability, and quality assurance; and if she will provide details. [32704/26]

795. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of occupational therapists that are currently on panels within Children Disability Network Teams; and the expiry deadline for this panel. [32830/26]

796. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality which member states are currently maintaining reservations on the proposed European Union Equal Treatment Directive; the nature of those reservations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32842/26]

797. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps her Department are taking to advance the proposed European Union Equal Treatment Directive during the Irish Presidency of the European Union; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32843/26]

798. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when a child (details supplied) in County Clare will receive the respite care they have been waiting on for the past three years; if respite will be expedited as a matter of urgency; if a meeting can be organised as a priority between their parent and the CDNT manager; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32877/26]

799. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children currently in care in County Cork. [32965/26]

800. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of registered foster carers in County Cork. [32966/26]

801. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current status of the transposition of the EU Pay Transparency Directive (2023/970) into Irish law; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33032/26]

802. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of overdue assessments of need in County Mayo for each year from 2021 to 2025; the reasons for the significant increase; the measures being taken to address the backlog; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33038/26]

803. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children currently awaiting early intervention services in County Mayo, including speech and language therapy and occupational therapy; the steps being taken to improve staffing and service capacity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33039/26]

804. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average waiting time for Garda vetting applications for new hires in childcare facilities in County Cork in each of the past three years; the steps being taken to reduce these waiting times; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33046/26]

805. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of expressions of interest received by her Department in respect of State-led childcare facilities in County Cork; the locations from which such expressions of interest have been received; the timeline for delivery of the first State-led childcare facilities in Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3304…

806. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current waiting time for an assessment of need in County Cork; the number of children currently awaiting assessment, broken down by length of time waiting and by Children's Disability Network Team; the specific measures being taken to reduce this backlog; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33048/26]

807. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children in County Cork who received an assessment of need within the statutory timeframe in each of the years 2023, 2024 and 2025 to date in 2026; the number who did not; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33049/26]

808. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of whole-time equivalent staff, by discipline and by grade, employed in each Children's Disability Network Team in County Cork as of the most recent date available; the number of approved but unfilled posts; the percentage vacancy rate for each team; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33050/26]

809. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps being taken to address the recruitment and retention of speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and psychologists in Children's Disability Network Teams in County Cork, including any specific recruitment incentives, in light of the Department of Health's recent announcement of additional…

810. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of operational respite beds for children and adults with disabilities in County Cork as of the most recent date available; the planned increase in respite capacity in Cork during 2026, including the share of the additional 10,000 respite nights announced under Budget 2026 to be delivered in Cork; and if she will make a …

811. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the locations overseas where CDNTs within CHO3 went on recruitment campaigns seeking to recruit additional qualified staff to work in CDNT in each of the years of 2024, 2025 and to-date in 2026, in tabular form. [33093/26]

812. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of recipients of the national childcare scheme and the Early Childhood Care and Education programme, broken down by electoral division of recipients, for the most recent year for which data is available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33206/26]

813. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of NCS sponsor subsidy referrals received by her Department; the number accepted; the number rejected, per year from 2019 to 2025, and to date in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33222/26]

814. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children in receipt of the NCS sponsored subsidy, per local authority/city and county childcare committee in 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33223/26]

815. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children in receipt of the NCS sponsored subsidy, per local authority/city and county childcare committee in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33224/26]