Questions

229. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of WTE psychologists, by grade posts filled within intellectual disability services within CHO7 as of 22 April 2026, in tabular form. [31039/26]

230. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 413, 414, 415, 416, 417, 418, 419 and 420, of 26 March 2026, the measures in place for her Department to identify twice exceptional children outside of the assessment of needs process (details supplied). [31091/26]

231. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether a person fostering an 18-year-old still in school can remain on the foster care allowance until the young person has completed secondary school. [31127/26]

232. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress to date on the Programme for Government commitment to introduce paid surrogacy leave; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31159/26]

233. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the latest engagements she had with the Minister for Social Protection and the Minster for Health on the Programme for Government commitment to introduce paid surrogacy leave; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31160/26]

234. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the criteria for access to respite services (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31170/26]

235. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will intervene to prevent the proposed closure of a school in Kildare (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31176/26]

236. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware that there are many Irish mother and baby institutional survivors living in the UK, many of whom have been deterred from making an application to the compensation scheme operated by the Government, due to the risk of losing their benefits payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31263/26]

237. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will liaise with her counterparts in the British Government to legislate Philomena’s Law as soon as possible; if she will work with survivors to ensure compensation is received.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31264/26]

238. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will advocate for Irish citizens living in the UK, who are survivors of the mother and baby institutions and who have been taken off their financial benefits having accepted redress compensation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31265/26]

239. Deputy Gillian Toole asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if the recently revised assessment of need framework limits or reduces access to cognitive assessment for children, including in cases where intellectual disability is not suspected. [31345/26]

240. Deputy Gillian Toole asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which the revised framework ensures that children with uneven developmental profiles, including those who may be gifted or twice exceptional that is, children with both high ability and additional needs such as autism, ADHD, or dyslexia will be appropriately identified within the system. [31346/26]

241. Deputy Gillian Toole asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has conducted any impact assessment on how the revised model may affect the identification of children whose needs are masked by high cognitive ability or compensatory functioning; the safeguards in place to prevent under-identification of such children, particularly in light of evidence that twice-exceptional childre…

242. Deputy Gillian Toole asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if access to cognitive or psychological assessment remains available where there is evidence of significant intra-individual discrepancy, asynchronous development, or unexplained underachievement; the consideration that has been given to the potential for increased reliance on private assessments arising from any restriction in public …

243. Deputy Gillian Toole asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the training or guidance being provided to assessment officers and multidisciplinary teams to ensure that complex presentations, including masking and twice-exceptionality, are recognised under the revised model. [31349/26]

244. Deputy Gillian Toole asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department intends to review the implementation of the revised assessment of need framework to ensure that no cohort of children is excluded from identification due to the streamlining of assessment processes. [31350/26]

245. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding the mechanisms in place to support agencies under her remit with the increased costs of employing staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31354/26]

246. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding the mechanisms in place to support agencies under her remit to manage the increase in the minimum wages in recent years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31372/26]

247. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding the mechanisms in place to support agencies under her remit to manage increasing operating costs including insurance, energy and fuel; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31390/26]

248. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to review the age restrictions on relevant ECCE years; and if any discretion can be exercised where a child is only a matter of hours too young to qualify for ECCE in a given term. [31408/26]

249. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will outline the reasons for closing a Naíonra in Kildare (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31453/26]

250. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of Naíonra funded by her Department, broken down by county, over the past four years to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31454/26]

251. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the projected annual cost of delivering the National LGBTIQ+ Inclusion Strategy II up to 2028; the estimated cross-departmental funding required year on year, in tabular form. [31458/26]

252. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE speech and language therapists, by grade posts filled within CHO4 primary care services as of 21 April 2026, in tabular form. [31099/26]

253. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Health the formal coordination mechanisms that exist between her Department and the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to ensure that Ireland’s implementation of the EU AI Act and the European Health Data Space regulation is fully reflected in the design and procurement of national health IT infrastructure; and if she will make a statement on the matter. …